Advancing Windows driver security: Removing trust for the cross-signed driver program
Microsoft announces the removal of trust for all kernel drivers signed by the deprecated cross-signed root program, enhancing Windows security by enforcing that only drivers signed through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) are trusted by default. This change will take effect with the April 2026 Windows update for Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, and Windows Server 2025, aiming to reduce attack surfaces while maintaining compatibility for essential cross-signed drivers through an allow list.
Microsoft 365 Outlook Classic Latest Update Copilot issues
Hello to all, we are currently using the Microsoft 365 Outlook Classic, using version Version 2604 Build 16.0.19929.20172 (Current Channel) Copilot works as expected; However ever since the next update was released (Version 2605 (Build 20026.20076)) some users including me, have been getting the below error: I have tried uninstalling and installing the latest version directly, with the same issue. Scanned for any corrupted system files with no issues,but still get the error; I have tried the update Licence from the Outlook application, with no issues but the copilot something went wrong error keeps on persisting. Internet searches are very vague and the I have found some registry suggestions which I have also tried with no solution. The only way to get Copilot working on Outlook Classic was to revert to a previous working version, only then Copilot works as expected. This only happens in Outlook Classic; Copilot works fine on the latest version of Microsoft Office 365 with Word, Excel, etc. For those that maybe might ask why not switch to the New Outlook, we have had issues with it and it has been recommended to use the Classic Outlook for the time being. Has anyone been experiencing such issues please? Thanks for any help.Accidentally Restored Files from Recycle Bin: Impossible to Distinguish from Existing Files
I accidentally clicked "Restore all items" in the Recycle Bin instead of permanently deleting the files. The restored files were merged back into my original photo folder, mixing with the files I intentionally kept. The photos have very similar filenames, and the restored files kept their original filenames, paths, and timestamps (Date Created/Modified), making them impossible to distinguish from the original files. I also performed other actions afterward, so Ctrl+Z / Undo is no longer available. I already tried multiple AI-assisted troubleshooting methods, including PowerShell scripts, sorting by timestamps, checking Recent Items, metadata filtering, and duplicate detection, but none worked because the restored files appear identical at the filesystem level. Typical solutions fail because: Filename sorting is ineffective. Date Created/Modified does not reflect restore time. The files are not duplicates; they are unique photos I had manually decided to delete earlier. Is there any Windows feature, NTFS journal, Event Viewer log, hidden metadata, shell history, or forensic method that can identify which files were recently restored from the Recycle Bin or detect a "Date Restored" / file movement history? I want to separate and re-delete the restored files without manually reviewing hundreds of photos again. Thank you.
Critical Shell/Explorer.exe Boot Loop and Flickering on Recent Windows 11 Insider Build
Hello Windows Insider Team, I am writing to report a critical UI/system stability issue encountered immediately after updating to and restarting the recent Windows 11 Insider build on my machine. Issue Description: Upon finalizing the update and rebooting, the desktop shell entered an infinite crash loop. The Windows background and active windows were flickering/blinking rapidly, and the Start Menu and Taskbar were completely missing/unresponsive. Key Diagnostics: Task Manager Stability: Interestingly, the Task Manager remained completely stable and unaffected by the flickering, confirming the core OS and graphic drivers were functional. Attempted Fixes: Restarting explorer.exe via Task Manager did not resolve the issue. Attempting to delete the IrisService registry key HKCU > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > IrisService only stabilized the Start Menu for a brief moment before the flickering loop resumed. Resolution: The system was only stabilized after bypassing the UI via Task Manager, booting into the Advanced Startup menu, and performing an "Uninstall latest feature update" rollback to the previous working Insider build. I wanted to bring this to your attention as the crash loop completely breaks usability for users hitting this specific flight. Please let me know if you need any specific diagnostic logs from my previous build state to help isolate the bug. Best regards, Suryanarana N
USB Speakers Not Recognizing/Referred to as "Steam Streaming" Devices Following Potential Update
My USB speakers are suddenly not being recognized, and instead are being referred to as "Steam Streaming Speakers/Microphone" in the sound settings. I've tried pretty much everything I can think of, including: Disabling the speakers in settings Unplugging/plugging in Speakers (lights/speaker "pop" occurs, but no sound comes from them) Checking BIOS to make sure Audio Controller was enabled Disabling/uninstalling drivers in Device Manager then restarting Uninstalling device drivers in Device Manager then restarting I've found no fix so far and the most likely option seems to just be it's some weird thing that happened when either Steam or Windows updated. The drivers remain missing whenever I restart my computer, and plugging them/unplugging them gets no recognition whatsoever from the PC. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen. Dunno if this has anything to do with a Windows Insider update tbqh (as I am in the Insider program and did just received an update for it two nights ago), but it's the only thing I can think of because I updated last night before going to bed and this issue only began today.
