GoKawiil
Tech News
Microsoft has resolved a bug that made desktop wallpapers turn solid black and reset mouse settings on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 devices. The issue stemmed from the KB5120998 preview update released in August 2026, and Microsoft says installing the KB5124008 update from September 8 fixes it.
Proofpoint identified an exploit toolkit, dubbed BlueMoon, that chains two Chromium vulnerabilities with a Windows kernel flaw to deploy malware on victims' machines. At least four separate hacking groups, some linked to the Chinese government, have deployed the kit within days of each other, and all three underlying vulnerabilities have only just received patches.
Microsoft's Bing Wallpaper app, which normally rotates nature and landscape photos, recently displayed a promotional image for a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts 11-film collection instead. Users on Reddit, Thurrott.com and Microsoft Learn forums expressed surprise and frustration, with some mistaking the ad for adware and others objecting due to JK Rowling's political controversies.
Longstanding advice to periodically restart a computer remains valid today, with experts recommending Windows PCs be rebooted at least once a week. Linux systems generally require fewer restarts, and laptops should be shut down or put to sleep after use due to their limited cooling capacity.
Microsoft released patches for 974 vulnerabilities across Windows and other products, its largest single update batch ever, surpassing July's record of 570 fixes. The release includes two actively exploited zero-day flaws that let attackers escalate privileges, plus 113 critical-rated bugs including a dangerous DNS weakness and a Windows Shell remote code execution flaw scoring 9.8 out of 10 in severity.
Microsoft is introducing new APIs in Windows 11 that let third-party apps check whether a user falls into a child, teen, or adult age category, without revealing the person's actual birthdate. Developers can use this signal to tailor content, features, or restrictions based on age group rather than requesting precise personal data.
Microsoft has issued the KB5122878 update for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC and machines enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program, bumping systems to build 19045.7725 (or 19044.7725 for LTSC 2021). The update bundles this month's Patch Tuesday security fixes plus smaller changes covering Secure Boot certificate rollout, a time-zone correction for Morocco, and diagnostic and compatibility tweaks.
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.
Microsoft has acknowledged that the August 2026 security update can cause 0xc0000409 errors tied to CompatTelRunner.exe on Windows Server 2016 machines running the Compatibility Appraiser telemetry service. The bug affects both physical hardware and virtual machines, including VMware and Azure deployments, generating repeated Application Error log entries under Event ID 1000.
Microsoft is set to release its largest patch Tuesday yet, fixing more than 650 security vulnerabilities in Windows, according to sources. This follows a summer of escalating patch counts—around 200 in June, 570 in July, and nearly 400 in August—driven by AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI that are uncovering software flaws far faster than before.
Microsoft has acknowledged that a memory-management change in Windows Server 2025 is causing crashes, memory corruption, and access violations in applications using Address Windowing Extensions (AWE), including SQL Server instances with Lock Pages in Memory enabled. Affected systems may show error code 0xC0000005, failed database maintenance tasks, crash dumps, and unexpected service restarts.