Windows 11 can block Google Chrome's 4GB AI model from reinstalling itself on your PC — A simple Registry tweak for "Pro" users

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

8 mai 2026 à 05:28

Windows 11 now gives you the power to block Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge from automatically downloading local AI models for on-device generative AI features without explicit user consent.

A laptop on a white desk faces a small sign with the Google Chrome logo, saying "No AI Thanks."

Google Chrome is quietly installing a 4GB AI model on devices and users are not happy about it

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

7 mai 2026 à 06:10

Google Chrome is quietly pushing a 4GB AI model onto devices and reinstalling it if removed. The company says it is designed to protect your privacy when using AI features.

A man in a suit peers over a laptop displaying a large Chrome logo. The setting is an office.

Google says it's trying to protect your privacy.

The Microsoft/OpenAI breakup: What does it actually mean for Copilot and other AI apps on your Windows 11 PC?

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

6 mai 2026 à 07:12

Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI just became non-exclusive, meaning rival companies like Google can access OpenAI's models, making Copilot AI in Windows 11 less exclusive, consequently costing it its bargaining chip and competitive edge.

Broken stained glass resembles a shattered Microsoft logo alongside an OpenAI logo on a rough concrete floor.

Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI just became non-exclusive.

Teams erratically flips user status from 'Available' to 'Away' after just minutes of inactivity: "It’s not a status indicator, it’s a surveillance tool with trust issues."

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

6 mai 2026 à 05:39

Multiple users have raised concerns about Teams' status indicator, noting that it marks them as unavailable after only a few minutes of inactivity. They argue this feature feels intrusive surveillance and micromanagement rather than a helpful productivity tool.

Microsoft Teams app seen displayed on a smartphone screen and a Microsoft Teams logo on a laptop in the background.

Microsoft should steal concepts from this Windows redesign project: Envisioning an ad‑free Windows 11 without AI clutter

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

30 avril 2026 à 07:23

A "Refining Windows" concept redesign project removes Copilot clutter and ads and overhauls the Start menu and Taskbar in Windows 11.

Refining Windows concept panels designed by Raditya Aryaputra

"Refining Windows" removes Copilot clutter and ads and overhauls the Start menu and Taskbar.

France threw a funeral for Windows 10 — complete with a coffin and chants of Microsoft's "programmed obsolescence"

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

30 avril 2026 à 06:09

French activists staged a symbolic funeral for Windows 10, slamming Microsoft’s forced Windows 11 upgrades and planned obsolescence.

Demonstrators stage a protest to denounce the early retirement of 300 million computers, made obsolete by the forced upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, in front of Microsoft France headquarters

French activists staged a symbolic funeral for Windows 10.

Microsoft blames Slack's lackluster growth on "inferior capabilities" while Salesforce's antitrust lawsuit targets Teams bundles

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

29 avril 2026 à 06:28

Slack and Salesforce are taking Microsoft to court in London, accusing the tech giant of anticompetitive bundling of Teams with Office.

Salesforce logo is being displayed on a smartphone, with the Slack logo in the background

Slack and Salesforce are taking Microsoft to court in London.

Microsoft partnership has "limited our ability": Leaked memo reveals OpenAI's open hostility towards one of its biggest investors

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

23 avril 2026 à 07:03

The ChatGPT maker indicated that its new partnership with Amazon will help enhance its enterprise market share while highlighting key constraints in its Microsoft tie-up.

Satya Nadella with Sam Altman at a conference

Sam Altman is apparently openly hostile towards Microsoft.

Microsoft says Windows 11’s built-in 'Defender' antivirus is "usually sufficient" for most PC users: "I haven't used a 3rd party antivirus since XP"

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

22 avril 2026 à 05:12

Microsoft recently indicated that its Microsoft Defender antivirus is enough for Windows 11 users, dismissing the need to install additional software for that extra layer of protection.

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft sued for £2.8B in the UK — what that means for Azure customers

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

22 avril 2026 à 05:03

Microsoft could be forced to reimburse $2.8 billion to 60,000 UK-based businesses for overcharging customers for its Windows Server software on competing cloud platforms at higher rates than its own Azure service.

Brithish UK flag blowing in the wind with Microsoft logo

OpenAI’s new feature is just like Windows Recall: Chronicle makes its Codex smarter by remembering your screen — Microsoft tried that, and it blew up in controversy

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

21 avril 2026 à 07:04

OpenAI’s Codex gets a memory upgrade, improving developer workflows by boosting effectiveness and efficiency.

Windows Recall and OpenAI Codex logo stacked vertically

Parents Decide Act pushes Windows 11 and others towards forced age verification, collecting "any information as is necessary"

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

21 avril 2026 à 05:47

A proposed US law could force operating systems to verify your age and share it with apps, sparking a heated debate over privacy and safety.

Girl working on laptop on table with American flag

A proposed US law could force operating systems to verify your age and share it with apps, sparking a heated debate over privacy and safety.

Microsoft Edge for mobile could make me ditch Chrome for good: Free YouTube background play without interruptions

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

17 avril 2026 à 06:01

Google hid YouTube background play behind a paywall, but Microsoft Edge Canary just brought it back for free.

In this photo illustration a Microsoft Edge logo of a web browser developed by Microsoft is seen on a smartphone and a pc screen.

"Over 3.3 million downloads": This Linux alternative to Windows 11 is winning over Microsoft's customers with a huge update

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

17 avril 2026 à 05:46

Zorin OS 18.1 surpasses 3.3M downloads, offering smart native alternatives to Windows apps and posing a real threat to Microsoft’s market share.

Zorin OS logo on top of the Windows 11 logo

"The fastest path towards reinstatement": Microsoft responds to developer backlash after account termination — but identity verification remains non-negotiable

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

16 avril 2026 à 07:07

Microsoft has rolled out a fast‑track process to reinstate suspended Windows Hardware Developer accounts, easing recovery for critical driver publishers.

A binary code and Microsoft logo are seen in this multpiple exposure illustration photo.

Microsoft's VP just reworked a Windows 11 feature to make it "comfortable" for macOS users — if they ever decide to switch

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

16 avril 2026 à 06:52

Microsoft veteran Scott Hanselman, VP of Developer Community, built Peek Desktop (inspired by macOS Sonoma's Click Wallpaper to Reveal Desktop feature) to help Windows 11 users easily hide all open windows with a single click on the desktop.

Windows 11 Start Logo

I've finally found a loophole to block a specific type of YouTube ads, and it won’t cost you a dime: Just a little teamwork

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

15 avril 2026 à 06:03

YouTube viewers can now work together to prevent ads from playing during livestreams without paying for Premium.

EDMONTON, CANADA - APRIL 28: An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of the YouTube logo displayed on a computer screen, on April 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Microsoft veteran says the Task Manager was under 80 KB because "small was fast and fast mattered" — but wishes "we had carried more of that taste, not the suffering"

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

15 avril 2026 à 05:51

Microsoft veteran Dave Plummer shares why the original Task Manager was lean, fast, and designed to stay calm when Windows crashed.

Dave W. Plummer at Microsoft

ChatGPT’s refusal to admit mistakes is getting out of hand, and this exchange proves it

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

8 avril 2026 à 14:32

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently admitted that ChatGPT doesn't have the capability to keep track of time, but the chatbot insists it does.

In this photo illustration OpenAI ChatGPT icon is displayed on a mobile phone screen in Ankara, Turkiye on August 13, 2024.

"I can't stop laughing": I might have a reason to press my Copilot key as this absurd Windows 11 app adds some comic relief

Windows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.

Par : [email protected] (Kevin Okemwa)

8 avril 2026 à 06:17

TypeFart is a small Windows app that plays a fart sound on every keypress and weird sounds on the touchpad, but you'll need a subscription plan for the action.

Copilot button on a Windows laptop

TypeFart is a small Windows app that plays a fart sound on every keypress, and that includes the Copilot key.

Vue lecture