If you’re not already using it, Windows Phone Link is an increasingly useful tool for Android users who own PCs. In addition to notification, text, and call synchronization, earlier this year, Microsoft enabled us to use our phones as webcams — helpful if you have an old laptop with a poor quality cam but not exactly essential. However, the latest integration of Android files directly into Windows File Explorer without the need for a wire is a feature I’m wondering how I ever lived without.

Linking your Android phone to File Explorer does exactly what you’d expect: your smartphone files are listed within Windows File Explorer, seamlessly integrated alongside regular PC files, OneDrive, and any other storage you might have attached. While previously that was only possible over USB, this new implementation uses Phone Link to manage everything wirelessly. You can open your phone’s files, copy from Android to PC and vice versa, and rename, move, and delete files all over the air.

Opinion post by

Robert Triggs

If you’ve tuned into Computex this week, the headline act has been the debut of numerous Windows on Arm laptops powered by Qualcomm’s long-awaited Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus platforms. You might not think it based on the launch hype, but this exclusive collaboration between Microsoft and Qualcomm to bring Arm energy efficiency to Windows is actually entering its seventh year. Finally, the long-touted (if not a tad overblown) benefits of leaving x86 behind seem to have arrived.

I’ve dipped my toes into the Arm project on a couple of occasions. First with 2018’s Lenovo Mixx 630 powered by 2017’s flagship smartphone-class Snapdragon 835 processor. Performance was pretty poor for laptop use cases, with sluggish multi-tasking and poor emulation of non-Arm-based applications. The ecosystem of native Arm apps was absolutely rubbish back then, severely limiting the platform’s appeal. I still have this little 2-in-1 around, but it’s such a slog to use that it’s sat collecting dust. Still, those were the early days, and Windows on Arm would eventually improve.

Microsoft’s Windows has just arrived at a crossroads. The status quo is being challenged by a mainstream move into the Arm architecture and a heavy push for AI as a major feature of Microsoft’s software ecosystem. But while these Copilot Plus laptop features sound exciting, our admittedly short hands-on with Recall suggests many are only skin deep. What Windows really needs to maximize the potential of this pivotal shift is a more substantial software refresh. Yes, those control panel/settings duplications are already well documented (and should be fixed); what I’m talking about is a more fundamental revamp of the core focus of the Windows OS. About the level of what Microsoft wanted to do with Windows 8, only much better and suited to next-gen devices that consumers actually want.

The problem is that such a move could fundamentally shift Windows to a more walled-garden Apple-style approach rather than the (mostly) Android-esque openness that has fostered a platform diverse enough to cater to both gamers and professionals at once. I’m not even sure it’s something I really want, but sitting on the fence isn’t going to move the platform forward.

For the past few weeks, the tech world has been discussing a controversial new Windows feature called Recall. This feature — which is not out yet but has been previewed by the press and select researchers — takes a snapshot of your Windows system every few seconds. These screenshots can then be searched using AI so you can copy text, download images, or simply look at what you were doing at a specific time so you can recreate that particular situation.

Now, due to public backlash to what appears to be an invasive and insecure product, Microsoft has announced a response to this controversy. In a lengthy blog post, the company lays out three core changes it is making to Recall:

Windows on Arm has been around for over half a decade at this point, but we’ve only seen a handful of devices launch in that time. However, this year is increasingly looking like an inflection point. Over the past few days at Computex 2024, we saw Qualcomm and Microsoft join hands with hardware partners like Dell and Asus to launch a flurry of new Snapdragon X-powered PCs. While that’s already a significant uptick over previous years, the industry may have even more in store for the remainder of 2024.

According to WinFuture, Microsoft and Qualcomm are busy gearing up for a significant expansion in the Windows on Arm device portfolio. A Qualcomm representative has suggested that OEMs are planning a second wave of launches for August and September of this year. Like the Surface Pro 11 and other devices announced so far, these upcoming PCs will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus SoCs.

Microsoft has been embracing AI and deeply integrating it into its products. It recently unveiled the Copilot Plus PCs, and now it’s baking its artificial smarts further into the Windows software. The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build on the Canary Channel adds AI-generated replies to the Phone Link for Android app and tweaks the Copilot shortcut on some machines.

Security updates are critical for modern operating systems, fixing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by bad actors. But it turns out that a recent security update for Windows broke key functionality.

Microsoft has confirmed (h/t: Bleeping Computer) that the April security update for Windows broke VPN functionality. This issue affects Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2008 and newer.

Windows 12 is still quite some time away, as Microsoft continues to bless Windows 11 with feature updates. Microsoft has announced what is being called the “Moment 5” optional update with improvements to Copilot, Generative Erase in the Photos app, Silence removal in Clipchamp, improved window snapping, and more.

Copilot in Windows gets new plugins and skills

If you’ve ever interacted with the Linux command line, you’re likely familiar with the sudo command, short for “super user do.” This command allows you to execute actions with elevated privileges, essentially running it as root. This is necessary for system administration tasks inaccessible to regular users without the required privileges. As an administrator, you can configure sudo to be accessible only to you, preventing others from using it.

Excitingly, Microsoft has recently announced the introduction of sudo for Windows. This isn’t a third-party addition; it’s built directly into the Windows operating system. At the time of writing, you’ll need an insider build starting with build 26052 to access this feature. Over time, this will gradually roll out to the beta channel and eventually to mainstream users. The version of Windows you’ll need to enable this feature will depend on when you’re reading this article.

But what does sudo for Windows allow? In this post, I’ll guide you through enabling sudo and using it to run commands with elevated privileges. Also feel free to check out the video on the topic above.

How to enable sudo for Windows

Sudo for Windows isn’t operational by default. Here’s how to enable sudo for Windows:

1. Navigate to the Start Menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select System.
4. Scroll down to For developers.
5. Find the option to Enable sudo and toggle it on.

Be aware that running the sudo command could potentially expose your device and personal data to security risks.

Once sudo is enabled, you must open a PowerShell window using the Windows Terminal. Now, if you entersudo dir, this will execute the dir command with elevated privileges.

How to adjust sudo for Windows configuration

By default, when you run sudo, it launches in a separate window. To change this, return to the Settings where you enabled sudo and adjust the configuration under Configure how sudo runs applications in a new window. There are three options available. The first means there’s no input coming into it, and the second runs it inline, which I prefer. Once you’ve adjusted this setting to inline, you can return to the terminal and try again. Now, when you run sudo dir, it will execute within the window, similar to the experience on Linux.

Interestingly, you can also adjust this configuration using the command line. To force a new window, you’ll need to enter sudo config --enable force New Window. It’s essential that “New Window” is capitalized. To execute this command, you must be an administrator. You’ll need to enter sudo before the command, making it sudo sudo. To revert to the inline setting, simply type sudo sudo normal.

What can sudo for Windows do?

Let’s explore a couple of examples. Using sudo for Windows, you can now run applications with elevated privileges. For instance, if you want to run Notepad with these privileges, you can do so. This can be particularly useful when you need to edit a configuration file that requires administrator rights.

Another practical example is creating a directory in a location that requires elevated privileges. For instance, if you navigate to cd\ cd "program files" and attempt to create a directory named zob, you’ll be denied access. However, if you enter sudo mkdir zob you’ll be able to create the directory. The same applies to removing the directory with rmdir zob. Any task requiring administrative rights or elevated privileges can now be executed from the command line using sudo.

If you’ve ever interacted with the Linux command line, you’re likely familiar with the sudo command, short for “super user do.” This command allows you to execute actions with elevated privileges, essentially running it as root. This is necessary for system administration tasks inaccessible to regular users without the required privileges. As an administrator, you can configure sudo to be accessible only to you, preventing others from using it.

Excitingly, Microsoft has recently announced the introduction of sudo for Windows. This isn’t a third-party addition; it’s built directly into the Windows operating system. At the time of writing, you’ll need an insider build starting with build 26052 to access this feature. Over time, this will gradually roll out to the beta channel and eventually to mainstream users. The version of Windows you’ll need to enable this feature will depend on when you’re reading this article.