Free Republic

What just happened? It's not just China that is replacing Windows on government PCs. Germany's most northern state, Schleswig-Holstein, has begun moving from the popular OS to Linux while also switching from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice. The state's Minister-President Daniel Gunther said the move from proprietary to open-source software was being made to ensure independence, sustainability, and security. "In addition to improved IT security, cost-effectiveness, and data protection, the use of open-source software also enables seamless collaboration between different systems," officials said. "Alongside open-source software development, the goal is to release future development results of the country under free licenses."The...

The way Google has been stepping up its data collection game, it has prompted many people to opt for privacy-focused web browsers that respect their privacy by providing a secure browsing experience.Floorp is one such web browser that I recently came across that claims to be “the most Advanced and Fastest Firefox derivative” around.So, join me as I check out this browser.Floorp: Overview ⭐Being a fork of the popular Firefox browser, Floorp was built keeping privacy and user freedom in mind. It is a cross-platform web browser that prides itself in being completely open-source and not collecting any kind of...

Google will allow businesses to install an auto-updating version of the Chrome operating system to Windows devices, potentially preventing millions of PCs from hitting landfills after Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab ends support for Windows 10 next year, parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab said on Wednesday. The company said ChromeOS Flex will continue receiving regular security updates and features like data encryption, allowing users to keep using their Windows 10 systems. Microsoft has said that its Windows 10 will reach the end of support on Oct. 14 2025, and will no longer provide regular security updates, bug fixes,...

Your PC without this CPU feature won’t boot Windows 11 24H2 KEY TAKEAWAYS Windows 11 24H2 update requires the POPCNT CPU feature, making it impossible to run on super-old PCs. Modern CPUs support POPCNT, so if you recently bought a new PC, you won't have any issues. PCs older than fifteen years will be affected by this change and won't be able to boot Windows 11 without POPCNT support. Windows 11 24H2 is the next big update that Microsoft will roll out later this year, and it might finally put an end to the practice of running Windows unofficially on...

Can a computer problem get any weirder? I'm running a fast Dell laptop with Win 11 Pro. If I play audio from YouTube while browsing with Brave (or Chrome), System sounds, test tones from Windows' troubleshooter, etc., play over a bluetooth speaker just fine, but the audio on the YouTube vid plays only over the tiny laptop speakers. (Nothing is connected to the headphone jack.) I've been all through Windows troubleshooting, and even a session with a MS tech support rep, to no avail, other than doing a Shift + Shutdown now results with (after booting back up and returning...

Windows 10 users worldwide report problems installing Microsoft's January Patch Tuesday updates, getting 0x80070643 errors when attempting to install the KB5034441 security update for BitLocker. Yesterday, as part of Microsoft's January 2024 Patch Tuesday, a security update (KB5034441) was released for CVE-2024-20666, a BitLocker encryption bypass that allows users to access encrypted data. However, when attempting to install this update, Windows 10 users are reporting getting 0x80070643 errors and the installation failing. When installing the KB5034441 security update, Microsoft is installing a new version of the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) that fixes the BitLocker vulnerability. Unfortunately, Windows 10 creates a...

Text Guide: 1. Go to the Releases page 2. In the latest release, go to the Assets section and download the Windows Subsystem For Android™ version of your choosing (do not download "Source code") 3. Extract the .7z archive and rename the folder (that you extracted) to WSA 4. Delete the .7z archive 5. Move the newly extracted folder to a suitable location (Documents folder is a good choice), as you will need to keep the folder on your PC to use MagiskOnWSANoteIf you're updating WSA, merge the folders and replace the files for all items when asked 6. Open...

Microsoft has announced the launch of what they are calling “Windows app,” a new service designed to stream the full Windows desktop operating system from the cloud to various devices, including Chromebooks. This new offering from Microsoft signifies a major shift in how the company thinks users will be using Windows in the future and is clearly a response to the “Chromebook threat.”Let’s first dive into what this new service entails exactly. The Windows App is essentially a new remote desktop hub that enables users to stream Windows Cloud PC and remote desktop services on a range of devices. This...

I performed what appeared to be a normal reboot for a normal upgrade. Now I am blocked by the need for a bitlocker password. I do not recall ever messing with bitlocker. Is there a flowchart? I got as far as a system32 Cmv.exe prompt (not very far). Thanks!

Woke Microsoft has added a Pride flag to the widgets board located on the taskbar of Windows 11 to demonstrate its allegiance to the LGBT agenda. Here’s how to disable it. GeekerMag reports that Microsoft has added a Pride flag to the widget board of its newest operating system, Windows 11, as a gesture of support for Pride Month. The decision appears to be an effort by Microsoft to display its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The company believes in the woke LGBT agenda to such a degree that it does give users the option to remove the pride flag...

Microsoft has started testing a new split-screen feature for Edge that lets you compare two tabs side by side. The feature was first discovered by Leopeva64-2 on Reddit, and it’s available in an experimental flag in the beta, dev, and canary versions of Microsoft Edge. Once enabled, a new button appears alongside the address bar that lets you split an Edge window into two separate tabs side by side. While you can already compare tabs next to each other in Windows by dragging a tab and then using built-in Windows split views to place them side by side, it can...

I have hearing loss. I get by with earbuds and subtitles, but I could use help. I imagine many people could benefit from this. I believe it’s possible to boost volume, because I have VLC Media Player, which boosts volume enormously. However, it only seems to work on DVDs. So, I still need help in boosting volume on internet videos and streams. An internet search yielded the BOOM 3D add-on, but reviews say its Volume Booster only works in Macs. My laptop is a Dell Inspiron 15-3501, running Windows 11. I’ve searched Windows Settings and Registry Editor for help, without...

After years of anticipation, today officially marks the end of Windows 7 and 8/8.1, Microsoft has confirmed.The aged operating systems will no longer receive Microsoft security updates from today, January 10, 2023, marking the end of their official lifespan.Anyone using the software will now be at risk of cyberattacks from criminals exploiting current and future security flaws and vulnerabilities, and is urged to update to newer Windows versions - particularly Windows 11 - immediately in order to stay safe.

I stupidly said yes to downloading windows 11. It has downloaded but not yet installed. I want to uninstall/delete it preferably before it installs itself. I am computer illiterate and need some handholding. I know my fellow Freepers are all knowing and can help me

I have a question regarding SecureBoot for the Dell 3260 compact workstation. I'm trying to create a custom iso to load our operating system from and it appears we'll need to import secureboot keys into the BIOs for the workstation (or else SecureBoot will not allow the booting/installing from that custom ISO). I'm wondering if it's possible to import secure boot keys to a Dell factory image for our computers. I can't seem to find any guidance on this topic anywhere on Dells site. Any computer gurus have some wisdom to share. Thank you 😊

Inspired by the public's response to our 2022 Pride flag, we’re expanding our design to represent 40 LGBTQIA+ communities—and making it available for everyone to use and build on.

[dayglored comment] Those of us who have been forced to wait forever as Windows copies some huge file... well here's a way to make the wait more tolerable. Copying a large file from one drive to another, or over a network, can take quite a while, and there’s nothing you can do in that time, but wait. However, an enterprising developer has found a way to make the copy dialog more interesting -- he’s added a fully playable version of the arcade classic Lunar Lander to it. And this is no basic addition -- you can choose your difficulty level...

This morning, many people worldwide experienced Microsoft Defender warning them of a recurring virus threat. It's a false positive, and your computer is OK. This morning, a listing in Microsoft Defender's database (or even Windows Update) is causing havoc on people's Windows PCs. People on Reddit are "freaking out" over not just a reported threat from Microsoft Defender but one that keeps popping up and recurring despite the alleged threat being blocked. The threat is revealed in a pop-up message noting that "Behavior:Win32/Hive.ZY" has been detected and is listed as "severe." However, after taking action to rectify the issue, it...

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Janet Jackson's music video for her 1989 hit single Rhythm Nation has been declared a security vulnerability after a Microsoft engineer discovered it could freeze some hard drives on older computers. Raymond Chen, the Microsoft engineer, said that a colleague shared a story from Windows XP product support that described a "major computer manufacturer" who discovered the music video would crash certain models of laptops. During the manufacturer's investigation, it was discovered that the audio signal from the music video crashed some of their competitors' computers. But there was more to it than that....

DogWalk, a security flaw in Windows first discovered in January 2020, has finally been addressed, the company has confirmed.The remote code execution flaw, existing due to a path traversal weakness in the Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT), is being patched as part of the August 2022 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has said.