Windows

• Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday
  • 24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more
  • 26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally.

Windows Insider Program

• Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities.

Software

• 30 years ago, Dave Plummer created Task Manager, and now heʼs vibe-coded a modern version that works on Mac and Linux too.
• Stardock announces a new Windows 11 utility called Snipboard.
• Clipchamp does AI upscaling to 4K now

Hardware

• The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition is nearly perfect, with 11 hours of battery life.
• Googlebook revealed!
  • Questions answered - $899 starting price is much lower than expected.
  • This is Androidʼs Copilot+ PC moment - An AI PC? What a concept!

AI/dev

• Microsoft announces a OneDrive + Copilot event in October - Also a separate Copilot event before then.
• Financial Times reveals internal OpenAI prediction of $278 billion in losses over the next five years.
• NYT copyright case discovery reveals what Microsoft and OpenAI really think about stealing content.
• Anthropic merges Cowork into chat, adds Docs and Slides.
• Google Labs CC turned into Gemini Daily Brief, so now itʼs an AI agent for families.
• Google opens up its Home smart home ecosystem to other AI assistants.
• XAML.io is a web-based vibe coding IDE for .NET apps and it looks amazing.

XBOX and Gaming

• A big reorg and a small number of layoffs at XBOX sets off a new round of hand wringing.

Tip and Picks

• Tip of the week: Get Auto SR on Panther Lake-based laptops
• Auto SR was designed to make gaming viable on Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X/X2, but now itʼs available on Intel Core Ultra Series 3-based PCs and it is worth experimenting with.

App Pick of the Week: Affinity

• Possibly the greatest free app in existence, Affinity just got 60 new features and is even better.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

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Microsoft's July 2026 Patch Tuesday just shattered records with hundreds of bug fixes, and AI is the force behind the surge. Are we witnessing the beginning of a safer Windows, or is this flood of vulnerabilities the new normal? Plus, Tony Redmond's epic book has a new name (was Office 365 for IT Pros) and is now a bundle of four books.

Windows

• Patch Tuesday is here!
• Point in Time Restore, quieter Widgets, Windows Update improvements, Screen tint, and more
• The biggest Patch Tuesday in history, by far: a record 570 fixes for security flaws, and a huge 3X increase from the then-record flaws fixed last month. (Some say the number is 622. Math is hard.) And this is on top of 468 Microsoft Edge/Chromium flaws that were fixed by Google this month too. Yikes.
• Microsoft discusses how it's improving Windows security with AI
• Windows Insider Program: Improved Windows Search is next on the docket, heading out to Experimental this week. Question: When do these things hit stable?
• Microsoft releases Snapdragon X2 versions of its Surface for Business Pro and Laptop models

AI

• Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets
• Surprised there was no talk of "thermonuclear war"
• OpenAI's response is hilarious, and it is already prepping its first hardware device
• OpenAI just announced the rumored super app, which is a combination of ChatGPT, Work, Codex, and an in-app web browser, which replaces the standalone Atlas web browser. Also, GPT-5.6.
• In keeping with recent history, Anthropic announced its in-app web browser for Claude less than 24 hours later
• Reminder that Microsoft acknowledged that it, too, is working on an AI super app at Build
• Apple releases public betas of its OS 27 releases and, shocker, Siri is really good
• Now Spotify has an AI chatbot so I can tell it how much I hate Spotify

Xbox and gaming

• Obsidian is working on a new Fallout game, duh.
• A quiet time after last week's terribleness

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Microsoft 365 for IT Pros (2027 edition) is here!
• App pick of the week: MusicBee
• RunAs Radio this week: Finding Security Vulnerabilities using AI with Sami Laiho
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Sanctuary Single Malt Whisky Reserve Edition

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Microsoft's record-breaking Patch Tuesday unleashed nearly a thousand fixes, but the bonus story is in the chaos that followed as out-of-band updates and AI-driven bug hunts left admins scrambling to keep up.

Windows

• Patch Tuesday was so buggy Microsoft had to release an emergency fix to address all the issues
• New Release Preview builds for 24H2/25H2 - I guess we're moving past the features that are also in the initial 26H2 release - New Copilot key remapping feature, they will get it right eventually
• Five builds across Experimental and Beta channels - All over the map as you'd expect
• Google releases the Gemini app for Windows
• Adobe released Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2027
• AnyType is a top-tier Notion alternative and it's about to get very interesting
• Microsoft previews an October Windows + Surface event that's clearly all about Nvidia - but is this also tied to 26H2 release?
• HP announces a new Ryzen-based portable workstation with an interesting detail about unified memory
• Apple announced iPhone 18 Pros, iPhone Duo, Watch 12 + Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and then released its '27 OS updates - And sure whatever

AI

• AI fear-mongering reaches new heights (or new lows): Is this just PR from Big AI to keep the money rolling?
• Bill Gates says Gates Foundation will donate $1+ billion to solve AI inequality
• Big AI could solve the PR problems by actually doing something positive for mankind. Just a thought
• Copilot Work and Copilot Studio get app building capabilities
• Google will bring MCP to Google Home, in early preview now
• Mozilla and Mistral partner on Firefox Smart Window AI

XBOX and gaming

• Gears of War: E-Day and more is coming to Game Pass in the second half of September
• XBOX is going to the Tokyo Game Show and a nice surprise for Kojima fans
• Valve opens up Steam Frame preorders and it's only $1060!
• Amazon Prime Gaming and Luna are having a pretty g26ood September
• Apple is reportedly making an iPhone game controller for some reason

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: There's a new MSA bypass for Windows 11 Setup
• App pick of the week: Google Dreambeans
• RunAs Radio this week: Patching in 2026 with Susan Bradley
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Art of the Spirits Honored to Serve

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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Microsoft's latest round of layoffs and game studio shakeups reveal deep cracks in the XBOX business, as years of unprofitability and missed expectations force the company into tough decisions. Are industry icons like Game Pass and big-name studios on borrowed time? Also, Paul's made major progress on the Windows 11 Field Guide updates! Plus, a desktop and mobile web browser that now blocks YouTube ads by default.

Layoffs

• Microsoft announces 4800 layoffs, 3200 at XBOX
• Analysis: What Sharma said and didn't say. Many interesting details revealed here. Many questions unanswered
• Great outcomes for four studios, id Software reportedly laid off half its staff
• Interesting alternative analysis: The Game Pass thesis, XBOX can't do everything

Windows

• Four new builds yesterday, one major new feature: Cloud restore
• Microsoft Edge is adding support for Google account sign-ins
• Opera One adds clipboard attack prevention
• Google and Samsung have announced new hardware launches, both with new foldables on the way - Apple's first foldable expected in January

AI

• Microsoft is reportedly transitioning to its in-house MAI models where possible
• Latest Corey Doctorow book takes on the future of AI and is surprisingly middle-of-the-road. Unlike his last book, he explains how he handles this and has some ideas for doing so yourself

XBOX and gaming

• Gears of War Reloaded, more head to Game Pass
• The oldest rumor in XBOX history is back, with Microsoft working (again, or as always) on a disc-to-digital program in the wake of the Sony PS5+ physical media announcement
• Nintendo to end OG Switch sales, make Switch 2 changes in the EU
• You can play Half-Life 2 in a web browser now

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: All Mint Mobile Plans Are Now Just $15 Per Month
• App pick of the week: DuckDuckGo browser
• RunAs Radio this week: Implementing Azure Policies with Barbara Forbes
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Shenk's Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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With Microsoft shattering records for patched vulnerabilities and AI exposing even more bugs, Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell debate whether this tidal wave of fixes signals progress or just bigger trouble ahead for Windows users. Also, Sonos is back and here's something no one has been able to say for, well, forever: It's new app is great! Plus, Gemini's Daily Brief is surprisingly useful, and it's available for free to everyone in the U.S.

MICROSOFT MAKES MAJOR FINANCIAL REPORTING CHANGE

• The canary in the coal mine has finally been rewarded: Microsoft will dramatically change how it reports earnings, effective immediately.
• The good: Didn't see this coming, Microsoft will allegedly be transparent about Azure revenues every quarter
• The bad: A simpler structure means more revenues are being hidden and you can only make accurate YOY comparisons dating back two years now
• The unknown: What this will really look like in practice
• How is it possible that Paul has been all over this for years and Wall Street has mostly ignored it?

Windows

• Patch Tuesday arrives - And, yes, it's basically 26H2
• New Start, Taskbar, and Windows Search are generally available
• Is the "real" 26H2 still on track for October or does it just happen whenever?
• Microsoft fixed almost 1000 security vulnerabilities this month (974), with 723 of them in Windows and 112 of them critical-severity. It has already released over double the number of security patches this year (2760) as it did in all of 2025 (1139).
• Five new builds drop just ahead of Patch Tuesday updates with three minor new features
• Project Zenith is a misguided attempt to make Windows better for developers that shows they've learned nothing
• Microsoft Edge team promises two contrary improvements: Faster extension approvals, better quality

It came from IFA

• Lenovo: Two AMAZING prototype PCs, one of which is imminent as a shipping product. Two killer NVIDIA RTX Spark-based laptops. Colorful laptops and AIO deflate the MacBook Neo balloon nicely. New ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkBook laptops, including a killer AMD-based workstation that can be daisy-chained
• HP: Three new NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs, one of which is a desktop PC
• Acer: RTX Spark, gaming handheld, more
• Key takeaway: NVIDIA RTX Spark is a game-changer

Apps

• Vivaldi adds PWA and address bar improvements
• Yes, Virginia, Brave is still the fastest web browser

AI and dev

• Newsday and The Seattle Times sue OpenAI and Microsoft for stealing copyrighted content at scale
• There's a great new documentary about the making of Visual Studio Code out and it's free
• This is a modern example of how tech limitations can spur innovation, something that happened a lot in the early home computer era and happens a lot less now
• .NET 11 heads to release candidate phase ahead of November release

XBOX and gaming

• XBOX Cloud Gaming is getting usage caps starting in November and a standalone service is on the way
• XBOX app is coming to TCL smart TVs
• XBOX Insiders are testing startup animation choices, Showcase customization, an improved Remote Play experience, background downloads for Cloud Gaming, and more

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Gemini offers a useful and free daily briefing
• App pick of the week: Sonos
• RunAs Radio this week: State of WSUS with Adam
• Brown

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/1000

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Windows 10's Extended Security Update program quietly gets extended for another year for consumers. Microsoft reportedly kills Surface Go products & is now selling 8 GB Surface Pro & Laptop models. And Xbox Series X & S prices are going to go up again.

Windows

• Microsoft quietly extends the Windows 10 Extended Security Update program one year to October 2027 for consumers

Windows Insider

• Windows Update is transitioning to the new Windows Insider experience by default
• Plus, five new builds across Beta, Experimental, Beta (26H1), Experimental (26H1), and Experimental (Future Platforms) — new Taskbar size setting is the much-needed new feature

Hardware

• Apple raises prices on Macs, iPads, and more, easing pressure on PC makers
• Microsoft quietly begins selling 8 GB Surface Pro/Laptop models
• Microsoft reportedly kills Surface Go products right when we need them the most
• The ASUS Zenbook A16 is nearly perfect, but it's unclear what you get with an X2 Elite Extreme chip

AI

• HP partners with OpenAI for its agentic makeover
• Anthropic seizes on the "good enough" AI movement with Sonnet 5
• Proton Lumo 2.0 is here
• Gemini personalized image creator is available for free in the US
• Notion blames agentic AI for it killing Notion Mail

Xbox and Gaming
The 2026 Doom and Gloom Watch

• Xbox Series X|S prices to go up again, by $150, on August 1 - and the 2 TB X is going away
• Undead Labs and Arkane Lyon possible victims of pending closures
• Latest rumor: Microsoft to layoff 2.5 percent of workforce next week - that's 5,500 people, less than expected, but that's because of the earlier voluntary buyouts, which apparently met internal expectations
• Minecraft Bedrock edition gets closed captions
• Sony will stop selling PS physical media in 2028

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Help or get out of the way
• People who just complain aren't solving problems, they're just making noise and distracting us from the real problems.

App Pick of the Week: Snapdragon Control Panel

• If you have a Windows 11 on Arm PC on Snapdragon X or X2, you need this app to make games run as well as possible.
• Plus - Settings > System > Display > Graphics for Auto SR and other settings and whatever is in each game

RunAs Radio this week: AI-Accelerated Supply Chain Attacks with Mackenzie Duncan

Brown liquor pick of the week: Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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While Microsoft pushes Copilot+ PCs, NVIDIA storms into the Windows ecosystem with AI-focused Spark machines and game-changing specs, igniting new rivalries with Apple and upending expectations for what local hardware can do. Plus, Atari revives 39 Activision classics for a price that will make retro fans blink, while the Sonos saga continues as it pivots to an open AI platform that might finally win back old loyalties. Finally, Paul's Markdown book will be released sometime in the next week.

Windows

• The mystery of 26H2 is now less mysterious
• Last week: Week D came and went without a preview release, triggering speculation
• Microsoft issues Windows 11 version 26H2 to Release Preview, a first
• This means a September or October release to stable. Just guessing, but Preview Update in September, general Update in October is most likely
• Version numbers don't matter much anymore. There are no unique 26H2 features, just a few unique 26H2 presets - These include Point-in-time restore and Memory Integrity Protection being on by default
• Two 26H1 pre-release builds with little to speak of
• IFA 2026 is underway in Berlin
• Acer is first out of the gates with dozens of new PCs, including one based on the NVIDIA RTX Spark
• EU General Court confirms that Microsoft Edge is not a gatekeeper
• Visual Studio Code now has a full Markdown Editor experience
• Brave now offers free email aliases, and will have a premium option soon
• Firefox for iOS now has integrated ad blocking
• NVIDIA - $96.2 billion in revenues, up 106 percent YOY
• Dell - record $47 billion in revenues, but it's all from server/infrastructure
• HP - $15.7 billion in revenues, up 12.5 percent - $11.8 billion from PCs, vs. $15 billion for all Dell client products

AI/dev

• Sony and Warner sue Anthropic for stealing their music
• Gemini Notebook gets first Expert Intelligence upgrade with integrated e-book support
• Sonos announces Sonos 27 OS with major AI functionality
• Microsoft moves WinUI development fully to GitHub ahead of open-sourcing it

XBOX and gaming

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, more coming to Game Pass
• Every Activision title for the Atari 2600 is being reissued in cartridge form, but it's going to cost you

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Markdown: A Field Guide for Writers
• App pick of the week: ImageGlass 10
• RunAs Radio this week: Reimagining Intranets with Susan Hanley
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Macaloney's Cath-Nah-Aven

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Windows 12 is stalled and the real reasons go far beyond software. The conversation unpacks how soaring hardware prices, AI chaos, and market confusion have Microsoft in a holding pattern. Also, Paul finally took a sledgehammer to the subscription services he pays for, and more is on the way. Plus, one of Paul's favorite Markdown editors supports authorship on Windows now and an integrated Search/Outline view on Mac, iPad, and iPad.

Windows

• Week D is here with a preview of July's Patch Tuesday
• Point-in-time restore is now generally available in Windows 11, sort of
• Quieter widgets, which is nice! Plus, Screen tint, Windows Update improvements, more
• Tied to this, sort of, something wonderful is happening to the Windows 11 Field Guide
• Five new builds, plus some 26H2 news (and still no news about what 26H1 becomes, see below...)
• Mostly minor fit-and-finish improvements
• So... what about Windows 12? The history is interesting, and Copilot+ PC was what Paul originally thought Windows 12 would be. But now we're talking agentic capabilities that will handle local/cloud/hybrid orchestration per last week's discussion, and maybe that will be it.
• We knew that Surface Laptop and Surface Pro would come in 8 GB configurations. But they're available now with just 256 GB of storage and the prices are $950 and $850 and up, respectively. Plus all the usual Surface limitations, like one color choice. (16 GB is $1150 and $1050, respectively, so $300 more.)
• Once again, it's time to just get a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x for $850. It has 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage and is awesome.
• Tim Cook just admitted that Apple will raise hardware prices because of the component crisis. If this is hitting Apple hard, the rest of the industry is screwed.

AI

• Cory Doctorow's new book is out and let's just say his new neologism isn't as catchy as enshittification
• Reverse centaur (groan)
• Surprisingly centrist view on the pros and cons of AI
• Highlights the Microsoft financial shenanigans I point out every quarter: Microsoft "invests" $10 billion of "tokens" in OpenAI, but there's no volume discount and Microsoft books the transaction as $10 billion in AI revenues as OpenAI simply uses its infrastructure. It gave $10 billion to OpenAI so that it could spend $10 billion on Azure.
• Google Home Speaker is the Gemini speaker and it's now shipping to first customers as Google discontinues Nest Audio and Nest Mini speakers. Can we trust this company with hardware? And why are there no Apple or Google home theater setups?
• Adobe brings its creative agent to Firefly and the biggest apps in Creative Cloud

XBOX & gaming

• No movement yet on the massive changes we expect in XBOX soon
• Microsoft has "dozens" of gaming IP-based movies and TV shows in the works
• XBOX Insiders can now test updates to Gamertags, Game Hub, and Wish List
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are being ported to modern PS consoles. Sadly, not remakes or remasters.
• GTA VI will cost $79.99 and up - Arrives in November, can preorder on June 25
• Steam Machine to cost $1049 and up, and that's with no controller

Tips & picks

• Tip of the week: How to save $100 a month
• App pick of the week: iA Writer
• RunAs Radio this week: Securing Developers with Tanya Janca
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Glen Breton Rare 10

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/989

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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