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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...

On Saturday, my Windows PC went hog wild trying to update itself again. In doing so, it refused to respond promptly. On Sunday, my PC ran hot probably trying to seek out another viral infection. I'm really upset with this Microsoft update nonsense. Today, I noticed that a small dictionary I was keeping by my PC was very warm. The hypocrisy of Bill Gates babbling about global warming while Microsoft PCs waste vast amounts of electricity is truly galling. In my opinion, Microsoft needs to force credit card (and other financial) account information off Windows PCs so Windows PCs are...

I've been preaching the gospel of the Linux desktop for more years than some of you have been alive. However, unless you argue that the Linux desktop includes Android smartphones and ChromeOS laptops, there will be no year of the Linux desktop. But there should be. For example, as GitLab recently revealed in its onboarding document for employees, staffers can run macOS, and they can run Linux on their desktops. But Windows? Forget about it!Why? GitLab explained: "Due to Microsoft Windows' dominance in desktop operating systems, Windows is the platform most targeted by spyware, viruses, and ransomware."Today's Windows is still...

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.

My old laptop (with Windows 8.1) was showing its' age, so I recently replaced it with a new HP (running Windows 11). I transferred all my pictures, documents, videos etc. via a thumb drive and thought everything would be fine. I was in for an awakening.

Engineers at the European Space Agency (ESA) are getting ready for a Windows 98 upgrade on an orbiter circling Mars. The Mars Express spacecraft has been operating for more than 19 years, and the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument onboard has been using software built using Windows 98. Thankfully for humanity and the Red Planet’s sake, the ESA isn’t upgrading its systems to Windows ME. The MARSIS instrument on ESA’s Mars Express was key to the discovery of a huge underground aquifer of liquid water on the Red Planet in 2018. This major new software...

Microsoft will finally end support for Internet Explorer on multiple Windows versions on Wednesday, June 15, almost 27 years after its launch on August 24, 1995. After finally reaching its end of life, the Internet Explorer desktop application will be disabled. It will be replaced with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, with users automatically redirected to Edge when launching IE11. This retirement affects Internet Explorer 11 desktop apps on specific versions of Windows 10 delivered via the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) to systems running Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later) and Windows 10 IoT (version 20H2 and later). Internet...

[Dayglored note: This thread is not trolling, though the headline might seem that way. It's about a survey of BUSINESS NETWORKS by LanSweeper (https://www.lansweeper.com). The takeup of Win11 in businesses is glacially slow, while home users are starting to use it much more, or are forced to use it.] ---------------------------------------- The Slashdot page posted here links to a story on PC Magazine. Sadly, FreeRepublic is not permitted to post PC Magazine content, so none appears here. ---------------------------------------- The LanSweeper survey found the following: Number of Windows devices scanned: 10,000,000 Date of scanning: "this month" Devices w/ Win10 installed: 80.34% Devices...

If you are waiting for Windows 11 side-taskbar support before upgrading to the latest operating system, you may be waiting for a long time, according to a recent Microsoft Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. When Windows (11) was first released, the most controversial changes were the new centered Start Menu and the reduced functionality of the Windows taskbar. In the past, the Start Menu was left-aligned on the taskbar, and it was possible to move the taskbar, so it was pinned to the top, sides, and bottom of the screen. However, with Windows 11, Microsoft took away the ability to...

“Smart App Control is a major enhancement to the Windows 11 security model that prevents users from running malicious applications on Windows devices that default blocks untrusted or unsigned applications,” Microsoft vice president David Weston explains. “It goes beyond previous built-in browser protections and is woven directly into the core of the OS at the process level. Using code signing along with AI, ... our new Smart App Control only allows processes to run that are predicted to be safe based on either code certificates or an AI model for application trust within the Microsoft cloud. ...Model inference occurs 24...

30 years ago—on April 6, 1992—Microsoft released Windows 3.1, which brought the company to a new level of success, kept the PC platform competitive with Macs, and set the stage for Windows PC domination. Here’s what was special about it...

Google on Tuesday released Chrome 100, an iteration of the popular browser that can trip up websites that weren't written to handle three-digit version numbers. It's a problem that, though rare, also affects people using Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. The problem crops up because developers sometimes try to adapt their websites for particular browser versions. Browsers share their version number through a short text description called the user agent string, but website scripts sometimes extract just two of the three digits in the version number. Problems can include websites not working at all or showing a popup erroneously saying...

Who’s funnier—Siri or Cortana? It may be a contest you’ll never be able to judge as your allegiance lies with Mac. But by installing Parallels PC on that Mac of yours, you can run most Windows apps, setting the stage for a voice assistant joke-off. If you’re a tried and true Mac user, from your iPhone to your MacBook, from your iPad to your Apple Watch, we know that switching operating systems is not likely in your cards. But it does seem that there are some applications that just run better, or are only available using Windows. Popular programs such...

Don't wanna buy the latest stuff? Here's your watermarkThose running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware are getting an update, though not the kind that low-end hardware and VM users might be hoping for.The latest Release Preview of Windows 11 adds an undocumented feature that slaps a line of text in the lower right hand side of the Windows desktop and a similar warning in the Settings app for any system that fails to meet Windows 11's exacting standards.The message is short and to the point: "System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more."It's also far less obtrusive than...

The Lapsus$ extortion gang briefly alleged over the weekend it had compromised Microsoft. The devil-may-care cyber-crime ring has previously boasted of breaking into Nvidia, Samsung, Ubisoft, and others. Its modus operandi is to infiltrate a big target's network, exfiltrate sensitive internal data, and then make demands to prevent the public release of this material – and perhaps just release some of it anyway. "We are aware of the claims and are investigating," a Microsoft spokesperson told The Register on Monday. On Saturday and Sunday, the crooks shared then deleted on Telegram screenshots suggesting they had broken into Microsoft's internal DevOps...

For some users, Linux is far better than other OSes. There are a whole lot of things you can do with Linux that are not possible on Windows.Linux has gained significant popularity in the last decade or so. Despite having a relatively low market share compared to Windows, it is well-adapted to the evolving user requirements through its constant development.Linux has some state-of-the-art features that other operating systems lack for now. Such features, along with its solid support, are continuously growing within its community.So, let's take a look at 10 things you can do on Linux that you can't do...

It's coming. Microsoft is preparing to start shoveling the latest version of Windows 10 down the throats of refuseniks still clinging to older incarnations.The Windows Update team gave the heads-up through its Twitter orifice last week. Windows 10 2004 was already on its last gasp, have had support terminated in December. 20H2, on the other hand, should be good to go until May this year.We started the first phase in the Windows 10, version 21H2 rollout for machine learning (ML) training. We are targeting devices on Windows 10, version 20H2 that are approaching end of servicing to update automatically to...

Dayglored comment: Remember, this is about Corporate Business computers, most of which are managed by corporate IT groups and the uptake of new software, especially a new operating system, is glacially slow, often only happening when new hardware is purchased. Even so, 0.21% is notably low. The uptake on consumer/personal/home computers is, of course, much faster because consumers buy new computers much more often, and are much more likely to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest OS. Lansweeper stats make grim reading for MicrosoftMicrosoft's Windows 11 adventure is going swimmingly. IT asset management outfit Lansweeper has published the results of a 10...

Windows 95 brought together the features of MSDOS and Microsoft Windows products into one operating system. The user-interface upgrade at the time blew the competition away. The 32bit operating system paved the way for Microsoft’s firmer grip on the PC/Desktop market. Robust sales and reception laid the groundwork for the company’s future OS installments. Relish the nostalgia and run Windows 95 on PC without having to install it on your partition. There are few ways to do that, some involve online on your browser, and others rely on your PC’s emulation capabilities. Best Windows 95 Emulator Windows 93 Winodws 95...

It’s been a year of sacrifice, social distancing and skyrocketing stress. Can we at least enjoy holidays? In terms of risk, the timing of the holiday season couldn’t be worse. The coronavirus is raging across the country, setting new daily infection records. More than 300,000 Americans have died of Covid-19, and small gatherings are believed to be fueling much of the spread. While public health officials caution against family and friends gathering in each other’s homes, they know many people plan to spend the holiday together anyway. The solution? A scaled-back holiday celebration — with open windows, fewer people and...