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Microsoft releases first big update after Nadella's vow to 'win back fans'
Winsage
May 1, 2026

Microsoft releases first big update after Nadella’s vow to ‘win back fans’

Microsoft released a non-security update on April 30 aimed at enhancing Windows stability and performance, particularly improving Windows Explorer functionality. The update improves the reliability of explorer.exe processes, enhances sign-in processes, interactions with taskbar menus, and unpinning items from Quick Access. It optimizes startup application performance and storage performance, raising the maximum FAT32 format size limit from 32GB to 2TB. Additional reliability improvements were made to Windows Hello, the Microsoft Store, and the taskbar system tray. The update also introduces Enterprise State Roaming (ESR) for device transitions, policy-based removal of preinstalled Microsoft applications, and enhanced security for batch files.
PC Builder Proves You Can Game Without Touching the Usual Trio of Intel, NVIDIA and AMD
AppWizard
May 1, 2026

PC Builder Proves You Can Game Without Touching the Usual Trio of Intel, NVIDIA and AMD

A gaming PC was built using components from lesser-known manufacturers instead of the typical Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD. The key components include a KaiXian KX-7000 processor from Zhaoxin with 8 cores, 8 threads, and a maximum clock speed of 3.6 GHz, paired with a Moore Threads MTT S80 graphics card featuring 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a clock speed of 1.8 GHz. The system booted into Windows 11 after resolving initial memory issues, utilizing a single 16GB Samsung workstation stick. The total investment in the CPU and motherboard was around 0. Performance benchmarks included a Geekbench single-core score of 789 and a multi-core score of 3,344, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 570 and a multi-core score of 4,432, and 3DMark scores of 3,682 for graphics and 3,625 for the CPU.
Denuvo has been cracked in all single-player games it previously protected — 2K Games and Denuvo reportedly retaliate with mandatory 14-day online checks
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.
I investigated Windows 11's massive 5GB monthly .msu updates. AI is only part of the problem.
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.
Denuvo dealt major blow as crackers claim all non-VR games with the anti-tamper have been bypassed
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.
Windows 11 KB5083769: The April Update may require the recovery key on certain BitLocker-enabled systems
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.
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