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[H/T openurmind]PlacesEventsDIY InstallSupport for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025.Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer.But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?If you bought your computer after 2010, there's most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come.Installing an operating system may sound difficult, but you don't have to do it alone. With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!Find someone to help you → [ransomnote: I removed the link. Only one...

With Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, millions of Windows 10 users will be left behind by the company. Upgrades to Windows 11 may be out of the question, due to stricter system requirements. While these can be bypassed, many Windows 10 users may lack the expertise to do so. This leaves Microsoft's recommendation to buy a new Windows 11 PC or subscribe to one year of extended security updates as the only options that Microsoft highlights in its recommendations. There are at least two additional options available to users, but Microsoft makes no mention of them....

"How can I help you today". That is what you see when you open Microsoft Edge's new tab page in the latest development version. Microsoft is replacing the traditional new tab page with a page that is all about Copilot. It is the second Copilot feature that has been added to Edge recently by Microsoft. Currently, that is only an experiment, but there is a chance that this new AI-powered page is replacing the classic new tab page, at least as an option. Snip.... Many of the interactions with Copilot redirect you to the Bing website where the results are...

Microsoft released security updates for Windows 11 and other company products earlier this week. If you have installed the security update on a Windows 11 PC, you may have noticed something peculiar after the mandatory restart. After opening the root of drive C in File Explorer, you may have stumbled upon the inetpub folder, a newly created folder. The creation date and time of the folder aligns with the installation of the update. When you open it, you will notice that it is empty. Update: Microsoft says here that the folder is created intentionally and that it should not be...

I’m writing this article mainly for Windows users who’ve decided to switch to Linux. If you’re already a Linux user, chances are you’ve learned most of what I’m about to share—whether the easy way or the hard way.The main goal of this article is simple: to help you figure out whether a “Linux for Windows users” really exists—and to bridge the gap between what you might expect and what you’re actually likely to experience.Let’s start by taking a quick look at a niche group of Linux distributions that insistently want to look like Windows and then explain why that makes...

Never mind blocking workarounds to sign in with a local account, just give us a straightforward choice in the installation process. Microsoft just blocked a popular workaround to install Windows 11 with a local account Some people like to avoid having a Microsoft account linked to the OS due to privacy (or other) concerns While alternative workarounds remain, it’s likely they could be cut off too – and Microsoft is very much going down the wrong path here Microsoft appears to be moving to block Windows 11 users who want to install the operating system using a local account, meaning...

Since the last auto-update of my Firefox browser, emails that contain forwarding URL, those URL will not execute. For example, I get a daily trivia question. When I click on the link to answer the quiz, Firefox locks up. The same happens with a Facebook link. If I use a different browser (e.g., Opera), the links work fine. I've tried to notify Firefox, but getting a link for them is a bad joke. Has anyone else experienced this?

It’s 2026. You just bought a new laptop, and unlike your last one, this device is an “AI PC.” The distinction means you can now run all the latest AI applications directly on your device without draining your battery, keeping your data private and secure. AI PCs If you stopped by a Sears circa 1960 to buy a television, the sales clerk’s first question for you would’ve been, “Color or black and white?” Only after hearing the answer could they help you find the television that was right for you. Today’s computer buyers are facing their own fork in the...

We all, at some point, have fantasized about giving our employers a big middle finger on the way out the door, whether we leave on our own volition or are pushed out. Well, a 55-year-old Texas man allegedly built an automated bird flipper in the form of a kill switch that crashed his company’s systems and locked people out of their accounts when he was fired. Satisfying as that may have been, he now faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice, for setting the trip wire on his way out the door. Here’s the...

Every time I boot up my Windows 11, I'm greeted by MS Edge. I can't seem to shut it down for good. I searched the internet, followed all the advice, but it doesn't work.I tried the following tips I found on the internet:1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run application. Type “regedit” in the dialogue box and press Enter.2. Once in the registry editor, navigate to the following file path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet3. Now, look at the right side of the screen where different keys are listed. Search through them until you find “EnableActiveProbing”. Double-click it to open its properties.4....

Previous thread HEREBACKGROUND: Mozilla, maker of Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client, had long claimed that it "never has, never will sell" users' personal information In late February, Mozilla changed its policies to delete that assertion and made other confusing changes to its ToUs that tended to indicate going forward, Mozilla would "sell" its users' personal data that was entered in the Firefox browser. These murky changes ignited an uproar among Mozilla's user base NOW (condensed version): Mozilla asserts that it had to delete the assertion that it "never has, never will sell users' personal information" because of broad definitions...

As noted a few months ago, Mozilla -- maker of the Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client -- is facing an 80% revenue drop due to investigations into its “revenue-sharing” deals with Google. That revenue drop is apparently prompting Mozilla's all-out search for alternate revenue streams. Mozilla's changes last week to the Firefox browser's privacy notice and usage terms indicate that users' privacy may be sold out. Specifically, Mozilla's new use terms provide: “When you upload or input information through Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that information to help you navigate, experience, and...

Google Chrome users have been warned to delete 16 “malicious” browser extensions that could lead to a security threat and “fraud” at the hands of a prolific “threat actor.” The extensions affect functionality involving screen capture, ad blocking, emoji keyboards and more, with a potential impact on at least 3.2 million users, according to GitLab Threat Intelligence, which first reported the threat. The extensions inject code and harmful scripts into browsers, allowing hackers to steal user data and engage in search-engine fraud involving ad revenue, according to Tom’s Guide. After users granted permission to use them, the extensions, while legitimate,...

After kickstarting the market for making calls over the internet 23 years ago, Skype is closing down. Microsoft, which acquired the messaging and calling app 14 years ago, said it will be retiring it from active duty on May 5 to double down on Teams. Skype users have 10 weeks to decide what they want to do with their account. It’s not clear how many people are impacted. The most recent numbers that Microsoft had shared were in 2023, when it said it had more than 36 million users — a long way from Skype’s peak of 300 million users....

Nearly 3.7 million consumers who bought the software from Avast between August 2014 and January 2020 can expect emails to arrive in their inboxes this week or next notifying them of their eligibility to apply for compensation, the FTC stated.According to regulators, Avast for years collected information on customers through its antivirus software and browser extensions including data on:religious beliefshealth concernspolitical leaningslocationsfinancial status

It’s official: after 10 years of noble service, Windows 10 will reach its end on October 14, 2025, and what a great decade it’s been. For many users, Microsoft redeemed itself after a run of disappointing operating systems – the mere mention of Windows 8 still sends some people into a rage – but Windows 10 got it right. That’s why the announcement of Windows 11 came as a shock. It felt too soon, too rushed – and unnecessary. Many believed that Windows 10 deserved more time to marinate. At least until it finally managed to migrate the whole Control...

All 1.8 billion Gmail users have been issued a 'red alert' over a scam that lets hackers gain access to accounts. The attack uses AI to craft deepfake robocalls and malicious emails capable of bypassing security filters. The combination works to convince victims their Gmail account has been compromised. Users receive a phone call that suspicious activity was detected in their account and are told an email is soon to follow with steps to rectify the issue. The email includes a fake website that looks identical to Google's, which prompts users to enter their login credentials. Cybersecurity experts warned that...

This brief post is for recommended extensions and themes for Gecko-based browsers (such as Floorp, Firefox, Waterfox Classic) browsers. First, as one who "needs" multiple tab rows, then unlike with minimalist Chrome, these are possible to obtain in Firefox via The Patcher (as well as Vivaldi - the best Chromium-based browser IMO), but since this takes some time, then I recommend trying Floorp, a Gecko/Firefox-based browser, originally built by two Japanese students, that has no Firefox telemetry options, and comes with the powerful tracking blocker/ad blocker uBlock Origin. And within the Settings section are a multitude of GUI customization...

Ugly-ass new logo Mozilla earned approximately 80% of its income through “revenue-sharing” deals with Google, pushing Google’s search engine as Firefox’s default choice. Now that Google faces antitrust investigations for this practice, Mozilla and Firefox may suffer a concomitant reduction in revenues. So what does Mozilla do? They “rebrand” themselves as “advocates” and “activists,” fighting “misinformation.” Among other marketing gobbledygook at this website, Mozilla’s rebranding director describes her client as “a trailblazing, activist organization in both its mission and its approach…. The new brand presence captures this uniqueness, reflecting Mozilla’s refreshed strategy to ‘reclaim the internet.’ The modern, digital-first identity...

Run Dialog box is something that is one of the favorite utilities for an avid Windows user. Its been around since Windows 95 and became an important part of Windows User Experience over the years. While its only duty is to quickly open apps and other tools, many power users like us at TechCult, love the handy nature of the Run dialog box. Since it can access any tool, setting, or app as long as you know the command for it, we decided to give you the cheat sheet to help you breeze through Windows like a pro...pressing Windows +...