A new team at Microsoft plans to release 100 percent native apps for the Windows operating system. Announced by Rudy Huyn on X, the focus of the apps is a meaningful user experience.
I’m building a new team to work on Windows apps! You don’t need prior experience with the platform, what matters most is strong product thinking and a deep focus on the customer.⁰⁰If you’ve built great apps on any platform and care about crafting meaningful user experiences,…
Hyun does not mention whether the team will work on making existing apps 100 percent native or if it will work on new apps that may ship with the operating system at one point in time.
The development is a major shift from Microsoft’s recent heavy reliance on web-based wrappers and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Here is why this is important:
For years, Microsoft has favored web-based apps over native code. These apps are often seen as slow, memory-hungry, and less-optimized than native apps.
It is another confirmation that Microsoft is trying to steer the wheel around. Apps are fundamental and attempts to make them better could improve the perception of the operating system.
Focus on quality. Hyun mentions that he is looking for developers with “strong product thinking”, regardless of platform that they have experience on. This could be an indicator that Microsoft might work on polishing the user experience.
While little is know about the project, apart from what Huyn mentioned on X, it could be another puzzle piece of Microsoft’s redemption attempt.
Since the information is scarce, pretty much everything surrounding this new project is unknown, including when we can expect the first releases and whether these will replace existing apps that may not be 100 percent native or be entirely new apps.
Depending on who you ask, sideloading apps is either the best thing ever when it comes to application ecosystems or the worst thing. Those in favor argue that it allows for an open environment that is not limited by a specific store or developer. Opponents point out that sideloading is often used to install malware on devices of unsuspecting users.
To address this issue, Google announced changes to sideloading on Android some time ago. It did not cut off sideloading altogether, something that was on the table, but decided to introduce a new installation flow on devices that run Android.
This new workflow deliberately takes time and effort. Google says that this prevents certain common scenarios where users may be pressured or installations happen remotely.
Here is the new workflow:
Enable Developer Mode: Android users need to enable developer mode before they can sideload apps. Google says that this prevents “prevents accidental triggers or “one-tap” bypasses”.
Confirmation: A check to make sure that no one is asking the owner of the device to make the change.
Restart and reauthentication: This is done to cut-off remote access or active phone calls.
Waiting period: A 24 hour wait period before the owner can confirm that sideloading should be activated.
Installation: Users may enable sideloading for a seven day period or indefinitely, according to Google.
These steps are designed as hurdles that users have to overcome. It may reduce the number of unwanted sideloaded installations on Android. Experienced users still have to complete the necessary steps before they can unlock sideloading on their devices (again). It is annoying, but Google makes it sound as if this could be a one-time process. If that is indeed the case, experienced users might want to complete the necessary steps immediately after the new system is introduced on their devices to avoid any issues later on.
Now it is your turn. What is your take on the changes? Important to protect the masses from unwanted installations or overreach? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
The distribution of KB5079391, released on March 26, had to be halted by Microsoft to investigate an installation error.
The company writes:
Some devices might encounter the following error while installing this update:
“Some update files are missing or have problems. We’ll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)”
The availability of the optional update for Windows 11 has been limited by Microsoft as a consequence to investigate the underlying cause. Microsoft says that it will provide information about the issue once it has discovered the root cause of the error message.
Beta updates
The issue highlights the fragile nature of the operating system. Optional updates, which are beta releases of the following month’s cumulative update, should not be installed by the majority of Windows users.
In fact, there are only a few exceptions to the rule:
Major issues: When a major issue is fixed that affects users significantly.
Testing: When new features need to be evaluated.
Other than that, it is usually better to wait for the release of the cumulative updates, as these are the releases that are considered more stable. However, here, I also advice to wait with the installation, as bugs and issues are common and may affect operations.
In any event, creating a system backup before installing any updates is highly recocmmended.
Another Chromium-based web browser? Samsung has just released the first stable version of its browser for Windows after it launched in Beta in January 2026. The new browser shares the engine with Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, which means that you can expect a similar performance and compatibility.
Samsung’s main intention with the browser is to provide Galaxy-users with a seamless experience between their mobiles and desktop PCs that run Windows. This includes syncing data such as bookmarks or the browsing history between all linked devices, and integrating the password manager Samsung Pass.
It should not come as a surprise that these features need a Samsung account to function at all. However, at the time of writing, the features are limited to the company’s own Galaxy Books series of laptops. More precisely, Galaxy Books 3 to 6 are supported for now. This limits the reach severely.
Samsung has partnered up with Perplexity to drive AI features in the browser. You can expect the usual range, including natural language input for search and the browsing history, the summary of one or multiple webpages, and more.
The AI features are also limited, according to Samsung. Only users from the US and South Korea get the Perplexity-powered AI functions.
Other than that, you may enable an integrated content blocker and get some comfortable features, such as translating webpages.
Since Samsung Browser is Chromium-based, you may install compatible extensions, including from the Chrome Web Store. Installations work exactly as expected: click on the install button and accept the installation prompt to add an extension to Samsung Browser.
Who is Samsung Browser for then? The obvious answer is Samsung Galaxy customers who use one or multiple mobile devices from Samsung and also a Windows PC, preferably one of the Galaxy Books. Everyone else does not really get much out of this, as the main use case — accessing data everywhere — does not apply and because there is not really much in terms of standout features besides that.
If you’ve ever cursed at your monitor as a forced reboot hijacked your workday or at the massive integration of AI features into every nook and cranny of the Windows operating system, Microsoft finally have a message for you: they get it and want to do something about it.
Last week, the tech giant announced a fundamental pivot in its Windows 11 development strategy, promising to prioritize system stability and user control over flashy, unavoidable features.
Driven by months of user feedback and mounting community frustration, Windows and devices head Pavan Davuluri outlined a course correction that switches from aggressive AI integrations and a “Microsoft knows best” attitude towards restoring lost trust by focusing on restoring customizations and putting an end to deeply disruptive updates.
The main areas that Microsoft plans to improve
Here is a bulleted summary of the key changes that Microsoft announced on its Windows blog. They can be divided into the groups “user interface & customization”, “scaling back intrusive features”, “Windows updates & reliability”, and “performance upgrades”.
Windows Updates & Reliability
Control: Users will get more control over Windows updates, including the ability to skip updates during initial device setup, shutting down or restarting without installing updates, or pausing updates for longer periods.
Reboots: Microsoft is shifting towards a single reboot per month scheme to avoid too many disruptions.
Stability: Engineers will focus on reducing system-level crashes, improve driver quality, and improve connection stability of devices and connections.
Scaling back intrusive features
AI: Microsoft is reducing Copilot entry points in apps and plans to focus on useful integrations only.
Widgets: Quieter defaults and simpler settings to minimize distractions.
Notifications: System notifications will be reduced.
User interface & customizations
Taskbar: Microsoft plans to restore moving the taskbar to the top and sides of the screen. The compact taskbar is also making a comeback.
Start Menu: The recommended section will be more relevant and get clear options to customize or turn off.
Setup: Microsoft promises quieter and more streamlined initial setups that have fewer pages and require less reboots.
Core performance updates
File Explorer: Microsoft plans to improve File Explorer performance significantly, enable faster copying/moving of large files, improve search, and reduce screen flicker.
Responsiveness: Core apps, including the Start menu, move to WinUI3 to improve latency. Performance will be “more consistent”.
Efficiency: Baseline memory footprint will be reduced.
Closing Words
Ultimate, Microsoft’s announcement reads like a long due apology, without actually apologizing. The true test will lie in the execution. Windows Insiders will be among the first to see some of the quality-of-life improvements that Microsoft promised to deliver, while everyday users may have to wait until the end of year or even longer before the changes land on their systems.
If Pavan Davuluri and his engineering team can truly deliver on a faster, cleaner, and less intrusive operating system over the coming year, Microsoft could regain some of the trust that it lost.
Microsoft confirmed a new Windows issue on March 12th, 2026 that prevents access to files on the main c: drive of the system and blocks certain applications from launching.
The issue affects certain Samsung devices that run Windows and have installed the February 2026 security updates or newer updates for Windows 11, version 24H2 or 25H2 systems.
Here are the details:
Affected Windows versions: Windows 11, version 24H2 and 25H2
Affected users may get the error message “C:\ is not accessible – Access denied” after installation of the update on affected devices. This prevents access to files on the drive and will also block some applications from launching. Microsoft mentions Outlook, Office apps, web browsers and system utilities specifically.
The problems do not require specific user actions. They occur during common actions, such as trying to access files, starting programs, or performing administrative tasks. Furthermore, users may also be blocked from elevating privileges, uninstalling, updates, or collecting logs due to permission failures.
Microsoft says that it is investigating the issue and that it suspects that the Samsung Share application is causing the issue. There is no workaround at the time of writing, but uninstalling the update — if possible — may resolve the issue. However, this leaves the system open for potential attacks, as it won’t have the February and March 2026 security issues patched anymore.
Affected users and administrators may want to keep an eye on the Windows 11 release information page. Microsoft will update the page when it has a workaround or a solution.
If February 2026 was the sprint, March is a marathon of essential infrastructure updates.
Microsoft’s third Patch Tuesday of 2026 has arrived, addressing 84 vulnerabilities in total. While the total count is typical, the release demands close attention: it contains two publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities and eight critical flaws affecting a wide range of enterprise products, including SQL Server, Office, and Azure components.
Here is the breakdown of what you need to know, what to patch first, and what might break.
Key Action Item: Administrators must prioritize database and application servers due to the SQL Server elevation of privilege flaw and the .NET denial of service vulnerability. Simultaneously, ensure Office updates are deployed to workstations to prevent potential zero-click remote code execution via the Preview Pane.
Important Patches
CVE-2026-21262 — Microsoft SQL Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Security updates. Includes a GPU stability fix and Secure Boot updates.
Deep Dive: The Critical Vulnerabilities
Microsoft confirmed two publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities are fixed this month. Furthermore, Microsoft fixed several critical remote code execution (RCE) and elevation of privilege (EoP) flaws.
Attackers may exploit the issues on systems that have not been patched to bypass protections, elevate privileges, or execute malicious payloads remotely.
Here is the critical overview:
CVE-2026-21262 (Microsoft SQL Server Elevation of Privilege)
This publicly disclosed zero-day allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Due to improper access control, a logged-in user can quietly elevate to become a full database administrator (sysadmin). With that level of control, they can read, modify, or delete data without user interaction.
CVE-2026-26127 (.NET Denial of Service)
The second publicly disclosed zero-day is an out-of-bounds read flaw in the .NET platform (versions 9.0 and 10.0). It allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash .NET applications over the network, resulting in a denial of service for any app running on the affected runtime libraries.
CVE-2026-21536 (Microsoft Devices Pricing Program Remote Code Execution)
Scoring a critical 9.8 out of 10 on the CVSS scale, this is the most severe flaw of the month. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code over the network without privileges or user interaction. Notably, this flaw was discovered by an autonomous AI penetration testing agent. Microsoft notes that the vulnerability has been fully mitigated on their end, requiring no direct action from users.
These type confusion and untrusted pointer dereference flaws in Microsoft Office enable remote code execution when malicious files are processed. They are particularly dangerous because they can potentially allow zero-click exploitation if a user simply views a booby-trapped document in the Outlook Preview Pane.
CVE-2026-25187 (Windows Winlogon Elevation of Privilege)
Discovered by Google Project Zero, this vulnerability leverages improper link resolution in the Winlogon process. A locally authenticated attacker with low privileges could exploit a link-following condition to effortlessly escalate to SYSTEM privileges.
Significant Changes in the March 2026 updates
Sysmon is now built-in: Previously a manual download from Sysinternals, Sysmon is now included as a native component in Windows 11 for better security auditing and monitoring of malicious activity.
Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) expansion: QMR is now turned on automatically on more hardware. This feature allows administrators to revert endpoints to a working state if a disastrous third-party update takes down the system.
RSAT on Arm64: Remote Server Administration Tools are finally supported on Windows 11 Arm64 devices, allowing administrators to manage Windows Server environments directly from Arm-powered PCs.
First Steps: Your Patch Tuesday Strategy
Prioritize the zero-days: Map your exposure and prioritize the two zero-day vulnerabilities, focusing heavily on SQL Server environments and .NET application servers.
Update Office installations: Deploy Microsoft Office updates to all workstations immediately to mitigate the risk of zero-click remote code execution via the Preview Pane.
Prepare for Secure Boot changes: Ensure your enterprise environment allows the new Secure Boot allowed Key Exchange Key (KEK) updates to install properly to avoid boot issues in the coming months.
Secure Boot is a key security feature of PCs that is ensuring that only trusted, digitally signed software can load before the Windows operating starts. It uses a chain of trust using cryptographic certificates.
Microsoft issued the original Secure Boot certificates in 2011. Nearly every PC since 2012 has these certificates.
The problem: The certificates are set to expire in 2026. Some will expire in June 2026, others in October 2026.
The solution: To prevent Secure Boot disruptions, Microsoft is exchanging certificates.
What happens if the certificates are not exchanged?
Good news is that the PC won’s break or fail to boot when that happens. In fact, for most users, the PC will act and behave just like before. Windows will boot, apps will launch, and they can use their PC just like before.
The only limitation in that case is that Secure Boot can’t be updated anymore. This means that the official blocklist won’t update anymore to stop known malware or bootkits, can’t receive new features or fixes.
The expiring and new Secure Boot keys
Expiring 2011 Certificate
New 2023 Replacement
Purpose
Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011
Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023
Gives Windows the authority to update the Signature Database (DB) and the blocklist (DBX).
Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011
Windows UEFI CA 2023
Signs the actual Windows bootloader so the OS is allowed to start.
Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011
Microsoft UEFI CA 2023
Signs third-party bootloaders (like Linux) and EFI applications.
Most Windows users on unmanaged PCs won’t have to do anything. The update is pushed via Windows Update and it will happen automatically in the background. A restart of the PC is required, but that is about it.
Microsoft begins with PCs that are “deemed highly compatible” first. This is the same distribution strategy that Microsoft uses for pushing out new feature or major updates to home and consumer PCs.
Here is how you can find out if the update is installed:
Open the Start menu.
Type Powershell.
Select “Run as administrator”.
Confirm the security prompt.
Type Confirm-SecureBootUEFI and press the Enter-key.
True means that Secure Boot is active.
False means that Secure Boot is turned off.
If True is returned, run the command ([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString((Get-SecureBootUEFI db).bytes) -match ‘Windows UEFI CA 2023’).
True means that the update is fully installed.
False means that the update is not yet installed, the 2011 keys are still used.
After nearly six years of legal bombshells and courtroom drama, the walled garden of the Android app ecosystem has finally cracked. This week, Google announced a massive, platform-altering overhaul to its Android operating system, officially marking the end of its legal battle with Epic Games.
In a move that will fundamentally reshape the economics of mobile software, the tech giant says it is rolling out a “new era” of openness that drastically alters how the Google Play Store operates.
Google decouples service and billing fees, allows registered third-party app stores, and gives developers choice when it comes to payments.
Here is an overview of the announced changes by Sameer Samat, President of the Android ecosystem:
Expanded Billing Choice: Developers can now use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s or direct users to their own websites for purchases.
Registered App Stores Program: A new initiative to streamline the installation flow for third-party app stores that meet specific safety and quality benchmarks.
Revised Fee Structure: A new business model that decouples billing fees from service fees, reducing the in-app purchase service fee to 20% (or as low as 15% for those in specific developer programs).
Resolution with Epic Games: The post also notes that these updates officially resolve Google’s long-standing global legal disputes with Epic Games.
The changes are a major shift from the walled-garden approach of Google and also Apple. While it is uncertain how this change affects Apple, if at all, it will open up Android.
The effects for users and developers
The biggest immediate effect is the end of the 30 percent fee that Google is charging for any transaction on the platform. Google replaces it with the following system:
The service fee is dropped to 20 percent as the new baseline.
Developers who participate in the new “App Experience” or “Play Games Level Up” programs pay 15 percent.
Billing fees, if developers want to still use the billing system of Google Play, adds “market-specific fees” to the bill. Google set it to 5 percent in core markets such as US, UK and EEA.
Developers who choose to distribute their apps through their own store and process payments using their own billing system pay nothing to Google under the new system.
Sideloading is changing as well with the official Registered App Stores program. Third-party app stores that are accepted into the program get a “streamlined, friction-free installation process”. Provided that Google allows competitors, like the Epic Games Store, into the program, it will make it easier to install games offered through these stores.
When is this coming?
The rollout will happen in phases.
By June 30, 2026: US, UK, and EEA.
By September 30, 2026: Australia.
By December 31, 2026: Japan and Korea.
By September 30, 2027: The rest of the world.
It remains to be seen how this will all work out and whether it will really be that easy for developers to set up their own store and billing system.
You probably know that KeePass is still my favorite password manager and that I do not save passwords in a browser or cloud-based location. It is a free Windows-based local password manager that does not restrict passwords and can be extend easily thanks to its open system. Other developers have created apps for all kinds of operating systems.
KeePass 2.61 is the latest version that got released earlier today. The new version adds new features and improvements, including several that make the password manager more versatile or secure.
As always, while you can configure KeePass to inform you about updates, you do need to download the new version from the developer website manually, as it does not include automatic update functionality. The new version should upgrade without any issues.
The main improvements of KeePass 2.61
One of the main improvements is update-related. Checks for new updates are now performed before a database is opened. Furthermore, if the master key prompt is opened, it will now also indicate that an update is available with an icon. You can toggle the feature under Options > Advanced.
The built-in one-time password generation capabilities have received several changes:
White-space characters are now automatically removed when pasting shared secrets, if the encoding is Base16/Hex, Base32 or Base64.
New buttons in the one-time password generator to copy the passwords to the clipboard.
The settings dialog supports displaying history entries now.
Other than that, you get improved saving of active databases to local files, multi-location/file synchronization options, and multiple attempts at entering the master key when a database is exported. Previously, users had to re-open the option to try again if the master password was incorrect.
The changelog lists a solid number of improvements next to that, which are mostly minor changes. One of the main changes is that searches are now more tolerant by default in almost any location. You can check the full list on the linked at the top.
Ultimately, KeePass 2.61 doesn’t try to fix what isn’t broken; instead, it polishes the edges of a tool built for those who value total sovereignty over their digital keys.
