windows 11

Microsoft has revealed more details about its free tool for transferring files to a new PC when upgrading to Windows 11. It's got some unfortunate limitations that mean a third-party solution may be better for some users. The tool is part of Microsoft's drive to remove headaches for people who choose (or feel forced) to get a new computer when switching to Windows 11. In some cases that's taking the opportunity for some new hardware and in other cases, it's because their existing Windows 10 PC doesn't meet Microsoft's minimum specifications and requirements. Built Into Backup App The transfer ...view more

Microsoft appears to have ditched plans to simplify the System Tray in Windows 11. It has confirmed the rethink was down to negative feedback in public testing. The System Tray is part of the Taskbar, the section at the bottom of the screen that's usually visible at all times. The System Tray is on the right and includes information such as the date and time, network connection details, speaker volume and (on portable devices) battery level. Last year it started testing a new design in the Beta Channel of Windows Insider. That's part of the voluntary public testing program and is usually the ...view more

In today's main article, we talked about the need for continuing Windows 10 support because the vast majority of PC's today Windows 11 requires TPM (Trusted Platform Module) but only newer PCs (circa >2018) have it. I've always wondered why a tech company couldn't simply create a USB-based TPM device so that older machines would be able to meet the requirements of Windows 11, so I decided to ask ChatGPT some questions. I thought the answers were fascinating, so I decided to put together a Q&A style article. Here's a breakdown of those questions in case you want to skip right to the ...view more

Windows 11 has finally become more popular than Windows 10 according to one estimate. But there's still a serious amount of work to do to persuade people to upgrade before Windows 10's "end of life" this October. The figures come from Statcounter, which says that 51.77 percent of Windows computers are now running Windows 11, ahead of Windows 10 on 45.02 percent. The remaining three percent are running even older systems, including a tiny but measurable user base for Windows XP. (Source: statcounter.com ) Statcounter is a company that helps websites measure and analyze their traffic, so its ...view more

Microsoft has started public testing on a range of new Windows 11 features. They deal with a nagging display annoyance, the controversial Recall technology, and touchscreen interfaces. The changes have been unveiled in the Dev Channel. That's one of four options for people who join the Windows Insider program and is the one where most new features roll out to the public for the first time. If something's in the Dev Channel, Microsoft usually intends to make it part of Windows but may withdraw it if the testing goes badly. The most useful change for the average user is arguably a minor ...view more

Microsoft is to release a tool to make it easier to move to a new computer when upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11. It removes a minor headache but won't necessarily overcome the main reasons people are passing on the upgrade. With some recent estimates saying the majority of Windows PCs are still running Windows 10, time is running out for the end-of-life deadline in October. After that, Windows 10 will get no new features and no free security patches. Businesses can pay for security patches for three more years (with the price doubling each year), while consumers can pay $30 for one ...view more

Microsoft has confirmed several changes to the Windows 11 Start menu. They include more space and better support for connected phones. The changes had been in testing for several weeks but have now been officially announced. They will be available to members of the Windows Insider program first and then roll out to all users. That means Microsoft has definitely decided to make the changes and its now just a case of picking up any late bugs before the full release. (Source: windows.com ) The most notable change is to the size of the Start menu, which will now be both taller (taking up most of ...view more

Windows 11 will soon have an AI tool that automatically switches user settings to improve usability. There will also be an update to the existing "Click to Do" tools. The features will initially be available on Copilot+ PCs. To clarify, Copilot is Microsoft's name for a series of AI powered tools, available on most Windows computers. Meanwhile Copilot+ is the name of a specific hardware specification that manufacturers can use in branding. It requires an extremely fast processor dedicated to AI operations. Microsoft has already added several Windows features that only work on Copilot+ ...view more

Microsoft's controversial Windows 11 feature that takes repeated screenshots of user activity is back in testing. The Windows Recall feature had been put on pause after intense criticism about privacy implications. The idea of Windows Recall is to improve the computer's ability to search for past information. At the moment searching for something you did in the past has some significant limitations: not all activity is stored in the same way, and searching across multiple applications and media formats isn't always smooth. AI Database Microsoft believed the answer is to combine artificial ...view more

The infamous Windows "blue screen of death" is to turn black. Microsoft has also downgraded efforts to help users identify and solve a problem. The screen, which dates back to the very first editions of Windows, is formally known as a critical error message. It appears only when Windows has experienced a problem that means it's no longer safe to operate, meaning it can't simply display a warning message overlaid on the various open windows and desktop. Error Code Confusion Depending on the version of Windows and the problem, the user seeing the blue screen of death would have to either ...view more