Tomorrow, January 10, 2023, Microsoft will end extended support for Windows 8.1. The OS itself won't stop working immediately, but apps and drivers will stop getting updates. So new devices and several websites may stop working if you remain on Windows 8.1. Microsoft will not be offering an Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 8.1.
Also, the release of paid security updates for Windows 7 through the ESU program is also ending tomorrow.

https://winaero.com/support-for-windows-8-1-is-ending-tomorrow/

Without a fanfare, Microsoft added Secure Boot support to Windows 7 in September 2022. The company supports the OS for companies that pay for ESU, so this could be per their request.

Microsoft initially stated that paid cumulative updates for Windows 7 would only fix discovered security vulnerabilities, so there should not be any new features in them. However, near the end of the life cycle, this has been silently changed. The September 2022 update added support for Secure Boot to Windows 7.

It is not known why this happened a few months before the final end of support. In the change logs from Microsoft, the addition of the Secure Boot support is also not mentioned.

Microsoft is once again updating the built-in File Explorer app in Windows 11. The app will get a new Home page and the left pane, along with new views and closer Microsoft 365 integration.

There are references to a modern Home page and a new sidebar. These elements will utilize XAML and WinUI and follow Fluent Design. There are also references to new File Explorer features. There are new panes, such as "Activities", "Conversations", "Shared Status", and "Insights" panels. Perhaps they are related to Microsoft 365.

The recently discovered Gallery folder is also receiving a portion of updates, with tiles that are placeholders for images and groups of images.

Microsoft has released January 2023 cumulative updates for Windows 11 and Windows 10. The changes:

✅Win11/10: Addresses issues that affect the Local Session Manager (LSM). These issues might allow users who do not have admin rights to perform actions that only an admin can.
✅Win11/10:Addresses a known issue that affects apps that use Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) SQL Server Driver (sqlsrv32.dll) to connect to databases. The connection might fail. You might also receive an error in the app, or you might receive an error from the SQL Server.
✅Win11 21H2/10: Addresses an issue that might affect startup on some Windows devices. They might receive an error (0xc000021a) and have a blue screen.

Microsoft has released Android 13-based Windows Subsystem for Android to Insiders running Windows 11 in all insider channels. Earlier, it was available to WSA Insiders, which is a dedicated app preview channel, separate from the Windows Insider program. Now it is available in the Store. It comes with multiple improvements, including faster boot, better mouse click handling, improved clipboard and app resizing, and more.

🌍 The Store link: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/windows-subsystem-for-android%E2%84%A2-with-amazon-appstore/9P3395VX91NR

You may remember that Microsoft ported Windows 11's new Media Player app to Windows 10. Earlier, you could install it manually by downloading a preview package. Today, that modern Windows Media Player app become available for Windows 10. The update comes automatically via the Store app and buries Groove Music. It is a gradual roll-out, so you may not see it right away.

There are several reports on the web that Windows Defender removes Start menu shortcuts and taskbar pinned apps after installing the updated signatures.

>looks like that all shortcuts which are located in ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs will be deleted instantly.

Microsoft has confirmed the bug and reverted the defective change (shipped by defs version 1.381.2140.0). However, it may take hours before it reaches the affected machines. If you are affected, install the most recent signatures manually.

Microsoft's latest report on this: This issue is resolved in security intelligence update build 1.381.2164.0. Installing security intelligence update build 1.381.2164.0 or later should prevent the issue, but it will not restore previously deleted shortcuts. You will need to recreate or restore these shortcuts through other methods.

Microsoft is working on a huge update for the built-in File Explorer app. It will include a new left pane, a new start page with extra details for recently used files. Finally, it will have several new panels, such as "Activities", "Conversations", "Shared Status", and "Insights". You can now enable them on Dev channel build 25276 and above.

The "Activities" section will display information about the latest changes made to the selected file. The "Related Conversations" section will let you know which emails or messages the file was part of. It is interesting to see how the "Related Files" section displays other files linked to the current one. E.g. it can show other files that were shared for the same project, or attached to the same email.

The implementation is raw and buggy. Reset the feature using the undo command once you tried it, otherwise you will hit into File Explorer crashes.

Here's how to enable the new File Explorer

1) Download vivetool https://github.com/thebookisclosed/ViVe/releases
2) Extract it to c:\vivetool and open Terminal as Admin
3) Run this command in Terminal: c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:38613007
4) Restart Windows 11
5) Use this undo command to disable the feature once you tried it: c:\vivetool\vivetool /disable /id:38613007

If the above procedure fails for you, you should try enabling the new features inside a Windows Sandbox instance.

Windows 11 Build 22621.1192 is now available in Release Preview channel. With this update, Windows 11 will require less reboots when upgrading. Besides, .NET Preview updates will now appear as optional updates in the Settings app. Finally, KB5022360 includes a good pack of fixes that improve reliability of the operating system and apps, including Explorer, search, RDP, Edge, and many others.

Microsoft will stop selling licenses for Windows 10 on February 1, 2023.

However, this only applies to the Microsoft Store online store. Licenses will still be available in third-party stores.

Windows 11 will soon receive an Experimental Features option. Currently, Microsoft randomly ships some of new features to the Dev channel of the Windows Insider Program. There is no official way to toggle them on or off, or make them available on the specific computer. Thankfully, there is the ViveTool app, but this method was never supported by Microsoft, and you do everything on your own risk.

Maybe the new feature will change this. The new (hidden as now) "Experimental features" section appears on the Windows Update > Windows Insider Program page in Settings. While there is no official announcement yet, quite possible that it will allow you to manually enable the things that these days come in controlled roll-outs.

👀Microsoft is about to stop selling Windows 10 licenses by the end of January 2023. The company has quietly updated the appropriate product pages on the official website. For Windows 10 Home and Pro they now state:

"January 31, 2023 will be the last day this Windows 10 download is offered for sale. Windows 10 will remain supported with security updates that help protect your PC from viruses, spyware, and other malware until October 14, 2025."

Well, there is nothing surprising.

System Restore points break Windows 11 22H2 due to a bug. Microsoft has confirmed it on the official web site. Modern inbox apps that receive updates from the Store and are packaged into MSIX may show "This app can't open" error message after you use a restore point. The error may vary:

- An error message “This app can’t open” is displayed instead of the app starting.
- The app might have multiple entries on the Start menu.
- An app may not respond when you try to start the app.
- An I/O error may occur, followed by the app not responding, and then the app crashes.
- If you try to start the app again, the app now runs.

Microsoft says that as a workaround you can try to relaunch the affected app or reinstall it.