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Microsoft has shipped the September 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative updates KB5124008 and KB5122880 for Windows 11 versions 25H2/24H2 and 23H2. The update patches roughly 1,000 vulnerabilities catalogued in recent months and is mandatory, installable via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog. Since 25H2 shares its codebase with 24H2, both versions receive identical fixes and features.
Windows 11 users can update graphics card drivers either through Settings > Windows Update or via Device Manager, where selecting the GPU under Display adapters and choosing 'Search automatically for drivers' triggers an update. However, Windows Update sometimes installs outdated driver versions rather than the newest ones available.
At IFA 2026, Microsoft's Mark Linton said an internal Windows 11 build shows notable gains in boot speed and Windows Hello responsiveness, alongside earlier promises that the OS will run well on 8GB machines. No timeline for public rollout or performance data was shared, and the changes haven't yet reached testing channels.
Windows 11 users can build their own scheduled notifications using the built-in Task Scheduler tool, without installing any extra software. By creating a basic task, choosing a recurrence pattern, and entering a message via the 'msg' program with custom text, users can trigger personalized reminders at set times or events.
Microsoft has launched Project Zenith, a stripped-down version of Windows 11 aimed at AI developers, requiring at least 64GB of unified memory and 250GB/s memory bandwidth. It will debut on AMD's Ryzen AI Halo hardware, a rival to Nvidia's DGX Spark, before expanding to other OEM devices, and ships preloaded with tools like VS Code, GitHub Copilot, Python, WSL, and .NET 10 already configured for coding.
At IFA, Acer unveiled Project DualPlay Mini, a concept device that flips and swivels its eight-inch screen to switch between a handheld gaming console and a compact laptop. The prototype features an Xbox-style controller layout with dual-fan cooling but no trackpad, and Acer's own demo shows a mouse being used in laptop mode. Acer says it remains a concept with no confirmed plans for retail release.
Microsoft and hardware partners will sell high-end PCs later this year running Windows 11 Pro pre-configured under a program called Project Zenith, which tweaks default settings to reduce clutter and bundles tools like Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, PowerToys and Windows Dev Skills. These machines require at least 64GB of unified memory and 250 GB/s of bandwidth to run local 30-billion-parameter AI models, with AMD Ryzen AI Halo devices launching first.
Microsoft introduced Project Zenith, a decluttered version of Windows 11 aimed at developers doing local AI work, initially available on AMD's Ryzen AI Halo mini-desktop with 64GB of RAM. The build comes preloaded with developer tools and languages, enables settings like visible file extensions by default, and is designed to let users run large AI models locally without cloud costs.
O&O Software offers ShutUp10, a free, portable tool that lets Windows 10 and 11 users toggle privacy-related settings and disable data-sharing features without installing extra software. The tool includes built-in recommendations flagging which functions are safe to turn off, addressing concerns that Microsoft's convenience features send more personal data than users may expect.
A researcher going by 'Nightmare Eclipse' released a privilege-escalation exploit dubbed FalconFlank that abuses CrowdStrike Falcon's malicious macro remediation feature to gain SYSTEM-level command prompt access on fully patched Windows 11 25H2 and Windows Server 2025 machines. The flaw has no CVE yet, and CrowdStrike says it is investigating while telling customers to disable the Office File Suspicious Macro Removal policy setting as a workaround.
Microsoft has clarified that a mouse personalization reset bug tied to the August 2026 preview update KB5120998 only impacts Windows 11 devices set to non-English locales. The company found that certain code components fail to load correctly on these systems, causing cursor and animation settings to revert to defaults instead of user preferences. The update, which also brings Start menu and taskbar changes, is optional and only installs automatically if users have enabled the setting to receive updates as soon as they're available.
Microsoft has acknowledged that its optional KB5120998 preview update, released August 27, 2026, causes desktop backgrounds to reset to solid black on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 devices. The company says the bug prevents desktop settings like wallpaper, slideshow options, and contrast themes from loading correctly, and affected users cannot manually restore their previous customizations. The same update was already flagged a day earlier for resetting mouse settings with similar restoration problems.