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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.
Microsoft acknowledged a known issue causing delays of up to two minutes or outright failure when opening the Teams desktop client on Windows. Separately, the company is investigating a related problem preventing Mac users from joining Teams calls and meetings, though it has walked back its initial theory that a code change caused the disruption. Microsoft is reviewing logs and telemetry and advises affected users to switch to Teams on the web or mobile app in the meantime.
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.
Microsoft says its August 11, 2026 security update (KB5121003) is causing Teams and New Outlook to fail to launch or crash unexpectedly on ARM-based Windows 11 24H2 devices like the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7. The problem mostly hits new or freshly imaged machines that haven't yet grabbed Microsoft Store updates, while Classic Outlook, Word and Excel remain unaffected.
Microsoft confirmed that starting in October 2026, memory integrity protection built on Virtualization-based Security will be switched on by default for eligible Windows 11 PCs. The feature runs Windows as a guest OS under Hyper-V to isolate the kernel from tampering, but Microsoft has previously acknowledged it can hurt gaming performance. Organizations will retain the ability to disable it, though the default posture is shifting toward security-first.
Acer showed off a concept device called Project DualPlay Mini, an 8-inch Windows handheld gaming PC that opens up like a laptop to reveal a backlit physical keyboard, with the screen swiveling inward to complete the transformation. Alongside it, Acer launched the Predator Atlas 7, a smaller 7-inch sibling to the Predator Atlas 8 handheld released earlier this year.
Acer showed off Project DualPlay Mini, a concept device that folds like a mini laptop with a built-in keyboard and flip-up 8-inch screen, but converts into a standard handheld gaming device when closed. The company says it isn't a shipping product yet, though it would use the same Intel chips found in its newly announced Predator Atlas 8 and Atlas 7 handhelds.
Microsoft will start rolling out updates that automatically turn on memory integrity and Virtualization-based Security on eligible Windows 11 devices, aiming to make the OS secure by default. The kernel-level protection blocks untrusted drivers and code but can reduce gaming frame rates, especially on older CPUs. Devices where users previously disabled the feature will not have it re-enabled automatically.
Dell introduced the Dell 14S at IFA 2026, a student-focused laptop offered in four colors—beige, pink, blue, and green—with configurations starting at 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, scalable to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD. Positioned below the XPS 13, it includes HDMI, a headphone jack, a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello, and up to 23 hours of claimed battery life, running on Intel Core 5 or Core 7 chips rather than newer Panther Lake processors.