Microsoft

Microsoft has backtracked on a new Windows 11 feature that screenshots a computer every few seconds. "Recall" will now be an opt-in tool that doesn't work by default. The theory behind the tool is that it would be helpful for users to be able to ... find information from something they'd used or been work on, even if they couldn't remember precisely when and where. That's inherently difficult to do through ordinary file or web searches, particularly if it involves an image. Searching the contents of different file types can be slow, while searching for something that isn't text can be difficult. ... (view more)

Microsoft is inviting Windows 10 users to join a test program for new features. It's something of a surprise given the system theoretically reaches its "end of life" next year. The program is part of Windows Insider, where Microsoft lets people sign ... up to test new Windows features. The idea is to get an audience big enough to pick up problems in real world testing, but small enough that any problems aren't a major issue. Microsoft is reopening the Beta Channel for Windows 10. That's one of four Windows Insider channels: Canary, Dev, Beta and Release Preview. The first two are very early ... (view more)

Last month's Windows 10 and 11 updates included a bug that has broken VPN functions for some users. Microsoft is working on a fix but hasn't give a timescale. VPN stands for virtual private network. It's an approach to security and privacy that uses ... a secure connection between the user and the Internet. It's sometimes likened to a traffic tunnel: although the traffic still flows normally without disruption, it's not visible to anyone outside the tunnel. Using a VPN can disguise a user's IP address (which identifies their connection point to the Internet) and makes it much harder for anyone to ... (view more)

Microsoft is to run what are effectively ads in the Windows 11 Start menu. The "recommendations" will initially appear only for those who've signed up to be early testers of new features. The promotions will appear in the "Recommended" section at ... the bottom of the Start menu. This normally includes links to both installed apps and documents that the user has either recently used or frequently uses. The idea is that these are most likely to be what the user wants to open at any given moment. Insiders are Test Dummies The new feature will mean this list also includes suggested apps from the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Gina P. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently checked my Windows 11 Update and Security (i.e. Windows Update), and I see a bunch of failed updates for Hewlett-Packard - USB - 2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - 44.1.2402.1741 . I've rebooted my ... machine three times today, and I see 6 corresponding failures for Hewlett-Packard - USB - 2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - 44.1.2402.1741. From what I gather, appears that the HP USB update is attempting to install twice each time I turn on the machine or reboot. It also appears to have been failing to install for well over a year. I've searched google on ... (view more)

A Windows bug patched last month had been exploited for six months by hackers linked to North Korea. Microsoft reportedly knew about it and the delay in fixing it may have been down to internal bureaucracy. Security company Avast found the bug last ... August and reported it to Microsoft. At the time it was already a zero-day bug , meaning there was evidence hackers not only knew about the bug but where taking advantage of it. That meant Microsoft had "zero days" head start in coming up with a fix and rolling it out before hackers exploited it. Microsoft released a fix in the February "Patch ... (view more)

Users have reported Microsoft Edge opening up and displaying tabs they'd just had open in Chrome. The most generous reading is that a "helpful" feature is triggering by mistake. Users have been extremely confused to start up their computer and not ... only find Edge open unexpectedly, but that it had replicated the sites they'd been using on Chrome. The Verge's Tom Warren noted he didn't even realize it was Edge running at first until he investigated why he was logged out on several of the open sites. The mystery isn't how this is happening but rather why it is happening. Edge has several ... (view more)

Windows 10 devices are set to become insecure next year unless users pay an extra fee. But with warnings of 240 million devices "going to landfill", it remains possible Microsoft will blink at the last moment. That Windows 10 reaches the end of its ... support period on October 14, 2025 is no secret: it's long been on Microsoft's support calendar and is in line with the company's policy of 10 years support. From that date, Microsoft will no longer issue free security updates. As happened with Windows 7, Microsoft will offer a paid update service for people in "circumstances that could prevent you ... (view more)

This year's major update to Windows 11 is now available. The word "major" is doing some heavy lifting on this occasion. Users can now manually install the 23H2 update, which will roll out to all users through automatic updates in the next few ... months. While Microsoft issues regular bug fixes and security updates, the "H2" update is the main way it issues new features. The update, released in the second half of each year (H2) effectively counts as a new version of Windows. Once installed, it resets the support calendar and guarantees another 24 months of support from Microsoft. AI Goes ... (view more)

The latest Windows 11 update has led to complaints of all manner of problems. That's particularly troubling as it's a mandatory security update. The update in question has the codename KB5030219. It's a cumulative update, meaning it brings together ... several updates which were previously optional, though will have been downloaded automatically for most people with Windows 11 on the default settings. It's not unusual to get reports of glitches, but both tech site readers and message board users have reported a particularly wide range of significant problems. The most serious include users ... (view more)