The Hot Take: Well look at that, it's very interesting that Microsoft is suddenly knocking out all these windows 11 issues. Kinda like they're afraid Linux will take their user base.
The Windows 11 June 2026 Patch Tuesday update, KB5094126 brings Low Latency Profile, Shared Audio, Multi-App Camera, and a handful of other noteworthy changes. Buried deeper in the changelog, without much fanfare, are two improvements to the Microsoft Store, one addressing a long-standing download speed problem and another fixing a frustrating gap in error reporting for managed devices.
Neither of these fixes will generate hype the way the CPU boost feature does. But for anyone who has watched a 500MB app update crawl through the Store for twenty minutes while the same file would download in under two minutes through a browser, at least one of them will feel this improvement was overdue.
This feature is being rolled out gradually, and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.
Microsoft Store downloads were throttled for years, and the June update fixes it
For a significant portion of Windows 11 users, downloading apps and updates from the Microsoft Store has been noticeably slower than downloading the same files from almost any other source.
The Store would throttle to a fraction of the available connection speed, pause mid-download for no apparent reason, and occasionally get stuck in a pending stateâŚ
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The Hot Take: What about that small file handling, any better on that yet?
Microsoft admitted that File Explorer on Windows 11 is slower than the previous version and is taking steps to make it faster, but the performance improvements extend beyond just UI surfaces. Iâm told that Microsoft is internally testing a major performance boost for file operations, starting with batch deleting files.
When you select dozens or hundreds of smaller files, or a few large files, and delete them all in one go, the speed depends on both the SSD/HDD and Windows.
Windows file system overhead matters as well because the OS has to update NTFS entries, permissions, indexes, thumbnails, metadata, and a bunch of other items when you delete or bulk delete files.
Of course, Iâm not saying a faster Windows alone can magically purge files faster. Hardware still matters, especially the SSDâs random I/O speed when youâre dealing with many small files. But itâs also wrong to say the speed only comes down to SSD I/O. If Windows handles file operations more efficiently, bulk delete can still get noticeably faster.
Microsoft also confirmed that a combination of hardware and software advancements could help make file operations faster on all PCs.
According to Microsoft, bulk deleteâŚ
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The Hot Take: d0h!
Back in March Steam on Linux skyrocketed to 5.33% with more than double the Steam gaming marketshare of macOS. Then for April Steam on Linux pulled back to a still-great 4.52%, well above the times when Steam on Linux was at 2% or less for many years. Now the May 2026 figures have been published overnight by Valve...
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The Hot Take: Wondering if this will break more people off into Linux. We'll have to see how/if Microsoft boots him off the board and starts distancing themselves from their pedo founder.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has taken another battering after the Justice Department released files detailing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a February town hall with Gates Foundation staff, Gates admitted to two affairs referenced in Epsteinâs emails. Some people familiar with the matter said they heard about the admission with disbelief, although they should not have been too surprised, as during his divorce proceedings, allegations linked to more than 20 affairs had come up.
The Justice Department files show Epstein knew about some of Gatesâs extramarital relationships. A Gates spokesperson said he was not involved in any illegal activities with Epstein and accepted it had been a mistake to meet him.
âGates has apologised for that mistake and is voluntarily speaking with the House Oversight Committee [in June] to answer questions about his interactions with Epstein. Gates supports the release of all the Epstein files in hopes the victims can get the justice that they deserve,â the spokesperson said.
But according to the Wall Street Journal, Gates has been given the cold shoulder by Microsoft, the outfit he co-founded and still looms over like a corporate ghost.
He usually hosts a dinner at his Washington state home tied to Microsoftâs annual CEO summit. Weeks before the May event, his team was told it would be better not to do it this year.
A Volish spokesman said: âWhile it didnât work out this year, weâve already extended an invitation for Bill to attend the CEO Summit next year.â
There was more awkwardness at TerraPower, the nuclear outfit Gates founded. After the Epstein files release and Gatesâs admission of affairs, TerraPower chief executive told staff he had spoken to Gatesâs private office and âit is clear it doesnât involve TerraPower.â
Several current and former TerraPower employees found that a bit puzzling. One of the women Gates referred to as a past affair, a âRussian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,â had close ties to TerraPower.
She worked at TerraPower from 2010 to 2012, according to her LinkedIn page, and her name was in the companyâs internal system. She was featured in a 2011 magazine article about her work at TerraPower, including a photo shoot with Gates.
The Gates spokesperson said he did not have âan inappropriate relationship with any employee of TerraPower.â
A person familiar with the matter said the brief affair happened after she worked at TerraPower, so that clears that up.
Bill Gates, Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft, Gates Foundation, TerraPower, Netflix, Tremolo Productions, Gates Ventures, Justice Department
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The Hot Take: OH look at that, suddenly we're getting more performance out of windows. Like they were handy capping it or something to push lets say something like mid-range hardware of the ARM variety....
Microsoft recently released Windows 11 KB5089573 (Build 26200.8524) optional update, and buried inside the lengthy release notes is a major performance upgrade. While the company simply calls it a â[General Performance]â improvement, we know this is the highly anticipated CPU boost feature internally codenamed âLow Latency Profile.â
According to the official changelog released on May 26, 2026, Microsoft notes: â[General Performance] This update accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center.â
We already reported that Windows 11 Low Latency Mode is rolling out in June 2026 with the mandatory security update. But as we said, the CPU boost feature will be available in the optional May update as well, so if youâre eager enough to enable it, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and just select the update to install it.
However, due to Microsoftâs Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) strategy, the new performance boost may not be activated straightaway even after you install the Windows 11 KB5089573 optional update. Your PC has definitely downloaded the underlying code, but Microsoft often keeps the activation switch turned off for a subset of users to monitor stability.
Fortunately, you do not have to wait for Microsoft to flip the switch remotely. You can manually force the feature on right now using a popular third-party utility called ViveTool.
Note: The Low Latency Profile currently only makes OS flyouts, such as the Start menu, Notification Center, right-click menu, and other areas, load faster. It does not allow your apps to launch faster. That change will roll out in the next update.
How to enable Low Latency Profile in Windows 11
Before you proceed, you need to be sure you have already installed the May optional update.
To verify if the May 2026 optional update is installed, open Settings > System > About, and check the build number. If itâs Build 26200.8524 / 26100.8524 or newer, youâre eligible for Low Latency Profile improvements. Also, the Low Latency Profile does not require any special hardware, but itâs more impactful on budget/low-end PCs.
Now, follow these steps to activate Windows 11âs CPU boost feature:
Get ViveTool by going to the official ViveTool GitHub repository and downloading the latest .zip release.
Extract the contents to a convenient folder. For ease of use, I created a folder called ViveTool directly on my C drive and extracted the files there.
Click the Start menu, type âcmdâ, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Type cd C:\ViveTool and press Enter.
Type the following command to activate the feature and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:58989092
Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Note: The command uses /enable to turn the feature on. If you ever want to revert the changes, you can repeat the process using /disable instead. This only works for now, and once the feature officially becomes default on your device, you wonât be able to turn it off.
Ideally, we shouldnât have to enable features manually. Since Microsoft already has a vibrant Insider community, all testing should occur earlier, and deployment should begin now. Many users have complained that they still havenât received features rolled out in the April 2026 updates. And since Low Latency Profile is, by definition, just a CPU boost, it should have already arrived by now.
How do you verify if the Low Latency Profile is working?
Windows 11 does not include a toggle to enable or disable the Low Latency Profile. Instead, the feature is enabled by default on all PCs once it rolls out with the May 2026 Update, or if you enable it using the bypass method mentioned above.
As a result, the only way to verify that itâs working is by comparing performance before and after the feature is enabled. Check if the Start menu, Action Center, and Search load faster than before.
We canât rule out a placebo either, so you can also try checking CPU usage before and after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
No CPU boost before Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Low-Latency-Profile-CPU-boost-feature-is-disabled.mp4
On the top right side of the screen recording, you can see that the CPU has not reached peak utilization while opening the Start menu or Action Center. I have checked it multiple times to be sure.
After enabling Low Latency Profile using the bypass method given above, I opened the Start menu and Action Center:
CPU utilization peaks while opening the Start menu after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CPU-jumps-to-100-while-opening-Start-menu-after-enabling-Low-Latency-Profile.mp4
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As you can see on the top right side, CPU utilization jumps to 100% in the P cores on my Intel Core i5 13420H, and then falls to normal levels in a second or two, which essentially confirms the presence of Low Latency Profile.
CPU reaches 100% while opening the Action Center after Low Latency Profile is enabled:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CPU-Boost-while-using-Action-centre-after-enabling-Low-Latency-Profile.mp4
Here, too, you can see that the CPU utilization reaches 100% while opening the Action Center and then falls to normal levels almost immediately.
I have done these tests several times, and after seeing the CPU boost for the Start menu and Action Center only after enabling the feature, it is clear that my system has Low Latency Profile enabled.
Microsoft mentioned General Performance improvements to only the Start menu, Action Center, and Windows Search, so as of now, there is no speed boost while opening inbox apps or third-party apps.
Hands-on: UI smoothness over raw speed (for now)
I previously tested Low Latency Profile in a highly constrained environment, and the CPU Boost feature worked well enough that I felt it could make budget PCs usable. It was a dual-core virtual machine limited to 4GB of RAM. But even then, some actions felt surprisingly responsive because the OS was no longer waiting for the CPU to slowly ramp up to the required speeds.
Before enabling Low Latency Profile CPU boost:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Before-Low-Latency-Profile-in-Windows-11.mp4
Yes, you have to be eagle-eyed enough to see the micro-strutters and occasional jitters. But itâs safe to say that most people have first-hand experience with the stuttery Start menu!
But now, after running before-and-after screen recordings on a regular, full-powered daily-driver PC with this new May optional update, the results are slightly different, but I like it.
After enabling Low Latency Profile CPU boost:
https://www.windowslatest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/After-Low-Latency-Profile-in-Windows-11.mp4
The changes may look minute in the screen-recording, but it is definitely noticeable in the real world.
Opening the Start menu is less choppy than before. The Action Center glides onto the screen smoothly, and the notorious rendering delay when bringing up the right-click context menu looks to be significantly reduced. As the official release notes specifically highlight âcore shell experiences,â it appears the Low Latency Profile is currently prioritizing OS fluidity over speeding up inbox or third-party app launches.
Either way, since my regular PC wasnât slow in the first place, it now feels more premium because of the extra smoothness. Also, I didnât notice any heating or battery drain during my testing.
The needless controversy behind Windows 11âs CPU boost
When news of this CPU-spiking feature first broke, several users on social media heavily criticized Microsoft, claiming that artificially boosting the processor was a âlazy fixâ to cover up poorly optimized code.
Microsoft Copilot reaches 97% CPU
However, Microsoft stepped in to clarify the engineering behind it, and we agree. Scott Hanselman defended the technology by explaining the concept of âRace to Sleep.â By instantly spiking the CPU to its maximum frequency for a brief 1 to 3 seconds during a UI interaction, the processor completes the heavy lifting in a fraction of the time, allowing it to return to its low-power idle state much faster.
Hanselman pointed out that Apple uses similar hardware-level scheduling tricks on macOS to make the operating system feel buttery smooth.
Because of this initial public backlash, it makes sense that Microsoft chose to quietly label the feature as âGeneral Performanceâ in the changelog rather than explicitly announcing the âLow Latency Profileâ by its internal codename or sharing specific speed improvement metrics.
Whatâs next for Windows 11 performance improvements?
Windows 11 desktop still hasnât quite reached the flawless 120fps smoothness of modern-day smartphones. This update is a massive step in the right direction. And most importantly, this CPU boost is just one half of a much larger strategy.
As Microsoft commits to native UI for Windows 11, the company is replacing heavy web frameworks with lightweight native code, including in the Start menu. So, when you combine native optimizations with the immediate power delivery of Low Latency Profile, pretty soon, Windows 11 will feel as fast and premium as we expect.
The post Microsoftâs Windows 11 CPU boost is rolling out, and hereâs how to enable it right now appeared first on Windows Latest
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The Hot Take: Was wondering why it was saying I didn't have Nvidia Control Panel! LOL
The interface lived for nearly two decades and served us well, but now it's time to switch to the latest NVIDIA App. NVIDIA Announces the Official Retirement of Control Panel, One of the Most Popular Tools for NVIDIA GPU-Based Systems The popular NVIDIA GPU tool, NVIDIA Control Panel, launched in February 2026. It has been just over two decades since the tool went live and has remained the most used utility on NVIDIA GPU-based systems. From offering simple settings to change refresh rate, resolution, and multiple-display setups to manage 3D settings, the Control Panel remained one of the easiest to [âŚ]Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-control-panel-is-officially-dead-after-two-decades/
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The Hot Take: Linux becoming a target with people migrating over to it for sure.
Qualys's Threat Research Unit (TRU) has discovered and published a logic flaw in Linux kernel "that permits an unprivileged local user to disclose sensitive files and execute arbitrary commands as root on default installations of several major distributions." Friday their blog pointed out "The bug has resided in mainline Linux since November 2016 (v4.10-rc1)."
"Upstream patches and distribution updates are already available."
Working exploits are circulating publicly, and administrators should apply vendor kernel updates without delay. During ongoing research into Linux kernel privilege boundaries, TRU identified a narrow window in which a privileged process that is dropping its credentials remains reachable through ptrace-family operations even though its dumpable flag should have closed that path. By pairing this window with the pidfd_getfd() syscall (added in v5.6-rc1, January 2020), an attacker can capture open file descriptors and authenticated inter-process channels from a dying privileged process and re-use them under their own uid. The primitive is reliable and turns any local shell into a path to root or to sensitive credential material [including host private keys under /etc/ssh ]
CVE-2026-46333 is local-only, but the impact is severe... Any unprivileged shell on a vulnerable host is enough to read /etc/shadow, exfiltrate SSH host private keys, or execute arbitrary commands as root through hijacked dbus connections to systemd. In practice, the distinction between an unprivileged foothold and full host compromise collapses: a phished developer account, a constrained CI runner, a low-privilege service account, or a shared multi-tenant host all become direct paths to root. With the vulnerable code shipping in mainline kernels since v4.10-rc1 (November 2016), the historical exposure spans nine years of enterprise fleets, cloud images, and container hosts.
Qualys followed responsible disclosure throughout. Qualys reported the vulnerability privately to the upstream Linux kernel security contact on 2026-05-11. Over the following three days the kernel security team developed and reviewed the fix, CVE-2026-46333 was assigned, and the patch was committed publicly on 2026-05-14. We then engaged the linux-distros mailing list, the standard pre-disclosure channel for downstream coordination. A short time later, an independent exploit derived from the public kernel commit appeared.... Qualys is releasing the complete advisory today because the underlying technique is novel, the public picture is now incomplete and uneven, and independent researchers have already achieved local root and published exploit material. Doing so gives defenders, detection engineers, and downstream maintainers a single authoritative reference for the flaw, the race against do_exit(), the role of pidfd_getfd(), and the four exploitation case studies.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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The Hot Take: So many software updates, seems like they're milking current silicon or having issues with new silicon?
NVIDIA is preparing to showcase a new rendering technique that could move real-time path tracing another step closer to wider game-engine adoption. Scheduled for presentation at the ACM conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in May, the companyâs latest research focuses on improving ReSTIR PT, a ...
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