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Microsoft has released Build 10586 of Windows 10 to "Windows Insider" previewers, as the first major update to the operating system nears release. This build bears all the signs of a RTM (Release to Manufacturing) release, if the Insider rollout is successful. The build number does not show on the desktop, and in Windows Update it is called "th2_release Professional". The abbreviation is short for Threshold 2, this being the codename for Windows 10. You can think of Threshold 2 as being a fixed version of the initial release. A future release codenamed Redstone is rumoured to be coming late...

Microsoft has announced that 120 million devices worldwide are running Windows 10. Recently, as a follow up to its recent study on Windows 10, Spiceworks, the professional network for IT, delved a bit deeper into the statistics to see exactly who is adopting the new platform and if its making an impact on the commercial market. The analysis, based on 500 responses to a survey in North America and EMEA, found that Windows 10 is gaining momentum among businesses. Ten weeks after the release of Windows 10, Spiceworks found that overall Windows 10 penetration in the business environment stood at...

Google's head of design has some choice words for Windows 10. "#Windows10 ? More like Windows 10 years ago!" tweeted Matias Duarte, Google's (GOOGL, Tech30) design chief. Duarte is known for transforming Android's messy look into its new, highly regarded "Material Design" interface. The minimalist series of cards, pastel colors and animations has been a big hit with Android customers. Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) was actually a pioneer of minimalist tile design with its Windows 8 operating system in 2012. Windows 10 still incorporates much of that design sensibility, but its overall interface is laid out more like Windows 7 and...

Last week changes to the Windows 10 upgrade path mean it is going to become increasingly difficult for any non-techy users to avoid being pushed to Microsoft new operating system. But given Windows 10 is better than Windows 7 and Windows 8, why would that be a problem? Because of policies like this… Speaking to PC World, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Joe Belfiore explained that Windows 10 is constantly tracking how it operates and how you are using it and sending that information back to Microsoft by default. More importantly he also confirmed that, despite offering some options to turn...

Microsoft's decision to push out Windows 10 upgrades as automatic Windows Update downloads is one of those ideas that sounded great in a Redmond meeting room, but will cause more problems than it solves. Right from the get-go Microsoft has made it clear that it is looking for a very fast rollout of Windows 10. The new operating system was offered as a free upgrade for some users – a first for Microsoft – and ever since the launch, Microsoft has been hustling people to upgrade, by fair means or foul. Earlier this month El Reg's tips inbox hit overload...

If you own a pirated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you'll have the chance to come clean. If you pirated Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, Microsoft wants to welcome you back—all is forgiven. Microsoft said Thursday that it will run an “experiment” to offer a path for those users who have either pirated or purchased an unlicensed copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to download a licensed copy from Microsoft itself, or to use a code from a third-party reseller. Either way, the licensed Windows 10 software will be used to update the PC with a valid...

Capturing (or retaining) a sizable amount of your established user base is a top priority for any iterative software launch. Given that Windows is the most widely used OS in the world, Microsoft had something of a captive audience ahead of the launch of Windows 10, but that shouldn't detract from the company's accomplishment in garnering installs. Three months after it launched on July 29, Windows 10 has been installed more than 120 million times, according to a report from WinBeta. Microsoft's goal is one billion installs over the course of three years -- an optimistic aim, but one that...

I upgraded to Windows 10 on Monday morning. It went surprisingly well. I had a few issues but they seemed to require minor tweaking or downloading new versions of existing apps. Now I am down to some of the more intractable issues. The current issue deals with different web pages replacing some characters with others. I got rid of most of the question marks in a diamond but not all of them. The following passage is from a FR thread and is meant for illustration only. I have turned the offending characters red. You might think that it’s (should be...

I did the Windows 10 download yesterday and, boy, do I wish I had waited awhile.Many (MANY) of my apps were disabled. MS Office, all my antivirus/anti-malware programs...all of the stuff I use in my everyday work life.My advise is to ask those who know better than I do...and wait until Windows 10 is developed enough to accept all your programs...Help!That said, all advice is invited. Please enlighten us re: Windows 10.

Julie BortOctober 26, 2015 If you're running Windows 7 on a machine capable of using Windows 10, chances are you getting swamped with ads from Microsoft telling you to upgrade. Last month, Microsoft said it accidentally tried to make Windows 7 and 8 machines automatically upgrade to Windows 10 and said it fixed its mistake. But some people on Twitter are complaining that even from Microsoft's latest upgrade this month, they are being plagued by nagging upgrade notices that take over their whole screen with no obvious way to turn them off. If you like your Windows 7 PC the...

Having trouble coming up with the perfect password for Facebook or Windows 10? You are not alone since many people will resort to easily memorable passwords like “password” or “12345678” so they will not be forgotten. Unfortunately, such easy passwords are also simple to hack, and thus, they are completely insecure. In a related report by the Inquisitr, Bill Gates has long predicted the death of the password, and so, the Windows 10 password system incorporated new technology in order to give conventional passwords a shove off the proverbial cliff.

With Satya Nadella now steering the ship up in Redmond, Microsoft has actually become an exciting company to keep an eye on. This was plainly evident last week when Microsoft introduced a slew of new hardware products, including new Lumia devices, a new version of the Microsoft Band, and a new Surface Pro tablet. Not bad, but the real star of the show was a product that nobody saw coming; a hybrid laptop Microsoft calls the Surface Book. Equipped with a detachable 13.5-inch display packed with 6 million pixels, the Surface Book is an intriguing product both from a hardware...

A strong quarterly performance pushes the Windows-maker's stock above $50. Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) were up 10% as of 12:45 p.m. Friday following the release on Thursday of its fiscal-first-quarter earnings report. The Windows maker beat expectations for both its top and bottom lines, as its cloud services continue to add users, and Windows 10 enjoys a robust rate of adoption. Microsoft earned an adjusted $0.67 per share on adjusted revenue of $21.7 billion. That's down from last year, when Microsoft generated more than $23 billion, but both figures were better than what Wall Street had anticipated. Analysts had been...

As the months pass and Windows 10 spends more time on the market, patterns are starting to emerge, and the initial huge growth has suddenly leveled off. At the end of August, Microsoft claimed that Windows 10 was on 75 million devices. At this week's Surface event, Microsoft Windows chief Terry Myerson said that the Windows 10 is now on over 110 million devices. Windows 10 was ready for download on July 29, so in its first month out of the gate, it claimed 75 million devices. Five weeks later, it was up by 35 million. That would indicate quite...

Note, the British offer is described first. U.S. offer comes partway down the article. Microsoft has, for a limited period only, offered to pay up to £100 to convince UK consumers to part with their old computers in exchange for a Windows 10 device. If a customer is willing to shell out at least £499 on a PC running Redmond's latest operating system, then the company said it would stump up £100 to encourage holdouts to upgrade. The cashback offer falls to £50 for Windows 10 devices in the £349 to £498.99 price range, and drops to £30 for new...

Microsoft's latest preview release of Windows 10, build 10565, adds several features and refinements as the company works towards a major update for all users. The new build is available to anyone signed up for the Windows Insider preview scheme. Microsoft is now bundling three communications apps with Windows 10: Skype Video, Phone, and Messaging. Three apps seems overkill, but these are universal apps and their simplicity is well suited to mobile devices. This build integrates the Skype apps with the Action Center, so that if you miss a call, for example, you can call back or send a message...

Microsoft is offering up to $300 to US consumers who trade in their old PC or Mac for a Windows 10 device - but a lot less for consumers elsewhere. Looking to kick-start Windows 10 sales, Microsoft has rolled out its Easy Trade Up promotion to select markets, offering cash for used hardware when purchasing a Windows 10 device with a minimum value. The terms are different in each market, and Windows 10 buyers in the US appear to be offered roughly twice as much for their old kit as consumers elsewhere. However, purchases in the US must be made...

Microsoft forced the Windows 10 upgrade on unsuspecting users for a week before correcting the 'mistake' Yesterday Peter Bright at Ars Technica posted a jaw-dropping statement from Microsoft about its latest attempts to force Windows 10 down Windows 7 users' throats. Bright asked his Microsoft contacts why the "Upgrade to Windows 10" item appears in Windows Update's Optional list with a check mark. For those Windows 7 and 8.1 users who have Automatic Update turned on, the check mark indicates that Windows should blithely start the Windows 10 upgrade. While there are at least two dialog boxes to prevent full...

If you have it let me know. Direct link to MICROSOFT>>> where I can download the 64 bit version I am having problems with their media creation tool. THANKS!!

After I upgraded to Windows 10 my computer slows down slowly after I start it.