Windows 11 gets big update with improved OOBE, recovery, and more in new builds

Microsoft released three new Windows 11 builds today, and they pack quite a lot of useful changes and improvements.

WinUIpad: Hey, That Was My Idea

Clairvoyance has helped me fix bugs in my app and add new features, but it's also helped with my imposter syndrome.
Lifehacker

Microsoft Just Patched a Major Security Vulnerability for This Popular Windows App

Users could be tricked into running arbitrary code, but the issue was patched last week. February 17, 2026 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google Microsoft patched a ...
Futurism

Microsoft Added AI to Notepad and It Created a Security Failure Because the AI Was Stupidly Easy for Hackers to Trick

As Microsoft continues to force AI features onto users of its Windows operating system and other crucial software, glaring issues keep cropping up. Executives have promised to turn the platform into ...
TechRadar

Microsoft patches concerning Windows 11 Notepad security flaw - Markdown issues could have let hackers slip in malware without warning

Microsoft patches Windows 11 Notepad RCE flaw CVE-2026-20841 Vulnerability exploited Markdown links to execute malicious code with user permissions Patch Tuesday update fixes issue; versions 11.2510 ...
ExtremeTech

Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 Bug That Let Attackers Run Remote Code in Notepad

Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share on X (opens in a new window) Share on Reddit (opens in a new window) Share on Hacker News (opens in a new window) Share on Flipboard (opens in a new ...
Bleeping Computer

Windows 11 Notepad flaw let files execute silently via Markdown links

If a user opened this Markdown file in Windows 11 Notepad versions 11.2510 and earlier and viewed it in Markdown mode, the above text would appear as a clickable link. If the link is clicked with ...
The Verge

Microsoft fixes Notepad flaw that could trick users into clicking malicious Markdown links

Bad actors could use the flaw to remotely load and execute malicious files on a victim’s computer. Bad actors could use the flaw to remotely load and execute malicious files on a victim’s computer. is ...
PC World

Windows Notepad is now complex enough to have a serious security flaw

PCWorld reports that Windows Notepad’s new Markdown support feature has introduced a serious remote code execution vulnerability with a high CVSS score of 8.8/7.7. The security flaw allows malicious ...
Forbes

Direct File Is Gone. Here’s How You Can Still File Your Taxes For Free

The IRS shut down its direct filing program for 2026, but Free File, Fillable Forms, MilTax, and some private tools remain—if you know where to look. Here’s how to navigate the free options still ...
The Hill

IRS Direct File is gone. This is how you can still file taxes for free

(NEXSTAR) – In 2025, nearly 300,000 Americans used a new electronic system to file their taxes directly with the IRS for free. In 2026, that’s no longer an option. IRS Direct File launched as a pilot ...
CNN

Hundreds of thousands of ‘Epstein files’ have been released — and there’s a lot more to come

The “Epstein files” saga will spill into 2026, despite a deadline last week to release all of the records. Congress passed a law last month — with near-unanimous support — requiring the Justice ...