Welcome to another edition of Microsoft Weekly where we recap everything important that has happened in the world of Microsoft over the past few days. Although this week has been relatively quieter due to the Thanksgiving break, we still have Windows 11 upgrade information, Windows 10 related stuff, and a Slack competition to discuss. Without further ado, let’s dive into our weekly recap for November 19-25!
Windows 11 updates
As has been the case for the past few weeks, this section is mostly about new Windows 11 bugs and fixes for some existing ones.
For starters, Microsoft finally removed compatibility protection on some devices trying to upgrade to Windows 11 version 22H2. It was initially put in place due to printer bugs where the settings would get stuck at the default value and it was getting messy to add more printers. Along the same lines, an upgrade block has also been removed from some PCs experiencing deteriorating gaming performance. That said, the bug has yet to be fully resolved.
We have also learned that the Remote Desktop application may become unresponsive on Windows 11 version 22H2. For now, the Redmond tech giant has recommended ending the process using Task Manager when this happens and has also suggested disabling UDP (with some caveats). A more permanent solution is in the works. Meanwhile, AMD has released a new chipset driver to address Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issues affecting Windows 11 version 22H2 as well as older versions of Windows.
Microsoft is also working to make Windows 11 more secure. The OS now supports multi-key full memory encryption on 3rd Gen Intel Ice Lake Xeon Scalable processors and 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake client-side processors. The company is apparently also working on a dedicated VPN flag in the Windows 11 version 22H2 notification area and you can force-enable it by following the detailed instructions here.
Finally, if you prefer the aesthetics of Windows 11 but not the OS itself, you might consider giving the Orange Pi (Droid) OS a spin – at your own risk. It’s an Android 12-based operating system that looks like Windows 11, but response to its aesthetics has been somewhat polarized so far.
The goodness of Windows 10
Microsoft announced this week that Windows 10 version 22H2 (also known as Windows 10 2022 Update) is now ready for large-scale rollout. For those who don’t know, large-scale deployment is the final deployment phase of a Windows release’s lifecycle. This means that more users with compatible computers receive update offers, not just requesters who press the “Check for Updates” button. For reference, Windows 11 2022 Update (also 22H2) is currently available for anyone manually checking for updates.
Microsoft has been very mysterious about what’s new in the update, simply saying it’s available with a “limited set of productivity features.” However, we did some research and managed to find possible information about what’s new.
Another good news is that the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) app has reached general availability in the Microsoft Store and is now also available on Windows 10, in addition to Windows 11. two operating systems, touting faster updates, better error printing, WSLg and WSL in one package, and the ability to opt in for systemd support, among other things.
Slack contest
A few days ago, a report emerged claiming that the European Commission (EC) was preparing to investigate Microsoft over certain antitrust complaints filed against Teams by its competitor Slack.
The complaint in question was filed in 2020 when Slack alleged that bundling Teams with the Microsoft 365 product suite forces it to be installed on many machines while “hiding the true cost to enterprise customers.” He urged the regulator to force Microsoft to remove Teams from its Microsoft 365 suite and offer it separately at “fair” commercial prices.
Now it looks like the EC is ready to act as a new batch of questionnaires have recently been sent out, with sources familiar with the matter saying a formal inquiry could be launched soon.
While we’re in the Microsoft 365 space, it’s also worth noting that Microsoft has delayed deprecation of the Outlook REST API indefinitely based on customer feedback. The depreciation will take place next year instead of this month.
Additionally, Microsoft now seems to be focusing on creating mobile content, at least when it comes to PowerPoint. The Redmond tech company is introducing the ability to create Portrait view slides in PowerPoint for iPhone and iPad devices on the Office Insider channel. iOS users will now be able to toggle Portrait mode on and off when creating and editing slides. There’s no word yet on Android support or general availability timelines.
Git Gud
As the battle between Microsoft and Sony rages on over Britain’s CMA investigation into the former’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, more details are becoming public. There is quite interesting information with the submitted documents.
Perhaps most interestingly, Microsoft told the UK regulator that its exclusives were lower quality than PlayStation’s. He pointed to Metacritic scores as the basis for this argument, and also noted that they don’t sell very well on Xbox either. Meanwhile, Sony’s camp announces that the company could launch its next PlayStation console around 2026, which is still a long way to go.
On the real games front, sea of thieves Season 8 is now live with on-demand PVP, new locations and more. And if you’re looking for cheap PC games this Black Friday weekend, don’t miss this weekend’s PC game deals, curated by our editor Pulasthi Ariyasinghe.
Development Channel
Under the projectors
This week we released a few guides. The first comes from journalist Rahul Naskar who detailed a handy way to get a detailed battery report in Windows 10 and Windows 11, along with what you should focus on when analyzing it.
Meanwhile, journalist Taras Buria has posted the steps to disable the recommended websites section in the Start menu if it really bothers you in Windows 11 Dev Channel build 25247.
On the other hand, forum member Adam Bottjen has written a detailed guide on how to enable and operate dynamic subtitles in Windows 11 version 22H2.
Meanwhile, editor Paul Hill has been working with Olauncher, saying it’s the best Android launcher possible today. You can read his thoughts here.
Finally, don’t forget to recheck Neowin co-founder Steven Parker’s first impressions of the GEEKOM IT11 MiniPC. You can get it for just $599 instead of $769 if you act fast and buy it during this Black Friday week.
Logout
Our most interesting news of the week concerns Mercedes-Benz’s introduction of a $1,200 annual subscription…to make some of its cars faster. You read correctly. By purchasing the Acceleration Boost subscription for $1,200/year, your Mercedes-EQ 350 SUV will hit 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds instead of 6.2 seconds.
This is done by electronically increasing engine power and torque, but this raises some concerns as it implies that the car already has the necessary capability built in to achieve this performance and the only reason to lock it behind a paywall is to render customers pay more. If nothing else, it’s a worrying precedent for what’s to come.
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