Privacy Screen
The latest Privacy Screen coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 Search: The Settings That Make It Find Your Files—No Registry Hacks Needed
A new MakeUseOf guide shows three effective ways to improve Windows 11 search without hacking the registry: Enhanced indexing, selective content indexing, and search filters. However, the viral tip to disable Bing via a registry tweak is unreliable on current builds. Use Microsoft’s official settings first and avoid unsupported hacks.
Windows 11 Gaming Performance on Steam Machine Matches SteamOS in Early Tests, but Caveats Abound
Early benchmarks of Windows 11 on Valve’s Steam Machine show gaming performance virtually identical to SteamOS, with Windows pulling ahead in CPU tests. Valve’s newly released drivers make the switch possible, but lack official support and a dual-boot option, leaving owners to balance compatibility needs against the risks of long-term driver neglect.
Microsoft Kills Surface Go and Laptop Go, Leaves Only Two Models: What This Means for Buyers
Microsoft has discontinued the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go lines, paring its consumer hardware down to only the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. The move comes as a prominent reviewer abandons his Surface Laptop 7 for a MacBook Pro M4, citing stagnant design. Our analysis explains what the lineup changes mean for home users, businesses, and developers, provides a practical buying guide, and looks at what’s next for Windows hardware.
Johns Hopkins Gives Teams Chats a 90-Day Lifespan—Are You Ready for the October 15 Purge?
Johns Hopkins University will automatically delete Microsoft Teams chats after 90 days starting October 15, 2026, with an initial wipe of all messages before July 17. The policy spares channels but forces users to move important conversations to permanent repositories. This article explains what's changing, who's affected, and the practical steps to take before the deadline.
Microsoft Deploys 3M’s Dust-Tolerant Fiber in Azure, First Among Hyperscalers
Microsoft has become the first major cloud provider to deploy 3M’s dust-tolerant Expanded Beam Optical fiber in its Azure data centers. The technology eliminates the painstaking cleaning and inspection required by traditional fiber connectors, speeding the construction of AI clusters. Azure customers won’t see a new feature, but they may benefit from faster expansion of GPU capacity and new regions.
Windows 11 25H2: The Official Media Creation Tool Gets You a Bootable USB or ISO — Here’s How
Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool now delivers Windows 11 version 25H2 for x64 PCs. This guide explains how to create a bootable USB or ISO, perform in-place repairs, and clean-install the OS—along with what Arm64 owners need to know.
Why Atom’s Second Microsoft Solutions Partner Badge Matters Beyond the Headlines
Newcastle MSP Atom added a second Microsoft Solutions Partner designation, highlighting the evolving partner program and why IT buyers must verify specifics. The article breaks down what the badges mean, how to vet MSPs, and what Atom's AI designation teaser signals for Windows and Microsoft 365 projects.
Microsoft Halts July Windows 11 Security Update on Some Dell Laptops After Intel Driver Clash
Microsoft has blocked the July 2026 Windows 11 security update, KB5101650, on certain Dell laptops after discovering a conflict between a new USB-C feature and an Intel power-management driver. The incompatibility causes unexpected shutdowns, overheating, performance drops, and rapid battery drain. Affected users should not force the update; Microsoft and Dell are preparing a fix expected within days.
Windows Server 29621 Delivers Cloud Recovery, ReFS Boot, and NVMe Over Fabrics in a Single Lab Release
Windows Server Insider Preview Build 29621 bundles Quick Machine Recovery, ReFS boot, NVMe-over-Fabrics initiator, and Trusted Launch for Hyper-V VMs into one test build. Administrators can evaluate cloud-based boot repair, a new file system option for OS volumes, remote NVMe storage, and stronger VM startup protections—but significant limitations keep the release firmly in the lab.
YOLO26 Now Runs on Intel Integrated Graphics and NPUs: What Windows Developers Need to Know
Ultralytics and Intel have partnered to enable YOLO26 computer vision models on Intel CPUs, integrated GPUs, and NPUs via OpenVINO, allowing real-time inference on Windows edge devices without a discrete GPU. Developers can export models with a single command, though real-world performance depends on hardware and requires thorough testing. The move targets industrial, retail, and surveillance deployments, making AI vision more accessible on standard Intel-based Windows PCs.
New Windows Server Preview Hardens VM Boot with Trusted Launch — But No Live Migration Yet
Windows Server Insider Preview Build 29621 introduces Trusted Launch VMs for Hyper-V, combining Secure Boot, virtual TPM, and encrypted vTPM state to protect guest workloads. The feature is PowerShell-only, limited to standalone Gen 2 VMs, and explicitly unsupported for live migration, clustering, or replication—making it a lab-only preview for the next Windows Server LTSC release.
Your Default Browser Doesn’t Matter to Microsoft Copilot, and a New Report Shows Why
Mozilla's Over The Edge 2.0 report reveals that Microsoft's Copilot assistant can bypass the Windows default browser and open links in Edge. This means users who prefer Firefox or Chrome may see links open in Edge without their consent, complicating workflows, especially during Windows 10 to 11 migrations. The report highlights that Microsoft already offers fairer browser choice in Europe due to regulations like the DMA, but hasn't extended those protections globally.
Windows 11's Hidden Productivity Boosters: End Task, Live Captions, and More
A new guide reveals six built-in Windows 11 customization options outside the Personalization tab, including a taskbar End Task shortcut, system-wide live captions, and granular animation controls. Most are officially supported and safe to use, while two registry hacks require caution. This article explains what each tweak does, how to enable it, and what the changes mean for everyday users, power users, and IT administrators.