Surrender as a service: Microsoft unlocks BitLocker for feds
updated If you're serious about encryption, keep control of your encryption keys
Security23 Jan 2026 | 17
OSes
China’s Deepin Linux gets a slick desktop - and, yes, built-in AI
Hands On Where FOSS desktop OSes meet geopolitics
OSes23 Jan 2026 | 18
Tech support detective solved PC crime by looking in the carpark
On Call Overnight action made for a sticky situation in the candy factory
Personal Tech23 Jan 2026 | 58
PowerShell architect retires after decades at the prompt
After Microsoft, Google, and a long fight for automation, Jeffrey Snover hangs up his keyboard
OSes22 Jan 2026 | 39
Notepad will now tell you all the ways Microsoft has enshittified it
Veteran text editor gets more AI enhancements while Paint will be able to generate coloring books
OSes22 Jan 2026 | 58
Debian's FreedomBox Blend promises an easier home cloud
Hands On There are other home server, NAS, and media-streaming distros, but this aspires to much more
OSes22 Jan 2026 | 40
Microsoft admits Outlook might freeze when saving files to OneDrive
January update is the gift that keeps on giving
Storage21 Jan 2026 | 44
MX Linux 25.1 brings back switchable init systems
Dislike systemd but occasionally need it for something? MX can help
OSes21 Jan 2026 | 15
Mozilla starts offering RPMs of Firefox Nightly
More packaging options for the leading all-FOSS browser
OSes20 Jan 2026 | 11
Windows 11, not AI, kick-started the PC upgrade cycle
Corporate IT refreshed hardware to stay supported, not chase new features
Personal Tech20 Jan 2026 | 14
Microsoft veteran explains the one weird trick that made Windows 95 restart faster
Hold down Shift to make the magic happen (or not, as the case might be)
OSes20 Jan 2026 | 20
Manchester ATM ups PIN requirement to full Windows login
Bork!Bork!Bork! Definitely Maybe running Windows 7?
Offbeat20 Jan 2026 | 23
Windows 11 shutdown bug forces Microsoft into out-of-band damage control
Ships emergency update to fix a Patch Tuesday misfire that prevented systems from switching off
OSes19 Jan 2026 | 44
Sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that! PCs refuse to shut down after Microsoft patch
Microsoft claims it's a Secure Launch bug
Patches16 Jan 2026 | 113
Windows Backup adds second-chance restore at sign-in
First sign-in restore aims to cut rebuilds when users skip setup options
OSes16 Jan 2026 | 11
Ready for a newbie-friendly Linux? Mint team officially releases v 22.3, 'Zena'
Newer kernel, newer Cinnamon, new tools, and even new icons
OSes16 Jan 2026 | 76
Windows App forgets how to log in with first security update of the year
January patch trips up Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 authentication
OSes15 Jan 2026 | 26
Wine 11 runs Windows apps in Linux and macOS better than ever
Transparently runs 16, 32, and 64-bit Windows apps, but still doesn't use the Microsoft store.
OSes15 Jan 2026 | 122
Microsoft's 'From SA' scheme on trial as license resale row refuses to die
ValueLicensing case rumbles on as Windows giant appeals against copyright judgment
Software15 Jan 2026 | 2
Hasta la vista! Microsoft finally ends extended updates for ancient Windows version
Support expires for Windows Server 2008, and the codebase released to manufacturing in 2006
OSes14 Jan 2026 | 15
Popular
Ancient telnet bug happily hands out root to attackers
Critical vuln flew under the radar for a decade
PowerShell architect retires after decades at the prompt
After Microsoft, Google, and a long fight for automation, Jeffrey Snover hangs up his keyboard
Microsoft 365 outage drags on for nearly 10 hours during bad night for North American infra
Down to 364.5 already: Redmond's crappy 2026 continues
Tech support detective solved PC crime by looking in the carpark
On Call Overnight action made for a sticky situation in the candy factory
Cursor used agents to write a browser, proving AI can write shoddy code at scale
Project kind-of worked but left a lot of messes for humans to clean up
Debian's FreedomBox Blend promises an easier home cloud
Hands On There are other home server, NAS, and media-streaming distros, but this aspires to much more
FortiGate firewalls hit by silent SSO intrusions and config theft
Admins say attackers are still getting in despite recent patches
Bank of England: Financial sector failing to implement basic cybersecurity controls
Mind the cyber gap – similar flaws highlighted multiple years in a row
Another week, another emergency patch as Cisco plugs Unified Comms zero-day
The critical-rated flaw leaves unpatched systems open to full takeover
Surrender as a service: Microsoft unlocks BitLocker for feds
updated If you're serious about encryption, keep control of your encryption keys
STORIES
Windows 2000 rusts in peace by the sea
Bork!Bork!Bork! When salty coastal air meets memory errors in one of Portugal's rail ticket machines
Offbeat14 Jan 2026 | 20
Developer writes script to throw AI out of Windows
Satya Nadella's call to accept and embrace desktop brainboxes faces skepticism
OSes13 Jan 2026 | 77
Mall display crashes the vibe with Windows activation nag
Bork!Bork!Bork! Digital signage is great, until it isn't
Offbeat12 Jan 2026 | 13
Microsoft euthanizes ancient deployment toolkit
Immediate retirement for freebie automation platform
Software12 Jan 2026 | 10
Microsoft teases targeted Copilot removal for admins
Yes, you can get rid of it – assuming nobody's looked at it in 28 days
AI + ML12 Jan 2026 | 32
How CP/M-86's delay handed Microsoft the keys to the kingdom
A late operating system, a stopgap deal, and the accident that made DOS dominant
OSes12 Jan 2026 | 66
Windows 2000 still earning its keep running a rail ticket machine in Portugal
Bork!Bork!Bork! 'Unsupported' doesn't mean 'unused'
Offbeat12 Jan 2026 | 17
2026 brings a bumper crop of Microsoft tech funerals
A busy year of end-of-support dates awaits unwary admins
Software12 Jan 2026 | 9
Brussels plots open source push to pry Europe off Big Tech
Call for Evidence casts FOSS as a way to break US dependence
Software11 Jan 2026 | 82
Debian goes retro with a spatial desktop that time forgot
Trixie plus a carefully configured MATE setup, and absolutely nothing else
OSes09 Jan 2026 | 42
Microsoft Windows Media Player stops serving up CD album info
No naming that tune and no album covers
OSes09 Jan 2026 | 129
Nothing to declare at border control except a Windows 7 certificate error
Bork!Bork!Bork! The queue might move on, but the software never did
Offbeat09 Jan 2026 | 16
Linus Torvalds: Stop making an issue out of AI slop in kernel docs – you're not changing anybody's mind
'Because the AI slop people aren't going to document their patches as such'
OSes08 Jan 2026 | 129
AOSP on a diet plan as Google halves Android code drops
Two a year is for your own good, Mountain View insists
OSes08 Jan 2026 | 13
GNOME dev gives fans of Linux's middle-click paste the middle finger
Opinion Proposal targets long-standing behavior as 'an X11ism'
OSes07 Jan 2026 | 165
Recline of the machines: Terminator felled by dodgy battery
Bork!Bork!Bork! The rise will be postponed until you hit F1 to continue
Offbeat07 Jan 2026 | 24
What if Linux ran Windows… and meant it? Meet Loss32
It's crazy, a million-to-one shot, but it might just work
OSes06 Jan 2026 | 201
Fake Windows BSODs check in at Europe's hotels to con staff into running malware
Phishers posing as Booking.com use panic-inducing blue screens to bypass security controls
Research06 Jan 2026 | 15
The last supported version of HP-UX is no more
Remember when HP made its own CPUs and Unix? We wonder if it does
OSes05 Jan 2026 | 63
Banksy's Limitless limited by Windows Activation
Bork!Bork!Bork! Digital screen snafu or satirical comment on Microsoft's licensing policies?
OSes30 Dec 2025 | 29
You don't need Linux to run free and open source software
Part 2 Alternative apps to empower older versions of macOS or Windows
OSes25 Dec 2025 | 148
Keeping Windows and macOS alive past their sell-by date
Part 1 Practical steps to make an aging operating system usable into 2026
OSes24 Dec 2025 | 88
Windows is testing a new, wider Run dialog box. Here’s how to try it
You’ll need to be using a Windows Insider build to see it
OSes23 Dec 2025 | 53
Pizza restaurant signage caught serving raw Windows
Bork!Bork!Bork! Menu.exe not found
Offbeat23 Dec 2025 | 44
What the Linux desktop really needs to challenge Windows
Opinion Wasn't 2025 the year it happened? Yes. No. Answers on a Christmas card
OSes22 Dec 2025 | 305
Vultures rake our claws over COSMIC as Pop OS 24.04 LTS with 'Epoch 1' emerges
Hands On Even with the latest Gparted Live, it's not easy to dual boot – but it's worth the hassle
OSes22 Dec 2025 | 16
pearOS is a Linux that falls rather close to the Apple tree
Revived distro returns on Arch with KDE Plasma, global menus, and a familiar macOS-style sheen
OSes19 Dec 2025 | 67
Microsoft security update breaks MSMQ on older Win systems
Folder permission changes cause queue failures and misleading error messages, no real fix yet
OSes17 Dec 2025 | 16
Legacy Update expands archive of vanished Microsoft downloads
Preserving not just updates, but also lots of the now-deleted optional extras
OSes11 Dec 2025 | 27
Window Maker Live 13.2 brings 32-bit life to Debian 13
Trixie may have gone 64-bit for installs, but WMLive still ships an i686-bootable build
OSes09 Dec 2025 | 20
Windows Insiders get a glimpse of Microsoft’s agentic future
Native MCP support lands in Insider Dev and Beta builds
OSes08 Dec 2025 | 39
Classic MacOS for non-Apple PowerPC kit rediscovered
Unreleased variants that Jobs killed off found – 7.6 on a G4, anyone?
OSes08 Dec 2025 | 20
Linux 6.18 crowned LTS kernel – and Alpine 3.23 wastes no time adopting it
Umpteen other distros just put out new versions, but this one is our favorite
OSes05 Dec 2025 | 13
FreeBSD 15 trims legacy fat and revamps how OS is built
Project retires 32-bit ports, embraces pkgbase, and modernizes build process
OSes05 Dec 2025 | 84
Windows 11 still barely pulling ahead of 10 despite end-of-support push
Statcounter shows the gap narrowing as users cling to older hardware and familiar workflows
OSes03 Dec 2025 | 49
Linux 6.18 arrives as the year's final drop and likely next LTS
Bye-bye bcachefs, but hello there bhyve
OSes03 Dec 2025 | 17
Whatever legitimate places AI has, inside an OS ain't one
Opinion We're getting it baked into Windows whether we like it or not
AI + ML02 Dec 2025 | 98
Two paths to Enlightenment: AV Linux 25 and MX Moksha step forward
Whether you want a studio rig or a featherweight desktop, MX Linux spins have you covered
OSes02 Dec 2025 | 10
Defra admits Windows 10 refresh letter to MPs was wrong – machines were already on Windows 11
Corrected document clears up rollout timeline and confirms switch well ahead of deadline
Public Sector02 Dec 2025 | 12
Windows 11 needs an XP SP2 moment, says ex-Microsoft engineer
Stop AI bloat, fix the operating system, implores veteran software developer Dave Plummer
OSes01 Dec 2025 | 154
GrapheneOS bails on OVHcloud over France's privacy stance
Project cites fears of state access as cloud sovereignty row deepens
Security28 Nov 2025 | 52
KDE Plasma sets date to dump X11 as Wayland push accelerates
If that's a step too far, then there are new versions of CDE – and tmux
OSes28 Nov 2025 | 72
Windows keeps obsolete strings forever to avoid breaking translations
Another reason why the OS seems to swell with every update
OSes28 Nov 2025 | 59
Tiny tweak for Pi OS, big makeover for the Imager
Debian 13.2 freshness, better HiDPI support, and 101 other things to run on your Pi
OSes27 Nov 2025 | 50
Tuxedo Computers slams lid on Arm Linux laptop after 18 months of pain
Planned Snapdragon goes puff and disappears, but the code will survive
Personal Tech26 Nov 2025 | 51
Microsoft's fix for slow File Explorer: load it before you need it
Windows Insider build intros background loading for faster launches, sidestepping questions about app's sluggishness
OSes25 Nov 2025 | 74
LisaGUI recreates Apple's innovative computer OS, without emulating it
Somewhere between a cover version and a loving homage of the interface that helped shape the modern desktop
OSes24 Nov 2025 | 22
This Thanksgiving, top your turkey with Cranberry sOSS to fund open source
Unusual holiday drive raises cash for the people keeping critical code alive
OSes24 Nov 2025 | 10
Systemd 259 release candidate flexes musl support – with long list of caveats
PostmarketOS pushed for the change, but devs warn it may not last
OSes20 Nov 2025 | 56
Ignite awash with agents as Microsoft triples down on AI
Event supposedly for IT pros doesn't have much to tell admins on the Windows front
AI + ML19 Nov 2025 | 9
Microsoft blanks out BSODs on public displays with new ‘Digital Signage mode’
BORK is borked
OSes18 Nov 2025 | 44
Microsoft issues patch to tackle Windows 10 Extended Security Updates failures
Users who thought they were safely in the program hit errors on day one
OSes18 Nov 2025 | 7
Linus Torvalds is OK with vibe coding as long as it's not used for anything that matters
Linux inventor also discusses Rust in the kernel, Nvidia's proprietary code, and the problem of AI crawlers
OSes18 Nov 2025 | 16
Windows boss defends 'agentic OS' push as users plead for reliability
Microsoft claims it listens to feedback while complaints mount over everyday usability
AI + ML17 Nov 2025 | 113
Microsoft's first Windows 10 ESU Patch Tuesday release fails for some
Expect Sloppy Updates?
OSes17 Nov 2025 | 29
Canonical pushes Ubuntu LTS support even further - if you pay
Enterprise Linux vendors keep jostling to see who can prop up geriatric distros the longest
OSes14 Nov 2025 | 33
To solve compatibility issues, Microsoft would quietly patch other people's code
Long before automatic updates, the Windows 95 team tweaked third-party software to keep it running
OSes13 Nov 2025 | 20
To 'Infinity' ... and beyond: MX Linux 25 has arrived
Systemd-free option still available if you choose that download
OSes13 Nov 2025 | 30
Broken wizard forces Microsoft to issue out-of-band Windows 10 patch
End of support? Not quite
OSes12 Nov 2025 | 24
MS Task Manager turns 30: Creator reveals how a 'very Unixy impulse' endured in Windows
Dave Plummer's 85 KB troubleshooting tool shipped with his home number on the code
Applications12 Nov 2025 | 47
Secret setting hints haptic feedback coming to Windows 11 UI
Microsoft has generated some buzz about generating some buzz
OSes10 Nov 2025 | 25
Ironclad OS project popping out Unix-like kernel in a unique mix of languages
There's more to safer systems languages than Rust
OSes10 Nov 2025 | 25
Windows 11 26H1 is coming ... for new processors only
It's OK to look: New Canary channel build supports specific silicon while 26H2 remains the main 2026 update
OSes10 Nov 2025 | 42
De-duplicating the desktops: Let's come together, right now
opinion Here come old FlatPak, it comes grooving up slowly...
OSes10 Nov 2025 | 162
Techie ran up $40,000 bill trying to download a driver
Who, Me? In the dialup age, small mistakes could cost big money
OSes10 Nov 2025 | 138
52-year-old data tape could contain only known copy of UNIX V4
It might have the first-ever version of UNIX written in C
OSes07 Nov 2025 | 91
'Windows sucks,' former Microsoft engineer says, explains how to fix it
Respecting users choices and offering a hardcore mode among key suggestions.
OSes07 Nov 2025 | 174
When Debian won't do, Devuan 6 'Excalibur' Linux makes the grade
Debian 13 base, minus systemd and RISC-V build
OSes05 Nov 2025 | 43
Copilot can replace Search in latest Windows 11 test builds, but it's not a good idea
hands on When you opt in, your taskbar becomes an extension of the Copilot app, but with some search added in
OSes04 Nov 2025 | 18
Game on! Penguin levels up as Linux finally cracks 3% on Steam
Only a point up in a year, but that’s a 50% leap for Linux gamers
OSes04 Nov 2025 | 56
Win10 still clings to over 40% of devices weeks after Microsoft pulls support
Popular operating system much more sticky than Windows 7 was during its EOL
OSes04 Nov 2025 | 61
'What the hell, Microsoft?' Users hit with incorrect ESU and LTSC Win10 out-of-support messages
Microsoft accidentally tells supported users that they aren't
OSes04 Nov 2025 | 31
Debian demands Rust or rust in peace for legacy ports
Memory safety trumps retro computing: Alpha, PA-RISC, m68k, SH4 face the chop in 2026
OSes03 Nov 2025 | 65
Pop!_OS deejays prepare to release holiday remix along with Cosmic v 1.0
Ubuntu Summit Christmas is coming, the GNOME is getting fat… please put a penny in the old red hat?
OSes03 Nov 2025 | 18
Snap out of it: Canonical on Flatpak friction, Core Desktop, and the future of Ubuntu
Ubuntu Summit Jon Seager, VP of Engineering, talks exclusively to The Reg
OSes03 Nov 2025 | 38
Microsoft Task Manager now tasking PCs with running multiple copies of itself
The once fearsome process killer is now a leaker of resources
OSes31 Oct 2025 | 32
Developer puts Windows 7 on a crash diet, drops it to down to 69 MB
Trim down for obsolete operating system leaves it booting, but not much else
OSes31 Oct 2025 | 48
Linux vendors are getting into Ubuntu – and Snap
Ubuntu Summit Ubuntu's much-maligned format may be finally reaching critical mass
OSes31 Oct 2025 | 60
NHS left with sick PCs as suppliers resist Windows 11 treatment
Hospitals told to upgrade, but some medical device makers haven't prescribed compatibility yet
OSes31 Oct 2025 | 76
KDE tidies up Plasma 6.5 with 60-odd fixes and smoother setup for OEMs
Big release with a lot of new features – and a few inevitable glitches
OSes30 Oct 2025 | 6
Biting the hand that feeds IT
