support Archives

Winsage

July 18, 2026

Windows 11 Secure Boot certificates have expired, and Microsoft says what to do next

Microsoft held its OEM Secure Boot Office Hours event on July 15, where engineers collaborated with OEM representatives from companies like Acer, Asus, Cisco, Dell, and HP. IT administrators were able to ask live questions about the Secure Boot 2023 rollout. The discussion thread became a detailed technical record, especially following the expiration of the first certificates three weeks prior. Concerns raised by IT admins included BitLocker recovery loops, stuck confidence ratings, and unhelpful Intune error codes. Key facts include: - Devices offline for long periods will still receive the 2023 certificates upon reconnecting to Windows Update. - Devices with existing 2023 certificates in firmware will switch to the new boot manager after the latest Windows patches are installed. - A new script, Detect-SecureBootCertUpdateStatus.ps1, is available in Windows for checking certificate status. - BIOS updates may reset a device’s confidence rating to unrated, which is normal and does not indicate certificate failure. - Admins should edit the AvailableUpdates registry key, not the AvailableUpdatesPolicy, which is managed by Intune and Group Policy. - A licensing bug affecting AvailableUpdatesPolicy on devices upgraded from Pro to Enterprise was resolved by Microsoft in 2026. - BitLocker recovery is not typically linked to the certificate update process but may relate to firmware or PCR issues. - Dell and HP provided guidance on which BIOS versions include the 2023 certificates for their newer models. - Older HP EliteBook 840 G5 units require a manual update package for the new certificates. - Eligible devices can still receive the 2023 certificates in the future, and Surface devices released from 2024 onward come pre-equipped with them. - Microsoft confirmed that devices running 2011 certificates will not lose the ability to receive the 2023 chain. - The Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011 and Microsoft UEFI CA 2011 certificates have expired, with the Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011 set to expire on October 19, 2026.

Winsage

July 18, 2026

Windows Server 2022 reach end of mainstream support in 90 days

Windows Server 2022 will end its mainstream support on October 13, 2026, transitioning to an extended support phase that will last until October 14, 2031, during which security updates will be provided at no additional cost. Windows Server 2022 was released in September 2021 and is part of the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) with a decade of support. Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows Server 2025, which became generally available in November 2024 and will have mainstream support until November 13, 2029, and extended support until November 14, 2034. A 180-day trial for Windows Server 2025 is available through the Microsoft Evaluation Center. Additionally, hotpatching for Windows Server 2022 will be extended until October 2027 for Datacenter: Azure Edition systems, and the free Windows 10 Extended Security Updates program has been extended by one year. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 and Windows 11 24H2 will stop receiving updates three months after their end of support.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

As Google sits back and watches, terrible ads are ruining Android’s free app ecosystem

The mobile advertising landscape has shifted from simple banner ads to aggressive monetization tactics that often manipulate users. Common intrusive ad experiences include unclosable interstitial ads, interactive playable ads that mislead users, and unsolicited notifications promoting unrelated games. This shift has negatively impacted independent developers, who struggle to compete against large ad networks and feel pressured to adopt disruptive ad practices. Google, which controls the Play Store and ad services, benefits financially from these intrusive ads but has not effectively addressed the issue, allowing low-quality ads to proliferate. The current state of advertising is eroding user trust in free applications, threatening the integrity of the Android ecosystem.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

Fallout 5: Confirmed details (and speculation) about Bethesda’s next post-nuclear RPG

Bethesda has confirmed that Fallout 5 is in development and will launch after The Elder Scrolls VI. There is currently no teaser logo or imagery available. Both games are being developed using Creation Engine 3, which aims to streamline the development process. Todd Howard has indicated that the Fallout series will predominantly remain set in the U.S., and while the setting for Fallout 5 is still speculative, locations like the Midwest are being considered. The project is in its early stages, having evolved from initial brainstorming to preproduction, with a desire to shorten the gap between major RPG releases.

Winsage

July 18, 2026

I tried this Linux distro that looks like Windows, is made by a Microsoft engineer, and is based on Ubuntu

AnduinOS is a new Linux distribution created by a Microsoft engineer, based on Ubuntu, designed to provide a user experience similar to Windows 11. It offers both Long-Term Support (LTS) and short-term releases, with the latter featuring enhancements over its predecessor. Unlike Ubuntu, which uses Snap packages, AnduinOS utilizes Flatpak for software management, allowing access to a wider range of applications. The desktop environment closely resembles Windows 11, featuring a taskbar, Start menu, and other familiar elements, enhanced by GNOME extensions. Users can customize the taskbar and Start menu extensively, surpassing the customization options available in Windows. The integration of GNOME extensions, such as Clipboard History and Tiling Shell, further enhances productivity and user experience.

TrendTechie

July 18, 2026

Что такое троттлинг и как понять, что провайдер намеренно замедляет ваш трафик

Throttling is the intentional limitation of speed for specific types of traffic, services, protocols, devices, or users. It can occur due to various reasons, such as exceeding data caps, prioritization of certain services, load management during peak hours, or technical policies in networks. Users may experience speed drops that are selective to specific traffic types, indicating potential throttling, while universal slowdowns suggest network overload or outages. Speed tests measure connectivity to specific servers and may not reflect actual download speeds across different paths. Signs of potential throttling include isolated speed drops, consistent slowdowns at specific times, and discrepancies between speed tests and real-world performance. Initial checks should rule out home network issues, and practical diagnostics can help identify throttling by comparing speeds across different servers, types of downloads, and times of day. If throttling is confirmed and support does not resolve the issue, exploring alternative ISPs may be necessary.

Winsage

July 18, 2026

Windows 11 bug hogging over 70GB of SSD storage, Microsoft confirms

Microsoft has acknowledged a bug in Windows 11 related to the Capability Access Manager (camsvc) that causes significant storage issues for users. The bug leads to an abnormal increase in the size of the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal SQLite Write-Ahead Log file, which typically should be a few megabytes but has been reported to grow to 70-80 GB, and in some cases, over 200 GB or even up to 500 GB. This growth depletes available SSD space without any new files being added by users. The issue was highlighted by a user on the Microsoft Q&A forum, prompting others to check their disk space and find similar problems. Additionally, Windows Storage Settings misreported capacity usage. Microsoft confirmed the bug and released a hotfix in the KB5095093 update, urging users to install it to prevent further expansion of the log file.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

2 months after releasing Zero Parades, Studio ZA/UM is laying off employees: ‘Its commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size’

Studio ZA/UM announced layoffs two months after the launch of their game, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, due to sales not meeting expectations. The studio issued redundancy notices affecting up to 32 employees, despite the game receiving critical acclaim. The game did not achieve the same level of success as its predecessor, Disco Elysium, with mixed reviews highlighting its shortcomings. Key figures from Disco Elysium had left the studio prior to the game's release, contributing to a challenging environment. Critics noted that the cultural context surrounding the game has impacted its reception, turning it into a symbol of industry practices rather than a standalone experience.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

Minecraft 26.3 Snapshot 4

The window management, input, and platform integration library has been transitioned from GLFW to SDL3. New features include custom furnace fuels and enhancements to signs, world generation, and loot tables. Players in spectator mode can interact with portals for teleportation. Exclusive fullscreen mode on Windows may cause crashes with multiple monitors, and it crashes on Wayland. Minor tweaks have been made to blocks, items, and entities, including armadillos no longer rolling up in liquids. The Raw Input mouse setting has been removed, and mouse input will now use relative mode. Key bindings will use physical keys, and borderless fullscreen is now the default mode. Exclusive fullscreen mode is no longer supported on macOS, and the minimum window size has been set to 320 by 240 pixels. Linux systems will prefer Wayland if available. The debug overlay now supports a separate GUI scale and displays the player's speed and refresh rate. The Data Pack version is 111.0, and the Resource Pack version is 92.0. New components for cooking and brewing fuels have been added, and various bugs have been fixed to improve gameplay stability.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

Loot, Battle, Repeat: Minecraft Dungeons II Launches Soon

Minecraft Dungeons II is set to be released on September 29, 2026, by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven. The game will expand gameplay across two unique realms, introducing new biomes and aggressive mob variants. It retains the fast-paced, isometric, top-down action of the original while enhancing RPG mechanics and exploration opportunities. The game will feature full cross-platform support for online multiplayer and local couch co-op play.