This week"s news recap is here, bringing the most interesting stories from the world of Microsoft from the last week. Windows 11 has received a new buggy Start menu, wild Task Manager bugs, financial reports, Copilot on the taskbar, and more.
Quick links:
- Windows 10 and 11
- Windows Insider Program
- Updates are available
- Reviews are in
- Gaming news
- Great deals to check
Windows 11 and Windows 10
Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft"s latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions.
This week, Microsoft released the latest non-security updates for Windows 11 (not for Windows 10 anymore, as it is now unsupported). The biggest and most interesting changes are in KB5067036 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. There, you will find the new Start menu, redesigned battery indicators, more AI-powered features, etc. Windows 11 23H2 received KB5067112.
The latest non-security updates for Windows 11 moved certain parts of the legacy Control Panel to the Settings app, but there are plenty of important applets still waiting for their updates. Here are five parts of the old Control Panel that Microsoft should move to the Settings app as soon as possible.
Over the last four years, Windows 11 has received plenty of improvements and new features, but its dark mode remains critically undercooked. Fortunately, with the latest builds and PowerToys updates, Microsoft is finally taking dark mode more seriously, as more classic UI elements now support proper dark mode.
In addition to improving dark mode in Windows 11, Microsoft is updating Windows Update. For one, the company fixed error 0x800f0983 and the bug where "Update and Shutdown" resulted in a system restart (very annoying). Additionally, Microsoft simplified update names so that users can better understand what updates are getting installed.
Speaking of bugs... Users discovered a very strange issue in Task Manager where closing it results in process duplication. Unaware users could end up with dozens of Task Manager copies eating up CPU and RAM. Microsoft quickly acknowledged the problem and said it would release a fix soon.
Windows 11 version 26H1 is reportedly on the horizon. This week, a new report emerged about Microsoft preparing version 26H1 for the launch of Snapdragon X2-powered devices. The update will include certain new features and changes that will later make it to all systems with the release of Windows 11 version 26H2.
We had plenty of guides published this week. For Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 users, there is a guide detailing how to enable all the new features in the latest non-security update, including the new Start menu. Before you turn it on, though, beware of some very odd bugs. Additionally, if you plan to upgrade to Windows 11 and you do not know if Secure Boot is on, check out this guide.
If your system does not support Windows 11 officially, you can use third-party bypass tools like Flyoobe, which was recently updated with the ability to update systems with unsupported CPUs. Just keep in mind that the only safe place to download it is GitHub.
If your system is compatible with Windows 11, you can use the official Media Creation Tool app to update. It was recently updated to fix compatibility issues with Windows on ARM and Windows 10.
Windows Insider Program
Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:
| Builds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | Nothing in Canary this week | ||
| Dev Channel | Only one build for Dev and Beta this week. Microsoft is upgrading Beta users to version 25H2, and it offers a chance to jump off the Dev Channel to Beta ahead of less stable updates with higher build numbers. As for new features, this build brings Copilot to the Taskbar, a full-screen gaming experience to more handheld consoles, shared audio on Copilot+ PCs, and more. | ||
| Beta Channel | |||
| Release Preview Channel | Nothing in Release Preview this week | ||
In addition to new builds, Microsoft released a new version of the Copilot app, allowing insiders to use Copilot Vision with text input.
Updates are available
This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
On October 30, Microsoft announced financial results for the Q1 FY2026, reporting $27.7 billion in profit and $77.7 billion in revenue.
Microsoft recently increased the price of the Microsoft 365 subscription, and certain governments are not happy about that. An Australian watchdog is suing Microsoft for deliberately misleading customers about the ability to stay on the cheaper Microsoft 365 plan.
Microsoft has revealed a new Teams agent called Facilitator. It integrates into Teams meetings to track topics with visual timeline markers, take notes, answer questions, track tasks, draft documents, and a lot more, saving you plenty of time and effort on tedious tasks. Also, you may have noticed that Office apps on iOS (and Android) now feature the new icons. For Apple"s operating systems, these apps also received liquid glass support and template filters.
The month of October 2025 is now over, and, as usual, we have several recaps of all the new features and changes. Here is one for Excel, here is one for Teams, and here is one for Windows 11. The latter highlights five cool features and changes that the operating system received in one month.
This week"s browser updates include Firefox 144.0.2, which fixed quite a lot of various bugs on Windows and macOS, including startup crashes, OneDrive compatibility issues, and more. Additionally, Firefox is getting smart suggestions in the address bar so that you can get quick information by simply typing something, like your flight number.
Samsung is now in the desktop browser market as well, with the new beta version of the Samsung Internet browser, which is now available on PC. However, the current beta test is limited only to South Korea and the USA.
Finally, Microsoft released Edge 142 with improved autofill, scareware blocker updates, and other changes.
Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:
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New Microsoft 365 Copilot agent builds apps from simple prompts.
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Anthropic is giving Claude a boost to solve fintech with a new Excel add-in and more.
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Copilot in Microsoft 365 companion apps will get stuff done in Windows "lightning fast".
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You can now connect Meta Quest to your PC and have multiple virtual monitors.
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The October 2025 update for Visual Studio 2022 (17.14) is now available.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot"s Researcher agent can now take action with "Computer Use".
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Microsoft makes it easier to add iCloud accounts to Outlook.
Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:
- AMD Adrenalin Edition 25.10.2 dropped Windows 10 support, adds Battlefield 6 optimizations.
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Intel released new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers with Windows 11 25H2 support.
Reviews are in
Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week
We had a bunch of reviews this week, particularly in the NAS segment. Steven Parker reviewed the TerraMaster F2-425, a low-cost local cloud backup and streaming NAS, the UGREEN NASync DH4300 Plus, a low-powered 4-bay cloud backup, and its smaller sibling, the DH2300, a two-bay NAS from UGREEN.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more.
Microsoft has updated the Xbox app with some important changes, such as faster download speeds, Advanced Shader Delivery on the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, and more.
Electronic Arts launched a new battle royale mode for Battlefield 6. The free-to-play mode is now out, allowing up to 100 players on the biggest arena ever made for the game. Battlefield REDSEC is now available for free on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
Nvidia announced new games for the GeForce NOW streaming service. The latest additions include ARC Raiders, The Outer Worlds 2, Wreckreation, Outbreak Island, Keeper, Dark Moon, and more. Keep in mind that you must own these games to play them on GeForce NOW.
The Epic Games Store is giving away two games this week: Bendy and the Ink Machine and Five Nights at Freddy"s: Into the Pit. You can grab these spooky titles until next Thursday. As usual, for more deals and freebies, check out this week"s Weekend PC Game Deals article.
Other gaming news includes the following:
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33 Immortals" biggest update ever launched with new weapons, objectives, and more.
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Looks like the Silent Hill 2 remake is finally coming to Xbox.
Great deals to check
Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need.
- PowerColor Reaper Radeon RX 9070 16GB - $549.99 | 5% off
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Bose QuietComfort Wireless Bluetooth Headphones: $199.99 | 43% off
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Hisense 50-inch E6 Cinema Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV: $219.99 | 42% off
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