microsoft

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)

Microsoft has confirmed it is blocking third party tools designed to overcome several ways it pushes people towards the Edge browser. It affects tools such as EdgeDeflector which works on Windows 10 and 11. The tools take aim at the way Windows and ... some built-in Microsoft applications use links to web pages. Rather than simply linking to a page address, they start with "microsoft-edge://" and open automatically in the Edge browser. This overrides the user's chosen default browser for opening web link. Once Edge opens with the page in question, it also displays a request to set Edge as the ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced a range of updates to Skype. It's something of a surprise given the tool has taken a major backseat in recent years. With remote working on the increase since the start of the pandemic and more people making video calls to ... friends and family they couldn't see in person, other services have come to the forefront. In particular Microsoft has put more emphasis on its business videoconference tool Teams, while many home users have switched to Zoom. Some had even speculated Microsoft would ditch Skype altogether. Instead its promising changes both in user functions and ... (view more)

Users who upgrade "incompatible" machines to Windows 11 may have to agree to a lengthy disclaimer. Microsoft warns PCs could suffer damage, which suggests it may be trying to head off lawsuits. The disclaimer is further indication that users who ... don't meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 may still be able to install it. This would be through downloading and creating installation media such as a DVD or USB stick, rather than using Windows Update. (Source: neowin.net ) Verge's Sean Hollister was able to install a beta edition of Windows 11 despite his PC not meeting the system ... (view more)

Microsoft has released its Windows 11 eligibility checker tool. It now gives more detail on why a computer might not be ready to run the new system. The app in question is officially titled "PC Health Check" though that's a little misleading as it ... doesn't relate to whether the computer is currently working OK or has any serious problems. Instead it checks whether the computer is eligible to run Windows 11. It's available using this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck The original version a few months ago didn't give much detail other than whether the PC " ... (view more)

Mozilla has found a way to make it easier to set Firefox as a default browser in Windows. The move may raise eyebrows at Microsoft, as it involved getting past measures designed to combat malware. By default, Windows doesn't let users set an ... application as the default for a particular task (web browsing or otherwise) within the application itself. That's in principle a sensible idea as it reduces the risk of malware setting itself as a default app or tricking a user into doing so. Once established as a default app, the malware would have a big advantage as it would be opened more often, ... (view more)

Security experts have warned users to take extra care opening Microsoft Office files. An unpatched bug in Internet Explorer can affect users regardless of their preferred browser. The bug takes advantage of the way Office files can open links in ... Internet Explorer. It means that attackers can craft Office files that, once opened, automatically load an "attack" page in Internet Explorer that installs malware. Exactly what malware to install is up to the attacker. There is some protection for some users. In many cases, Office will by default open a document in Protected View, which blocks links ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed Windows 11 will start rolling out as a free upgrade from October 5th, 2021. Users of older machines may have to wait until mid-2022, however. There will be some overlap with Windows 10, further blurring the lines of whether ... Windows 11 should be treated as a totally new operating system or the latest updates to what was supposed to be a "forever" system. The semi-annual major update to Windows 10 will still come out this fall, but Microsoft isn't promising anything else other than a guarantee of security updates and support until October, 14 2025. Windows 11 will only ... (view more)

Microsoft will soon start telling Windows 10 users directly whether they'll be able to upgrade to Windows 11. It also looks likely machines that don't meet the specifications will be upgradeable but without any support. Users can already check for ... compatibility using a dedicated "PC Health Check" tool. However, Microsoft is now using Windows Update to send direct messages to users who are in the Windows test program. (Source: techradar.com ) Specifically the messages are going to those in the "Release Preview" channel, which means they can access new versions of Windows when Microsoft ... (view more)

Microsoft has explained the thinking behind some of the main changes in Windows 11. It's also tweaked a notification feature that could have been unnecessarily annoying. According to Microsoft it used a "new approach" in designing Windows 11. It ... suggests that the "new approach" was to give users what they wanted. The move to "human-centered design practices" involved giving users several pieces of paper marked with different operating system features and asking them to arrange them in order of importance. In an amazing coincidence, Microsoft says "the research matched up perfectly ... (view more)