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Windows 11 24H2 blanket bans some desktop customization apps in test builds – and a lot of folks aren’t happy

April 8, 2024
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Windows 11 users who have customized the interface of the operating system with a third-party app may run into trouble with the incoming 24H2 update later this year, if what’s happening in testing is anything to go by.

Tom’s Hardware spotted a Neowin report noting that in the recently deployed preview build 26100 of Windows 11, which is supposedly the RTM version of the 24H2 update, Microsoft has stealthily (and rather crudely) disabled some apps that modify the interface.

Specifically, StartAllBack and ExplorerPatcher are the two UI customization apps that are blocked from Windows 11 24H2, meaning you won’t be able to get the update until you remove that software.

So, why has this happened? As you might guess, the reason for effectively casting aside these third-party apps is bound up in the compatibility and possible stability and security issues that they cause, as Windows development MVP Rafael Rivera makes clear on X (formerly Twitter).

There are plenty of reasons to skewer Microsoft, but this isn’t one of them. Here, Microsoft is blocking unreliable high crash rate software that is extremely sensitive to OS changes.Fixing the bugs and revving the version number is likely all that’s needed here (this time). https://t.co/bm8E8LEdZ4April 6, 2024

Indeed, as Neowin points out, when you attempt to install ExplorerPatcher on build 26100, the OS tells you that it can’t be run because the app “causes security or performance issues on Windows.”

Windows 11 working on a laptop PC — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Analysis: A rush to RTM?

As one bright spark on X observes, tongue firmly planted in cheek, Microsoft Teams is also “an unreliable high crash rate bit of software” so why doesn’t Microsoft block that from installing? Well, Rivera does respond to that little bit of trolling, noting that whatever stability issues Teams may have, it doesn’t prevent OS boot or recovery options – suggesting there are some serious flaws with these customization apps and the 24H2 update.

If you recall, 24H2 has an all-new underlying platform called Germanium, so there are some big changes here – and we’re guessing that this shift under the hood is the reason for the apps being problematic. That’s pure guesswork, mind.

Whatever the reason behind the apparently thorny compatibility issues, there are problems with the way Microsoft has gone about this. Communication with the software developers would be expected – and normally happens in these kinds of cases, at least giving them some warning of what’s going on. Not this time, though.

Furthermore, the way the ban appears to have been implemented seems very crude – it’s a blanket ban on all EXE files containing the names of the offending apps (which means all versions are affected, and any related apps). The way this has been done smacks of either laziness or a rush to get this move through, which isn’t a good look for Microsoft.

It almost seems like Microsoft has jammed this in at a late stage because the 24H2 update RTM needed to be pushed out of the door sharpish. There was a problem found last-minute and a fix was hastily applied using a hatchet, not a scalpel (again, guesswork – but this is what it feels like).

That theory does make some sense, as the predicted date for the RTM (near-finalized) candidate of the 24H2 update was April, and this build needs to be ready for new Snapdragon X Elite AI PCs which are coming in June (in theory). These laptops require that Germanium build due to their ARM-based chips, so there’s a critical need to get this done.

In short, it’s all a bit messy and some feathers have definitely been ruffled here – although due to the mentioned shoddy implementation of the app ban, it’s actually very easy to circumvent it: simply rename the EXE of the client. We wouldn’t recommend doing that, mind – as if the hints about boot failure are on the money, your PC could end up with a serious spanner in the works.

Meanwhile, these customization apps still work with Windows 11 23H2, the current version, and we have to remember that these changes are still in testing. We don’t know if this ban is temporary, or whether it’ll actually be enforced when 24H2 arrives later this year (from September, most likely).

Microsoft and the relevant devs should be able to work together and find a better solution, indeed a full resolution, before then, and Rivera’s comments indicate this will be the case.

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TechRadar – All the latest technology news

April 19, 2022
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Microsoft has confirmed that it will not be supporting its Office 2013 software suite for very much longer.

The company revealed that its office software offering will reach its official end of support within the next twelve months, after which it will no longer receive updates and security protection from the company.

Users of Microsoft Office 2013 are now being urged to upgrade or switch software before April 11, 2023, or possibly risk being hit by cyberattacks.

Farewell Microsoft Office 2013

“After five years of Mainstream Support, and five years of Extended Support, Office 2013 will reach the End of Extended Support on April 11, 2023. Per the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, after this date security updates for Office 2013 will no longer be available,” Microsoft said in an email to customers seen by BleepingComputer.

“After Office 2013 reaches the end of support, Microsoft won't provide any new security updates, and the continued use of Office 2013 after April 2023 may increase your organization's exposure to security risks or impact your ability to meet compliance obligations.”

In place of Office 2013, Microsoft has suggested users switch to Microsoft 365 Apps, a subscription-based model. Most commonly seen as part of Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2021 subscriptions, this package provides most of the key apps for business users, and receives regular updates and patches.

> Windows 11 may not be as popular as Microsoft had hoped

> > Microsoft quietly reverses one of the most outrageous Windows 11 changes

> How to download and install Windows 11 right now

“Please start upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps, which is designed to receive regular updates, and will help you stay current by getting security updates and our latest features,” noted Microsoft.

“Alternatively, if your organization requires a static, unchanging product, consider moving to Office LTSC 2021.”

The news is the latest key Microsoft product to reach its end of life in recent months. Most famously, Windows XP was put out to pasture back in 2014, although following months of back-and-forth, Microsoft eventually relented and said it would still offer some forms of support for users of the ancient software.

If you’re hunting for something a bit different, try one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives

Via BleepingComputer

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

April 19, 2022
No Comments

Microsoft has confirmed that it will not be supporting its Office 2013 software suite for very much longer.

Users of Microsoft Office 2013 are now being urged to upgrade or switch software before April 11, 2023, or possibly risk being hit by cyberattacks.

Farewell Microsoft Office 2013

> Windows 11 may not be as popular as Microsoft had hoped

> > Microsoft quietly reverses one of the most outrageous Windows 11 changes

> How to download and install Windows 11 right now

“Please start upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps, which is designed to receive regular updates, and will help you stay current by getting security updates and our latest features,” noted Microsoft.

“Alternatively, if your organization requires a static, unchanging product, consider moving to Office LTSC 2021.”

If you’re hunting for something a bit different, try one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives

Via BleepingComputer

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

February 23, 2022
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The Metaverse, that immersive virtual world where Meta (née Facebook) imagines we'll work, play, and interact with friends and family is also where we may someday build entire worlds with nothing but our voice.

During an online AI development update delivered, in part, by Meta/Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday (February 23), the company offered a glimpse of Builder Bot, an AI concept that allows the user to build entire virtual experiences using their voice.

Standing in what looked like a stripped-down version of Facebook's Horizon Worlds' Metaverse, Zuckerberg's and a co-worker's avatars asked a virtual bot to add an island, some furniture, clouds, a catamaran, and even a boombox that could pay real music to the environment. In the demonstration, the command phrasing was natural and the 3D virtual imagery appeared instantly, though it did look a bit like the graphics you'd find in Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The development of Builder Bot is part of a larger AI initiative called Project CAIRaeoke, which is an end-to-end neural model for building on-device assistance.

Meta's Builder Bot concept — Mark Zuckerberg’s legless avatar and Builder Bot. (Image credit: Future)

Zuckerberg explained that current technology is not yet equipped to help us explore an immersive version of the internet that will ultimately live in the Metaverse. While that will require updates across a whole range of hardware and software, Meta believes AI is the key to unlocking advancement that will lead to, as Zukerberg put it, “a new generation of assistants that will help us explore new worlds”.

“When we’re wearing [smart] Glasses, it will be the first time an AI system will be able to see the world from our perspective,” he added. A key goal here is for the AI they're developing to see as we do and, more importantly, learn about the world as we do, as well.

It's unclear if Builder Bot will ever become a true part of the burgeoning Metaverse, but its skill with real-time language processing and understanding how parts of the environment should go together is clearly informed by the work Meta is doing.

Mark Zuckerberg talks AI translation (Image credit: Future)

Zuckerberg outlined a handful of other related AI projects, all of which will eventually feed into a Metaverse that can be accessed and used by anyone in the world.

These include “No Language Left Behind,” which, unlike traditional translation that often uses English as a mid-translation point, can translate languages directly from the source to the translation language. There's also the very Star Trek-like “Universal Speech Translator”, which would provide instantaneous speech-to-speech translation across all languages, including spoken languages.

“AI is going to deliver that in our lifetimes,” said Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg talks image abstraction (Image credit: Future)

Meta is also investing heavily in self-supervised learning (SSL) to build human-like cognition into AI systems. Instead of training with tons of images to help the AI identify patterns, the system is fed raw data and then asked to predict the missing parts. Eventually, the AI learns how to build abstract representations.

An AI that can understand abstraction could complete an image just from a few pieces of visual information, or generate the next frame of a video it's never seen. It could also build a visually pleasing virtual world with only your words to guide it.

For those full-on freaked out by Meta's Metaverse ambitions, Zuckerberg said that the company is building the Metaverse for everyone and they are “committed to build openly and responsibly” while protecting privacy and preventing harm.

It's unlikely anyone will take his word for it, but we look forward to watching the Metaverse's development.