MS Says Removing Prefetch Can Slow Windows 11 App Launches Instead of Speeding Them Up

Oct, 25, 2026

MS developer Ryan Myers explained in 2005 why deleting Prefetch files hurt Windows performance. So, I tested this old trick on Windows 11.

MS Fixes Windows 11 Xbox Mode’s Keyboard-Only Route Back to the Desktop

Oct, 24, 2026

A new Gaming Task View adds Exit to Desktop and power controls to Xbox mode, while a Battery Status widget tracks your PC and accessories.

MS Hides That Its New Windows Wallpapers Were Made on a Mac: ‘Not Even MS Uses Windows 11’

Oct, 23, 2026

MS's Windows Insider anniversary wallpapers list Photoshop for Mac in their file properties, and last year's ZIP file contained a Mac trace as well.

MS Says Windows 11 Is Being Optimized for 8GB PCs—So I Tested 26H2 on an 8GB Laptop

Oct, 21, 2026

I tested Windows 11 26H2 on an 8GB laptop and virtual machine. After a restart, RAM usage dropped from 5GB to 3.7GB, and from 4.1GB to 2.8GB on a clean installation.

MS Explains Why Windows 11 Stores 64-Bit Files in System32 and 32-Bit Files in SysWOW64

Oct, 20, 2026

Windows 11 stores 64-bit files in System32 and 32-bit files in SysWOW64. MS explains why and how Sysnative and redirection work.

The Reason Windows 11 Still Contains Windows 95’s Hidden Memory Manager

Oct, 19, 2026

Windows 11 still carries Windows 95’s heap manager, recompiled for legacy apps. Raymond Chen explains EmulateHeap and how to find it yourself.

Bing Wallpaper for Windows 11 Now Behaves Like Adware by Launching Bing from Desktop Clicks

Oct, 19, 2026

MS said it would reduce ads in Windows 11, but its popular wallpaper app was recently updated with adware-like behavior.

MS Backs NTFS Alternative ReFS but Will Block It on USB Drives in Windows 11

Oct, 18, 2026

MS says it won't allow ReFS on USB drives in Windows 11, raising questions about what happened to its big bet on ReFS.

Former Windows Boss Calls Windows 11’s New Taskbar “Not Usable Yet” Without Auto-Hide or Resizing

Oct, 17, 2026

Mikhail Parakhin, former Windows boss, has criticized MS for continuing to ship an “unusable” Windows 11 taskbar experience.

MS Quietly Tests Windows 11 Settings in the MS Store, Potentially Hastening Control Panel’s Demise

Oct, 16, 2026

Project Odeon, a MS Store app with the Settings icon, hints that Windows 11 Settings could update outside Windows Update. We tried it.