ACPI Archives

Winsage

February 14, 2026

Windows 98 On A 2020 ThinkPad P14s Gen 1 Laptop

The x86 architecture allows users to run operating systems from the 1990s on modern hardware. Yeo Kheng Meng successfully booted Windows 98 SE on a 2020 ThinkPad P12s Gen 1 alongside Windows 11 and Linux from a single NVMe drive. He previously ran MS-DOS 6.22 on a 2020 ThinkPad X13. The main challenges included UEFI complexities and the need for compatible hardware drivers. Both ThinkPad models support UEFI-CSM mode. To address the lack of xHCI support in Windows 98, Yeo used a USB 2.0 expansion card through a Thunderbolt dock. The installation involved disabling Secure Boot, enabling UEFI-CSM, activating Thunderbolt BIOS assist mode, and turning off Kernel DMA protection. Yeo used the CREGFIX DOS driver for stability and applied patches from Rudolph Loew to overcome Windows 98's RAM limitation of 512 MB. Users must rely on basic VESA support and the SoftGPU driver for graphics acceleration due to the absence of updated drivers from Intel and NVIDIA. Disk access is routed through the BIOS, leading to suboptimal performance. Yeo configured the BIOS to support the S3 power state to address ACPI support issues. UEFI-CSM is often overlooked in newer systems, complicating the installation of Windows 7 and contributing to divides in the x86 ecosystem.

Winsage

January 17, 2026

Windows 11 shutdown bug: Microsoft confirms KB5073455 issue

Microsoft has acknowledged a shutdown issue affecting Windows 11 Enterprise and IoT editions after the January 13, 2026 security update (KB5073455) for version 23H2, which prevents affected systems from shutting down properly, causing them to either hibernate or restart instead. The problem is linked to the System Guard Secure Launch feature and does not affect Windows 11 Home and Pro editions. A temporary workaround involves using the command "shutdown /s /t 0" in an elevated Command Prompt to force a shutdown, but there is no workaround for hibernation functionality. Microsoft is working on a resolution and suggests that enterprise IT administrators consider pausing the deployment of the update on unaffected devices.

Winsage

December 26, 2025

New Runtime Standby ABI Proposed For Linux Akin To Microsoft Windows’ “Modern Standby”

A new runtime standby ABI has been proposed in the Linux kernel community through a post-Christmas patch series led by Antheas Kapenekakis. This initiative aims to implement a feature similar to Microsoft's "Modern Standby," allowing devices to maintain network connectivity while appearing to be in a sleep state. The patches provide a more robust solution than previous efforts, enabling user-space control over ACPI LPS0 display notifications. The series introduces a mechanism for firing Modern Standby firmware notifications without suspending the kernel, allowing the device to appear asleep while still performing basic computations. The first part of the series modifies the existing DSMs to be called at the beginning of the suspend sequence and exposes a transition function through /sys/power/standby for user-space interaction. The RFC patch series, including documentation on the proposed interface, is available for review.

Winsage

October 20, 2025

Windows 11 Emergency Restart Hidden Shortcut

Windows 11 includes an emergency restart feature that allows users to quickly reset an unresponsive system without closing applications individually. This function can be accessed from the safe sign-in screen by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del, holding the Ctrl key, and clicking the power icon. A confirmation box will appear, warning that unsaved data will be lost, and selecting OK will initiate an immediate reboot. This feature is useful in situations where the interface is unresponsive, such as with frozen applications or missing taskbars. While it can help regain control of the computer, it carries the risk of losing unsaved work and interrupting ongoing operations. Alternative methods for addressing unresponsiveness include using Task Manager, resetting the graphics driver, executing a command line shutdown, or using the physical power button. The emergency restart is recognized as a last-resort recovery option and is particularly valued in troubleshooting scenarios.

Winsage

September 12, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943 has been rolled out to the Canary Channel, featuring general enhancements and fixes. Key fixes include resolving an unresponsive issue in the Storage settings, correcting a taskbar glitch with app previews, fixing HDR settings, addressing an Event Viewer error related to the Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider, and resolving issues with device casting PIN confirmation and the Group Policy Editor display in Chinese. Known issues include potential rollbacks during installation with specific error codes, increased bugchecks on Arm64 PCs, inability to playback GPU captures in PIX, screen flickering in browsers, and audio issues with devices marked in Device Manager. Insiders are advised to update drivers to resolve audio problems. The Canary Channel builds are early development versions and may not align with future Windows releases. Features may change, be removed, or not be released to the public. A clean installation is required to exit the Canary Channel, and a desktop watermark will be present in pre-release builds.

Winsage

September 12, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943 has been released to the Canary Channel, featuring general improvements and fixes. Key fixes include resolving a freezing issue in the Storage settings, addressing a taskbar glitch with app previews, fixing HDR activation problems, and correcting an error related to the Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider. Known issues include potential rollbacks during installation, increased bugchecks on Arm64 PCs, inability to playback GPU captures in PIX, screen flickering in browsers, and audio issues with devices marked in Device Manager. Users experiencing audio issues can attempt to update drivers through Device Manager. The Canary Channel builds may not align with any specific Windows release and features may evolve or be removed. A clean installation is required to exit the Canary Channel.

Winsage

September 9, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27938 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27938 has been released to the Canary Channel. The update introduces AI actions in File Explorer, allowing users to perform tasks such as editing images and summarizing documents directly from the context menu. Four specific image actions are available: Bing Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Remove Background, supporting file types like .jpg, .jpeg, and .png. Additionally, a larger clock with seconds can now be displayed in the notification center, a feature reintroduced from Windows 10. Users can monitor third-party applications utilizing generative AI models through the Privacy & security settings. Fixes include resolving issues with the “Reset this PC” option, low disk space indicators, thumbnail displays for video files, and performance improvements related to WMI Registry scanning. Known issues include potential rollback errors during installation and audio problems with certain devices. The Canary Channel builds are early-stage and may change before any official release.

Winsage

September 6, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5790 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5790 (KB5065779) has been released to the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. Key features include: - Introduction of fluid dictation in voice access for Copilot+ PCs, which automatically corrects grammar and punctuation during voice dictation. - Expansion of Windows Studio Effects to additional cameras, allowing AI-powered enhancements on USB webcams and built-in laptop rear cameras. - New agent in Settings experience rolling out for users with French as their primary display language. - File Explorer Home now includes on-hover actions for file management, requiring a Microsoft account for access. - Various fixes addressing performance issues, taskbar misalignments, context menu behavior in File Explorer, and unresponsive settings. - Known issues include a bug causing green screens during hibernation and audio problems with certain devices in Device Manager. Feedback can be submitted through the Feedback Hub for various features and issues.

Winsage

September 5, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790 (KB5065779) has been released to the Dev Channel for Windows 11, version 25H2. Key updates include: - Introduction of Fluid Dictation in Voice Access for Copilot+ PCs, which automatically corrects grammar and punctuation in real-time. - Expansion of Windows Studio Effects to additional cameras, allowing users to apply AI-powered enhancements to USB webcams and built-in laptop rear cameras. - New agent in Settings experience available for Insiders with French as their primary display language. - File Explorer Home now features on-hover actions for file management, currently limited to Microsoft account users. - Various fixes addressing lag issues, taskbar misalignment, context menu behavior, and unresponsiveness in the Settings app. - Known issues include a green screen during hibernation, audio device errors, and Xbox Controller Bluetooth bugs. Feedback can be submitted through the Feedback Hub for various features and issues.

Winsage

August 30, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5770 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5770 (KB5064089) has been released to the Beta Channel for users on Windows 11, version 24H2. This update includes new features such as the "Convert to table with Excel" option in Click to Do, allowing users to convert tables into Excel easily. Additionally, Microsoft 365 profile cards can now be accessed within Click to Do by clicking on an email. A new Braille viewer feature in Narrator provides on-screen Braille and text output for users with connected Braille displays. Users can also find apps installed on their PC or available in the Microsoft Store through the "Find Apps" feature in the Windows share window. Various fixes have been implemented, including resolving issues with the taskbar, windowing, display settings, and audio. Known issues include problems with File Explorer and audio devices, particularly with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth.