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Is Control Panel dying in Windows 11? Microsoft's biggest UI revamp says not yet
Winsage
August 27, 2026

Is Control Panel dying in Windows 11? Microsoft’s biggest UI revamp says not yet

Windows 11 is undergoing a significant design transformation, with updates to key components like Print Management, the Properties Sheet in File Explorer, and the AutoPlay dialog from Windows 8, all receiving a WinUI makeover. The Control Panel's future is uncertain, but it will remain until Microsoft can transition its features into Windows Settings. Microsoft plans to minimize the need for legacy features and is cautious about removing the Control Panel due to its importance for enterprise compatibility. Upcoming features include a modern Windows Run dialog set to launch in 2026, which will be faster and allow users to navigate to their user directory more efficiently. A modern Properties dialog is also being developed to replace the legacy version, and the AutoPlay dialog will be revamped to remember user preferences. A new Print Management app is in testing, aimed at improving printer management. The overall modernization of Windows 11 suggests that the Control Panel may eventually be phased out, but the timeline for this change is still unclear.
Windows 11 KB5121003 update breaks Teams and Outlook on ARM devices
Winsage
August 20, 2026

Windows 11 KB5121003 update breaks Teams and Outlook on ARM devices

Following the KB5121003 Patch Tuesday update, users on ARM64 devices like Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 are facing startup failures with Microsoft Teams and New Outlook, while traditional Win32 applications remain unaffected. Reverting to the previous update restores functionality, but recovery options have not resolved the issue. The root cause appears to be broken AppModel Runtime package states, leading to dependency issues and 0x80073CFC errors. This problem is similar to one caused by update KB5094126 earlier this year. Creating new Windows profiles offers only temporary relief, and administrators are advised to pause the deployment of KB5121003 on ARM devices until the issue is addressed.
silver Android smartphone
Tech Optimizer
August 10, 2026

Microsoft’s PostgreSQL alternative, HorizonDB: Worth the wait?

AWS's Aurora PostgreSQL service became generally available in 2017 and has evolved into an AI-ready offering with features like vector search and integrations with Amazon Bedrock. Google Cloud launched AlloyDB in 2022, which includes AlloyDB AI with vector search and model interaction. Databricks introduced Lakebase, available on AWS and Azure in 2023, while Snowflake released Snowflake Postgres in February 2026. Microsoft announced HorizonDB at Ignite in November 2025, featuring disaggregated compute and storage, a database-as-log design, native vector search, and integration with Foundry and Fabric.
This 3KB notepad app shows exactly why modern Windows is so bloated
Winsage
July 8, 2026

This 3KB notepad app shows exactly why modern Windows is so bloated

Dave Plummer, known for creating the Windows Task Manager, discusses software bloat in a recent video, highlighting his compact notepad application, Tiny Retro Pad, which is only 2,686 bytes. He notes that while modern applications require higher specifications due to increased complexity, the lack of optimization in code has led to performance degradation. For example, Windows 10 required 1GB of RAM for its 32-bit version, while Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4GB. Plummer emphasizes the importance of efficient coding practices and critiques the tendency of modern software to include unnecessary components, suggesting that prioritizing efficiency could improve user experience on platforms like Windows 11.
"Not every app needs to bundle the universe": This tiny notepad app shows why Windows has become so bloated
Winsage
July 7, 2026

“Not every app needs to bundle the universe”: This tiny notepad app shows why Windows has become so bloated

Dave Plummer created a notepad application called Tiny Retro Pad, which is 2,686 bytes in size, contrasting with larger modern software. The application mimics the original Microsoft Notepad without contemporary features. Plummer emphasizes the importance of working within constraints, recalling a time when developers had to focus on efficiency due to hardware limitations. He utilized existing resources within the Windows ecosystem to maintain the compactness and functionality of Tiny Retro Pad.
Ex-Microsoft engineer rebuilds Notepad in 2.5KB using nothing but stuff Windows already had
Winsage
July 4, 2026

Ex-Microsoft engineer rebuilds Notepad in 2.5KB using nothing but stuff Windows already had

Dave Plummer, a retired Microsoft engineer, has developed TinyRetroPad, a Notepad-like application that is only 2.5 kilobytes in size. TinyRetroPad includes features such as Open, Save, Find and Replace, printing, font selection, word wrap, and an unsaved changes prompt. It is built on existing Windows components, allowing it to function efficiently without extensive resources. TinyRetroPad is based on Dave’s Tiny Editor and utilizes RICHEDIT50W for text handling. The application's file size increased incrementally with each feature added, with the final size being 2,476 bytes. Crinkler, a compression linker, was used to optimize the executable. TinyRetroPad is still in development, facing issues like high memory consumption and compatibility problems. In contrast, Windows 11's Notepad has become larger and more complex, weighing approximately 352KB and incorporating features that some users find unnecessary. Windows 11 LTSC retains the classic Notepad without modern features, while TinyRetroPad aims to demonstrate the potential for simplicity in application design.
RetroPad is a ‘full-feature-parity version of Notepad from XP’ in just 2,749 bytes — x86 assembly coded apps comes from Windows legend Dave W Plummer
Winsage
June 7, 2026

RetroPad is a ‘full-feature-parity version of Notepad from XP’ in just 2,749 bytes — x86 assembly coded apps comes from Windows legend Dave W Plummer

Dave W. Plummer has developed a full-feature-parity version of Notepad called RetroPad, written in x86 assembly language, which is 2,749 bytes in size. RetroPad replicates the functionality of the original Notepad from Windows XP and is available on Plummer's GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. Initially, he managed to reduce RetroPad to 2,686 bytes before adding features like keyboard shortcuts, which increased the size to 2,794 bytes. The original Notepad from Windows XP was approximately 65KB, while later versions of Notepad in Windows 7 to 10 reached sizes of around 190KB to 200KB.
This deal unlocks Microsoft’s full-featured IDE for Windows, Linux, and cloud development for a flat $33
Winsage
June 6, 2026

This deal unlocks Microsoft’s full-featured IDE for Windows, Linux, and cloud development for a flat $33

Visual Studio Pro 2026 is available for .97 until June 7, reduced from its standard price of 9.99. It is a 64-bit integrated development environment (IDE) for C#, .NET, and cross-platform applications. Key features include AI-assisted coding tools like Intellicode, real-time collaboration with Live Share, and support for .NET MAUI and Blazor. It requires a minimum of 4GB of RAM and is compatible with Windows 10, Windows 11, and supported Windows Server releases.
EDB adds quorum commit to distributed Postgres 6.4
Tech Optimizer
June 4, 2026

EDB adds quorum commit to distributed Postgres 6.4

EDB has released version 6.4 of its Postgres Distributed (PGD) solution, which includes enhancements such as quorum commit, native connection pooling, and support for PostgreSQL large objects. The quorum commit feature ensures a unified transaction outcome across cluster nodes before finalizing a transaction, addressing potential risks from conflicting writes in distributed systems. This update targets organizations in sectors like banking, payments, telecommunications, and infrastructure, aiming to provide the same consistency guarantees previously reliant on proprietary databases. The Connection Manager now includes native connection pooling, reducing the need for external connection poolers and streamlining operations by integrating with PGD's Raft consensus layer. This integration allows for automatic route adjustments during failover and improved monitoring capabilities. Additionally, the update expands replication support to include PostgreSQL large objects, enhancing the applicability of distributed Postgres for managing mixed data sets in sectors like government, healthcare, and financial services. EDB also noted a Gartner forecast that by 2030, over 75% of enterprises in Europe and the Middle East will have repatriated workloads to their home jurisdictions, emphasizing the importance of consistent data management across locations. EDB aims to strengthen Postgres's position in the market by focusing on transaction integrity in distributed environments while minimizing reliance on additional infrastructure components.
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