• The new changes in Windows 11’s settings aim to streamline how users select their default apps, addressing longstanding complaints about the difficulty of switching from Microsoft’s default programs
• Microsoft’s insistence on setting Edge as the default for certain link types, like hyperlinks in Outlook and Teams, has caused frustration among users and app developers. Microsoft claims this was meant to improve workflow, but it has spurred criticism about limiting user choice
• This update, discovered by Windows observer Albacore in a Windows 11 preview build, is still in development. Microsoft’s willingness to adjust the default app settings could signal a shift toward more user-friendly options, though it remains to be seen if the final implementation will fully address user concerns

Microsoft has taken to redesigning Windows 11’s settings for its default apps, bringing changes to how people choose their preferred apps in the operating system (OS). This will affect apps that automatically open certain types of files or web links. It’s suspected to have to do with Microsoft’s reluctance to let users pick an app not made by the company, such as using the Chrome web browser instead of Microsoft Edge, for example.

The tech giant has been fairly forceful in trying to steer users towards its own browser that comes installed on new Windows 10 or 11. It’s become a common point of complaint for users, as lots of us have own own apps that we prefer to use.

Microsoft is also sometimes suspected of making it hard to change what apps you use by default. Neowin found evidence that indicates that Microsoft deliberately added parts to its software to make modifications when users change their default apps. When speaking to Neowin in May 2023, Microsoft expalined that it added a modification that defaulted hyperlinks included in messages in Outlook and Teams to be opened with Edge. Apparently, this was meant to improve users’ workflow.

This position by Microsoft has triggered complaints from other software companies and individual users alike, which Neowin describes in-depth, as some feel the company has an unfair advantage. Luckily, it looks like Microsoft might actually be listening to these complains and making some user interface (UI) changes in the page about default app choices in the Settings app.

We expect to see new default-app related settings soon

The development was discovered and shared by X user and eager Windows observer Albacore, who often shares peeks of the newest additions and changes in Windows 11. This is a part of a recently released Windows 11 version 24H2 preview build (build number KB5045885), which was released in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program.

The change is still in development, with the rest of the new page in the Settings app being mostly filled with placeholder labels such as one titled "Set a default for a file type or link type."

If Microsoft fleshes this out, it could be seen as evidence that the company is still thinking about the user experience of its products. People want to be able to customize their user experience, and it can be especially annoying when Microsoft puts artificial blocks to changes to force people to use apps that they might not want to. We’ll have to see if Microsoft’s efforts bear fruit or if they fall by the wayside as the Windows 11 preview build makes its way with testers.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• End of an era: Microsoft is planning to phase out Windows 11’s Mail and Calendar apps by the end of this year
• Microsoft reportedly sabotaged Windows 95 and 98's Control Panel, or it looks that way – is this a worrying revelation?
• Windows 11 update fails are becoming a joke – but it looks like Microsoft is working hard on fixing them

• A new patch is being quietly pushed to Windows 10 (and 11) PCs
• It’ll force upgrades in certain circumstances to keep the PC in support
• This update will mean more nag prompts coming to your PC

Windows 10 users – and those running an out-of-date version of Windows 11 – are getting an update stealthily pushed to their PCs that will allow Microsoft to force a future update to the OS (to keep it in support), and also to nag users about support running out, too.

Neowin spotted the deployment of patch KB5001716, which the site notes has been quietly installed on Windows 10 PCs following the release of the October cumulative update. (It was also pushed to Windows 11 version 21H2 devices, which ran out of support over a year ago).

The patch is an update for Windows Update, essentially, and Microsoft notes: “When this update is installed, Windows may attempt to download and install feature updates to your device if it is approaching or has reached the end of support for your currently installed Windows version.”

Microsoft also observes: “After this update is installed, Windows may periodically display a notification informing you of problems that may prevent Windows Update from keeping your device up-to-date and protected against current threats.”

This means that KB5001716 will allow notifications to be presented to Windows 10 (and 11) users telling them that their device is running an unsupported version of Windows that is past its sell-by date for updates and is therefore insecure. For Windows 10 users, this likely translates into further badgering to move to Windows 11.

In some cases, given the first point Microsoft notes, the update may also be forced on your PC (eventually), as we see happening when any given version of Windows 10 or 11 runs out of road and is no longer supported for further upgrades.

Analysis: Repeat performance – the odd history of KB5001716

What Microsoft is doing here is trying to keep your device secure, so in some ways, it’s a perfectly understandable measure. As you may recall, Windows 10 has less than a year of support left now.

However, there are problems with the approach here: namely the stealthy way in which the update turns up on PCs. After checking for updates, this one seemingly just lands on your system – boom – without any warning.

What’s also odd is that if you search for KB5001716 on the web, you’ll find that there’s a history of this update mysteriously appearing on PCs. As reported on various forums such as Reddit, KB5001716 turned up in April 2024, and was piped to PCs before that in October 2023 as well.

What gives? That’s a good question. Presumably, these are revisions of KB5001716 – tweaked updates – that are being redelivered to Windows 10 (and 11) PCs. However, in some cases in the past, there were errors caused by the reinstallation, which seemingly conflicted with previous installs of the patch in some way. If you’ve recently got a message that KB5001716 failed to install on your PC, this is likely to be what’s happened.

The apparent cure for those scenarios is to go to the Windows Update page (in Settings) and click on View update history, then click on Uninstall updates at the top of the panel. Now, scroll back to find the previously installed KB5001716, then select and remove it. Reboot, head back to Windows Update, and check for updates again – whereupon the latest version of KB5001716 (for October 2024) should install okay (hopefully).

There’s seemingly no getting around this update, as it is a necessary upgrade for Windows Update (it’s possible that it may do other things in the background, too, apart from the reminders to upgrade and everything else mentioned in the support notes).

We should clarify that this won’t force a Windows 11 upgrade on a Windows 10 PC which isn’t compatible with the stricter requirements for the newest OS – but it’ll likely continue to nag you about upgrading (for your own good, Microsoft would obviously argue).

Indeed, we’d be surprised if it fired up any upgrade for Windows 11 automatically, even if the PC in question was compatible – but, we guess, perhaps this could happen. Normally forced upgrades are for feature updates, though, meaning new versions of your current operating system, like 24H2 which recently arrived as this year’s annual update for Windows 11. Migrating to a whole new OS, like jumping from Windows 10 to 11, is a much bigger move.

You may also like...

• Windows 11’s feature to allow typing with your Xbox controller has vanished in a blow for owners of handheld gaming PCs
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Windows 11 remains an unloved OS – but why won't people upgrade?

• Microsoft is ending support for Windows 11’s built-in Mail and Calendar apps after December 31, 2024, and users will need to switch to the web-based Outlook app
• Users can still access emails and calendar events in view-only mode in the Mail and Calendar apps, but won’t be able to send or receive emails
• Microsoft aims to unify email and calendar management in Outlook, though users are concerned about the web app’s lack of offline access and inconsistent design when compared to the rest of Windows 11

Microsoft is shutting down the built-in Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 11, which means you’ll no longer be able to send or receive emails or manage your calendar using those apps after December 31, 2024. This has been a long time coming, with Microsoft showing pop-up notifications about this in both apps for months – and now the end is officially nigh.

Users are being urged to switch to the new web-based Outlook app for Windows 11, as explained in a support document that outlines how Microsoft is planning to end support for the Mail, Calendar, and People apps on December 31. It appears that Microsoft wants to streamline all of its email and calendar features and services into this one app that will be accessible on every Windows device.

If you want to use those apps after December 31, it appears you can still do that by switching off the ‘New Outlook’ setting (by unchecking it) found in the new Outlook app’s settings, specifically Outlook > Settings > General > About Outlook.

Windows Latest reports that this will likely be a ‘view-only’ mode, allowing you to view your emails, drafts, contacts, and other details in the Mail and Calendar apps, but you won’t be able to send or receive emails, and will be redirected to the web-based Outlook. It apparently doesn’t work offline yet, and Microsoft is working on adding support for this in the next few weeks, which is good news as most people would expect a desktop email client to let you see and compose emails even if you briefly lose your internet connection.

What this means for Mail and Calendar app users

What this means for you is that starting January 1, 2025, you’ll have to switch to the new Outlook or use a third-party app. In the meantime, you can choose to follow Microsoft’s advice or close the reminder pop-up, clicking the ‘Not now’ option, although this will reappear the next time you use these apps.

One other workaround that you can try is to downgrade your Mail and Calendar apps to the previous versions, which seemingly gets rid of the pop-ups altogether, but this loophole will also stop working on December 31, 2024.

If you have emails, calendar events, and contacts in the Mail and Calendar apps that are saved only on your device, and you want to be able to access them in the web Outlook app, you’ll be able to export this information by using the ‘Export’ feature in both apps to add those emails or events to either a suitable third-party app of your choosing or to Outlook.

It looks like the reception of the new web Outlook app isn’t so hot, with some people complaining that it doesn’t ‘feel’ like the rest of the operating system. There seems to be a disconnect with the rest of Windows 11, and along with the lack of offline access, it still feels more like a website than a convenient app for many.

Along with Microsoft’s recent mishaps and problems brought on by the new Windows 11 24H2 update, I don’t see this move winning many people over. I think being able to see all of your admin information in one place is useful, but users of the Mail and Calendar apps may have come to rely on using these built-in applications which have been tightly integrated into Windows 11.

If the replacement Outlook web app lacks features and polish, I think Windows 11 users will feel let down at a time when Microsoft needs more people to switch to its latest operating system.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Alt + Tab trouble: Windows 11’s 24H2 update turns time-saving shortcut into ten-second headache
• Windows 11 24H2 misery continues, as Microsoft’s buggy update is now breaking printers – especially on Copilot+ PCs
• Windows 11 update fails are becoming a joke – but it looks like Microsoft is working hard on fixing them

• The Windows 11 24H2 update has caused some users to experience black screens or freezes when using the Alt + Tab shortcut, which should switch windows but now delays or glitches instead
• Some users have found turning off Game Mode can help as a temporary fix. Alternatively, users can revert to a previous version of Windows 11 if the issue is too disruptive
• Microsoft is aware of the problem and plans to release a patch in December 2024, though Windows 11’s reputation is being impacted by recurring update issues

Windows 11 24H2 was only released on October 1, 2024, but we’ve already seen a steady stream of issues reported about it since, and now there seems to be a new problem with the widely-used Alt + Tab keyboard shortcuts. Pressing these keys together reportedly triggers a black screen for some users after updating, rather than switching windows, as the shortcut should do.

Unfortunately, after updating to Windows 11 24H2, some users have been experiencing their PC freezing or just showing a black screen after using this shortcut. This was initially picked up on by Windows Latest, which links to posts on Reddit and on the Windows support forum about how some users have been dealing with the issue for weeks. So, if you are experiencing this glitch, you’re not alone.

According to reports, users are seeing their screens go black for about ten seconds before the shortcut finally works as intended. What should be a straightforward time saver in Windows 11 has become a pretty frustrating, unexpected pause.

What you can try next if you're experiencing this issue

According to PCWorld, Microsoft is aware of the problem but hasn’t released a fix just yet, although it’s promising to release a patch update in December 2024. Currently, you have a few options if you really wish to keep using the Alt + Tab shortcut as intended.

First, you can try turning off Game Mode. Some users in the above mentioned posts claim that this is a temporary workaround.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Go to Gaming in the left panel.

3. Select Game Mode and toggle the Game Mode setting to Off.

If this works, you’re probably okay to keep using the Alt + Tab shortcut for at least a while.

Otherwise, you can postpone installing Windows 11 24H2 or uninstall it and use an earlier version of Windows 11 until the problem is resolved. This would only be my recommendation if you really can’t live without this shortcut, as you’ll uninstall all the features, changes, and fixes the 24H2 update also brought. If you can bear it, I suggest you stay put until we get an official fix from Microsoft for it.

Windows 11 24H2 brings some useful and intriguing new features, but it’s in danger of developing a reputation that Microsoft will have to put effort into recovering from. All hope is not lost, as Windows 10 had some nasty bugs that were introduced in updates, yet it now it remains very popular among users. I suppose we’ll have to see how Windows 11 will continue to fare, and hope that Microsoft ends this run of faulty update and ultimately shape the operating system into something worth sticking with.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Windows 11 24H2 misery continues, as Microsoft’s buggy update is now breaking printers – especially on Copilot+ PCs
• Windows 11 update fails are becoming a joke – but it looks like Microsoft is working hard on fixing them
• New Windows 11 24H2 glitch sends File Explorer menu to the top of the screen – here’s how to get it back

• Notepad is getting a rewrite feature and generative fill is coming to Paint
• There are a fair few more AI abilities coming too, including generative erase
• One of the most impressive, generative fill, will only come to Copilot+ PCs

Windows 11’s Paint and Notepad stock apps have been worked on considerably in the recent past, and are getting some new AI features – albeit they’re only in testing for now.

Microsoft tells us that updates for these apps have started to roll out to testers in the Canary and Dev channels (which are the two earliest test channels).

Let’s start with Notepad which is getting a new ‘Rewrite’ ability. This works as you might imagine – you select some text, then fire up the tool which uses generative AI to do what it says on the tin, rewriting those words.

You get three different rewrites to choose from, and it’s possible to fine-tune the AI’s responses, so you can ask for something longer, for example, or in a different tone.

This ability is rolling out to testers in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and Italy. As with most of the new features here, it’ll require you to be signed in with a Microsoft account.

There’s another non-AI benefit for Notepad here in that the app will launch faster. Microsoft claims that Notepad will open more than 35% more swiftly, with some Windows 11 users seeing a speed boost of 55% or maybe even more. So, Notepad should be considerably nippier when appearing on your desktop.

Painting clever

Moving on to Paint, this core app is getting a feature called ‘generative fill’ which can be used to easily add an AI-generated element to an image.

The example Microsoft shows is a person making a landscape who decides they want a castle in the picture. So, they simply select the area where they want it situated, and feed the AI a prompt – in this case ‘medieval castle’ – and Paint goes through its processing for some seconds before the castle appears.

It’s nice and seamlessly integrated into the landscape, too, although we guess as ever with AI, the results could be variable. If you don’t like what Paint has provided, you can ask it to try again, and generative fill will run once more to deliver a different take on a castle (or whatever it is you want).

Moving from creation to destruction, we have ‘generative erase’ also inbound for Paint. This lets you highlight an element in an image – a person in the foreground for example – and it’ll be removed, with Paint filling in the empty space left to match the background. Again, it’s clever stuff.

In this case, you brush over the area to be erased, allowing for a more fine-tuned selection than generative fill where you draw a box.

Analysis: Copilot+ caveats

These are some pretty nifty AI-powered abilities with some slight caveats. The main one being that Paint’s generative fill is only going to be available with Copilot+ PCs that have a Snapdragon (Arm) CPU initially. We presume it’ll come to other (non-Arm) Copilot+ PCs soon enough – but as to whether Windows 11 users with a ‘normal’ PC will ever get it, that might not be the case (as it may require the beefy NPU which is a requirement for a Copilot+ machine).

All the other features are coming to non-Copilot+ devices, mind, but there’s another bonus here for Copilot+ PC owners. This is that Cocreator in Paint – which is also exclusive to these Windows 11 devices, and creates AI-generated images from scratch – has been made faster, with fine-tuning to its “underlying diffusion-based model” as Microsoft explains. So, everything you do with Cocreator should happen more swiftly.

The other potential catch, we guess, is that this is more fuel to the fire of discontent for some users who think that Notepad is getting beefed up too much with features – those folks would no doubt say bloated – and that this is at odds with its core philosophy. That said, at least the freshly introduced sizeable performance boost for booting the app will go down well.

All of these features are still in early testing, as noted, so it could be some time before they hit PCs running the release version of Windows 11. Microsoft sounds like it’s being cautious with the rollout in testing, as it’s going to “monitor feedback and see how it lands” before pushing these updates to more Windows Insiders. Even if you’re a tester, then, you may not see these new features for a while yet.

You may also like...

• Windows 11’s feature to allow typing with your Xbox controller has vanished in a blow for owners of handheld gaming PCs
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Windows 10 has a year left to live – but are users prepared to upgrade to Windows 11?

• Windows 11 24H2 is reportedly causing a lot of problems with printers
• This affects all major printer makers, mainly on Copilot+ PCs
• Microsoft has admitted the problem and provided some workarounds

Windows 11 24H2 is continuing its run of trouble with bugs and this time we’re hearing about various difficulties with printers, which are mostly hitting Arm-based Copilot+ PCs, but also other computers (with x86 Intel and AMD chips) too.

Neowin reports that there are quite a number of complaints from those with printers who have upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 and are finding their device is no longer working. This is affecting all the best-known printer manufacturers, the likes of Brother, Canon, HP and so forth.

The issue is mainly being experienced by those with a Copilot+ PC powered by an Arm processor, as mentioned, and it either completely derails the printer, leaving it non-functional, or breaks certain features. In other cases, Windows 11 users can’t install the printer driver.

As noted at the outset, these gremlins in the works are also hitting standard (non-Arm, Intel and AMD CPU-based) PCs, and there are reports of various printer hiccups, and indeed printers vanishing from these systems, too.

On Reddit, one admin observes in a post about ‘24H2 problems hitting us hard’ that: “Print queues [are] clogging, that’s if the driver wasn’t randomly deleted from the machine.”

Printers going missing, or the driver being removed, appear to be common themes with 24H2, as well as not being able to install (or reinstall) said printer driver.

Potential workarounds to fix printer installation problems

Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and produced a support document which provides some possible workarounds to get your printer going on an Arm PC.

The company notes: “Some Arm PCs (for example, Copilot+ PCs) may not be able to add or install a printer using the included installer or the installer from the manufacturer’s website.”

The first suggestion to get around an installation failure is simply to connect your printer using a USB port.

Otherwise, you can connect the printer by going into the Settings app, then Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, where you select the Add device option. This then allows you to manually add the printer to your system (hopefully, at any rate).

With any luck, one of these two options will help you get around any inability to install a printer – though there may still be other scenarios where printers are misfiring with Windows 11 24H2 by the sound of things.

All this comes among a raft of issues with Windows 11 24H2, including new Intel Z890 motherboards constantly crashing, drive space mysteriously vanishing, and also Task Manager malfunctioning among many other problems. The good news is that Microsoft is working on fixing a bunch of these bugs already, but there’s a lot of firefighting to be done.

You may also like...

• Windows 11’s feature to allow typing with your Xbox controller has vanished in a blow for owners of handheld gaming PCs
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Windows 10 has a year left to live – but are users prepared to upgrade to Windows 11?

• A possibly intentional delay with the Control Panel has been found
• Presumably, it was necessary as a workaround in the distant past
• But it may not inspire confidence in those facing odd bugs in Windows 11

A rash of recent issues with the Windows 11 24H2 update has left many users frustrated with their systems, and it probably won’t be any comfort for those folks to learn that Microsoft has reportedly tampered with old Windows versions to make them run slower (albeit in the distant past, and with one relatively small aspect).

As spotted by German tech site WinFuture (via Neowin), Oerg866 on X posted to reveal that Windows 95 and 98 had a ‘hard-coded 8 second delay’ when using the ‘Add New Hardware’ wizard in the Control Panel.

While it isn’t at all clear why this occurs on the now-ancient operating systems, it’s worth wondering why Microsoft decided to implement this delay.

It seems a baffling move on the face of it, but there’s presumably a reason why the long pause was added in by programmers (unless it was just a mistake - which seems unlikely, and it’d be quite the blunder if it was).

What seems most likely is that the delay was introduced due to hardware limitations at the time, meaning there must have been some issues with devices back in the day which required this pause as a workaround. Why the delay had to be so lengthy is anyone’s guess, though.

It also makes you wonder if Microsoft introduced any other similar stalling tactics in these old versions of Windows - or indeed in more modern operating systems like Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Should we be worried about the Control Panel in Windows 11?

It goes without saying that we don’t need to worry about Windows 9x versions anymore (Windows 95 and 98 are older than me). There should be no reason for a similar delay to occur in Windows 11, either, unless it really was an error - which could prompt the question: are there other such blunders still hanging around in the legacy Control Panel?

That thought wouldn’t exactly bolster the confidence of anyone currently using the 24H2 update and running into some of the aforementioned problems with the upgrade.

The ton of bugs that come with Windows 11 24H2 include problems that have left PCs with Intel motherboards suffering from BSODs (Blue Screen of Death crashes). Also, a good few of these glitches are really odd affairs - like a File Explorer menu disappearing off the top of the screen - admittedly not nearly as head-scratching as the reported hard-coded delay, mind you.

The old Control Panel won’t be around forever, of course. Microsoft is planning to gradually migrate the legacy Control Panel’s functions into the new Settings app in Windows 11 with its modern user interface.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft to ask the company about the discovered delay in Windows 95 and 98, and whether it might be able to shed any light on what was going on behind the scenes here. We’ll be sure to update this story if we hear back.

You might also like...

• Microsoft is so desperate for people to drop Google for Bing it’s offering a $1 million reward
• Fed up with Windows 11’s look? New mod lets you revamp the desktop, including the floating taskbar once seen in a Windows 12 leak
• Good news! Soon Windows 11 updates won't take forever thanks to 24H2's speed boost

• New Windows 11 preview build is almost entirely about bug fixing
• There are some important fixes delivered for the Start menu and more
• Microsoft is working hard to firefight all the glitches in Windows 11 24H2

Windows 11 has been hit by a whole load of bugs in recent times, with the move to version 24H2, as you’ve probably noticed – but the more positive news is that Microsoft is busy fixing a fair few of those gremlins in the works.

We’ve got evidence of this courtesy of the latest preview release of Windows 11 pushed out to the Dev channel, namely build 26120.2213.

Microsoft lists the work underway in terms of bug fixing in the usual blog post, and while there’s a whole lot of resolving glitches going on, some of it’s more mundane – so let’s pick out some of the highlights.

A notable bug we’ve recently reported has hit Task Manager, resulting in it showing that there are zero apps and processes running on the host PC – which, of course, can never happen (otherwise Windows 11 itself wouldn’t be working, never mind anything else). Microsoft informs us that it has resolved this issue where Task Manager is claiming a zero count for running processes.

On top of that, an ‘underlying issue’ with the most recent 24H2 preview that meant some games were completely failing to launch has been cured here.

Multiple bugs with the Windows 11 Start menu have been fixed with build 26120, including one where people were seeing a large amount of spacing between the apps present in the menu’s list of applications. There also a broad cure for an issue “impacting Start menu reliability” we’re told.

There’s a similar problem with File Explorer where items in the navigation pane were also becoming too spread out, with too much spacing between them for some users, and this has been remedied too. A more minor issue where RAW images taken in portrait mode were displaying in landscape mode with File Explorer’s thumbnails has also been fixed.

Furthermore, Microsoft has applied a clutch of fixes for various minor problems with the taskbar, including a glitch where the ‘X’ button to close a window off the taskbar preview (that pops up when you hover over the app on the bar) wasn’t working.

Analysis: It’s all about the bug squashing

This preview release of Windows 11 is notable because there’s hardly anything at all here in terms of feature additions (just a minor change for the IME toolbar which won’t make any difference to most users).

Almost all of this build is about fixing bugs, and aside from that, there are a couple of known issues flagged which haven’t yet been resolved. One of those is the bugs with the new gamepad keyboard layout for Windows 11 users that have meant it has been put on ice for the time being, and the other is a problem where those running multiple monitors are seeing corruption with their desktop background (with “big black areas” appearing mysteriously).

Microsoft is still working on the cures for those issues, and a fair few other problems besides that are affecting the latest incarnation of its desktop OS. To say Windows 11 24H2 has got off to a rocky start in terms of bugs is something of an understatement, in fact, but it does appear that Microsoft is working hard to firefight these various problems.

You may also like...

• Windows 11 or bust: Microsoft is boldly urging Windows 10 users to move on, or get left behind
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Windows 10 has a year left to live – but are users prepared to upgrade to Windows 11?

• Paint 3D won’t be available from the Microsoft Store after today
• Microsoft warned us the app was on the way out a few months ago
• If you install it, you can keep Paint 3D, but it won’t be patched up

Windows 11 (and 10) users should be aware that it’s the final day for one of the optional apps for Microsoft’s operating system, namely Paint 3D.

We should clarify that this is the ‘3D’ spin on Paint, not the vanilla Microsoft Paint app which remains a core part of Windows 11 to this day (and is still being actively developed).

The scrapping of Paint 3D isn’t a surprise, mind, as we’ve had ample warning about the impending demise of the application.

To recap the tale of Paint 3D, you may recall it first graced Windows 10 as a new stock app in 2016, not long after the OS launched, as part of the first update. (This was the ‘Creators Update’ back when Microsoft had a plan to run themed feature updates for Windows 10, an idea that rapidly ran out of steam and evaporated into nothingness).

However, Paint 3D never really got off the ground (we’ll come back to why in a moment), and was removed from the collection of stock apps installed with Windows by default in 2021.

Since then, you could still grab Paint 3D from the Microsoft Store if you wanted the app, but now the final curtain is being drawn. After today, it will no longer be available to download as an option from the store (a fact that Microsoft warned us about via a pop-up back in August 2024).

So, if you want Paint 3D, grab it now, before today is over – and be aware that this is the final nail in the coffin for the venerable app.

Who cares about Paint 3D anyway?

Well, it’s a fair question. Indeed, you may have forgotten about Paint 3D completely. It wasn’t a big hit with the Windows 10 audience in general – or indeed Windows 11, though it had been dropped by that time – hence the reason for it getting the elbow.

Paint 3D tried something different in offering the functionality for creating 3D models, as the name suggests, so you could for example use it to turn a photo into a 3D model.

Also, as Ghacks – which reminded us about today’s deadline – points out, it was built to be more touch-friendly than vanilla Paint (with larger icons and sliders that make it easier to use with your fingers).

There was a niche audience that appreciated Paint 3D, certainly, but it was just that, a pretty small number of fans – so Microsoft didn’t push forward with any real drive to further develop the app as a result.

We should note that if you’ve installed Paint 3D, it won’t go anywhere, or be removed from your PC. But if you don’t have it, this is your last chance to get the app.

Bear in mind, though, that Microsoft won’t be doing any work with the client going forward, so if vulnerabilities pop up for example, they’ll remain unpatched. (In theory anyway, though if something particularly huge and gaping opened up exploit-wise, the software giant might take action). In short, you can continue using Paint 3D at your own risk, should you wish to do so.

You may also like...

• Windows 11 or bust: Microsoft is boldly urging Windows 10 users to move on, or get left behind
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Best free games of 2024: gaming fun at no cost

Windows 11 version 24H2, the latest major feature update for the operating system (OS), is acting up again with a peculiar menu glitch in File Explorer, an important part of the OS that allows you to browse through file systems.

This new issue affects the “See more” menu, which flies out when you press a button labeled with three dots (or ellipses) and shows various actions you can do within File Explorer like "Select All" or "View Properties." Originally, the menu was meant to open as a dropdown menu below your mouse cursor.

Unfortunately, a newly discovered bug causes this menu to appear at the very top of the screen, often out of sight, making the menu difficult or impossible to read and use because some options are rendered outside of your screen. Windows Latest reports that this glitch appears while using File Explorer in full screen mode, providing screen recordings of the bug in action.

An easy way out of the woods (or back into the screen)

It’s not the most fatal flaw, but it does have plenty of potential to be incredibly annoying. The good news is that a fix is luckily pretty straightforward. To access the ‘See more’ menu fully, you’ll need to use File Explorer in window mode, then adjust the size of the File Explorer window so that the ‘See more’ menu is visible, even if it opens in its new unusual spot in your display.

Also, it seems like Microsoft is aware of the problem and working on a fix, according to Windows Latest, who asked the company about the bug, and this will be added to a future Windows 11 cumulative update. You can learn more about what Microsoft has in store in Windows Latest’s outline of future Windows 11 updates.

I understand that this isn’t a major issue for Windows 11, but this kind of baffling (and annoying) error is now considered pretty common for 24H2 and Windows 11 in general. Most people will probably get used to this state, but it also creates an opportunity for users to be lured away by the promise of an intuitive, functional OS that doesn’t malfunction as often.

While Windows 10 now enjoys the biggest user base out of Microsoft’s OSs, it also garnered a reputation of being buggy sometimes after updates, and it looks like Windows 11 isn’t escaping that fate – for now at least, unless Microsoft puts a little more effort into countering that.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Microsoft refreshes Windows Hello to make signing in with your face (or fingers) much more pleasant with Windows 11
• Windows 11’s feature to allow typing with your Xbox controller has vanished in a blow for owners of handheld gaming PCs
• Microsoft's Recall feature for Windows pushed back again as privacy and security matters keep the AI tool on hold

Windows Hello, Microsoft’s biometric authentication feature that enables Windows 11 users to sign into their devices and apps using facial recognition, their fingerprint, or a PIN, is getting a new look in a fresh Beta Channel preview build that’s now available to members of the Windows Insider Program.

The upgraded Windows Hello has a more visually appealing sign-in experience, better matching the design style of Windows 11’s modern look in a bid to make signing in and authenticating via Windows Hello feel easier and more seamless.

You’ll be able to see Windows Hello’s updated visuals in places like the Windows 11 sign-in screen, when using passkeys (another password-free sign-in method that makes use of Windows Hello), and in the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft is also adding a new Windows Hello credential experience for passkeys. With Windows Hello allowing you to authenticate passkeys more easily, you can switch between authentication methods and choose which passkey or device you’d like to log in with.

More changes and fixes in this Beta build

If you use Windows Hello, you’ll also have more options when choosing how you log in and authenticate permissions on your device, and there are other feature updates you can read more deeply about in the changelog for Beta Channel Preview Build 22635.4440 (KB5045889).

Other changes this upgrade brings include overall tweaks and fixes aimed at improving the overall experience of Windows 11, temporarily disabling a new game controller keyboard to address issues (after which, the feature will be included in a future update), and bug fixes.

These developments are currently being tested and monitored for feedback from members of the Windows Insider Program, which any Windows user with an eligible device can enroll in. You can join if you’re keen to experience Microsoft’s freshest features, albeit sometimes prone to glitches, or you can wait a little while longer until these changes and features are included in a future update after being fully tested.

I hope Microsoft gets Windows Hello and passkeys right g, as I would probably use something like this. Like almost every device user on Earth, I’m sick of having to remember multiple complex passwords. Something like Windows Hello has the potential to make a lot of people’s lives a little easier and steps like this redesign could open up the possibility to more people than before.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Windows 11 could soon fix your password headaches as Microsoft welcomes third-party passkeys to the OS
• Google Chrome is enlisting Windows Hello’s help so you can log in more easily and stay secure
• Windows 11's new passkey feature lets you talk to the hand (or face) and kiss those annoying passwords goodbye

Windows 11 users who were keen to get the new gamepad keyboard layout – to facilitate easy typing using an Xbox controller on your PC via the on-screen keyboard – will be disappointed to learn that the feature has been put on hold.

That probably includes a fair few handheld owners, who were doubtless excited to see this functionality appear in testing back at the start of September 2024, before it started to roll out with the latest Windows 11 update for 24H2 at the end of October (we should note that this is a preview update).

However, PhantomOfEarth, a well-known leaker on X, noticed that the mention of the gamepad keyboard layout has been removed from this preview update for 24H2, and that it’s being disabled on PCs which have already installed that update.

Neowin reports that Microsoft actually mentioned the rollout has been paused in a recent Beta channel preview build, informing us that: “We have temporarily disabled the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that began rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel with Build 22635.4145 to address some issues. This feature will be roll out again in a future flight.”

Analysis: Patience is a virtual keyboard

In theory, with the gamepad keyboard appearing in last month’s preview update for Windows 11 24H2, the full rollout should have kicked off next week – with the release of the finished November patch 24H2. However, Microsoft appears to have taken the feature back to the drawing board for now, as clearly there are problems here – though Microsoft doesn’t drop any hints as to what these stumbling blocks might be.

What this means is that it’ll probably be a fair bit longer before the feature actually rolls out to Windows 11 users outside of testing. After all, Microsoft seemingly has a lot of fixing to do with Windows 11 24H2, which has encountered more than its fair share of bugs so far – and this appears to be another hitch to throw on the growing pile.

So, you’ll have to be patient for the feature to come to fruition, most likely, and we’ll be keeping an eye on the test channels to see when the controller keyboard layout returns into the mix with Windows 11 preview builds.

The gamepad on-screen keyboard allows you to type swiftly with the controller, and includes shortcuts to use buttons for functions like backspace, or pressing the spacebar (which Microsoft calls ‘button accelerators’). The keyboard also benefits from a tweaked layout that’s optimized for typing with your gamepad.

It’ll doubtless be a useful addition for those who regularly game with their controller on their PC, or indeed owners of Windows 11-powered handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X.

You may also like...

• Why Windows 12 needs to go all in on Xbox Game Bar to stay ahead of macOS
• Don’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11
• Best free games of 2024: gaming fun at no cost