Microsoft

Microsoft has unveiled full details of the next big Windows 10 update, dubbed the May 2020 Update. Users can manually download it right now, though that might seem unwise option for the average home user in due to any unreported bugs in the ... software. The May 2020 Update is one of the two major updates this year that introduce new features, rather than making minor tweaks or fixing security bugs. Five years into the initial release of Windows 10, and it appears that the threshold for "major" changes appears to be getting lower. The May 2020 Update really only has two completely new features to ... (view more)

Continuing what's almost become a tradition, the latest Windows 10 update has brought a string of reported problems. Microsoft says it is unclear how widespread many of them are, but has confirmed some users can no longer get online. The ... confirmation comes on Microsoft's support page for the update, which has the reference number KB4556799. The Internet connectivity problem is with users who have a wireless wide area network (WWAN) LTE modem. Specifically: anyone that uses mobile broadband for Internet might be affected. To make things worse, Microsoft says the notification area on the ... (view more)

Windows 10 has been hit by another bug affecting the search function. Fortunately it seems the problem looks much worse than it really is. The bug in question pops up for some users when they use Windows Search, which looks through both the names of ... files and the contents of documents. Users have reported a range of unusual effects, the most common being a message reading "This is taking too long to load" above a reload button. In most cases it seems hitting the reload button - or indeed restarting either the search tool or Windows itself - doesn't make any difference. What's particularly ... (view more)

Microsoft is rethinking its plans for a completely new version of Windows 10. It's no longer going to target "Windows 10X" at dual-screen devices for the simple reason that not many people are interested about such devices right now. Windows 10X was ... originally designed to be a separate system to the widely used Windows 10. The idea was to get ahead of the game with fold-out laptops that have a touchscreen on both halves of the fold, rather than a screen and physical keyboard. Such devices are designed to give users a large screen space and a more practical way to have multiple windows open in ... (view more)

Older computers might feel a little faster after the next major Windows 10 update. That's because Windows 10 is going to get a bit smarter in the way it powers its search tool. Windows 10's Start Menu (accessed by clicking the Windows logo at the ... bottom left of the screen) includes a search box that doesn't just search the names of files, but also their content. Since the system's release, an update means it will now searches all files on the C drive - not just those in specific libraries such as "Documents" or "Downloads." File Indexing Takes a Toll To ... (view more)

Microsoft is delaying its end of support for machines running older versions of Windows 10. It's the latest alteration made because of people working from home. The change affects any computers that haven't been updated since the big twice-yearly ... update in October 2018, formally known as version 1709 for business users and 1809 for home users. It might seem odd that some people are running those versions given the option to automatically have Windows update regularly. However, it's also understandable that some people might have been put off updating at that point as the October 2018 update ... (view more)

Windows 10 users will soon get slightly clearer notifications when an update is ready. They will also get a reminder of the risks of updating a laptop running on battery power. The notifications will appear in the Windows 10 Action Center, located ... at the bottom right of the screen. Scheduling Updates Easier As well as telling users an update is ready, it will give the chance to click on one of three options. Two options are already familiar: to update immediately ("Restart Now") and to delay the update until later that night ("Restart Tonight"). The latter option simply reschedules for an ... (view more)

Microsoft has fixed a Windows 10 bug that meant some users, particularly those running VPNs or proxy servers, couldn't get online. It's an optional update designed only for those who experienced the problem. The bug came to light last week, which ... was about as bad timing as it gets given the increase in the number of people now working from home. As is now a familiar issue, it seems to have been introduced by a previous update to Windows 10. The problem appears to have affected people running either proxy servers or virtual private networks. Though they use different techniques, both are ... (view more)

Microsoft is switching to a "security updates only" model for Windows from May until further notice. The idea is to limit the risk of creating bugs while many people are working from home without IT support staff. The change affects what are known ... internally at Microsoft as C and D updates. Those roll out on the third and fourth week of the month and contain previews and testing of new features that are planned for a main release the following month. Microsoft will continue with the B update on the second Tuesday of each month, unofficially known as Patch Tuesday. However, this will now only ... (view more)

Microsoft is changing the options for how Windows 10 computers share data for diagnostic purposes. It's ditching one option and renaming the others, though no PC will start reporting data without the user's permission. The diagnostic data program is ... where computers send information to Microsoft about their activity and any problems. The idea is to help Microsoft spot any bugs as well as assess how widely features are used and thus which are most worthy of further maintenance and development. Some User Control Because there's an obvious tension between improving Windows 10 and addressing ... (view more)