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Microsoft Copilot OS revealed in LEAKED video: Lightweight Windows OS exploration features new desktop UI built entirely around Copilot and agentic AI
Winsage
July 2, 2026

Microsoft Copilot OS revealed in LEAKED video: Lightweight Windows OS exploration features new desktop UI built entirely around Copilot and agentic AI

Microsoft is exploring a dedicated AI operating system called Aion, which integrates Microsoft Edge and a new lightweight Windows codebase known as Win3. Aion features a fresh desktop user interface with a Taskbar that includes a "Spaces" feature for organizing applications and websites. It is designed to run exclusively web apps and websites, leveraging Windows 365 for access to traditional desktop applications. The video suggests a version of Aion may operate atop Windows 11, potentially supporting native Windows applications, but the version shown is based on the Win3 codebase, which does not support legacy Win32 apps. The video is reportedly from 2024, and the future of Aion remains uncertain, though elements of its capabilities are being integrated into Windows 11. Microsoft has also introduced Project Solara, which offers an adaptive agentic OS experience, raising questions about the relationship between Aion and Solara.
Users are complaining that the new Windows version of Outlook is running slowly.
Winsage
June 20, 2026

Users are complaining that the new Windows version of Outlook is running slowly.

Microsoft has introduced two versions of Outlook in Windows 11: Outlook Classic (a Win32 desktop application) and the New Outlook. Users have reported significant performance issues with the New Outlook, noting a lag of approximately 10 seconds for tasks that Outlook Classic performs instantly. The New Outlook operates on WebView2, which involves multiple processes and higher memory consumption, while Outlook Classic runs as a single process. Microsoft is aware of these performance challenges and is testing a new API called 'Delayed Message Timing' to address them. Users find Outlook Classic to be more reliable and faster, particularly for businesses that need efficient notification processing.
A Brief History Of Unix Commands On Windows: CoreUtils (Again)
Winsage
June 16, 2026

A Brief History Of Unix Commands On Windows: CoreUtils (Again)

The interaction between Unix/Linux and Windows has historically been marked by significant differences in their architectures and philosophies. Unix uses a fork() function for process management, while Windows employs CreateProcess(), complicating the implementation of Unix-like tools on Windows. Early solutions to bridge this gap included the MKS Toolkit, which provided Unix-like commands for Windows, and UWIN from AT&T Bell Labs, which aimed to create a Unix interface layer on Windows. Cygwin offered a compatibility DLL to run Unix software on Windows, but required rebuilding from source. Microsoft's initiatives included POSIX, Interix, and later Services for UNIX. The introduction of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allowed users to run a Linux userland directly on Windows, with WSL 2 incorporating a real Linux kernel. Recently, Microsoft released Coreutils for Windows, providing native builds of Unix-style tools to enhance cross-platform consistency.
Linux 7.2 To Better Communicate File-System Casefolding For Helping Windows NFS & More
Winsage
June 15, 2026

Linux 7.2 To Better Communicate File-System Casefolding For Helping Windows NFS & More

The Linux 7.2 kernel has introduced enhancements for reporting case-folding behavior in local file systems, allowing file servers to accurately convey their case sensitivity capabilities. Linus Torvalds merged Virtual File System (VFS) related pull requests that enable local file systems to report case-folding behavior, benefiting services like NFSD and KSMBD, particularly for Microsoft Windows NFS clients. Filesystems can now report case-insensitive and case-nonpreserving behavior through new filekattr flags in their fileattrget implementations. Supported filesystems include FAT, exFAT, NTFS3, HFS, HFS+, XFS, CIFS, NFS, VBoxSF, and ISOFS, with others defaulting to POSIX behavior. NFSd uses this information to report case folding via NFSv3 PATHCONF and implement NFSv4 attributes for case insensitivity and case preservation. The enhancements aim to improve interoperability, allowing Windows NFS clients to function correctly by reporting case-insensitivity, which streamlines operations and avoids unnecessary requests. The Linux NFS client has previously supported case-insensitive shares, requiring adjustments to caching behavior. Accurate case folding reporting is crucial for servers operating in multi-protocol environments to maintain interoperability.
ReactOS Runs Half-Life Natively: Open-Source Windows NT Clone Clears 3D Graphics Bar
Winsage
June 11, 2026

ReactOS Runs Half-Life Natively: Open-Source Windows NT Clone Clears 3D Graphics Bar

ReactOS has successfully executed Valve's original Half-Life on consumer hardware, marking a significant milestone in open-source software development. This achievement was announced on June 10, 2026, after three decades of effort to reimplement Microsoft Windows. The game was run on a Dell OptiPlex desktop with an Intel Core i5 2400 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS graphics card, demonstrating ReactOS's capability to handle real-time 3D applications without compatibility shims. ReactOS operates independently from Microsoft, sharing no code, and can execute a real-time 3D graphics workload natively. It has achieved approximately 90 percent GPU driver compatibility for Windows XP and Server 2003-era hardware through the implementation of the Kernel-Mode Driver Framework and Windows Display Driver Model subsystems. ReactOS is still in alpha stage, with limitations in application support and driver gaps for modern hardware. The project is working towards a new release, version 0.4.16, to enhance user experience.
Microsoft is killing Windows 11's web app slop, encourages devs to build native apps using WinUI
Winsage
June 4, 2026

Microsoft is killing Windows 11’s web app slop, encourages devs to build native apps using WinUI

At the Build 2026 developer conference, Microsoft emphasized the creation of native applications for Windows 11, focusing on WinUI as the preferred framework over alternatives like Electron or React Native. The company is revitalizing Windows 11 with a commitment to quality, performance, and reliability, and has formed a dedicated team to develop native apps. Microsoft is rewriting the Start menu, previously built with React Native, and has reaffirmed its commitment to WinUI, dropping the "WinUI 3" label to signify stability. Chris Anderson stated that there are no plans for a new framework and that WinUI will be the production platform for Windows apps. Microsoft aims to address existing issues in WinUI, such as performance gaps, and is introducing new features like DataGrid and Charting support to attract enterprise developers. The company is also adapting WinUI for AI workflows and developing tools to assist developers in creating modern applications. While Microsoft acknowledges other frameworks, it seeks to position WinUI as the primary native framework for Windows. The Build 2026 conference marked a renewed focus on Windows, with plans to rewrite the Windows shell in WinUI for a cohesive user experience.
Microsoft is killing every ancient Windows 11 dialog box with a modern rewrite, and file copy is already done
Winsage
May 31, 2026

Microsoft is killing every ancient Windows 11 dialog box with a modern rewrite, and file copy is already done

Microsoft is redesigning legacy dialog boxes in Windows 11, moving towards modern WinUI 3 interfaces. The company has begun implementing dark mode for some legacy dialogs, starting with file operation dialogs. A WinUI 3-based redesign of the Windows Run dialog is planned as an optional feature. March Rogers, Partner Director of Design at Microsoft, confirmed that a comprehensive redesign is underway, with the file copy dialog already completed and the common file dialog in progress. Users have expressed the need for more extensive updates to various legacy dialogs, and Microsoft is considering releasing these modern versions as optional features.
Microsoft admits modern Windows 11 apps actually resize worse than the old ones, fix coming this summer
Winsage
May 29, 2026

Microsoft admits modern Windows 11 apps actually resize worse than the old ones, fix coming this summer

Microsoft is working on a solution to address the black tearing issue during window resizing in WinUI 3 applications on Windows 11, with a rollout expected to begin this summer. March Rogers, Microsoft’s Partner Director of Design, confirmed that the Windows team is testing smooth resizing code on native inbox applications before extending the update to the Windows App SDK. The transition to WinUI 3 aims to replace inefficient web applications and improve user experience, with significant components like the Start menu and system-level dialog boxes being upgraded to WinUI 3. Additionally, Microsoft has launched Windows App SDK 2.0 to encourage third-party developers to adopt native app development, addressing previous issues such as bugs and lack of visual features.
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