Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

It is now almost a month since Microsoft started the rollout of Windows 11 2022 Update. While there have been a number of issues standing in the way of some people upgrading, Microsoft is keen that people understand the benefit of installing the first major update to Windows 11 since it launched last year.

As part of this awareness drive, Microsoft has published an article filled with Windows 11 tips. In the name of numerical neatness, there are 11 tips in total, all focused on the new features and options of Windows 11 2022 Update -- or Windows 11 22H2 as it is also known.

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Streaming video giant Netflix has signed up as a member of Barb (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) in the UK. This means that starting in November we will have access to independently audited viewing figures for Netflix shows.

The numbers will make for interesting reading as, until now, this is data that Netflix has been very secretive about. But with an ad-supported tier due to be launched, advertisers will require details about the number of people they can expect to reach with their advertisements.

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Microsoft is warning people who use Windows Hello not to upgrade to Windows 11 2022 Update because the sign-in system may end up not working.

The company has also put a safeguard block in place meaning that people who may be affected by the issue will not be offered the Windows 11 22H2 upgrade. There is also a warning not to try to bypass the block with a manual upgrade due to the problems this may cause.

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Microsoft has released its first update to Windows 11 22H2 / Windows 11 2022 Update in the form of KB5018427. This is a cumulative security update that includes the improvements from the previously released KB5017389 update, as well as additional "security issues".

While the update addresses quite a large number of problems with Windows 11 22H2, it does not fix the known issues with provisioning packages or slow file copying.

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YouTube has announced that creators can now make use of @ handles for their channels. The move is a long time coming and the aim is to help increase engagement on the platform.

With the introduction of handles, YouTube is making it easier for users to mention others in their comments and more. Handles are rolling out over the next month, and YouTube says that it will notify creators when they are able to choose one for their channel.

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There are plenty of virtualization tools to choose from, but if for anyone looking for one that offers solid support for a wide range of host and guest operating systems, it's hard to go wrong with VirtualBox. Bringing support for Windows 11 -- something previously available in the beta builds -- Oracle has now released VirtualBox 7.0.0.

As has been the case in the past, VirtualBox 7.0.0 is available for Windows, Linux and macOS (as well as Oracle's own Solaris), but this release is about more than adding full Windows 11 support. There are also new options for cloud-based virtual machine, as well as improved security and much more.

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Twitter is taking steps to increase engagement on the platform by discouraging people from taking screenshots of tweets. iOS users are the first to be subjected to prompt to share a tweet rather than a screengrab of it.

The move makes it clear that Twitter is able to determine when users are taking screengrabs, and while many of the images will end up being shared on Twitter itself, the company would prefer that links were shared to other platforms to encourage click-throughs.

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The problems with Windows 11 2022 Update just keep on coming. Microsoft has just confirmed an issue that people have been complaining about since the release of the first major update for Windows 11 -- slow file copying.

It is a problem that the company previous acknowledged quite quietly when it released the preview version of the KB5017389 update recently, but is now being rather more open about. Microsoft is describing the issue as "slower SMB read performance for large files in 22H2", and while there is currently no fix, there is a workaround.

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It is not very often we are told to disable security features -- usually, we're enabling options, or leaving things well alone. But now Microsoft has issued some advice about improving game performance in Windows 11, and it involves turning off security features of the operating system.

The somewhat surprising advice comes in a support document entitled Options to Optimize Gaming Performance in Windows 11. Microsoft does point out, however, that this is meant to be done only when gaming, and that security should be re-enabled afterwards.

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The problems with Windows 11 2022 Update keep on popping up, and now Microsoft has issued a warning that "provisioning packages might not work as expected".

What this means in practice is that the Windows 11 OOBE (Out of Box Experience) may not complete, or it might cause unexpected restarts. Microsoft warns that the likes of businesses and schools are most likely to be affected by the issues.

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Since Microsoft acknowledged the existence of two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in Exchange Server, security experts were quick to point out that the company was providing bad advice in response.

The URL blocking recommended by Microsoft was found to be sadly lacking, and hackers could easily bypass it. Now Microsoft has provided updated mitigation advice, as well as providing automated protection options.

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If you have an HDR monitor connected to your Windows 11 PC, Microsoft has a new app to help you out.

The company has just released the Windows HDR Calibration app to simplify the process of optimizing an HDR display. It's an app that was announced a number of months ago, but it has only just seen the light of day.

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If you have upgraded to Windows 11 2022 Update and found that you are having issues connecting to Remote Desktop, you will be pleased to hear that Microsoft is aware of the problems and is currently investigating.

There has been no official acknowledgement that Windows 11 22H2 is the cause of Remote Desktop issues, but a Microsoft employee has noted the issue and is interacting with affected users in the company's Community forums.

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When Microsoft released Windows 11 2022 Update late last month, it was merely the start of a staged rollout. Now the company is ramping up deployment -- but if you're looking for tabs in Explorer you'll still have to sign up for the Windows Insider program.

Windows 11 22H2 is now being made available to all eligible devices; users just need to check for updates. But the much-widened availability still does not necessarily mean that you will be able to get hold of the latest version of Windows 11 as there are still safeguard holds in place for some known issues.

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When Microsoft started the rollout of Windows 11 2022 Update (Windows 11 22H2) recently, there was disappointment that some of the promised features -- such as tabs in Explorer -- were missing. Now the company is starting to push some additional features out to users who are running the Release Preview version of Windows 11.

So, what can you expect from this feature push? Tabs! File Explorer now has tabs, plus some other enhancements, and there's a new taskbar overflow menu. There's more too.

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