Boot Archives

Winsage

April 30, 2026

If you held off upgrading your PC because of the price, it’s now only $10 to get Windows 11 Pro

Windows 11 Pro is currently available for a promotional price of .97, a significant reduction from the standard price of 9. It includes security enhancements such as TPM 2.0, secure boot, built-in antivirus protection, Smart App Control, and Windows Hello for biometric security. BitLocker provides hard drive encryption, while Snap layouts and virtual desktops enhance multitasking. Unique features include Windows Sandbox for safely opening untrusted files, Hyper-V for managing virtual machines, and Azure AD support for workplace accounts. The integrated Copilot feature assists with various tasks. This promotional offer ends on May 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Denuvo has been cracked in all single-player games it previously protected — 2K Games and Denuvo reportedly retaliate with mandatory 14-day online checks

The skull-and-bones community has declared that there are no games utilizing Denuvo that remain uncracked or bypassed. The MKDev collective and DenuvOwO developed a hypervisor-based bypass (HVB) in late 2025, which intercepts Denuvo's verification checks. The cracker voices38 successfully removed Denuvo from several titles, including Resident Evil: Requiem. Denuvo has since implemented a 14-day mandatory online check for certain games, complicating the HVB method. The latest version of HVB requires users to disable Core Isolation and Driver Signature Enforcement to run games. The community includes notable figures like repacker FitGirl, who has acknowledged the collaborative efforts of DenuvOwO and voices38.

Winsage

April 28, 2026

I investigated Windows 11’s massive 5GB monthly .msu updates. AI is only part of the problem.

Windows 11 updates have significantly increased in size, with monthly cumulative updates often exceeding 4GB and some approaching 5GB. One update can expand to nearly 9GB when extracted. Microsoft has shifted to delivering Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs), which include all previous fixes, leading to larger update sizes over time. The introduction of Checkpoint Cumulative Updates aims to reduce this growth by establishing periodic baselines, but the effectiveness has been mixed. The May 2025 cumulative update saw a size increase from approximately 6.5GB to nearly 9GB, with new MSIX files related to semantic search and on-device AI contributing to this growth. Windows Update uses applicability logic to minimize download sizes for users, but enterprises must download full packages, resulting in increased storage costs. The average yearly storage cost for enterprises rose from about 11 GB in 2024 to 52 GB by 2026. Users can check their actual download sizes through the Windows Update settings and Event Viewer logs.

AppWizard

April 28, 2026

Denuvo dealt major blow as crackers claim all non-VR games with the anti-tamper have been bypassed

Every non-VR game utilizing Denuvo DRM has been successfully compromised due to the emergence of the Hypervisor bypass, a method that deceives Denuvo into believing it is functioning correctly. This technique requires users to disable Driver Signature Enforcement, raising security concerns. The CrackWatch subreddit reports that all non-VR Denuvo games have been cracked or bypassed to some degree, with Capcom's Pragmata being completely bypassed just two days before its official launch. Cracking Denuvo within the first week of a game's release can lead to revenue losses of up to 20% for developers and publishers. Irdeto is actively developing updated security versions to address the Hypervisor bypass, assuring that these measures will not compromise game performance.

Winsage

April 28, 2026

Windows 11 Reveals 4 Hidden Features in the Latest Experimental Build

Windows 11 build 26300.8289 has introduced several updates on the Experimental channel, including four undisclosed changes and enhancements to Windows Update. Key features include: - Early support for repositioning the Taskbar, allowing users to place it at the top, left, or right of the screen. - A redesigned Run dialog, which has been updated for the first time in nearly 30 years, featuring a Fluent Design with rounded corners, semi-transparent elements, improved spacing, and support for light and dark themes. The text field is enlarged, and it displays recent commands as users type. This new design is optional and can be enabled through Settings. - A new login animation, replacing animated dots with a solid spinning icon during sign-in, sign-out, shutdown, and restart. - An update in the Settings under Storage, allowing users to toggle between megabytes and gigabytes when resizing volumes. These features are currently not accessible to regular Windows Insiders, indicating ongoing development for future testing.

Winsage

April 28, 2026

Microsoft is finally updating a Windows 8 relic that hung on all the way to Windows 11

Windows 11 will replace the dotted spinner from Windows 8 with a new loading wheel in Insider build 26300.8289. The new animation features a sleek solid-line design. The change was discovered by a user named PhantomOfEarth using a tool called Vivetool to enable feature ID 59728252. Microsoft has not yet activated this feature for all users.

Winsage

April 27, 2026

Windows 11 KB5083769: The April Update may require the recovery key on certain BitLocker-enabled systems

The April update KB5083769 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, released on April 14, 2026, has a known issue where certain devices may enter BitLocker recovery mode after installation. This problem affects a limited subset of devices with specific, non-recommended BitLocker Group Policy settings. The issue arises when BitLocker is activated, a specific TPM platform validation policy is set to include PCR7, PCR7 binding is not feasible, the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate is present, and the device is not using the 2023-signed Windows Boot Manager. Microsoft advises organizations to review their BitLocker Group Policy settings and verify PCR7 binding status before deploying the update to prevent devices from requesting recovery keys. If the recovery prompt appears, users will need to enter the BitLocker recovery key, but subsequent reboots should not trigger the recovery process again if the Group Policy remains unchanged.

Winsage

April 27, 2026

Linux 7.1-rc1 brings faster, safer file transfers between Windows and Linux partitions with a brand new NTFS driver

Linus Torvalds has announced the closure of the merge window for Linux version 7.1, allowing public testing to begin with the first release candidate now available. This version includes a significant rewrite of the NTFS code aimed at improving dual-boot experiences between Windows and Linux. Additionally, Linux 7.1 will gradually phase out support for the i486 Intel processor and some older networking technologies and SoC configurations. Users can find the release candidate in Linus' Linux Git repository and are encouraged to report any bugs.

Winsage

April 25, 2026

Windows 11 KB5083769 causing a death loop on 24H2 and 25H2 systems

Microsoft's April 2026 Patch Tuesday update, KB5083769, has caused significant boot issues for Windows 11 users on versions 24H2 and 25H2. Users reported problems such as distorted visuals and the Blue Screen of Death after restarting post-update. The issue affects various hardware configurations, including HP and Dell systems. Additionally, the update may trigger BitLocker recovery on some systems, complicating recovery for users without their recovery key. Users have also experienced an increase in the number of restarts required during installation. Microsoft has not yet provided an emergency fix. Affected users are advised to use the Windows Recovery Environment for troubleshooting, including System Restore and Startup Repair. To check if KB5083769 is installed, users can go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history, and if present, it is recommended to uninstall it and pause updates.

Winsage

April 24, 2026

Windows 11 now shows if your Secure Boot certificates are ready for June

Windows 11 has introduced a feature that allows users to verify the status of their Secure Boot certificates directly from system settings, simplifying the process ahead of the June 2026 expiration deadline. This update enhances accessibility and empowers users to maintain system security against vulnerabilities. Secure Boot helps prevent unauthorized software and malware from loading during startup, and confirming certificate status can mitigate risks associated with system breaches.