Microsoft Weekly: New Start menu layout, legacy features and apps, and more

Speaking of updates, a new discovery was made this weekend. Security researchers demonstrated a way to roll back security updates to exploit already patched vulnerabilities. Microsoft is already aware of the issue and is working on a way to fix it.

Microsoft has deprecated PostScript Type 1 fonts in Windows. The company plans to remove them in future updates after Adobe ends support. In the updated list of deprecated features in Windows client versions, Microsoft encourages developers to test how removing these fonts will affect their applications.

Another thing that is coming to an end is Windows 11 versions 21H2 and 22H2. Microsoft has issued another reminder that these two operating systems will soon no longer be supported. Now you have less than 60 days to upgrade to something more recent.

We’re not done with Microsoft products dying soon. As it turns out, Paint 3D is also going six feet underground. Users have noticed that the app is now displaying a notification about its upcoming end-of-life on November 4th. But the real question is: do you remember Paint 3D?

Just as Windows 11 reached its all-time high in July 2024, Microsoft Edge is also breaking its previous records. The latest data from Statcounter revealed that Microsoft’s browser now holds 13.74% of the desktop browser market. It’s still a far cry from Google Chrome, which had a 64.72% share in July, but progress is progress, no matter how slow.

Finally, here’s an interesting project that lets you transform Windows 11 into Windows 10 with one click. Why anyone would want to do that instead of just installing Windows 10 is an open question, but there you have it:

Windows Insider Program

Here’s what Microsoft released for testing in the Windows Insider program this week:

In addition to new builds, Microsoft has released a major update to the Microsoft Store. The August 2024 Update includes good changelogs for app updates, a new section, search improvements, reworked badges, in-app event widgets, and more.

The latest Windows 11 Beta build also has a working version of the recently spotted “Categories” view. The feature isn’t public yet, so getting it to work will require some fiddling with a third-party modding tool.

Clipchamp, another web application from Microsoft, got some new features, such as background image removal and noise suppression.

Files, one of our favorite apps, has received a new feature update. Version 3.6 is available now in the Microsoft Store with a bunch of improvements, like a horizontal layout for the Dual Pane view, per-folder wallpapers, a new actions menu, and more.

Speaking of favorite apps, if you know of some, you can nominate them now for the 2024 Microsoft Store App Awards. Nominations are open until September 15, with winners announced in October. Submissions are accepted from developers and regular users.

Microsoft’s latest Surface devices are coming to business customers. Business-focused models of the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 5G are available for pre-order now from the Microsoft Store . By the way, if you already own a Copilot+ PC, you can now install Adobe’s Premiere Pro video editing software. While it’s not yet ARM-native, Adobe has made it possible to run it via emulation.

Microsoft has released a new preview update for Teams, with the biggest change being the ability to hide the Discover feed, a stream of new messages from various channels. Microsoft 365 Insiders can preview the update now, and it shouldn’t be long before it hits the Stable Channel.

Microsoft 365 Insiders also have access to a new feature in Word. People with compatible touchscreen devices can draw perfect shapes using the Draw and Hold option. Basically, this lets you take a bad drawing of a shape and hold it for a few seconds so the app can straighten out the lines.

Firefox got a major new update this week. Version 129.0 hit the Release Channel on August 6, bringing new features to Reader View, tab previews, security improvements, and other changes.

There were no major updates for Microsoft Edge, but the browser did receive some notable improvements. In the Stable Channel, Edge received several security fixes. In the Dev Channel, Microsoft updated it to version 129 with improvements to Gamer Mode and Browser Essentials.

Other notable updates include:

And here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

Another important driver-related story this week concerns Nvidia R555+ drivers causing blue screens of death on certain computers. If you have a PC with, say, a Core 2 Duo processor and a still-supported Nvidia card like the GTX 750 Ti, then you should stay away from R555+ drivers as they will throw your computer into a blue screen of death loop. You can also adjust Windows Update settings to prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating your GPU driver.

Additionally, Nvidia has released a new version of its recently introduced Nvidia App for Windows 10 and 11. In the latest beta version, the program receives a new screen customization section, RTX video improvements, and several minor tweaks based on user feedback.

MSI, ASUS, and other manufacturers have also begun rolling out new Intel microcode to address issues with Intel’s 13th and 14th generation processors. To protect your chips, install the update as soon as possible, as the damage from crashing is irreversible, even with Intel’s extended warranty.

Finally, we present this week’s Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly, a series in which we discuss new features coming soon to Microsoft’s productivity apps, including Clipchamp, Outlook, Microsoft Viva, and more.

On the gaming side

Find out about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, free gifts, deals, discounts, and more.

Activision announced details this week about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombie mode, such as two maps, fight with up to three friends, unlock new locations, buy weapons and fight against dozens of zombies.

Half-Life 3 Confirmed? Yeah, it’s time to make that joke again. But this time it might actually make sense, as data miners have discovered traces of what is believed to be the long-awaited sequel to Half-Life 2 from many years ago. Of course, not much is known at this point, so take that information with a good dose of skepticism.

Offers and free extras:

Now for the part where you spend money on the games you’ll never play. This week’s Weekend PC Game Deals feature a ton of discounts across a variety of topics. If you don’t want to pay, here are the latest freebies from the Epic Games Store: The Store is giving away CYGNI: All weapons at the ready And DNF duel.

Also check out other gaming stories from this week:

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