Think that next refresh is going to get better? The first step to freedom is admitting there's a problem. OPINION Windows is at that awkward stage any global empire has to go through. Around one in five of the world population is a Windows user – 1.5 billion humans. Aside from the relatively small slice that Mac takes, everyone else is happy with smartphones, so until we make contact with credulous aliens, there are no new worlds for Microsoft to conquer. In an industry obsessed with growth, this is untenable.

It gets worse. For almost all of the existing user base, Windows 10 is perfectly fine, so Windows 11 has to be forced down their gullets at gunpoint. You cannot have a fifth of humanity pinned like a moth collection to your desktop and not monetize them. This has led, as Dave Plummer notes, to an OS that's both tool and adversary, one that gives you AI whether you like it or not, and one that advertises and prods and pulls you toward paid services whether you like it or not. There is change for change's sake, and not for small change either.

This will not get better. Microsoft is unsure of or unable to communicate what's coming. Project Hudson Valley, initially talked of as Window 12 with a 2025 launch, faded away as Hudson Valley became the AI-laden Uncanny Valley of Win 11 24H2. The marketing power of a new major version doesn't work if it's an amplification of a previous failure, but all that can mean is more bad AI you can't turn off, more monetization tweaks, more attempts to kill the older version. There may even be a push to a subscription licensing model.

All of this is reprehensible from an engineering viewpoint. Windows used to be terrible, then it got good, now it's getting terrible again because it is exempt from competitive forces.

Nobody talks much about Windows 12 because it doesn't matter, it's going to be even worse, it's going to hurt more. You may have more freedom to escape than you think, especially if you plan ahead. Cold turkey isn't the only way to skip free of an addiction. Think ahead to how things will be on recent evidence, then think on.

There's nothing to be done in big companies. Corporate IT at employee level is, like most experiences at employee level, all corporate, nothing employee. Budgets must be built up and spent down, boxes must be ticked, perceived risks minimized. A previous hegemony stood under the standard "Nobody ever got sacked for buying IBM." But that flag has long been captured by Microsoft. The user experience, the actual efficiencies in doing the job, the wishes and needs of those who use it, and those who keep the lights on, mean little to nothing. Thou shalt get what thou art given, here are some beer tokens, shut up already.

Then there are those with choice and the capacity to use it. Independent developers, people in small companies where diversity is not denied, all those whose knowledge grants them autonomy. Some love Windows, some tolerate it because it interfaces with people who cut checks, some just have to use single-platform applications. Many have jumped ship to macOS or Linux. Some have burned out and live on riverboats with solar panels writing retro 6502 games on an original Commodore 64.

This could be you, at least in spirit. You don't burn out from a job you love, but you do when that job starts conspiring against you. Time to start plotting the detox before you hit that bleak Windows rock bottom.

First, give yourself as much runway as you can. The Register is here for you with an overview of how to combine Microsoft's reduced fat semi-secret industrial long-term support options with a third-party package manager. This gives you another two years, possibly more, of Win 10 life served up how you like it. This is stuff designed for robots. You can't upsell a robot, so be a robot.

With sanity secured for the short term, plan for the long. Many have been tempted to add a Mac to their fleet, as the entry-level Apple Silicon machines are consistently category-leading value for money. macOS contains the same tar pits as Windows, a closed ecosystem in danger of becoming a launchpad for AI, and plenty of onramps to proprietary services. Apple makes money from hardware, though, and seems more circumspect about forcing bad experiences on its users. It also has the best accessibility, which future you may appreciate.

Linux has a fetish for freedom that can still seem daunting, with a bouquet of options in an ecosystem that resembles a rain forest in its florid complexities. Pick a mainstream distro, preferably with a community of users you can get on with, and set about learning it. It will run on any old tat, although you'll do better with something swift, and it will never, never not ever, stick its feeding tube down your nose to pump in AI.

Then, having picked an option that feels the best fit, start using it for the simple things in life, the online services and the experimental tasters of this or that new idea. Small projects that stretch you a bit. Keep using that de-bloated Windows 10 for the things you like Win 10 for, and the things you've learned so well over the years, but keep spending time picking up speed with your alternative. Avoid a single PC with virtual machines if you can – it's another layer to distract your most precious asset, your attention, plus it will always feel like a slightly inferior option to dedicated hardware. No, that's not justified by logic, only by your previous experiences of learning your first serious platform.

It's not a matter of switching after a few days, it's one of looking into the future and training for it. All the big OSes have converged from very different pasts, but their futures will diverge again. Now is the perfect time to decide which future will keep you happiest and most productive, a choice as much psychological and technological, and find a way to have fun as you take your chosen path. It's that or going to eBay for that Commodore 64. ®
Source opinion@theregister.com

Security experts have been telling us for years to keep our phones safe while charging in public. Most of us simply rolled our eyes and muttered "OKAY mom." Then we scurried off to plug our devices into the first clean charger we saw at the local Starbucks. Well, Android 16 wants to help us practice safe charging .

Google is adding a new feature to Android 16 that blocks new USB device connections while your phone is locked (via Android Authority). This will help protect your device from physical attacks using USB peripherals, and could prevent malicious actors from inserting USB devices where they shouldn't. Talk about a real plug block.

Here's how Android 16's USB locking protection works



Advanced Protection Mode disables USB data signaling when the device is locked. Charging still works, but any peripherals (keyboards, flash drives, etc) will be blocked until the phone is unlocked. Security experts call this a USB condom. Usually, it requires installing a third-party piece of software, until now.

APM uses a software-based approach that Google first introduced with Android 12. It was expanded with Android 15's lockdown mode. The big change we'll see in Android 16 is blocking new USB devices automatically, without needing the user to do anything. A notification will warn you about 'suspicious USB activity' if a device attempts to connect while the phone is locked.

It also disables sideloading of apps, restricts 2G connectivity, enforces Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) for apps, and blocks public Wi-Fi. Google has not yet rolled out an easy toggle for this, but Android Authority's APK teardown shows the features are already working in Android 16 Beta 4. It won't be long now.

No more next-morning scares (with your phone)

Android 16 won't forcibly disconnect a peripheral if you've already connected it to your phone. It will block new connections, however. This means you don't have to worry about your Pixel suddenly missing its monthly update because someone installed a virus on it while you were charging it at that sketchy bar last week.

Once Advanced Protection Mode becomes user-accessible, we'll all be practicing safe-charging.

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Most people find Windows notifications annoying and often dismiss them without even reading. However, brushing them all off can backfire. Some alerts warn about critical problems with your system, and delaying action could put your device at risk. Here are a few warnings you should never ignore.



Low Disk Space Notification

The "Low Disk Space" warning appears when your system drive—usually the C: drive—runs low on storage. Windows needs free space to handle tasks like saving temporary files, installing updates, and managing virtual memory. Without enough space, your system can slow down, freeze, or even crash. Important security updates might also fail to install.



Since this can seriously impact performance and stability, you should take this warning seriously and free up space. To do that, head to Settings > System > Storage to check what’s using the most space. You can delete temporary files, uninstall unused apps, empty the Recycle Bin, or move large files to an external drive or cloud storage.



Windows Defender: Threat Detected

Windows Defender shows the “Threat Detected” warning when it finds malware or potentially harmful software, such as viruses, trojans, spyware, or ransomware, that could compromise your device. While Defender usually quarantines the file to protect your system, you might still need to take manual steps to completely remove the threat and keep your device secure.

When you see this alert, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security, and click "Open Windows Security." Then, navigate to the “Protection History” tab to view recent threats. Click on the latest event to expand the details and follow the suggested actions if further steps are needed. Also, find out where the threat originated to avoid the source in the future.





Frequent Blue Screen of Death

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) appears when Windows encounters a serious error from which it can’t recover. While it’s not unusual to see it once in a while, sometimes even due to a bad Windows update, if it starts happening frequently, don’t ignore it. Recurring BSODs can point to serious hardware or software problems.



To determine what’s causing the crash, pay attention to the stop code displayed on the BSOD screen—for example, “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT” points to a memory-related issue. You can use that information to run specific checks and troubleshoot the problem. So, no matter what error appears, look it up online to understand the cause and find a fix without delay.



Warning Sign on a Battery

A yellow triangle on your battery icon is a warning you shouldn't ignore. It can show up for several reasons—maybe you’re using an incompatible or low-powered charger, the battery isn’t holding the charge properly, or the battery itself is failing. Sometimes, it could also be due to a driver issue. When you see this sign, generate a battery health report to check its condition.

Open Command Prompt, run the command powercfg /batteryreport, and review the battery report. Then, update your battery drivers to rule out any software problems. If you're using a third-party charger, switch to the original one. If the battery is old and you suspect its health has degraded too much, you might need to consider replacing it.





There’s a Problem With This Drive

Windows displays the message “There’s a Problem With This Drive” when it detects an issue with a storage device you connect to your computer. This error often appears when a storage drive was removed improperly the last time it was connected. However, it can also be caused by system corruption, malware on the drive, or a hardware issue.

When the error appears, Windows offers to scan the drive and repair damaged file structures. If the issue is minor, like incomplete write operations, the scan usually fixes it. But if the warning keeps popping up even after scanning, you may need to back up your data and reformat the drive. If the problem persists, it could be a hardware issue, and you may need to replace the drive.





Unusual Sign-In Activity Detected

When Microsoft notices a suspicious sign-in, like one from a new location, an unknown device, an odd time, or after several failed login attempts, it sends an "Unusual Sign-In Activity Detected" alert via a pop-up, text, or email. Since your Microsoft account is tied to Windows and Microsoft services like OneDrive, Outlook, and more, you have to take this warning seriously.



If you recognize the sign-in as your own—for example, from a new device or while traveling—you can safely ignore it. But if you think someone else might be trying to access your account, act quickly. Head to your Microsoft account settings, remove unfamiliar devices, change your password, and turn on two-factor authentication if it’s not already enabled.

Instead of treating every notification as a distraction, take a moment to spot the important ones—like those mentioned above—check what they mean, and take the proper steps to resolve the issue. Ignoring them could lead to more serious problems that compromise your device’s security, put your data at risk, or impact your hardware’s performance.

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Google is rolling out an end-to-end encrypted email feature for business customers, but it could spawn phishing attacks, particularly in non-Gmail inboxes.

Google announced at the beginning of April that it is launching a streamlined tool that will allow business users to easily send “end-to-end encrypted” emails—an effort to address the longstanding challenge of adding additional security protections to email messages. The feature is currently in beta for enterprise users to try out within their own organization. It will then expand to allow Google Workspace users to send end-to-end encrypted emails to any Gmail user. By the end of the year, the feature will allow Workspace users to send the more secure emails to any inbox. Email spam and digital fraud researchers warn, though, that while the feature will provide a new option for email privacy and security, it will also inevitably spawn new phishing attacks.

End-to-end encryption is a protection that keeps data scrambled at all times except on the sender and recipient's devices, and it is difficult to add to the historic email protocol. Mechanisms to do it are typically very complicated and costly to implement and only make sense for large organizations trying to meet specific compliance requirements. In contrast, Google's end-to-end encrypted email tool is simple to use and doesn't require significant IT overhead. The scenario that digital fraud researchers are most concerned about, though, relates to the case where a Workspace user sends an end-to-end encrypted email to a non-Gmail user.

“When the recipient is not a Gmail user, Gmail sends them an invitation to view the E2EE email in a restricted version of Gmail,” Google wrote in a blog post. “The recipient can then use a guest Google Workspace account to securely view and reply to the email.”

The fear is that scammers will take advantage of this new and more secure communication mechanism by creating fake copies of these invitations that contain malicious links, and prompt targets to enter their login credentials for their email, single sign-on services, or other accounts.

“Looking at Google's implementation, we can see it introduces a new workflow for non-Gmail users—receiving a link to view an email,” says Jérôme Segura, senior director of threat intelligence at Malwarebytes. “Users might not yet be familiar with exactly what a legitimate invitation looks like, making them more susceptible to clicking on a fake one.”

Given email's technical limitations, Google created a way for an organization's Workspace to automatically manage keys—used to descramble encrypted messages. Key management is what makes end-to-end encrypting email so difficult, so offering a solution that is easy for customers is a departure from what's currently available. The fact that the organization's Workspace controls the keys rather than storing them locally on a sender and recipient's devices does mean that the feature doesn't quite qualify as end-to-end encryption in the strictest sense of the term. But researchers say that for use cases like business compliance, the tool could still be extremely useful. And individuals who want end-to-end encrypted communications should just use a purpose-built app like Signal.

When Gmail users receive one of the new encrypted emails from a Google Workspace user, Google's extensive array of dynamic spam filters and fraud detection mechanisms will be in play to protect against spam, phishing, and rogue imposters broadly. But email users outside the Google ecosystem will also be able to receive encrypted email invitations, which makes the service available to anyone, but also will leave non-Google users to their own devices.

Scammers will prey on anything topical to generate new scams, and this threat certainly isn't unique to Google's new encrypted email feature. The invitations to view end-to-end encrypted emails will come with a warning that says, “Be careful when signing in to view this encrypted message. This message is from an external sender and is encrypted. Make sure you trust the sender and their identity provider before entering your username and password.”

“While it’s absolutely true that scammers are always looking for new ways to abuse any product, we built this particular technology with this risk in mind,” Google spokesperson Ross Richendrfer said in a statement. “The notifications users will receive in this case are very similar to Drive file sharing notifications that go out whenever someone shares a doc or file. All the protections we employ to keep scammers from capitalizing on these messages will help us protect this new class of notifications as well.”

Generations of Google Drive and Google Docs scams show, though, that it is particularly difficult to combat imposter invitations outside of Google's ecosystem. But when it comes to the new end-to-end encrypted email feature, “it was either adding a warning or not allowing this feature for non-Gmail users,” Malwarebytes's Segura says.

In fact, the new tool may offer particularly good fodder for scammers, given that Google is such a trusted organization, and targets may have heard about how end-to-end encryption is a special, gold-standard security feature.

“It's almost as if someone at Google knew this was a bad idea and asked for a warning to be added,” Malwarebytes’ Segura says. “It's quite likely fraudsters will jump on the opportunity to craft phishing emails using this exact same template, even including the original warning that will be overlooked.”

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Today is a big day for Windows 11 users, especially those with Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is finally rolling out its flagship AI feature, Recall, alongside Click to Do and AI-powered Windows Search. To get those features on supported PCs, you need KB5055627, which is now out. In addition to new stuff for Copilot+ PCs, it introduces changes and improvements for the rest of the computers running Windows 11 version 24H2.

Here is what Microsoft is rolling out gradually:

[quote][Recall (preview)]

New! You work across so many apps, sites, and documents it can be hard to remember where you saw something you want to get back to. Recall (preview) saves you time by offering an entirely new way to search for things you’ve seen or done on your PC securely. With the AI capabilities of Copilot+ PCs, it’s now possible to quickly find and get back to any app, website, image, or document just by describing its content. To use Recall, you will need to opt-in to save snapshots, which are images of your activity, and enroll in Windows Hello to confirm your presence so only you can access your snapshots. You are always in control of what snapshots are saved and can pause saving snapshots at any time. As you use your Copilot+ PC throughout the day working on documents or presentations, taking video calls, and context switching across activities, Recall will take regular snapshots and help you find things faster and easier. When you need to find or get back to something you’ve done previously, open Recall and authenticate with Windows Hello. When you’ve found what you were looking for, you can reopen the application, website, or document, or use Click to Do to act on any image or text in the snapshot you found. For more info, see Retrace your steps with Recall.

[Click to Do (preview)]

   • New! Click to Do (preview) makes it easier than ever for you to take immediate action on
      whatever catches your eye on-screen on your Copilot+ PC, saving you time by helping
      complete tasks inline and quickly getting you to the app that can best complete the job. For
      example, select an image using Click to Do to take actions like erasing objects using the Photos
      app or remove the background using Paint. To use Click to Do, simply use Windows key +
      mouse click or Windows key + Q. You can also enter through the Snipping Tool menu and print
      screen or searching “Click to Do” in the search box on the Windows taskbar. For more info, see
      Click to Do: do more with what's on your screen.

   • New! On Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Click to Do includes intelligent text actions. Use
      Windows key + mouse click or Windows key + Q to select a text block and then drag to select
      the text that you want. You’ll see options to Summarize or to help you Rewrite your text, so it
      sounds more causal or more formal. These text actions leverage the capabilities of Phi Silica,
      the on-device Small Language Model (SLM) that is built right into Windows.

   • New! Easily open Click to Do when you swipe from the rightmost edge of your display.

   • New! The policies for managing Click to Do in a commercial environment.  IT admins can learn
      more by viewing Manage Click to Do.

[Improved Windows Search]

   • New!  Finding your documents, photos, and settings across Windows 11 is easier on Copilot+
      PCs with improved Windows Search, powered by semantic indexing models along with
      traditional lexical indexing. Whether it’s searching in File Explorer, in Windows Search on your
      taskbar, or in Settings— just type what’s on your mind to find it on your Copilot+ PC. You no
      longer need to remember file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Searching
      for settings like “change my theme” will work within the Settings app for now. Thanks to the
      power of the 40+ TOPS NPU onboard Copilot+ PCs, these search improvements work even
      when you’re not connected to the internet. To find more info, see Searching indexing in
      Windows. Now available on AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs.

   • New!  Locating your photos stored and saved in the cloud is getting simpler on Copilot+ PCs. You
      can use your own words in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer like
      “summer picnics.” In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the
      cloud will show up in the search results together. Exact matches for your keywords within the
      text of your cloud files will also show in the search results. You can try this experience out
      today with your personal OneDrive when signed in with your Microsoft account and connected
      to the internet. Now available on AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs.

[Narrator] New! Keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said—all with simple keyboard shortcuts.

[Phone Link] New! You can do even more with your Windows PC and your mobile device with direct access to cross-device features from the Start menu. For example, you can make phone calls, send SMS messages, access your photos, or share content between your mobile device and PC.

[Widgets]

   • New! Web developers can use their existing content to create interactive widgets that can be
      added to multiple widgets surfaces. For more info, see Web widget providers.

   • New! There are some new updates to the new Widgets on Lock experience for devices in the
      European Economic Area (EEA). In addition to accessibility and craftsmanship improvements,
      the Lock screen weather widget now supports customization. To configure your weather widget,
      go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and select the “Customize widget” option from
      the weather widget more options menu. More widgets will be customizable in the future.

[File Explorer]

   • New! Pivot-based curated views on File Explorer Home that supports ease of access of Microsoft
      365 content on Windows. Be more productive and get highly relevant content at your fingertips
      on File Explorer Home.

   • Fixed: As part of our ongoing commitment to improving File Explorer accessibility, this release
      includes increased support for the text scaling (Settings > Accessibility > Text size) across File
      Explorer, File Open/Save dialogs and the copy dialogs.

   • Fixed: Improved the performance of extracting zipped files, particularly in the case where
      you’re unzipping a large number of small files.

   • Fixed: The address bar in File Explorer might unexpectedly not show a path after opening.

[Settings] New!​​​​​​​ Manage which apps Windows recommends actions, go to Settings > Apps > Actions on Copilot+ PCs.

[Windows Studio Effects] New! The Studio Effects automatic framing filter turns on after the initial use of the camera, if your PC supports Studio Effects and you have not used Studio Effects previously.

[Start]

   Fixed: You can’t use touch gestures to view the list of apps pinned in the Start menu.

   Fixed: The Sign out and More options​​​​​​​ buttons in the Start menu account manager might not be visible with increased text size.

[Taskbar]

   • Fixed: The underlines beneath the app icons in the taskbar may remain visible even after the apps have been closed.

   • Fixed: If you use the arrow keys after pressing the Windows key + T, the arrows move in the
      wrong direction for Arabic and Hebrew display languages.

[Desktop icons] The logic for apps pinned to the desktop has been updated, so that packaged apps no longer show an accent colored backplate. For example, if you were to drag and drop Snipping Tool from the apps list in Start to the desktop the icons should be bigger and easier to see now.

[Display] Fixed: You might need to press the WIN + P keyboard shortcut twice to switch topologies.

[ExtFloodFill] Fixed: There's an uncommon issue with ExtFloodFill where a horizontal line might appear in the incorrect location in Win32 applications.

[Graphics] Fixed: External graphics cards connected over Thunderbolt might unexpectedly not be discoverable in some cases.

[Hyper-V Manager]​​​​​​​ Fixed: Hyper-V Manager unexpectedly shows 0% CPU usage for VMs.[/quote]

And here are the other improvements included in the update (rolling out to everyone):

[   • Blue screen error] Fixed: This update resolves an issue observed after installing the April 2025 Windows security update and restarting the device. Affected devices encountered a blue screen exception with error code 0x18B indicating a SECURE_KERNEL_ERROR.

   • [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP Client)] Fixed: This update addresses an issue affecting internet connectivity on devices after resuming from sleep mode. Users might experience intermittent internet connections.

   • [File Systems] Fixed: This update addresses an issue when the operating system stops unexpectedly, and an error message appears on a blue screen during normal usage with a user profile redirected to a network VHD(X).

   • [Imaging] Fixed: This update addresses an issue where some content pages with JPEG images were not displaying.

   • [Windows Hello] Fixed: This update addresses an edge case issue where Windows Hello
      doesn’t work on devices with specific security features enabled, preventing users from logging
      in with facial recognition or PIN. This issue was observed after performing a Push button reset
      or Reset this PC from Settings > System > Recovery and selecting Keep my Files and Local
      install.

   • [Windows Setup] Fixed: If you install Windows 11, version 24H2 with Windows Setup 
      and run System Preparation (Sysprep) afterwards, the boot file configuration is not properly
      updated, resulting in push-button reset options not working.

   • [Windows Update] The Windows Update settings page and the Start menu power button
      will now show an estimated time for how long your PC will be offline to install updates from
      Windows Update.

You can download KB5055627 by heading to Settings > Windows Update and checking for available updates. Windows will then show you that a new optional update is available for download, so click "Download and install." Alternatively, you can get it from the Microsoft Update catalog.

For reference, you can check out this month's optional updates for Windows 11 version 23H2 here and Windows 10 here.

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