Free Republic

Windows 10 may now be essential but users new and old have had a rough ride in recent weeks. And it has just gotten a lot worse after a new, high-profile Windows 10 failure has left more questions than answers and some seriously angry users. The drama began yesterday [2/5] as Windows 10 users suddenly found that Search was broken with a black bar showing where search results should be, even for those who tried to perform a local search of their files. Breaking with tradition (1,2,3,4,5), Microsoft was fast to act blaming “a temporary server-side issue”. But the explanation...

Microsoft is replacing its Edge browser with the updated, Chromium-based version on January 15. Windows 10 users will be automatically transitioned over. From the linked article (https://www.inputmag.com/tech/microsoft-is-replacing-edge-with-its-new-chromium-browser-next-week): We already knew this was coming because Microsoft announced the new Edge's launch date last month, but it wasn't clear that users would be pushed to the new version. Thankfully it will look mostly the same as the existing Edge browser, with all the same proprietary Microsoft features, except for a slightly more Chrome-esque look. Since the new Chromium Edge will be based off the same browser as Google Chrome, Edge will now...

Deadlines are scary. I know. And Microsoft has thrown Windows 7 users a big one: Update to a more modern operating system by January 15, 2020, or you’ll never receive security updates ever again. Eventually, Microsoft will even start disabling key Windows 7 services—like Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers—throughout the year. I’m being a little lighthearted about this, but Microsoft’s abandonment of Windows 7 is a cause of concern for many. Lifehacker reader Douglas recently wrote in with this question: “I was reading your writeup regarding Windows 7 and I really cannot afford to upgrade at this exact moment. Is...

I am familiar with Windows 7 and do not like Windows 10 shell, but I just switched to 10, and made it look just like 7. So now I can get Microsoft update support for many years, while the support for Windows 7 stops on January 14, 2020 making it more vulnerable to hacking after that date. The process was smooth and I like the results so far.

Here's how to successfully UPGRADE your Windows 7 system to Windows 10 for FREE! This video takes you though the process from start to finish including several obstacles to over come that you could face. This upgrade Works for ALL versions of Windows 7. And you may only have a couple of weeks to get the FREE upgrade to Windows10, as Microsoft will cease making updates available as of 14th January 2020 as part of it's Windows 7 end of life programme which could also mean Microsoft shuts down it's Windows 7 upgrade servers. So if you have been putting...

I am about to receive a Dell PC with Windows 10 Pro installed. It will have both an SSD drive (first one for me) and a SATA drive. With the past Dell PC purchases, I would take the supplied Windows OS disk and reinstall from scratch. Too much junk gets installed by Dell, and it seems trying to delete programs is more cumbersome than just performing a fresh install. I also like learning the clean install process before I actually put personal information on the new PC. Only issues are I have not used Windows 10 at all (initial need...

'I'm not dead!' insists doomed OS. It will be soon Microsoft unloaded some festive cheer on the last remaining Windows Phone user by apparently extending the life of the doomed platform for another few weeks.Twitter user Longhorn gave a hat-tip to @wenti_man for spotting that the release notes for the very last patch issued to the moribund operating system now show the death rattles extending to 14 January 2020. The support lifecycle pages, however, insist that 10 December remains the end of the road.El Reg, like many others, said our goodbyes to the dusty drawer dwellers last week.The Windows Phone...

I have options, but not enough knowledge.

Alongside the announcement of the Surface Duo, Microsoft announced a new version of Windows - Windows 10X - that would power the upcoming dual-screen device. It’s going to look very familiar to Windows 10, but with some tweaks to improve the UI for dual screened devices. Windows 10X is part of Microsoft’s push towards a modular version of Windows 10, so 10X should be regarded as a branch of Windows 10 for dual screened devices, just as there are versions of Windows 10 that branch out to support HoloLens, Surface Hub, and Xbox. This weekend saw reports of a leaked...

Microsoft has released a support bulletin that warns users of a new issue in Windows 10 that could cause Thunderbolt devices to stop working under certain situations.According to the bulletin, this issue is occurring to users running Windows 10, version 1909, 1903, 1809, 1803, or 1709, have Fast Startup enabled, and have multiple devices plugged into a Thunderbolt dock.If these users perform the following steps, it could cause the Thunderbolt devices to no longer work even though they are still listed as operational in Device Manager. You connect the Thunderbolt Dock to the computer. Devices on the Thunderbolt Dock are...

Spices up your life with change to naming conventions Microsoft crossed the streams last night as both the Fast and Slow Rings of the Windows Insider Program synchronised ahead of the final fit and finish of next year's Windows 10.While build 19033 was light on features, as is depressingly the norm with 20H1 these days, that watermark remained absent and, more importantly, the release hit the cautious Slow Ringers as well as the brave folk on the bleeding edge of Fast.And because it wouldn't be Windows without a good few ways of referring to it, 20H1 will also now be...

Users warned not to open email claiming to be from Microsoft concerning a Windows 10 update. Users have been warned not to download a fake Windows 10 update which is actually packed with malware.Security researchers from Trustwave's SpiderLabs have uncovered a new malicious campaign that spoofs an urgent update email from Microsoft to infect user's systems with the Cyborg ransomware.Targeted users first receive an email with either the subject line 'Install Latest Microsoft Windows Update now!' or 'Critical Microsoft Windows Update!' which is already suspicious as Microsoft pushes Windows updates through its operating system and never through emails. Donald Trump...

Absolutely, definitely a complete surprise DYKE-PLUGGING SOFTWARE BORKER Microsoft has done it again.The company released the November 2019 Update to Windows 10 earlier this month and lo and behold, there's a problem.Windows updates have become a running joke since before the legendary Build 1809 debacle which saw the company actively roll back the update. This time, the problem is reasonably fundamental - File Explorer searches are broken in the 1909 build.The more eagle-eyed amongst you will know that one of the few features in this latest update is…. better searching in File Explorer. The idea was that it would gain many of the...

Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade offer still works for many Windows 7 and 8 users. With support for Windows 7 ending in January 2020, Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10 to keep devices running securely and smoothly. On Microsoft's website, the Windows 10 Home operating system costs $139 to download. However, you don't necessarily have to shell out the cash: A free upgrade offer from Microsoft that technically ended in 2016 still works. When Windows 10 was first released in July 2015, Microsoft offered an unprecedented free upgrade offer for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users, good...

Each version of Windows 10 adds new features and functionality; occasionally we also remove features and functionality, often because we've added a better option. Below are the details about the features and functionalities that are no longer being developed in Windows 10. For information about features that have been removed, see Features we removed. The features described below are no longer being actively developed, and might be removed in a future update. Some features have been replaced with other features or functionality and some are now available from other sources. The following list is subject to change and might not...

It's 2019 and government sites still require Internet Explorer"That's not a browser... THIS IS A BROWSER!" Companies using the Australian Border Force's (ABF) Integrated Cargo System (ICS) are having problems connecting to the portal using Internet Explorer.The issue, which officials attribute to a Windows 10 update on 8 October, has forced some users to roll back the changes in order to connect to the system through the venerable browser.Authorities said: "A change in behaviour of the protocol establishing the security of the connection with ICS is causing authentication failures."An email seen by The Register added that "the ABF have been...

MICROSOFT HAS HAD A MIXED MONTH in terms of market share, as we dive into the murky world of Netmarketshare's figures for September. Windows 10 is the big winner (as you'd hope). In terms of desktop/laptop users, it's now comfortably over the halfway line, with 52.38 per cent of the market (+1.39). With less than four months until it reaches end of life, Windows 7 still remains a major force, though it continues to drop. It now stands at 28.17 (-2.17). Lesser versions of Windows continue to chug along - Windows 8.x now stands at 4.1 per cent (-0.73) of...

Windows 10 could be better if only Microsoft got rid of its layers of made-men, according to a former Microsoft distinguished engineer. Tired of boring, buggy Windows 10 updates? You can blame them on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's failure to eliminate the company's legacy of appointing "made-men".

Microsoft appears to have been really struggling to get updates for Windows 10 users right of late. What with advising Windows 10 users to install a critical update before any others to avoid potential problems, and then confirming the Windows Update Assistant itself had a security vulnerability. However, just days after the latest Windows 10 update, KB4520062, was released, Microsoft is advising that some users, "should not install this update," as it can break the Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service. So, what’s gone wrong this time and who needs to avoid this latest Windows 10 update? What is...

Here's the 'problem': I inherited at work a Windows 10 computer to use from another worker who has gone on to better job somewhere else. The problem is the Outlook Email still has HIS contacts list, both work and personal, and I cannot get rid of any of them. I go to the 'PEOPLE' section and go through the right clicks on the OLD CONTACTS, but the 'DELETE' function is grayed out and will not do anything. It won't let me edit any either. Anyone else have this problem? And if so, how do you fix it?............................ Thanks in advance,...