Microsoft spent October testing a surprisingly useful collection of Windows 11 features, and after digging through the latest preview builds, I found several changes that could make a noticeable difference in how you use your PC.

Some address long-standing frustrations. Microsoft is finally experimenting with a customizable right-click menu, while the Start menu is getting more controls over its size and contents. Windows 11 can also run an internet speed test without kicking you into a browser, and traditional desktop apps are gaining more granular privacy controls.

There are smaller improvements worth knowing about, too, including phone controls in Quick Settings, smarter Windows Hello behavior in low light, accessibility improvements, and changes aimed at handheld gaming.

Microsoft tested these features across eight Windows 11 preview builds during the second half of October. I've gone through the changes and pulled out the ones I think actually matter.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in October 2026

Let's dive into the most noteworthy changes since my last roundup.

Windows 11 finally lets you customize the context menu

Windows 11 build 26220.9757 introduces a redesigned context menu with new customization options that let you simplify the interface and control which commands appear when right-clicking files and folders.

The updated menu reduces clutter by moving additional app commands into a new "App extensions" submenu. This keeps the main menu focused on frequently used actions while providing access to extensions added by installed applications.

The new "Customize menu" option opens a dedicated page under Settings > Personalization, where you can control the menu's layout and available commands.

Under "File actions," you can choose which options appear directly in the main menu, including "Send to," "Print," "Create shortcut," "Copy as path," and "Rotate image." "Send to" and "Print" are also new additions to the modern context menu design.

The customization options extend to application integrations. You can choose whether the "App extensions" submenu appears in the main menu and select which application extensions remain directly accessible.

The new settings let you arrange primary commands, such as Cut and Paste, vertically instead of using the horizontal layout introduced with the modern design. You can also move "Properties" to the bottom of the menu to restore its familiar placement.

For those who prefer the classic experience, Windows 11 now lets you bring back the "Show more options" entry. You can also continue opening the traditional context menu by holding Shift while right-clicking a file or folder.

Internet speed test without a browser

Starting with build 26340.9767 in the Experimental channel for version 26H2, the Windows team is refreshing the "Speed test" feature with a native interface in the Quick Settings that allows you to test your internet connection without leaving the desktop.

If you recall, the feature isn't new, but the previous version was an option that opened Bing in the Microsoft Edge browser to perform a speed test with the online tool.

In the new design, the feature is still using the same Speed Test service in the backend, but the tests happen within the desktop experience.

You can also access the feature from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon and choosing the "Test internet speed" option.

The Start menu is finally getting more customization

As part of version 26H1, build 26220.9739 introduces new Start menu customization options, including the ability to choose a "Small," "Large," or "Automatic" layout under Settings > Personalization > Start, using the "Start menu size" option.

Microsoft also renames the "Recommended" section to "Recent" in both the Start menu and its Settings page.

In addition, users can now hide their name and profile picture from Start and independently show or hide the "Pinned," "Recent," and "All" sections using the redesigned Start settings page.

Windows 11 is giving you more control over desktop app permissions

In the "Privacy & security" section of the Settings app, the Windows team introduced per-app permissions for camera, microphone, and location access, giving users more control over the sensitive resources traditional desktop apps can use.

Now, inside the Camera, Microphone, or Location settings, users can view and allow or deny access for individual apps. Apps that have not previously accessed a resource will prompt for permission when they first request access.

The update preserves existing permissions, so previously allowed apps retain access and denied apps remain blocked. No action is required, and existing settings are not reset.

Enterprise policies continue to work as designed, although Microsoft is exploring additional management capabilities.

Also, most desktop apps appear with clear names, but some that rely on shared system components or browser-hosted experiences may appear under unexpected names.

Finally, apps with unverified publishers may appear as "Unsigned," so users should grant permissions only to applications they recognize and trust.

These changes for privacy are available with the release of build 26220.9739.

Finally, in build 28020.3262, the "Privacy & security" page gets an update that improves the organization of specific settings, including Camera, Microphone, and Location privacy controls.

Your phone controls are moving into Quick Settings

In Quick Settings, you'll also find a new "Mobile devices" flyout that lets you control your phone without interrupting your workflow.

If you're connecting a supported Android phone, you can check its battery, change the ringer, remotely play sound to find your phone, and enable Do Not Disturb.

This new interface is available starting with build 26340.9767 in the Experimental channel.

XBOX mode new Task View

Starting with builds 26340.9750 and 26220.9739, Windows 11 introduces an updated Task View interface when XBOX mode is enabled.

The new interface adds a navigation bar that gives quick access to "Exit to Desktop" and "Power Options" while using the gaming controller.

Feature flags are getting easier to manage

On the Feature flags page, you won't see major changes, but a new "Filter by" option lets you find and review components you can turn on or off in the installation.

Windows Hello can brighten your screen when it can't see you

Another worthy improvement can be found in Windows Hello. Starting with build 26340.9750, a new option lets the system automatically adjust screen brightness to provide more light and improve the authentication experience when using Windows Hello Facial recognition.

The feature is called "Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition" and is available in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition (Windows Hello).

Magnifier improvements

In build 26220.9739, the development team released an updated version of the Magnifier experience to support independent zoom levels for each monitor in "Extend" mode (Settings > System > Display), preventing the magnified view from spilling across screens.

Users can set different zoom percentages for each display using the "Windows key + Plus (+)," "Windows key + Minus (-)," or "Ctrl + Alt + mouse wheel," adjust the percentages in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, or move the Magnifier toolbar to the screen they want to adjust.

Per-monitor zoom is enabled by default, but users can turn it off from the Magnifier toolbar or Settings to restore the traditional behavior of a single magnified view spanning all displays.

The update also introduces viewport locking, which keeps a monitor's magnified view in place while users move their pointer to another screen. This lets users reference content on one display while working on another without losing sight of the information.

The locked screen stays live and interactive, letting users click, read, or copy content while its view stays fixed. A notification indicates when a screen is locked. Users can lock or unlock an individual display by pointing to it and using the "Ctrl + Windows key + K" shortcut, customize the shortcut to "Ctrl + Alt + P" under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, or use the "Windows key + Esc" shortcut to release all locks.

In build 28120.3302, Microsoft adds a new contrast theme toggle to Magnifier to help reduce screen glare without changing the original colors of photos, videos, and charts. Users can enable a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar, with the dark theme applied by default. The preferred contrast theme can be selected under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.

Unlike color inversion, which changes colors across the screen, the new option adjusts the appearance while preserving the original colors of visual content. One last thing to note is that color inversion remains available as a separate feature.

Home Device Info card

In addition, build 26220.9739 added the Device Info Card on the Settings Home page to more markets.

The new card offers a quick overview of the device's key specifications and usage for users logged in with a Microsoft account. Clicking the link will open the "About" settings page.

Recovery improvements

Build 26220.9739 for version 26H1 also adds a new "Rebuild this PC" entry point for Cloud Rebuild under Settings > System > Recovery, making the feature easier to find and access directly from the Settings app.

Search experience declutter

The Windows team has also simplified the Search home interface to reduce visual clutter and make recent searches easier to access.

Search results now show clearer source indicators, helping users distinguish between apps, settings, files, web results, and Microsoft Store suggestions before opening them.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, a new option under Settings > Privacy & security > Search also lets users choose whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local search results.

Although these improvements have been available in other builds, they became available for version 26H1 with the release of build 28020.3262.

Pointer Indicator accessibility feature

As part of the accessibility features in build 28020.3262, Microsoft introduced the Pointer Indicator to help users with low vision locate their mouse cursor more easily.

You can enable the feature under Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. Once enabled, users can toggle "Pointer Indicator" on or off using the "Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + X" keyboard shortcut.

Live Captions improvements

In build 28020.3262, the Windows team also added a new "Include Screen Reader audio" setting for Live Captions.

The option is turned off by default, preventing Live Captions from transcribing audio from screen readers such as Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA.

This keeps captions focused on microphone and system audio unless you choose to include screen reader audio.

Microsoft 365 billing interface built in

In a continued effort to make it easier to take your money, Microsoft is building a new native interface that allows Microsoft 365 subscribers to turn on recurring billing without having to open their account details in a web browser.

Microsoft is testing this interface in build 26340.9767 through the Experimental channel.

Windows Central's Take

Microsoft is making some genuinely good decisions here. I'm particularly interested in the redesigned context menu, because giving users control over what appears when they right-click could finally address one of the most frustrating changes Microsoft introduced with Windows 11.

The new Start menu controls follow the same theme. Being able to resize Start, hide sections you don't use, and remove your profile information gives users more say over an interface Microsoft has kept surprisingly rigid. Per-app privacy permissions for traditional desktop applications are another meaningful improvement that Windows should arguably have offered much sooner.

Even the smaller additions make sense. I would rather run an internet speed test directly from Quick Settings than have Windows launch a browser, and automatically increasing screen brightness when Windows Hello needs help recognizing you is exactly the kind of subtle feature that can make Windows feel smarter without getting in the way.

I'm much less enthusiastic about Microsoft building a native interface for turning Microsoft 365 recurring billing back on. Windows 11 already spends plenty of time encouraging users to sign in, subscribe, or enable Microsoft services. I'd rather see Microsoft devote that attention to the unfinished and inconsistent parts of Windows itself.

Taken together, though, this is a promising batch of changes. The features I'm most excited about aren't flashy. They give users more control, remove unnecessary steps, and make familiar parts of Windows less frustrating to use. I want to see more of that.

Which of these Windows 11 changes would make the biggest difference on your PC? Let me know in the comments.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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Microsoft has explained why you cannot drag the new movable Taskbar on Windows 11, a feature that was present on Windows 10 but failed to make the move to Windows 11 when it gained the ability to move the Taskbar earlier this year.

Vice President of Design at Microsoft, Diego Baca, explains that the inability to drag the Taskbar to move it is a "deliberate design decision," confirming that such behavior will not be coming to Windows 11 any time soon.

"From our research, dragging the taskbar to reposition it can lead to accidental movements, which is one of the reasons “Lock the taskbar” existed in previous versions of Windows," Baca said. "We also found that changing the taskbar position isn’t something people do frequently."

Baca continues: "We felt that providing a discoverable setting, just one right-click away, was a more intentional and predictable experience. It’s a deliberate design decision, not a missing capability."

Microsoft is making it clear that the ability to drag and drop the Taskbar to move and resize it isn't coming to Windows 11, which I'm sure some long-time Windows users will be sad to hear. Baca says that most people don't move the Taskbar once they have placed it where they like, and so the ability to drag it to move it on the fly doesn't make much sense.

On Windows 10, moving the Taskbar was as simple as right-clicking it, unchecking "Lock the taskbar" and then dragging the Taskbar to your desired location. On Windows 11, it requires right-clicking the Taskbar, opening Windows Settings, then selecting your desired location within an app.

While not as straight forward as before, I agree that this method is tidier and reduces accidental movement that could sometimes occur when users unlocked the Taskbar on Windows 10 and forgot about it. You could also resize Windows 10's Taskbar by dragging the top of it, another feature that hasn't made the jump to Windows 11, likely for the same reasons.

It's good to see Microsoft being more open about why certain features aren't available on Windows 11. The company has made strides to be more transparent with fans and Insiders about design decisions and processes, and we love to see it.

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Windows 11 and wallpapers go together like peanut butter and jelly. Many of our laptop reviews are met with comments asking about our wallpapers. Microsoft deals with the same fervor for images. I spent weeks trying to find the wallpaper shown off during the RTX Spark event.

Unfortunately, like the Jedi Archives, Microsoft's publicly shared collection of wallpapers is incomplete. The company has not shared that wallpaper from the RTX Spark event, but it has shared several images inspired by the Surface Laptop Ultra.

The official Microsoft Surface account shared a thread with a bunch of wallpapers. The collection includes an image that looks like an x-ray of the Surface Laptop Ultra, a rendering of the engineering to make that laptop, and some more abstract artwork inspired by the PC.

But one image immediately caught my eye. In the X post stating "It's all about the details," Microsoft shared an image of a grid of screws used in the Surface Laptop Ultra's construction.

As much as I love a good torque screw (side-eye at proprietary screws), that's not what drew my attention. What piqued my interest was that I first thought the image was the Galactic Senate from Star Wars. All it needs is a floating podium and an emergency powers vote.

It turns out I'm not the only person whose brain jumped straight to Coruscant. My X post has drawn several replies and messages from people who saw the same thing.

I was tempted to make the headline of this piece something along the lines of "So this is how liberty dies, with glorious wallpapers," but I figured some people would not know the meme and assume I'm being negative.

For those who don't know, a famous scene from Star Wars Episode III sees Padmé Amidala watch the Senate cheer the rise of the Galactic Empire, prompting her famous line, "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."

In that scene, you'll see the senate chambers that Microsoft's new wallpaper resembles.

Star Wars jokes aside, the best way to download any of these wallpapers is to use the "Load in 4K" option on X. To do this, press and hold the image to bring up the share menu, then select "Load in 4K." This worked for me on iOS and I believe it's available on Android. As far as I can tell it is not an option on Windows or the web, so you'll have to grab the wallpaper from your phone and send it to your PC.

I quite enjoy the wallpapers shared by Microsoft and hope the company continues to release these types of images.

If you're similarly enthusiastic about the background of your desktop, you should check out the Microsoft Design website.

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Microsoft Edge will soon launch faster on Windows 11 by using a feature no other browser has, at least for now. Accelerated app launch is a new feature on Windows 11 that streamlines the process of launching an app.

In the case of Edge, the browser sees a 15 percent launch speed improvement because of the feature. If you're multitasking heavily on your PC, the app could launch up to 33 percent faster.

The version of Edge with accelerated app launch support ships with the October 2026 non-security update for Windows 11. That update, known as KB5127936, is available now as an optional release. It also includes the updated context menu as well as Cloud Rebuild.

Accelerated app launch requires both the app and Windows 11 to work together. Since Edge is the built-in browser on Windows 11, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft first shipped the feature to Edge.

Without accelerated app launch, clicking a link to open Edge requires Windows to determine whether Edge is already running. Doing so requires Windows to start an intermediary process that looks around for an instance of Edge. Microsoft explains that you probably won't notice sluggishness during this process on a freshly booted PC, but that you can notice things slow down when multitasking.

Accelerated app launch sends a registration request to Windows when the browser is launched initially. Windows can then find that registration quickly the next time you launch Edge through a link.

Because of how the feature works, you'll only see those launch speed improvements after Edge has already been opened and is running in the background.

The feature works in the Start menu, Taskbar, and supported links that open in Edge by default.

Not a selling point for Microsoft Edge

Support for accelerated app launch is a nice addition to Edge, but it won't be a feature that convinces people to switch browsers. Microsoft is contributing its work related to the feature to Chromium, so other Chromium-based browsers can benefit from accelerated app launches on Windows.

As far as I can tell, there's nothing stopping non-Chromium browsers from doing the same thing, it would just require more work.

Microsoft is also working on opening PDF files using the feature.

So rather than an exclusive feature for Edge, accelerated app launch will help improve the overall Windows 11 experience by reducing how long it takes to open apps.

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A new feature called Cloud Rebuild allows you to perform a full system reinstall for your Windows 11 PC without USB media or a custom image. The feature can even work without relying on the integrity of the currently installed operating system.

Cloud Rebuild downloads Windows and your device drivers, allowing for a seamless install.

The new feature is available through the latest non-security feature update for Windows 11, which is known as KB5127936. That update is available as an optional release. The feature should make its way to everyone relatively soon.

Windows 11 already included a Cloud Download recovery option, but Cloud Rebuild goes further by downloading both Windows and device drivers from Windows Update and by not relying on the integrity of the existing installation. Cloud Rebuild allows you to reinstall Windows 11 on a device that is unbootable.

Since Cloud Rebuild performs a full system reinstall, you should have all of your important files backed up before using it if at all possible. You also need to have your PC connected to the internet and plugged in to a power source while Cloud Rebuild runs.

For some users, Cloud Rebuild could eliminate the need to create recovery USB drives ahead of time, since Windows can now download the operating system and required drivers directly from Microsoft's servers when disaster strikes.

We've known about this feature for several months and have looked forward to its release. Our Mauro Huculak explained why Cloud Rebuild is one of the most important new features to Windows 11. Now, the feature is available through an optional release and will ship to even more people in the near future.

Because Cloud Rebuild is part of a gradual release, you may not see it right away. Going into the Windows 11 Settings app and enabling the toggle for "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" will help you get the feature quicker, but does not guarantee you'll receive it right away.

Here's how Microsoft describes Cloud Rebuild in its release notes. You can also read more about the feature in Microsoft documentation.

Cloud Rebuild

• New! This update introduces Cloud rebuild, a new recovery option that reinstalls Windows 11 using a Windows image and device drivers downloaded from Windows Update, including when Windows is unable to start. No USB media or custom image is required. Cloud rebuild includes:
  • Drive sanitization: Choose to remove your files or securely erase data using the storage hardware’s erase capability before Windows is reinstalled. Sanitization is irreversible.
  • Remote management: IT administrators can configure and start a Cloud rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP using either the currently installed build or a specified target build.
• To start Cloud rebuild:
  • In Windows, go to Settings > System > Recovery, and then select Rebuild PC. The device restarts into the Windows Recovery Environment and starts Cloud rebuild.
  • Alternatively, if Windows can't start, the device enters the Windows Recovery Environment automatically after repeated boot failures. From the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), select Troubleshoot > Recovery and uninstall > Cloud rebuild.
  • Connect to a wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi network.
  • Review the target Windows build, edition, and language, and then confirm the data loss warning before the rebuild begins. You can choose whether to remove files or remove and sanitize files prior to Windows reinstalling.

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Microsoft has started rolling out its overhauled context menus for Windows 11 as part of this month's non-security feature update that was made available today. The update, known as KB5127936, is now generally available as an optional release.

"This update introduces an updated context menu that is faster, simpler, and more customizable," Microsoft says. "The updated menu opens more quickly, reduces clutter, and gives you more control over the commands and app extensions that appear when you right-click."

These improvements are part of the company's ongoing "Windows K2" effort, which focuses on making core OS improvements that address complaints and issues from users. For a long time, context menus of Windows 11 have been slow, cluttered, and confusing, but today's update changes that.

Now, context menus open instantly, and they can also be customized by the user. Microsoft outlines the following customization options being added to Windows 11 with this new update:

• Turn built-in Windows commands, such as Send to and Create shortcut, on or off.
• Add commands such as Print to the context menu.
• Choose which app extensions appear in the main menu or a submenu or hide the app extensions submenu.
• Display Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share directly in the menu instead of as a row of icons.
• Move Properties to the bottom of the context menu.

These new context menus also appeal to Windows 10 users, as they enable the ability to restore common actions such as cut, copy, and paste in the vertical list view instead of horizontally along the top of the menu. You can also turn off apps that might appear within the context menu.

Today's update includes more than just an overhauled context menu system, too. The new Xbox task view interface is also rolling out, along with updates to File Explorer and Windows Settings. Be sure to check out the changelog for the full list of changes.

Unfortunately, all of these new features are rolling out gradually, which means you likely won't see them right away. You need to ensure the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" toggle is enabled in Windows Settings to get them quicker, but you'll still have to wait before they appear.

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The Windows Security app is about to be redesigned to align with Windows 11. Soon, you will no longer feel like you've booted up a PC from a decade ago when managing the security features on your computer.

Microsoft discussed several changes that are on the way to the app in its latest release notes. The company started sharing Insider release notes for apps earlier this year, including Calculator, Camera, and Windows Security.

The change log describes several updates to the design and user interface of Windows Security. The app already protects PCs through a collection of tools including Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Windows Firewall, and Smart App Control.

The Windows Security app is already functional and does a good job of protecting PCs. Its security tools are also updated regularly, so it's not as if the app needs to be overhauled from a security perspective.

The current version of Windows Security still relies on navigation, layouts, and visual elements that feel noticeably older than Microsoft's modern Windows 11 apps.

Here's what Microsoft plans to do with the Windows Security app, as outlined by the company:

• Updated navigation and layouts: Pages throughout Windows Security now use more consistent layouts and navigation, with improved behavior across different window sizes.
• Modernized controls and dialogs: Controls, status indicators, typography, spacing, colors, and other visual elements have been refreshed to provide a more consistent experience throughout the app.
• Clearer status and actions: We’ve made improvements to how status information and available actions are presented throughout Windows Security.
• Improved device security information: On supported managed devices, device security details now load progressively so available information can appear sooner, along with improvements to progress, error, refresh, and performance-monitoring experiences.

Those changes are already available to Windows Insiders as long as they're running version 1000.29680.0.1000 of Windows Security.

The refresh should make Windows Security feel far more at home within Windows 11, bringing one of the operating system's oldest-looking built-in apps in line with modern experiences such as Settings.

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October is the spookiest time of the year, but there are ways to celebrate apart from dressing up or going to haunts. Developer Joe Finney has turned October into "Tray-tober" by releasing a system tray utility each day throughout the month. All of the projects are on GitHub and available to try for free.

Rather than linking 28 separate utilities, I'll just point you to the Tray-tober page managed by Finney. It has a calendar with links to each tool.

It's easy to overlook parts of Windows 11, such as the taskbar, quick settings area, and system tray. Many people leave them set to their system defaults and only interact with them occasionally. But much like a bag on Halloween, Windows 11's system tray can be filled with goodies.

The tools shared by Finney live in the system tray, though they aren't all focused solely on productivity. For example, Tray Battleship, which brings the classic board game to the system tray, shipped on October 3.

Other tools from Finney include Tray Converter for converting units, Trayulator (a calculator), and Tray Nudge, which reminds you to complete tasks.

TrayRadar shows you a weather forecast from NOAA, and Traysky lets you scroll through Bluesky right from the system tray. Finney has created quite the library of tools to try.

Since we're close to the end of October, almost all of the system tray tools have shipped. Only three more remain, and I'm curious to see what they are. Perhaps Tray Connect 4 is on the way?

One of my favorite tools is PowerDisplay, which is part of PowerToys. It allows you to adjust the brightness of your external monitor without reaching around for physical buttons. I keep it pinned to the system tray for quick access. Now, I can sneak in a quick game of battleship after adjusting the brightness of my monitor.

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One of the most talked-about mice of 2026 now has a developer edition. The Logitech MX Master 4 earned a near-perfect score from our colleagues at Tom's Guide back in February. The mouse then received a significant upgrade that allows its haptics to work with Windows 11.

The Logitech MX Master 4 Developer Edition has several Easter eggs and nods to developers, such as syntax annotations and markup tags that are laser-etched onto the mouse. It also features some important dates along the bottom of the mouse, including 09.17 (Linux kernel release date) and !04.01 (World Backup Day).

The mouse went live on Logitech's website this week, but it's currently only available for pre-order. The Logitech MX Master 4 Developer Edition is expected to start shipping on October 31, 2026.

As for the mouse itself, it has the same feature set as the regular Logitech MX Master 4. It's a premium mouse with a bunch of customization options and a DPI that can be set from 2,000 to 8,000. It's the successor to the Logitech MX Master 3S, which Tom's Guide called the king of mice.

The mouse has a plethora of buttons and wheels that can be customized, including setting commands on a per-app basis.

The side of the Logitech MX Master 4 has a touchpad for gesture controls and a button that opens Logitech's control ring (which can be used to perform commands).

The Logitech MX Master 4 was one of the first devices to support haptics on Windows 11. The new haptic system sends feedback signals when you perform certain actions on a PC. For example, toggling a setting on or off in the Windows Settings app makes supported hardware give a little bump.

What are haptics on Windows 11?

The new haptics in Windows 11 are a subtle addition that improves the overall experience of using a PC. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden discussed the feature right after it launched:

"This is the kind of quality of life upgrade that I love to see. Windows has sorely lacked niceties like this in its UI and UX design over the last couple of years, so it's great to see Microsoft back on the horse and taking pride in the overall Windows experience like this. It's not a necessary addition, but it's an addition I'm so glad they've added regardless."

The new haptic system requires supported hardware. The Logitech MX Master 4 was among the first wave of supported devices, alongside the Surface Laptop 8. The new Surface Mouse also supports haptics.

Logitech is sending over a Logitech MX Master 4 for us to take a closer look at. I'm excited to have a mouse that adds a bit of color to my mostly black accessory setup.

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Windows 11 feels a bit like a free-to-play game because of how many ads appear in the operating system. Between setting up a PC and using it daily, you'll run into a myriad of prompts, notifications, and suggestions to sign up for paid Microsoft services. An upcoming update will add one more prompt to Windows 11, though it's a bit different than other ads on the OS.

One of the latest Windows Insider builds adds an inline experience that allows you to manage your Microsoft 365 subscription within Windows 11's Settings app. Using the feature will save you the hassle of jumping into a web browser to manage your subscription.

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft does not position these types of prompts as ads. Instead, the company highlights them as ways to ensure the best experience across the Microsoft ecosystem. I consider anything that nudges users toward paying for a product or service to be an ad, regardless of how it's labeled.

Here's how Microsoft describes the latest Microsoft 365 prompt:

"We're introducing a new inline experience that makes it easier for Microsoft 365 subscribers to manage their subscriptions in Windows. Subscribers who have recurring billing turned off can now turn it back on directly in Windows Settings, without leaving for a separate webpage. To get started, select Turn on recurring billing or Set up recurring billing from the Windows Settings Home page, the Accounts page, or the Start menu."

The inline experience related to Microsoft 365 is a bit different since it is a way to manage an existing subscription rather than simply a prompt to sign up for a new one. I'm curious if that distinction matters to general users.

I would prefer that Windows 11 was a clean experience free from ads or prompts to use Microsoft services. During the latest Windows Central Podcast, our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino jokingly asked if Zac Bowden would want notifications to sign up for OneDrive to appear on Project Helix.

Many people I've spoken with and seen online share similar sentiments.

An oddly annoying part of many prompts within Windows 11 is that they still appear even if you already subscribe to the service in question.

If you are fully engrossed in the Microsoft ecosystem, there are benefits to the prompts in Windows 11, but I still think people would prefer the option to have a clean OS. The new experience for managing Microsoft 365 subscriptions will test how people view these types of features in Windows 11.

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Microsoft is making it easier to check your internet connection on Windows 11 by replacing a browser shortcut with an actual built-in speed test tool that runs directly from Quick Settings. The redesigned tool is rolling out in preview on the Experimental channel with build 26340.9767.

The new experience lets you check your download and upload speeds and ping without opening Bing in Microsoft Edge or using another online tool. It's a small improvement, but one that makes more sense for a feature designed to help users troubleshoot their network connections.

Try the new integrated speed test

To run a test, open Quick Settings from the Taskbar and select the new "Speed test" option. You can also start a test from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or right-click the network icon in the system tray and select the "Test internet speed" option.

The operating system displays the test's progress and results directly in the Quick Settings interface, using your active internet connection.

If you don't see the option on build 26340.9767 or higher, open Settings > Windows Update > Insider Program > Feature flags, select the "Enabled" option for "Quick Settings Speed Test," and restart the computer.

In the announcement, Microsoft hasn't confirmed the provider in its official release notes. However, the tool includes an information tooltip noting that the service is "powered by SPEEDTEST," and the link points to OOKLA's privacy policy online, which confirms that the tool continues to use the same service as the previous version.

Windows 11 needs more features like this

I'm glad to see Microsoft making these kinds of changes to Windows 11. For too long, the company has been disguising web shortcuts as Windows features, sending users to the internet to view information or complete tasks they could handle more conveniently on the desktop.

These shortcuts often felt like a cheap solution, more focused on driving traffic to Bing and encouraging people to use Edge than on delivering a well-integrated experience.

The previous internet speed test option was a good example. Rather than measuring the connection directly from within the desktop, it opened a browser and redirected users to Bing's speed test page. The new experience removes that unnecessary step.

This isn't about whether a feature uses native code or web technologies behind the scenes. It's about letting users complete a task without being pushed into a browser when there's no good reason to leave the desktop in the first place.

Microsoft is applying the same idea to other parts of the operating system. In build 26340.9767, the company also introduced an updated Microsoft 365 subscription experience that lets subscribers turn recurring billing back on directly from Settings, instead of opening a separate webpage to make changes to their accounts.

These are relatively small changes, but they make the operating system feel more cohesive and less dependent on browser shortcuts.

The new speed test is still experimental, and the company hasn't announced when it will be available to everyone. For now, it's another welcome improvement that makes Windows 11 a little more useful without adding unnecessary complexity.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

This is a breaking news story, and we will update it as more information becomes available.

Microsoft is offering roughly 60,000 employees the option to participate in a voluntary exit program. The new program allows eligible employees to leave Microsoft with financial support and career planning resources.

An internal memo from Chief People Officer Amy Coleman was sent yesterday. That memo has since been edited slightly and shared publicly by Microsoft. CNBC shared additional information on the program, including the fact that around 60,000 Microsoft employees are eligible.

The offer has been extended to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The offer applies to employees who are level 70 or below.

"This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support. It also gives participating organizations another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs," said Microsoft.

The offer comes just six months after Microsoft announced a voluntary retirement program.

As of June 30, Microsoft had roughly 223,000 employees (per the company's 10-K form for 2026). That figure means the offer has been extended to about 27% of the company's workforce. It is unlikely that all 60,000 eligible employees will take the offer, however.

While Microsoft did not mention layoffs in its post about the voluntary exit program, those could be on the way. Microsoft announced its early retirement program in April and then announced layoffs in July. It is common for companies the size of Microsoft to give employees a voluntary exit ramp before layoffs.

Full Microsoft statement

Today, we’re introducing a new Voluntary Exit Offer (VEO) to eligible employees within participating organizations. This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support. It also gives participating organizations another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs.

The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we’re evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter. This builds on what we learned earlier this year through the Voluntary Retirement Program.

What employees should know

This offer will be available to eligible employees in participating teams in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States at level 70 and below. This is a time-limited, voluntary program that gives those who are eligible the opportunity to leave Microsoft with financial support and career planning resources. Some organizations are providing the Voluntary Exit Offer, and some are not. Participation varies based on each business’s priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs.

Eligible employees will receive an email with a link to their Voluntary Exit Offer details within the next few hours.

Looking ahead 

The Voluntary Exit Offer is new for us. We’ll learn from it. At the same time, we’ll keep helping people focus on the work that matters most, build new skills and, where it makes sense, find new opportunities across Microsoft. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for every team or every employee. These are a few of the ways we’re trying to meet different business needs while continuing to create opportunities for our own people to grow and contribute.

My promise is to continue to provide clarity, listen and learn and keep improving.

Thank you for everything you continue to do for our customers, Microsoft and for one another.

Amy

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Windows 11 will no longer bump you to Bing when you try to test your internet speed. Microsoft is testing a new built-in speed test tool that opens directly from Quick Settings rather than opening your web browser.

The change just rolled out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel with Build 26340.9767. That was one of five builds to ship to Insiders recently. If you want to catch up on all the other changes, including the refreshed File Explorer context menu, check out my roundup of all the updates.

Microsoft first introduced a speed test to Quick Settings last year, but that feature was actually a shortcut to opening Bing. Even before that feature was announced, I said that it was a bad idea and that Microsoft should replace it with a built-in speed test tool within the taskbar.

Microsoft has since listened to feedback and designed a built-in speed test tool that opens directly from the Quick Settings.

To access the speed test tool, you need to open the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout within Quick Settings. Alternatively, you can right-click the network icon in the system tray and select "Test internet speed."

Below are the relevant release notes about the speed test tool from Microsoft's recent blog post.

Microsoft is rebuilding several parts of Windows 11 as native or built-in tools. The new Start menu and the improved search experience are part of those efforts. While those larger elements make an immediate and sizeable impact on the Windows 11 experience, smaller changes like a built-in speed test tool help as well.

Internet Speed Test Release notes

• We're making it faster and easier to check the performance of your internet connection in Windows. Windows Insiders can now run an internet speed test and see the results directly in Quick Settings, without being redirected to a browser.
• Start a test from the new Speed test Quick Setting, from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and selecting Test internet speed. While the test runs, Quick Settings shows its progress and results, including download speed, upload speed, and ping.
• Because the test runs against your active internet connection, you can quickly understand how your current connection is performing without leaving your workflow. This updated experience builds on the internet speed test we previously introduced for Windows Insiders, bringing the test and its results directly into Windows.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden tackle behind-the-scenes reporting on internal tensions between Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox engineering divisions regarding the next-generation Project Helix hardware. Sparked by a detailed report in Fortune, we examine conflicting visions over whether future Xbox hardware—including a rumored 2027 handheld and 2028 home console—should run a streamlined desktop Windows build or iterate on the locked-down, hyper-optimized, containerized Xbox OS.

We also breaks down leaked Microsoft internal survey research investigating potential shifts in first-party exclusivity for blockbuster franchises like Fallout and Minecraft. Daniel then details his comprehensive review impressions of the ultralight 3.9 lb ASUS ProArt P16 and the HP OmniBook Ultra 16, followed by an overview of AMD FSR 4.1 rolling out to handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally series to boost frame rates on constrained hardware.

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 3 months extra FREE. Sign up today!

• [01:47] – Introduction & Episode Overview: Daniel and Zac kick off Episode 408, laying out the agenda: Windows vs. Xbox internal friction, Project Helix roadmaps, hardware reviews, and AMD FSR updates.
• [04:35] – Project Helix & The Fortune Report: Analysis of reported tensions between Asha Sharma’s Xbox leadership and the Windows team over software architecture for next-gen hardware.
• [06:49] – Updated Launch Timelines & Handheld Rumors: Dissecting expectations for a potential Xbox gaming handheld targeting late 2027 and the living room console shifting toward late 2028.
• [08:20] – Xbox OS vs. Windows Desktop Shell: Comparing console-level security, sandboxing, and background stability against open PC desktop architecture, and examining official executive responses.
• [15:08] – The Handheld Software Dilemma: Out-of-box user experience friction on Windows-based gaming handhelds (driver updates, launchers) compared to dedicated console environments.
• [23:51] – Security, Containerization & Publishers: Why game publishers prefer isolated hypervisor environments over open desktop file systems to prevent tampering and day-one piracy.
• [30:27] – Windows 12 & State Separation: History of Microsoft’s state-separated OS initiatives (Core OS, CorePC) and whether architectural isolation could arrive in future Windows releases.
• [35:31] – Leaked Exclusivity Research Survey: Discussion of leaked internal questionnaires gauging consumer reaction if future releases in franchises like Fallout or Minecraft become Xbox console exclusives.
• [46:00] – ASUS ProArt P16 In-Depth Review: Daniel breaks down the 3.9 lb RTX Spark laptop, evaluating 3K vs. 4K OLED panels, thermal cooling under 50 dB, and everyday 10-hour battery life.
• [54:32] – HP OmniBook Ultra 16: Contrasting ASUS’s utility suite (OLED dimming, taskbar protection) with HP’s build weight and software support.
• [55:55] – AMD FSR 4.1 Launch on Handhelds: What the new upscaling and frame generation driver update means for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally family and constrained hardware.
• [01:00:08] – Live Audience Q&A: Viewer questions addressing Windows on ARM anti-cheat progress, Xbox Play Anywhere adoption incentives, and high-end hardware expectations.

Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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XBOX is rarely the focus of the Windows Wrap, but when reports claim clashes happened between the Windows and XBOX teams at Microsoft, gaming pushes itself to the front.

Last week I discussed how Windows 11 is holding back the Surface Laptop Ultra. This week, we learned that a different hardware division from Microsoft expressed frustrations with Windows. Reportedly, things got so heated between the XBOX and Windows teams that an XBOX leader threatened to cancel a gaming handheld if forced to run Windows 11 on the device.

Over the last few years, we've seen XBOX and Windows 11 grow closer together. The Windows 11 experience on gaming handhelds has improved drastically since day one, though it still has a ways to go. The XBOX app on Windows has been updated several times to align more with the console experience, which has a trickle-down effect on all gaming handhelds that run on Windows.

But despite the growth of Windows 11, the operating system still falls short of the requirements of the XBOX team, at least according to the latest reports.

Biggest News of the Week

There are some caveats to this entire discussion. Notably, Microsoft's Xbox CTO, Scott Van Vliet, refutes the claims made by Fortune.

Van Vliet said that Helix OS is "being built on Windows." He did not say that Helix OS is Windows. For what it's worth, I don't think we'll ever see an operating system called "Helix OS." But his post makes it clear that the OS powering Project Helix is built on Windows. That's not the same as saying it is Windows. At minimum, it's highly unlikely the Xbox will run the traditional Windows desktop you see on laptops and desktops.

Microsoft has used a customized version of Windows for several generations of XBOX hardware. The Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles already run an operating system that's built on Windows. Even the original XBOX ran an OS based on Windows, though the Xbox One ran an operating system much closer to Windows.

I asked Van Vliet if Project Helix is an evolution of the OS XBOX consoles already run or a freshly made custom OS, but he did not respond.

Microsoft has never specified that Project Helix will run Windows 11 and the Windows desktop, but several reports have suggested that was the plan for the console.

His post on X argues that the original report "misrepresents both the technical work and the relationship between the teams." For a moment, let's assume that's accurate and that the Windows and XBOX teams are working side-by-side in harmony. There's still a clear implication that Microsoft no longer views Windows 11 and the desktop as the right starting points for an operating system for Project Helix.

Earlier reports about Project Helix said the next generation of XBOX would run a customized version of Windows 11, much like the Xbox Ally and other gaming handhelds. It appears Microsoft has changed plans, though it's still not clear to what extent.

If you've used a gaming handheld running Windows 11, you may even agree with the sentiment that the OS is not the best starting point for a console gaming experience. Some of the best gaming handhelds are held back by Windows rather than boosted by it. For example, the out-of-the-box experience for the ROG XBOX Ally X20 is terrible because you have to go through three different sets of updates.

Shifting from Windows 11 powering XBOX consoles to those devices running an OS built on Windows is a massive change of plans. Though ironically, it's not much of a change from what Microsoft already does with XBOX.

Project Helix has reportedly slipped into 2028, so it may be a while before Microsoft explains exactly what changed.

Shopping with Sean

This week's biggest news may be about XBOX and gaming, but my top shopping recommendations of the week are laptops. Whether you want an Intel chip or a Snapdragon processor, there are great deals available.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

On October 13, 2026, Microsoft made available its latest cumulative update (KB5127648) for Windows 11 with several new improvements, including an option to always launch apps maximized, the ability to remap the Copilot key with new options, a new "Tips" widget, and additional touchpad controls. However, the update also includes a smaller set of improvements that may have gone unnoticed.

While this month's features have already received plenty of attention, some less prominent changes could still make a difference. The October update improves Bluetooth reliability, fixes mouse stuttering in some games, restores fingerprint sign-in on affected devices, and addresses printing and Always On VPN connection issues.

Here are six improvements and fixes worth knowing about after installing the October 2026 Security Update for Windows 11.

1. Windows 11 improves Bluetooth reliability

This monthly update includes eight Bluetooth improvements designed to make connecting to and using Bluetooth devices more reliable.

During voice calls, the system now shows the volume flyout when you adjust the volume using the controls on a compatible Bluetooth Classic Audio accessory, giving you visual feedback on the new volume level.

The update also improves how the operating system reports the connection status of disconnected Bluetooth accessories. It fixes an issue where the Bluetooth radio could be turned off even though its toggle in the Bluetooth and devices page in Settings still appeared to be on. Microsoft has also improved the stability of this Settings page when managing Bluetooth and audio devices.

For audio, the update improves microphone compatibility with certain Bluetooth Classic Audio accessories and makes shared audio more reliable.

It also fixes a crash (error code 0x139) that could happen while streaming Bluetooth audio and improves the reliability and performance of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE Audio) accessories.

2. Fingerprint sign-in works again after a cold boot

This release also fixes an issue that could prevent Windows Hello fingerprint sign-in from working after a cold boot on some computers.

Fingerprint authentication is convenient because it lets you sign in quickly without entering a password or PIN. However, a problem that appears after a full shutdown can make the feature unreliable.

If fingerprint sign-in fails after you power on your computer from a full shutdown, installing the update may resolve the problem.

3. Microsoft fixes mouse stuttering in some games

The October update (KB5127648) fixes an issue that could cause mouse input to stutter in some games. This problem can make aiming, camera movement, and other actions feel inconsistent, particularly in games that require precise input.

Since this fix targets an specific bug, it doesn't guarantee a solution for every mouse stuttering or performance issue.

4. Windows 11 fixes printing problems with certain drivers

Microsoft has also addressed a printing problem that could affect some apps and devices using RAW or Generic Text Only printer drivers after installing the August 2026 Security Update.

These driver configurations are used in certain printing environments, and the issue could prevent some print jobs from completing successfully.

Users affected by this problem should install KB5127648, then test their apps and printers again to confirm the problem has been resolved.

5. Always On VPN connections become more reliable

In addition, this rollout fixes an Always On VPN issue introduced by the earlier KB5124008 update.

On affected systems, automatic protocol selection or protocol fallback could leave a VPN connection stuck on Connecting or cause the initial connection attempt to fail. Subsequent attempts could also show the "The specified port is already in use" error message.

These problems can prevent users from establishing a reliable VPN connection, especially in managed business environments where remote access is essential.

6. File Explorer no longer crashes in certain multi-user environments

The update also fixes a File Explorer problem affecting some multi-user environments, including Azure Virtual Desktop deployments that use FSLogix.

On affected systems, "explorer.exe" could fail to start after sign-in or repeatedly crash, potentially leaving users with a black screen.

How to install the October 2026 update

The October 2026 Security Update for Windows 11 should install automatically, but it can be installed from Settings > Windows Update by clicking the "Check for updates" button.

The update is available for versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2, with builds 26300.9711, 26200.9711, and 26100.9711, respectively.

However, keep in mind that Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro reached the end of support with this security update released on October 13. This means that 24H2 will no longer receive security fixes and improvements, nor will the company continue offering support.

If you're still on version 24H2, I highly recommend upgrading to the latest version. Since versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 share the same core system, switching versions only requires the latest updates for the current version and the enablement package, both of which should be available for download through Windows Update settings.

Windows Central's Take

Although the October update includes features and changes that are easier to notice, the smaller fixes can be just as useful when they address problems that disrupt your workflow. The Bluetooth improvements stand out because they cover several areas, from connection status and Settings reliability to audio compatibility and crashes.

The fixes for fingerprint sign-in, gaming, printing, and VPN connections are more specific, but they could make a difference to affected users. If you've experienced any of these problems, it's recommended to install this month's update as soon as possible.

Have you noticed any of these issues on your device? Let me know in the comments.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

PowerToys, the "Swiss Army knife" of Windows 11, is now available in version 0.102, introducing several features designed to improve your desktop experience.

This release adds Mouse Button Lock to make dragging and selecting items easier, while CursorHide automatically hides the mouse pointer under specific conditions. Command Palette also gets an update with quick access to frequently used commands. In addition, PowerToys expands its command-line and automation features, and ZoomIt now lets you use voice input to set image descriptions.

In this guide, I'll highlight the five new features and improvements in PowerToys version 0.102 and explain how they can help you get more out of Windows 11.

1. Mouse Button Lock for easy dragging and selection

Selecting large groups of items or dragging files across the desktop can get tiring when you have to hold a mouse button down for an extended period. Starting with version 0.102, PowerToys introduced Mouse Button Lock to make these actions easier.

When this feature is enabled, you can press and hold a mouse button briefly, then release it. PowerToys keeps the button virtually held down, letting you keep selecting items or dragging files without physically holding the button. To release the hold, simply click any mouse button.

Mouse Button Lock can help when you're working with large file selections, moving items, or doing tasks that require extended dragging. It can also improve accessibility for people who have difficulty holding a mouse button down for long periods.

You can enable the feature in PowerToys > Input & Output > Mouse Utilities by turning on the "Mouse Button Lock" toggle switch.

From the "Buttons and behavior" settings, you can decide whether the left, middle, or right button should lock while pressed.

The settings also let you choose the hold duration before the button is locked as pressed, and the drag threshold allows you to specify how far you can move the mouse before PowerToys cancels the Mouse Button Lock.

2. CursorHide for fewer cursor interruptions

PowerToys also introduces a second mouse utility, CursorHide, which lets you hide the mouse pointer while you're typing, after a period of inactivity, or both.

CursorHide is useful when the mouse pointer gets in the way of what you're doing on the screen. For example, hiding the pointer while typing makes it easier to focus on text without the cursor covering words or other elements.

You can enable the feature in PowerToys > Input & Output > Mouse Utilities by turning on the "CursorHide" toggle switch.

In the "Activation and behavior" settings, you can choose to hide after keyboard input and set the cursor to hide after a period of inactivity.

3. Command Palette quick access to favorites

If you use Command Palette, this update rolls out an update to Compact mode that lets you pin frequently used commands under the search box.

Once you pin an item, you can launch it with the "Alt + 1" through "Alt + 9" shortcut or select it without running it with the "Alt + Shift + number" shortcut.

It's also possible to drag items to reorder them, right-click to access more options, and display recent apps and commands.

4. PowerToys expands command-line support

PowerToys version 0.102 expands its command-line capabilities, allowing you to control more utilities, automate tasks, and retrieve information directly from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

The update adds CLI commands for Advanced Paste, Light Switch, Settings, Peek, and PowerDisplay. These commands let you run actions, manage light and dark mode settings, turn utilities on or off, preview files and folders, and retrieve display information in script-friendly formats.

These additions are especially useful for automating repetitive tasks, creating scripts, or controlling PowerToys utilities without opening their graphical interfaces.

Here's a list of the new command-line support you can use with PowerShell:

• Advanced Paste: PowerToys.AdvancedPaste.CLI.exe
• Light Switch: PowerToys.LightSwitch.CLI.exe
• Settings: PowerToys.Settings.CLI.exe
• Peek: PowerToys.Peek.UI.exe
• PowerDisplay: PowerToys.PowerDisplay.CLI.exe

To learn about the options for each command, use the "--help" command. For example, PowerToys.LightSwitch.CLI.exe -- help.

If, for example, LightSwitch is enabled, you can switch to dark mode with the PowerToys.LightSwitch.CLI.exe dark command.

You can use the command to manage it, but you must enable the utility in PowerToys settings first.

5. ZoomIt adds screenshot dictation

Finally, ZoomIt now lets you dictate a description while capturing a screenshot, making it easier to document what's on the screen without typing the text separately.

To use the feature, open PowerToys > System Tools > ZoomIt, turn on the feature, and then under the "Snip" section, turn on the "Snip with dictation" toggle.

Once you have done that, drag to select an area of the screen, press the "Space" key, and describe what you're capturing. ZoomIt transcribes your speech locally, allowing you to paste the screenshot and its accompanying text together.

The feature uses the microphone selected in the "Record" settings.

Wrap up

PowerToys 0.102 is a surprisingly and unusually interesting update, despite the simple version-number change. The popular app serves as a clear reminder of how much Windows 11 continues to evolve thanks to community-driven tools — these additions make everyday workflows smoother and show how Microsoft’s open‑source ecosystem continues to fill gaps the OS itself doesn’t yet cover.

Whether you’re a power user or just someone who loves small quality‑of‑life upgrades, this release proves that Windows can still surprise you with clever, genuinely useful features.

What’s the most interesting feature in this rollout? Let me know in the comments!

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I try not to write too many doom-and-gloom cybersecurity stories, but this week's vulnerabilities involving PHP are too big to ignore.

With the help of AI, PHP flaws that had been lying dormant for years were dredged up and exploited, resulting in parts of the internet going dark as IT experts attempted to fix the problem.

Although your Windows PC isn't in the direct line of fire this time, the sheer speed and ability of AI when it comes to discovering (and exploiting) flaws shouldn't go unnoticed.

I've put together this guide to help you be proactive rather than reactive towards whatever security crisis comes next.

ELI5: What's actually happening with PHP and the internet?

PHP is a programming language that's been around for more than three decades, and it quietly runs a large portion of the internet. Nearly 70% of websites with a known server language use PHP, including WordPress, Yahoo, Etsy, and Wikipedia. To say it's important is an understatement.

This week, two serious PHP security flaws known as "PHP2Shell" were made public. The exploits essentially allowed bad actors to take over servers and steal data. Once this news was public, countless bad actors began directing AI at the vulnerabilities.

The reaction? Some governments pulled their websites down to wait for a fix. IT teams worked countless hours to patch holes. Cloudflare fended off thousands of attempts to exploit the bugs, even before they were publicly announced.

The PHP Foundation released a patch on October 21, but it's only targeted at newer versions of PHP. There are countless millions of websites and servers running older versions of PHP that didn't get the fix (and may never be secure again).

Is PHP2Shell a one-time incident?

To give you an idea of what we're heading into (and not just in the middle of), Dan Lorenc, CEO of Chainguard, shared on LinkedIn a tale of his journey to find PHP vulnerabilities.

His team had the PHP news early, and it attempted to independently discover the vulnerability. All it took was a prompt for their frontier model to "find bad vulnerabilities in PHP" for this to happen.

No special AI voodoo. No deep knowledge of security systems. Just a powerful AI with a simple command. As Lorenc points out, "This is unfortunately the new normal for the industry."

I hate to fearmonger, but I'd rather help get you ahead of the next security flaw than pretend everything will work out fine.

Should you be concerned about PHP vulnerabilities?

There's no reason for the average Windows PC user to panic, but you should be aware of what's going on. Being proactive is the best line of defense.

PHP runs on servers, not your desktop or laptop PC, so ordinary users don't need to rush to patch their apps or browsers. However, if you use a website that's now vulnerable, personal information could be exposed.

What to do right now to protect yourself

As seemingly the entire internet goes into high-alert mode, there are three quick tips every regular PC user should be using to protect themselves against attacks.

1. Don't enter your credentials on websites that appear to be broken.
2. Keep an eye on your email inbox. Vulnerabilities like this often lead to spam and phishing emails. Don't download shady files or visit links you didn't expect to see.
3. Keep an eye on your bank statements for any shady activity.

These three tips will get you started, but there's a lot more you should be doing in order to prepare for the next big vulnerability.

How to prepare for the next big vulnerability

We're now entering an era of cybersecurity where you can assume that at some point you will be attacked. Your goal isn't to fend off every attack, but to make the fallout as easy to deal with as possible.

1. Use a password manager. Give each account a unique, complicated password.
2. Use an authenticator app or passkeys wherever possible. Two-factor authentication via SMS is becoming increasingly risky.
3. Keep your PC updated and Windows Security enabled.
4. Enable activity alerts from your banking apps.
5. Set up a new email address for anything financial.
6. Back up your data offline.
7. Update your Wi-Fi router's firmware.
8. Retire older hardware and devices that no longer receive security updates.
9. Remain vigilant.

The bottom line

AI is now able to find security flaws much faster than humans are able to fix them, and the PHP2Shell fallout from this week is very likely only the beginning of a wave of critical security issues that threaten the foundation of the internet.

It's not up to you or me to stop the next problem, but it is up to us to ensure that we mitigate risks.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft's redesigned File Explorer context menu could make navigating Windows 11 feel faster and more personal. The company has started testing a new right-click menu that reduces clutter by moving less common options out of the way while keeping frequently used actions easy to access.

That new context menu is available for Windows Insiders in the Beta channel. Microsoft also shipped four other Insider builds of Windows 11 today that includes

File Explorer (Beta)

Introducing the new, redesigned context menu in File Explorer

• We're rolling out an updated context menu experience in File Explorer, designed to feel faster, cleaner, and easier to tailor to the way you work. The new design reduces top-level clutter, keeps commonly used actions easy to access, and adds a new Settings experience that gives you more control over what appears in the menu. As we continue refining this experience with Insider feedback, our goal is to make right-click feel more responsive, predictable, and personal.
• We've also added a new teaching tip you might see as a first-time experience to help you learn about the customization options.

Settings (Beta)

• We're making performance improvements to the Settings home page which should result in reduced loading times in certain scenarios.

Windows Insider Program (Experimental)

• We've added the ability to filter Feature flags by enablement state.

Quick Settings (Experimental)

• We're beginning to roll out a new Mobile devices experience in Quick Settings, making it easier to take quick phone actions (such as ring your phone) without breaking your flow on Windows.
• With your supported Android phone connected, everyday actions are now just a click away. You can turn Do Not Disturb on before a meeting, change your phone's ringer mode, and play a sound to find your phone nearby.
• It's a simpler, faster way to manage your phone from the place you already use for quick Windows actions, helping your PC and phone work better together throughout the day.
• Capabilities can vary by phone platform and device configuration. The initial experience provides the most complete set of controls for Android phones, while iPhone support starts with a more limited status-focused experience.

Check your internet speed directly from Quick Settings

• We're making it faster and easier to check the performance of your internet connection in Windows. Windows Insiders can now run an internet speed test and see the results directly in Quick Settings, without being redirected to a browser.
• Start a test from the new Speed test Quick Setting, from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and selecting Test internet speed. While the test runs, Quick Settings shows its progress and results, including download speed, upload speed, and ping.
• Because the test runs against your active internet connection, you can quickly understand how your current connection is performing without leaving your workflow. This updated experience builds on the internet speed test we previously introduced for Windows Insiders, bringing the test and its results directly into Windows.

Magnifier (Experimental)

• We've added a Keyboard shortcut for Magnifier toggle in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. It lets you choose whether pressing Windows logo key + Plus (+) launches Magnifier.
• The shortcut stays on by default, so nothing changes unless you want it to. If you find that Magnifier starts by accident, or the shortcut conflicts with another app or keyboard layout, turn the toggle off. You can still start Magnifier from Settings, and you can turn the shortcut back on at any time.

Microsoft 365 subscription in Windows (Experimental)

• We're introducing a new inline experience that makes it easier for Microsoft 365 subscribers to manage their subscriptions in Windows. Subscribers who have recurring billing turned off can now turn it back on directly in Windows Settings, without leaving for a separate webpage. To get started, select Turn on recurring billing or Set up recurring billing from the Windows Settings Home page, the Accounts page, or the Start menu.

File Explorer (Experimental)

• Improved progress indication when navigating to locations that take longer to load, such as network drives, making it easier to see that loading is underway.

Narrator (Experimental)

• Narrator now supports additional languages for math reading, including Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Russian, Swedish, and Vietnamese.

Widgets (Experimental)

• The Widgets picker now has a standard Windows dialog frame and supports light and dark title bars. It also removes the blank space previously left for an icon.

Taskbar (Experimental)

• Fixed an issue with the previous update where explorer.exe wouldn't load after logging in, preventing the taskbar and other elements that rely on it from loading.

Unicode (Beta 26H1, (Experimental (26H1))

• This update provides Windows text shaping support for Unicode 17.0, helping Windows correctly display and shape newly encoded characters and scripts. Unicode 17.0 added 4,803 characters, including support for four newly encoded scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo, and Tolong Siki. These updates help keep Windows text support current as the Unicode Standard evolves and improve support for languages and writing systems used by people around the world.

Start menu (Experimental (26H1))

• This update makes the Start menu more personal with several customizations.
• You can choose between a small or large Start menu, in addition to the Automatic (default) option that's available today. To customize this setting, go to Settings > Personalization > Start > Start menu size.
• The Recommended section is renamed Recent in the Start menu and on the Start settings page (Settings > Personalization > Start).
• You can now hide your name and profile picture in Start by going to Settings > Personalization > Start > Hide your name and profile picture on Start.
• The Start menu settings page is now redesigned with section-level toggles to independently show or hide Pinned, Recent, and All.

Manage camera, microphone, and location access for desktop apps (Experimental (26H1))

• Windows Insiders can now manage camera, microphone, and location permissions for individual desktop apps. Previously, access for traditional desktop applications was managed through a single device-wide setting.
• With this update, you can review and control access on an app-by-app basis, giving you greater visibility into which apps are requesting access to sensitive resources and more control over your privacy choices. Our goal is to make privacy permissions easier to understand and manage across the wide range of desktop apps people use every day.

Recovery (Experimental (26H1))

• We're adding a new entry point for Cloud Rebuild under Settings > System > Recovery, making it easier to access the feature from Settings.

File Explorer (Experimental (26H1))

• We've sharpened file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page so they're crisper and easier to read.

Magnifier (Experimental (26H1), Experimental (Future Platforms))

• A new contrast theme toggle for a lower-glare screen. If bright screens are uncomfortable, many people use color inversion to reduce glare. However, inversion changes everything on screen, including photos, charts, and videos. With this update, we're introducing a new contrast theme toggle in Magnifier.
• Reduce glare with a single toggle. Turn on a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar for a more comfortable viewing experience.
• Choose the contrast theme that works best for you. The dark theme is applied by default, and you can choose which contrast theme the toggle uses under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Photos, videos, and charts keep their original colors. Unlike color inversion, the contrast theme recolors the interface without touching your photos, charts, or videos, so they keep their real colors.
• Color inversion is still here. This isn't a replacement. If you use inversion today, it works exactly as it always has. The contrast theme is a separate, purpose-built option to reduce glare when you want a darker interface without inverting colors.

Family Safety (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Improved family safety messaging when applications are blocked because of age-restricted parental controls.

Windows Setup (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• The digital safety of users and supporting families is central to how we think about the Windows experience. We're improving information on parental controls and their availability during Windows setup, so families can more easily understand available protections and make informed choices from the very beginning.

Network (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue causing internet access to stop working for some Insiders after the last two flights.

Hyper-V (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue where some applications that used HCS-managed virtual machines experienced issues when sharing host folders with Linux VMs using Plan9. Folders shared from the Windows host using Plan9 didn't appear or couldn't be accessed in the guest environment.

Other (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpectedly high volume of ESENT events after the latest flights.
• Fixed an underlying issue in the latest flights causing Insiders using VMware to experience frequent green screen bugchecks with error PFN_SHARE_COUNT.

Microsoft has been hard at work decluttering Windows 11. While those efforts continue, it seems Microsoft is putting more emphasis on improving the built-in Windows 11 apps as well. Even the Camera app received some updates recently.

File Explorer is a core part of the Windows 11 experience, so it's nice to see it being upgraded as well.

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If you get too many emails to handle, you'll soon have to find a way to manage without the help of Copilot. Microsoft plans to retire the Prioritize My Inbox feature in Outlook, which uses Copilot to organize your inbox.

The feature will be retired from all Outlook clients as part of a "cleanup effort" being made by Microsoft. The company explained the change through the Microsoft 365 Message Center (archived here).

The retirement process starts on October 26, 2026, and will continue gradually until the feature is completely rolled back by the end of March 2027.

The Prioritize My Inbox feature uses Copilot to study how you work and show you emails that are most important to your workflow. The tool surfaces relevant emails from your inbox based on your past behavior, but you can also use filters to adjust how content appears.

The feature is adaptive and context-aware, so it works in a fundamentally different way than Focused Inbox or other similar features. Prioritize My Inbox also supports personalized prompts that include an example of what you consider to be a high-priority email.

Microsoft appeared quite excited about the feature when unveiling it last year. Matthew Marzynski, a principal product manager in Microsoft Digital at the time, stated:

“Imagine if everybody could have their own assistant who screens and presents you with the most impactful actions. Prioritize My Inbox is sort of like having your own personal assistant. This can increase your responsiveness, generate time savings, focus your priorities, and help you to align to business-critical communications. It also offers relief by lowering the stress we feel when faced with a huge, unread inbox.”

Mark Stratford, a senior product manager at Microsoft, said the feature "revolutionizes email and where we will get to in the future."

Now, just over one year later, the feature is on the chopping block. Microsoft shared little about why the feature is being retired, apart from saying the rollback will help create a simpler Outlook Copilot experience.

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HDR is a feature that's becoming ever more useful for Windows users who want to boost brightness, improve color, and deepen contrast. Unfortunately, Windows 11's handling of HDR is too annoying for many users to bother with.

GitHub user VantaCode420 has created a solution with their Smart HDR Manager app, available for free to download and enjoy.

It so far has 218 stars on GitHub despite still being in the relatively early stages of development, and I can see why now that I've been using it on a couple of PCs.

Smart HDR Manager turns HDR into a "set and forget" perk on Windows 11

Smart HDR Manager essentially bridges the gap between Windows HDR and the content you're playing or viewing on your PC.

When a game launches or an HDR video starts playing, Smart HDR Manager automatically makes the switch from SDR to HDR on your system. When you close the game or finish watching a video, it automatically reverts Windows to SDR.

Within the app, you can automatically scan your system for games held in apps like Steam, Xbox, and Epic, or you can manually add each one that you want to enjoy in HDR.

A separate "Apps" tab is home to video players, web browsers, creative apps, and streaming software like OBS Studio and Streamlabs.

On the note of web browsers, those who don't mind a couple of minutes of extra work can create a Tampermonkey script to automatically recognize YouTube HDR videos within Edge or Chrome. The GitHub page has full instructions on how to do this.

One final trick for those with NVIDIA RTX GPUs is RTX Video HDR support. It can turn SDR videos into HDR automatically, just as long as you have HDR enabled in the NVIDIA app's RTX Video Enhancements section.

Windows Central's take

I didn't care much about HDR until I upgraded full-time to an OLED monitor. Now, with the deep color and contrast afforded by the OLED panel, it's something that I want to use as much as possible, where applicable.

That's really the biggest issue that most Windows users have with HDR; it doesn't kick on automatically when HDR content is being displayed. You have to enable it manually before viewing or playing content, and it doesn't turn off when you're finished.

Leaving HDR enabled across Windows without any actual HDR content in view leads to washed-out colors and odd SDR mapping. It's something that I imagine just about everyone who's mucked around with stock HDR implementation on Windows has experienced.

Smart HDR Manager is a work in progress, but I haven't yet had any issues while playing games or while watching videos. It turns HDR on when I need it, and turns it off when I don't.

Why isn't this a native feature of Windows? That's a question I can't answer. I'm just glad someone took care of the problem. Try out Smart HDR Manager on standard Windows or Windows on ARM. The latter is still in an experimental stage, but it seems to be working well so far.

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Microsoft believes that AI agents can't be trusted. That's a startling warning from one of the companies with the most stake in the AI boom.

In a new security report, Executive VP of Microsoft Security Hayete Gallot states that "frontier models, regardless of their origin, cannot be trusted." They shouldn't be trusted not because of an inherent malicious nature, but because they're so easily swayed to achieve results regardless of "organizational norms or judgment."

This warning comes just a couple of weeks after Microsoft unveiled its new infrastructure for containing AI agents in Windows. To me, it looks like the company is racing to make agents more powerful while also building safeguards around them to protect the rest of the web from their behavior.

What happens when AI agents go rogue?

When AI agents go rogue, very bad things can happen. This nightmare scenario has already been seen several times, and despite Microsoft's new containment initiative, I expect to see it again.

Perhaps the most notorious incident involving AI agents gone rogue is OpenAI's attack on Hugging Face, where some 700 autonomous agents devised a way to hack the AI developer platform after breaking containment.

Reading into what actually happened during the Hugging Face breach — where agents shared exploits and retained memory even as rogue bots were being stamped out — this quote from Gallot begins to make a lot more sense.

This isn't Microsoft's first warning of the havoc that AI agents can wreak if not properly contained.

In November 2025, a piece was published stating that agentic AI capabilities in Windows 11 should only be enabled "if you understand the security implications."

They're particularly prone to cross-prompt injection (XPIA) that can override the instructions you give to agents, leading to things like data theft and malware.

Microsoft's answer at the time was a set of principles forced on the agents to ensure they act how you want them to. This has now evolved into something much larger, as the full scope of what AI agents can do unprompted by any bad actors is being discovered.

Microsoft is now classifying the AI you use at work as "agentic insiders" that can, at basically any time, go rogue and act unpredictably. Because of how tied into enterprise systems these agents are becoming, the risks keep growing.

Worse, they must be continuously monitored. Who can save us from rogue AI?

Microsoft's answer to the rogue AI agent issue is more AI

Who watches the watchmen? That's the line that's been repeating in my head since reading about Microsoft's "Guardian Agents."

See, rather than relying on human oversight, Microsoft's Guardian Agents are designed to "watch and moderate every action of every agent, before it happens, 24/7."

This looks a lot like an admission that agentic systems are evolving faster than anyone predicted, and that they're now out of the control of humans.

An example of Guardian Agents in action is Microsoft's Project Perception.

Announced this summer and still not widely available, it harnesses signals, context, models, and specialized agents into a four-pronged line of defense against threats from outside and inside an enterprise.

It's basically AI fighting AI, because humans no longer have any hope of keeping up.

Windows Central's take

Microsoft is in a tough spot. It's pulled back on surface-level AI integration in Windows 11. Meanwhile, it's refocusing its efforts on much deeper agent infrastructure, as we see here. All while saying that the underlying models aren't trustworthy.

This latest warning from Microsoft highlights a growing issue for the AI industry. The autonomous agents that were promised to make our lives so much easier are now creating new, drastic security issues.

Microsoft's answer, for now, is containment, monitoring, and oversight. Will those safeguards be enough to prevent a catastrophe?

What do you think? Do you have any inside knowledge to share on this topic? Let me know in the comments section below!

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When Microsoft announced the first wave of RTX Spark laptops, many were intrigued by the superchips inside the PCs. But I went a bit more surface-level, pun intended. During the Windows and Surface event, eagle-eyed viewers spotted a striking wallpaper across the new laptops.

The wallpaper is reminiscent of Windows 11's Bloom wallpaper, but it stands out for having a single curve and contrasting colors. As much as I like the Bloom wallpaper, it's been remixed several times by Microsoft and enthusiasts, so it's time for a new Windows wallpaper.

Sadly, Microsoft did not release the image after unveiling the new laptops. I waited with anticipation for the release of the RTX Spark laptops, but even when the Surface Laptop Ultra review went live, the new wallpaper was nowhere to be found. Microsoft even mocks us by having a blacked-out version of the wallpaper on the retail listing of the Surface Laptop Ultra.

Reddit user Ok-Compute-2282 shared a OneDrive link containing the full-resolution version of the wallpaper shown below. That folder also includes a small collection of other Windows 11 wallpapers.

Some of the images were downloaded from the Microsoft Design website, which also hosts other commemorative wallpapers. Additional images were sourced from retail units.

Desperate to get my hands on the new wallpaper, I scoured reviews of the ASUS ProArt P16, HP OmniBook Ultra 16, and Surface Laptop Ultra only to be disappointed.

But a hero emerged, saving me from settling for an AI recreation of the wallpaper. Discord user TechosaurusRex discovered the wallpaper in the app files for Microsoft's Retail Demo Experience. Seemingly, Microsoft's plan was to tease us by showing the wallpaper on display retail units but not include the image on purchased PCs.

Luckily, TechosaurusRex stepped up and shared the wallpaper, ending my quest.

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Microsoft is working on a small yet meaningful change to the lock screen and sign-in experience on Windows 11 that will streamline the authentication process that users must go through to log into their desktop.

The current Windows sign-in flow requires the user to manually select the method of authentication they wish to use to login. If you've set up a PIN, face unlock, and fingerprint unlock, the only method of authentication that is active is the one you manually click on to use on the lock screen.

This is a huge gripe of mine, and it's super frustrating when you want to login using your face, but Windows has selected PIN or fingerprint. It means your webcam isn't looking for you in that moment, and you have to manually switch to face unlock to force Windows into checking for your face and logging in.

Well, it looks like this is finally changing. In the latest Windows 11 preview builds, a hidden feature ID enables a new experience that automates this. Now, by default, the PIN box is always on show, but face unlock and fingerprint unlock are also active and ready to authenticate at the same time.

This means users no longer need to manually select the login method of their choice. Windows will automatically capture whichever biometric authentication method is set up, even when the PIN box is on screen. This also means the lock screen looks cleaner as a result, as the options to choose which authentication method you want to use is no longer displays as it's not necessary. It's also faster for those with biometric authentication enabled.

I really like this change, as it encourages Windows to keep trying my face unlock even if it fails the first time. Of course, there's an eventual timeout if it fails too many times, but I find it is able to log me in before it ever reaches that point. Also, being able to just type my PIN without having to manually select the PIN option first is also great.

Microsoft is yet to announce this new sign-in flow, but I suspect it won't be long until it's officially put into testing as it's already very polished and has been in the works for a number of months now. What do you think? Is this a good change for the Windows lock screen? Let us know in the comments.

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Microsoft will no longer be part of a multibillion-dollar data center in Loughton, Essex, England, according to a report by The Telegraph. The planned data center is set to have thousands of NVIDIA processors and was originally planned to start operating next year. Now, major questions surround the project's future.

The data center, which is being planned by Nscale, will be part of a wave of data centers opening in the UK, assuming plans come to fruition.

Microsoft's recent decision could affect the future of the data center, but the power grid is another pressing concern. Nscale has been told by grid operators that the required power supply for the data center will not be available until 2030.

The problems could be connected. The Guardian reports that Microsoft withdrew from the project because of the power grid concerns.

Microsoft was the only company that had publicly committed to plans to use the data center. It's unclear if other tech giants will step in to fill the void.

Despite Microsoft's reported cancellation of plans to be involved with the Essex data center, Microsoft and Nscale continue to have a professional relationship. The Telegraph reports that over 40 percent of Nscale's $103 billion in contracted revenue comes from Microsoft. The Essex data center was only believed to be a small part of that even before Microsoft changed its plans.

"We remain committed to both the Loughton project and the UK and we are exploring alternative power sources for the site, in addition to other expansion sites in the UK," said Nscale. The company added,
"Our relationship with Microsoft remains strong and long-term."

Microsoft is at the center of data centers

As demand for processing power increases, Microsoft finds itself increasingly at the center of data center headlines. Just in the UK, there are three ongoing stories about Microsoft and data centers.

Almost 45,000 people have signed a petition to prevent the construction of a data center in Leeds, England. Over in Slough, England, politicians and residents have debated the construction of a different data center.

Now, Microsoft has withdrawn its planned involvement in what could become the UK's largest data center.

Windows Central take

It seems inevitable that data centers will pop up around the world. There's a good chance that a site only a few miles from my house will have a data center in the near future. I live in Nottingham, England. A former coal plant that has been shut down is expected to house a data center.

Despite several tech giants calling for AI development to be slowed down or paused, demand for data processing is accelerating. I suppose the data centers have to be built somewhere, but I confess I'm not thrilled at the prospect of one being so close to my house.

Data centers can pollute the local environment and emit noise pollution into the surrounding area. They can also raise energy prices nearby and put stress on the local grid.

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In what may be one of the year's least surprising stories, Microsoft's VP of Product Design, Diego Baca, has explained how AI is being used to help designers after being asked whether it's possible to launch a "fleet of viable agents" to address issues in Windows 11.

Now, this all comes shortly after an Xbox Business Strategist spiraled on X over how everyone is using AI, expressing frustration with the pretense that people aren't. That said, I do appreciate Baca’s honesty here. I always find that kind of candor refreshing.

Windows 11 still has a consistency problem

Interestingly, Baca's post on X (formerly Twitter) also acknowledged something Windows users have been complaining about for years in his reply to tech enthusiast Chris Pirillo, and that's consistency:

“Consistency across Windows is something we all want, and it’s an active workstream we’re continuing to accelerate,” he explained.

And to be fair, I have to agree. Windows 11 is now five years old (that's made me feel so old), yet parts of the operating system still feel like they're lacking the modern stylings, almost as though some of it still belongs in Windows 7, or even earlier, as Windows Latest points out in its own take.

Don't get me wrong, Microsoft has made progress, particularly with its efforts to modernize Windows Search, Run, and other legacy interfaces using WinUI 3. But I do wish these inconsistencies had been addressed before Windows 11 launched, though perhaps I’m wishing for too much.

Baca also acknowledged the criticism, admitting, “Finally, I completely recognize that people expect more from Windows. We expect more from ourselves, too.”

Finally, he added that Microsoft hopes to “earn back your enthusiasm for Windows through what we deliver, not just what we say.” It’s a refreshingly open response, and one I massively appreciate. How do you feel about Diego Baca's comments? Let me know in the comments and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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Microsoft is testing a way to update Edge without forcing a restart, potentially letting you keep working while it switches to a more secure version.

Browser updates can interrupt your work, so you might put off restarting the browser. However, this can delay important security fixes. Microsoft's solution aims to solve both problems by updating Edge in the background while keeping compatible tabs open.

The project is still an early experiment, not a feature you can use today. Microsoft says the prototype isn't part of Edge's production code or the Chromium project.

Microsoft wants Edge updates to be seamless

Currently, browser updates require a restart to safely switch to a newer version. Although Microsoft Edge can restore your open tabs afterward, restarting can still interrupt your work. Microsoft's prototype aims to change that by downloading an update in the background and moving the browser and its supporting processes to the newer version while keeping your work available.

For example, imagine you're filling out a long online form when a security update becomes available. Instead of asking you to restart Edge and interrupt your work, the browser would update in the background while you continue working.

Microsoft demonstrated the prototype in a video, and when the company clicked the "Update" button, the browser switched to the new version while keeping compatible tabs open. Eventually, the goal is to apply updates automatically without requiring users to click anything.

One limitation is that existing tabs can stay open only if they're compatible with the new version. Other tabs will switch to the updated version when you navigate to them.

AI makes faster security updates more important

The project isn't only about convenience. Microsoft notes that AI is accelerating vulnerability discovery and changing the pace of attacks, increasing the need to roll out security fixes more quickly. The company describes the time between a security fix becoming available and an update being applied as the "patch gap." During this period, users who don't install the fix remain vulnerable.

The requirement to restart the browser can also make the problem worse when people postpone updates because they don't want interruptions. As a result, applying security updates faster could reduce the time users remain exposed to known vulnerabilities.

So, when can we use it?

This isn't built into the current version of the browser, so don't go through the settings trying to find the option. Microsoft says that the prototype isn't part of the browser or the Chromium project. Instead, the company is sharing its work early and inviting developers and other organizations to collaborate on this project.

Edge already has an update option for idle devices

While the company continues developing its new update mechanism, Microsoft Edge already offers a feature called "Restart to update on idle," previously known as "Instant Updates."

The feature restarts Edge when your device is idle, installs the update, and reopens your tabs. It still requires a restart, but the interruption happens when you're not using the browser.

What's next?

For now, Microsoft Edge's existing update options help reduce delays, while the seamless-updates prototype offers a glimpse of what could come next. Microsoft hasn't announced when, or whether, this approach will become available. The company is sharing the prototype early to encourage collaboration with the community.

However, we'll have to wait and see whether the concept will make it into a future version of the browser. What are your thoughts on this new way to update the browser? Let me know in the comments.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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In this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden regroup following a week of extensive hands-on hardware testing and benchmarking. The central focus is the initial review wave for the Surface Laptop Ultra and the broader Nvidia RTX Spark mobile platform.

Zac details his full review of the Surface Laptop Ultra, highlighting its MacBook-inspired design improvements, haptic touchpad, outstanding audio, sleep battery efficiency, and magnetic USB-C connector—while contrasting its 2,000-nit Mini-LED display against competing Tandem OLED panels. Daniel shares first impressions of two rival RTX Spark flagships: the ultralight 3.9 lb ASUS ProArt P16 and the robust HP OmniBook Ultra 16.

The hosts dig into real-world local AI and agentic workflows (including tests with Hermes Agent and local LLMs), explain the critical architectural advantage of configurable unified memory allocations for GPUs, discuss gaming performance with DLSS/frame gen, and showcase the newly launched ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 handheld console bundle featuring XREAL AR glasses.

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 3 months extra FREE. Sign up today!

• [01:44] – Introduction: Daniel and Zac kick off Episode 407, outlining their week spent benchmarking and testing retail RTX Spark laptops and handhelds.
• [05:51] – Surface Laptop Ultra Design & Build: Zac breaks down the chassis aesthetics, MacBook Pro styling parallels, lack of a notch, seamless lid lip design, and weight (4.5 lbs).
• [08:00] – The Mini-LED Display: Deep dive into Microsoft’s 2,000-nit Mini-LED panel, evaluating ghosting zones (1,344 dimming zones), glossy reflections, and comparisons to Tandem OLED screens.
• [13:09] – Battery Life & Standby Sleep Performance: Real-world longevity on the 92 Wh battery (10–12 hours light use) and standout sleep endurance matching Apple Silicon.
• [15:18] – Magnetic Breakaway USB-C: Testing the breakaway angle, data capabilities, and custom charging brick interoperability.
• [18:04] – RTX Spark CPU & Gaming Benchmarks: Breakdown of 20-core multi-threaded CPU output versus single-core scores, plus gaming results with DLSS in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (approaching RTX 4070/5060 laptop levels).
• [25:59] – Local AI & Unified Memory Allocation: Why configurable system RAM sharing to the GPU CUDA cores enables large local LLM deployment that traditional gaming laptops cannot match.
• [29:11] – Agentic AI Experiments: Practical workflows with Hermes Agent, desktop automation in Photoshop, automatic folder cleanup, and local data safety risks.
• [46:00] – Speakers, Haptics & Missing Copilot+ Features: Praise for the class-leading haptic signals and audio alongside the notable delay of Windows Recall and semantic search on RTX Spark.
• [53:56] – ASUS ProArt P16 Review Preview: Daniel highlights the 3.9 lb featherweight design, dual-fan thermals, 4K anti-reflective touch options, and port selection.
• [58:50] – HP OmniBook Ultra 16 Breakdown: Frame build quality, rear tower exhaust design, Zero-Lattice Gen 2 keyboard, and compact 140W GaN charger.
• [01:06:08] – PCIe SSD Speed Shootout: Massive speed discrepancies across devices—Surface’s 14,000 MB/s drive vs. HP's 10,000 MB/s and ASUS’s variable read speeds.
• [01:14:55] – ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 Handheld Impressions: Translucent chassis, 7.4-inch 120Hz anti-reflective OLED panel, Z2 Extreme performance, and testing the bundle with XREAL AR glasses.
• [01:24:02] – Live Audience Q&A: Viewer questions regarding boot/restart bugs, NVMe expansion, OneDrive Microsoft 365 storage allocation backlash, and future low-tier RTX Spark silicon.

Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Microsoft just celebrated 12 years of the Windows Insider Program by sharing a collection of wallpapers. But the origin of those wallpapers has drawn a bit of criticism. It turns out that they were not made on a Surface Laptop Ultra or, in fact, any Windows 11 device. Instead, they were created using a Mac.

Rafael Rivera checked the properties of the wallpapers and noticed that they were created using the Mac version of Adobe Photoshop.

Rivera noted in a follow-up post on X that the images were made by Microsoft's in-house design team. If accurate, that precludes the possibility of a contracted company happening to use Macs in their normal workflow and being commissioned to make the images.

Even if the images were made by a contracted company, Microsoft would have a little bit of egg on its face because that would indicate that even a creator that works with Microsoft prefers to use an Apple product.

Windows Central take

I don't think this is a big deal, but the situation has emerged at an awkward time. Microsoft is in the middle of refreshing Windows 11. The tech giant just shared a massive blog post positioning Windows 11 as a selling point to buy a new PC.

Having Windows Insider wallpapers created on a Mac opens the door to jokes like "even Microsoft staff prefer Mac."

It's perfectly reasonable for Microsoft to use tools created by another company. It's not as if Microsoft should force its design team to use the new Photos app instead of Photoshop. Creators, and any worker, need to use tools that can get the job done.

But considering Adobe Photoshop is available on Windows 11, it's a bit strange that Microsoft couldn't send a few Windows 11 PCs over to its design team.

Alternatively, Microsoft could call up ASUS and make a deal to get some ProArt P16 laptops to the design team. Our friends at Tom's Guide said "The ASUS ProArt P16 is an outstanding laptop for creativity."

The best news for whoever made the Windows Insider Program anniversary images is that Adobe Photoshop works on Windows on Arm, so it should run smoothly on any of the new RTX Spark laptops.

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Microsoft is finally giving Copilot+ PCs more capabilities on Windows 11. After the disastrous launch of Copilot+ PCs in 2024 which ultimately led to the company retiring the brand as a marketing asset this year, Microsoft has announced Hybrid intelligence, a new wave of AI features that will utilize on-device processing and the cloud.

If you thought the Copilot+ PC promise of NPU-powered local AI experiences was dead, I wouldn't blame you. Microsoft has been slow to build out NPU-based AI features on Windows 11, with Click To Do and Semantic Search being the last Copilot+ PC exclusive features to launch over a year ago.

But that seems to be finally changing with "Hybrid intelligence," a part of which is being built directly into the Copilot app on Windows 11 and will intelligently route AI tasks and experiences between on-device processing and the cloud on Copilot+ PCs. Here's what's coming soon to Windows 11:

• Local context: With your permission, Copilot can understand relevant content on your PC, including files and recent activity, bringing local context into the flow of work. 
• Local actions: Copilot can take action on your behalf across Windows, helping complete tasks like organizing files, assessing device diagnostics, troubleshooting issues, coding, and carrying out workflows directly on your device. 
• Local models: Copilot can tap into AI models running on your PC, using local compute for the right tasks while combining it with cloud intelligence when needed. 

Hybrid Intelligence looks to be a natural evolution of Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is finally giving this AI hardware more to do, with the ability to reach out to the cloud when required for more complex workloads. These Hybrid Intelligence features enhance the new Copilot Home, Code, and Autopilot experiences that were recently announced.

"Copilot understands your PC, takes action with your permission, and uses local models when it makes sense, with you in control at every step," Microsoft says. "Copilot features powered by hybrid intelligence are expected to begin rolling out on Copilot+ PCs in the coming months."

Microsoft says Hybrid intelligence requires Copilot+ PC compatibility, which naturally implies that these new AI experiences will lean on the NPU for local processing, as that's one of the hardware requirements for meeting the Copilot+ PC feature bar.

Microsoft believes that a hybrid approach to AI will be the way forward for computing. It's important for PCs to have local AI compute power and capabilities to reduce pressure on data centers, and it's also important for privacy and security reasons too.

Agents on Windows are being heavily pushed as a local AI experience, though it requires PCs with powerful GPUs and lots of system memory to really take advantage of. The NPU is not powerful enough to handle most large language models at current, and so is reserved for less power intensive tasks and automations.

The company has also announced Aion Instruct, an on-device AI model that replaces Phi Silica and runs on not just the NPU, but GPU and even CPU in some cases. It's a small language model capable of handling text generation, instruction following, and web tasks.

Microsoft has confirmed that the Copilot+ PC brand is going away as a marketing asset, but it will continue to exist as a feature set. OEMs and Microsoft itself have stopped calling their new Surface PCs Copilot+ PCs, even though they are all Copilot+ PC compatible.

Now, the Copilot+ PC moniker is simply a checkbox on a spec sheet, and it looks like Hybrid intelligence PCs is the new marketing term that Microsoft wants to get in front of as many people as possible.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft just celebrated 12 years of the Windows Insider Program by sharing special wallpapers with Insiders. The images are all reminiscent of the Windows Bloom wallpaper that ships with Windows 11 and that has been remixed several times by Microsoft and enthusiasts.

I'm partial toward the blue version, likely because I learned how to use a PC on Windows 95. There are also white, green, orange, and purple variants as well as several dark-theme wallpapers.

This direct download link should get you all of the wallpapers, but you should also see them in an email from Microsoft if you're a Windows Insider.

Microsoft shared the following message alongside the wallpapers:

"Thank you for 12 incredible years, Windows Insiders!

From exciting program changes to meetups that brought us together in the past year, you're at the heart of it all. As a thank-you, we created new backgrounds for all Insiders inspired by 12 years of the Windows Insider Program and the latest Surface design aesthetic."

The Windows Insider Program has been around for 12 years, but it has shifted in structure in that time. I've been an Insider since the beginning, as have many members of our team at Windows Central. In that time, we've seen everything from major Windows features not being tested with Windows Insiders to feedback directly shaping the future of Windows.

Microsoft refocused on the Windows Insider Program by refreshing it earlier this year. Since that refresh, we've seen more Insider builds per week and significant upgrades being tested in those builds.

Windows Insider meetups also returned this year, giving the community a chance to meet in person and interact with the Windows product team directly. The first Windows Insider meetup was in Seattle, Washington. Later, events took place in New York City (USA), Hyderabad (India), Taipei (Taiwan), San Francisco (USA), and London (UK).

I'm happy to see the Windows Insider Program on the right track. Microsoft is engaging with the community and shaping Windows 11 based on feedback.

Microsoft has shown the positive impact of listening to feedback through its recent changes to Xbox. Sometimes grabbing low-hanging fruit and addressing the top community concerns is exactly what's needed.

The wallpapers shared by Microsoft are a small gesture thanking Windows Insiders, but such gestures can go a long way. Ignored Insiders become Insiders who disengage from the Windows Insider Program, and that hurts all Windows users in the long run.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft fully unveiled its Surface Laptop Ultra this week. While we've known about the PC for months, we lacked key details and were not able to review the Surface Laptop Ultra until recently.

That all changed when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft Windows lead Pavan Davuluri, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang took the stage to showcase the first wave of RTX Spark laptops.

Microsoft and other PC makers like HP and Lenovo launched the first laptops powered by NVIDIA's new superchip, and initial impressions are quite promising.

With hardware from OEMs impressing reviewers and NVIDIA's chip delivering on many of its promises, attention shifts toward the operating system running on those laptops.

Biggest News of the Week

Microsoft published a massive blog post this week highlighting improvements to Windows 11.

While there are genuinely nice additions to Windows 11, the focus of Microsoft’s blog post took a specific angle that made me ask a question: “Is Windows 11 a selling point?”

After breaking down the new Search experience, sped up File Explorer, expanded customization options, and other features, Microsoft took the opportunity to promote PC sales.

Microsoft said:

"A new PC is a meaningful purchase, and the value should show up in more than a spec sheet. A modern Windows 11 PC brings together responsive everyday performance with more intuitive, connected and personal experiences, all supported by hardware designed for how you interact, create and play, from touch, pen and tactile feedback to immersive gaming experiences. The reason to upgrade is not just one feature; it is how all these experiences work together to make more of your day feel effortless."

Using Windows 11 as a sales tool indicates that Microsoft thinks the operating system is a selling point.

The vast majority of changes and upgrades will also ship to pre-existing PCs, so the entire premise is a bit odd. But that’s probably a post for another day. My main focus is that Microsoft heard feedback, made changes, and is now using those changes to sell PCs.

When rounding up reviews of the Surface Laptop Ultra, I noticed that several experts compared the laptop to a MacBook Pro. As much as it may pain some Windows enthusiasts to admit, the MacBook Pro is the gold standard for laptops in the eyes of many.

With Microsoft copying and competing with the MacBook Pro on the hardware side of things, the remaining question is if Windows 11 compares favorably to macOS.

A significant number of developers use Macs, and Microsoft wants to compete in that space. The Surface Laptop Ultra has the design and AI power to get devs to take a closer look. The question is whether Windows 11 will keep those devs around or drive them away.

Shopping with Sean

You knew my shopping suggestion of the week would be the Surface Laptop Ultra. This is the most powerful Surface in years, and arguably the most exciting in just as long.

Just make sure that you're the target audience for the Surface Laptop Ultra before spending thousands of dollars. Our Senior Editor does a great job breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of the PC in his Surface Laptop Ultra review. There, he also makes it clear who the laptop is for and who should just admire the device from afar.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

On Windows 11, Microsoft is overhauling the Windows Search feature to make it faster, more accurate, and more useful. The experience will go beyond finding apps, files, and settings by letting users perform common tasks directly from the Taskbar. At the same time, upcoming improvements will add file previews, richer web results, and Copilot integration.

The redesigned Search experience is in development, but a preview is already rolling out through the Windows Insider Program, with more features planned for later this year and a deeper integration with the Start menu planned for 2027.

Here's what you need to know about the new Windows 11 Search experience.

What is the new Windows 11 Search experience?

The traditional Windows Search experience has been designed primarily to find apps, files, settings, and web results. However, its performance and ability to understand search queries have always been questionable.

The new Windows Search experience addresses these limitations with a redesigned interface built on WinUI 3, which Microsoft says improves performance and reduces memory usage. It also improves search accuracy by better matching typos and synonyms.

Beyond finding things, the new Search lets you perform certain actions directly from the Search box in the Taskbar. For example, you can type "switch to dark mode," "turn on Bluetooth," or "mute" to change a setting or adjust your computer without opening another app or navigating through additional screens.

Microsoft is also working on richer file previews, more detailed search results, and inline web answers that let you find information without leaving the experience. The company also plans to integrate Copilot into the experience, allowing users to ask questions and view answers directly in the Search interface before opening the Copilot app to expand the conversation.

What can you do with the new Windows Search?

The new Windows Search retains the core functionality of the legacy experience, letting you find apps, files, settings, and web results, but it also introduces new capabilities.

For example, you can perform certain actions directly from the Search box, such as switching to Dark mode, enabling Bluetooth, adjusting the volume, or arranging windows on the screen.

In future updates, Windows Search will add inline file previews and richer web results, including information cards for queries related to weather, stock prices, and other topics.

Microsoft is also working on Copilot integration, allowing Search to recognize questions that could benefit from a more detailed answer and display an AI-generated response directly in the interface. Selecting the response can then open the Copilot app for further assistance.

How do you enable the new Windows Search experience?

The new Windows Search experience is still under development and is currently available to Insiders in the Experimental channel for versions 26H2 and 26H1. To try it, your computer must be running build 26340.9616 for version 26H2 or build 28120.3181 for version 26H1 or a later release.

If the feature doesn't appear after installing the latest preview build, Microsoft says you can enable it manually by navigating to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags. After enabling the feature, restart your computer to apply the changes.

Does the new Windows Search require a Copilot+ PC or an NPU?

No. When I asked Microsoft whether the new Windows Search experience would be limited to devices with an NPU, the company explained that its inline actions use a small machine-learning (ML) model that runs locally on the computer's main processor. The model interprets the user's request and matches it to the appropriate action.

Microsoft also clarified that this isn't generative AI powered by a small language model (SLM) or a large language model (LLM). As a result, the feature doesn't require an NPU and will be available on computers without one.

Can Windows Search perform actions on a connected phone?

Not yet, but Microsoft is working on a new capability that will let users send text messages directly from Windows Search on computers connected to a phone through the Phone Link and Link to Windows apps.

Will the new Windows Search replace Start menu search?

Microsoft plans to bring the new Windows Search experience to the Start menu in 2027. For now, the Start menu continues to use the existing Search experience while the company keeps working on the new design. Microsoft hasn't explicitly confirmed whether the new experience will completely replace the current Search interface.

In the past, the company also worked on a similar feature called "Ask Copilot," which users could enable or disable through Taskbar settings. However, the current version of Windows 11 doesn't offer an option to turn off the new Search experience and continue using the legacy version on the Taskbar.

Does the new Windows Search use AI to perform actions?

The new Windows Search doesn't use AI to perform actions. This isn't generative AI. Instead, it uses a small ML model to match the user's intent to the action. As a result, the feature doesn't require an NPU and will be available on computers without one.

What improvements are coming to Windows Search?

The new version of Windows Search will include a new interface design that's significantly smaller than the legacy version. However, it'll include inline previews and richer file details, making it easier to identify documents, presentations, and photos without opening them.

Search will also display richer web results, including information about weather, stock prices, and general questions, directly in the interface.

Microsoft is also adding filters to help users narrow search results by category, such as files. In addition, the company plans to integrate Copilot into Taskbar Search, letting users get AI-generated answers inline and open the Copilot app for a more detailed conversation.

Will the new Windows Search integrate with Copilot?

Yes. Microsoft is working on integrating Copilot into the new Windows Search experience. The planned capability will let users ask questions and see AI-generated answers directly in the Search interface. Selecting an answer can open the Copilot app for further interaction.

The company says the opt-in experience will begin rolling out to select markets later this year.

When will the new Windows Search experience be available?

Microsoft began rolling out the new Windows Search experience to Insiders in the Experimental channel for versions 26H2 and 26H1 on October 7, 2026.

The company plans to introduce richer search results and other improvements later this year, with Copilot integration initially rolling out as an opt-in feature in select markets.

Microsoft also plans to bring the new Search experience to the Start menu in 2027. The company hasn't announced a general availability date for all Windows 11 users.

Windows Central's Take

I like that Microsoft is taking a more cautious approach to AI with the new Windows Search. The core experience isn't being powered by Copilot, and the inline actions use a small machine learning model running locally on the CPU rather than generative AI. The company is also making Copilot integration optional, which is the right approach for this type of feature. I want the operating system to be more useful without making AI feel like a requirement to get things done.

We'll have to wait to see how well Search performs in everyday use, especially when finding files and settings. Microsoft has redesigned core experiences before, and a cleaner interface doesn't mean much if results aren't reliable or users lose control. If the company can improve Search while keeping Copilot optional and avoiding unnecessary clutter, this could be a significant improvement.

What are your thoughts about the new Search for Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Windows 11 has a new Gaming Task View for XBOX mode that helps users hop back to the desktop or adjust power options for a device. That feature is now in testing among Windows Insiders.

Microsoft released builds in every Windows Insider channel to wrap up the week. I've listed all the changes below except those exclusive to the Release Preview channel since those features have largely been in testing before today.

While the update to XBOX mode is the headline feature of these builds, there are several other welcome changes. For example, Windows Hello can now temporarily brighten your screen to help you sign in when in a dark room.

Gaming (Beta, Experimental)

• We're introducing a refreshed Gaming Task View experience in XBOX mode, featuring a new navigation bar that provides quick access to Exit to Desktop and Power Options. This update makes key system actions easier to access while gaming.

Magnifier (Beta)

Magnifier now understands each of your displays

• More and more of the work people do happens across more than one screen. You draft on one display and keep source material open on another. You fill in a form while a reference document sits beside it. Those extra displays can be more helpful when each one can do its own job, and now Magnifier supports exactly that.
• To use this update, set your monitors to Extend in System > Display, not Duplicate, so Windows treats each screen as its own space.
• Every screen keeps its own view at its own zoom. In earlier versions of Magnifier, zooming in stretched a single magnified view across all of your displays, so one screen's zoom followed you everywhere and screen edges blurred together. With this update, each monitor's boundary is respected, and each monitor can have its own zoom percentage. Your writing screen can be at 300% while your reference screen stays at 150%, and the magnified view no longer spills from one display into the next. This behavior matters because different tasks and screen resolutions often require different levels of magnification to remain comfortable to read.

Setting the zoom on each screen is easy. Choose whichever method feels natural:

• Move your mouse pointer onto the screen you want to adjust, then press Windows key + Plus (+) or Windows key + Minus (-), or hold Ctrl + Alt and rotate your mouse wheel.
• Set the percentages directly in Accessibility > Magnifier.
• Drag the Magnifier toolbar onto a specific screen to adjust that screen from its on-screen controls.
• Per-monitor zoom is turned on by default. If you prefer the classic behavior where a single zoom spans all of your displays, you can turn per-monitor zoom off at any time from either the Magnifier toolbar or Accessibility > Magnifier. You can turn it back on whenever you like.

Keep the view that matters, right where you need it

• As you move your mouse from screen to screen, the magnified view naturally follows your pointer. Sometimes this might cause you to lose sight of the content that you're actively working on.
• Viewport locking keeps that view in place. For example, you might be drafting an email based on a section of a document open on another display. Position that display so the paragraph you need is in view, press Ctrl + Windows key + K, and the screen holds its view steady while you move your cursor over to write. The locked screen stays fully live and interactive, so you can glance back, click, or copy from it whenever you need to, and its view stays put until you release it.
• A message appears on the screen when it's locked, so you always know what's being held. To lock or unlock a screen, point your mouse at that screen and press Ctrl + Windows key + K again. To release everything at once, press Windows key + Esc to dismiss all locks. You can change the lock shortcut to Ctrl + Alt + P in Accessibility > Magnifier.

Settings - Home (Beta)

• We're beginning to expand the new Device Info Card experience for Settings Home to additional markets globally. Available for Windows Insiders signed in with their Microsoft account, the Device Info Card provides a quick snapshot of your PC's key specifications and usage. From the card, you can go directly to Settings > System > About to see more detailed information about your PC.

Settings - Privacy & security (Experimental (26H1))

• The improved Privacy & security page in Windows Settings helps you find the Camera, Microphone, and Location privacy controls more easily. It groups similar controls across the page and brings usage information from deeper linked pages onto this page.

File Explorer (Beta)

• Key file information, such as name, location, and date, now appears in a consistent layout on the File Explorer search results page, making search results easier to scan.

File Explorer (Experimental)

• Improved responsiveness of folder views so they update and sort correctly when files and folders are added or renamed.

Family Safety (Beta, Beta (26H1), Experimental (26H1))

• Improved family safety messaging when applications are blocked because of age-restricted parental controls.

Other (Beta, Experimental)

• Improved shutdown reliability, reducing the chance of a hang on shutdown in certain cases.
• The dialog for certain system messages, like low battery and permissions, should use the expected modern design again.

Other (Beta (26H1), Experimental (26H1))

• Fixed an issue with msmpeg2ac3dec.dll which was leading to some apps and games crashing recently.

Web sign-in (Experimental)

• Web sign-in now works on Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices. Before this update, it was only available on Microsoft Entra joined devices. You can sign in to Windows at the lock screen with a passwordless credential: a FIDO2 security key, a passkey on your phone, or a Temporary Access Pass (TAP). You don't need a password. Once you're signed in, Windows gets a Kerberos ticket, so on-premises file shares and internal sites keep working. For more information, see Use web sign-in to enable passwordless sign-in in Windows.

Windows Hello (Experimental)

• Windows Hello facial recognition can temporarily brighten your screen to help you sign in when you're in a dark or dimly lit room.
• To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition (Windows Hello) and turn on Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition.

Windows Search (Experimental)

• Addressed underlying issues that could cause search to appear missing or stop working after the previous update, including if you rapidly clicked the search icon repeatedly.

Search (Experimental (26H1))

• Search home has been simplified to reduce visual clutter and make it easier to get back to recent searches quickly.
• Search does a better job showing where a result comes from, whether it's an app, setting, file, web result, or Store suggestion, so it's easier to tell what you're looking at and where you'll go before you click.
• A new setting in Settings > Privacy & security > Search lets you choose whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local results.

Run (Experimental)

• Improved the window position when using an Arabic or Hebrew display language.
• Improved performance of the Run dialog when navigating to very large folders.
• Fixed an issue where your text might unexpectedly disappear if you started typing too quickly after opening Run.
• Made a few other small visual fixes and refinements.

Pointer Indicator (Experimental (26H1))

• We're introducing the Pointer Indicator accessibility setting. This feature enables Windows users with low vision to easily locate and use their cursor to increase productivity and efficiency when using a Windows device.
• To enable this experience, go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch, and enable the Pointer indicator setting. You can also search for the setting by name. When the setting is enabled, you can toggle it on or off with the keyboard shortcut, Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + X.

Live Captions (Experimental (26H1))

• We're improving Live Captions with a new Include Screen Reader audio setting, which is off by default. With the setting off, Live Captions won't transcribe audio from screen readers such as Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, keeping captions focused on microphone and system audio.

Taskbar

• New! This update improves animations of app window previews when you move the mouse across app icons in the taskbar.
• This update improves the underlying state persistence of taskbar settings related to multiple monitors across monitor connections and disconnections.

Since revamping the Windows Insider Program earlier this year, Microsoft has sped up its release schedule for builds. As a result, we often end the week with a batch of five or six new builds to check out.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft released several preview builds of Windows 11 in early October, some of which rolled out new features and improvements, while others played catch-up by bringing already announced changes to other channels.

During the first two weeks of October, the software giant made available the first preview of the new Windows Search experience. We also saw the new Battery widgets and more.

Microsoft also revealed a new option to sanitize the hard drive when using the Cloud Rebuild feature, plus improvements to File Explorer, Share, and more.

In the Experimental channel, we've seen builds 28120.3181, 26340.9616, 26340.9596, 28120.3151, 29683, and 29680. In the Beta channel, the company released builds 26220.9606, 28020.3172, 26220.9587, and 28020.3142.

In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in October 2026

In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program.

Windows Search overhaul

Starting with the release of build 26340.9616 for version 26H2, Microsoft began the gradual rollout of the new Windows Search experience.

The new experience features an entirely new interface using WinUI 3, designed to make search faster and more efficient while using less memory.

Perhaps the most notable change is the new inline actions that let you perform tasks directly from the Search box. For example, you can switch between the light and dark mode, enable Bluetooth, adjust brightness, arrange windows, and more.

In addition, the company is adding improvements to help Windows Search understand you better, including better handling of typos and synonyms.

The new Search experience is currently available in versions 26H2 and 26H1 as a preview through the Experimental channel.

Battery new widget

Also, Windows 11 build 26340.9616 ships with the new Battery Status widget, which tracks your computer and peripherals' battery levels without having to resort to third-party tools.

The widget is available from the Widgets dashboard> Add widgets > Battery Status.

Once the widget is enabled, you'll see the battery level of your laptop as well as your mouse, keyboard, headphones, and more.

Task Manager new processes group

Although Task Manager isn't getting another makeover, an updated version improves how it handles process groups, letting apps combine separate background processes into a single category instead of relying on traditional parent-child process trees.

Microsoft says that this should make it easier to view how an app uses system resources. Currently, this works only in Microsoft Defender.

File Explorer faster navigation

The company has also made small but welcome improvements to File Explorer with the release.

For instance, on build 26340.9596 for version 26H2, you can now use the "~" character to quickly open your profile folder or subfolder, for example, "~\AppData".

As part of the File Explorer changes, on builds 28120.3151 and 28020.3142 for version 26H1, Microsoft rolled out improvements to keep folder view customizations, such as sorting and icon size preferences, consistent across different access paths and apps.

The update also improves address bar support for paths with double backslashes and quotation marks.

Finally, in this wave of updates, build 29680 for the Future Platforms version, you'll find an updated version of the file manager that now handles previews for downloaded files from the internet.

When using the preview pane, HTML files will show a preview after you acknowledge the warning, while non-HTML files, such as PDFs, will show previews automatically.

Cloud Rebuild improvements

Cloud Rebuild is a new recovery feature that helps you reinstall the operating system when your computer has problems or won't boot.

Unlike other recovery options, this feature uses Windows Update to download installation files and drivers without needing bootable USB media.

This recovery feature is still in preview, but in build 26340.9596 for version 26H2 and build 26220.9587 for version 25H2, you'll now find a new "Rebuild this PC" option on the Recovery page in Settings, making it easier to access.

Also, in builds 28120.3151 and 28020.3142 for version 26H1, the Cloud Rebuild feature added a new "Remove & sanitize files" option to securely erase data before reinstalling the operating system, which is useful when recycling or reassigning a computer.

This update also lets admins configure and start a Cloud Rebuild remotely using Recovery CSP.

Narrator's new math reading

As part of the updates for version 26H1 (builds 28120.3151 and 28020.3142), Microsoft also updated the Windows Narrator feature with a more natural way to read and explore math equations.

According to the company, on supported apps from the Microsoft 365 suite, such as PowerPoint and Word, Windows Narrator can now read equations as structured expressions.

In addition, a new math navigation mode allows you to explore an equation one part at a time.

You can use the "Narrator key + Alt + N," and then use the arrows to move through fractions, exponents, and roots. You can also use "Esc" to exit the mode.

The new math capability also works on supported web content in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

Magnifier with updated controls

In this wave of updates, the Magnifier lets you enter the exact zoom percentage directly in the toolbar instead of relying on the presets.

In addition, in the settings, the preset option now includes more increments up to 400 percent.

Windows Share customization

Although the Windows Share experience remains largely the same, Microsoft has added the ability to pin your favorite apps directly in the Share interface in the Experimental channel for Future Platforms.

This change makes it easier to find your favorite apps that you use often when sharing.

Installed apps page tweak

Finally, starting with build 29680, the "Installed apps" page now shows the version number at the top level under the Apps settings section for package apps.

Windows Central's Take

I'd put the new Windows Search, Cloud Rebuild, and File Explorer improvements at the top of this list. Search is becoming more useful for everyday tasks, Cloud Rebuild is getting better options for recovering a computer and securely erasing its data, and File Explorer is addressing small annoyances that can make file management frustrating.

These changes can make Windows 11 more practical without requiring users to learn an entirely new way of doing things.

I hope Microsoft continues to improve these core features instead of leaving them behind in favor of bigger, flashier additions.

Which of these three improvements would you most like to see arrive on your PC? Let me know in the comments.

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:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft is finally ready to take on the MacBook Pro with the new Surface Laptop Ultra. From pricing to specs and design, Surface Laptop Ultra was inspired by MacBook Pro, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Unlike most Surface PCs we see ship these days, the Surface Laptop Ultra is a lot of firsts for Microsoft. It's the first ultra-class Surface Laptop, designed from the ground up to compete squarely with high-end professional creator or developer mobile workstations.

It's also the first Surface to ship with a new silicon partner in the way of NVIDIA and the RTX Spark, which the entire ecosystem is rallying around to give Windows on Arm a shot in the arm. It's also Microsoft's first ever Mini LED screen, and the world's first laptop to ship with magnetic USB-C charging.

What I find fascinating about Surface Laptop Ultra however is that it exists because Microsoft's own developers and engineers wanted it. They built this laptop for themselves. It feels like the company got tired of looking over the fence at the MacBook Pro, and decided "why don't we just make our own version of that?"

It really is Microsoft's most powerful and most capable Surface PC ever, and a great stage for Windows. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best Surface PC for everyone. I've been testing the laptop over the last 8 days, and here are my thoughts on Microsoft's new flagship computer.

This review was made possible thanks to a review unit supplied by NVIDIA & Microsoft. Neither company had editorial input and did not see the contents of this review prior to publication.

Price & Availability

Surface Laptop Ultra is Microsoft's most expensive Surface Laptop to date. It starts at an eyewatering $2,599 for the entry-level configuration with 24GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage, and an 18-core RTX Spark with 5,120 GPU cores. That's an expensive laptop, and it only gets worse the higher you climb up the specs ladder.

The model I've reviewed is the very top end configuration, with a crazy 128GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and a 20-core RTX Spark with 6,144 GPU cores. That model will set you back $5,899, which at these prices basically makes this a $6,000 laptop. That's an insane amount of money to spend on a laptop, but this configuration only really exists for professionals who need the extra power to run local agents and data crunching.

For video creators, gamers, and prosumers, you'll be more than well served with the lower tier models with 24-32GB RAM. All models come with the same mini LED screen, speaker setup, ports, keyboard, and trackpad. It's also available in Platinum or Nightfall colorways (aka, silver and black.)

Design & Ports

We have to start with how this thing looks, and we do need to address the fruit-shaped elephant in the room. Yes, Surface Laptop Ultra looks an awful lot like a MacBook Pro. I wouldn't blame the layman for even thinking it was a MacBook Pro from a distance. The square edges, large trackpad, and minimalist design echo the MacBook Pro from pretty much every angle.

But I'm not here to tell you that's a bad thing. The MacBook Pro is a beautiful device, which is to say Surface Laptop Ultra is also very beautiful. In fact, I think it even improves upon the MacBook Pro's design in subtle ways. The keyboard deck isn't surrounded by a plastic bezel like on MacBook Pro, instead it's softly indented into the metal keyboard deck which looks lush and seamless.

The corners on Surface Laptop Ultra are also a little rounder than the MacBook Pro, a design choice that trickles down from the corners of the chassis to the keys on the keyboard, and corners on the trackpad. It's an entirely consistent and well thought out design, which I highly appreciate.

Microsoft also doesn't suffer from the godawful notch that you'll find on a MacBook Pro. Surface Laptop Ultra's display bezels are uniform along the left and right, and slightly thicker on the top to accommodate the Windows Hello IR face unlock sensors, which are much better than a fingerprint reader.

I should also mention that the display hinge on this laptop is perfectly tuned. It opens with one finger, and is perfectly balanced to provide a satisfying level of friction as you open and close it. It's also rock solid when typing, meaning it doesn't wobble around at all when on a desk.

The port selection is good enough. It features three USB-C ports, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI 2.1, and a full-sized SD card reader. Of course, the star of the show in the ports department is Microsoft's clever magnetic USB-C port, which replaces the proprietary Surface Connect charge port found on older Surface Laptops.

It's great to see a laptop manufacturer attempting to innovate and improve on the universal USB-C standard. Here, we have a USB-C port that is compatible with all your USB-C peripherals, but it's also magnetized, and with the included charging cable, magnetically snaps to the device just like Apple MagSafe, while using the same universal USB-C port.

How did Microsoft do this? Well, most of the innovation is actually on the cable side. On the laptop itself, the only real change is that the USB-C port is slightly wider at its opening, but the rest of the USB-C port itself is typical in its design. Microsoft placed magnets on either side of the port, and redesigned the USB-C connector that's attached to the cable to allow for the magnetic connection to be seamless.

The cable's male USB-C end is shallower than a normal USB-C connection. This allows for it to connect to the USB-C port without clicking in, which is what locks a cable to a USB-C port normally. Instead, the magnets hold it in place, which enables the breakaway design that differentiates this USB-C port from the rest.

That does mean the USB-C cable that comes included only works with Surface Laptop Ultra, and only in this particular port. Microsoft realized this would be a problem, and designed the power brick that comes with Surface Laptop Ultra in a way that allows the magnetic cable to attach to the brick instead. The other end of the charging cable is a normal male USB-C end, which connects to any USB-C port you want.

So you can still use the Surface Laptop Ultra's power brick and cable on any device or any port you like, you just have to plug the magnetic end into the power brick first. It's a genius design, and proves that Microsoft really thought of everything when it comes to this unique magnetic USB-C experience. I love it, and I hope to see it on more laptops in the future.

Surface Laptop Ultra is available in just two colorways: Platinum and Nightfall. To me, I think the Platinum version looks the nicest, but the Nightfall version looks clean too. The good news is the dark color does a relatively good job at fending off fingerprints thanks to an anti-fingerprint coating that has been applied to the chassis.

Display & Features

Surface Laptop Ultra ships with Microsoft's first ever mini-LED display, which delivers better contrast and brighter peak brightness over your standard LCD that has been found in all other Surface Laptops to date. Unlike an LCD, the Surface Laptop Ultra's mini-LED screen packs 1,344 local dimming zones, which allows the laptop to dim darker areas of the screen that don't need as much light.

This number is not as high as the mini-LED screen on the MacBook Pro, and this results in a bit of blooming around bright elements on a dark background. If you use Windows in light mode, this will almost never bother you. But in dark mode, in a dimly lit environment, it becomes quite a bit more apparent.

The backlight also takes a fraction of a second to keep up with what's going on on your screen. If you move a bright window around on a dark background, you'll notice the backlight brightening and dimming around the edges of the window. This gives off a slight ghosting effect which degrades the 120Hz refresh rate somewhat. It isn't noticeable at all in light mode, however.

This all leads me to say I wish Microsoft had opted for an OLED panel on the Surface Laptop Ultra. I've been daily driving OLED displays for the better part of a year now, and a mini-LED panel just isn't a vibrant or contrasty as an OLED display can be. The mini LED display is good, but not the best on the market, and it's certainly no OLED.

Microsoft tells me it opted for mini LED over OLED primarily for the brightness and efficiency gains. At 2,000 nits peak brightness, it is the brightest screen ever put on a Surface. But Tandem OLED displays are also very capable of reaching similar peak brightness levels these days, and so I feel the benefits of a mini LED screen don't carry much weight here.

If you're coming from a standard LCD, the mini LED screen will be nothing but an upgrade to you. It's color accurate, very bright, and its high resolution and 120Hz make reading text and scrolling webpages look and feel great. But if you're coming from a MacBook Pro mini LED screen, or an OLED display, you will notice the downgrade in contrast and more noticeable blooming.

• What is Mini LED? Everything you need to know about display tech

The display is also a touch screen, which is the case on pretty much all Surface PCs since the line began in 2012. Microsoft truly believes that touch has a place on the laptop form factor, and I agree with it. Being able to reach out to tap on a notification or hit OK on a window prompt is really nice, even if I don't use it all the time.

For pen lovers, sadly the Surface Laptop Ultra does not support pen input. Microsoft dropped pen input from the Surface Laptop with Surface Laptop 7, and the Surface Laptop Ultra has not restored it. This makes sense however, as the screen does not lay flat so drawing on it would be uncomfortable.

I also want to mention the fact that Surface Laptop Ultra features a user upgradeable SSD drive. That means you don't have to splash out on the most storage at the checkout screen. You can opt for a lower amount, and when you finally fill it, upgrade the SSD to something larger later down the line. You can't say that about the MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, Surface Laptop Ultra is missing a key quality of life feature that I have come to enjoy on other flagship Windows laptops over the last year: presence sensing capabilities. My daily driver is able to wake up and go to sleep whenever I approach it or walk away, and Surface Laptop Ultra is missing this functionality entirely. A crying shame.

It's also missing all Copilot+ PC features currently. Microsoft tells me that RTX Spark is a Copilot+ PC capable chip, but that the suite of Copilot+ PC features aren't yet ready for the platform, and to expect them to show up in the coming months. The RTX Spark has a 50 TOPS NPU that will power these experiences when they finally do arrive.

Keyboard & Trackpad

Surface has always delivered excellent keyboard and trackpad experiences, but Surface Laptop Ultra might be on a whole other level. This is probably the best keyboard and trackpad experience I've ever had on a Windows laptop to date. The keyboard is comfortable, tactile, and quiet, with 1.4mm key travel which is incredibly satisfying and not at all fatiguing.

The keys themselves are slightly rounder than the keys found on Surface Laptop 8, which I think is more comfortable and looks nicer as a result. It features a three-stage backlight, a Copilot key (which can be changed,) and a dedicated microphone mute key. It's pretty much perfect in every way.

But what I really want to talk about is the trackpad. It's the largest trackpad ever fitted to a Surface, and that makes a huge difference in how easy it is to use. There's so much room for activities, and you'll never find yourself at the edge of the trackpad because you needed to drag a file and ran out of room.

Palm rejection is also very good. I never once had an issue with the trackpad being in the way when typing, which means Microsoft has done a good job at ensuring the trackpad's side isn't impeding the typing experience. The trackpad itself is haptic, and feels great to click on, with strength adjustability in Windows Settings so you can really dial in just how strong that haptic feedback is.

But the new trackpad also supports Windows 11's new haptic system, which introduces subtle haptic feedback when interacting with different UI elements across Windows. When you snap an app window, or drag files across folders, you'll feel haptic bumps under your finger in the trackpad that are different from the usual click down sensation it provides. It's genuinely great.

Camera & Audio

It's a Surface, so you can and should expect great cameras and microphones on Surface Laptop Ultra. The webcam is a 1080p shooter that looks more than fine for video calls, Teams meetings, and recorded presentations. In low light, the image does get a little noisy, but not any more than any other high-end webcams on the market.

The shining star in this department are the built-in studio mics, which are very very good. They sound studio quality, with rich bass and far-field mics that do a very good job at tuning out background noise to ensure the things that you are saying are captured clearly and well.

I also need to take a moment to talk about the built-in speakers on this laptop. They are superb. Again, probably the best I've tried in a Windows laptop to date, and give the MacBook Pro 14-inch a run for its money. There's a clear sound stage, highs are crisp and bass is rich.

Performance & Battery

I've already published an in-depth look at the performance of RTX Spark on Surface Laptop Ultra, which you can read here if you're interested, so there won't be raw performance benchmark numbers in this review.

The TL:DR for that however is that the RTX Spark is a powerful chip, with okay CPU performance but great GPU performance. It's capable of playing most games at 1440p high settings above 60fps, and top end configs can fit large AI models directly onto the GPU for faster processing. But it trails behind the latest high-end Apple Silicon, and is more in-line with current-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite or last-gen Apple M4 Pro in overall performance.

By default, the 128GB Surface Laptop Ultra ships with its unified memory in a 50/50 split configuration. Users are free to adjust this in the NVIDIA app, which is good for when you need to give either the system or your GPU more RAM for whatever task it is you're completing. It requires a restart to apply, which frustratingly takes a long time on the Surface Laptop Ultra.

Performance is great for the most part. In day to day usage, it's blazing fast and is able to crunch through pretty much any workload I'd want to throw at a mobile workstation such as this. With that said, there are a couple of oddities related to performance that I feel I should mention.

Compared to other devices I have on hand, the Surface Laptop Ultra sometimes takes twice as long to restart. I'm talking over 2 minutes from hitting restart to being back on the lock screen, which is about double the amount of time it takes all the other laptops in my possession. Microsoft says they are investigating.

Surface Laptop Ultra also ships with the "Best Power Efficiency" profile set by default. This is unusual, as most Surface PCs ship with their power profile set to balanced. Microsoft says it does this to maximize battery life, but that does come at the cost of performance.

I've found that overall performance can be slashed by up to a quarter or even half when in this default mode. So if you want to make the most of your RTX Spark PC, be sure to change the power mode in Windows Settings to either Balanced or Best Performance. I usually set the on-battery mode to Balanced, and the plugged in state to Best Performance.

On the subject of battery life, the Surface Laptop Ultra's endurance is just fine. It's not class leading by any stretch, but I can definitely get through the work day without much fuss, though this will depend on your workload. Our Procyon battery life benchmark test lasted around 14 hours, and in real world use I was getting close to about 10.

But if your workload heavily leans on the GPU, you can expect to halve that number. The GPU is quite efficient for the power it outputs, but it's still a GPU and it's still hungry. So if you know you'll be using the GPU a lot throughout the day, you'll want to bring the charger with you.

With that said, sleep endurance is very good for the level of power this laptop outputs. I put the laptop to sleep at about midnight, and open the lid 10 hours later, and it's only drained one, maybe two percent from the battery. Very good on that front!

Under max load, the Surface Laptop Ultra gets quite warm. While the keys themselves remain at an okay temperature, the top part of the keyboard deck gets very toasty. I measured 123 F at its hottest under max load, which is approaching "oh that's hot" territory.

I also noticed quite audible coil whine when under max load on my Surface Laptop Ultra. This isn't a problem in day to day use, but whenever the GPU is being used, I can hear buzzing coming from inside the keyboard chassis. If you're sensitive to that kind of thing, it will annoy you.

Fan noise is acceptable even at max load. I measure around 42 decibels at its loudest, and that was after running a benchmark for 10 minutes. In normal use, the fans rarely come on, though it does run slightly warm on your lap as a result.

Conclusion

✅ You should buy this if ...

• You are a software developer utilizing on-device AI
• You live and breathe large language models and agentic workflows
• You need a beefy GPU in a portable and efficient package
• You need lots of RAM

❎ You should not buy this if ...

• You aren't interested in AI or agentic workflows
• You only need a PC for standard productivity tasks
• You occasionally game or edit video (get something cheaper)
• You want something thin and light

Surface Laptop Ultra is great, but it's not something I can comfortably recommend everyone go out and buy, especially at these high prices. At the base level, it doesn't offer enough to justify the added cost over a Surface Laptop 8 with 24GB RAM. You do get the more beefy GPU and "better" display, but that comes at the cost of portability and battery life.

The Mini LED screen isn't the upgrade I was hoping it would be. For those who have only ever used a standard LCD their whole life, I'm sure you will appreciate the added brightness. But the ghosting issue is annoying and I think most people will notice it. I would have much preferred an OLED on a laptop this expensive.

Battery life is also just okay, which, again, for a laptop of this size and weight, leaves something to be desired. You can get longer day to day use out of a thinner and lighter Surface Laptop 8, which I think most people would prefer over the raw power that Surface Laptop Ultra offers.

And that brings me back to my original point. This isn't a laptop for everyone. It's a laptop for those who know they need it, and it's mainly for AI developers and high-end content creators. If you find yourself leaning on local agents to complete tasks for you, or enjoy generating images and videos using AI models, this is the laptop for you.

If you're someone who just needs a laptop for productivity tasks that includes a little bit of photo and video editing, and sometimes some gaming, there are cheaper laptops out there that will do that job very well.

Is this the MacBook Pro for Windows? I think it is. But it's not the perfect MacBook Pro alternative just yet. RTX Spark isn't at the same level as high-end MacBook Pro silicon, the Mini LED screen isn't best in class, and battery life could use some improvement.

Microsoft recently shared a lengthy roadmap detailing massive changes coming to Windows 11 over the course of November 2026. They include new Photos app features, improvements to the Search app, expanded phone integration, and enhanced performance for gaming.

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Plus, Microsoft is also offering a special surprise for PC players during this time in honor of Xbox's 25th anniversary as part of these updates. Starting in November, customers who buy eligible Windows 11 PCs will be able to claim PC versions of 25 Xbox games with a total value of over $500.

This collection includes classics like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Minecraft Dungeons, and Gears of War: Reloaded, to name a few.

Who is eligible for the free Xbox PC games?

This free collection of games (all digital, no discs) will only be valid with the purchase of select Windows devices sold from participating U.S. retailers from November 2, 2026, to December 31, 2026. Microsoft describes in its small print that offers to 'claim this collection' for your eligible device in the Microsoft Store app will be available until November 30, 2026.

You must activate your PC and claim the digital game bundle for your Microsoft account by December 2, 2027. You'll be able to check aka.ms/XBOXbundle on November 2, 2026, for game compatibility, system requirements, ratings, and full offer terms.

When you claim these titles, their PC versions will be linked to your Microsoft account and will become playable on any compatible Windows PC. Plus, some select titles will also be playable on Xbox Series X|S consoles with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

Note that some devices eligible for this giveaway will not be able to play all the games within this collection.

Christmas is coming early for Xbox fans in November

This free Xbox giveaway list is already stacked with some incredible titles from the few confirmed titles alone. We have Gears of War: Reloaded, the HD remaster of the iconic third-person shooter that still holds up today with its brutal gunplay, gritty story, and addictive multiplayer.

There's also Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the first HD remaster of the first Halo that completely retains the gameplay of the original game while improving its graphics. Plus, unlike Halo: Campaign Evolved, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary comes with PvP multiplayer modes to keep players busy long after beating the campaign.

Then there's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Bethesda Softworks' magnum opus of an open-world RPG that people still play to this day for its immersive world and lore, engaging gameplay, and near-infinite modding compatibility.

We also have the cutesy Minecraft Dungeons, which is a fun, beginner-friendly ARPG that combines the hack-and-slash and looting gameplay of Diablo with the universe of Minecraft. Finally, we have Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, a full-blown remaster of the genre-revolutionizing real-time strategy game that features co-op, competitive multiplayer, mods, and full crossplay.

With such high-profile games, I can't wait to see what the rest of the free Xbox games being given away by Microsoft are as we inch closer to Xbox's 25th anniversary. Needless to say, it's going to be one heck of a birthday party.

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Microsoft just shared a massive blog post recapping major Windows 11 changes, including new Photos app features, an improved Search experience, expanded phone integration, and gaming improvements.

Many of the changes highlighted by Microsoft have already been announced, or even fully detailed elsewhere. But with Windows 11 in the middle of a significant refresh, gathering them all in one place is useful.

While much of the post focuses on previously known improvements, Microsoft also used it to introduce a few genuinely new additions, including the redesigned Photos app and an Xbox anniversary game bundle for eligible PC buyers.

Here's a quick rundown of the features Microsoft highlighted:

• New Photos app
• Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD)
• Windows 11 performance improvements
  • Faster Start menu
  • Faster File Explorer
  • Faster Search
  • Faster Snipping Tool
  • Faster Settings
  • Memory optimizations
  • Reduced Widgets memory usage
  • Reduced update times
• Bluetooth and AirPods improvements
• Windows Hello improvements
• A push to improve driver quality
• Expanded Phone Link features
• Microsoft Ink Canvas
• Advanced Haptics
• Improved accessibility

One of the biggest changes is the new Search experience that allows you to perform actions from the taskbar. The new Search is faster, supports inline actions, and lets you perform tasks without opening related apps or settings menus. The new Search is already in testing among Windows Insiders.

Microsoft explains that improvements to Windows 11 results in an experience that feels up to 20 percent more responsive. That improvement comes as the result of several efforts from Microsoft, such as optimizing memory management and streamlining in-box apps.

The company also highlights that Windows 11 is more reliable and customizable than before. Over the past year the Widgets Panel has been cleaned, the taskbar has gained the option to be placed on other parts of your screen, and Windows Update has been improved.

Microsoft specifically highlighted Bluetooth improvements, including AirPods pairing that it says is up to 15 seconds faster.

On the gaming side of things, Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) reduces the initial load time of games by delivering precompiled shaders. Forza Horizon 6 and Gears of War: E-Day are supported now and more titles should gain support in the future.

The improvements to Windows 11 will help anyone with an up-to-date PC, but it's clear Microsoft is taking the opportunity to suggest people buy a new PC. As part of that effort, the company has an Xbox 25th Anniversary bundle that includes over $500 worth of games. The collection includes several major titles, including Skyrim Special Edition, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Age of Empires II Definitive Edition, Minecraft Dungeons, and Gears of War: Reloaded.

"A new PC is a meaningful purchase, and the value should show up in more than a spec sheet," says Microsoft. "The reason to upgrade is not just one feature; it is how [experiences] work together to make more of your day feel effortless."

Another Microsoft blog post highlights deals as we head into the holidays.

Microsoft shared a commitment to listen to feedback earlier this year. The company followed up with several improvements as part of its Windows K2 initiative. It's taken time for those promises to move from feedback and Insider testing to broader availability, but Windows 11 is now seeing some of its most significant changes in years.

The real question is whether these improvements change buying behavior. Microsoft clearly believes a faster, more reliable Windows experience can help convince people to upgrade.

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It's been a busy week in the world of mods and ports. While most gamers, including me, have been focusing on the PS5's jailbreak and the ability to emulate PS5 games on Xbox hardware, there's another project capturing the attention of die-hard Microsoft fans.

As reported by Hackaday, a savvy modder has figured out how to get Super Mario 64 running on a Microsoft Zune HD. Yes, the ill-fated music player that once put up a valiant fight against Apple's iPod has been repurposed as a micro-portable gaming handheld.

This project comes from GitHub user rsheldiii, who effectively ported the sm64ex version (containing a full decompilation of Super Mario 64 running on Linux and Windows) to the portable media player that launched in 2009.

Creator rsheldiii explains that the mod "plays (mostly) at full speed with sound, touch controls and saves." You're asked to provide the ROM for the game yourself in order to circumvent any legal issues, but otherwise, it appears that all you'll need to test it out yourself is a Zune HD in working order and an x86-64 Linux PC with Docker and Git.

It's explained that the first run of the game takes "five to ten minutes" to complete as it builds a container image and downloads compilers. The game is controlled entirely with touch, and the Nintendo 64's native buttons are clearly displayed on the screen.

The video provided by the creator on the GitHub page (I'm not sure if the YouTube version I used here is hosted by the same person) shows just how easy it is to start playing Super Mario 64 once everything is installed.

Within seconds, the game is launched, and Mario is running towards the castle to choose a mission. Once in a mission, the game appears to run smoothly, with the player not having any evident issues with controls.

I, unfortunately, do not have any spare Zune HDs lying around my office, or I'd be all over this little hack. Is it something you'd consider trying out? Let me know in the comments section below!

A brief history of Microsoft's failed iPod competitor

Microsoft launched the original Zune media player on November 4, 2006, roughly five years after Apple's first iPod hit markets. Yes, the Zune was created to compete in the shifting world of MP3 players, eventually arriving at the Zune HD model in 2009.

It was a significant upgrade thanks to a 3.3-inch OLED touch display, an NVIDIA Tegra processor (which undoubtedly helps this little Mario 64 hack get legs), an accelerometer, and up to 64GB of flash storage.

Zune hardware was discontinued in 2011, not because the iPod killed it, but because it failed to kill the iPod. It was ultimately late to the party, kept quiet once it arrived, and slipped out before it all ended. At that same party was the newfound smartphone, and it seemed to be getting most of the attention anyway.

Microsoft completely retired the Zune branding in 2017.

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Microsoft Teams will soon have a new feature that will deliver high-quality video to event attendees. An upcoming update to Teams will add the option to share videos directly from OneDrive.

At the moment, sharing video during Teams events often requires screen sharing or embedding videos in PowerPoint. The first solution lowers quality and the second requires extra work. Being able to share a video directly from OneDrive will provide a smoother experience while also improving quality.

Microsoft detailed through the Microsoft 365 Message Center (archived here):

"Microsoft Teams will soon support sharing video directly from OneDrive during Teams events. Organizers and producers using Manage what attendees see can load videos from OneDrive and present them on stage without screen sharing a local media player or embedding videos in PowerPoint. This improvement provides smoother, higher-quality video playback for attendees and simplifies event production through built-in video playback controls."

The feature is expected to start rolling out in early November and should be available to all users by the end of December.

I run an American football team and we study film from games and practices. But because we are not attached to a specific school or building, our players and coaches are spread across the area. That makes film study events easier to schedule, but there are limits to presenting remotely. One of the biggest drawbacks is video quality.

In the past I've had to share my screen and play videos on my desktop, which is both awkward for me and a poor viewing experience for attendees. Videos shared this way can appear laggy and have lower resolution than videos played natively on a device.

I switched away from Microsoft Teams for film study a few years ago due to other changes made to Teams, but support for sharing videos directly from OneDrive will make me try Teams again.

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Windows 11 users and Surface enthusiasts had a busy week. Microsoft held an event to showcase the Surface Laptop Ultra, a new Search experience, and a bunch of AI features and integrations across Microsoft services.

Like the original Surface Pro, this week’s Windows and Surface event tried to be a 2-in-1. Unfortunately, just like the first-gen Surface Pro, the event failed to thrive in either of its two categories.

The first 20 minutes of the event felt like a Build session. That’s not a bad thing. Build is an important event for developers. But it’s not aimed at general audiences and is full of technical jargon.

Biggest News of the Week

Anyone who tuned in to the Windows and Surface event hoping for a closer look at the Surface Laptop Ultra would have glazed over at talks of Llama.cpp and Microsoft Execution Containers.

After watching several speakers focus on the technical aspects of AI and development, I assumed the entire event would be like that. Which made the rest of the event confusing.

After filling our eyes and ears with jargon and likely convincing many to stop watching, Microsoft switched gears and showed off a truly useful feature for Windows 11.

The improved Search experience is a consumer-facing feature that is a breath of fresh air to Windows 11. It looks good, is more functional than what it replaces, and according to Microsoft is more efficient while also performing better.

Shortly after unveiling the new Search, Microsoft shared details about the Surface Laptop Ultra. That PC is designed and priced for developers and power users, but it is intriguing to enthusiasts. On top of being the most powerful Surface ever, it has cool features like its magnetic USB-C port.

Microsoft appears confident in the Surface Laptop Ultra. The company’s website now features a banner telling people “break up with your MacBook.”

But the event wasn’t structured in a way that showed the same confidence. The event felt like someone pasted PowerPoint slides from different presentations into a single document.

Who was this event for?

I expected to be frustrated by the Windows and Surface event. I said two weeks ago that Microsoft undercut the event. And I’ve said all year that Surface has lost its identity as a brand.

While I am frustrated, it’s for an entirely different reason than I expected. Microsoft announced interesting things for Windows and Surface. I think the event lived up to its description on YouTube that promised to show "RTX Spark and new experiences designed to unlock more possibilities for developers and builders."

But I don’t think that was shown off in a way that appeals to the masses. The features and devices shown on stage may create buzz, but the event itself did not.

Shopping with Sean

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days came and went, but some of the best tech deals are still live. My top pick is a small discount on the XPS 13 that drops the laptop to $799.99.

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