Microsoft has shipped Visual Studio Code 1.136.1 as a hotfix release. The update addresses updated default prompts identified during the release candidate phase.
Visual Studio Code 1.136 ships today, introducing the Agent Host, a dedicated process that isolates AI agents from the extension host so sessions persist across window closures and multiple windows can sync to a single session. Microsoft is also releasing the open Agent Host Protocol (AHP), enabling third-party harnesses like the Copilot SDK and Claude Agent SDK to integrate with a unified interface while unlocking preview features such as Agent Merge for automated PR resolution. The update adds remote agent execution over SSH and dev tunnels, multi-root workspace support for agents, and a redesigned Agents window with chat hierarchies and a unified input field.
FluentCleaner 26.08.03 dropped today, bringing a full-featured Cookie Manager and surgical browser cleaning to Windows users. Developer Belim split the build into a modern WinUI edition running on .NET 10 and a lightweight Classic edition that ships at just 3.57 MB. The tool relies on a community-maintained winapp2.ini database containing over 4,000 auditable cleaning rules, positioning it as a direct spiritual successor to the classic CCleaner era. With no registry cleaner, no secure deletion bloat, and a funding model built entirely on donations, the project offers a privacy-focused alternative free of upsells and dark patterns.
Belim has released CrapFixer 2.01.41, a stabilization patch for the major v2.0 rewrite of his free, open-source Windows debloating utility. The new build replaces hardcoded registry tweaks with a database-driven Wintweak2.ini engine, letting the app scan your system first and dynamically generate a "Fix N issues" button based on actual findings. Built on WinForms and .NET Framework 4.8, the tool offers optional AI explanations, JSON-based localization, and a scan-first workflow that strips ads, telemetry, and preinstalled junk without corporate upsells. Funded entirely through donations and stripped of older abandoned projects, Belim confirmed CrapFixer is his final Windows tweaking app, packing it with a community-extensible architecture and a heavily privacy-focused design.
Visual Studio Code 1.135 launches the Agent Host Protocol, an open standard that transforms the editor into a universal runtime for AI agents and allows coding sessions to move seamlessly between applications. The release introduces "Rubber Duck," an experimental feature where complementary models review each other's work, closing 74.7% of the performance gap to flagship models on SWE-Bench Pro. External Agent Sessions now let developers resume work started in other tools, though continuing these sessions typically requires a Copilot subscription. Microsoft has also rolled back the sandboxing rollout for local agents to zero percent as it shifts engineering focus to the new host infrastructure and a new single-pane default layout.
After eight months of silence, CrapFixer has returned with a complete codebase rewrite that replaces hardcoded logic with a dynamic INI-based signature engine. The new .NET 4.8 architecture lets power users add fresh registry tweaks on the fly without recompiling, while automatic backups and graceful admin elevation keep the process safely under control. An optional AI layer now pulls from Groq, OpenAI, and Anthropic to explain what each modification does, though it deliberately never touches the actual registry operations. Developed solo by Belim and sustained entirely by community donations, the MIT-licensed tool remains a practical, open-source answer to persistent Windows bloatware and telemetry concerns.
Visual Studio Code 1.134 has been released today and draws a hard line under how Microsoft handles AI agents inside its editor. The headline change is the new Agent Host process, which pulls autonomous work out of the extension host and runs it as a standalone service governed by an open protocol. This architectural shift unlocks multi-window session sharing, remote execution, and independent lifecycles that work across Copilot, Claude, and Codex adapters without competing for extension resources. You'll also get a grid layout for side-by-side chats, a prompt timeline in the transcript gutter, and a few long-requested editor conveniences like Alt+click tab closing.
Visual Studio Code 1.133 introduces a dedicated Agent Host process that decouples AI agents from the editor, enabling shared multi-window sessions and remote execution. Microsoft pairs this architectural shift with an open Agent Host Protocol (AHP) spec, positioning the communication layer alongside LSP and DAP to support extensible third-party tooling. The update also delivers developer-friendly features like mixed Anthropic and Copilot model switching in Claude sessions, an experimental toggle to skip GitHub sign-in, and auto-reloading HTML in the integrated browser. The update is now rolling out to Windows, macOS, and Linux, with early testing available through the Insiders build.
Microsoft released Visual Studio Code 1.132.1 on Tuesday to address seven security vulnerabilities across the Chat, Terminal, Electron, and network subsystems. The patch arrives just six days after the feature-rich 1.132 release, which introduced a major architectural shift via the new Agent Host Protocol. Critical remote code execution flaws were patched in the integrated browser and web URL payloads, while four additional fixes target the expanding AI agent attack surface. Users should force a check for updates immediately to secure their development environment.
NanaZip developer Kenji Mouri published both the stable NanaZip 6.5 Update (6.5.1800.0) and the preview candidate NanaZip 7.0 Preview (7.0.1800.0) on August 6, 2026. Both builds share identical upstream code, with the 7.0 Preview incorporating all 6.5 fixes while serving as the development branch toward the next major version. This release marks the first "Update" revision of the 6.5 line and introduces a reformed versioning scheme designed to cut down on excessive update tags, alongside new security patches for CVE-2026-58052. Mouri also referenced "NanaZip Technical Focus" issue #913, outlining a roadmap centered on upstream synchronization, architecture refactoring, and a cadence of roughly one major stable version per year alongside his day job.
Microsoft has released Visual Studio Code 1.132, doubling down on its transformation from a code editor into an AI agent orchestration platform with four headline features. The update brings the long-awaited Agent Host architecture to a smoother stable rollout, allowing Copilot, Claude, and Codex to run in isolated processes while /btw side chats and element-level browser annotations redefine how developers interact with AI workflows. On-device multilingual dictation now leverages Microsoft's open-source Nemotron 3.5 model, keeping audio data local and adapting to shell syntax in real time. Meanwhile, seven community pull requests address persistent memory leaks, and the Python Environments extension finally reaches 100% default rollout.
RetroBar 1.22 has arrived, bringing long-requested features like input language switching, notification tray drag-reordering, and a toggleable blur effect to the popular Windows taskbar replacement. The update marks a significant infrastructure shift, migrating the project from .NET 6 to .NET 10 to deliver performance improvements and better hardware acceleration across Windows 7 through 11. Community engagement remains robust with 19 contributors and eight new languages added, expanding localization support to over 45 languages in total. Users can download the unsigned installer or portable build from the GitHub repository, and a new Discord server has launched for community support and theme sharing.
Devolutions just dropped UniGetUI v2026.2.7, a maintenance patch arriving just two days after the previous update to keep pace with the project's weekly release cadence. The refresh brings configurable environment variable syntax for install paths, clickable operation cards that open live logs directly, and the return of the desktop shortcut prompt that went missing in an earlier release. Developers also squashed a text input bug blocking immersive dialogs during multi-step wizards and rolled out several localization fixes following the recent WinUI-to-Avalonia migration. You can grab the ~27 MB portable build via winget install marticliment.UniGetUI or pull it directly from the GitHub releases page.
Devolutions released UniGetUI v2026.2.6, landing a polish-heavy update that refreshes the interface with WinUI-inspired overlays and adds CSV export for installed packages and available updates. The release marks four months of active stewardship since the company acquired the project, focusing on visual parity with Windows 11, richer operation history tracking, and smarter settings management. Real-world pain points take priority in this cycle, with targeted fixes for WinGet update loops, PowerShell scope mismatches, silent install location overrides, embedded web content memory leaks, and background UAC prompts. For users juggling WinGet, Scoop, Chocolatey, Homebrew, and dozens of other package managers, v2026.2.6 delivers the kind of day-to-day friction reduction that signals a truly mature open-source tool.
Visual Studio Code 1.131 drops on MS Build 2026 day, bringing built-in dictation, deeper subagent visibility, and a hybrid Markdown editor to the Stable channel. Native voice input now runs Microsoft's offline Nemotron model across chat, editors, and the terminal on Windows, Linux, and Apple Silicon Macs, removing the need for third-party extensions. Python Environments flips to default after hitting its rollout target, while agent workflows get better observability through a new parent-conversation overlay that tracks active subagents. Several features land behind experimental flags and platform restrictions, marking an incremental but meaningful shift toward voice-driven development and agent observability.
Simplewall v3.9.1 is a maintenance pre-release published by developer Henry++ on 22 July 2026 that addresses critical regressions introduced by the v3.9 major update one day prior. The build resolves a notification loop where svchost.exe triggered popups every ten seconds and eliminates IGMP spam by adding an IsExcludeInbound configuration option to suppress alerts from Windows' own WFP filters. New traffic statistics now display download and upload speeds plus total bytes for TCP connections in the Connections tab, following a contributed pull request. Users experiencing the v3.9 notification regressions should update, though the pre-release tag suggests waiting for a stable build for general production environments.
Visual Studio Code 1.130 introduces the Agent Host Protocol, decoupling AI agent sessions from individual editor windows so they can run simultaneously across multiple panes. The new process model brings worktree isolation to Claude and Codex harnesses, aligns the Copilot SDK with its standalone products, and adds AI-gated risk evaluation to slash manual approval prompts. Beyond the agent overhaul, Microsoft bundles TypeScript 7 into the repository, patches terminal diff link resolution for mnemonic prefixes, and surfaces aggregate AI credit usage for Copilot Business and Enterprise teams. You can opt into the new architecture starting today by flipping chat.agentHost.enabled in your settings.
Simplewall 3.9 landed on GitHub as a pre-release build on July 21, 2026, delivering a suite of feature updates to the decade-old WFP-based firewall that now sits at 8,600 stars. The release bumps the rule expression limit to 1,024 symbols, sharpens loopback filtering to cut false blocks on local services, and adds environment variable support for portable profile paths. Henry++ also shipped memory optimizations that resolve crashes on Windows 11 24H2, refined the dark theme, and enabled network address resolution by default.
Open-Shell Menu 4.4.200 arrives as a new nightly build, bringing its first digitally signed binaries to eliminate Windows SmartScreen warnings during installation. The update also adds support for Automatic Restart Sign-On and patches a broken "properties" command in the Start Menu search. Maintained by volunteers, the classic Start Menu restorer continues to bridge compatibility gaps across Windows 7 through 11.
Visual Studio Code 1.129.1 arrives as a quick patch following the architecture-overhauling 1.129 release, which restructures AI agents into a dedicated background process called the Agent Host. This new design isolates Copilot, Claude, and Codex workloads, enables session sharing across multiple editor windows, and introduces multi-agent orchestration tools alongside BYOK model support. The update also brings a new docked editor panel, an ! command prefix for instant terminal execution, and official GitHub Enterprise authentication for the agent host. As Microsoft continues its rapid weekly release cycle, 1.129.1 focuses on patching regressions and stabilizing the experimental modern UI while rolling out these foundational changes to all supported platforms.
