Assistants Api
The latest Assistants Api coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Motherboard Detective: Why You Should Ditch WMIC for PowerShell on Windows 11 and 10
Microsoft's deprecated WMIC tool is vanishing from Windows 11 and 10, making the modern Get-CimInstance PowerShell command the reliable way to identify your motherboard model. A Neowin guide shows how System Information and PowerShell retrieve firmware-stored details without opening the PC, highlighting the critical difference between baseboard and system model to avoid BIOS bricking. Users should abandon WMIC now and adopt the CIM workflow for consistent, safe hardware checks.
PowerShell Command Instantly Reveals Your Motherboard Model on Windows 11 — No Screwdriver Required
A single PowerShell command can instantly retrieve your motherboard's manufacturer, model, and revision from Windows 11's firmware data, making manual inspections or BIOS hunting unnecessary. This method, which also works on Windows 10, replaces the deprecated WMIC utility and provides a modern, scriptable way to gather critical hardware details for upgrades, support tickets, or BIOS updates.
WMIC’s Final Days: How to Identify Your Motherboard in Windows 11 After Microsoft’s Big Change
WMIC, the command‑line tool many users rely on to find motherboard details, is being removed from Windows 11. Current clean installs of versions 24H2 and 25H2 already lack it, and complete removal is scheduled for the upcoming feature update. This article explains the change, why it matters, and how to get the same hardware information using System Information or PowerShell's Get-CimInstance cmdlet.
PowerShell 7.4 LTS Countdown: Why Bypassing 7.5 Is the Only Smart Move
PowerShell 7.4 LTS and the non-LTS 7.5 release both reach end of support on November 10, 2026, leaving a direct upgrade to PowerShell 7.6 LTS as the only supported path. This article explains what changed, who it impacts, the timeline that led to this overlap, and a practical four‑phase approach to migrate production workloads without breaking automation.
Windows 11 25H2 Pulls WMIC: How to Scrub Your Systems Before It’s Too Late
Windows 11 25H2 disables the WMIC command-line utility by default, breaking scripts and automations that still rely on it. While admins can temporarily reinstall the feature, Microsoft plans to remove it completely in a future release. Organizations must scan for hidden dependencies, migrate to PowerShell CIM, test applications, and audit deployment images before widespread rollout.
UniGetUI 2026.2.4 Rapidly Fixes Vanished WinGet Sources—Don’t Skip This Patch
Devolutions released UniGetUI 2026.2.4, a hotfix for the 2026.2.3 update that broke WinGet package sources. The NativeAOT compilation caused packages to disappear from the interface. The fix restores functionality and adds stability improvements, while retaining the performance gains of the previous release. Users should update immediately to avoid update blind spots.
How to Update Every Windows App with One Command (and Why You Might Not Want To)
Microsoft's built-in WinGet tool can update most Windows apps with a single command, but it comes with significant caveats. This guide explains how to use `winget upgrade --all` safely, the limitations around version detection and package sources, and how home users, power users, and IT administrators can incorporate it into their maintenance routines without breaking critical applications or silently accepting risky agreements.
UniGetUI's Big Performance Boost Just Broke Package Sources—Here's the One-Click Fix
UniGetUI 2026.2.3 introduced significant performance improvements but broke WinGet source visibility, PowerShell installation scope, and NativeAOT startup. Hotfix 2026.2.4 released the next day repairs all three regressions. Everyday users, power users, and admins should update immediately to restore full functionality and enjoy the speed gains without disruption.
Forget Manual Updates: How Microsoft’s Winget One-Liner Can Refresh Your Apps in Seconds
Microsoft’s built-in WinGet package manager lets Windows users update thousands of apps with a single `winget upgrade --all` command. This article explains how it works, its limitations, and step-by-step guidance for home users, power users, and IT admins to streamline software maintenance securely and efficiently.
UniGetUI’s NativeAOT switch: Why your Windows package manager just got snappier
UniGetUI 2026.2.3 arrived on July 14 with NativeAOT enabled by default, promising faster launch times and lower memory usage. The update also smooths scrolling, reduces GPU animations, fixes window-resize bugs, and adds manual operation control. Home users get a snappier experience, while IT admins should test the new build before broad deployment.
WSL's New 32MB Reserve Prevents Total Freezes During Runaway Workloads
Microsoft has added a 32 MiB memory and 0.01 CPU reserve in WSL 2 to prevent the entire Linux session from freezing during out-of-memory events. The change, built on cgroup v2, ensures that a runaway workload can crash itself without taking down WSL's critical infrastructure, saving developers from forced shutdowns and lost work.
Windows 11 Can Now Create 7z and RAR Files—Here’s How to Use Its New Archive Tools
Windows 11's built-in archive tools have quietly evolved far beyond the old ZIP folder. Thanks to updates first introduced in KB5039302 and refined in version 24H2, you can now create 7z, RAR, and TAR archives directly from File Explorer, alongside traditional ZIP files. This guide explains what changed, what it means for home users and IT professionals, and how to put the expanded toolkit to work—with or without third-party software.
HackerNoon’s 58 Most-Read Bash Posts Are a Goldmine for WSL Users—If You Avoid the Traps
HackerNoon's Learn Repo published a ranked list of 58 Bash articles on July 12, 2026, sorted by reader engagement rather than technical review. For Windows users running WSL, the collection offers a discovery tool for scripting patterns and automation ideas, but outdated guides and the popularity-based ranking demand cautious, informed use. The article explains what's inside, who it's for, and how to safely integrate these resources into a modern WSL workflow.