Microsoft is testing automatic Light and Dark Mode switching in Windows 11, with scheduling based on sunrise, sunset, fixed times, or PC activity.
The post Microsoft May Soon Fix Windows 11’s Obvious Dark Mode Automation Gap appeared first on TechRepublic.
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Le développeur Mayuki Sawatari vient de publier ReProgman , un clone du Program Manager de Windows 3.1.
Ça ne vous dit rien ? C'est parce que vous êtes des bébés !
En fait, progman.exe, c'est ce truc qui servait d'interface principale à Windows avant que le menu Démarrer ne débarque avec Windows 95. Et aujourd'hui, grâce au taf de Sawatari, ça tourne aussi bien sur Windows 11 que sur macOS.
Pour ceux qui ont commencé l'informatique après 1995, faut savoir qu'avant ça, on n'avait pas de bureau, pas de barre des tâches, mais juste une grande fenêtre grise remplie de sous-fenêtres, et dans chaque sous-fenêtre y'avait des icônes de programmes alignées sur une grille. Vous double-cliquiez sur l'une d'elles, le programme se lançait, et voilà, vous aviez fait le tour de Windows !
Le groupe Main ouvert sur Windows 11, et la rangée de groupes réduits en bas de la fenêtre
Regardez bien les icônes sur cette capture : Docker, Edge et Claude rangés dans une ambiance de 1992...
Car ReProgman ne se contente pas de reproduire la déco. Au premier lancement, il scanne votre menu Démarrer (ou vos dossiers Applications si vous êtes sur Mac), transforme chaque dossier en groupe et range le tout dans son propre fichier Groups.ini. Après ça, il n'y retourne plus tout seul, et ce que vous déplacez, renommez ou supprimez dedans ne redescend jamais vers vos vrais raccourcis. Un menu permet quand même de relancer l'import à la main, et il n'ajoute alors que ce qui manque.
Du coup, vous récupérez les gestes de l'époque pour de vrai. Vous attrapez une icône, vous la lâchez dans une autre fenêtre et elle déménage, avec Ctrl enfoncé elle se copie, le menu Window vous range tout ça en cascade ou en mosaïque, et les fenêtres réduites redeviennent des icônes alignées en bas de la fenêtre principale. Même la boîte de dialogue de sortie a été refaite, à ceci près qu'elle annonce la fin de votre session ReProgman et non celle de Windows.
Maintenant, d'où ça sort comme délire ?
Hé bien, l'auteur raconte, dans un message relayé par Tom's Hardware, qu'il a simplement demandé à Claude de lui fabriquer ce clone, et que la première version obtenue en une heure était déjà plutôt correcte, même s'il a ensuite fallu rattraper les imperfections.
Ce qui est intéressant, c'est que dans son dépôt git, on trouve un document de spécification de plusieurs centaines de lignes qui décrit l'interface au pixel près, relevée sur des captures 640x480 du Windows original. Le cadre d'une fenêtre y fait 1 pixel noir, 2 pixels gris et encore 1 pixel noir, et la petite barre du menu système mesure 13 pixels sur la fenêtre principale contre 7 sur une fenêtre enfant. C'est d'ailleurs comme ça qu'on les distinguait à l'époque.... Fallait avoir l'oeil !
Si vous voulez l'essayer, ça se présente sous la forme d'un binaire autonome. Par contre sur Mac, la version distribuée n'est pas notarisée, il faudra donc lui passer un xattr -cr ReProgman.app ou utiliser
Sentinel
avant qu'elle accepte de démarrer. Ah et le code est sous licence MIT.
Le périmètre annoncé par le projet est d'ailleurs plus étroit qu'il en a l'air, puisque c'est Windows 11 en x64 et en Arm, et macOS uniquement sur Apple Silicon. Donc si vous êtes resté sur Windows 10 parce que vous aimez le risque ou sur un Mac Intel parce que vous aimez prendre votre temps, il n'y a rien pour vous amuser... Il faudra alors retourner du côté de ce musée de vieux systèmes d'exploitation que je vous avais montré, qui lui passe par l'émulation.
Après, je pense pas que vous y ferez votre vie mais ça vous donnera environ 30 secondes de nostalgie avant de refermer la fenêtre. C'est déjà ça de pris...
Source : Tom's Hardware
Une vidéo postée sur X montre Super Mario 64 qui tourne sur une machine ARM, sous un système qui n'est ni Windows ni Linux. Oui, c'est bien ReactOS, le clone libre de Windows, et le jeu est un exécutable x64 tout ce qu'il y a de plus banal !
Et n'allez pas croire que c'est un émulateur qu'on aurait posé sur un OS libre. Que nenni ! Pour exécuter du x64 sur de l'ARM, il faut deux trucs qui n'ont rien à voir l'un avec l'autre : un moteur qui traduit les instructions du processeur, et un système capable de faire cohabiter du code natif et du code traduit dans un même programme.
La première moitié, c'est FEX, l'émulateur financé par Valve dont je vous parlais en décembre. Sauf que côté Windows, FEX se limite au processeur : sa propre documentation précise que la traduction des appels système revient soit à Wine, soit à l'ABI du système. Tout le reste est alors à la charge de l'hôte.
Cette seconde moitié porte un nom, ARM64EC, et c'est une invention de Microsoft pour Windows 11 sur ARM (oui, la boîte que ReactOS passe justement son temps à recopier). Le principe consiste à compiler les bibliothèques du système en ARM64 avec une interface appelable depuis du code x64 recompilé. Du coup, un même programme mélange des morceaux natifs et des morceaux émulés, et seul ce qui doit vraiment l'être passe par l'émulateur. L'intérêt de faire comme ça, c'est surtout la vitesse !
Jusqu'ici, deux entités avaient bâti cet "étage" : Microsoft dans Windows, et Wine depuis sa version 10 . ReactOS est donc la troisième. Son développeur Ahmed Arif a ainsi écrit son propre runtime hybride dans le ntdll du système, avec le chargeur d'images, les ponts qui rendent les fonctions natives appelables en x64, et le déroulement de pile.
Ensuite, pour vérifier que tout se tient, il fait tourner le même binaire des deux côtés, sur son ReactOS et sur un vrai Windows 11 ARM64, puis il compare.
Screenshot
Alors, est-ce que vous pouvez l'installer ?
Et bien malheureusement, non !
Tout ce boulot n'existe que dans une branche d'un fork personnel, et le dépôt officiel de ReactOS n'en contient pas la moindre ligne. Et c'est mieux pour l'instant car, comme Ahmed le dit lui-même, son fork est encore plus expérimental que ReactOS lui-même ! C'est donc à réserver aux machines virtuelles, aux cartes de développement ou aux bécanes sans données sensibles. Bref, venant d'un projet qui se présente déjà lui-même comme un système de qualité alpha, ça vous situe l'ambiance...
Bref, rien à télécharger mais pour un projet qui se battait encore il y a trois mois pour lancer Half-Life , voir un jeu x64 démarrer sur de l'ARM, ça envoie quand même du pâté.
Source : Phoronix
Move over iPhone Duo announcement, the real news is here. Windows 11 will soon feature a few more emojis. Microsoft recently shipped Windows 11 Builds 26100.9539 and 26200.9539 to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Among other changes, the update adds support for Emoji 17.0.
Since these are Release Preview builds, many of the included changes have already been seen during earlier Insider testing.
Several changes have been made to File Explorer that should make for a smoother experience. Home within File Explorer now preserves the state of sections, so the next time you open the app things will be expanded or collapsed as before. Thumbnail previews for cloud files should appear more consistently as well following this update.
Emoji lovers will be happy to hear that Emoji 17.0 support comes with this build of Windows 11. Emoji 17.0 adds the distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature (Bigfoot) emojis.
Microsoft continues on its recent push to create more widgets. These Insider builds add a Tips widget that provides guidance about Windows features. Microsoft recently announced a battery widget that's in the works as well.
Another welcome change is the update to remap the Copilot key to function as the Right Control key or Context Menu key. Copilot already has a keyboard shortcut (Alt + Space) for those who want to use it, so having a dedicated key for a niche tool felt a bit like overkill.
Microsoft detailed the changes that are gradually rolling out.
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Windows 11 now includes new family safety features that can reduce how much adult content children are exposed to or able to view. Microsoft has a pair of blog posts on the topic, one that focuses on consumer-facing features and another that covers how APIs and Microsoft accounts are used to make the Windows experience safer.
The first change Microsoft highlighted is not a new feature, but a speed boost to an existing one. Granting parental approval is now faster than before, which allows parents and guardians to quickly approve things like additional screen time, access to specific apps, and purchases.
Speed is important when it comes to family safety. Occasionally children run into blocks when trying to access content that is required for homework or that is otherwise age-appropriate. Delayed approvals leave children sitting around and can cause frustration for kids and parents.
Microsoft has also made it easier for parents to keep track of web activity, app activity, and spending. Managing family groups has been improved as well, including options that make it simpler to add or remove members.
Some people complain about Microsoft accounts being a requirement to use certain services. Microsoft has budged a bit in this area. For example, it's now possible to sign in to Microsoft Edge with a Google account.
But managing family safety settings relies heavily on a Microsoft account, as explained by the company:
"At Microsoft, we believe safety should be easier for families to understand and easier for developers to build into experiences for children to use. On Windows, that starts with the account. Microsoft account is a trusted foundation through which Windows brings age-appropriate protections and parental choices into more of the digital experiences encountered by children and teens every day."
Setting up accounts for children is a requirement to set parental controls for individuals. Microsoft accounts also allow Windows to know if a user is a child, teen, or adult.
Microsoft has introduced a new API to extend age awareness beyond the OS and across the entire Windows ecosystem. The Windows Age APIs can verify a user's age and then send that verification to an app without sharing personal information. It's a bit like Windows Hello but for age verification.
The new Windows Age APIs are available now to Windows Insiders and should ship to all Windows users soon.
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Windows 11 will finally support automatic switching between dark mode and light mode. The most recent Windows Insider build that shipped to the experimental Channel shows strings for the feature, though we still lack key information about the option.
It's been possible to schedule shifts between light and dark mode on Windows 11 for a while, but it has required a third-party application. Auto Dark Mode works well and is a must-have app for Windows 11.
The ever-popular PowerToys can also handle theme switching through its "Light Switch" feature. PowerToys is made by Microsoft but it only recently added the Light Switch utility. It's also not built in to Windows 11.
While both those apps are great, some features need to be built into Windows 11. People shouldn't have to search for an app or install a multi-tool utility to automate theme switching.
The upcoming feature for Windows 11 was spotted by X user "phantomofearth." They shared some of the strings that appear in the latest build, which give us a glimpse of how the feature will work:
Since there are likely many other strings about the feature, we only have a small idea of how auto mode will work. But the snippets we can see now look promising.
It appears that the feature will support shifting between modes based on your location to better match sunrise or sunset. Alternatively, you'll be able to schedule switches for specific times.
The feature also looks like it will have the option to only switch themes when your PC is idle, which should prevent a jarring change from happening in the middle of important work.
Again, this functionality is already available on Windows 11 through apps, but I'll be happy to see it ship to Windows 11. I love tinkering with apps to customize my PC, but general users shouldn't have to do that to get such a straightforward feature.
This app switches the theme of your PC at scheduled times, such as enabling dark mode after sunset. It's always been a bit odd that Windows does not have this as an option by default, but Auto Dark Mode does a great job.View Deal
Light Switch:
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that often outshine similar tools on Windows 11. It already includes a utility that lets you schedule switches between light mode and dark mode.View Deal
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Pour fabriquer une application Windows native, le passage par Visual Studio était jusqu'ici la voie normale. Mais c'était sans compter sur Microsoft qui a publié winapp , un outil en ligne de commande qui permet de faire tout pareil directement depuis un terminal : il crée le projet, le construit, le lance avec son identité de paquet et sort le résultat sous la forme d'un fichier d'installation MSIX.
C'est encore estampillé en version "expérimentale" par ses auteurs, mais ça fonctionne déjà très bien pour des trucs basiques. C'est pour ça qu'aujourd'hui, je vous propose un petit tuto pour afficher un Hello World dans une vraie fenêtre Windows. Vous allez voir, c'est fastoche !
Il vous faut donc Windows 10 version 1809 au minimum, le mode développeur activé dans Paramètres, Système, Options avancées, et le SDK .NET 10 ou plus récent. Visual Studio, non par contre, y'en a pas besoin. Les deux installations se font via winget, dans un terminal normal :
Connexionwinget install Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.10
winget install Microsoft.winappcli --source winget
Faites ensuite un winapp --version et vous saurez si le CLI répond.
La commande new fabrique l'application à partir des modèles WinUI 3 officiels, qu'elle télécharge toute seule dès qu'on la lance. Sans option elle vous pose des questions, mais avec celles que je vous mets ci-dessous, elle ne demandera rien et prendra le modèle le plus dépouillé du lot :
winapp new --template winui --name HelloKorben --use-defaults
cd HelloKorben
Vous récupérez alors un projet C# complet, avec son manifeste de paquet et ses icônes. Et surtout, le modèle winui vous donne une fenêtre vide, ce qui tombe bien puisqu'on va écrire dedans. Notez que le pack de modèles est encore publié en 0.0.6-alpha, donc si un nom de fichier a bougé depuis, winapp new --list vous sortira la liste de ce que le vôtre propose.
Attention, là y'a un petit piège ! Le fichier qui décrit la fenêtre s'appelle MainWindow.xaml, sauf que ce n'est pas celui-là qu'il faut toucher. Ouvrez plutôt MainPage.xaml, qui est à la racine du projet, et remplacez son <Grid /> vide par ces quelques lignes :
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="Hello World !"
HorizontalAlignment="Center"
VerticalAlignment="Center"
FontSize="48" />
</Grid>
Ensuite, un petit winapp run construira le projet, l'enregistrera auprès de Windows avec une identité de paquet qui pointe droit sur votre dossier de build, et le lancera. Votre fenêtre s'ouvre alors avec le Hello World au milieu :
winapp run
La fenêtre HelloKorben ouverte par winapp run, et derrière, le terminal qui vient de la construire en 12 secondes
Bon, là, on a fait un Hello World, mais bien sûr, si vous faites chauffer une IA là-dessus, vous pouvez faire des trucs un peu plus complexes sans forcément savoir coder, et tout ça, une fois encore, sans Visual Studio.
Maintenant, à quoi bon empaqueter ?
Cette identité de paquet, ce n'est pas de la paperasse. En fait c'est elle qui ouvre à votre application les notifications natives, les associations de fichiers, les protocoles maison et les API d'IA locale de Windows. Donc si vous voulez du sérieux, il faut publier l'application compilée dans un dossier, et ça, c'est possible comme ceci directement dans votre terminal :
dotnet publish -o ./publish
L'empaquetage fabrique au passage un certificat de développement et l'installe dans le magasin Personnes de confiance de la machine mais faut que je vous prévienne, la commande qui suit réclame un terminal ouvert en admin dans lequel il faudra refaire le cd vers votre dossier de projet pour qu'il s'y retrouve.
winapp pack ./publish --generate-cert --install-cert
Le MSIX signé sort dans le dossier du projet, nommé d'après le GUID du paquet
Vous obtenez alors un .msix signé, nommé d'après l'identité du paquet, sa version et son architecture, qui s'installe chez vous d'un double clic. Et cette identité, le modèle la génère sous forme de GUID : ne cherchez pas le nom de votre application dans le nom du fichier. Par contre, ne l'envoyez pas tel quel à un collègue, parce que le paquet réclamera le runtime Windows App SDK. Ajoutez --self-contained à la commande pack et le runtime partira dans le paquet. Le certificat, lui, reste un certificat de développement local : sur le PC d'en face, Windows refusera le paquet tant que ce certificat n'y sera pas installé aussi.
Maintenant, si vous vous demandez à quoi sert vraiment ce CLI, c'est surtout l'étape MSIX qui sera moins douloureuse car vous n'aurez pas besoin de lancer Visual Studio.
Source : Neowin
Microsoft has just announced a set of new Windows 11 preview builds that are packing some notable improvements and changes that are now in testing with Insiders. This week's preview builds come packing an upgraded set of settings for sound and audio devices on Windows, enhanced cross device features that sync with your phone, and new family safety options.
First up, Microsoft has introduced a new design for the volume sliders that appear in the Sound Settings area of Windows Settings. The sliders now also show audio activity for when music or video is playing in the background while you configure your settings, making it easier to dial in exactly where you want your volume.
Microsoft is also porting over more Control Panel sound settings to Windows Settings, including the ability to set default devices, and the ability to allow hardware acceleration for devices that support it.
Here's a list of the new sound settings coming to Windows 11:
Another new feature in testing is the ability to quickly download the Windows app for a phone app that appears in the Taskbar via Phone Link. If you use the cross-device sync features that comes with Phone Link, hovering over an open app such as your phone's browser on the Taskbar will now let you quickly pick up where you left off without missing a beat.
In addition to the new sound settings, Microsoft has announced major upgrades to the family safety features in Windows 11. The company says family safety is a top priority for the company, and is addressing key issues and concerns from parents.
Key areas of focus include:
"Each of these improvements came from a real family experience — from issues parents told us mattered most: speed, accuracy, control, transparency, and peace of mind." Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, Rob Mauceri said. "This is the compounding effect of a team that treats every piece of customer feedback as a commitment to do better."
These improvements are welcome to see, and a sign that Microsoft continues to modernize and improve Windows 11 for the masses. These improvements are part of Microsoft's ongoing Windows K2 effort, which is focused on fixing Windows 11's biggest flaws.
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Another record-setting Patch Tuesday is here for Windows 11. The operating system has a massive number of security patches and fixes that are now available to hundreds of millions of PCs.
At the time of publication, we do not have the change log of the latest updates. You can, however, grab the most recent builds through the Microsoft Update Catalog. We will update this piece as more information becomes available.
According to The Verge, this month's Patch Tuesday update includes more than 650 security fixes just for Windows. That's a six-fold increase over what we normally saw in a usual month until recently. But advances in AI have sped up the process of discovering vulnerabilities as well as the need to patch them swiftly.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated after Microsoft releases the change log for this month's Patch Tuesday updates.
Thanks in large part to AI, it's now common to see hundreds of security patches ship on a Patch Tuesday.
AI is a useful tool for Microsoft's engineers, but it can also be used by malicious actors. We're seeing an AI arms race for discovering and patching vulnerabilities.
In addition to helping discover vulnerabilities, AI can help malicious actors take advantage of vulnerabilities that have been discovered or disclosed. That process has been accelerated greatly by AI, putting pressure on organizations and IT admins to test security patches quickly so they can be rolled out.
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Microsoft details Windows 11 age-signal APIs that let eligible apps receive age brackets without exposing users’ exact ages or birth dates.
The post Microsoft Confirms Windows 11 Age Signals for Apps — But They Aren’t Live Yet appeared first on TechRepublic.
Last week at IFA 2026, Microsoft announced Project Zenith, the codename of a new class of devices aimed squarely at developers looking to build apps and local AI experiences on top of Windows 11. The announcement came out of the blue, which naturally caused a bit of confusion online.
So, what is it? Well, Zenith is an effort to formalize a baseline for "developer-ready" hardware: devices that meet a minimum bar for performance and are ready out of box to begin coding and compiling. This means the configuration of Windows 11 that ships on these devices is different from normal PCs, with different default settings and pre-installed apps.
To be clear: This isn't a new or different version of Windows 11. Zenith devices will almost definitely still ship with either Windows 11 Home or Pro, depending on the OEM. It's simply how Windows 11 is configured out of box that differentiates these developer-class devices from normal Windows 11 PCs.
There's seemingly also a hardware component at play, too. Microsoft says Zenith devices must ship with at least 64GB of unified memory and be capable of 250GB/s of memory bandwidth if they want to ship with this specially preconfigured version of Windows 11 for developers. All other hardware will ship with the normal configurations of Windows 11.
In recent years, there has been an uptick in developers making the switch from Windows to Mac for a variety of reasons, including OS quality issues or lack of capable hardware in the wake of Apple Silicon. Developers have also complained that it just takes too long to set up a Windows PC for development, sometimes taking hours or even days from the first power-up.
Zenith removes this friction. These devices are certified high-end and ship from the factory in a state that is ready to code, with apps like Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot already installed and ready to go as soon as you reach the desktop. They also ship with Windows 11 in a configuration that already dials back the annoyances that developers have complained about.
Out of box, "File Explorer shows file extensions, hidden files, the full path in the title bar, and the details pane, with long-path support enabled. Recently used files and folders and sync provider tips are turned off for a cleaner workspace. In Search and Start, Command Palette is enabled, while Start menu tips and account notifications are turned off to reduce distractions."
These are small but meaningful changes to the default Windows configuration, one that can save minutes of setup time. If you're managing a fleet of developer devices, this will save you hours of configuration time. The good news is these settings aren't unique to Zenith PCs.
If you don't fancy spending the money on a new Zenith device, you can manually configure your existing Windows 11 PC to match the configuration that comes preloaded on Zenith PCs. Of course, it'll take longer to do, but you'll save yourself the cost of a new PC in the process.
Ultimately, the goal of Zenith is to signal to developers that Microsoft is listening and wants to position Windows as the preferred platform for on-device AI and app development. The first Zenith devices to ship will be ones powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Halo chips, with other chipmakers such as the RTX Spark expected to follow.
No word on which OEMs will build Zenith hardware, or when the first Zenith devices will begin shipping just yet. We'll keep you posted when we know more!
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Microsoft’s Project Zenith brings a ready-to-code Windows experience to developer PCs, with local AI support and preconfigured tools.
The post Microsoft Project Zenith: Windows Developer PCs Will Come Ready to Code appeared first on TechRepublic.
A "ready-to-code distraction-free Windows experience" is on the way for developers. Microsoft just detailed how Windows 11 will be optimized for people with developer-class devices.
The idea behind Project Zenith is to save developers time by preinstalling apps and having Settings pre-enabled that are optimized for development. For example, File Explorer will show file extensions, hidden files, and the full path in the title bar.
Those options are not new, but they can take a while to set up when you also have to install a bunch of apps and tweak other settings.
We already knew about some of these experiences because of announcements made at Build 2026, but we now know a name for the project and more information about how Windows 11 will be optimized for developer-class devices.
Those devices will be able to run 30B+ parameter models locally and unmetered and use a variety of tools out of the box. Windows Terminal and Visual Studio Code are pinned to the Taskbar by default. GitHub Copilot, PowerToys, WinAppCLI, and Windows Dev Skills will also be preinstalled, according to The Verge.
Project Zenith will launch first on AMD's Ryzen AI Halo devices, but it will make its way to other systems over the coming months.
To classify as a developer-class device, a system will need at least 64 GB of unified memory and at least 250 GB/s memory bandwidth.
A natural response to Microsoft's blog post is to ask, "don't we all want a distraction-free Windows experience?" I don't know anyone clamoring for more distractions on their PC. But I believe Project Zenith is specific to developers for a good reason.
Many developers have a similar workflow or rely on a set of tools. What would be considered a useful preinstalled app for developers would be viewed as bloat for general users.
Similarly, the enabled settings viewed as useful by developers would make Windows 11 feel crowded for everyday computing.
A better approach would be to tailor Windows 11 to different use cases. We're starting to see that with Xbox Mode on Windows 11 and now Project Zenith for developers.
Of course, Project Zenith devices, PCs running Xbox Mode, and all other Windows 11 devices benefit from the general improvements to Windows 11, such as reducing memory usage and improving Search and File Explorer. Many of those changes can be seen in the latest major update to Windows 11.
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In a new blog post, Microsoft has announced that starting in October 2026, "Memory Integrity Protection" will become enabled on more eligible devices. The feature, which is already enabled by default on most modern Windows PCs, is a kernel-level security feature designed to protect PCs from "sophisticated attacks with little or no additional configuration."
"Built on Virtualization-based Security (VBS), memory integrity helps protect critical parts of Windows from tampering," Microsoft says. "It forms a foundation for modern security innovations such as hotpatch updates that improve user experience and productivity, as well as protection."
The company says that memory integrity protection will begin being enabled by default on eligible PCs starting next month, enhancing security with no additional setup required. "Windows quality updates will begin enabling memory integrity protection on eligible devices. If not already enabled, these updates will also enable VBS, helping make additional security capabilities available"
Of course, users still have control over whether they want memory integrity protection enabled. Most Windows PCs today come with it enabled by default already, but the user is able to control whether it is turned on or off. If you've already manually disabled memory integrity protection, it won't be automatically enabled next month.
"To help ensure a reliable device experience, Windows automatically evaluates readiness before enabling memory integrity."
The automatic rollout will only really apply to older PCs that never had it enabled to begin with. For those users, this will be an invisible change that makes your PC more secure. "Memory integrity helps make this possible by allowing only trusted kernel-mode code and drivers to run."
Microsoft has been working to make Windows 11 more secure while also reducing the frequency and annoyances of Windows Update. In recent months, the company has announced a complete overhaul to the Windows Update system, reducing how often it prompts users to restart to just once a month.
With features like hotpatch on commercial editions of Windows, Microsoft is now also able to update the OS on the fly without restarting the OS. While hotpatching isn't yet available on Windows 11 Home or Pro, it's something that we would love to see on consumer editions of Windows in the future too.
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A major Windows 11 update is just around the corner. Microsoft just shipped Windows 11 version 26H2 to the Release Preview Channel and general rollout of the update starts in a few weeks.
The upcoming update to Windows 11 includes UI changes such as the ability to move the Taskbar and under-the-hood improvements. It's a more substantial change than we've seen in previous years, which begs the question, "Where is the Surface to showcase all these improvements to Windows 11?"
Microsoft appears serious about its push to improve Windows 11 and listen to feedback about the operating system. The first real wave of improvements is essentially here, so why isn't there someone on stage showing them on a Surface?
Microsoft is a gigantic company and its teams often don’t talk to each other enough to create full unity of design. I talked about this last week in the Windows Wrap when discussing the app situation on Windows 11. While Microsoft is working to fix many of its inbox apps, it's not addressing the same inconsistencies across Microsoft 365, Teams, and other apps.
Microsoft has shuffled things around over the years, combining Surface with Windows and changing how leadership is structured. But right now it feels like Windows and Surface are distant. Microsoft does not have a unified marketing push to highlight all the changes to Windows 11. There isn’t an announced event or upcoming device that would showcase the major Windows 11 improvements that will ship to PCs in only a couple of weeks.
Surface is supposed to show the best of Windows and Microsoft will miss an opportunity unless it has an ace up its sleeve. Microsoft used to announce Surface hardware in April and October. I’d love to see Microsoft surprise us with something that showcases Windows 11.
Microsoft did a good job pairing Windows 11 and Snapdragon developments. At one point the Surface Pro X showed that a Snapdragon-powered PC can be fanless. Microsoft later shifted away from that, instead emphasizing the power efficiency and unplugged performance offered by Snapdragon PCs.
But the principal remained the same; Microsoft used it’s flagship hardware to highlight improvements to Windows 11 on Arm. Microsoft's faith in Snapdragon also pushed other PC manufacturers to make laptops powered by Qualcomm's chips. Snapdragon PCs are sold side-by-side with laptops powered by Intel or AMD chips.
Of course, it’s easier to use Windows 11 to show hardware improvements when there are concrete examples such as improve battery life or better unplugged performance. Microsoft has more of a mountain to climb when it comes to marketing the ability to move the taskbar and improved start menu. Under the hood improvements are tricky to show off.
That challenge is why I asked earlier this month if the next major Windows 11 update should be Windows 12. But that’s precisely why Microsoft needs to use Surface to highlight the improvements to Windows 11. Without a major marketing push about an OS upgrade, Microsoft needs to use its other resources to make sure shoppers know that this isn’t the same old Windows 11.
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Surface Laptop Studio 2 photos
Surface Laptop Studio 2 photos
Microsoft has began rolling out the next version of Windows 11 to testers in the Windows Insider Release Preview Channel, which is the very last phase of testing before general availability begins. With version 26H2 now in the Release PreviewChannel, the company is signalling that this new version is just about done, and testing of the final bits can begin.
Windows 11 version 26H2 is similar to version 25H2 in scope. It's based on the same platform release as both 25H2 and 24H2 before it, which means it's not a major OS upgrade and won't be making major changes to the OS core. Instead, 26H2 serves to reset the support clock for Windows 11 users, with 26H2 offering a refreshed 24 months of support for consumers, and 36 months for commercial customers.
That's good news for users who usually dismiss new versions of Windows 11 for being unstable or buggy. 26H2 shares the same core OS, feature stack, and security updates as 25H2, meaning there are no compatibility or software quality concerns to be worried about. If it works on 25H2, it'll work on 26H2 also.
"As Windows 11, version 26H2 shares the same servicing branch as Windows 11, version 25H2, the update is implemented through an enablement package (eKB). This means your device will be updated to the next version through a single restart – providing a familiar, fast, and reliable update experience."
There may be some instances where 26H2 gets new features first, but for as long as 25H2 (and 24H2) are supported, they should get the same features also. For now, version 26H2 is at feature parity with version 25H2, which is expected to receive the same Windows K2 improvements such as the more customizable Start menu and new Windows Search pane at the same time.
Now that Windows 11 version 26H2 is now in the Release Preview Channel, that typically means we're just a few weeks away from general availability beginning. Bits that are flighted to the Release Preview Channel are production ready, and so now it's just a matter of ensuring the final bits don't have any last minute bugs or issues.
Should everything go according to plan, I expect we'll begin hearing about version 26H2 general availability in the next few weeks. Microsoft usually aims to begin rolling out new versions of Windows 11 towards the end of September and into October, and I expect the same to happen this year.
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Windows 11 Start button
Windows 11 Start button
Microsoft's Link to Windows app for Android may soon support restarting or shutting down a computer or putting a PC to sleep. Code within the app was discovered that suggests the functionality is on the way, but nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft at this time.
Windows Latest found evidence suggesting that a pairing of Link to Windows and Phone Link will soon gain greater control of your PC. It's already possible to lock your PC from your Android phone, but the code suggests support for other actions is on the way.
I occasionally forget to turn off my PC, especially since I work from home and can get distracted after my work day ends. Being able to shut down my PC remotely without having to set up a Remote Desktop would be a nice option.
The feature could also come in handy if you need to leave your PC running unattended for a while. The other day I had to download a bunch of large files and knew my PC had to run for a while. If the new Link to Windows feature had been available, I could have shut down my PC after I knew the files were downloaded.
Putting your PC to sleep through Link to Windows will work a bit differently, according to Windows Latest. A warning message discovered by the outlet states, "After it’s asleep, it will be disconnected from this device. You need to go to your PC to wake it up."
Separate warnings appear when you try to restart or shut down your PC in the middle of an update.
Microsoft continues to work on integrating the smartphone and PC experience. The tech giant expanded the connection between devices by adding a section to the Start menu on Windows 11. Microsoft is also testing several flyouts and menus that will make it easier to connect your phone and your PC.
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Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14-inch laptop (2023)
Microsoft makes it easy to connect your Windows 11 PC and your Android smartphone through Phone Link and Link to Windows.
Le 1er septembre, Mark Harmstone a publié WinBtrfs 1.10 , le pilote qui fait lire et écrire des partitions Btrfs à Windows. Et je trouve qu'il était temps, parce que la version précédente datait quand même de mars 2024.
Le principe, lui, n'a pas bougé. Vous avez un disque formaté en Btrfs, celui de votre Linux en dual-boot par exemple, et plutôt que Windows l'ignore totalement comme votre date ignore vos textos le lendemain, celui-ci arrive dans l'explorateur de fichiers avec sa petite lettre de lecteur, en lecture comme en écriture. Ce driver pour le système de fichiers Btrfs a été réécrit from scratch, sans reprendre une seule ligne du noyau Linux, et c'est quand même du LGPL.
Alors regardons ce que cette 1.10 répare, parce que la liste vaut le détour. Déplacer un fichier d'un subvolume vers un autre faisait totalement planter le pilote, ce qui fait qu'il était compliqué de mettre un fichier à la corbeille. Laisser Steam créer plein de fichiers d'un coup le faisait aussi planter comme une merde, sans parler du fait qu'écrire sur un snapshot corrompait l'arbre d'extents.
Bref, c'était compliqué jusqu'alors, d'avoir un usage normal d'un disque formaté en Btrfs.
Cette nouvelle version répare aussi la préallocation, ce qui remet rclone d'aplomb, un blocage sur les liens durs, et une corruption mémoire liée à la surveillance du registre. Elle ajoute aussi l'écriture des bitmaps d'espace libre et des fichiers compressés en ligne, deux choses qu'elle savait jusqu'ici seulement lire. En échange, le RAID disparaît sur les périphériques amovibles (si vous en faisiez sur des clés USB, c'est finito pépito).
Reste à savoir comment Harmstone a fait pour nous pondre 370 commits en quatre semaines ? Est-ce la coke ? Est-ce la caféine ? Hé bien non, le README répond à cette question sans détour : C'est Claude d'Anthropic qui l'a, je cite, "grandement aidé" sur la chasse aux bugs et les revues de code. Il ajoute dans la foulée que tout le code a quand même été écrit à la main (wink wink ^^).
Maintenant, est-ce que vous avez besoin de ce driver ?
Chez Paragon, le produit Btrfs dédié est marqué "Legacy" et indisponible depuis octobre 2025, et dans leur suite qui reste vendue, Btrfs est encore en lecture seule. De son côté, WSL 2 sait aussi monter du Btrfs, car son noyau embarque le module, mais la documentation de Microsoft pose ses limites : ni clé USB ni lecteur de cartes, pas de partition du disque de démarrage, et un accès depuis Windows qui passe par un chemin réseau plutôt que par une lettre de lecteur.
Voilà pourquoi ce pilote incroyable n'a pas de réel équivalent.
Côté Windows, il y a quand même des petites surprises. Le pilote est bien signé et s'installe normalement, mais avec Secure Boot activé sur un Windows 10 ou 11, il peut refuser de se charger pour la simple et bonne raison que Microsoft a durci ses exigences de signature d'une façon que les pilotes libres n'ont pas encore réussi à régler. Il faut donc contourner la vérification, ou couper Secure Boot dans le BIOS. Ne vous inquiétez pas, Windows 11 demande en principe Secure Boot pour s'installer, mais tourne ensuite très bien sans. Cependant, je ne suis pas fan d'enlever des contrôles de sécurité sur l'ordinateur, donc, à vous de voir.
Et une fois le disque monté, ne le cherchez pas non plus dans la gestion des disques, car il n'y sera pas. Le pilote passe en fait par un faux périphérique bloc pour que le RAID fonctionne, et diskmgmt ne sait rien de tout ça. C'est donc dans l'explorateur que ça se passe, et nulle part ailleurs.
Et puis 370 commits en quatre semaines sur un pilote de système de fichiers, dont deux chemins d'écriture flambant neufs, ça reste quand même un peu chaud niveau vérification / bugs. Donc pensez bien à faire des backups avant d'installer ça.
Source : Neowin
