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Deploy .NET w/o the Framework

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SentientPC

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Just thought I would post this, as the app/methods employed are pretty interesting for .NET devs. The samples on the page are interesting, as well.

Salamander .NET Linker and Mini-Deployment Tool

Salamander .NET Linker and mini-deployment tool allows you to link .NET assemblies together into a single file, and to deploy your application without installation of the whole Microsoft .NET Framework. The linker selectively links MSIL code putting together only the required classes and methods, and it is capable of linking into the Microsoft .NET framework class libraries. The mini-deployment tool then builds a minimum set of the Microsoft .NET runtime to ship with your application. This usually results in installation size of a few mega bytes, rather than tens of mega bytes, and the installation takes much less time without rebooting machines. The mini-deployed application can be launched directly from a CD, absolutely without copying files or adding registry entries.
The mini-deployment tool puts together the minimum set of CLR runtime files and dependent assemblies that can be simply copied to a single folder on a target machine, and your application runs as if the whole framework is installed. Since the installation is isolated into a single folder, there will be no conflicts with future .NET installation. When linking is used for the dependent assemblies, it will further reduce the file size.
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em_te

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You should read up on what i have said previously on .NET security in this thread. What you are saying makes very little sense...

What you said earlier about .NET security has little applicability to hackers. Yes, .NET is permission-based so that applications cannot access the system. And yes, .NET uses managed code so that memory is not illegally accessed. But all that does, is stop a .NET application from performing malicious actions. A hacker would probably sidestep all that and attack the code parser or bugs in the other framework libraries (which usually have higher privileges such as System.Reflection). That's how it's been done in the past with other VMs. For example, a malformed file could crash the code parser before it even gets to the JIT compiler or poor programming logic in the libraries could allow privilege escalation. How many times has Microsoft had to patch the Microsoft Java VM because there were security holes? Don't forget that the MSJVM is built with similar concepts to .NET.

It is agreed that you shouldnt install things you dont need, but with the increase in applications written on the .NET framework having it installed can make it easier on users. Again installing the .NET framework isnt more of a "Security hole" than installing the OS itself (which .NET is far more safe than).
Making it easier for users has nothing to do with security. Often it is the case that making things easier is usually a comprimise on security. Should Microsoft bundle every single software in the world to make it easier for users? I never said that the .NET Framework was a "security hole" but having it installed just creates more things for you to patch when updates are released. By the way, I hope you've installed SP1 for the .NET Framework because it patches several vulnerabilities.
Huh? Again you show your extreme lack of knowledge in .NET...

MS released .NET as a standard as i already said (if you are technical enough you can read both standards documents here (C# Spec.) and here (CLI Spec.)). Those standards are what Mono is built upon. That is the reason Mono based apps CAN run on the MS .NET Framework and vice versa (provided Mono supports the librarys being loaded as Mono isnt complete yet).

Only a small subset of the .NET Framework is standardized. (I heard that only 10% is standardized but don't quote me on that.) The rest is proprietary and is subject to change or to licensing issues. Microsoft only said that the standardized parts are provided on a royalty-free basis and has said nothing of the non-standardized parts.

The reason why Mono can run .NET apps so successfully is because Mono choose to implement not only the standardized APIs but also those APIs that are proprietary to MS. e.g., System.Windows.Forms . Mono choose to benefit the greater public by implementing those proprietary APIs so that most applications can be run on both Windows and Linux. FYI, System.Windows.Forms in run on Linux using WINE.

Maybe one day we will get true techs speaking on tech related topics. I'm getting very very sick of these self proclaimed techies that know nothing of what they choose to speak on. Heres a nice hint of advice...

If you dont know what your talking about, don't talk about it!

I apologize for making myself sound like an idiot. I had no intention of lying.

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The_Decryptor Veteran

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Only a small subset of the .NET Framework is standardized. (I heard that only 10% is standardized but don't quote me on that.) The rest is proprietary and is subject to change or to licensing issues. Microsoft only said that the standardized parts are provided on a royalty-free basis and has said nothing of the non-standardized parts.

The reason why Mono can run .NET apps so successfully is because Mono choose to implement not only the standardized APIs but also those APIs that are proprietary to MS. e.g., System.Windows.Forms . Mono choose to benefit the greater public by implementing those proprietary APIs so that most applications can be run on both Windows and Linux. FYI, System.Windows.Forms in run on Linux using WINE.

The MSIL code layout is a standard, that's why the people behind mono didn't have to reverse-engineer it

the entire C# language is a standard, same with the compiler.

ms standardised the CLS, which is how the languages can interoperate, by making everything strongly typed and shared.

the way that the framework calls are made (e.g. to System.Xml.XmlSerializer) is the way ms wrote it, it isn't a standard and ms are not protecting it.

The only things Microsoft didn't standardise are Windows only API calls, like the System.Windows.Forms namespace

But, i might be wrong about some of the information, i read about it ages ago.

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aldo

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The MSIL code layout is a standard, that's why the people behind mono didn't have to reverse-engineer it

the entire C# language is a standard, same with the compiler.

ms standardised the CLS, which is how the languages can interoperate, by making everything strongly typed and shared.

the way that the framework calls are made (e.g. to System.Xml.XmlSerializer) is the way ms wrote it, it isn't a standard and ms are not protecting it.

The only things Microsoft didn't standardise are Windows only API calls, like the System.Windows.Forms namespace

But, i might be wrong about some of the information, i read about it ages ago.

Exactly. Everythying but the GUI (basically Windows compatibility) is open. Guess what happens when Mono starts making inroads.. you guessed it. A quick call to the lawyer and Mono has a load of DMCA problems on their hands.

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azcodemonkey

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Exactly. Everythying but the GUI (basically Windows compatibility) is open. Guess what happens when Mono starts making inroads.. you guessed it. A quick call to the lawyer and Mono has a load of DMCA problems on their hands.

Copying an API isn't stealing. Copying the implementation is stealing. Besides, Mono is developing Gtk# for Linux windowing and Cocoa# for Mac. Neither of those libraries has anything to do with Win32.

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What you said earlier about .NET security has little applicability to hackers. Yes, .NET is permission-based so that applications cannot access the system. And yes, .NET uses managed code so that memory is not illegally accessed. But all that does, is stop a .NET application from performing malicious actions. A hacker would probably sidestep all that and attack the code parser or bugs in the other framework libraries (which usually have higher privileges such as System.Reflection). That's how it's been done in the past with other VMs. For example, a malformed file could crash the code parser before it even gets to the JIT compiler or poor programming logic in the libraries could allow privilege escalation. How many times has Microsoft had to patch the Microsoft Java VM because there were security holes? Don't forget that the MSJVM is built with similar concepts to .NET.

Either you didnt read what i said about .NET security or you have a hard time understanding english. .NET is more secure than any other method avalible (maybe Java is as secure im not sure as I'm not a java expert) because the JIT compiler only compiles code after it passes CAS (Code Access Security).

For those reasons you cant use a .NET application to circumvent .NET. I recommend you read up on .NET CAS before you speak on that subject...

Making it easier for users has nothing to do with security. Often it is the case that making things easier is usually a comprimise on security. Should Microsoft bundle every single software in the world to make it easier for users? I never said that the .NET Framework was a "security hole" but having it installed just creates more things for you to patch when updates are released. By the way, I hope you've installed SP1 for the .NET Framework because it patches several vulnerabilities.
It is agreed that less security means more user friendly and its probably not in MS's best intrest to bundle .NET with windows until Longhorn. That way they dont have to worry about supporting .NET on end-users machines until its a core part of the OS. The reason .NET i mentioned its not a bad idea for users to install .NET is because it dosent produce more security holes. The very nature of .NET makes it safer than the Win32 API. The .NET runtime also wouldnt be activated except by .NET appications.
Only a small subset of the .NET Framework is standardized. (I heard that only 10% is standardized but don't quote me on that.) The rest is proprietary and is subject to change or to licensing issues. Microsoft only said that the standardized parts are provided on a royalty-free basis and has said nothing of the non-standardized parts.

Actually all the core parts of .NET is standardized... Did you even look at the standards? i did link you to them in my last post. The C# language is a standard as well as the CLS (Common Language Specification) this means a JIT compiler can be written that can understand MSIL as well as a language that can produce MSIL.

The reason why Mono can run .NET apps so successfully is because Mono choose to implement not only the standardized APIs but also those APIs that are proprietary to MS. e.g., System.Windows.Forms . Mono choose to benefit the greater public by implementing those proprietary APIs so that most applications can be run on both Windows and Linux. FYI, System.Windows.Forms in run on Linux using WINE.

No the reason why Mono runs .NET so successfully is because its based on the MS .NET standards. That ensures they arent "reverse engineering" and getting hit with suprises along the way. Since MSIL is a standard that the Mono developers can build upon they only have to read MS .NET FCL (Framework Class Library) documentaion on how non-open API's should work. They can then code their own API that will do what the MS API would do without needing to "Reverse Engineer".

Maybe you should read the Mono projects FAQ for some enlightment: Mono FAQ: General Mono FAQ: Tecnical

BTW: Do read the linked documents this time...

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Sn1p3t

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Either you didnt read what i said about .NET security or you have a hard time understanding english. .NET is more secure than any other method avalible (maybe Java is as secure im not sure as I'm not a java expert) because the JIT compiler only compiles code after it passes CAS (Code Access Security).

[snipped]

You = my hero :p

I think the main problem facing .NET is the general feeling that most developers have for Microsoft. A large, unfeeling company who has complete control over your development. Nothing could be further from the truth.

.NET is here to stay. Microsoft has invensted a LARGE amount of time and money into developing a Framework that would work anywhere, from mainframes, to console applications, to web applications.

When VB 6 applications where first released, no one had the runtimes. Truth be told, a ~6MB download for VB6's runtime is slighly less annoying than .NET's 21MB framework, but the surge of broadband should be enough to offset this one-time "annoyance".

.NET allows developers much greater RAD, simply because they spend less time securing their application, which everyone does, and more time writing what they need. Some can argue "I'd rather develop my own security. Who trusts Microsoft?". However, especially for beginning developers, it's much easier to leave your security to a company who's had years to refine (and learn from their mistakes) their security.

.NET was built with security and RAD in mind. My only gripe is that by nature, compiled code isn't secured, as it exists in easily decompilable MSIL. Obfuscation is a simple and easily available alternative.

Reguardless of what other people may think, Microsoft makes some quality products. The next version of Visual Studio is likely to be a huge hit, especially with the inclusion of intensive testing and debugging features.

The problem is, .NET is a (relatively) new developing platform, and one that I feel will grow fast. There are many features the framework provides that secures your application by default.

One last thing, I heard some comments quite a few pages ago stating that if a problem was found in the Framework, all applications would have to be recompiled. Nothing is further from the truth. A simple upgrade to a newer framework, and all the old applications will still work as advertised, without the security holes.

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+LogicalApex MVC

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You = my hero :p

I think the main problem facing .NET is the general feeling that most developers have for Microsoft. A large, unfeeling company who has complete control over your development. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[truncated - original post above]

Thanks for the comment :cool:

I'm glad to see someone in this topic have a brain as it started to seem like no one here could read (which is a 2 part process, reading the words and comprehending what you have read). Thanks for the much needed eye opener :D...

Very good post as well as i agree with your points as will anyone who is actually knowledgable in .NET.

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darkmark327

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One last thing, I heard some comments quite a few pages ago stating that if a problem was found in the Framework, all applications would have to be recompiled. Nothing is further from the truth. A simple upgrade to a newer framework, and all the old applications will still work as advertised, without the security holes.

Yeah, that's why 1.1 -> 1.1 SP1 broke my program without my doing anything.

I've done my part trying to back you up frazell (ex pg. 4) but it seems that logical arguments are beyond his ability to comprehend so it's not worth trying. It's like trying to convert a diehard political zealot (guess which camp it is to which I'm referring); they just don't want to hear anything that disagrees with their beliefs, however ignorant (I've yet to hear any arguments as to why exactly Kerry would be worse at protecting the country; after all, under which administration did the terrorist attacks occur in the first place? But I have no intention of starting a futile political "debate" (read: degenerative flamefest) here).

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Sn1p3t

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Yeah, that's why 1.1 -> 1.1 SP1 broke my program without my doing anything.

I've done my part trying to back you up frazell (ex pg. 4) but it seems that logical arguments are beyond his ability to comprehend so it's not worth trying. It's like trying to convert a diehard political zealot (guess which camp it is to which I'm referring); they just don't want to hear anything that disagrees with their beliefs, however ignorant (I've yet to hear any arguments as to why exactly Kerry would be worse at protecting the country; after all, under which administration did the terrorist attacks occur in the first place? But I have no intention of starting a futile political "debate" (read: degenerative flamefest) here).

I assume you weren't being sarcastic :p

BTW: On your WeatherAlert thread (very nice program BTW), you should mention that the .NET framework automatically allocated more memeory than it needs for security / performance reasons. If your computer needs this memory, it frees it up. The fact that it's using 30MB of memory means that you don't need it, and shouldn't complain :p

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smurfiness

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A simple upgrade to a newer framework, and all the old applications will still work as advertised, without the security holes.

Yeah, that's why 1.1 -> 1.1 SP1 broke my program without my doing anything.

I've done my part trying to back you up frazell (ex pg. 4) but it seems that logical arguments are beyond his ability to comprehend so it's not worth trying. It's like trying to convert a diehard political zealot (guess which camp it is to which I'm referring); they just don't want to hear anything that disagrees with their beliefs, however ignorant (I've yet to hear any arguments as to why exactly Kerry would be worse at protecting the country; after all, under which administration did the terrorist attacks occur in the first place? But I have no intention of starting a futile political "debate" (read: degenerative flamefest) here).

Well, for one thing, your program is not "broken;" ie it still functions. There's a UI bug in the Framework that now affects your program. That's partly your own fault. SP1 was available as a public beta for some time, and you SHOULD have taken the time to test your program with the new bits then so that you could have reported any bugs you found and maybe gotten them fixed before the SP shipped. Instead, you just assumed that everything would work flawlessly through the upgrade and didn't even give the .NET 1.1SP1 scenario a cursory test.

What the poster you quoted said is completely relevant. If Microsoft released a fix for the Framework that fixed your groupbox problem, you wouldn't need to recompile your application to take advantage of that fix.

Although I might agree with your opinion on your presidential election, I don't see how that's really relevant to a discussion about the .NET Framework.

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The_Decryptor Veteran

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Exactly. Everythying but the GUI (basically Windows compatibility) is open. Guess what happens when Mono starts making inroads.. you guessed it. A quick call to the lawyer and Mono has a load of DMCA problems on their hands.

Say you wrote a API set, now i come along and make a implementation of it for Linux or whatever, I'm am not copying anything off you, i am only exposing my code in the same way i you do, if i decompiled your API's and wrote mine off your's, that would be a DCMA thing.

When the mono project implemented the System.Windows.Forms namespace, they didn't decompile the System.Windows.Forms.dll assembly, they wrote their own wrapper based around wine, exposing their own code callable in the same way that ms wrote their's, that why ms don't care, they are not copying there work in any way, just the way you call it.

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Sn1p3t

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(From the WeatherAlert thread)

I know it does up a lot of memory when it's not minimized  ; that's just how the framework works. C# was easy enough to pick up, but muddling through full-fledged C++ for something like this is sorta overkill (but I may end up doing it anyway ). But I think of it this way: when you're looking at the full weather information, it's probably not going to be when you're in the middle of playing a game or things like that; you'll have it minimized when you're doing intensive stuff, and when it's minimized it takes up very little memory. That and the fact that I have ample RAM. I guess. *shrug*

Um, you're making it into a problem. If you were t be running it with Doom III in the background, it would take VERY VERY little RAM, not the ~15MB that it uses when no other applications are running. A lot people aren't going to like the application just for that reason.

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em_te

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Either you didnt read what i said about .NET security or you have a hard time understanding english. .NET is more secure than any other method avalible (maybe Java is as secure im not sure as I'm not a java expert) because the JIT compiler only compiles code after it passes CAS (Code Access Security).

For those reasons you cant use a .NET application to circumvent .NET. I recommend you read up on .NET CAS before you speak on that subject...

I beg your pardon of my ineptitude in English.

In thinking about security, it is necessary to think outside the box. Basking in its supported features does not help in analyzing its unknown deficiencies. The .NET Framework is a huge thing and statistically speaking, it is inevitable that programming errors will be found. They do not necessarily need to be errors where rogue code is executed. It can be errors where checks are improperly checked. The question is whether the .NET Runtime and it's interaction with the OS can contain those errors from being exploited. For example, here's a typical route for a .NET application.

1) The .NET Runtime or the web browser makes a call to an HTTP server to download some .NET code. At this stage, an attacker can exploit bugs (if exists) in the .NET Libraries or the web browser to falsify its originating domain in order to gain higher privileges. For example, the attacker could use cross-site script injection exploits to inject code into the site on another domain. The attacker could also use malformed HTTP headers to falsify the domain.

2) The parser checks that the downloaded file conforms to the IL specification. The parser also checks for code signatures, domains, and other forms of evidence. At this stage, an attacker could exploit bugs (if exists) that allow it to bypass those checks. Signatures are difficult to exploit except perhaps with buffer overflows. .NET supports a XML based signature system which opens it up to XML parser attacks. Domain information can be falsified as in the preceding stage.

3) Then the parser checks that the libraries referenced in the code exist and if necessary, downloads those additional libraries. It also checks for permission to use those libraries. At this stage, an attacker could exploit bugs (if exists) to bypass permission checking. For example, a recent bug in Sun's Java VM allowed code to be initialized in a reserved namespace (java.*) because the classloader forgot to check for slashes in the namespace.

As you can see, even before the code gets loaded into it's managed environment, there are plenty of areas where it is still exploitable. The exploitation may even involve deceiving the CAS.

It is agreed that less security means more user friendly and its probably not in MS's best intrest to bundle .NET with windows until Longhorn. That way they dont have to worry about supporting .NET on end-users machines until its a core part of the OS. The reason .NET i mentioned its not a bad idea for users to install .NET is because it dosent produce more security holes. The very nature of .NET makes it safer than the Win32 API. The .NET runtime also wouldnt be activated except by .NET appications.
That assumes that typical users use enough .NET applications that warrant its existence on the OS.
Actually all the core parts of .NET is standardized... Did you even look at the standards? i did link you to them in my last post. The C# language is a standard as well as the CLS (Common Language Specification) this means a JIT compiler can be written that can understand MSIL as well as a language that can produce MSIL.

Could you point out to me where the System.Windows.Forms namespace is standardized in the ECMA links you sent me. I myself could not find them there. If they are not there but are present in .NET Framework then that implies that not all parts of the Framework are standardized.

No the reason why Mono runs .NET so successfully is because its based on the MS .NET standards. That ensures they arent "reverse engineering" and getting hit with suprises along the way. Since MSIL is a standard that the Mono developers can build upon they only have to read MS .NET FCL (Framework Class Library) documentaion on how non-open API's should work. They can then code their own API that will do what the MS API would do without needing to "Reverse Engineer".
That's fine but I'm arguing that the Microsoft .NET Standards are not the same as the ECMA C#/CLR standards. I'm arguing that Microsoft's Standards are a combination of open standards and proprietary standards. Sure, if Mono followed Microsoft's .NET Standards then they will gain complete interoperability. But if they only followed the ECMA standards, they will not be completely interoperable.

Take, for example, this quote from MSDN:

The System.Windows.Forms namespace contains classes for creating Windows-based applications that take full advantage of the rich user interface features available in the Microsoft Windows operating system.

If it takes full advantage of the rich user interface, then by nature that API will contain code that will only work on Windows (or WINE).

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The_Decryptor Veteran

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Could you point out to me where the System.Windows.Forms namespace is standardized in the ECMA links you sent me. I myself could not find them there. If they are not there but are present in .NET Framework then that implies that not all parts of the Framework are standardized.

That's fine but I'm arguing that the Microsoft .NET Standards are not the same as the ECMA C#/CLR standards. I'm arguing that Microsoft's Standards are a combination of open standards and proprietary standards. Sure, if Mono followed Microsoft's .NET Standards then they will gain complete interoperability. But if they only followed the ECMA standards, they will not be completely interoperable.

I think your confusing the managed api's with the framework, the framework is a system for running and building managed applications, the api's are a different section, the api's don't have to be standardised, because they are in essence a separate section, but ms wont change the layout because if they did, all .net apps would have to be recompiled, and if you notice, ms are good on backwards compatibility (how do you explain the Win16 api's and vm being in longhorn, ms are still supporting use of it) that's why mono will work, ms wont change the api layout, so mono can implement it.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/ecma/

Also, i don't get the section your saying about the ms standards and the ecma standards being different , they are the same thing, ecma didn't come up with them, microsoft did.

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darkmark327

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This seemed to have some relevance to at least one side of this ridiculous debate. http://www.eetimes.com/sys/news/showArticl...icleId=47205205

specifically this idea

If programmers are not prepared to widen their horizons to avoid losing jobs to outsourcing, they should consider another line of work
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The_Decryptor Veteran

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Good point

What was the line, those who refuse to evolve will become extinct

.NET is the future, if you spend all your time saying you wont upgrade to it, you will get left behind without experience in it.

I recommend a mod close this thread, it's gone off-topic and most of it isn't even making sense now.

Edited by The_Decryptor
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em_te

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I think your confusing the managed api's with the framework, the framework is a system for running and building managed applications, the api's are a different section, the api's don't have to be standardised, because they are in essence a separate section, but ms wont change the layout because if they did, all .net apps would have to be recompiled, and if you notice, ms are good on backwards compatibility (how do you explain the Win16 api's and vm being in longhorn, ms are still supporting use of it) that's why mono will work, ms wont change the api layout, so mono can implement it.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/ecma/

Also, i don't get the section your saying about the ms standards and the ecma standards being different , they are the same thing, ecma didn't come up with them, microsoft did.

Here's a quote from the .NET Framework website:

The .NET Framework is composed of the common language runtime and a unified set of class libraries.

And it makes sense from an object orientated perspective because all classes must be derived from a base class and that base class is a member of some library. Even the simplest "Hello world" application will have to use classes from a library (for IOs and Strings). ECMA-334 and ECMA-335 defines those things and Microsoft's .NET Framework implements them. I'm arguing that Microsoft's .NET Framework implements more then those things but also their own proprietary set of libraries which are not standardized with the ECMA. People who then write .NET Applications using Microsoft's set of libraries (de facto standards) will not be compatible with one that implements only the ECMA defined libraries (de jure standards).

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azcodemonkey

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And it makes sense from an object orientated perspective because all classes must be derived from a base class and that base class is a member of some library. Even the simplest "Hello world" application will have to use classes from a library (for IOs and Strings). ECMA-334 and ECMA-335 defines those things and Microsoft's .NET Framework implements them. I'm arguing that Microsoft's .NET Framework implements more then those things but also their own proprietary set of libraries which are not standardized with the ECMA. People who then write .NET Applications using Microsoft's set of libraries (de facto standards) will not be compatible with one that implements only the ECMA defined libraries (de jure standards).

That would be true if they used Windows Forms currently. I may be wrong, but Mono is trying to keep same API, but have GTK and Cocoa be the underlying technologies.

A quote from the Mono site:

Question 5: Will you implement the .NET Framework SDK class libraries?

Yes, we will be implementing the APIs of the .NET Framework SDK class libraries.

Question 6: Will you offer an ECMA-compliant set of class libraries?

Eventually we will. Our current focus is on inter-operating with the Microsoft SDK, but we will also offer an ECMA compliant subset of the libraries.

Smart, if you ask me. Can MS touch them? Only if they find they're stealing code. An API is a public set of interfaces to program against, key word being interfaces. How those interfaces are implemented(if someone stole MS's implementation) is the only thing MS can go after someone on, otherwise, they'd be killing WINE. This is where DMCA is really going to be tested. Reverse engineering has always been how our technology has evolved. Some companies are trying to use the DMCA to change that.

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Dell acknowledged that the SupportAssist bug causes black screens of death, while HP systems are suffering from Secure Boot update issues and boot loops. Both companies issued official advisories. Windows Insider Program Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week: Builds Canary Channel Builds 29610.1000 and 28120.2302 This week's "Canary" builds only contain performance improvements and fixes, including the Low-latency mode, which is now available in the Stable channel for all Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 users. Dev Channel Build 26300.8687 Microsoft brought some useful File Explorer changes with this build. You can now open folders in a new tab by middle-clicking them in the address bar. Beta Channel Build 26220.8680 and 28020.2298 Screen Tint, improved Windows Widgets, and other enhancements are included in this week's Beta releases. Release Preview Channel Builds 26200.8728 and 26100.8728 These builds also feature better widgets, new Windows Update controls, point-in-time restore, File Explorer improvements, and more. In addition to new Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft announced that inbox Windows 11 apps now have their dedicated release notes in the official documentation. Also, Microsoft dropped massive feature updates for six apps, including Paint, Clock, Calculator, Camera, Media Player, Photos, and more. 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. Google has some bad news for those still using MV2-based extensions in Chromium-based browsers, particularly Chrome. The company is now removing flags responsible for Manifest V2-based extensions (uBlock Origin is one of the most popular). However, some browsers resist this change, and Opera issued a statement that it will allow users to continue using MV2 extensions for as long as possible. While Microsoft is still not ready to share new details about MV2 extensions in Microsoft Edge, the company shared important details about the way it will be updating the browser going forward. Now, Microsoft wants to update Edge every two weeks across all platforms instead of the current four-week schedule (only the Extended Stable is exempt from this change). This week, Microsoft confirmed a useful new Teams feature that is coming to the messenger soon. It also detailed all the improvements that made the platform better for users in 2026. However, not all changes are great, as the company is moving ahead with the check-in feature, which many believe will lead to employee monitoring. PowerToys received a feature update this week. Version 0.100 arrived with a big rework for the Shortcut Guide, a new extension gallery for Command Palette, new Dock features, and plenty of other changes. Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting: Microsoft is bringing big performance improvements to OneDrive on Mac Popular Windows 11 file manager Files gets improved tags, layouts, and a new OneDrive icon New Outlook for Windows and Web is getting a simple but very useful email feature Microsoft had to shut down 70+ GitHub repos after getting hacked, bringing back some Microsoft AI boss no longer believes that AI will replace human workers Microsoft wants to end printer driver headaches with Windows Ready Print SQL Server Management Studio 22.7 brings "What's New" page, T-SQL formatting, and lots more Microsoft releases Visual Studio Code 1.124 with smarter autonomous AI agents Windows Server gets DNS over HTTPS (DoH) support Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week: NVIDIA 610.52 Hotfix with multiple fixes for black screens of death, sleep issues, G-SYNC, and more. Reviews are in Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week Steven Parker reviewed a rather unorthodox device here on Neowin this week. He took for a spin the DWARF mini, the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures. It tracks objects in the sky, has a sun filter, and has a low learning curve. There is also nice build quality and a quite affordable price. Pulasthi Ariyasinghe reviewed 007 First Light. The game turned out to be a satisfying spy adventure in the James Bond universe with great gunplay and combat, impressive crowds, over-the-top action sequences, and more. There are a few quirks here and there, but overall, the game scored high on our scale. On the gaming side Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more. Microsoft held the latest XBOX Games Showcase this week. There, the company announced plenty of cool stuff, including a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, a special 25th anniversary XBOX Series X with a classic translucent green design (coming in November 2026), details about Gears of War: E-Day, Spyro: A Realm Beyond after nearly 20 years since the last release, a new Hellblade game from Ninja Theory, a new expansion for DOOM: The Dark Ages, fresh details about State of Decay 3, and even a new entry in the Crazy Taxi series. More improtantly for XBOX fans, Microsoft announced the return of XBOX exclusives, with Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution kicking it off. Microsoft also has some good news for Nintendo Switch 2 owners. Minecraft is coming natively to the second-gen Switch, offering better performance and new features, including the visual overhaul called "Vibrant Visuals." Playground Games revealed a 30-minute gameplay video of the upcoming Fable, showcasing combat, action, NPC simulation, relationships, and player choices. Additionally, the studio confirmed a bug with Forza Horizon 6 wiping saves for some gamers. It also had to shut down one of the game's online modes after users discovered an infinite money glitch. NVIDIA announced new games for the GeForce NOW streaming service and a big Summer sale that lets you get 12 months of GeForce NOW for $35 or $70 less, depending on the tier. Speaking of discounts, check out this week's Weekend PC Game Deals article, full of discounts and the latest freebies from the Epic Games Store. 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. GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC ICE 16G - $649.99 | 13% off 1TB Samsung T7 Portable SSD - $189.98 | 31% off AirPods Pro 3 - $179 | $50 off Edifier R1280Ts Powered Bookshelf Speakers - $129.99 | 24% off This link will take you to other issues of the Microsoft Weekly series. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing for extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.
    • Microsoft Flight Simulator's City Update 15 enhances Midwest cities

      By LoneWolfSL · Posted

      Microsoft Flight Simulator's City Update 15 enhances Midwest cities by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe The third major city update of the year has landed for the original Microsoft Flight Simulator and the 2024 release. The latest drop is upgrading the visuals and regional accuracy of three metropolitan regions in the American states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The 15th city update is adding eight new areas of interest that have been enhanced with high-fidelity TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing in the mentioned regions. The free update highlights Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, and Arlington Heights in Illinois, as well as Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Duluth, Brooklyn Park, Woodbury, Lakeville, Plymouth, and Blaine in Minnesota. In Wisconsin, the development has also upgraded the lands and buildings of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine. The update lands just as one of the world's largest enthusiast flight simulation conventions, FlightSimExpo, kicks off in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 14. The Flight Sim development team's 40-minute keynote at the event can be watched here. At the same time, Microsoft is bringing the 6-seat, single-engine, multi-use light civil airplane Piper M600 into the game as a part of its Expert Series 2 program. This premium plane can be purchased from the in-game marketplace for $24.99. City Update 15: The United States Midwest is now available in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as well as the newer Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, as an optional download. It can be accessed across Steam and the Microsoft Store for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, as well as Xbox and PC Game Pass subscriptions. Xbox One, mobile, and PC players can also jump into the new content using Xbox Cloud Gaming if they have a Game Pass Ultimate membership. The game must be updated to the latest version to download this free update from the in-game marketplace.
    • Five things you might have missed during Apple's WWDC 2026

      By Aditya Tiwari · Posted

      Five things you might have missed during Apple's WWDC 2026 by Aditya Tiwari Image: Apple Apple's annual developer event, WWDC 2026, happened from June 8 through June 12. We have already covered several new features and updates that the iPhone maker unveiled during the official keynote. Apple took Google's help and finally announced the upgraded Siri AI personal assistant, which now comes with an app. Moreover, a truckload of Apple Intelligence features took the center stage. That said, this year's WWDC is a bit different, and you might have noticed or missed the following stuff: Apple's ongoing unification of platforms Image: Apple One thing Apple is widely known for is its seamless hardware-software ecosystem. The company added a new chapter in 2020, when it began the Apple Silicon transition and launched macOS 11 Big Sur with native ARM support. Some major changes happened last year as well, when Apple renamed all of its operating systems to version 26 and introduced the Liquid Glass design language. Until WWDC 2025, Apple keynotes had dedicated segments for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and other operating systems, in which the company discussed each in detail. The WWDC 2026 keynote was different, and Apple allotted most of the screen time to Apple Intelligence and Siri. It didn't even publish separate press releases on its website for different operating systems. While it might seem surprising at first, it shows how Apple plans to move forward with its software ecosystem. Be it the Liquid Glass changes, child safety updates, or other features, they are mostly rolling out across multiple platforms. In other words, Apple is slowly blurring the line between its operating systems and achieving feature parity wherever possible. It's easy to rule out that someone in Apple's marketing team forgot to press the publish button. Everything is a calculated move when it comes to a company like Apple. Putting Apple Intelligence left, right, and center hints that the OS itself is no longer the product anymore. It's Siri, not Pepsi Time and again, various Apple products have been compared to unrelated things and turned into meme material. You might have heard about the "cheese grater" Mac Pro or the "trash can" Mac Pro, to name a few. It's Siri's turn this time. The upgraded AI assistant got a fresh logo, and people have started comparing it with Pepsi. There are other contenders, such as the Sony Ericsson logo and the Yin and Yang symbol. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Mac Image: Apple Apple has been putting the iPhone's camera muscles to the test on various occasions. Even NASA astronauts took it to Space earlier this year and captured some out-of-this-world photos. Recently, Apple TV streamed the first major live sporting event shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro: an MLS match featuring the LA Galaxy vs. the Houston Dynamo FC. The 'Pro' iPhone has also been used to shoot Apple events in recent years. It's "Scary Fast" Mac event in 2023 was among the earliest attempts, and the tradition trickled down to the WWDC 2026 keynote, which ended with the tag line "Shot on iPhone. Edited on Mac." It's unsurprising to see Apple flexing the camera capabilities of its Pro models, especially when it has been baking professional-grade features, including ProRes RAW and Genlock. Hints for the foldable Apple has been sitting on the foldable iPhone for so long. There is still confusion over when the company will make it official. A recent report said that the iPhone Fold might get delayed as Apple is struggling to perfect its hinge mechanism. But Apple has been dropping hints here and there. A developer dug into the iOS 27 beta code and found internal references about device folding states. As verified by Macworld, the code includes references to "foldState" and "angleDegrees" internal status values, which are apparently designed to tell apps if a device is folded and at what angle. As of now, no other Apple device uses these states. The publication also found internal code suggesting Apple has been testing a device with both Touch ID and Dynamic Island, a combo that doesn't exist today. Last event as Apple CEO Image: Apple Tim Cook's bond with Apple is now almost three decades old, having started in 1998 as the SVP of Worldwide Operations. Back in August 2011, Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple CEO months before his passing, and Cook took charge. Now, the baton has been passed to the hardware chief, John Ternus, who will take over the role on September 1. WWDC 2026 is the last major Apple Event for Tim Cook as CEO. We have seen so much during Cook's tenure over the years, much of which defines Apple as we know it today. From new hardware product lines like Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Silicon, to boosting Apple's services business with Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Pay, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Care One, and more. That said, the first developer betas for Apple's latest operating systems are now available. You can check if your device is supported on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, and other platforms. What's your favorite feature that Apple announced this year at WWDC 2026? Tell us in the comments.
    • EA Sports UFC 6 review: Brutal, satisfying, and surprisingly accessible to newcomers

      By PSG1 · Posted

      Trailer park trash “sport “, fits the current White House
    • EA Sports UFC 6 review: Brutal, satisfying, and surprisingly accessible to newcomers

      By +pmrd · Posted

      Is there a White House level? lol

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