Microsoft is finally changing how the Windows 11 operating system installs GPU drivers. According to the latest document, Microsoft is introducing a new method to manage driver installation in Windows 11, aiming to prevent the previous issue where the system would automatically install GPU drivers, overriding newer installations and potentially downgrading them to older versions. To address this, Microsoft is simplifying its hardware identification targeting system from a four-part stack to a new two-part model. Reportedly, the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) will now combine the Hardware ID (HWID) and Computer Hardware ID (CHID) into a new target, ensuring that the installed version is the newest and preventing downgrades.

PC OEMs are known for bundling older drivers with their PCs. By the time these PCs reach consumers, they are often months old and running outdated drivers. When performing a system update through Microsoft Windows Update, these PCs wouldn't download the latest GPU driver versions and were often left with these old versions. Microsoft now hopes to introduce this two-part driver update system by the end of 2026 or possibly early 2027 if development takes longer.

Microsoft is updating the native Windows user interface to create more responsive Windows 11 UI elements through the Windows K2 initiative. The company is transitioning its core Windows 11 elements from third-party frameworks to the Windows-native WinUI 3. In a recent GitHub post by Microsoft engineer Beth Pan, it's clear that Microsoft is making changes even within the WinUI 3 framework itself, demonstrating significant improvements in application launches. The company is using File Explorer and Notepad as benchmarks for performance improvements, as these core apps require much better responsiveness. With the latest set of patches arriving soon, File Explorer will have much less background work to do before launching, meaning that the launch should feel nearly instant.

For example, the latest WinUI 3 patches enable 41% fewer allocations, 63% fewer transient allocations, 45% fewer function calls, and 25% less time spent in the WinUI code powering the framework. This means that the upcoming File Explorer patch should feel noticeably faster with the updated framework, delivering on a promise to make the Windows 11 user interface a much smoother experience. As these changes are expected to be integrated into the WinAppSDK 2.x soon, we should see them arrive in the operating system in the coming weeks. Some changes are still too risky to implement in such a large piece of software, so users will need to wait a bit longer in case the testing encounters issues.

Security researchers at Intrinsec released "BitUnlocker," a tool bypassing Windows 11 BitLocker encryption in under five minutes. This exploit leverages a downgrade attack to pry open drives, exploiting the gap between software patching and certificate revocation. Rooted in CVE-2025-48804, a vulnerability patched in July 2025, the flaw resides within the Windows Recovery Environment and System Deployment Image mechanism. Here's the good news: an attacker needs physical access to the target machine.

Attackers with physical access can use a flash drive to feed the boot manager a legitimate Windows Imaging Format file for integrity checks while appending a malicious payload. The system verifies the clean file but blindly boots the attacker's code, granting access to the decrypted volume. The true danger lies in the downgrade vector. Because Microsoft's legacy Windows PCA 2011 certificate remains globally trusted by Secure Boot, attackers simply load an older, vulnerable boot manager, which the system authenticates without hesitation.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft is working on a new feature for Windows 11 called "Low Latency Profile," as part of the Windows K2 effort. This feature aims to make app launches noticeably faster by pushing the CPU core to its maximum boost frequency in very short bursts. Reportedly, this feature boosts the CPU to its maximum frequency for 1-3 seconds, resulting in noticeably smoother app launches during testing. When launching Microsoft applications like Edge and Outlook, known as "in-box" apps, the result is about a 40% faster application launch. Other applications, such as the Start Menu and context menus across the operating system, may be up to 70% faster. Overall, the Windows 11 operating system is expected to receive a significant performance boost, though at the cost of the CPU reaching its maximum frequency.

Currently, this feature within the Windows K2 effort is automatic, with no clear indication if it can be turned on or off. Running a CPU at its maximum frequency is somewhat unusual, as the purpose of an operating system is to minimize strain on the PC, leaving headroom for heavier applications to load. However, since the boost is only applied in short bursts of up to three seconds, it is expected that the performance benefits and overall smoothness will outweigh potential issues. These issues include elevated CPU frequency during lighter tasks and general OS usage, which could result in slightly higher temperatures overall. For laptop users, this might lead to faster battery drain, but it is likely that the Windows K2 effort will account for this, with minimal impact.

Microsoft recently published a note stating that gaming PCs running Windows 11 should be equipped with 32 GB of RAM as a "no worries" update for systems handling demanding tasks like Discord alongside AAA titles running in the background. However, after our post reached millions of readers online, gamers reacted negatively to Microsoft's seemingly excessive requirement amid the worst DRAM shortage ever recorded. In response, Microsoft deleted the entire blog post. Now, clicking on the old link redirects to the Windows Learning Center, which features general blog posts with tips and tricks on enhancing your Windows 11 experience, with no trace of the original post.

As readers may recall, Microsoft promised to make Windows 11 a much-improved operating system with better performance, more UI uniformity, and reduced RAM consumption. The company is reportedly using feedback from its Insiders group, user telemetry analytics, and customer focus groups to ensure that Windows 11 is efficient, thoughtfully designed, and stable. Earlier this year, Microsoft pledged to address many user complaints, such as poor memory optimization within its flagship operating system, but these fixes have yet to be implemented. In the meantime, having more RAM is the only solution to keep operations running smoothly. However, when the company began recommending 32 GB as a "no worries" upgrade, these plans seemed like empty promises, causing enthusiasts to stick around without considering alternatives. Now, Microsoft appears to have recognized the mistake and has deleted its previous blog post, indicating that the company is actively listening to user feedback online.

The Windows 11 install base seems to be expanding, contradicting the overall sentiment surrounding Microsoft's highly controversial operating system. According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey results from April, Windows 11 now accounts for 67.74% of the Steam gamer base, marking an increase of 0.89% from March. This growth comes at the expense of the remaining two operating systems noted in the Steam survey, primarily Linux and macOS. Interestingly, the April data suggests that Linux-based operating systems now stand at 4.52%, a significant 0.81% decrease from March. Most Linux distributions saw a decline in user share, with only Debian Linux, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and Fedora Linux 43 recording a meaningful uptick. The rest experienced a decline in April, indicating some market-wide corrections among gamers worldwide.

For Windows, both Windows 11 and Windows 10, which reached end of life back in October 2025, recorded increases, and the overall share of Windows-based gaming PCs grew by 1.14% in April. Now, Windows accounts for 93.47% of all gaming PCs, meaning that Linux and macOS remain relatively small compared to the dominance of Microsoft's OS. Especially among gamers, switching to a different OS seems problematic, despite recent growth rates. Even as Windows 11 has its own issues, the majority of gamers remain on the platform because it offers the best game compatibility and the lowest learning curve of all the mentioned platforms.

Microsoft has published an updated support document outlining what the company believes the best Windows 11 gaming PC systems have in common. Among the listed specifications, Microsoft makes an interesting note about the system's RAM capacity configuration. The document suggests that 16 GB is a baseline for a modern PC, describing it as a good "starting point." However, the company recommends that gamers aim to surpass this baseline, as it now suggests 32 GB as a "no worries" upgrade for gaming PCs. This higher RAM capacity makes running multiple workloads much easier, which is naturally true, but raises question about the feasibility of Microsoft's future plans to bring more optimizations to the operating system.

Most TechPowerUp readers are PC enthusiasts who understand how a RAM-limited system performs and know that more RAM is almost always better. However, in an era where the DRAM shortage is making it difficult for enthusiasts to easily buy more RAM, many are turning to more optimized operating systems like Linux-based distributions or even macOS, which is an entirely different platform. Microsoft now recommends a 32 GB capacity, stating it "helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games." The extra memory also provides newer titles with more breathing room as memory demands continue to rise. This might also indicate that Microsoft's operating system is more RAM-hungry these days than it used to be, during a challenging time for RAM upgrades.

AMD previewed its Ryzen AI Halo mini-PC during the CES 2026 showcase, and the machine is set to be released as soon as June arrives. According to a Reddit user, AMD presented a Ryzen AI Halo box during AMD AI Dev Day, showcasing the system in its full glory. This machine is powered by a Ryzen AI Max 395+ APU, featuring a 16-core/32-thread "Zen 5" CPU, a large integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture with 40 compute units, and a Microsoft Copilot+ ready NPU with 50 TOPS. It supports up to 128 GB of unified LPDDR5X memory, is compatible with Windows 11 and Linux, and comes with pre-loaded AI models optimized for the hardware. At the AI Dev Day, AMD demonstrated the device running on the Ubuntu operating system, which is likely to be the preferred OS for many AI developers targeted by this system.

AMD has developed an innovative cooling solution for the "Strix Halo" SoC, which includes a baseplate, a network of direct-touch flat heatpipes, an aluminium channel heatsink, and two lateral airflow blowers. AMD stated that the Ryzen AI Halo AI developer platform will be available from Q2 2026 which matches this supposed June launch. Interestingly, the price of this 128 GB model remains unknown, which is the biggest mystery, but don't expect it to come cheap. Below are some of the first real-life pictures, showcasing the design illuminated by a programmable RGB strip surrounding the box.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen the numerous issues Windows users have faced, from poor performance to experience-breaking bugs and updates, and AI oversaturation in the OS. While Microsoft has previously announced that it intends to address many of these complaints levelled by Windows users, a new report out of Windows Central purports to have insider information about what the publication calls "Windows K2." K2 isn't a specific version of Windows or a new update that's on the horizon; instead, it's a new initiative within Microsoft that fundamentally changes how the software giant develops Windows and its features.

According to inside sources, Windows K2 is based on three core tenets: performance, craft, and reliability, and it will effectively serve as a reboot for the user experience and the development standard operating procedures. Going forward, Microsoft will be using Insider feedback, user telemetry analytics, and customer focus groups to ensure that Windows 11 is performant, thoughtfully designed, and stable. The biggest shift, however, is away from a focus on agility, which used to be a top priority for Windows development, to an emphasis on quality. Effectively, this means users may see fewer updates and fewer features in those updates, but also fewer bugs. One of the other main driving forces behind K2 is chasing the performance of SteamOS, and the K2 team believes that "foundational changes" that are being made to Windows in the coming months will be able to put Windows on par with SteamOS within the next year or two. File explorer is another major focal point where Windows K2 seeks to improve navigation, search, and file processing performance.

Microsoft is... giving users exactly what they want? In the latest Windows Insider preview for Windows 11, Microsoft is rolling out an updated Windows Update experience that gives users more control over their update process. This includes the option to skip updates entirely during the out-of-box experience (OOBE) menu, allowing you to set up a PC without applying updates first. Previously, new PC configurations and installations might have been several months behind on Windows 11 updates, and Microsoft would force users to apply these updates immediately. This led to prolonged OS setup times and user frustration. Now, for those who need to move to a new desktop quickly and apply updates at a later date, Microsoft is finally offering an option during OOBE to install the OS first and apply updates later.

Additionally, Microsoft is now allowing users to pause Windows 11 updates in the settings with a dedicated calendar that extends up to 35 days. This ensures you have ample time to schedule an update session without disrupting your workflow. However, the 35-day mark is not a hard stop, as users can re-pause updates for another 35 days even after the original period has expired, essentially allowing updates to be paused indefinitely. There are no limits on how many times you can reset this pause date, giving you full control over the entire update process. This could be especially useful when a new update series arrives, and you want to wait and see if there are any OS issues or known problems before applying the update. For example, in the latest Windows 11 April update, some PCs might experience a BitLocker trigger, but this will be resolved in a future fix. Users can wait a few days for a fix to arrive and then install updates all at once without being forced to do so immediately.

It has been a while since one of Microsoft's Windows 11 updates wreaked havoc among PC enthusiasts, and the April update seems to be another in line for IT administrators. In an updated support document on the Windows 11 KB5083769 cumulative update, Microsoft officially confirms that some users are encountering an unexpected BitLocker recovery prompt after applying the update. However, the good news is that this issue requires a specific BitLocker Group Policy configuration that Microsoft refers to as "unrecommended," which is less likely to be found outside of managed IT departments. This includes systems managed through group policy settings, making it less likely to affect PC enthusiasts' builds. For the issue to occur, a few conditions must be met. First, BitLocker must be enabled on the PC. Second, the BitLocker Group Policy setting "Configure TPM platform validation profile for native UEFI firmware configurations" must be configured with PCR7 (a TPM 2.0 module register) included in the validation profile.

Once these conditions are met, running system information, or msinfo32.exe, shows that the Secure Boot State PC47 Binding is "Not Possible." Additionally, the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate must be present in the device's Secure Boot Signature Database (DB), making the device eligible for the Windows Boot Manager signed in 2023 to become the default. Finally, the device must not be running this 2023-signed Windows Boot Manager that it supports. Only by fulfilling this unusual set of conditions does the BitLocker Recovery environment trigger, leading to a password prompt. After this, subsequent startups will not trigger it again.

We recently reported on Microsoft renaming the Xbox Full-Screen Experience to Xbox mode and subsequently updating the gaming UI with new display options for gaming handhelds. Most recently, though, Microsoft has announced that it will be bringing that console-like UI to more devices. Many of these devices mentioned by Microsoft in the most recent update notes are powered by the same APUs and iGPUs as most gaming handhelds, where Xbox mode has been most prevalent until now, so it makes sense to keep it rolling on similarly capable devices, too.

According to a new Windows Insider update in the Canary channel (build 29570.1000), Windows Xbox mode is now available "on Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets." Gamers looking to take advantage of Xbox mode on their Windows 11 systems can access it via the Xbox app, Game Bar settings, or by pressing Win + F11. This isn't the first time we're seeing Microsoft doing something like this. Before it started testing Xbox mode on gaming handhelds, it had rolled out the Full-Screen Experience to other form factors as early as November 2025. It's unclear when this feature will reach the mainline Windows version, but it will likely not take too long, given Microsoft is feeling the pressure from the Linux-based SteamOS and the many similar desktop environments that have spun up in its wake.

During a media tour at Lexar HQ in China, Digital Foundry spoke with Lexar's Europe General Manager, Grace Su, who explained what gamers are buying and where they are willing to compromise. Interestingly, Lexar found that, despite the pricing of DRAM and NAND Flash, users could purchase lower-capacity RAM kits without issues, while SSDs with capacities lower than 512 GB weren't selling well. Although this is not a direct comparison, when building a new PC system, you need both a RAM kit and an SSD. Based on their budget, enthusiasts often have to decide between a larger SSD or a bigger RAM kit. However, Lexar reports that users are so committed to having larger SSD space that they are even willing to revert to HDDs rather than buy an SSD smaller than 512 GB. This is understandable, considering that modern games can take up hundreds of gigabytes of space.

Currently, high RAM prices are driving PC gamers to invest considerably more in their gaming rigs to play smoothly. As 16 GB is somewhat considered the minimum for a Windows 11 system, some games and tasks are so demanding that PC DIY enthusiasts need to invest in 32 GB kits at prices that were unimaginable just a year ago. For example, we reported on the DDR4 spot market pricing, which saw the cost of a single 16 Gb module increase by about 2,200% over the past year, with only a minor 5% correction in March. We can only hope for more corrections soon so that PC gamers can finally see signs of relief, but with AI demand projected to continue rising, that seems far from reality.

Microsoft's Copilot AI has generated significant negative sentiment among Windows 11 users, to the extent that even Microsoft has recognized the need to scale back some of the Copilot functionality it has long promoted. According to Windows Latest, Microsoft has updated core Windows applications such as Notepad and Snipping Tool. In March 2025, Microsoft added Copilot to Notepad, updating the note-taking application to integrate Copilot AI for rewrites, summaries, and other AI-related text features. However, as users grew weary of the persistent AI push, Microsoft put these integrations under review earlier this year. In response to strong backlash from the enthusiast community, Microsoft has removed the Copilot AI icon from the latest versions of Notepad and Snipping Tool, restoring them to their regular look. However, Microsoft now calls these Notepad features like rewrite and summarize as "Writing tools."

This change is a significant positive step by Microsoft. Additionally, the forced inclusion of the Copilot AI button in every application has been paused, as there has been minimal interest from users in utilizing these features. The TechPowerUp Forums have been a consistent source of criticism against Microsoft's forced AI integration, with a large community of PC enthusiasts opposing the "AI everywhere" approach. The Redmond-based company is also working on numerous performance, security, and other enhancements for Windows 11, and we are already beginning to see some of these changes. Considering that Microsoft has 80 Copilot apps and services, this is not a thing to take lightly.Below is the before and after comparison with the Copilot AI removed, courtesy of Windows Latest.

Aside from SteamOS being more tailored to the gaming handheld form factor, one of the Steam Deck's major differentiating factors is its trackpads, which make navigating desktop mode significantly less painful than it would otherwise be. While this trait is shared by the likes of the Lenovo Legion Go, it is not present on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, making navigating Windows more challenging. Finally, though, as spotted by ROG Ally Life, the Xbox Game Bar has introduced an option to use the left thumb stick as a mouse cursor in desktop mode.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is now live]

For the time being, this feature is limited to the Xbox Game Bar Insider Program, but it should make it to the mainline release version soon enough if no major bugs are spotted. After the toggle is enabled in Game Bar, players can move the cursor with the left analog stick and click with the A button on the controller. This is also only the latest in Microsoft's recent efforts playing catch-up with the competition on the Windows front, with the company recently announcing both a new initiative to improve the quality of Windows 11 and beginning to implement better RAM management across the operating system.

NVIDIA's upcoming N1 SoC, designed for gaming laptops, has officially appeared for the first time alongside its motherboard intended for a laptop. Featuring 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory running at 8,533 MT/s, the SoC is paired with SK hynix modules. NVIDIA's OEM partners for this launch, including Dell and Lenovo, have confirmed that the new NVIDIA laptop platform will be available this year, and we have seen early benchmark submissions of the N1 SoC. As NVIDIA prepares to enter the gaming laptop market, the company initially released its GB10 SoC for the DGX Spark mini workstation. This chip allowed NVIDIA to test its collaboration with MediaTek on developing new low-power SoCs that offer unusually high-performance graphics for AI applications, as well as very high RAM capacity.

In the latest images that appeared on Goofish, we see a laptop motherboard equipped with the NVIDIA N1 SoC and 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory closely packed in a specialized PCB area. This area might be designated for the cooler, which could potentially also cool the LPDDR5X memory modules. NVIDIA plans to introduce its N1/N1X SoCs with Arm-based CPU cores around Computex 2026. These will offer consumers 20 CPU cores, consisting of 10 Cortex-X925 and 10 Cortex-A725 CPU cores based on the Armv9.2 ISA, along with a "Blackwell" GPU optimized for low power settings with up to 6,144 CUDA cores in the higher-end form. You can also see the port selection on the side of the PCB, which seems to be USB-C or Thunderbolt 4/5, USB-A, and an HDMI connection. Since we don't know which laptop model this is, we have to wait a bit more before getting final details.

Microsoft is working on stripping out the last vestiges of the classic Win32 user interface in Windows 11, and the company could completely remove the classic Win32 Control Panel in a future update. March Rogers, partner director of design at Microsoft, in a post on X, said that his team is working on migrating all the old controls from the Win32 Control Panel over to the modern Settings app. This will be a long-drawn-out process as the company wants to ensure the lack of the old Control Panel doesn't break any critical functionality, particularly with control panel applications that are part of device drivers, such as those provided by printer and network adapter manufacturers.

"We're working our way through migrating all the old control panel controls into the modern Settings apps. We're doing it carefully because there are a lot of different network and printer devices & drivers we need to make sure we don't break in the process," Rogers said. Control Panel is a classic Win32 shell application, technically "control.exe," with various software and device drivers including their own applications with the extension *.cpl which run under control.exe. The modern Settings app, on the other hand, is based on UWP (universal Windows platform), and the latest one conforms to Microsoft's WinUI 3 architecture, also known as "fluent design."

Microsoft has been addressing the recent wave of "Microslop" criticism that has emerged online in response to the forced integration of AI into its products. Specifically, Microsoft has been promoting its Copilot applications, products, and even Copilot-branded hardware like Copilot+ AI PCs to consumers. However, this is just the scratching the surface, as the actual number of Copilot variants is much higher than what the average PC enthusiast might consider. If you've ever wondered how many Copilot applications exist, the official count stands at 80 Copilot applications, products, services, and hardware that the Redmond giant has developed. Across every Microsoft vertical, there is a Copilot icon in some form, even present on Copilot+ PCs with its own dedicated Copilot key. This represents the biggest branding overhaul in Microsoft's history, as the company traditionally distinguished products with unique features and names.

However, the popularity of its ecosystem is at an all-time low, particularly within the PC community, which interacts most with the Windows 11 operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of applications, formerly known as the Office package, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and others. Regular consumers are largely unaware of the extent of the Copilot branding, as Microsoft has extended its AI narrative to consumer and business chatbots, developer tools, desktop applications, Copilot applications within other applications, enterprise platforms, hardware, and business software serving the enterprise sector. At some point, the community narrative suggests that the branding is being pushed a bit too aggressively, as Windows 11 users, who interact daily with the world's most widely distributed operating system, have openly discussed the drawbacks of the forced Copilot integration.

Microsoft is now force-installing the latest version of Windows 11, the 25H2, for users of the older 24H2 version of the operating system. Through what Microsoft calls a "machine learning-based intelligent rollout," the company is automatically updating 24H2 users to Windows 11 25H2 when their devices are ready. This forced update is part of a staged update plan for Windows 11, where Microsoft is gradually updating systems worldwide to phase out the 24H2 version, as support for this operating system will officially end on October 13, 2026. It makes sense to upgrade users to an operating system with a longer support period. However, Windows 11 users might be frustrated with the constant forced upgrades that Microsoft is pushing, which seem to offer little real-world benefit beyond regular security maintenance.

Regarding Windows versions, the situation has been a bit confusing recently. Microsoft has dedicated the 26H1 update exclusively for Windows-on-Arm devices, supporting new silicon, including the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus platforms, as well as the potential launch of NVIDIA's N1/N1X laptop SoCs. The latest feature and security updates have been delivered through both the 24H2 and 25H2 versions, which have been the primary focus for x86-based PC systems. However, as support for 24H2 is coming to an end, the focus is gradually shifting to 25H2. There is still time before October of this year, and Microsoft is using AI for a staged rollout. Importantly, users cannot refuse this update. They can only schedule the restart for the update to be applied or postpone it slightly before it is finally installed.

Intel's long-awaited gaming CPU king, the Core 200 "Bartlett Lake-S," is an intriguing CPU generation that isn't actually meant for gaming. The top version, the Core 9 273PQE, is a 12-core, 24-thread processor launched exclusively for commercial and industrial PC OEM markets as an edge/embedded design, and it's not available for the DIY PC crowd. Intel didn't plan for these CPUs to run on commercial motherboard chipsets, and major motherboard manufacturers have confirmed this. However, a modder has achieved something remarkable by booting Intel's "Bartlett Lake" Core 9 273PQE processor into the Windows operating system on a standard Z790 motherboard. Previously, these chips could only reach the POST stage on consumer LGA 1700 boards, but they couldn't run a fully functioning operating system.

Built on the Intel 7 node and designed for Socket LGA1700, "Bartlett Lake" is a non-hybrid chip featuring up to 12 "Raptor Cove" P-cores without any E-core clusters. It was not intended to be compatible with consumer Intel Z790 chipset motherboards. However, main issue was never the socket itself. "Bartlett Lake" shares the same physical LGA 1700 layout as Intel's "Raptor Lake" chips, but that doesn't automatically make it compatible with consumer boards. Typically, the absence of official BIOS and microcode support prevents proper CPU initialization. Earlier attempts usually resulted in startup failures, blank screens, or error codes before progressing further. This recent success changes that narrative. By modifying the motherboard firmware to accept the processor during early boot, the modder overcame the hurdles that had previously caused failures. Once the system accepted the chip at initialization, Windows loaded successfully.

On your Windows PC, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) uses Secure Boot certificates to ensure that only trusted software initiates the startup sequence. The certificates currently in use were originally issued in 2011 and are set to expire in late June 2026. To address this, Microsoft has been quietly rolling out updated certificates through Windows Update. Starting in April 2026, users can check their device's status via a new indicator in the Windows Security app. By navigating to Device security and then Secure Boot, a color-coded badge will show whether your device is fully updated, awaiting an update, or requires immediate attention.

The badge system is simple yet significant. A green checkmark indicates that the new certificates are installed and no further action is needed. A yellow caution badge, which will start appearing in May 2026, means the update is either pending or has been blocked by a hardware or firmware limitation. A red stop icon is the most serious state and could appear as early as June 2026, once older certificates start expiring. When this occurs, the device will no longer be able to receive critical boot-level security updates. The same status is reflected in the Windows Security system tray icon, so warnings are visible even when the app is closed.

As we enter a new month, Steam's Hardware and Software Survey data has been processed, providing us with a clearer view of the overall gaming market that uses Steam platform. Today, the most notable change in the Steam Survey is the increase in Linux gamers, who have moved from their historically low single-digit market share to mid-single digits. As of March, Linux-based operating systems were running Steam on 5.33% of all polled systems. This represents an impressive 3.10% increase over February's data, which showed a dip in Linux market share from January's 3.5%. Fortunately, the numbers have now been revised upwards, marking a significant improvement for the community that has been steadily implementing improvements and making Linux-based gaming more accessible to everyone.

What might not be surprising is that a large portion of those 5.33% Linux installations run on Valve's customized SteamOS operating system. With a 24.48% share, the use of SteamOS grew by 0.65% last month alone, while other Linux distributions also contributed significantly. Other Windows alternatives like macOS are gaining momentum as well, with Apple seeing a 1.19% month-over-month increase to 2.35%. Although Linux now holds more than twice the market share of macOS, its growth within the Steam install base is a significant change, nearly doubling in just a month. Perhaps these alternative operating systems are now attracting enough attention from big game studios to encourage them to release native ports instead of relying on translation tools like Wine/Proton.

Late last week, Microsoft released its KB5079391 non-security feature update for Windows 11, which was officially pulled due to widespread installation errors. Today, the company is issuing the out-of-band KB5086672 update to address this problem, as Microsoft has identified the source of the issue and the update can now be safely applied. This latest out-of-band KB5086672 update includes the KB5079473 package released on March 10, KB5085516 released on March 21, and the previously pulled KB5079391 released on March 26. Microsoft has combined all of these into the new KB5086672 package, which addresses the issues that appeared and introduces a variety of new features. Finally, the old installation error message, "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)," has been resolved for good.

Microsoft notes that this out-of-band update is available through Windows Update for devices running Windows 11 that have already installed KB5079473 or a later update. It is also available for manual download from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Currently, there are no known issues with this update, and if any arise, Microsoft will highlight them on their support documents website. Interestingly, KB5086672 is one of the first steps by Microsoft toward resolving the issues users have experienced with Windows 11 updates, and hopefully just the beginning of the overhaul that Microsoft has promised. Future non-security feature updates could also focus on other quality-of-life improvements, and installation errors should become less common.

Since the launch of the Steam Deck and the subsequent competing Windows gaming handhelds, Microsoft has been working on improving its UI for gaming consoles, culminating with the recent adoption of the Windows Full Screen Experience, which was later renamed to Xbox Mode. The latest update to Microsoft's gaming experience, however, comes by way of the Xbox app and its overlay, as spotted by ROGAllyLife. These new features will be available to everyone using compatible hardware and the Xbox app, although they are still in the preview version of the app, so they may only reach mainline status in a few weeks. The biggest update is a new display widget that was added to the Xbox Game Bar overlay, which adds controls like display refresh rate, resolution, projection mode, and Auto Super Resolution, allowing users to test different display configurations without leaving their games.

Users can now also change notification placement in the Xbox app, allowing them to see notifications without completely disrupting the gaming experience. The Xbox app now allows for eight notification placement options—three positions along each screen edge—and this can also be customized from the Game Bar overlay instead of necessitating a potentially game-breaking app switch. These updates are just the most recent in Microsoft's efforts to make handheld gaming more feasible on Windows, but it remains to be seen how Microsoft will change the regular Windows 11 experience after its recent promise to address quality and usability complaints.

Microsoft has withdrawn its latest KB5079391 non-security feature update after users reported significant problems and installation errors. According to Microsoft's official documents, the company has temporarily paused the rollout of this update while investigating the installation error 0x80073712. If you applied this late March update, your operating system might display errors like "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)." To prevent further issues, Microsoft decided to temporarily pull this Windows 11 update until the problem is resolved. Microsoft has reportedly identified the issue and will share more information soon as the bug is fixed. Once the fix is applied, Microsoft will reintroduce the update, possibly with a different KB package number, through the Windows Update process.

This is happening just days after Microsoft published its Windows 11 plans and roadmap for upcoming updates. This includes a promised focus on stability to restore Windows 11 to its full glory, but this has been insufficient so far, as this late March KB5079391 non-security feature update had been prepared a little longer before the promise. Hence, the time has been insufficient for the update plans and what Microsoft has in store for Windows 11. It seems we will have to endure a few more cycles of challenging updates and releases before the entire issue portfolio is resolved and an update becomes an actual improvement rather than a nightmare for users.