GoKawiil
Tech News
Many Windows programs quietly add themselves to the startup sequence, often because users miss an installer's checkbox or software enrolls itself without notice. Over time this can leave dozens of unnecessary apps launching every time a PC boots, slowing startup and consuming memory and CPU. Windows scatters these entries across several different settings areas, so users need to check multiple locations to find them all.
Hobbyist developers have successfully ported Windows NT 4.0 to Nintendo's GameCube console, building on groundwork laid by a project called Entii for Workcubes hosted on GitHub. The feat was recently showcased in a video by Jiga Tech, demonstrating the modding process used to get Microsoft's decades-old operating system running on the aging Nintendo hardware.
An analysis of moving from Windows to macOS notes that while web apps have made the transition smoother, Macs still differ in fundamental ways, starting with the absence of a native right-click and unfamiliar app installation steps outside the App Store. The piece traces the single-button mouse legacy to Steve Jobs, who reportedly resisted multi-button designs to keep interfaces simple.
Microsoft confirmed that its optional KB5120998 preview update, released August 27, is resetting or corrupting users' custom mouse cursor settings on Windows 11. Affected users report cursors becoming oversized, appearing as generic white icons, or vanishing entirely, with custom animations reverting to defaults. Microsoft acknowledged the bug on its known issues page but has not yet issued a fix.
Perplexity has extended its agentic AI feature, previously exclusive to Mac, to Windows 10 and 11 users on paid Pro, Max, or Enterprise plans. The tool can access local files, control native Windows applications, and connect to cloud services like OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox to complete multi-step tasks with minimal user input. A ZDNET reviewer tested it on five complex tasks to gauge its real-world usefulness.
A how-to guide details a method for turning an iPhone into a substitute gaming controller for PCs using the Remote Gamepad app, which works with Mac, Windows and Linux systems. Rather than pairing via Bluetooth, the setup connects the iPhone to a computer over a shared Wi-Fi network to relay controller inputs into PC games.
Microsoft is rolling out a new button in Windows 11's full-screen backup prompt that lets users permanently dismiss repeated nudges to enable OneDrive backup through Windows Backup. Windows Latest spotted the option on two PCs running stable Windows 11 25H2 builds, even on machines without the OneDrive sync client installed. Microsoft says clicking it won't delete existing OneDrive files or change sync settings—it simply stops the recurring prompt.
Libertix is a new Windows application that installs Linux directly without requiring a bootable USB drive or manual partitioning. It supports Windows 10 and 11 and sets up a dual-boot configuration so users can keep Windows while adding Linux, choosing between them at startup. The project is currently running a €3,000 crowdfunding campaign to fund a full-time contributor for summer 2026.
Microsoft has acknowledged that its optional KB5120998 preview update, released August 27, 2026, is causing custom mouse cursor personalizations to revert to default settings on Windows 11. Affected users report high-DPI cursors being swapped for standard white ones and custom animations disappearing, with no way to restore prior settings. The company says it is investigating and is asking impacted users to submit reports through the Feedback Hub.
Microsoft confirmed a bug causing the Windows Security app to falsely display 'Microsoft Defender Antivirus is turned off' notifications after recent Defender updates, even though protection remains active. The issue, which has quietly affected Windows Insiders since June, now impacts all supported Windows client and server versions, including Windows 11 26H1 and Windows Server 2025. Microsoft says a fix is in development and will roll out in a future Defender update.
Citrix's Desktop as a Service now includes UniconOS, a lightweight, write-protected Linux environment installed alongside Windows on a separate partition. If Windows is disabled by ransomware or a bad update, employees can boot into UniconOS instead and reach their virtual apps and desktops through Citrix DaaS and SecurAccess, while Windows itself remains untouched and unrepaired.
A developer has published free, GPL-licensed source code for three old Windows 3.1x-era programs: a limited implementation of Conway's Game of Life, a GDI object-cleanup utility called GDI Rescuer, and a Mastermind-style game called Code Breaker. The Game of Life program notably demonstrates mixing 16-bit C with 32-bit assembly via winmem32.dll and handling palette and DIB color translation quirks of the era.