Volume Activation
The latest Volume Activation coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
NVIDIA’s 610.82 hotfix fixes Halo RTX 50 stability, PoE 2 DX12 hitching just in time for early access
NVIDIA released a GeForce Hotfix Driver 610.82 that fixes stability issues in Halo: Campaign Evolved on RTX 50-series GPUs and long-session pauses in Path of Exile 2 DX12 mode. The hotfix arrives just as Halo’s early access starts on July 23, making it a critical download for affected players. Others should wait for the next WHQL-certified Game Ready driver.
Microsoft Now Blocks Emails Designed to Hijack Your AI Assistant
Microsoft now blocks prompt injection emails with Defender for Office 365, stopping hidden instructions that manipulate AI assistants before they reach inboxes. The automatic protection works during mail flow and classifies such messages as high-confidence phishing. IT teams should review AI agent permissions and update incident response plans.
How to Get a Free 5% Performance Boost (and 50% Battery Savings) in Windows 11
PCWorld’s testing reveals that Windows 11’s Power Mode, Storage Sense, and OneDrive settings have an outsized impact on everyday PC performance. A simple toggle can yield a free 5% speed boost or 50% battery savings, while proper cleanup and sync management prevent storage and bandwidth slowdowns. This guide explains how to configure all three for your hardware and workload.
Skip This Popular Windows Gaming ‘Boost’ — It Only Adds Heat, Not FPS
An analysis of AI-suggested Windows gaming settings reveals that while Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling and Game Mode can help, switching the power plan to ‘Best Performance’ is a mistake for most users. It increases heat and energy consumption without improving frame rates. The article provides clear, practical advice for gamers on which settings to enable and which to avoid.
Ubisoft drops a tiny PC hotfix to silence Black Flag Resynced’s stutter — here’s what it does
Ubisoft has released a tiny PC-only hotfix (1.0.5) to eliminate stuttering in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, targeting frame pacing issues that disrupted traversal and combat. The patch, clocking in at around 183 MB, focuses solely on stutter reduction and does not address other reported bugs like parkour glitches. While the fix appears to help many players, those still experiencing hitches can follow a step-by-step troubleshooting guide. The rapid update signals Ubisoft's attention to performance, but clear patch notes and further polish on movement remain needed.
Strip App Clutter from Windows 11's Right-Click Menu with This Free, Portable Tool
Windows 11 Context Menu Manager is a free, portable utility that lets users disable unwanted third‑party entries from the modern right‑click menu with simple toggles. It preserves Windows 11’s sleek design, avoids registry editing, and works per-user or system‑wide. The tool fills a gap Microsoft has left open since launch.
Samsung Foldables Now Transfer iPhone Passwords, Passkeys, and eSIMs with Android 17
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8, and Z Flip8 are the first non-Pixel devices to receive Android 17's expanded iPhone migration tool, which now transfers passwords, passkeys, eSIM profiles, Wi‑Fi credentials, and home‑screen layouts. This article explains what data moves, what doesn't, and provides a practical 10-step pre-switch checklist for iPhone owners considering a jump to Samsung's latest foldables.
Firefox 153 Unlocks HDR Video on Windows — Here’s What You Need to Know Before You Stream
Firefox 153 brings native HDR video playback to Windows for the first time, automatically passing through BT.2100 PQ and HLG signals when Windows HDR is enabled. While the feature closes a critical gap with Chromium browsers, it arrives without tone mapping, suffers from a known memory leak, and shows GPU-dependent quirks — users should verify their hardware and follow a setup checklist for the best experience.
A Windows 11 Setting Meant for Early Features Just Delivered a Dell-Only Patch to Millions
Windows 11’s “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle was meant to deliver new features faster, but a recent Dell-only emergency patch revealed it can also automatically install unnecessary, hardware-specific updates on any PC. Most users should turn the setting off to maintain a stable, predictable update cadence without losing security protections.
OpenCircuitX Gives Windows Users an All-in-One FPGA Workshop, No Command Line Needed
OpenCircuitX, a free and open-source platform for FPGA design, unites VHDL and Verilog editing, schematic visualization, waveform debugging, and a full build flow into a single Windows application. Released under the MIT license and built on the mature IceStorm and Trellis open toolchains, it aims to make FPGA development dramatically more accessible on Windows 10 and 11 for hobbyists, students, and engineers working with Lattice iCE40 and ECP5 devices.
Report: Apple’s OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro Will Stick With M5 Pro Chips
Apple's rumored OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro will reportedly use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips instead of the newer M6, according to a Bloomberg report. This twist, part of a sprawling Mac roadmap through 2027, means the redesigned laptop prioritizes display and touch over raw performance, creating a confusing product line where M5, M6, and M7 systems coexist. For Windows users, the move erodes a key differentiator while giving PC makers an opening to push newer chips.
Stop Switching Apps to Find Documents: OpenText's AI Bridges Content to Microsoft 365 Copilot
OpenText's Content Aviator connects governed documents to Microsoft 365 Copilot, Salesforce, and SAP assistants, eliminating the need for employees to manually switch apps to find content. For IT admins, it requires careful planning around sync models, permission mapping, and incremental rollout. The integration marks a shift toward making enterprise AI more context-aware without adding new interfaces.
CallTower's 2026 Innovation Award Highlights New Urgency for Teams-CX Convergence
CallTower and CEO Bret England have been recognized with a 2026 Innovation Excellence Award, spotlighting the company’s managed communications approach that unifies Microsoft Teams calling, cloud contact centers, and AI. For enterprise IT teams running Windows and Microsoft 365, the award signals a growing need to treat voice and customer engagement as a critical, integrated service layer rather than a collection of disconnected tools.