Microsoft Tips, Tricks & Info
2026AUG25
Table of Contents / Source:
Microsoft is finally adding privacy tools to Windows 11 that block microphone and webcam access to apps
- The latest Windows 11 Experimental build finally adds per‑app mic and camera toggles for Win32 apps.
- The feature appears in Experimental Insider build 26340.9212, and includes on/off toggles and recent‑app sorting.
- It's still experimental, so expect more refinement before rolling out to public PCs.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Microsoft is massively improving Windows 11's right-click menu — at long last
- Windows 11's right-click menu has some big changes in testing
- This context menu is being streamlined and is now more responsive
- You can also customize the entries in the menu, or even switch it to be like Windows 10's version
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Windows 11 quietly backs up your files to OneDrive. How to stop it
Windows 11 includes a backup tool which, by default, automatically backs up the user folders ‘Documents’, ‘Pictures’ and ‘Desktop’ to OneDrive in the cloud. On the one hand, this is good, as the feature protects users from data loss.
However, it is not good that this backup runs opaquely in the background and, in the latest versions of Windows, can only be stopped after several prompts and mouse clicks.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
4 Windows services that are safe to disable (and 3 you never should)
The moment you turn on your PC, Windows runs dozens of background services. Most people never notice them or question what they really do. Some of these are critical to system security and stability, while others are completely unnecessary, or worse, a threat to your privacy.
Related Reading:
- I found 40+ hidden Windows processes draining my CPU — here's how I turned them off - makeuseof.com
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Windows added a feature Linux users have had for decades — and most people still don't know it's there
Running admin commands on Windows has always felt clunky. You either have to open a new elevated command prompt or right-click everything just to complete simple tasks as an administrator, while Linux has implemented a cleaner solution for as long as I remember. Windows 11 finally made one upgrade to fix this, and you are probably still sleeping on it. Once you enable this feature, all you need to do to run an elevated command is start by typing sudo. After I enabled sudo last week, I'm not going back to the old Windows terminal.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Stop using USB drives only for storage — try these Windows tricks
On Windows, a USB drive can play a much bigger role in how you use your PC.
It can help lock and unlock your system, run apps without installing them, back up important files in the background, store encrypted passwords offline, or even boot an entirely different operating system. And the best thing is that all of these things are quite easy to do.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Microsoft is slowly breaking Windows Media Player Legacy to force people over to the new app
- Windows K2 improves UI but pushes users off older apps, steering them to newer versions.
- Build 29648 removes Lyrics, captions & subtitles in Media Player Legacy; toggling shows an error pointing to the new app.
- Microsoft needs to fix feature gaps; VLC still offers capabilities that Windows' new player lacks.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Microsoft Copilot Merges Into One App in August as Feature Cuts Reveal a Paid-Adoption Crisis
Copilot Podcasts and Labs are cut; AutoPilot agents land as a paid add-on in the August unified app.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Passkeys are great, but no one tells you about the catch until it's too late
I created my first passkey on my phone about a year ago, and for a while it felt as though the login problem had finally been solved. Face unlock got me in almost instantly; there was nothing to type, and there was nothing new to remember. Then I tried signing in from a borrowed laptop using a different browser while my phone was unavailable, and the seamless experience began to fall apart.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
How to successfully switch your permanent Google email address
Google has added the ability to actually change your Gmail address on your Google account. So if you are someone who made a really cringy email address ages ago and still use it, you finally can tell people your email without having to endure their merciless laughter.
Further reading:
- Change your Google Account email - support.google.com
