Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Microsoft is working to cut the file size of the basic Windows 10 install

By

An MSPower user reports that Microsoft is working on a trimmed-down version of Windows 10 as part of its next major release of the OS.

Recommended Videos

This stripped-down version of the OS is missing many of the basic features that Windows users have come to expect, such as wallpapers, drivers for CD drives, and apps such as RegEdit. At first glance, none of those apps are restricted so users could theoretically install them and use this as a normal version of Windows 10.

That being said, on Twitter, Lucan noted several issues with this version of Windows 10. When he tried to install Microsoft Office, he received an error, and the OS did not give him any details regarding the cause of this error.

Remember how we mentioned you would need to install CD/DVD drivers on this device? Well, since Windows 10 CloudE launches in S Mode, users will have to rely on the Edge browser to access the web. Unfortunately, it turns out that CloudE’s Edge browser is missing the download prompts making it impossible to download files such as drivers.

That being said, it is possible that these issues are simply bugs that Microsoft hasn’t sorted out yet. After all, CloudE has not yet been released so Microsoft is likely still making changes. For now, however, it remains rather unclear as to who this version of Windows 10 is meant for. We imagine even on low-powered devices most users would be better off sticking with S Mode or the standard version of Windows 10.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Eric Brackett
Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Microsoft backs off on pressuring Windows 10 users to upgrade
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Microsoft has announced that it will ease up the aggressive add tactic to get Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 after receiving negative backlash from users, as Windows Latest reports. There is no official word on whether stopping the full-screen multipage popups is permanent, but a plan to “share a new timeline in the coming months” was mentioned.

Windows 10 Home users saw these ads, but some Pro and Business users also saw them after rebooting their computers. Regardless of who saw them, the ads’ pause comes as the Windows 10 end-of-life date, October 14, 2025, approaches.

Read more
You definitely want to install these 90 Windows security patches
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

Microsoft has issued security updates to address 90 vulnerabilities, some of which hackers are actively exploiting, in a blog post yesterday. These flaws allow hackers to bypass security features and gain unauthorized access to your PC's system, highlighting the need to keep your Windows computer updated.

Nine are rated Critical, 80 of the flaws are rated Important, and only one is rated Moderate in severity. In addition, the software giant has patched 36 vulnerabilities in its Edge browser in the past month to avoid issues with its browser. Users will be happy to know that the patches are for six actively exploited zero-days, including CVE-2024-38213. This lets attackers bypass SmartScreen protections but requires the user to open a malicious file. TrendMicro's Peter Girnus, who discovered and reported the flaw, proposed it could be a workaround for CVE-2023-36025 or CVE-2024-21412 that DarkGate malware operators misused.

Read more
Microsoft is axing this seven-year-old Windows app
Someone using Paint 3D on a tablet with a stylus.

As spotted by Windows Central, Paint 3D will stop receiving updates and be removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4 of this year. Although it was once intended as a replacement for the classic Paint program, Paint 3D will be outlived by its predecessor and some of its best features have been transferred to the older app instead.

However, anyone who downloads Paint 3D before the cutoff date should be able to carry on using it past November.

Read more