accessibility issues Archives

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

PlayStation Appears To Be Removing Region Restrictions For Its Games On PC

PlayStation is porting its first-party, console-exclusive games to PC, aiming to expand access to these titles. However, the strategy has faced challenges due to the requirement of linking Steam accounts with PlayStation Network accounts, which has restricted access to certain games in over 100 countries without PSN availability. The release of Helldivers 2 highlighted these accessibility issues, but recent reports indicate that PlayStation is lifting regional restrictions for several titles, including God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. The launch of Days Gone Remastered without regional locks suggests a shift towards a more inclusive approach, potentially ending the era of regional limitations for PlayStation games on PC.

Winsage

April 23, 2025

Microsoft fixes Windows Server 2025 blue screen, install issues

Microsoft has addressed issues affecting Windows Server 2025 for systems with more than 256 logical processors, which could lead to installation failures, slow start-up times, and blue screen errors. These problems have been resolved through updates since the KB5046617 cumulative update released in November. IT administrators are advised to install the latest security updates, which include essential fixes. A temporary workaround involves limiting the number of logical processors to 256 or fewer by adjusting settings in the UEFI Setup. Additionally, Microsoft warned of potential accessibility issues with Windows Server 2025 domain controllers post-restart and reported login difficulties with Windows Hello after the April 2025 updates. A bug causing authentication issues with Credential Guard has been fixed, and a new safeguard hold for Windows 11 24H2 has been introduced due to compatibility problems with the SenseShield Technology's sprotect.sys driver.

TrendTechie

April 15, 2025

Windows Server 2025 may lose DC connectivity after restart

Microsoft has warned about potential accessibility issues with Windows Server 2025 domain controllers after a restart, where affected servers revert to the default firewall profile, disrupting applications and services. A temporary workaround involves manually restarting the network adapter on the impacted servers using the PowerShell command: Restart-NetAdapter *. This workaround needs to be reapplied after each restart of the domain controller, and Microsoft recommends setting up a scheduled task to automate this process. Windows Server 2025, launched earlier this year, introduced new features and security enhancements but has faced previous issues, including freezing Remote Desktop sessions and accidental upgrades from Windows Server 2022. Developers are currently working on a permanent solution for the domain controller issue.

Winsage

April 14, 2025

Microsoft: New emergency Windows updates fix AD policy issues

Microsoft has released out-of-band Windows updates to address issues with local audit logon policies in Active Directory Group Policy. The updates correct discrepancies where audit logon/logoff events do not appear enabled on devices, despite functioning correctly. The affected Windows versions include Windows 11 (versions 23H2 and 22H2), Windows Server 2022, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 LTSB 2016, and Windows Server 2016. These updates are categorized as non-security releases and are cumulative. Microsoft also warned of potential accessibility issues for some domain controllers running Windows Server 2025 and released emergency updates for Office 2016 to fix crashes in Word, Excel, and Outlook. Additionally, users faced login issues with Windows Hello after recent security updates.

AppWizard

April 13, 2025

PC gamers report hackers have taken over Star Wars Battlefront II

Star Wars Battlefront II is currently facing significant challenges due to hacking, which has made several game modes unplayable. A recent sophisticated hack prevents players from spawning in affected servers, leading to empty matches. Players have reported abusive chat messages and doxxing incidents linked to hackers. The modding group Kyber has raised concerns about scammers impersonating administrators and has noted that EA has implemented a server-side fix for a critical vulnerability, although an official statement from the company is pending. Historically, the game has experienced various bugs and hacks, including a notable incident in late 2021 where a bug rendered players unkillable. Despite EA ceasing primary development in 2020, the game retains a loyal player base, partly due to its free availability on the Epic Games Store in 2021. Kyber is developing a modding platform called Kyber V2, which aims to introduce features like a dedicated server browser and custom servers to enhance the gaming experience and protect against hacking.

AppWizard

March 24, 2025

3 times Microsoft has tried (and failed) to reinvent PC gaming

Microsoft has faced criticism from the PC gaming community due to frequent Windows updates causing crashes and altering features. The Universal Windows Platform (UWP), introduced in the mid-2010s to unify operating systems, faced backlash from gamers for restricting access to game files and complicating third-party software use. Many developers bypassed UWP, leading Microsoft to reintroduce Win32 games by 2019. DirectX 10 was exclusive to Windows Vista, resulting in only 87 games being developed for it due to the unpopularity of Vista and lack of backward compatibility. Games for Windows Live (GFWL) aimed to bring Xbox Live to PC but became frustrating due to its closed ecosystem, leading to accessibility issues and unplayable titles after server shutdowns. Microsoft has since improved the gaming experience on Windows, focusing on user choice and compatibility, with features like Auto HDR and DirectStorage integrated into Windows 11.

AppWizard

February 3, 2025

PlayStation removes PSN account requirements for some PS5 games on PC

Sony Interactive Entertainment plans to eliminate the requirement for PlayStation Network (PSN) accounts when playing select first-party titles on PC, responding to player feedback regarding accessibility issues in various regions. This change currently applies to a limited selection of games, and while specific titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart or Ghost of Tsushima were not mentioned, the company aims to enhance the gaming experience. Players who link their Steam and PSN accounts will receive incentives, including managing friends across platforms, sharing trophy data, and accessing game-specific benefits. Examples of these benefits include early unlocks and bonus features for titles such as Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, God of War Ragnarok, and Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered. Each studio is developing further incentives to be announced soon.

Winsage

December 18, 2024

PowerToys just fixed the one flaw stopping me from using one of the app’s best features

Microsoft's PowerToys version 0.87.0 includes several updates: - Workspaces now supports Progressive Web Applications (PWAs). - Advanced Paste introduces "Advanced AI" for clipboard transformations. - A feature in Workspaces allows users to move existing windows. - Mouse Jump has new customization settings for pop-ups. - New+ is now compatible with Windows 10. - Quick Accent enables selection of character sets in the UI. - Improvements in Awake, File Explorer add-ons, Keyboard Manager, Monaco Preview, Peek, PowerToys Run, Screen Ruler, and Settings have been made. - The Workspaces editor position is saved for consistent reopening, and issues related to application positioning and crashes have been resolved. - Documentation has been updated, and development has upgraded to .NET 9.

Winsage

December 17, 2024

PowerToys 0.87 is out with a new utility for Windows 10 users and a lot of improvements

The latest update for PowerToys, released in December 2024, includes the following enhancements for Windows 10 users: - New+ utility is now fully compatible with Windows 10. - Advanced Paste introduces "Advanced AI" using Semantic Kernel technology for clipboard transformations. - Workspaces now supports Progressive Web Applications and allows users to move existing windows. - Mouse Jump adds settings for customizing the pop-up appearance. - Quick Accent enables users to select displayed character sets in the user interface. Additional improvements include: - Advanced Paste now has an optional AI feature for clipboard transformations. - Awake has improvements in initialization, logging, and tray icon setup. - File Explorer Add-ons now utilize PerMonitorV2 DPI mode. - Keyboard Manager has added labels for IME keys and resolved an issue with the Shift key. - Monaco Preview supports .ahk and .ion files and adds syntax highlighting for .srt files. - Peek assesses local capabilities for image formats and resolves loading issues for the Code Files Previewer. - PowerToys Run includes a scoring function for WindowWalker plugin results and updates to the calculator plugin. - Screen Ruler can now display measurements in inches, centimeters, or millimeters. - Settings have been updated for milestone links, navigation bar icons, and accessibility issues. - Workspaces has improved features for window management and application version detection. PowerToys can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store or GitHub.