Windows system Archives

Winsage

July 17, 2026

5 Windows 11 features from July’s update you shouldn’t overlook

Windows 11 has introduced several new features and security enhancements in July 2026, including: 1. A transformed Widgets Board that provides a more streamlined experience without expanding completely when hovered over. 2. A new calendar feature allowing users to postpone Windows Updates, though Microsoft advises against long delays. 3. The Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) feature, which automatically creates restore points for the system, applications, settings, and files, allowing users to revert to snapshots from the last 72 hours. 4. The Screen Tint feature, which applies a customizable color overlay to reduce eye strain, allowing personalization of color and intensity. 5. Improved Bluetooth connectivity, including a new Shared Audio feature that allows users to listen to audio from multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously.

Winsage

July 16, 2026

Microsoft’s July patches fix over 600 flaws, shattering last month’s record

Microsoft has released its July 2026 Patch Tuesday updates, addressing 570 new security vulnerabilities, bringing the total for the month to over 620. The cumulative count of vulnerabilities patched this year has reached 1,380, exceeding the total of 1,250 for the entire year of 2020. Over 400 vulnerabilities are related to various versions of Windows, and the Windows 10 Extended Security Update program has been extended until October 12, 2027. Notable vulnerabilities include CVE-2026-56155 in Active Directory Federation Services, which allows attackers to gain administrator rights, and several critical Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities, including CVE-2026-57092 in Hyper-V and CVE-2026-56190 in Remote Desktop Protocol. Microsoft has also patched 97 vulnerabilities in Office products, with 17 classified as critical RCE vulnerabilities, and four vulnerabilities in Exchange Server, including CVE-2026-55008. The latest Microsoft Edge update addresses 27 vulnerabilities related to Chromium, and a vulnerability in Minecraft Bedrock servers has been patched.

Winsage

July 12, 2026

Microsoft Confirms Windows GDID Device Identifier That Cannot Be Disabled, Documented in FBI Case Filing

Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the Global Device Identifier (GDID), a unique identifier assigned to Windows installations, in a federal complaint against an alleged member of the Scattered Spider hacking group. The GDID is generated when a Windows system is set up with a Microsoft Account and remains active through various Windows updates. Disabling the GDID could disrupt Windows activation and access to Microsoft Store applications. The GDID is described as "a persistent, device-level identifier designed to uniquely identify an installation of a Windows operating system on a device." It is created during the provisioning of Windows with a Microsoft Account and is stored in the Windows registry under HKCUSOFTWAREMicrosoftIdentityCRLExtendedProperties. The GDID remains persistent through Windows updates but is not retained after a clean reinstall. A single user can possess multiple GDIDs linked through their account, OneDrive, and activation history. The FBI used the GDID to track Peter Stokes, an alleged member of the Scattered Spider group, across various VPN connections and proxy servers. The GDID was recorded visiting specific websites and was linked to Stokes's accounts on platforms like Snapchat and Facebook. Concerns have been raised regarding user privacy, as the GDID is assigned without user consent and cannot be disabled without compromising essential Windows features. Microsoft has not committed to providing user-facing controls or comprehensive documentation for everyday users regarding the GDID. Legal requests can compel Microsoft to disclose GDID activity data to law enforcement. The GDID is linked to the Microsoft Account rather than the device itself, meaning reinstalling the operating system does not sever this connection.

Winsage

July 8, 2026

Your Windows 11 PC might be hiding a 500GB storage bug

A bug in Windows 11 can cause significant disk space loss, with some users losing up to 500GB due to the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file, which should normally be a few megabytes. The file's size can exceed 100GB, indicating potential issues. Users can check their system file sizes through Settings > System > Storage. Tools like WizTree, TreeSize, or WinDirStat can help examine the folder contents. Microsoft has addressed the issue in the June 23 optional preview update, which improves disk space usage for the file. This update can be found under Settings and Windows Update, with a mandatory fix scheduled for the official Patch Tuesday on July 14.

Winsage

July 6, 2026

Microsoft just confirmed that this Windows 11 bug is hoarding up to 500GB of your storage

Microsoft has acknowledged a storage issue related to the Capability Access Manager service in Windows 11, which can consume up to 500GB of SSD space due to a bug causing the log file, CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal, to inflate to gigabytes instead of a few megabytes. Users have reported file sizes reaching 200GB and even 513GB. The issue can be checked via Settings > Storage > System & reserved or by using a command in the Windows Command Prompt. Microsoft plans to address this in the June KB5095093 update, which will improve disk space usage for the log file, with updates expected to roll out starting July 14.

Winsage

June 22, 2026

MSYS2 And The No-Fuss Way To Get More GNU Into Your Windows

The Windows desktop experience has a streamlined interface, but its command line interface (CLI) offerings, particularly the cmd.exe shell, have been criticized for lacking the features found in UNIX/BSD/Linux environments. Microsoft’s transition to PowerShell has disappointed users who prefer a more traditional CLI experience. Despite Windows NT operating systems being POSIX compliant, they have historically lacked a suitable shell. MSYS2 provides a solution by offering a Linux-like experience with a Bash shell and the pacman package manager, allowing users to run shell scripts and access various tools. However, binaries compiled in MSYS2 may depend on shared libraries not included in the Windows system path. Upon installation, users can choose from different terminal options, with the UCRT terminal recommended for its usability. MSYS2 facilitates a streamlined development workflow, enabling the use of familiar tools across multiple platforms, but it does not achieve perfect integration within Windows and has some limitations, such as issues with stdout output in Bash.

Winsage

June 15, 2026

Microsoft released the Windows 11 Secure Boot update for all PCs, how to verify yours

Microsoft has expanded the rollout of the Secure Boot 2023 certificate update to more Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices with the June 2026 Patch Tuesday update (KB5094126). This update aims to ensure that most supported consumer PCs are classified as high confidence, meaning necessary certificates are either installed or will be applied automatically. Secure Boot is a firmware security feature that verifies the software attempting to load during the startup process, blocking unauthorized software. The certificates supporting Secure Boot, issued in 2011, are expiring in stages starting June 24, 2026, prompting Microsoft to deploy replacement certificates. Most home users do not need to take manual action as the updates will occur automatically via Windows Update. Users can check their Secure Boot certificate status in the Windows Security app. A yellow warning indicates pending compatibility data, while a red alert suggests a firmware incompatibility requiring a BIOS update. Multiple reboots during the update process are normal, and a new SecureBoot folder in Windows is for staging cryptographic files. Older PCs may experience longer update times, and some may not receive updates due to firmware issues. HP users should check for BIOS updates if encountering BitLocker recovery loops. IT administrators should monitor device classifications and manually initiate updates for devices not in the high confidence category. Devices with Secure Boot disabled cannot receive updates, leaving them vulnerable. The expiration of the Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011 certificate on June 24 does not immediately affect device functionality, but it limits Microsoft's ability to sign new bootkit blacklist updates.

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.

Winsage

June 11, 2026

Microsoft Patches Record 206 Flaws, Including Three Zero-Days and Critical RCE Bugs

Microsoft announced an update addressing 206 security vulnerabilities, including 39 classified as Critical and 167 as Important. The vulnerabilities include 63 privilege escalation, 56 remote code execution, 30 information disclosure, 27 spoofing, 20 security feature bypass, 7 denial-of-service, and 3 tampering vulnerabilities. Notable critical flaws include CVE-2026-45657 (use-after-free in Windows Kernel, CVSS score 9.8), CVE-2026-47291 (integer overflow in Windows HTTP.sys, CVSS score 9.8), and CVE-2026-44815 (stack-based buffer overflow in Windows DHCP Client, CVSS score 9.8). Microsoft also addressed vulnerabilities related to BitLocker bypass (CVE-2026-45585 and CVE-2026-50507) and introduced a new registry setting to mitigate risks associated with CVE-2026-49160 (denial-of-service vulnerability). The increase in patches is attributed to the use of artificial intelligence in vulnerability discovery, with the current year's reported vulnerabilities surpassing the total from all of 2018.

Winsage

June 10, 2026

Microsoft patches record 198 Windows bugs in June update – and 3 are zero days

Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday addressed 198 security vulnerabilities, the most extensive update in recent memory. Among these, 32 flaws are classified as critical, and three are zero-day vulnerabilities. The updates are detailed in KB articles: KB5094126 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, KB5093998 for version 23H2, and KB5094127 for Windows 10. The updates will automatically download and install, but users must verify their installation status and reboot their computers for changes to take effect. The vulnerabilities addressed this month are attributed to advancements in artificial intelligence, with companies like Microsoft leveraging AI models to expedite the identification and resolution of security flaws. The three zero-day vulnerabilities include one that allows an attacker to gain Windows System privileges through a flaw in file link resolution, another that could facilitate a denial-of-service attack via an HTTP vulnerability, and a third related to a flaw in Windows BitLocker that could enable data capture from an unpatched PC. Additionally, the update introduces new features to Windows 11, including new Secure Boot certificates, a Low Latency Profile for enhanced performance, support for shared audio devices for multiple Bluetooth connections, webcam functionality across multiple applications, and the ability to assign a custom name to the user folder during setup.