Alongside a new preview build of Windows 11, Microsoft announced a significant update to Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements. The company has been blocking old Windows 10 PCs from downloading preview Windows 11 builds, allowing the new system to run only on devices with Intel 8th / AMD Ryzen 2nd gen CPUs and up. Following users' discontent with hardware requirements and evaluating data from early testers, Microsoft decided to backtrack some of the compatibility rules. Now, any Windows 10-compatible PC can run Windows 11 without significant limitations.
Author: Taras Buria
Taras is here to cover stories about Microsoft and everything around, although sometimes he prefers Apple.
Chrome is getting a What’s New page
With Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge switching from a six to four-week release schedule later next month, users might find it a bit challenging to track all the new features and changes. Of course, those reading Winaero.com always know what is new in every update of every mainstream browser. Unfortunately, not every Google Chrome user reads Winaero.com, so Google plans to add a "What's New" page to its browser. It will let people know, well, what is new in the latest version of Google Chrome.
ASUS BIOS updates add Windows 11 support to officially unsupported hardware
Microsoft is yet to announce the official release date for Windows 11, but developers are already shipping public versions of their apps and drivers with Windows 11 support. Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD have already released Windows 11-optimized GPU drivers (Intel has also shipped Bluetooth and Wi-Fi drivers), and now motherboard manufacturers ship new "Windows 11-ready" firmware.
Microsoft brings Super-Duper Secure mode to Edge for macOS
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft introduced a new, somewhat quirky-named mode for its browser. Dubbed "Super-Duper Secure mode," it intends to improve security in the Chromium-based browser from Microsoft by disabling JIT in the V8 JavaScript engine and applying other security measures.
Firefox 92 to block downloads over an insecure connection
Mozilla plans to launch Firefox 92 during the first week of September 2021. One of the changes in the upcoming release is additional download protections. Firefox 92 will follow Google's recent improvements that make sure a browser warns users about potentially unsafe downloads over an insecure connection.
Microsoft brings back overlay scroll bars to Edge Canary
Microsoft has restored overlay scroll bars in Edge, so today we will learn how to enable this feature. One of the main downsides of the build-in dark theme in Microsoft Edge is scrollbars. No matter which mode you use, they are always bright white and take quite a lot of space on the screen. Months ago, Microsoft tried to solve that problem with redesigned scroll bars, but the company had to remove corresponding flags from Edge. Microsoft Edge users will be glad to learn that developers are bringing overlay scroll bars back to the Edge browser.
Windows 11 Enable Compact View in File Explorer
You may be wondering how to enable Compact View in File Explorer in Windows 11? Let's review a couple of methods to activate it. Windows 11 comes with a brand-new File Explorer that offers more modern looks and better controls for all types of computers. To make using Windows 11 on touch-based devices more convenient, Microsoft increased spacing between elements in File Explorer.
Microsoft is ending support for Office apps on Chrome OS
Google's Chrome OS is capable of running Android apps natively, which makes inexpensive Chromebooks appealing to many users. Although many users consider Android apps support is one of the best features of Chrome OS, Microsoft, in a somewhat surprising move, decided to stop supporting some of its popular apps on Chrome OS.
How to Open PowerShell as Administrator in Windows 11
There are several ways to open PowerShell as Administrator in Windows 11. Users can run console applications in user mode or with elevated privileges, also known as "Run as Administrator." We have already covered in separate articles how to open Windows Terminal in Windows 11 and how to open PowerShell in Windows 11. Now it is time to show how to run PowerShell as Administrator in Windows 11.
Windows 11 Add Separators and Spacers to Start Menu and Taskbar
This post will show you how to add separators and spacers to the Start menu and taskbar in Windows 11. Windows 11 has a fresh Start menu and taskbar with a new design and capabilities. Unfortunately, some of the useful Start menu features from Windows 10 are missing in Windows 11. The most notable omissions are folders, groups, and the inability to move the taskbar around.
