Your PC might not run Windows 11’s 26H1 update; Windows 10 Wrongly Displays an Out of Support Message; New Android Malware is Draining Bank Accounts… and more!
Every day, we scan the tech world for interesting news, sometimes from outside the tech world. Every Thursday, we feature news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s ‘Thursday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!
Please note that the tips, tricks, programs, and apps appearing in the articles below are not necessarily recommended by Cloudeight. Try at your own risk.
Your PC might not run Windows 11’s 26H1 update
It’s plausible, but still a rumor for now.
A new rumor suggests that Microsoft will offer a new Windows 11 26H1 feature release early next year — but chances are you won’t be able to get it.
According a to a rumor by noted tipster PhantomofEarth, Microsoft will treat the Windows 11 2026 releases in much the same way that it handled 2025: features will be rolled out in a Windows 11 26H1 release to PCs, but only “enabled” in the second half of the year as part of a Windows 11 26H2 release enablement package.
However, only a small subset of PCs will be able to test these new features, the tipster reports: People who own PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite or Elite Extreme chips inside.
The way Microsoft launches new features can be confusing. New features debut in one of four Windows 11 Insider channels, with the Developer and Canary channels dedicated to the more experimental features, and the Beta and Release Preview channels aligned towards testing features that will debut in the stable channel, aka the PC market at large.
Right now, all of the various features Microsoft tested in the first half of 2025 are being officially pushed out as part of Windows 11 25H2. But chances are that those features were quietly preloaded on your PC earlier in the year. So when we write about “turning on” the new Start menu in Windows 11 25H2, that means simply downloading a tiny “enablement” update that signals Windows that it’s time to turn on those 25H2 features. If Phantomofearth is correct, that’s the same way that Microsoft is going to handle Windows 11’s 2026 releases, too.
Moreover, what we thought was Microsoft scrambling to accommodate all of the delays associated with its Copilot+ features (such as Microsoft Recall) now appears more deliberate…
Microsoft admits that Windows 10 is wrongly telling users they’re out of support — here’s the fix
A Windows Update bug is causing Windows 10 users to see an error when they check for updates, even when enrolled into Microsoft’s extended support program.
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 PCs that have enrolled into the Extended Security Update (ESU) program might incorrectly be telling users that their PC is now out of support.
As of October 14, Windows 10 reached end of mainstream support. However, thanks to Microsoft’s ESU program, users can continue to safely use Windows 10 with security updates for at least one more year.
PCs that enroll into the program should continue to receive security updates, but a bug is causing Windows Update to display an error instead, telling users that Windows 10 has reached end of support.
When this error appears, it’s not possible to click the check for updates button. Luckily, Microsoft says that there’s nothing to be worried about, and that Windows Update will still successfully download and install the latest security updates as issued via the ESU program…
Dangerous new Android trojan is taking over phones and draining bank accounts — how to stay safe
Malware poses as trusted apps to trick users into downloading them
A new banking Trojan has been pretending to be legitimate apps, like digital ID apps or news readers, in order to trick victims into downloading it so that it can take over their devices and steal the logins for their financial accounts. According to researchers at Cyfirma, these Trojan-filled malicious apps are specifically targeting Android users who have banking and cryptocurrency apps installed.
The malware is not only capable of stealing sensitive financial data off infected devices, but it also works quietly in the background like an infostealer, so it can avoid detection and continue to steal data from victims after the initial heist. Once it’s enabled on one of the best Android phones, it can also take over a device and read whatever is on the screen, tap buttons and even fill in forms. Likewise, it uses fake login screens to perform overlay attacks on top of real banking and cryptocurrency apps in order to steal any usernames and passwords that are entered by the victim.
After an initial check to ensure that it’s running on a real phone, it will ask users for special permissions. Like other Android malware it abuses the operating system’s which Accessibility Services to do so which it says will help improve the app. However, this actually gives the hackers behind this banking trojan complete control over an infected device while also adding the malware as the device administrator app. This is a common malware tactic which is exactly why we caution against giving apps permissions that they don’t seem to need and why we say that checking the accessibility services section of your Android phone is a good way to detect potential malware….
Microsoft has started testing a new Copilot-powered search box on the Taskbar on Windows 11. It’s better in some ways, but worse in others. Let’s take a look.
Microsoft has released the first Windows 11 preview build that includes the company’s new upcoming Copilot powered Taskbar search box, which replaces the traditional Windows Search interface with a floating Copilot interface that houses both search results and AI chatbot capabilities.
I’ve had some hands-on time with the new experience, and this early implementation offers some interesting changes that streamline the searching UI while also promoting more Copilot AI use, for better or worse. Let’s get into it.
The first thing I noticed is a how the new UI feels quite polished in regard to interaction and animations. Clicking on the search box in the Taskbar dynamically shrinks it into an ellipsis animation, and a text box appears floating above the Taskbar where you can begin to type your search or chat query.
The interface itself is very fast and responsive, and typing into the box will begin to immediately surface results like it always has. Unlike the old Windows Search pane however, it doesn’t have two columns or the ability to filter between different search categories. It’s just one simplified list showing all the relevant things related to your query.
That means you no longer get unwanted internet search results in the list, instead prioritizing apps and files at the very top…
These 1990s Websites Are Still Alive And Waiting For You To Explore
The 1990s were a very long time ago, especially on the internet. Back then, the World Wide Web was new, and a lot of people didn’t know what to do with it. Most people didn’t have online access (only 14% of the U.S. population in 1995), and those who did were usually connecting via Ethernet cables through their phone lines. If you’re of a certain vintage, then the screeching sound of the dial-up internet connection will transport you right back to those times. Websites created back in the ’90s, like the first Apple.com homepage, might seem amateurish and clumsy compared to what we’re used to today. Although technical limitations play a big part in that, there are other reasons why old websites look the way they do. Back then, there were no established design conventions, and everything needed to be hand-coded. Even large companies were often unconvinced of the benefits of having a webpage, and the design was left to software engineers rather than the marketing team.
Not many websites from that era survive. Many — like Amazon and Coke — have been redesigned dozens of times since their early versions. Others just expired. Finding sites that still look and function like they did in the last century is basically a treasure hunt. Someone somewhere must still be paying for the domain. Sites that used static HTML rather than now-obsolete technologies are more likely to still work. However, just because the domain is there, it doesn’t mean it has all the security protocols that we’re now used to. Many of the sites on this list aren’t secure. If you click on them, you’ll get a warning message telling you that your connection isn’t private. You can override that message by selecting Advanced options, but you’re taking a risk by doing so. Proceed with caution.
Thanks for reading this week’s Thursday Newbytes. We hope these articles were informative, interesting, fun, and helpful.
