On the operating system's 45th anniversary, Microsoft has released the source code for 86-DOS 1.00, the first version of DOS for the IBM PC. The tech giant says that a dedicated team of historians and preservationists located, scanned, and transcribed the DOS-era source listing from Tim Paterson, the original creator of 86-DOS.

This listing includes the 86-DOS 1.00 kernel, development snapshots of the PC-DOS 1.00 kernel, and a few utilities you might recognize, including CHKDSK, offering an in-depth look at how DOS was created at the time.

Additionally, the listings take things a step further by including handwritten notes by Paterson, offering more context surrounding DOS' development, including timelines of changes, when features were implemented, and even errors and other issues. All of these artifacts will be on display at the Interim Computer Museum and have been donated by Paterson.

In 1980, Microsoft had the opportunity to build the operating system for IBM's PC, and then-CEO Bill Gates was tasked with delivering it on a tight timeline. Naturally, rather than develop an OS from scratch, Gates bought 86-DOS, also known as QDOS, from Seattle Computer Products and its creator, Tim Paterson, for roughly $75,000, setting Microsoft on the path to become the tech giant that it is today.

At the time, the OS ran on 160KB floppy disks and didn't feature hard-disk support, but it eventually became the foundation for what would eventually become MS-DOS, the dominant PC operating system of the 1980s and early 1990s. Before now, the earliest available versions of MS-DOS were 1.25 and 2.0.

"These releases are about making historically important systems software available for study, preservation, and plain ol’ curiosity," writes Microsoft's Stacey Haffner, the Director of Microsoft's OSPO and a developer advocate, and Scott Hanselman, VP and Member of Technical Staff at Microsoft/GitHub.

XDA

No more getting caught by a forced Windows 11 update while you're in the middle of a meeting or a match. Microsoft announced some major changes coming to Windows Update on its blog, including the ability to indefinitely pause Windows updates, 35 days at a time.

To give users more control, Windows Update introduced the option to extend update pauses as much as users want. Once you opted to pause updates for Windows 11, you won't be disturbed for 35 days at a time, but you can now reset this 35-day limit for as long as you want. You should eventually install these updates, as most of them are usually related to security upgrades and only sometimes require emergency fixes, but Microsoft is letting users decide when to do so. Microsoft's Aria Hanson wrote in the blog that these changes were a result of feedback that consistently mentioned "disruption caused by untimely updates and not enough control over when updates happen."

Beyond the update pauses, Microsoft is ensuring Windows 11 users always have the option to shut down or restart their devices without updating. These quality-of-life upgrades build on another recent change that allowed users to skip updates while setting up their new Windows devices. According to Microsoft, the latest Windows Updates features are currently rolling out to those enrolled in the Windows Insider program, specifically users in the Dev and Experimental Channels.

Engadget

amsung is putting the final nail in the coffin for its own messaging app. The smartphone maker posted an "End of Service Announcement" on its website, revealing that the Samsung Messages app will no longer be available by July of this year. Samsung also recommended that anyone still using Samsung Messages switch over to Google Messages as the default messaging app.

For Samsung Messages users in the US, the switch to Google offers RCS messaging that lets you send high-quality media, join group chats and get real-time typing indicators no matter the smartphone's OS. Galaxy smartphone owners may lose out on some of the Samsung Messages customization options, but Google Messages will make up for it generative AI from Gemini that can remix your photos in chats. On top of those features, Google Messages makes it easier for Samsung users to switch chats between a smartphone, tablet or smartwatch.

It's no surprise that Samsung is only using Google Messages from now on, since it has been phasing out Samsung Messages for a few years now. Dating back to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, and then followed by the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung stopped preloading the Samsung Messages app and instead pre-installed the Google Messages app. The Samsung Messages app is still available on the Galaxy Store, but Samsung said the exact final date will eventually be announced on the app itself.

Engadget

Microsoft issued another out-of-band update to fix a bug that caused Outlook to crash for Windows 11 users. This second emergency patch addresses issues seen with Outlook and files stored in the cloud following Microsoft's January 2026 Windows security update.

According to Microsoft, this update fixes a bug where some apps that "open or save files stored in cloud-backed locations" became unresponsive or displayed error messages. Some users also experienced Outlook crashing or not opening when PST files are stored in cloud-based options like OneDrive.

This is the second time this year that Microsoft had to issue a last-minute fix for bugs related to its January security update. Last week, some Windows 11 devices couldn't shut down or hibernate, while other devices running Windows 10 or 11 couldn't log in through remote connections. For more context, Microsoft only issues out-of-band updates when there's a serious issue that can't wait until its regular update cycle. Fortunately, the latest out-of-band update is cumulative, so you only need to download and install this one to fix the issues seen with the January update.

Engadget

WhatsApp has announced a bunch of new features right in time for the holiday season, and the most notable addition is something that the company thinks “will make voicemails a thing of the past.” In reality, it works much like traditional voicemails, with the added convenience of leaving a video message after missed video calls.

In a blog post, WhatsApp explains that users can now leave a voice or video message after missed calls, depending on the call type. Users on the receiving end can listen to these messages later on with just a tap. In addition to the new voicemail feature, WhatsApp is adding support for reactions in voice chats and a spotlight feature for group calls that prioritizes the speaker to help others easily follow along.

WhatsApp has improved Meta AI’s image generation capabilities using models from Midjourney and Flux, so users should “notice huge improvements when creating annual holiday greetings to share in your chats or status.” The messaging app has also introduced a new feature that lets users animate photos using Meta AI.

Furthermore, the company has introduced a new media tab on desktop. This feature was first spotted in a beta release last month, and it’s finally making its way to the stable channel. The tab lets users search through shared documents, links, and media from all chats in one place.

Other improvements include updated link previews in chats, new interactive stickers for Status, and support for questions in Channels to help admins better engage with audiences. Although WhatsApp doesn’t say exactly when these new features and improvements will reach users, the messenger’s App Store listing states shorter link previews and the spotlight feature for group video calls will roll out over the coming weeks.

Digital Trends

For a while now, it’s been possible to right-click on a file in Windows File Explorer and select the Ask Copilot option, which launches the Copilot app with the file in question as part of the prompt. But it seems this isn’t enough for Microsoft.

According to Windows Latest, a new feature called “Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot” is currently being planned for a future release. Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot will appear in the Home tab of File Explorer as a new option when you hover over individual files.

This option will apparently be better optimized for Office files, offering better results overall. All users will be able to access this feature regardless of chip type (Intel, AMD, Snapdragon).

On top of that, Copilot+ PCs will also gain a new AI feature called “Universal Writing Assistant” that appears as a pop-up when interacting with text fields on web pages. The assistant will be able to proofread, correct errors, and even rewrite entire chunks of text.

The new features are currently being tested, so expect them to be launched after the end of the year.

PCWorld