Category: Software

How fast is the Internet connection of your Windows 11 PC? It may surprise you that you may give two answers to that question: the maximum speed of the line or the actual speed of the device.

Speedtests help test this. They are useful for troubleshooting connection-related issues, and may also help you get a partial refund from your Internet Service Provider, if the advertised speed does not match the actual speed you get.

Most Internet users run tests in browsers. Go to a site like speedtest.net, fast.com, or Cloudflare Speed, and you get information about the download and upload speed and the ping.

There are also some apps that you can run locally, which may offer better results as they eliminate the browser bottleneck. Lastly, there are also some command line solutions, but these may require the installation of extra packages.

For example, to install Speedtest CLI, which enables you to run tests from the command prompt, you would first install the module with the command winget install Ookla.Speedtest.CLI. Once done, you’d run a basic test from the command prompt with the command speedtest. You can also use parameters, which allow you to test the speed against specific servers or write the output to a json file.

The Windows 11 Speed test

Microsoft released preview updates for Windows 11 about a week ago. These add several new features, including a new speedtest.

Here is how Microsoft describes the feature:

A built‑in network speed test is now available from the taskbar. You can open it from the Wi‑Fi or Cellular Quick Settings, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The speed test opens in the default browser and measures Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, and cellular connections. This feature helps check network performance and troubleshoot issues.

This sounds like a useful addition to Windows. Instead of having to open a test in a browser, run an app or a command, you’d simply run the test from the taskbar.

However, when you test the feature, you may realize that this is not a fully integrated speedtest in Windows 11. When you select the option, for instance by right-clicking on a network icon on the Windows taskbar, you are taken to the speedtest.net website.

In other words, Microsoft has implemented a shortcut to the website instead of implementing its own solution.

Is it still useful? Well, it may save you a click or two and it may expose the option to some users who did not know such tests existed in first place.

However, if you have used a device with Internet connectivity for a while, you may not be that impressed by this new feature.

Now it is your turn: have you used speed tests in the past to test your Internet speed?

Last month, Microsoft made a statement regarding printer support on Windows that caused confusion. Back then, Microsoft wrote: “January 2026, Windows will no longer support V3 and V4 printer drivers. These older driver models were announced as deprecated in September 2023”.

Turns out, this was not really what the company meant. Windows Central claims to have received a statement by Microsoft that confirms that support for legacy printer drivers is not ending after all on Windows.

If that would be the case, millions of printers would stop working. Here is the full statement as reported by the site:

Windows has not ended support for legacy printer drivers. If your printer works with Windows today, it will continue to work, and no action is required [..] an update to the Windows Roadmap stated that Windows will no longer support V3 and V4 printer drivers—this update was inaccurate and has since been removed

Here is what Microsoft actually meant: new legacy printer drivers will only be accepted on a case-by-case basis. This does not affect existing printer drivers and users may still download and install the updates from third-party sources.

The core changes

• The Microsoft IPP Class Driver: Instead of downloading a specific driver for every printer model (e.g., an HP driver, a Brother driver, a Canon driver), Windows 11 is shifting to the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) and the Mopria standard. This allows Windows to use a single, built-in inbox driver that works seamlessly with almost any modern printer.
• Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP): Introduced in the Windows 11 24H2 update, this is an optional security feature that entirely disables third-party printer drivers. When enabled, your PC only uses the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. While it’s currently turned off by default, Microsoft’s long-term goal is to make WPP the standard.
• Print Support Apps (PSAs): Instead of bundling advanced features (like watermarks, stapling, or deep color management) into a heavy driver package, manufacturers are being pushed to offer these features through lightweight Print Support Apps downloaded directly from the Microsoft Store.

The official timeline

• January 15, 2026: Microsoft officially stopped accepting new v3 and v4 printer drivers onto Windows Update. From this point forward, new printers are expected to be IPP/Mopria compliant, but exceptions may be made case-by-case.
• July 1, 2026: Windows will change its internal ranking system. If you plug in a new printer, Windows will default to the Microsoft IPP class driver instead of hunting for a manufacturer-specific driver.
• July 1, 2027: Windows Update will stop distributing non-security updates for third-party legacy drivers. Only critical security patches will be allowed through.

Have you ever heard of the Userchoice Protection Driver (UCPD.sys) that Microsoft added to its Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems in 2024? It is a protective driver designed to prevent third-party applications or scripts from making changes to Registry keys that fall into the UserChoice category. This includes system defaults, such as the web browser, PDF viewer, or widgets.

Before the introduction, apps or scripts could make changes to default settings on Windows by editing certain keys in the Registry directly. With UCPD active, Microsoft implemented a check that allows or disallows changes to these keys.

If the change comes from a legitimate Microsoft process, it is allowed. If the change comes from a non-Microsoft process,, it is not allowed.

So, using the Settings application works, while using a script to make the changes does not.

While Microsoft has not revealed much about the motivation behind the introduction of the driver, it was at least partially introduced to make hijacking of important user settings difficult.

Granted, this had the added effect that it would be harder for competitors to change the defaults, even when users wanted it to happen.

The Impact

Most users may never notice that Microsoft introduced the feature in the first place. Changing defaults via the Settings app is not prevented and so is not a direct edit to the Registry using the Registry Editor.

However, for system administrators and some advanced users, UCDP has been a major headache as it broke command line tools and scripts.

How to check if the driver is running

Here is one easy method to check if the driver is active on your Windows PC:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type cmd and press the Enter-key to load the Command Prompt.
3. Type sc query ucpd.

If you see running next to state, then you have confirmation that the service is active.

Can you do something about it? (Should you?)

The short answer: yes, you can turn this off, but it is not as straightforward as you might want it to be.

Here are the required steps:

• Run sc config UCPD start= disabled from an elevated command prompt window.
• Open Task Scheduler, navigate to \Microsoft\Windows\AppxDeploymentClient, and disable the UCDP velocity task so that it does not turn the driver back on.
• Reboot the system.

I suggest you check whether UCDP is running using the command prompt again to make sure.

Should you disable the feature? My advice: if you did not notice any issues so far, you might not need to disable it. If you have run into problems recently running scripts or apps, then you could consider it, especially if you run them regularly.

Keep in mind though that this is also blocking malicious scripts and apps from making those changes.

When Windows 11 launched in 2021, it was defined as much by what was missing as by what was new, with a redesign that inexplicably stripped away the deep customization options power users had relied on for decades.

Microsoft locked and limited the taskbar in Windows 11 to the bottom of the screen. A big downgrade to how things were on the predecessor Windows 10.

Now, nearly five years after that controversial debut, Microsoft is finally preparing to right that wrong. According to new internal reports, the company is actively developing a fully movable and resizable taskbar that will allow users to dock their start menu to the top, left, or right of the screen once again, with the feature slated to arrive in a major update later in 2026.

Windows Central reports that Microsoft is working on bringing the functionality back, citing sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans.

If that sounds familiar, you may think of Mozilla. The Firefox maker started to bring back features and introduce features that Firefox enthusiasts wanted for years recently.

It could reflect how serious the situation is for Microsoft. Mozilla faces a declining user base, as it tries to juggle a user-first approach with the necessity of having the world’s largest advertising company finance operations.

Microsoft’s situation is different. Windows is still the dominating desktop operating system. Yes, there is Apple with macOS, but it does not really seem to be a focus of the company. Linux is gaining, but recent gains come down to a large degree on Valve’s Steam Deck, which runs Linux.

Still, Microsoft’s bet on AI and the first rush of integrating AI into everything seems to have backfired somewhat. It did not help that features such as Recall were not designed properly and seen as threats by many users instead of useful tools to help them in their day-to-day activities when using Windows.

Whether it is able to regain the trust of Windows users remains to be seen. A very good start would be to deal with the looming Windows 10 end of support situation for home users. Come October 2026, millions of Windows 10 devices that can’t be upgraded to Windows 11 officially won’t get any updates anymore.

Extending this to the three years that corporate customers get would show plenty of good will and would certainly help paint Microsoft’s image in a better light.

Microsoft revealed recently that it plans to regain the trust of its users and focus in areas such as Windows stability and security. Yesterday, the company announced two new initiatives that it says will strengthen “Windows trust and security through user transparency and consent”.

The two features, Windows Baseline Security Mode and User Transparency and Consent, will make Windows more resilient according to Microsoft.

Baseline Security Mode is a new architectural safeguard designed to ensure that every application, regardless of its origin, operates within a set of “safe” boundaries by default. Only “properly signed apps, services and drivers” are allowed to run by default, but users and administrators may override the defaults to run apps, services or drivers that do not meet the new requirements.

User Transparency and Consent shifts the Windows experience toward a mobile-centric privacy model, giving users granular control over what their apps can access. This includes new real-time prompts by apps when they try to access sensitive data, such as the location, camera, or personal files, or install unintended software.

Microsoft plans to roll out the changes “through a phased approach”. It says that it is already working with partners and that the work has begun already. Next step is — probably — the integration in Insider builds for a first round of extended tests before the features will land eventually on stable machines.

It remains to be seen how these features are integrated. Run-time permission prompts sound useful, as they introduce much needed transparency to Windows for users. Baseline security mode could go either way. It might help protect machines, especially in corporate environments, but it could also become a nightmare for users who need to run something that is not signed or meeting Microsoft’s requirements. Especially, if there is no easy option to whitelist apps, drivers, or services.

It does not look as if this is coming soon, as Microsoft seems to have taken a cautious approach to introducing major new features to Windows. Slow, steady and stable could be the mantra of the year for Microsoft, especially after a rather frustrating first patch day in January 2026.

If you have installed the preview update (KB5074105) for Windows 11’s February update, you may have noticed that something is amiss. Opening the Storage part in the Settings app fires an UAC prompt now and some options seem to have been removed.

Microsoft says the security prompt is introduced to “ensure that only authorized Windows users can access system files”. An unelevated process scans and displays only the folders that the current user account has permission to see.

The move has four objectives for Microsoft:

• Preventing the unauthorized enumeration of system files.
• Reducing accidental system damage, for instance when a user deletes the previous Windows installation, as Windows can’t be rolled back anymore in that case.
• Reducing local attack vectors.
• Alignment with the least privilege security model.

Some cleanup options are AWOL

Is it a bug or a feature? While the newly introduced UAC prompt for the Storage part of the Settings app seems to work just fine, users noted that some cleanup options were missing.

Options such as Windows Update Cleanup or Device Driver Packages do not appear anymore when you select the Temporary files option on the Storage page.

Microsoft has not confirmed this as an issue and at this moment, it is unclear whether this is intentional or a bug that will get fixed eventually.

The solution: While Storage in Settings fails to provide users with elevated rights with the proper cleanup options, the legacy Disk Cleanup tool continues to show these options.

Just open the run box with the shortcut Windows-R, type cleanmgr.exe, and press the Enter-key to get started. Make sure you select “clean up system files” after the initial scan to see all options.

Alternatively, you could give third-party programs like BleachBit a try, which support extensive cleanups of temporary files.

Summary: The update didn’t just add a security prompt; it seemingly broke the logic that populates the list in the modern Settings app, forcing users to go back to the old Windows 98-era “Disk Cleanup” tool to do a proper system scrub.

It remains to be seen whether the cumulative updates for Windows 11, which Microsoft will release on February 10, 2026, will correct the issue.