Software Archives

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

‘I try to play as a completionist and leave no stone unturned and no enemy unkilled’: Returnal director Harry Krueger talks Deus Ex, Resident Evil, and the arcade classic that inspired Housemarque’s best games

Harry Krueger began his journey in PC gaming with Quake 3: Arena and later became a programmer at Housemarque, working on games like Outland and Resogun. He served as Game Director for Nex Machina in 2017 and Returnal in 2021, which won four BAFTAs in 2022, including Best Game. He has logged over 200 hours in Tetris Effect, which he appreciates for its simplicity and finesse. Ikaruga is a game he holds dear, describing it as influential and comforting. Krueger uses PureRef, an image collection tool, for organizing his creative process. His desktop is relatively tidy, with project-related files organized, though he admits to having some clutter.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

AMD taunts Apple’s MacBook Neo for failing to run 75% of top PC games — Only 5 out of the 20 top PC games work on the Neo, while all run on AMD’s budget offerings

The MacBook Neo has received positive reviews, redefining expectations for budget laptops and raising concerns among Windows manufacturers. AMD has launched a marketing campaign comparing its Ryzen 200 series systems to the MacBook Neo, highlighting that 15 of the top 20 PC games are incompatible with the Neo, which can only run five natively. AMD's systems provide access to extensive gaming libraries without requiring workarounds. AMD's selected comparison device, the HP OmniBook X Flip with a Ryzen 5 220 chip, can run older games but struggles with modern titles. While AMD claims its systems can run all top PC games, performance may not meet gamers' expectations. Apple's Silicon is powerful, but gaming demand on Mac remains limited, and users can only emulate x86 code, not achieve native compatibility. The MacBook Neo is recognized as a strong budget option, while Intel's Wildcat Lake laptops and Qualcomm's Snapdragon C-series chips are emerging alternatives in the market.

Winsage

June 14, 2026

Windows 11 KB5094126 crashes some PCs (HP?) with BSODs, breaks OneDrive in File Explorer, enterprise apps

Windows 11 KB5094126, released on June 9, 2026, is a significant update that introduces new features, including the Low Latency Profile, and addresses up to 200 security vulnerabilities. However, it has caused boot failures for some HP devices, particularly the HP EliteBook 840 G10, leading to BSODs or BitLocker Recovery prompts. The update may conflict with specific BIOS configurations or EFI/System partition settings, especially on devices with older EFI partitions. Users experiencing boot failures may need to disable Secure Boot as a temporary workaround. Additionally, the update has disrupted OneDrive integration in File Explorer, preventing access from the left pane and tray icon, although users can still access cloud folders directly. Similar issues have been reported with Dropbox and iCloud Drive. The update has also affected Microsoft Word integration in various business applications, leading to failures in document handling. Furthermore, changes to desktop.ini files have impacted custom folder icons, requiring users to unblock these files to restore functionality.

Tech Optimizer

June 14, 2026

Avast Free Antivirus: classic security staple for everyday PCs

Avast Free Antivirus is a free antivirus solution for Windows PCs developed by Avast (Gen Digital). It provides essential malware protection, real-time scanning, and web safety features without requiring a paid subscription. Users in the U.S. can download it from the official Avast website and install it on compatible Windows systems. The software identifies and blocks viruses, spyware, ransomware, and other forms of malware using signature-based detection and cloud-assisted analytics. It includes features such as real-time protection, on-demand scanning, an email shield, a Wi-Fi inspector, and behavior shields. Avast Free Antivirus offers automatic updates to ensure current protection against emerging threats. It serves as a gateway product to Avast's paid tiers, which offer additional features. The software is primarily aimed at home users who need basic antivirus protection and is available for free personal use.

Tech Optimizer

June 14, 2026

Automate Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL major or minor version upgrade using AWS Systems Manager and Amazon EC2

Managing upgrades for the Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition can be labor-intensive and error-prone when done manually. Automating Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL upgrades can reduce manual effort by up to 80% and minimize downtime risks through consistent procedures. The automation solution uses AWS Systems Manager, Amazon EC2, and AWS Secrets Manager, structured around two modules: PREUPGRADE for readiness checks and UPGRADE for the actual upgrade process. The solution identifies upgrade candidates using database tags, creates safety backups with Copy-on-Write clones, manages the upgrade process with minimal human intervention, and offers real-time monitoring and email notifications. The workflow includes logging into the Systems Manager console, downloading the upgrade script, identifying Aurora PostgreSQL clusters based on tags, retrieving credentials from AWS Secrets Manager, executing pre-upgrade checks or upgrades, uploading log files to Amazon S3, and sending email notifications via Amazon SNS. Prerequisites include familiarity with the Aurora upgrade process, appropriate IAM permissions, creating a maintenance user, setting up AWS Secrets Manager, tagging Aurora clusters, creating an S3 bucket, and configuring an SNS topic for notifications. Implementation steps involve reviewing setup instructions, uploading the upgrade script to S3, creating an AWS Systems Manager automation document, executing the automation document, and monitoring the upgrade process through logs generated during pre-upgrade and upgrade phases. The logs provide detailed information on tasks performed, including replication slot status and configuration backups. After testing, it is recommended to clean up resources to avoid future charges.

Winsage

June 13, 2026

Steam Survey: Increased Windows 11 Adoption, AMD GPU Detection Fix Live

Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 in adoption nearly four years after its launch in 2021, with projections of reaching 1 billion users by 2026. The May 2026 Steam Hardware and Software survey shows a 2.02% increase in Windows 11 gamers, while Windows 10 declined by 1.64% and Linux by 0.53%. Windows gained 0.38% overall, and macOS added 0.15%. English-language users increased by 2.71%, indicating demographic biases in the survey. The industry standard remains 16 GB of RAM and 1080p monitor resolution, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 as the most popular graphics card. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT saw a 1.24% gain following a fix for detection issues.

Winsage

June 13, 2026

Windows 11 KB5094126: Microsoft’s desktop.ini hardening causes some folder icons to disappear

Following the June 2026 update, custom folder icons and localized folder names in Windows are no longer displaying as they typically would due to intentional modifications related to security updates, specifically KB5094126 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. This update tightens the handling of the desktop.ini file, which is used for folder customization. Although access to the actual files remains unchanged, affected folders may revert to default icons or display original directory names instead of customized labels. Microsoft has identified certain sources as untrusted, including files downloaded from the internet and specific remote sources, which affects how desktop.ini files are processed. Users are encouraged to verify file origins, and administrators should ensure that internal sources are classified as trusted to avoid disruptions in folder presentation. The update also includes other security fixes and enhancements.

AppWizard

June 13, 2026

Gemini 3.5 Flash lands on Google’s Android coding rankings, but it’s 3x the cost for slower performance

Google has released benchmark results for evaluating AI models in Android coding, revealing that the Gemini 3.5 Flash is the most resource-intensive model but ranks sixth overall. The benchmarks indicate that Gemini 3.5 Flash has higher latency and a 9% performance gap compared to its predecessor, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, despite being marketed as a faster alternative. In terms of cost, Gemini 3.5 Flash averages 355.9 tokens per benchmark run at approximately 7.1, while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview uses only 73.3 tokens at about a third of that cost. The top-ranked models include GPT 5.5, GPT 5.4, and Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, while Claude Opus 4.7 ranks fourth. The rankings feature both open-weight and closed-weight models, with the list remaining consistent since the last release, except for the removal of GPT 5.3 Codex.

Winsage

June 12, 2026

Windows NT on the GameCube is Basically a Homebrew Project That Brings the Classic OS to Nintendo Hardware

GameCube enthusiasts are utilizing homebrew projects to enhance the console's capabilities, including region-free play and disc backups. A new initiative allows a full PowerPC build of Windows NT to run on the GameCube, leveraging its Gekko CPU's compatibility with early PowerPC-based PCs. The entii-for-workcubes project, led by Wack0, provides components for running Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0 on GameCube and Wii systems, featuring an ARC firmware bootloader for loading homebrew software. Users need to prepare an SD card with specific files and a Windows NT ISO to initiate the process. After installation, basic productivity tools are accessible, but limitations include only 24MB of RAM, slower access speeds, lack of sound support, and potential reboot stalls.

Winsage

June 12, 2026

Hackers Use Fake Windows Update Installers to Deliver OnyxC2 Credential Stealer

OnyxC2 is a sophisticated credential stealer available for a subscription fee of 0 per month, distributed through disguised lures such as fake Windows updates and legitimate software installers. It functions as a commercial product with features like an automated payload builder, tiered licensing, and a centralized web dashboard. The malware boasts a 99% detection-evasion rate, successfully evading major antivirus solutions during tests. It is developed in C++, utilizing direct system calls and mutating with each build to avoid detection. OnyxC2 collects data from around 210 applications, targeting 45 web browsers, password managers, cryptocurrency wallets, and FTP clients. The malware is delivered using DLL sideloading, where a password-protected archive contains a legitimate application and a malicious DLL. The attacker's DLL is disguised by inflating its size and is loaded by a trusted binary. The malicious code remains encrypted on disk and decrypts in memory to evade analysis. OnyxC2 communicates with a Cloudflare-fronted command-and-control server to manage infected hosts and execute commands like hardware registration and cookie uploads. The threat extends to business environments, targeting FTP and email clients, with stolen session cookies allowing ongoing access to corporate infrastructure. Implementing anti-data exfiltration controls is recommended as a mitigation strategy.