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News
Microsoft Paint finally adds Photoshop-like transparency and layers
Once on the brink of forced retirement, Microsoft Paint is getting even more updates that increase its utility as an image editor.
Feature
As Microsoft's consumer champion departs, so does its soul
Chief product officer Panos Panay unexpectedly stepped down this week, taking much of what made Microsoft interesting, and human, with it. Now what? More AI.
News
Windows Start will soon become more cluttered, adding websites
Microsoft's Start menu will soon add websites to the Recommended section of the Start menu, a change no one has really asked for.
News
Behold, the dumbest Windows keyboard shortcut of them all
Why would anyone ever use this oddball, two-handed Windows keyboard shortcut?
News
Finally! Windows 11's Snipping Tool will let you copy text from screenshots
Microsoft is expanding the Windows 11 Snipping Tool with a really practical and immensely useful OCR function.
News
Windows Photos' renaissance continues with new AI features
Microsoft Photos is testing background blur (or portrait mode) as well as AI-powered search. They're long overdue, but still welcome.
News
Patch Tuesday: Microsoft fixes critical Windows bugs, Word exploit
On Patch Tuesday in September, Microsoft eliminated a total of 59 security vulnerabilities. Among them are five vulnerabilities that Microsoft classifies as critical.
News
Microsoft is killing third-party printer drivers in Windows 11
The time for proprietary printer drivers in Windows is coming to an end. Instead, Windows will manage all printers with a few universal drivers.
News
Microsoft finally took our advice and Paint will be better for it
Microsoft is testing background removal within Microsoft Paint, the great Magic Select tool that Microsoft originally built into Paint 3D.
News
Is Starfield crashing constantly? Your PC's processor could be why
Frequent crashes in the Starfield could be due to the Ryzen processor installed. When will Bethesda find a fix?
News
MSI update fixes rampant Windows 11 blue screen crashes
Finally, there's an MSI BIOS that eliminates endless Windows 11 blue screens of death after a recent update.
News
Windows 11 will stop forcing Edge on users, but only in Europe
A recent Windows 11 change will let links in the Start search bar and other areas of the OS open in the default browser, whatever that might be.
News
This weird Windows 11 bug drastically speeds up File Explorer
Windows 11's File Explorer isn't that fast, but with this trick you can make it much more responsive.
Feature
Hey PC gamers: Don't overlook these killer Windows 11 features
Take your gaming to a whole new level with Windows 11's Game Mode, Auto HDR, DirectStorage, and other little-known tools that will improve your experience.
Opinion
Microsoft’s incessant Windows ads are getting out of control
Microsoft continues to experiment with different ways to annoy everyone—and it’s becoming increasingly worse.
News
Finally, common Windows 11 settings won’t be hard to get to
The Settings app in Windows 11 is getting a new homepage screen that makes often-used settings far more accessible.
Updated
Windows 11 update causing 'unsupported processor' blue screen of death
After installing a recent Windows update, Windows 11 shocks users with a blue screen of death.
News
The incredible Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is free on Epic Games
The Epic Games Store is currently offering the strategy game "Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak" as a free download. An absolute must-download!
News
Windows tools like Photos and Paint may get new AI powers
An unconfirmed report says that Microsoft wants to inject Windows apps including Photos, Paint, Snipping Tool, and the Camera with AI-powered tools.
News
Microsoft is prepping new Surface hardware for next month
Microsoft has invited reporters to a special Microsoft event in New York on Sept. 21, most likely to unveil new Surface hardware and a Windows update.
News
Windows 11 will let you delete more built-in apps soon
Windows 11's default Camera, Photos, and People apps, as well as Cortana, will be user-removable via the Settings menu
News
You can now stream your gameplay to Microsoft Teams
The Xbox Game Bar now lets you livestream gameplay to Teams, but it remains to be seen if anyone will regularly do so, especially given the bare-bones start.
News
Windows 10 bug forces Microsoft to recall updates
Microsoft has confirmed a bug in Windows 10 that forced it to recall affected updates. An updated patch is supposed to fix the problem.
News
I did not know this ultra-helpful Windows keyboard shortcut until today
Turns out pressing the Ctrl key in Windows Task Manager can make life easier.
News
Windows 11 update fixes annoying SSD slowdown bug
Windows 11 users have been complaining for months about a bug that halved the speed of SSDs. Now there's a fix.
Updated
AI-generated review summaries arrive on Amazon, Microsoft, Newegg
Microsoft, Newegg, and Amazon are tapping AI to summarize large numbers of customer reviews so you don't have to read them.
News
Secret, helpful Windows 11 settings hiding deep in new preview
Microsoft has added an exciting, yet hidden new system components feature within the settings in Windows 11. Here's what you can do with it.
News
Windows 11's Cortana is dead, and it's you who will pull the plug
Microsoft is now pushing updates to your Windows 11 PC that will kill Cortana. It's up to you whether you pull the plug.
News
'Windows 365 Switch' swaps between Windows 11 and a Cloud PC in a second
The Windows 365 Switch feature, currently in preview, makes it possible to switch between a local Windows 11 and a Windows 365 in just one second.
News
Install Windows 11 without all the annoying bloatware with this trick
With this trick, you can install the Microsoft operating system Windows 11 without third-party bloatware.
Feature
Having trouble installing Windows 11? Check these 3 settings
If your hardware is compatible with Windows 11 but the installer or updater keeps telling you that your PC isn’t up to par, try tweaking these settings in your BIOS.
News
How to use Microsoft's secret staging tool to unlock new Windows 11 features
Microsoft's StagingTool.exe gives you access to hidden options in Windows 11 Insider builds. Here's how to use it.
Updated
Oops! Microsoft leaks tool that unlocks secret Windows 11 features
Links to Microsoft's internal Windows 11 StagingTool.exe tool were quickly removed, but it's making its way around power user forums now.
News
Seeing endless 'Outlook closed while you had items open' prompts? Here's a fix
With this trick you can solve the annoying queries for opening closed windows in Outlook.
News
Microsoft begins pulling the plug on Cortana
A recent update to the Cortana app on Windows Insider PCs makes Microsoft's first AI assistant unusable.
News
Latest Windows 11 update breaks custom Start menu apps
Microsoft takes a hands-off approach to issues Windows 11 updates might cause with popular apps like StartAllBack.
News
Windows update causes video problems: Microsoft issues emergency fix
Microsoft confirms two new automatic updates are causing problems with video playback under Windows 10/11 for many users, and offers a fix.
News
Microsoft offers sneak peek at new Windows features coming this fall
Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 Insider Beta build chock-full of the tweaks we expect will be coming to your PC in a month or two.
Feature
This broken Windows feature taunts me every time I update
A Windows feature called Delivery Optimization within is designed to allow you to download apps and updates from other PCs on your network, not the Internet. But it's so frustrating that it barely ever works.
News
Google releases Nearby Share, its Android AirDrop clone for Windows
You can now download Nearby Share, a Google app that connects Android devices with Windows PCs and allows them to share files and photos back and forth.
News
Windows Update wants to repair your computer
The latest Insider build of Windows 11 features a new way to repair big problems on the Recovery settings page.
News
Windows 11's clock now displays seconds, a change opposed for decades
The clock in the Windows 11 taskbar has been given a makeover that Windows developers had opposed for decades.
Feature
I used Windows Dictation to write this article with my voice
Windows 11, Voice Access, and Windows Dictation allow you to control your PC and write using just your voice. But is it useful or just a PITA? A little of both.
News
133 Windows drivers with valid Microsoft signatures found crawling with malware
Malware is found in over 100 drivers for Windows, despite valid signatures. Microsoft reacts and suspends the licences of many developers.
Deal
Cheaper than Prime Day: Get Windows 11 Pro licenses right here for $30
PCWorld’s own software store is offering Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, and Windows 10 Pro licenses for less than Amazon right now.
Feature
Hands on: Windows Copilot can't decide what it is
Microsoft launched its AI assistant, Windows Copilot, into preview on Thursday within Windows 11. It's a useful tool, with potential, but also has some severe limitations.
News
Microsoft says you can now test Windows Copilot
Microsoft begins shipping its AI-powered Windows Copilot in a major Windows Insider test build, along with a major change to the Settings menu, a new volume mixer, better Snap Layouts and more.
News
Windows Hello gets new built-in passkey powers
New Insider Build options will integrate website passkeys with the Windows Hello system.
News
Microsoft is working on a full cloud-based Windows OS
New internal documents revealed by the FTC investigation shows a full remote access OS could be in Windows' future.
Opinion