Microsoft Tips, Tricks & Info
2025FEB25
Table of Contents / Source:
Windows 11 KB5051987 breaks File Explorer, install fails on Windows 11 24H2
Windows 11 KB5051987 February 2025 update is one of the biggest releases in the past few months, but it’s not installing for some users and causing other problems. In our tests, when we updated our Windows 11 24H2 installation to KB5051987, our HP Spectre camera stopped working. In addition, this update breaks File Explorer.
Further info:
- How to uninstall a Windows Update - support.microsoft.com
- Ventoy 1.1.03 fixes Windows 11 0x80070001 install issue and more - neowin.net
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Microsoft removes Windows 11 feature responsible for collecting and storing location data
So far, 2025 has been a pretty quiet year in terms of feature removal and deprecation in Windows 11. Microsoft removed quite a lot of stuff from the OS in 2023 and 2024, and it is only now kicking the list of deprecated Windows features in 2025, with Location History being first on the way out.
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Top 10 cool and useful features coming soon to Windows 11
Now, with 2025 in full swing, here are the top 10 features that Microsoft is currently developing for its operating system. They are either publicly available in Windows 11 preview builds or require some tinkering to turn on (unannounced changes).
Further reading:
- Windows tests long-awaited changes to Start, Share, and Search - pcworld.com
- Microsoft confirms Windows 11's new iOS like Start menu layout for "All" apps view - windowslatest.com
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Microsoft rolls out revamped Edge Add-ons website
Microsoft announced the updated Edge Add-ons website in its official Windows blog. According to the announcement, the new version aims at "making it easier for you to discover and acquire add-ons like extensions and themes through a more modern, functional, and actionable store."
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Google now allows digital fingerprinting of its users
Google is allowing its advertising customers to fingerprint website visitors. Can you stop it?
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Microsoft 365 Copilot is about to make importing data into Excel almost effortless
The search and import feature for Copilot in Excel is now in testing among Insiders. The feature should save a lot of time when grabbing information from the web or other documents. Tasks such as adding a list of dates or bringing in a data set from another document should be much quicker than before. While those aspects of the feature are useful, I think importing data from other Excel documents may be the biggest addition.
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I converted my text documents into docx without using Microsoft Word in just seconds
There are a lot of reasons why you should learn how to convert text documents into .docx extension even if you don’t have Microsoft Word installed on your device. I will show you a couple of tricks for turning your text documents into .docx Word compatible files with just a few clicks.
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4 Ways to Password-Protect a PDF File on Windows 11
If you have a confidential PDF you want to password protect, you have a few ways to do that on your Windows 11 PC. You can use a desktop app or a web-based tool to encrypt your PDF files.
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Microsoft Has Retired Word’s Smart Lookup Feature—Here’s Its Potential Alternative
Microsoft recently updated one of its support pages to announce that the Smart Lookup feature was officially retired on January 1, 2025.
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How to scan a document on Android
If you want to scan something in really high detail – such as a contract for work, or another official document – then using a printer of scanner makes sense. But for everything else, your Android smartphone will be good enough.
