Pesquisadores da A Securityrevelaram vulnerabilidades na plataforma de videoconferência Zoom que poderiam ter sido exploradas para assumir o controle dos dispositivos dos usuários — em um ataque denominado “Zoomsday”.
Qualquer pessoa em uma chamada que envolvesse compartilhamento de tela — fosse participante ou anfitrião — estaria vulnerável a um ataque executável sem qualquer indicação ou interação por parte da vítima.
Os especialistas afirmam que a falha foi descoberta no início de junho, utilizando modelos de IA disponíveis publicamente, e que foram necessários menos de 20 comandos para identificar as vulnerabilidades e criar um ataque funcional.
O que nos interessa — e o que consideramos perigoso — é a democratização dessas capacidades; a barreira de entrada está caindo rapidamente. Antigamente, seria necessária uma equipe de cinco pessoas trabalhando talvez seis meses, com muitos ajustes e iterações, para descobrir isso. Agora, é possível obter os mesmos resultados com menos de 20 comandos. Além disso, o Zoom é um alvo importante porque as pessoas confiam na plataforma ao utilizá-la; elas não a veem como uma ameaça.
—Omer Gull, cofundador da A Security.
Ainda segundo os pesquisadores, as vulnerabilidades estavam localizadas especificamente no protocolo usado para permitir anotações em tempo real durante o compartilhamento de tela.
De acordo com informações do WIRED, o Zoom emitiu um comunicado de segurança nesta semana detalhando as correções das brechas, as quais afetavam dispositivos com todos os sistemas operacionais suportados pela plataforma — Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS e Android.
Last week a researcher outlined what he said was a “novel attack surface” in passkeys, the new authentication paradigm that offers a more secure alternative over password-based methods. In fact, the attacks demonstrated in the post are neither novel nor unique to passkeys. This distinction is important because the research has generated confusion among end users and security professionals as they assess whether this new mechanism is truly safe to use.
The attack is called Pass-ta-key—a blending of the word passkey with the phrase “pass the key” and a nod to a plate of pasta. Arie Olshtein, a researcher at security firm Palo Alto Networks, described in a post last week how Pass-ta-key could obtain all passkeys stored in the Google Password Manager app (GPM) for Windows when it’s running on a machine infected with malware.
This came as a surprise to many people because they believed passkeys are stored exclusively in the trusted platform manager (TPM), the locked-down enclave in a hardened silicon chip that’s reserved for storing cryptographic keys and other highly sensitive information on Windows machines. If passkeys are stored in the TPM, then how was Pass-ta-key able to extract the entire set of passkeys stored by the app, they wanted to know?
Last week, a researcher outlined what he said was a “novel attack surface” in passkeys, the new authentication paradigm that offers a more secure alternative to password-based methods. In fact, the attacks demonstrated in the post are neither novel nor unique to passkeys. This distinction is important because the research has generated confusion among end users and security professionals as they assess whether this new mechanism is truly safe to use.
The attack is called Pass-ta-key—a blending of the word passkey with the phrase “pass the key” and a nod to a plate of pasta. Arie Olshtein, a researcher at security firm Palo Alto Networks, described in a post last week how Pass-ta-key could obtain all passkeys stored in the Google Password Manager app (GPM) for Windows when it’s running on a machine infected with malware.
This came as a surprise to many people because they believed passkeys are stored exclusively in the trusted platform manager (TPM), the locked-down enclave in a hardened silicon chip that’s reserved for storing cryptographic keys and other highly sensitive information on Windows machines. If passkeys are stored in the TPM, then how was Pass-ta-key able to extract the entire set of passkeys stored by the app, they wanted to know.
Uma nova investigação revela que mais de um terço das infeções por infostealers tem origem na execução de ficheiros diretamente a partir de pastas temporárias dos navegadores. Comportamentos de risco, como descarregar software de fontes não seguras, continuam a ser explorados pelos cibercriminosos.
Windows is in a tough spot right now, with years of neglect and stagnation reaching a boiling point with customers. Lack of optimization, bloat, ads, forced AI slop, and persistent tracking have forced Microsoft to admit its missteps and commit to fixing the OS at large. Windows Latest's new testing shows that the built-in weather app is a perfect representation of the state of Windows. The "app" consumes up to 1.2GB of RAM while idling, and it serves up a bunch of ads while you check the temperature.
MSN Weather is the default weather app that ships with Windows, which explains why it's filled with promotions throughout, despite being part of a paid OS. To be clear, the app looks very modern and has all the data you could ask for, such as live radar overlays, hourly wind and precipitation breakdowns, air quality index, and moon phases. It's also accurate because the data is sourced from a bunch of different providers across the world, but mostly Foreca.
(Image credit: Future)
The author explains that getting accurate forecasts is not a cheap endeavor, so it's not like Microsoft is running a charity. But the comparison falls apart when you look at what the competition is offering. Apple's native weather app on macOS is just as beautiful, detailed, and accurate, yet it's free of ads. It also only consumes about 250MB of memory to show all that data, so 5x less than Windows. This is because MSN Weather is technically not even an app to begin with; it's a web wrapper that's pinging a bunch of browser tabs in real-time.
When the author clicked on the Task Manager entry for MSN Weather, they saw 8 Chromium-based subprocesses, confirming that they're just looking at a website being rendered via WebView 2. For context, native Windows apps are supposed to adhere to the WinUI framework, which the company is slowly adopting over Win32 and UWP. Microsoft is committed to updating all the native apps Windows ships with to Win32, which should significantly improve their optimization, but we don't know if the ads will suddenly disappear as well.
For us, it consumed up to 1GB of RAM (Image credit: Future)
The author saw Adobe Acrobat ads while checking the forecast, and we saw two ads — one for LendingTree and another for Spotify. Apart from that, scrolling around the app and clicking on the different menus and boxes was fast enough. We have to emphasize that the app really is granular and well-built from an aesthetic point of view; Microsoft gets full points for that, or is it MSN? That distinction is another issue that makes the weather app conundrum a bit more confusing.
When Microsoft promised to rebuild all native Windows 11 apps, it didn't explicitly say those would include MSN-branded services too, like MSN Weather and MSN News. Seeing as though they're simply called by their utilitarian names in the OS, there's a strong chance that these memory hoggers will also be eventually upgraded. For now, just stick to your phone, especially if you were among those who immediately Googled how to remove the weather widget from your taskbar that fateful day.
Microsoft's cloud storage app OneDrive got a new Photos app in the worst possible way, reports the blog Neowin . "The app is reportedly showing up even on Windows 11 Enterprise machines, despite apparently being a beta application aimed at consumer functionality."
One admin questioned why a beta app was appearing on an Enterprise SKU in the first place, while another described the situation as yet another consumer-oriented feature being forced onto corporate PCs. Things get even more frustrating for IT departments because there does not appear to be a straightforward Microsoft-provided way to disable the app... Enterprise administrators generally need to know what is being installed on their managed devices, particularly when a software is labeled as beta. Quietly adding another application and leaving admins to clean it up themselves is therefore unlikely to win Microsoft many fans.
But there's another problem, according to the blog Windows Latest. "OneDrive Photos automatically scans your system storage for photos," and apparently "doesn't need a Microsoft account to work, as it can also detect your local files."
There's also a People section that groups similar faces in your photos. Microsoft asks for permission before turning it on and explicitly warns that facial data could be considered biometric data in some regions. The company says only you can see the grouped faces, that the data isn't shared with third parties, and that you can delete it by disabling the feature.
In a statement to Neowin,
Microsoft admitted this new photos "experience" they're "incubating" had gone "more broadly than it should have," and then promised that "We're fixing that." The spokesperson also said the Windows Photos app will "always give you the option of local and cloud photos" and, also a choice of whether or not to use it OneDrive."
But there's another "awkward catch," notes the blog Digital Trends. "Users currently can't uninstall OneDrive Photos without removing the main OneDrive app too."
Because OneDrive Photos is tied to the main OneDrive sync client, Windows 11 doesn't currently offer a separate uninstall option. The only straightforward way to get rid of OneDrive Photos right now is to uninstall OneDrive itself... Removing the main client can also affect its File Explorer integration and shortcuts...
Microsoft says this will change. The company is working on controls that will let users remove OneDrive Photos separately from the main OneDrive app. On enterprise PCs managed through Intune, Microsoft says the app will automatically disappear where it isn't supported.
According to a new report from Taiwanese publication United Daily News (UDC,) Microsoft is raising the cost of Windows license fees for hardware makers by a much higher amount than normal. According to the report, certain OEMs are seeing licensing price hikes of between 7% and 10%.
Usually, Microsoft raises Windows license fees for OEMs by a low digit percentage, making this 7% to 10% increase much more significant than normal. "A PC brand executive stated that Microsoft increases licensing fees for Windows OEMs (device manufacturers) every year. In the past, licensing fees mostly increased by single digits each year, but starting in July this year, the average increase has reached 7% to 10%, which is a significant increase compared to previous years," UDC says.
Of course, the cost of the Windows license fee is usually (at least partially) passed onto the consumer buying a computer, and UDC claims that their source says laptop pricing is already being impacted by these recent license fee increases. Microsoft charges different OEMs their own fees for Windows, so the exact increase in cost will differ for each hardware maker.
Regardless, with the ongoing memory component shortage, PCs have already seen astronomical price increases over the last year, with experts claiming that we haven't yet seen the worst of it. With Microsoft raising prices higher than usual on Windows licenses, it feels like the Redmond giant is adding extra fuel to the fire.
Windows Central reached out to Microsoft for comment regarding this story, but the company declined to provide one.
To be clear, the Windows license fee price hikes only apply to OEMs building hardware that ships with Windows. The cost of buying a license for Windows 11 as a consumer remains unchanged, being $99 for Windows 11 Home and $199 for Windows 11 Pro.
The ongoing component crisis has made computing unaffordable for many people. PCs that used to target the $600-$800 price bracket now cost close to $1,000. And flagship Windows laptops that used to cost $1,200-1,500 are now closer to $2,000. Even Apple has been hit by the shortage, being forced to raise prices by hundreds of dollars across its Mac lineup. Microsoft's own Surface line was hit especially hard, with the flagship Surface Pro and Surface Laptop being $400-$500 more expensive than the last-gen models.
Windows 11 will soon lose a way to log in to a PC. A recent update removes the option to set up a new picture password. If you already have a picture password on your PC, you can continue to use it, but the feature is being phased out.
Microsoft is on a mission to push the world beyond passwords. The tech giant generally recommends a PIN, facial recognition, or a fingerprint to log in to Windows 11. Passkeys are often the top recommendation for authentication, though you cannot log in to a Windows 11 PC with a passkey. But back in the days of Windows 8, Microsoft introduced the option to unlock your PC using a picture.
That feature, which has remained available across Windows 10 and Windows 11, allows you to unlock your PC with a series of touches or gestures, like tapping the eyes of a smiley face then swiping across the face's mouth.
You could use a combination of three types of gestures as part of a picture password: circles, straight lines, or taps.
Picture passwords were a fun way to show off the touch-centric nature of Windows 8, but they aren't as secure as a passkey or even a strong password.
Since people often pick gestures or taps around key objects, hackers can sometimes guess the gestures needed to unlock a PC. People can look at the smudges on your screen to guess where you touch frequently.
If you have a picture password set up now and want to continue to use it, you need to make sure to leave it set up. Once you remove it or disable it, you will not be able to set up a picture password.
"To help enhance security, picture password is no longer available for new enrollment. Users who have already configured a picture password can continue to use it to sign in to Windows. If a picture password is removed, disabled, or not previously configured, it cannot be set up again. We recommend using Windows Hello PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint recognition where available."
That change arrives alongside the July 2026 security update, which is now rolling out to Windows 11.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Last week, users began noticing a new app appearing in their Start menu on Windows 11, titled "OneDrive Photos" which was being forcibly installed by the OS. Naturally, this caused outrage among users who aren't interested in using OneDrive for photo storage, resulting in pushback online.
Now, Microsoft's EVP of Apps and Agents, Jeff Teper, has taken to X to explain what happened. He confirms that the OneDrive Photos app is an incubation project, which wasn't supposed to rollout as widely as it did. "We are incubating a new photos experience in OneDrive that went more broadly than it should have in Windows. We’re fixing that. Windows Photos will always give you the option of local and cloud photos and the choice to use OneDrive or not."
It's unclear why Microsoft thinks it needs to build a dedicated OneDrive Photos app, especially when Windows comes preinstalled with an already competent photo viewer that does a good job of handling photos stored in OneDrive. The new OneDrive Photos app is a web app, which is heavy on RAM usage and not very responsive.
Although Microsoft has confirmed that the rollout of OneDrive Photos was an error, the company does say that it's still looking forward to delivering this new experience soon. "We're very excited for you to try out OneDrive's photos features on desktop, web, and mobile and hear your feedback."
It's unclear if Microsoft intends to re-hide the OneDrive Photos app from appear on PCs where it shouldn't. On my PC, I can still see the new Photos (Preview) appearing in Windows Search, which opens the OneDrive Photos experience. This isn't the first time Microsoft has been caught automatically installing new apps on Windows 11. The OS has frequently been accused of automatically installing apps like Microsoft 365 Copilot, much to the dismay of users who don't want it.
The good news is it appears Microsoft is listening to the feedback, and publicly acknowledging that it made an error with the rollout of the OneDrive Photos app is confirmation that it saw the backlash and understands that a lot of users don't want this new experience. Hopefully that means the company won't forcibly install it next time.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
In a new tweet, Partner Director of Design at Microsoft, March Rogers, has confirmed that there are no plans to introduce a customizable UI transparency slider on Windows 11, after users asked for a feature similar to the Liquid Glass slider that was recently added to the next version of iOS.
For a long time, Windows has featured transparency and blur effects. However, Windows has never natively supported adjusting how strong those effects are. Users have the option to turn transparency on and off, but there's no fine-tuning options for those effects to be found in the OS.
Third-party apps such as Windhawk do allow for customizing these effects, but this customization is not natively supported by the OS on its own. As such, it's natural to find that there are users out there who wish they could adjust these settings without being forced to download a third-party app first.
Rogers confirms that there are no plans to introduce a transparency slider on Windows 11 at current. "We think hard about who will benefit from the investment, usability and accessibility considerations. We also look at our community of developers (like the amazing Windhawk project) who may already be providing what users need. We won't be making immediate changes to the transparency options already in Windows, but we love getting your feedback."
It sounds like Microsoft has looked at this option, and has found that it's not a priority at the moment, which is understandable. Windows 11 has much bigger issues that needs fixing right now, and the company is focused entirely on delivering those improvements first.
The beauty of Windows is that it's an open-platform, meaning third-party developers can easily builds tools and apps that modify the Windows experience. Windhawk is a powerful suite of customization enhancements for Windows that lets users customize everything from the Start menu design to blur effects across the OS.
It's very refreshing to see Microsoft be so open about the design process for Windows 11 these days. I'm frequently checking the X accounts of many Microsoft employees these days, as they are always responding to Windows Insiders with explanations about new features and feedback from users.
While a transparency slider isn't on the cards for Windows 11 right now, Microsoft is working on a number of new customization options for the OS. There's a new customizable Start menu coming very soon, along with a redesigned context menu that will also be user customizable.
Windows 11 is finally starting to see the changes Microsoft has promised for months, except the best parts are still limited to Windows Insiders and mockups. I appreciate Microsoft's efforts to revamp Windows 11 — better late than never — but some of these improvements should have shipped years ago.
The status of Windows 11 makes me ask why Microsoft didn't aggressively start climbing the metaphorical mountain years ago. Microsoft has revamped settings and UI elements, but the big changes are part of a new initiative that honestly shouldn't need to exist.
Microsoft is updating several core parts of Windows 11 with WinUI, which improves performance and even helps Windows 11 run on PCs with less RAM. But I can't help but ask how we got here in the first place. How did we end up with a "modern" OS with legacy components and UI elements from different decades?
Biggest News of the Week
I understand that updating legacy components can be tricky. Microsoft's CVP of Design and Research on Windows, Marcus Ash, joined the most recent Windows Central Podcast and discussed the challenges of updating Windows.
Obviously, Ash knows more about Windows than I ever will. I don't question the difficulty of updating an entire OS, especially if you need to re-update components several times.
What I question is why keeping Windows up to date and unified was not a core value from the start? Why did Microsoft reach a point where user feedback became overwhelming and the tech giant finally decided to make bigger changes?
Legacy support is critical for enterprise users, so Microsoft could not just throw out old code or elements to make Windows modern. But having a unified OS could have been a priority from the beginning.
Work like this needed to start decades ago, not in 2026. Some of the groundwork has been laid for these improvements, but some projects are quite new. That's not an acceptable way to make an operating system.
Shopping with Sean
My top recommendation isn't an item on sale. Instead, it's a must-have for Xbox owners that's running out of stock. Several retailers have listed the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S as unavailable. Best Buy ran out of stock while I was writing a piece highlighting the shortage. Below are all the listings I've found that still let you order the speedy storage card.
An excellent deal on the Dell XPS 14 slashes $1,150 off the premium PC. I love the design of the XPS 14 from last year, and the current discount makes the laptop a great choice for back-to-school shopping.
This card allows you to expand the storage of your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. Stock is extremely limited.
This premium laptop has a 3.2K OLED touch display, 32GB of RAM, and a gorgeous design that takes advantage of every millimeter available. It's one year old, but it's still an excellent laptop in 2026.
Note that the review of this laptop was from before the Dell 14 Premium was rebranded to the Dell XPS 14.
Every time I install Windows 11, I turn off the same handful of features before I do anything else. They're not necessarily bad features, but I don't need widgets, recommendations, badges, and constant notifications competing for my attention while I'm working.
Over the years, I've found that making a few small changes creates a desktop that feels cleaner, quieter, and easier to focus on. I prefer Windows 11 to stay in the background and only get my attention when something truly matters. If you feel the same way, you're not alone.
In this how-to guide, I'll show you the Windows 11 features I always disable and explain why I think each change is worth making.
7 features worth turning off for a calmer desktop
None of these features are inherently bad, and I know many people enjoy using them. The problem, at least for me, is that they all compete for the same thing, which is my attention. One widget or notification isn't a big deal. However, once you combine recommendations, badges, alerts, and promotional content across the operating system, Windows 11 starts to feel busier than it needs to be. That's why these are the first settings I change.
1. Widgets in the Lock screen
I like my Lock screen only to let me know it's time to sign in, and nothing more. I don't need sports scores, market updates, or suggested content before I've even reached the desktop. It's one more thing competing for my attention before I start working.
I also switch from Windows Spotlight to a static image because I don't want tips or promotional overlays appearing before I've even signed in.
For these reasons, I always try to disable the desktop widgets and use a static image, and here's how:
Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Lock screen page on the right side.
Turn off the Widgets toggle switch.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
Turn off the "Suggest widgets for your lock screen" toggle switch.
Select the Picture (or Slideshow) option in the "Personalize your lock screen" setting.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
Choose the image you want to show on the Lock screen.
Once you complete the steps, the Lock screen becomes a simple place to check the time and sign in instead of another surface competing for your attention.
2. Widgets icon in Taskbar
I don't mind having quick access to Widgets, but I don't need live updates constantly trying to pull my attention away from whatever I'm doing. Removing the Taskbar button keeps the interface quieter while still letting me open Widgets with the keyboard shortcut whenever I actually want it.
If you don't want the unnecessary distraction, you can hide the icon from the Taskbar. Here's how:
Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Taskbar page on the right side.
Turn off the Widgets toggle switch under the "Taskbar items" section.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
After you complete the steps, the Taskbar stays free from live updates while still letting you open Widgets anytime with the "Windows key + W" keyboard shortcut if you need it.
3. Do not disturb to stop toast notifications
Another feature I always turn on is "Do Not Disturb" to prevent distractions from toast notifications.
If you want to, you can also turn off notifications altogether, but I do this because I can still access the notifications from Notification Center.
To enable Do Not Disturb on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the Notifications page on the right side.
Turn off the "Do Not Disturb" toggle switch.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
(Optional) Turn off the Notifications toggle switch.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 stops interrupting your workflow, but your notifications are still waiting in Notification Center whenever you're ready to review them.
If you decide to turn off the notification feature, the system and services won't be able to show or collect notifications.
4. Start menu content recommendations
The Start menu has become much cleaner over the years, but I still don't like seeing recent files, app suggestions, and recommendations every time I open it. I prefer using the space for the apps I've pinned instead of content the system thinks I might want.
I personally like to have the "Pinned" and "All" sections in the Start menu, and I always turn off the "Recommended" section, but these steps aren't obvious to everyone.
To disable the Recommended section, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Start page on the right side.
Turn off the "Show recently added apps" toggle switch.
Turn off the "Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists" toggle switch.
Turn off the "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more" toggle switch.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
(Optional) Turn off the "Show account-related notifications" toggle switch to prevent alerts from the Account Control menu in the Start menu.
After completing the steps, the Start menu feels cleaner and focuses on the apps you've chosen to pin instead of recent files and recommendations.
5. Search highlights from the web
When you open the Windows Search home from the Taskbar, the first thing you'll notice is web highlights with daily quizzes, image of the day, trending searches, games, news, and more, when the search experience should be about finding local and cloud files, settings, and applications installed on your computer.
Search is one of the features I use dozens of times a day, so I want it to open directly into search, not news stories, trending topics, or games. The less visual clutter between me and what I'm looking for, the better. Fortunately, you can turn off the web highlights for a simpler experience using Windows Search, and here's how:
Open Settings.
Click on Privacy & security.
Click the Search page on the right side.
Turn off the "Show search highlights" toggle switch.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
Once you complete the steps, Windows Search opens with fewer distractions, making it easier to get straight to finding your apps, files, and settings.
6. Taskbar app badges for unseen content
Taskbar badges are another feature I disable on every new installation. These are the small counters or dots that appear on app icons to let you know something needs your attention. While they can be useful, I find they encourage me to check apps that aren't important at the moment.
I prefer opening apps when I decide to, not because a badge is telling me to. If I want to check for updates or unread messages, I'll do it on my own schedule.
To turn off Taskbar badges on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Taskbar page on the right side.
Click the Taskbar behaviors section.
Clear the "Show badges on taskbar apps" option.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
After you complete the steps, app icons will no longer display unread message counters, helping keep the Taskbar cleaner and reducing another small source of distraction throughout the day.
7. Desktop icons and files
Like pretty much everyone else, I usually place shortcuts and files on the desktop, but I don't like a crowded desktop either, so one thing I usually do is to hide the desktop icons.
You can easily do this by right-clicking the desktop, selecting "View," and clicking on the "Show desktop icons" option to clear the setting and hide everything on the desktop for a clear view of the background image.
(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
If I want to access the content of the folder, I usually just open the "Desktop" folder within File Explorer.
I know this one isn't for everyone, but hiding my desktop icons makes the entire workspace feel less cluttered. Everything is still there when I need it, but I don't have to look at it every time I minimize a window.
Windows Central's Take
I've been customizing this operating system for years, and this is still one of the first things I do on a new installation. Windows 11 includes plenty of features that many people enjoy, but I don't need constant reminders, recommendations, or badges pulling my attention away from my work. Spending a few minutes changing these settings makes the desktop feel much calmer without taking away the features I actually use.
Out of everything on this list, Do Not Disturb is the setting I'd tell most people to try first. I don't want notifications interrupting me throughout the day, but I also don't want to miss them completely. It gives me the best of both worlds.
Microsoft has been adding more customization options recently, but I still think the default Windows 11 experience tries a little too hard to keep people engaged. Fortunately, almost everything I mentioned here can be changed in just a few minutes, making the system feel much more personal without removing features you might want later.
Which Windows 11 feature do you turn off first to create a calmer desktop experience? Let me know in the comments below.
More resources
Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:
For the longest time, Windows has suffered from an inconsistent user interface design. It started with Windows 8, but got worse over the lifespan of Windows 10, with various levels of UI design, frameworks, context menus, iconography, and more getting thrown into the mix across the many different versions of Windows 10.
In fact, Windows 10's inconsistent UI design became so bad that it began contributing to people's dislike of Windows, citing its perceived lack of polish and craft as a reason to avoid it over competitors like Apple's macOS, a platform that takes pride in how it looks and feels to use.
So with Windows 11, Microsoft began addressing this problem. The debut of Windows 11 in 2021 was a huge step in the right direction, attempting to modernize a number of Windows UI surfaces with a consistent design language using the company's WinUI framework.
Slowly but surely, older and inconsistent UI surfaces were updated with modernized alternatives that match the design of Windows 11. Things like the volume and brightness control, file share dialog, context menus, and more were updated with a more consistent design that look great.
This was introduced in 2022, replacing the Windows 8 one. (Image credit: Microsoft)
More recently, Microsoft has improved dark mode across the Windows 11 interface, making it more consistent in apps like File Explorer where much of it was missing dark mode support and contributed to the "Windows never feels finished" allegations that have haunted the platform for years.
It's been a few months since Microsoft announced its plans to bring WinUI to more areas of the OS, and work has been slowly progressing. The company has already confirmed that it's rewriting the Start menu with WinUI, which should make it faster and more responsive. But there's more interfaces that the company is yet to announce that we know is also in the works.
Modernized File Properties
The modernized File Properties dialog coming soon. (Image credit: Windows Central)
First up, recent Windows 11 preview builds have confirmed that Microsoft is rebuilding the File Properties dialog in File Explorer with WinUI. This is one area of the File Explorer that hasn't been touched in well over a decade, meaning it still doesn't even support dark mode.
This legacy interface is being rewritten with WinUI, and the first sightings of this work were spotted in a recent preview build, albeit only when viewing the properties of a file in the Recycle Bin.
With that said, we know Microsoft is planning to bring this modernized experience to the entire File Properties experience, meaning right-clicking and selecting properties on a file in File Explorer will soon present you with a consistent design that matches the Windows 11 aesthetic.
Modernized Autoplay Menu
Not yet updated, this interface is from Windows 8 (Image credit: Windows Central)
This interface hasn't been touched since Windows 8, and is one of few areas of the OS that still utilize Microsoft's old Metro design language. The menu that appears when you plug in a USB drive or insert a disc is being modernized with WinUI, which will bring a consistent Windows 11 design to the aged interface.
Microsoft has confirmed this work is underway, but is yet to give us a look at the new interface, though we know it will support both light and dark mode unlike the current version. For now, we'll just have to imagine what such a modernized menu might possibly look like. Still, it's good to know the work is happening.
Modernized Print Management
A WinUI powered Print Management app replaces the old MMC-based one. (Image credit: Windows Central)
It's not the sexiest feature in the world, but it looks like Microsoft is building a modern version of the Print Management experience with WinUI, replacing a decades old interface with something that looks like it was designed for Windows 11. And yes, it supports dark mode now.
This is the first MMC-based interface we're seeing get the WinUI treatement, which bodes well for future modernizations of apps like Disk Management, Computer Management, and more. These 90s era interfaces have plagued the Windows experience for years, so it's very reassuring to see Microsoft is finally working on WinUI versions of these apps.
Modernized Run Dialog
The new Run dialog is better in basically every way. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Microsoft has already announced and shipped preview builds with this redesigned interface, but the company is rebuilding the classic Windows Run dialog with WinUI, now with support for both light and dark mode, and features from PowerToys.
The company says the new UI is both better looking, more functional, and faster than the legacy Run box it replaces. With that said, it appears the modern Run interface will be shipping as an option that users will have to manually enable first if they want to see it.
The new Run interface also includes the ability to type ~\ for quick access to your home directory, and it will also show app icons when applicable in your recent search list, which is a nice touch.
Rewritten Start Menu
It may not look different, but the Start menu is being rewritten with WinUI too. (Image credit: Windows Central)
As mentioned up top, Microsoft has already confirmed that it's rebuilding the Start menu with WinUI, but we're yet to hear more about what that's going to entail for the end user.
So far, we know the goal of the WinUI rewrite is to make the Start menu faster and take up less system resources. This should mean (very) slightly less memory usage for the Start menu, as many WinUI interfaces will share a System Compositor, which is how Microsoft intends to make WinUI faster.
It's unclear if Microsoft is planning to redesign the Start menu alongside the WinUI rewrite. Last I checked, this was not in the plan. While there may be some minor UI differences and adjustments between the current Start menu and WinUI Start menu, I understand that the company intends to keep the experiences mostly the same.
This makes sense given Microsoft just launched new customization options for the existing Start menu, which would be odd to change so soon.
Compact Context Menus
While technically not old, context menus are getting an overhaul. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
While not technically a legacy interface, context menus on Windows 11 are a mess, and Microsoft is working to redesign them so that they are faster, more responsive, and most importantly, more customizable.
Coming this year, Windows 11's context menus will be updated with a new compact design that's smaller and lighter, meaning they won't lag or take as long to open, especially when there's lots of actions and items within the menu.
Microsoft is also planning to let users customize which items appear within the context menu, as well as configure the order in which those items appear. This means users will be able to hide certain actions and apps from the context menu if they don't use them.
With that work ongoing, it's likely that we're going to see even more older and outdated parts of the Windows experience updated with modern WinUI designs. While certain legacy interfaces will likely continue to exist for years to come, it looks like Microsoft is exploring where it can best implement new UIs as fast as possible without breaking compatibility.
Moving more parts of the Windows UI under a consistent UI framework should result in better performance and reduced memory usage, which should make the OS feel faster and less bloated, thanks to that new System Compositor that's in the works that is designed to manage all WinUI interfaces across the Windows Shell. Though features like an optional transparency slider appear to not be in the works.
It's good to see Microsoft once again focused on polish and craft. It helps make Windows feel more unified and cared about, something that has not been so obvious in recent years and in my opinion has eroded confidence in the platform. Hopefully Microsoft will continue to focus on craft for years to come.
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Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was moving to address Windows 11's biggest issues and criticisms from users in an effort to win back trust from customers and reposition Windows once more as a viable alternative to macOS and Linux, something people actually want to use over the competition.
It was nice to see Microsoft outline its roadmap and plan for Windows 11, but I wasn't prepared for just how fast the company would start delivering on the promises it was making. Since March, Microsoft has previewed and even shipped many improvements to Windows 11 that are the direct result of its Windows K2 initiative, all designed to fix Windows 11.
I've been testing these new Windows 11 builds over the last few months, and there are 5 big changes and improvements that stand out as super exciting. Some of these improvements are already shipping, whereas others are still in preview.
A new and improved Windows Update
Windows Update is now much smarter and doesn't get in the way anymore (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Updates on Windows have always been frustrating, so much so Microsoft made it a point of focus for its Windows K2 effort. In the last few months, Microsoft has shipped multiple changes and improvements to Windows Update which are designed to make it more reliable, and more importantly, less annoying.
The first big change is ensuring driver, framework, and security updates are now all timed to install at the same time. Previously, any update could require the user to restart at any time. Now, Windows Update will only ask you to restart once a month, as the update system now installs those driver and framework updates alongside security patches.
That's in addition to being able to pause updates indefinitely now, so even when the one time a month that Windows asks you to restart finally rolls around, users have the option to say no and postpone the restart for as long as they need. Even when an update is pending restart, the option to shut down or restart without installing said update is now present.
Microsoft has even made it so users can skip installing updates when setting up a PC for the first time, meaning it now takes just a few minutes to get right into using your new PC instead of the 20+ minutes it used to take when installing the latest update was a requirement before reaching the desktop.
All of these Windows Update improvements are already shipping to all Windows 11 users, which is a crazy quick turn around.
Less ads and AI across the OS
Widgets no longer includes MSN ads and sponsored content. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Microsoft is also removing Bing and MSN ads from Windows Search, in preview now. The search pane itself is now a long list or recent search queries and items, with nonsense like the Bing wallpaper of the day and other sponsored content no longer appearing at all. Even search results that reach out to the web no longer include sponsored content.
The Start menu now also has more granular controls over the kind of content that appears in there. The "Recommended" feed has been renamed to the "Recents" feed and no longer shows recommended apps and websites that came across as more advertising. Users even have the option to remove the Recents feed entirely now, which is great.
Copilot used to plague every inbox app and UI surface you could think of on Windows 11, but today it only appears in a few very specific areas. It still exists as a standalone app on Windows 11, but the Copilot button no longer exists in apps like Photos and Notepad. Microsoft has even removed the "Ask Copilot" option in File Explorer.
Better performance and reliability
Windows 11 is now faster and more reliable, with a focus on reducing memory usage. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
One big area of focus for Microsoft is the overall performance and reliability of Windows 11, which many agree has slipped over the last few years. The good news is Microsoft has already delivered several improvements on this front, with more to come in the following weeks.
The first big change is the new "Low Latency Profile" feature that shipped just a few weeks ago. It's an invisible change that makes opening apps, context menus, and flyouts from the Taskbar much more responsive by silently increasing CPU frequency when these common actions take place.
This is something other OS platforms do which allows them to remain feeling snappy, even under heavy load, and now Windows 11 has the same behavior. This has outright fixed the issue users sometimes have where things like the Start menu don't always appear immediately when clicked. That's a thing of the past now.
Microsoft is also improving the performance of WinUI interfaces across the system via a new System Compositor which reduces latency and memory overhead across the OS so that these modern interfaces are consistently responsive. There's even a new Run dialog built with WinUI that is faster than the old Win32 version.
Opening and navigating through file trees in File Explorer is faster too, and searching for files and apps on Windows 11 is now more consistent. Two character search is already shipping, which makes finding content a little bit easier.
Customizable Taskbar and Start menu
There are many new customization options coming to Start (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
One of the biggest issues people have with Windows 11 is how it took away customizable options for areas of the system like the Start menu or Taskbar. Microsoft has heard that feedback, and is already publicly testing a new Taskbar and Start menu that can be user customized.
The Taskbar can now be repositioned just like on Windows 10, allowing the user to move it to the left, right and top of the display if that's where they want it. There's also a new resize option letting users make it smaller like the Windows 10 one could.
The Start menu is also getting more customization options. Users can hide entire segments of Start, such as the Recents feed, Pinned apps, or All Apps area. They can toggle on or off the Phone Link companion, and disable Start entirely if they don't ever use it.
And there's more to come
Context menus are getting a redesign and better customizability. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Above are all the new improvements that I've tested and are either shipping or in public testing via the Windows Insider Program. These are the real changes and features that can be tried and tested as we speak, not just empty promises or ideas. It's all available to download and try out right now.
There's still more to come too, stuff that isn't yet in public preview testing. Microsoft has confirmed it's working to move more parts of the OS to WinUI for faster performance, such as the Start menu and areas of File Explorer. There's an effort to reduce the footprint of the OS in the works too, which should make the OS less resource intensive at idle.
For the features that are yet to ship outside of preview, I understand that Microsoft is aiming to get the bulk of these improvements out of the door before the end of 2026, with some expected in 2027.
SI'm so very impressed with how quickly Microsoft has turned Windows 11 around so far. I haven't felt this positive about the features and changes being actively made to Windows in a really long time, to the point where it feels weird to not have anything to really complain about. All of my biggest issues with Windows 11 have either already been addressed, or are in the process of being addressed.
It's a great time to be a Windows user again.
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Windows Insiders need to update their PCs to be on a recent build of Windows within the next week. The latest Windows Insider builds contain a renewed flight certificate, which is important because the current flight certificate is set to expire on August 11, 2026.
Flight certificates are used to encourage people to keep devices up to date and on supported versions of Windows. Microsoft ships renewed certificates on a routine basis.
Microsoft emphasized the importance of a renewed flight certificate because in the past renewal mainly affected those in the Canary Channel. Now, those certificates apply across all Insider channels, including Experimental and Beta.
"Today’s Experimental (Future Platforms) build contains a renewed Windows Insider flight certificate. Windows Insider Preview builds use flight certificates that are renewed periodically to help ensure Insider devices remain on supported builds and continue receiving future Insider Preview updates. The current flight certificate expires on August 11, 2026, so please update your device to a build containing the renewed flight certificate before that date."
A separate document dives into more detail, though the main takeaway is that Insiders should simply update their PCs to a recent build. Microsoft shared the chart below to help Insiders stay up to date.
Channel
Core
Minimum Build
Experimental
Future Platforms
29634.1000 (available July 27, 2026)
Experimental
26H2
26300.9032 (available July 31, 2026)
Experimental
26H1
28120.2630 (available July 31, 2026)
Beta
25H2
26220.9022 (available July 31, 2026)
Beta
26H1
28020.2623 (available July 31, 2026)
Once you've performed this one-time larger update, your PC will go back to receiving regular updates.
If you don't update your PC to a build with a fresh flight certificate, you'll start seeing a warning that says, "This build will expire soon" on your desktop. You will also stop receiving automatic background updates once the flight certificate expires.
You should update your PC to a build with a fresh flight certificate, but if you don't, you can fix the issue by going to Settings > Windows Update and letting your PC install the latest build.
Test builds of Windows 11 are designed to expire relatively quickly, so you should update your PC regularly if you're a Windows Insider. Doing so will ensure your system is running a supported version of Windows.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
In this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden sit down with Marcus Ash, Corporate Vice President of Design and Research for Windows at Microsoft. The discussion centers on the user experience vision for Windows 11, balancing modernization with legacy app compatibility, and optimizing system efficiency across diverse hardware configurations.
This episode of the Windows Central Podcast is sponsored by Surfshark VPN. Unlimited devices, access your content from anywhere, and auto-block malware on Windows, Edge, and other platforms from $2.50/mo, with 4 months extra FREE. Sign up today!
Design Philosophy in Windows 11: Marcus Ash discusses how design decisions are shaped by user feedback, telemetry, and modern workflow requirements.
Optimizing Performance for Low-RAM Devices (8GB): A deep dive into full-stack optimizations—ranging from kernel memory scheduling to UI process management—to ensure smooth performance on 8GB RAM hardware.
Modernizing Legacy Tools vs. Backward Compatibility: Discussion on how Microsoft approaches updating older OS utilities (e.g., Control Panel, Registry Editor) while protecting enterprise compatibility and muscle memory.
Web Tech, WebView2, and Modern UI: Exploring the role of web-based interface components in Windows 11, including trade-offs between agility, feature delivery, and resource utilization.
TL;DR: Today only: get Windows 11 Pro on sale for $11.23 with code AUG25.
If Mac users want to run Windows apps, it’s easier to just set up a Windows operating system with something like Parallels Pro, but that does mean you still have to pay for the OS you’re licensing. Instead of dropping the full $199 on Windows 11 Pro, you can get it right here for only $11.23, but this sale ends today.
Pro adds a range of useful upgrades over older versions of Windows. BitLocker encrypts the drive on your virtual machine, so anything sensitive stays locked down. Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox let you spin up more virtual machines and test risky apps in isolation, away from your main setup. Azure AD connects you to a company network when work calls for it.
You also get the full Windows 11 experience running next to macOS. Snap layouts arrange your windows, DirectX 12 Ultimate handles the games that skip the Mac, biometric login is backed by TPM 2.0, and Copilot sits in the taskbar for quick answers and page summaries. One license installs on a single machine and stays yours for good.
You don’t have to pay full price for Windows anymore.
Cute name, especially if it were a wookiee. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Finding a good laptop under $500 was hard enough before RAMageddon. They nearly always had cheap hardware and underpowered, often outdated chips. That's what made the MacBook Neo so disruptive: It offered great build quality and good-enough performance starting at $599. Windows laptops couldn't touch it. Even though it's gone up to $699, it's still the laptop to beat.
So when little-known Chinese brand Chuwi announced a $450 Windows laptop with an aluminum build and a brand-new Intel Wildcat Lake processor, it sounded too good to be true.
It is.
Chuwi UniBook
Score: 3
Pros
Cons
It's $450
Tons of ports for a small laptop (though none are very …
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