Microsoft

Mon
28
Feb
John Lister's picture

'Windows 12 On The Way' Story Proves Shaky

Reports that Microsoft is already working on Windows 12 appear to be little more than a joke that got out of hand. The reports trace back to a Twitter post by a security blogger. Check out Google News or other aggregation sites and you'll find a ... wide range of tech websites of varying credibility running headlines about Windows 12 being in development now, soon or "next month." Many of them reference a post from German site Deskmodder, which gives the March date and says Microsoft is recruiting staff. It gives some extra detail, though it doesn't make a lot of sense through automated ... (view more)

Fri
25
Feb
John Lister's picture

Microsoft Steps Up Nagging To Win11 Upgraders

Microsoft is testing another new way to nag users running Windows 11 on unsupported devices. It's another development in the company's dilemma over user upgrades. As we've previously covered, the upgrade requirements for Windows 11 have proven a ... sore point for many users. Many relatively recent machines that run Windows 10 fine don't make the cut, even though the changes in Windows 11 are largely about the user interface. Related: Some Windows 11 Users Must 'Sign' Disclaimer MS Gives More Detail On Windows 11 Compatibility Trusted Platform Module Required for Windows 11 In particular, many ... (view more)

Mon
14
Feb
John Lister's picture

Microsoft Nags Windows 11 Upgraders

Microsoft is testing a warning message for users running Windows 11 on unsupported machines. It's the first time such a warning has appeared after an upgrade rather than before. The situation with upgrades to Windows 11 has been complicated to say ... the least. Microsoft originally annoyed many users by insisting the upgrade was only available for machines with certain specifications and features. Some of these, such as a hardware component called a Trusted Protection Module (TPM v2.0), aren't on even some recently-manufactured PCs. Microsoft later clarified that "incompatible" machines can be ... (view more)

Thu
10
Feb
John Lister's picture

MS to Force Win10 Update, Regardless of Settings

Microsoft will forcibly upgrade some Windows 10 computers, even where automatic updates are switched off. The upgrade is between Windows 10 editions rather than to Windows 11. The move is designed to reduce the number of machines running unsupported ... editions of Windows 10 , something that could increase security risks as well as mean more people experiencing performance problems. In simple terms, Windows 10 gets two major updates each year and Microsoft usually supports the three most recent. Put another way, the longest users can go at a time without getting the latest update but still ... (view more)

Wed
09
Feb
John Lister's picture

Microsoft: Don't Switch Off PC At Night

Microsoft has warned users may need to leave computers on overnight to be sure of getting all security updates. It raises questions about how efficiently the update process works. The warning comes in a company blog aimed at IT professionals, though ... the findings also apply to the general public. Whether to leave devices running is a particular issue in offices where it would make sense from a power use perspective to get staff to shut down their machines at the end of the working day, particularly if it's only used for around eight hours a day. Microsoft says it's been investigating what may ... (view more)

Fri
24
Dec
John Lister's picture

Microsoft 'PowerTools' Make Windows Easier

Microsoft has a bunch of potentially-useful Windows 10 and 11 tools available to install. Rather oddly though, they aren't part of the Windows Update system. Instead users must manually download and install the "PowerToys" tools from independent ... software site GitHub. While that site is generally safe, users can follow the link from Microsoft's powertoys page to make sure they get the latest edition. The package includes 11 tools which generally offer simple solutions to very specific problems. Many are based on the work of independent developers. Find Your Mouse Easily Mouse utilities is ... (view more)

Tue
21
Dec
John Lister's picture

MS Office 2019 Pirates Get 365 Discount

Microsoft appears to be offering discounts on legitimate software to people running pirated copies. The Office deal isn't quite a like-for-like offer however. The offer, spotted by the Ghacks site, appears to be limited to users in specific ... countries. It's not clear if there's a pattern such as targeting countries with high rates of piracy, or those where people are likely to have enough money to buy legitimate software. (Source: ghacks.net ) A message shown to some users of unlicensed copies of Office 2019 in the ribbon bar reads "Get up to 50% off. For a limited time, save up to 50% on a ... (view more)

Wed
08
Dec
John Lister's picture

Microsoft Backtracks On Default Browser Settings

Microsoft looks set to reverse a controversial change to Windows 11 settings. The move will make it easier to change the default browser away from Microsoft Edge. Before Windows 10, browsers could easily set themselves as the default, meaning they ... would automatically open any web pages or links. While that was meant to work only where the user had given permission, Microsoft concluded there was too much risk of rogue software setting itself to open web links, in turn letting it display bogus pages designed to install malware or trick users into providing login details. With Windows 10, ... (view more)

Fri
03
Dec
John Lister's picture

MS: Want Windows 11? You Have 10 Days to Decide

Microsoft appears to have cut the period during which users who upgrade to Windows 11 can change their minds and roll back to Windows 10. They'll now have just 10 days to roll back without much hassle. Upgrading to Windows 11 seems to have proven a ... relatively straightforward process for most users, or at least those with the option to do so. Microsoft is rolling out upgrade availability starting with those machines it assesses as least likely to experience problems, though some will never officially be able to run a fully supported Windows 11. Whether to cover cases where Windows 11 doesn't ... (view more)

Wed
24
Nov
John Lister's picture

Windows 10 Updates Slowed Down

Microsoft is to switch to updating Windows 10 once a year. It's good news both for those hoping to use it for years to come and for those who'd prefer Microsoft to stop making changes for the sake of it. When Windows 10 debuted, Microsoft adopted a ... policy of batching most non-security updates into two releases each year. The plan appeared to be that this schedule would effectively go on forever with Windows 10 being the last totally new "edition" of the system. That was been ditched with the release of Windows 11, leaving some question over future updates. Windows 10 ... (view more)

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