A small change is on the way to Windows 11, but it will make a big difference to a select group of users. Windows Insiders can now test the option to make the taskbar smaller on Windows 11.

Windows 11's taskbar has always been controversial. Microsoft rebuilt the taskbar when creating the operating system, but the company did not include every feature from the Windows 10 taskbar.

As a result, options like being able to move the taskbar to the side or top of the screen never made it to Windows 11. Microsoft is addressing some of the most frequently shared complaints. Soon, you'll be able to move the taskbar and resize it. Progress!

Windows Insiders have been able to move the taskbar around since earlier this year, but until recently have had limited options for resizing it. Insider builds presented the option to "show smaller taskbar buttons" but enabling that feature only shrinks the buttons. The actual taskbar remains the same height.

Windows 11 Experimental Preview Build 26300.8758 adds a toggle to change the size of the taskbar. Switching the taskbar to "small" reduces the height of the taskbar and also enables smaller icons.

It's also possible to enable small icons while keeping the taskbar its default height.

Build 26300.8758: Changes

Taskbar

• Taskbar customization just got easier. As we continue to make improvements to the Taskbar experience mentioned last month, we've introduced a dedicated Taskbar Size setting, making it simpler to find, understand, and personalize your ideal taskbar experience.
• We've also made refinements to the transitions between taskbar sizes for a smoother overall experience.

File Explorer

• We've improved the reliability of thumbnail previews for cloud files in the Details pane. The pane has also been reorganized so file properties are easier to find and review at a glance.
• Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stops working when File Explorer is run in administrative mode.
• Fixed an issue where the confirmation dialog might display an internal Recycle Bin file name instead of the original file name when permanently deleting a file.

Sounds

• Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode.

Microsoft released a bunch of builds recently, but most of them were rather minor. An unnoted change is that Xbox mode is now called XBOX mode.

An initiative to improve Windows 11 known as Windows K2 will include changes large and small. Microsoft plans to address serious "pain points" across Windows 11. Performance, design, and reliability are all being worked on by the tech giant.

Tiny details like taskbar resizing help Windows 11 feel more polished and personalized.

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Sony just announced that over 550 movies will be removed from the accounts of PlayStation customers. On September 1, 2026, any movies or TV shows from Studio Canal will be removed. The move sparked controversy, drew criticism, and reignited a debate about digital ownership.

Those affected by the maneuver have no recourse to retain access to the content. There's no option to download the content for offline playback on another device. Sony isn't offering refunds either.

Several quotes have popped up repeatedly in online forums about Sony's announcement, such as "if buying isn't owning, piracy isn't theft." But a different quote about piracy came to my mind:

Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve, explained that providing excellent service is the best method to combat piracy. He added that, "The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates."

Newell specifically referenced localization efforts during his time on stage at the Washington Technology Industry Association's (WTIA) Tech NW conference, but the principles he broke down apply to what Sony is doing.

If "buying" content only gives you access for an undetermined amount of time dependent on volatile corporate licensing deals, the service is fundamentally broken. Naturally, people will look for other methods to acquire the same content.

You wouldn't steal a car

The infamous "You wouldn't steal a car" commercial pushed back against piracy over 20 years ago. The ad has received its fair share of criticism over the years, but please humor me as I look at it from a different angle.

If pirating digital content is akin to stealing a car, what is selling digital content and then revoking access without offering a refund? In this hypothetical world in which physical goods work the same way as digital content, what Sony is doing is like selling someone a DVD then breaking into their house and stealing it back after a few years.

I imagine Sony's legal team is getting ready to argue that people agree to terms and that Sony reserved the right to revoke access. But that's nonsense. When people obtained content through Sony, they clicked a button that said "Buy."

That Buy button was presented right next to a "Rent" button in most cases, meaning Sony was offering people two choices: purchase a piece of content or rent it.

Even Sony's statement sent informing people of the removal of Studio Canal content uses the word "purchased" rather than rent:

"As of 1 September 2026 due to our content licensing arrangements, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Studio Canal content and the content will be removed from your video library."

Sony could argue that people purchased a revocable license, but if that's the case the company never should have used a Buy button.

Could this happen to Xbox?

Anything is possible, but I don't want to venture into speculation. We're trying to get confirmation from Microsoft regarding digital ownership of media.

What I will say is that legal protections of digitally purchased content need to be secured. Reportedly, over 90% of Xbox games are purchased digitally. PlayStation isn't that far behind, with digital sales reportedly making up 78% of purchases.

Buying habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. There are plenty of gamers with entirely digital collections. The advent of online streaming has made physical movie collections rarer, though I know many cinephiles who cling to physical copies.

If companies want to continue to sell movies, TV shows, and games, potential buyers need confidence that purchases are secure. Otherwise, people will take some inspiration from Sea of Thieves.

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Xbox mode only rolled out to Windows 11 with the May 2026 Security Update, but the feature already has a name change in the works. The latest Windows Insider build shows "XBOX mode" rather than "Xbox mode."

The change is small, but it reflects the rebrand Microsoft is in the middle of. Earlier this year, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma polled people on X asking if the name of the brand should be Xbox or XBOX. The overwhelming majority preferred the all-caps version, and Microsoft listened to the feedback.

In several places, Microsoft has swapped in the XBOX name. The official XBOX website and XBOX social media handles show the all-caps version. Even the Microsoft Store shows love for capital letters.

Sharma has made more meaningful changes to the XBOX brand since being promoted, but the XBOX rebrand is quite visible. The move aligns XBOX with the original console, which is a clever bit of marketing.

The change was flagged by X user @phantomofearth. Microsoft's release notes for Windows 11 Experimental Build 26300.8758 do not note the new name for XBOX mode.

XBOX mode (and Xbox mode) was originally called "Xbox Fullscreen Experience." Throughout all three names, the concept of the feature has been the same: provide a console-like experience on Windows 11.

When enabled, XBOX mode makes Windows 11 open with a controller-friendly interface that also works well with built-in controllers on gaming handhelds. Microsoft has worked on XBOX mode for a while and overcome some awkward limitations. For example, it's now easier to sign in to Windows 11 when in XBOX mode by using a PIN.

XBOX mode also prioritizes gaming and reduces background tasks on Windows 11. It can free up to 2GB of memory on your PC, according to Microsoft. Considering it's increasingly expensive to get a PC with a lot of memory, freeing up 2GB makes a big difference.

The next generation of Xbox, known currently as Project Helix, is meant to run some form of XBOX mode. Before that device ships, XBOX mode needs more meaningful changes to smooth out the experience. We spent a week with XBOX mode last month and had a mixed experience.

Microsoft is aggressively pushing improvements to Windows 11 through its K2 initiative. Among those upgrades will be a smoother gaming experience. But for now, we can enjoy the unified branding of XBOX mode.

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Two more Surface devices were announced this week, at least technically. The ongoing RAM crisis forced Microsoft to follow in the footsteps of Apple and Acer by making laptops with 8GB of RAM in 2026.

During a week full of deals through Amazon and other retailers, Microsoft took a different approach to make its Surface devices more affordable, at least for certain models. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch can now be bought with just 8GB of RAM.

Those versions with less memory start at $849 for the Surface Pro and $949 for the Surface Laptop. I'm happy to see more affordable options, but Microsoft's timing was poor. Raising Surface prices during Prime Day meant better hardware was at or near the same pricing as the cheaper Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. And with other retailers dropping prices to compete with Amazon, the new Surfaces are a bad value.

Dell’s XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is still $999.99, which means better hardware is sitting only $50 above Microsoft’s new “affordable” Surface models.

Deals, discounts, and rising prices were the focus of this week, but we also saw Windows 10 support extended and Bill Gates weigh in on AI. Here are the biggest stories from the week.

Biggest News of the Week

Microsoft is in a no-win situation with pricing. RAM and other components continue to go up in price, so manufacturers have to adjust to match. Even Apple, which was more insulated than most due to stockpiles of components, had to increase the cost of MacBooks, iPads, and other devices.

As a result of shortages, Microsoft has had to raise the price of hardware. Since people still need laptops at somewhat reasonable prices, models with 8GB of RAM can fill that gap.

8GB of RAM is better than many assume on a Windows 11 PC. Our Cale Hunt said using a device with that amount of memory is "Not only viable but quite enjoyable." Since that's the case, more affordable Surface devices are good news.

But announcing a Surface Pro and a Surface Laptop with lower price tags in the same week as one of the biggest shopping events of the year is a strange strategy.

A Surface Laptop with a Snapdragon X Plus, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage costs $949.99 through Microsoft's website. The Dell XPS 13 (9345) with a Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage is on sale for $999.99 through Dell.

Maybe Microsoft should have rolled out its cheaper Surface devices a bit earlier or held off until other sales ended.

Shopping with Sean

The best deal of the week is still up for grabs despite Prime Day ending, and it's the laptop I just highlighted. Dell's discount on the XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite drops that premium laptop to $999.99. That discounted price looks even better after Apple raised the prices of its MacBooks.

If you want something newer, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is $650 off. That gorgeous laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite. I'm jealous of our Senior Editor Zac Bowden because he got to review it (the OmniBook 14 Ultra earned a perfect score in that review).

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Stop the presses! A laptop maker just announced a price reduction in 2026. Despite the ongoing RAM crisis and component shortage, Framework just dropped the price of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro.

Framework was able to source a new SSD from its partner ADATA that offers better performance and reliability while costing less.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro preorders have not started shipping, so any order that's already been placed has been upgraded to the new SSD and had pricing adjusted.

"This new SSD comes in 1TB and 2TB options, and the 1TB lands at a lower price than the 500GB SSD we had previously qualified, so we will also switch 500GB orders to the 1TB drive at the lower price," explained Framework.

Framework's website did not show the reduced pricing when I drafted this piece, so I can't share the exact costs of the new configurations. I'll update this piece as more information becomes available.

The announcement comes as good news for those shopping for the unique laptop from Framework, but it's a relatively small reprieve from the current financial climate.

Even in Framework's announcement of the price decrease, the PC maker warned that CPU price increases are expected. "We expect that we will need to adjust the overall system price on Framework Laptop 13 Pro in the coming weeks for new orders," said Framework.

Framework dropped its prices on the same day Apple unveiled several price increases, which led to a playful jab. Framework clarified in a follow-up post that the timing of its reductions was coincidental and not in response to Apple.

The unfortunate reality is that many laptop makers have bumped up prices, including Framework. Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and others have all had to raise prices. For a short time, Apple was immune to price hikes due to its stockpile of components, but that is no longer the case.

We shouldn't expect things to improve in the immediate future. When Microsoft announced another wave of price increases to Xbox consoles, the company said it expects another doubling of console storage and memory prices by the fall of 2027. The same factors that contribute to those components doubling in price will affect PC parts.

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Microsoft needs to copy a new feature that makes it easier to multitask on Windows 11. But rather than Sherlocking a third-party app, Microsoft just needs to copy a concept proposed for its own app, PowerToys.

Every once in a while a feature gets added to PowerToys that makes me wonder "why isn't this part of Windows?" FancyZones immediately comes to mind, and Microsoft seems to agree since improved snapping in Windows 11 takes inspiration from that feature.

PowerToys may have another winner on its hands in AltWindowCycle, though I think a new name may be needed.

The utility allows you to switch between windows with a keyboard shortcut. It's similar to Alt + Tab, but it works within a single app. Clint Rutkas explained the tool in a GitHub pull request:

"Introduces a new utility: AltWindowCycle to quickly switch between windows from the same process using Alt + `. It works like Alt + Tab, but scoped to the app you’re already in. Perfect for juggling multiple browser windows, terminals, or editor instances."

AltWindowCycle is still in its early stages. If it is finished and made a part of PowerToys, I hope it also makes its way to Windows 11.

If it does become part of Windows 11, AltWindowCycle would help Microsoft's operating system catch up to macOS and some Linux distros, which use either Alt + \` or Cmd + ` to cycle through windows of the same app, albeit a bit differently.

Many PowerToys features are niche and would be considered bloat by non-power users if included with Windows 11. But a small shortcut that makes multitasking easier would be a natural addition to Windows 11, especially since AltWindowCycle works similarly to the well-known Alt + Tab shortcut.

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I love widgets. Microsoft seems much cooler on the concept. Sure, Windows 11 has a Widgets Panel, but it's barely useful due to its lack of quality widgets. That's why I was so excited to see WidBar highlighted on Reddit.

WidBar is a new app that allows you to add widgets to the empty spaces of the Windows 11 taskbar. It's still in beta, but it's off to a promising start.

The developer of WidBar, Andrea Del Bello, shared the app and detailed its progress.

At the moment, WidBar only has a pair of widgets: "Now Playing" and "System Metrics." They're basic but they do a good job showcasing the app.

Within WidBar, you can drag and drop widgets into a preview of your taskbar. Different widgets can be placed on various monitors.

Any developer can make widgets for WidBar. Del Bello explained how that works on Reddit:

"Each widget is just a small packaged app that you publish to the Microsoft Store like any other app, and WidBar picks it up on its own: there's no separate plugin store, no manual install into WidBar, and no approval from me. The moment your widget is installed from the Store, WidBar recognizes it automatically, it appears in the catalog, and the user can drop it onto the taskbar."

Del Bello also provided a template for making WidBar widgets on GitHub.

Putting Microsoft to shame

WidBar has two supported widgets right now and is still in beta, but it already surpasses Windows 11's Widgets Panel in an important way.

Incredibly, the Widgets Panel lacks a Now Playing widget from Microsoft. Windows 11 has those controls, but they appear in the Action Center. That shows how much Microsoft thinks about the Widgets Panel.

There is a widget made by Stefan vd called "S Media Controls" that seems to fill the gap, but I've only used it briefly in testing.

Even if you give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and argue having audio controls in the Action Center and the Widgets Panel, it won't take much to catch up.

With just two supported widgets, WidBar is well on its way to beating the Widgets Panel. There are a grand total of 56 widgets in the Microsoft Store for the Widgets Panel. And that count includes "My Tic-Tac-Toe" and several entries that appear to be money grabs that offer little functionality.

Add a clock, a calendar, a recent files shortcut and WidBar is almost 10% of the way to the entire Widgets Panel ecosystem.

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I found the one Prime Day deal I can recommend above all others. At $67.67, the Logitech MX Vertical is an excellent purchase.

I hate the fact that Prime Day still requires hunting for deals. You'd think an event centered around shopping would guarantee great prices, but that's not the case.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Logitech MX Vertical discounted by 44% on Prime Day.

Are Prime Day deals worth it?

Some Prime Day deals are worth it. The shopping event is genuinely a good way to save money on some items. But that doesn't mean anything you see on sale during Prime Day is a good deal.

It's normal to see an item marked up a few weeks before Prime Day to make the Prime Day "discount" look better.

In the worst cases, an item actually becomes more expensive than usual during Prime Day. Retailers manipulate price history to make a bad price look good.

These are the types of things our team of experts looks out for when finding Prime Day deals. It's also why hand-picked Prime Day deals are better than blindly trusting a sale tag.

The Logitech MX Vertical is currently $67.67 for Prime Day. According to CamelCamelCamel, that is almost the lowest price ever for the mouse (it once hit $63.79 on Amazon). Perhaps more importantly, the price is significantly lower than what we've seen the majority of this year.

Why buy the Logitech MX Vertical

The Logitech MX Vertical is an ergonomic mouse that allows your wrist and arm to rest at a natural angle. That results in less muscle strain and reduced wrist pressure.

Because of the shape of the mouse, you don't have to move your hand as much. Tiny movements add up, and being able to keep your hand in place does a lot to reduce strain.

The Logitech MX Vertical is by far the best mouse I've used.

Over the years, its rubber grip has held up well. The mouse still lasts for ages when running on battery. It's easy to top up through USB-C when it's time to charge.

It checks all the boxes I want in a mouse.

The only downside of the Logitech MX Vertical is its retail price, but the massive discount on the mouse makes that a non-factor.

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PowerToys just received a small but important update that brings the app to version 0.100.1. The update focuses on fixes to version 0.100.0 of the app, which included a bunch of new features.

Normally I wouldn't cover a small update to an app, but in this case the bugs prevented core features of PowerToys from working. Luckily, the bugs have been squashed.

One issue caused keys that had been remapped to non-modifier keys to be delivered as system-key events. An example of that is mapping Alt to Backspace could result in deleting whole words instead of individual characters.

Another bug prevented monitors from waking from standby after selecting On through Power Display.

The developers of PowerToys log all the changes to the app on GitHub.

PowerToys v0.100.1

Highlights

• This patch release fixes several important stability and behavior issues identified in v0.100.0 based on incoming reports. Check out the v0.100.0 notes for the full list of changes.

Color Picker

• Fixed a bug where the main Color Picker window could appear inside the zoomed-in picker view in #48762 by @daverayment

Command Palette

• Fixed Run history initialization in AOT builds in #48463
• Fixed a bug where the Performance Monitor dock item could show ??? after restart in #48682 by @giruuuuj
• Fixed the Hibernate command using the Sleep icon in #48689 by @MrBisquit
• Limited the "pin to dock" dialog to displays where the dock is enabled in #48723

Keyboard Manager

• Fixed modifier keys remapped to non-modifier keys being delivered as system-key events, which caused unexpected behavior in apps such as Alt-to-Backspace deleting whole words in #47192 by @oMatheusmol

Power Display

• Fixed a bug where selecting On in the monitor power-state control did not wake a monitor from standby in #48628
• Fixed built-in display detection and brightness control on dual-GPU laptops where the internal panel is driven by the discrete GPU in #48637

PowerToys Run

• Fixed VS Code Workspaces discovery after VS Code moved recently opened workspace data to shared storage in #47505

Quick Access

• Fixed Quick Access flyout crashes caused by unhandled XAML exceptions during launch or page navigation in #48457

Shortcut Guide

• Fixed a crash when navigating between Shortcut Guide sidebar sections in #48481
• Fixed number-key rendering in shortcut manifests and added a Postman shortcut manifest in #48461 by @brycewc
• Updated bundled shortcut manifests to use the literal number-key token so number keys render correctly across apps in #48757 by @brycewc

ZoomIt

• Fixed a race condition in audio initialization for ZoomIt video recording in #48685 by @MarioHewardt

Power Display is one of my favorite utilities in PowerToys. It allows you to manage the brightness and other settings of your external monitor through a series of flyouts. It saves me the hassle of reaching around the bottom or back of my display to adjust settings with awkward buttons.

The recently fixed bug took away core functionality of Power Display, so I'm happy to see it addressed.

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Recovering your Windows 11 PC just got easier. This week, Microsoft rolled out point-in-time restore for Windows 11 to general users. The feature creates restore points automatically that you can revert to if there's an issue with your computer.

Point-in-time restore is available to Enterprise, Pro, and Home users of Windows 11. According to Microsoft, the feature can recover a PC in minutes rather than hours.

When you have Point-in-time restore enabled, the feature automatically captures the system state of your PC, including Windows, installed apps, system and app configurations, settings, and your local files.

By default, restore points are captured every 24 hours, but you can configure that to a different cadence if you're an Enterprise user.

The feature is on by default on Windows Home and Windows Pro devices as long as they are not under enterprise management. Point-in-time restore is off by default for some enterprise-managed systems until Windows 11 version 26H2 is installed.

If a PC has an OS volume size under 200GB, point-in-time restore will be disabled by default.

Microsoft already had other features that are somewhat similar, such as System Restore and point-in-time restore for Windows 365 Enterprise. But both of those have key differences when compared to point-in-time restore for Windows 11.

System Restore requires manual capture of an image and does not include user files as part of the restore point. It's also accessible through the Control Panel rather than system settings and takes up more space on your PC.

Point-in-time restore for Windows 11 also provides benefits to IT admins, since the feature can be remotely managed with a wide set of controls.

Point-in-time for Windows 365 Enterprise is for Cloud PCs. It's also limited to Enterprise users.

Over two million devices had point-in-time restore enabled while the feature was in public preview. Microsoft said it used the time in preview to improve the feature based on feedback.

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If you have an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, you probably need more storage. Having to uninstall a game to install a new game or an update to one of your favorite titles is a hassle.

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is a plug-and-play solution that lets you expand the storage of your console.

Right now, all sizes of the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S are on sale. The 1TB model costs $189.99 Best Buy (was $249.99), the 2TB version costs $259.99 (was $349.99) at Amazon. Best Buy's deal on the 4TB card drops the price to $549.99 (was $649.99).

Why buy the Seagate Expansion Card?

The Seagate Expansion Card is the simplest way to expand the storage of your console. There's no setup or configuration required to use the card.

Xbox Series X|S games can be massive. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 alone is 161GB, and that's without DLC. The Seagate Expansion Card delivers similar speeds to the native storage of the Xbox Series X|S, so you can store games on the card and play them without having to transfer files around.

The Seagate Expansion Card also supports Quick Resume, which is a feature that lets you pause your game and power down your console and then pick up exactly where you left off when you load the game again.

Considering how big games are and how many great games are available on the Xbox Series X|S and on the way to the consoles, an expansion card of some kind is a must have. The Seagate Expansion Card is the easiest to use, quick enough to play games off, and is a great deal during Prime Day.

Alternative discounts

Prime Day discounts and a deal at Best Buy provide the best prices on the Seagate Expansion Card, but if those deals expire, you can check out these alternatives:

1TB

• $189.99 at Walmart
• $189.99 at Amazon (was $249.99) (appears to be out of stock)

2TB

• $259.99 at Walmart (was $299.99)
• $259.99 at Best Buy (was $349.99)
• $259.99 at Newegg (was $279.99)

FAQ

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