This week"s news recap is here with Patch Tuesday updates, Copilot+ PCs coming to desktop, hotpatching for Windows on ARM, Microsoft Edge updates, several reviews, and gaming news.
Quick links:
- Windows 10 and 11
- Windows Insider Program
- Updates are available
- Reviews are in
- Gaming news
- Great deals to check
Windows 11 and Windows 10
Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft"s latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions.
The July 2025 Patch Tuesday updates arrived this week, bringing the latest fixes and security improvements to supported operating systems. Windows 11 received KB5062553 and KB5062552, while Windows 10 received KB5062554. Besides security patches, these updates fixed problems with Windows Firewall.
In addition to Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft launched Windows Hotpatching for ARM-based PC, allowing more users to install critical security updates without restarts, and released new recovery updates.
The upcoming Windows 11 version 25H2, which was confirmed by Microsoft a couple of weeks ago, will bring more ways to uninstall stock applications bundled with the operating system.
This week, Usama Jawad published a small editorial where he shared his thoughts about one Windows 11 feature that he misses when using Windows 10. That feature might not be what you think.
We also had a bunch of useful articles for Windows 11 users. For example, here is an interesting performance comparison between a fresh and an old Windows 11 installation. It answers the question of whether performance degrades over months as the operating system becomes more cluttered. The result might surprise you. Also, check out this article with an overview of all the data Windows 11 collects.
By the way, if you plan to reinstall Windows 11, beware of third-party apps. Using some of them could result in rather unpleasant results.
Windows Insider Program
Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:
| Builds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | This build brought a long list of various changes and improvements, including small taskbar buttons, Quick Machine Recovery, new adaptive power saver, context menu improvements, and other changes. | ||
| Dev Channel | Nothing in the Dev Channel this week | ||
| Beta Channel | This build fixes issues with Windows" File System, namely ReFS, networking, printing, and other problems in the operating system. | ||
| Release Preview Channel | This build has the same changes and improvements as build 22631.5696 from the Beta Channel. | This build fixes bugs with the Extended Security Updates user interface, Secure Boot, and some stability issues. | |
One of the most interesting changes in this week"s preview builds was the return of the Windows Vista startup sound. The bug made its way to the Canary Channel after it was fixed in Dev and Beta. Microsoft says it will be fixed soon.
Updates are available
This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
Copilot+ PCs might soon make it to the desktop PC segment. News emerged about Intel preparing the next generation of Core Ultra processors with an upgraded neural processing unit. A more powerful NPU will make PCs based on the next Core Ultra chips eligible for the Copilot+ PC program with its AI-driven capabilities.
We also had a bunch of Office updates. Excel, for one, will soon make it much easier to fetch data from external sources, Teams received threads and one odd feature, and Word for the web now has improved footer and header controls.
Microsoft announced several updates for the Edge browser this week. Version 139 arrived with some important changes, such as real-time password monitoring and notifications about compromised passwords. Also, it moved the settings section to WinUI 2.0, which enabled significant performance improvements. And for those in the Stable Channel, Microsoft released a small update to fix audio issues on certain websites. Finally, Microsoft restored the missing Mica material in the latest Edge Canary update. You can once again enable it in the flags menu.
Smaller browser updates include one for Vivaldi 7.5 with a bunch of fixes and Firefox 140.0.4 with two bug fixes.
Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:
- Microsoft released PowerToys 0.92.1 with Command Palette fixes and more.
- Microsoft confirmed WSUS is currently broken and there is no workaround.
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Microsoft gave users a big reason to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 with a faster, more secure web.
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Microsoft"s new Phi-4-mini-flash-reasoning model speeds up on-device AI by 10x.
Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:
Reviews are in
Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week
This week, we published a review of the 8849 TankPad, a rugged tablet with 5G, serious protection, a built-in projector, plenty of storage, and more. If you are in the market for a rugged tablet, this one is a very good option to consider at just $599.99. It is not perfect, of course, but it is very good at its main job of being tough and delivering fantastic battery life for outdoor use.
Steven Parker reviewed the GEEKOM Mini IT15, a small PC with the Core Ultra 9 285H processor and a lot of memory and storage for quite a low price. It is a fantastic low-profile computer with only a few minor annoyances that you can overlook, considering the cost and performance you get out of it.
Robbie Khan reviewed the Valerion VIsionMaster Plus2, a luxurious short-throw projector with excellent image quality, fantastic craftsmanship, quiet operation, but a very steep price tag.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more.
Unknown Worlds announced that Subnautica 2 is delayed. The studio published a new blog post, explaining that despite receiving positive feedback from closed playtests about the environment, creatures, and storyline of the sequel, it had realized that some areas needed more work before the public community is given access. To make up for the delay, developers published a gameplay trailer:
Microsoft"s Rare announced big changes to Sea of Thieves. Those include custom servers, changes to the NDA in the Insiders program, a new three-month seasonal structure, new content, and a lot more.
This week"s Weekend PC Game Deals is here with plenty of discounts across different marketplaces, including a trio of free games in the Epic Games Store, which include Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, Fantasy General II, and Field of Glory II: Medieval.
Other gaming news includes the following:
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The Last of Us Part II Remastered"s surprise update added a chronological playthrough on PS5 and PC.
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Oblivion Remastered"s second update introduced new difficulty options and performance fixes.
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