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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.

Microsoft has recently added a new privacy feature that allows Windows 11 users to get a list of all the apps that have recently accessed their sensitive info and devices, including their camera, microphone, and contacts. Added in one of the June Windows 11 Preview Builds, it can now be tested by Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Besides requests to access the users' contacts, the newly included privacy feature also keeps track of apps that have accessed other sensitive information linked to your location, phone calls, messaging, and screenshots in the last week. The list of nosy apps is...

Microsoft released Windows 11 last year with a long list of system requirements. Of the listed ones, two controversial requirements were the supported CPUs and TPM. As a result, several users ended up modifying the Registry files to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs. In the recent update, Microsoft has now started adding a watermark to the desktop and Settings app for those using Windows 11 on PCs that don’t meet the official system requirements. In this article, we have detailed the steps for how you can remove the “system requirements not met” watermark in Windows 11.

[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...

Every major update since Windows 8 has come with a major redesign of the Start menu, and Windows 11 is no exception. This time, though, Microsoft went rather radical: The taskbar is centered, the Start menu is devoid of live tiles, and there are only two sections—pinned apps, and recommendations. If you find yourself unhappy with the new look and feel of it, there are changes you can make to improve it or remove it altogether. Let’s start by customizing what is now the only major part of the Start menu (RIP Live Tiles). In the Pinned section, you can...

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...

[Dayglored note: This is about an "Insider" build, not the version most users get. The "Insider" releases are for developers and eager-beaver Windows fanbois who want to try things before they're done, knowing they might break.] Is nothing safe from the dead hand of the Windows 11 design aesthetic? Windows' murderous Task Manager looks set to get a makeover in Windows 11 after a work-in-progress turned up in the latest Insider Dev Channel build.Remembering the good timesThe build, 22538, is an otherwise relatively mundane emission from the Windows team.Sure, there was great excitement among the community when the volume control...

If it's not broke, don't f- ... never mind Microsoft's long-suffering unpaid testers are to start seeing some improvements in the Windows 11 User Interface. Build 22509 arrived last night for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel and, as well as making things a bit more accessible by improving the web browsing experience with Microsoft's Edge browser and the Narrator, there were some much-needed tweaks to the Start Menu and Taskbar. Starting with the most jarring change in the user experience for Windows 11, the Start Menu, some easy-to-access options were added. One can opt for more pinned applications or...

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...

Next version of Windows 10 looms around the corner Microsoft's Windows 11 OS has notched up a respectable near 5 per cent of PCs surveyed by AdDuplex, as another Dev Channel build was unleashed with new features for the favoured few. With less than a month of General Availability under its belt, Windows 11 now accounts for 4.8 per cent of "modern" PCs (Windows Insiders running the OS account for 0.3 per cent) according to the ad platform. The figure is up from the 1.3 per cent in September, which was Insider-only and points to some migration to the production...

Sticking to just a major feature update for Windows 10 would have been a positive move for Microsoft and for us PC users. "Windows 10 is the last version of Windows," says Microsoft's Jerry Nixon just ahead of the launch of the then-new operating system. It was a bold statement and now, in the face of the faltering Windows 11 launch, I can't help but wish Microsoft had followed through on that promise instead of giving in to the powerful lure of marketing bull. It's a quote that was widely circulated at the time, continued to be shared around during...

Names November as the month for Win 10 H2 update – then reveals major new feature won’t arrive on time [Dayglored comment: My bolding on the paragraph below about the PowerShell bug.] Microsoft has released a build of Windows 11 that it claims addresses performance problems the new OS imposed on some systems.Redmond's announcement of OS Build 22000.282 lists over 60 "improvements and fixes" on top of a lucky 13 "highlights".One of those highlights is described as fixing "an issue that causes some applications to run slower than usual after you upgrade to Windows 11 (original release)".Another addresses an issue...

Microsoft recently announced Windows 11 and revealed the system requirements necessary to formally install the new operating system using Windows Update, media creation tools, and update assistants. According to Microsoft's supporting documents and the spokesperson's statement, the device must have a newer processor, TPM 2.0 encryption chip, and SecureBoot enabled to fully run the operating system. Microsoft is considering reducing processor requirements for computers running Windows 11 TPM 2.0 has been included in many devices shipped in the past few years, but it is disabled by default. Users can enable TPM 2.0 in the BIOS, or bypass this restriction by...

A team of academics has disclosed today two vulnerabilities known collectively as TPM-FAIL that could allow an attacker to retrieve cryptographic keys stored inside TPMs. Thanks to efforts from the research team, both vulnerabilities have been fixed, which is a good thing since both issues can be weaponized in doable real-world attacks -- something that is very rare in the case of TPM vulnerabilities. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module...used to ensure hardware integrity during the boot-up process or to attest various cryptographic operations, such as handling digital certificates, ensuring HTTPS connections on servers, or verifying authentication-related processes. However, as...

I got the go-ahead from Microsoft that my Lenovo laptop can be upgraded to Windows 11. But every time I try, it gets to about 75% then stalls. I have tried about 10 times. Yes, I have turned off the firewall. Any suggestions?

Windows 11 started to roll out, but is your laptop ready for the new OS? Find out using the PC Health Check app WhyNotWin11 and other options. _______________________________________________________________________________ Microsoft will phase out Windows 10 support over the next few years, so it's important to make sure your device supports Windows 11. Sarah Tew/CNET Windows 11 arrived Tuesday (here's our full Windows 11 review) and the big question on a lot of PC users' minds since Microsoft unveiled its first major operating system upgrade in six years is, will my computer be compatible? There's been some confusion about device compatibility since...

Windows 11 is now officially available to download. While Microsoft is launching Windows 11-powered hardware worldwide on October 5th, the company has made the OS update available early for eligible devices in New Zealand and beyond. If you’ve purchased a Windows 10 machine recently, that means you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11 right now. For everyone else, the rollout of Windows 11 will be gradual. Microsoft says existing Windows 10 devices that are eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade will start to be able to upgrade today, but it will be mostly new hardware that will receive...

Microsoft is announcing that Windows 11 will be released on October 5th. The new operating system will be available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs, or on new hardware that ships with Windows 11 pre-loaded.The free upgrade to Windows 11 will start rolling out on October 5th, but like many Windows upgrades in the past, it will be available in phases. New eligible devices will be offered the upgrade first, and then Windows 11 will become available for more in-market devices in the weeks and months following October 5th.“Following the tremendous learnings from Windows 10, we want...