Month: January 2019

Students and Teachers Get Microsoft Office for Free

Although students and teachers easily check their school’s eligibility for a free Office 365 subscription, but they ought to be in a position to subscribe to the sale themselves rather than going through webmaster.

Microsoft Office 365 Education

Microsoft includes a couple of Office 365 plans for private, business, or non-profit use. One such plan may be in position at your school. By going through the following eligibility check, you should have your questions answered relating to this, but if not, you are able to ask your school’s administration whether they have Office 365 Education.

What’s Included for Eligible Students and Teachers

These free accounts for students and teachers include the latest available desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Onenote, Access and Publisher (Office 2016 for Windows or Office 2016 for Mac). Not only that, but these desktop programs can be placed on as many as five PCs or Macs in addition to as much as five mobile devices.

This implies integration with Office Online, the browser-based version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Onenote. The main thing about Office Online is that it allows you to collaborate on the document in real-time with other students or teachers. If you do need to work offline, you can save locally then sync changes when a connection is reestablished.

The sale includes free storage in OneDrive. Documents saved to OneDrive can be accessed across all your mobile and desktop devices. The Office 365 Education plan typically allows educational institutions to give the Office and OneDrive experience plus sites, free email, im, and web conferencing. You may want to seek advice from your school for details on these elements.

Determining Eligibility

This program has been in effect for some time, however it’s simpler to find out whether your school is a qualifying institution. A number of students are eligible with this opportunity.

Checking for eligibility requires a school current email address. If you don’t have access to the email account from your school, you should start by troubleshooting that. Next, visit the appropriate website to further investigate possibilities for your school:

Students should visit office.com/getoffice365
Teachers should visit office.com/teachers

What Administrators of Eligible Institutions Have to do

Very little. This is the elegant aspect of Microsoft’s offer, as described on their Office in Education site:

“There aren’t any administrative actions your institution must decide to try enroll. You can just communicate the availability of Office 365 Education for Students to your students using content from your toolkit. Access the toolkit. Speak to your Microsoft representative with specific questions regarding the steps your school must take.”

For Non-Eligible Students or Teachers

Your interest may prompt important conversations with respect to the other students or teachers at your school. In case your school is not eligible you are able to get in touch with your school’s administration to request that they get in touch with Microsoft regarding failed eligibility.

Are the ones Free Microsoft Product Keys Real?

A free Microsoft product key, that you see known as a free CD key, for something similar to a Windows operating system, or a Microsoft Office version, as well as other bit of software or game, might be really helpful for several reasons.

Most apparent, a free product key sounds great if you have lost your original one but you have to reinstall the program. How simple to just pull a free product key from the list and employ it!

You may would like to check out a brand new bit of software or even the new edition of Windows. A totally free install key would shield you from risking money on something you’re not quite confident that you really want yet.

“Are Those Free Microsoft Product Keys Real?”

Free product keys are available for the dealing with the web, and frequently do work, but they’re not legal.

You will know old adage saying if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is? Well, that applies perfectly here.

Plenty of websites list product keys for Windows, like Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7. Free product keys can also be found for Microsoft Office software, including the popular Microsoft Office 2019, Office 2016, Office 2013, Office 2010, etc. Most popular of all are free keys for popular PC-based game titles.

The product keys these web sites offer were likely created with a product key generator program or are duplicate product keys from legitimate copies of Microsoft Office that were stolen after which posted online.

It does not matter in which the product key came from – utilizing a product key apart from the initial one that comes with an individual copy of Windows or piece of software is against the law.

Requiring a unique product key is important to a program’s activation process. It’s one of the ways that software makers can be sure that every copy of their program or operating system can be used only once and you are spending money on the copy you use.

“What If I Bought this program but Just Aren’t able to find the important thing?”

Still not a good idea. While technically this may work, many times, it doesn’t nowadays and it is still illegal, regardless of your reason and whether it really works.

Most software companies, especially bigger ones like Microsoft and Adobe, already screen for product keys from popular lists. Most of these companies also use product activation, that is yet another step to ensure that the product key you simply entered is valid and legally purchased.

In your case, assuming this program continues to be installed or was recently installed, you may be capable of getting to the product key via a key finder tool.

We’ve written a little more at length about Microsoft’s programs, specifically Windows and Microsoft Office.

Some software program’s tie your product answer to the user account that was accustomed to buy the program. So, you might have an email with the product type in it, or, at least, a place of your online account that holds the product key you purchased with the program.

Or, if you have a user account associated with the program, and all sorts of license information is stored online inside your account, this program itself may have a login screen. When you use that, you’re confirming that the account is assoicated having a valid purchase, in which case you can use the application while not having to know the product key.

If all else fails, probably the most straightforward and legal method of getting a distinctive product secret is to buy a new copy from the operating system or bit of software yourself. This ensures that the brand new product secret is linked to the program or OS that you purchased – you can be assured it’s legal to use it.

Another option would be to buy a used copy of the software. You can sometimes find less expensive, used applications from the legitimate seller on Amazon.com or some other major retailer.

Transferring a piece of software in one computer (just like a friend’s who no longer wants this program) for your computer is also often a choice but the specific steps involved vary from program to program.

There Are Some Free Product Keys

Despite everything we said above – that almost all product keys you can find online are illegal – there are several instances in which a product secret is free. While this isn’t true for MS Office products and Windows operating systems, it does happen with less popular programs.

Although it is rare, some completely free programs require a product key before they may be used. This is probably so the developers will keep tabs on how many individuals are installing the software. Regardless of reason, those keys are certainly 100 percent legal and free.

On a similar note, you could search for alternative or similar programs which are free and that don’t even require a key. We’ve lots of “top free” lists here on Lifewire that are prime types of how you can get great software without paying anything.

Microsoft Announced Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18323

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18323 (19H1) to Windows Insiders within the Fast ring. Please be aware that as a result of small outage in our build publishing system, this build will be rolling to Windows Insiders within the next few hours so it might not be immediately available at the time of publish of this blog post.

The 19H1 Bug Bash has officially began by yesterday! It’ll run from January 23th, 2019 to February 3rd, 2019. Head to the Feedback Hub for Quests to test. There will also be a unique Bug Bash edition webcast on Tuesday, January 29th at 10am PST.

REMINDER: As is normal with builds at the start of the expansion cycle, builds could have bugs that could be painful for some. If this makes you uncomfortable, you may want to consider switching towards the Slow ring. Slow ring builds will still be high quality.

If you are searching for an entire take a look at what build is in which Insider ring – head on over to Flight Hub. You may also browse the rest of our documentation here together with a complete listing of additional features and updates which have gone out included in Insider flights for that current development cycle (which currently is 19H1).

What’s new in Build 18323

Improved RAW image format support

Would you like taking pictures in Raw image formats and need the Raw files out of your camera were natively supported by Windows?

Good news! Targeting 19H1, we’ve been working hard to release a brand new store-delivered Raw codec package that dramatically improves native raw data format support in Windows.

By downloading the brand new Raw Image Extension (Beta) package from the store, you can now view image thumbnails, previews, and camera metadata of previously unsupported raw files in File Explorer. You can also view your raw images – at full resolution – in apps for example Photos or other Windows app that utilizes Windows Imaging Component framework to decode raw images.

How you can test

Please be aware – to set up the package, 19H1 Build 18323 or later is needed. Open the next link in Edge to set up the current beta package: https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NCTDW2W1BH8. We’ve also made a 19H1 Bug Bash pursuit of directions. If you’re running Build 18323 or later, click on this link to open the quest in Feedback Hub.

Known issues

Exposing camera properties stored as EXIF/XMP metadata isn’t currently employed by some raw image formats.
File Explorer hangs once the view state is changed to “Details Pane” and a raw file that activates the brand new raw codec package is chosen.
Opening some raw images in Photos app while using new store-delivered raw codec pack gets stuck at low resolution thumbnail image.

How you can provide feedback

We would like to get the feedback. Please send your feedback through Feedback Hub under “Devices and Drivers > Video Playback” category.
Improving Light Theme

We introduced the brand new Light Theme in Windows 10 with Build 18282 and today’s build has some improvements to Light Theme worth being attentive to according to your feedback:

We fixed an issue where the text in the battery flyout might become unreadable in light theme due to it being white.
We fixed an issue where the scrollbar in the network flyout wasn’t visible in light theme.
We fixed an issue where the autoplay icon within the systray wasn’t visible see how to avoid theme.
We fixed an issue where impacting the network and volume icons in the notification area where after switching to light theme they wouldn’t update from white to black until explorer restarted.
We fixed a similar issue where not every supported app icons within the taskbar would switch colors on the taskbar when switching between light and dark theme (particularly around the secondary monitor).
We’ve made some adjustments to address issues where when utilizing light theme white icons in notifications weren’t readable.
We’re updating the Settings icon to certainly be dark grey in the taskbar when light theme is enabled rather than black.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

REMINDER: The brand new tamper protection establishing the Windows Security app protects your device by preventing bad actors from tampering with the most important security settings. You might see a new recommendation within the Windows Security app suggesting you turn this setting on.
We fixed an issue causing Update Orchestrator Service to stop working periodically. Because of this problem, you might have seen an error on Windows Update Settings stating that the update failed to restart. This issue also led to restart using Update and Restart to sometimes just restart you into the base OS.
[UPDATED] We fixed a problem where clicking your bank account in Cortana Permissions didn’t bring up the UI to sign out from Cortana (should you be already signed in). This issue also impacted the Change My Name button.
We fixed an issue resulting in night light not working recently.
We fixed a problem where the quick actions section of Action Center could be missing sometimes recently.
We fixed an issue where closing an open Excel window from the taskbar might cause Excel to go non-responsive.
We fixed an issue an issue where the WIN + Ctrl + <number> hotkey wasn’t working.
When making use of your accent color around the taskbar continues to be enabled, the taskbar and begin jump lists will also be accent-themed.
For the time being we’re giving back the Volume Mixer link within the volume button context menu to its October 2018 behavior in the end look at improving the experience based on feedback.
We fixed an issue where themes and Microsoft Edge extensions downloaded from Microsoft Store wouldn’t come in their respective locations after the download finished.
We fixed a problem impacting Action Center reliability in recent builds.
We fixed a problem in which you might see multiple Focus Assist notifications in the Action Center in a particular time.
We’re adding Nearby Sharing towards the list of default Focus Assist exceptions.
We fixed a current issue where should you used the screen snip quick action within the Action Center then the resulting screenshot would have the Action Center inside it.
We fixed a current issue that could result in the inability to launch UWP apps from the Start menu sometimes.
We fixed a recent regression resulting in File Explorer sometimes hanging when getting together with MP4s and folders that had MP4s in them.
We fixed a problem where Cortana would close immediately if opened from the Start screen when using tablet mode.
We fixed a problem impacting Snipping Tool reliability.
We fixed an issue leading to Ctrl + P not activating paper command in Snip & Sketch in recent flights.
We fixed a problem leading to Snip & Sketch potentially crashing when closing many Snip & Sketch windows consecutively.
We fixed an issue where rebooting would set Nearby Sharing to an off state if it have been turned on.
We fixed a problem in which the lock screen preview in Lock Screen Settings wasn’t showing in recent builds.
We fixed an issue where the scrollbar in Settings was overlapping the text fields when manually configuring your Ip.
We fixed a rare issue that could result in the screen locking up while using the Surface Dial.
We fixed an issue in which the tooltips within the Emoji Panel were truncated on the bottom.
We fixed an issue where the Windows feature update might fail but would be listed as a successful update in Windows Update history page.
We fixed a problem where you might visit a Windows Update icon within the notification area saying there is an update when no update was available.
We fixed a problem where you couldn’t type on the touch keyboard when “Turn on Activate a window by hovering over it using the mouse” since focus would escape from the written text field and hang to the keyboard itself.
We fixed a problem on certain devices that could sometimes increase the risk for screen staying black on boot until CTRL + Alt + Del was pressed.
We fixed an issue resulting in certain devices experience increased battery drain on the last few flights when in Disconnected Standby Mode.
We fixed an issue for devices with multiple monitors resulting in Task View (WIN + Tab) sometimes showing UWP app thumbnails on the primary monitor rather than the monitor where the app was open.
We fixed a problem where some key labels were stop in Armenian full touch keyboard layout.
We fixed a problem while using the full touch keyboard layout in Korean where pressing the FN key unexpectedly highlighted the IME ON/OFF key. We also fixed an issue with this language where tapping the tab key wouldn’t insert a tab.
Thanks everyone who shared feedback about the new Japanese Microsoft IME we’ve been working on. With today’s build the IME and settings pages are returning to those that we shipped with the October 2018 Update, while we take your feedback into consideration.
We fixed an issue where Narrator sometimes didn’t say anything when reopening Action Center after it had been dismissed while using Esc key.
We fixed a problem where Narrator did not speak the volume level value when using the hardware volume button to alter the amount setting.
We fixed an issue where Narrator command read from current location didn’t work when on a heading in Wikipedia.
We fixed a problem where Narrator announced read-only at the end for links.
We fixed an issue where Narrator continuous reading command browse the last word of the sentence twice on the web page in Microsoft Edge.
We fixed an issue impacting a small amount of users enrolled in Microsoft Intune where they might not receive policies.
We fixed an issue where signing out from inside Windows Sandbox led to a blank white window.
We fixed a problem leading to running c:\windows\syswow64\regedit.exe not launching regedit in recent builds.
Settings header rollout update: This is available these days across most regions for Insiders in Fast using Home edition and Pro editions of Windows that are not domain joined.
Small app update: Thanks everyone who reached out concerning the grid alignment trouble in the Calculator – it has been fixed using the 1812 form of the app.

Known issues

While with Build 18323 we fixed the current spike in Update Orchestrator Service crashes, if you’re on a base OS that’s influenced by the crash, you will still see the symptoms described above until you’re on 18323.
The Windows Security app may show a mystery status for the Virus & threat protection area, or otherwise refresh properly. This may occur after upgrade, restart, or settings changes.
Launching games which use anti-cheat software may trigger a bugcheck (GSOD).
Creative X-Fi sound cards are not functioning properly. We are partnering with Creative to resolve this problem.
While night light functionality has returned ready to go, you can still find issues with other blue light reduction software not working.
When performing Reset this PC and selecting Keep my files on the device that has Reserved Storage enabled the consumer will need to initiate an additional reboot to make sure Reserved Storage is working again properly.
Some Realtek SD card readers are not functioning properly. We’re investigating the problem.
USB devices, including mice and keyboards, might no longer work after updating. Possible workarounds are to change which USB port it’s connected to or connect the unit via a USB hub.
You may consistently see black screens when utilizing Remote Desktop, DisplayLink, or Miracast if you are on an AMD or Nvidia driver. We’re working on a fix, on the other hand, you are able to work around this problem by running the next command: reg add HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm /v EnableFrontBufferRenderChecks /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f. (Updated – thanks Rafael for that recommendation.)
The value in Narrator Settings “Change the level of detail Narrator provides about text and control” may be empty. To work around this issue, use the Narrator command Narrator key + v to change the verbosity level, then close and reopen Settings app again.
After upgrade, there might be two Narrator voices talking at the same time. Reboot the device once, this problem goes away.
Windows Sandbox may launch to a black screen for some users.
The Insider Program Settings pages actually have an insect preventing Narrator and Screen Reader programs from properly reading the page. A fix will be available in an upcoming build.
Taskbar icons may stop loading and appear blank.
Desktop Window Manager will crash if multiple Office and/or video playback applications are running on a single screen on devices that have Multiplane Overlay Support.

Known issues for Developers

If you install any of the recent builds in the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the short ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content is only going to install on builds approved for particular rings.

REMINDER: Getting the latest Windows 10 app updates

We’ve locked down the inbox apps in 19H1. These simplified versions of a few of the inbox apps are what will ship with 19H1 when it’s released. Consequently, Insiders might have realized that some features have disappeared from all of these apps. It was probably most noticeable using the Photos app. Insiders can get these features back by going into the settings of an inbox app like Photos and clicking the “Join preview” button.

Millions of Windows 7 PCs Are Out of Date, Antivirus Vendor Warns

Research conducted by security vendor Avast reveals that countless Windows 7 computers are presently out-of-date, with a few of these even running the RTM build from the operating system.

Based on their findings, Windows 7 happens to be the leading desktop platform having a 43 percent share, followed by Windows 10 with 40 percent. Windows 8 is third with 12 %, just ahead of Or windows 7 and Windows Vista.

No less than 13 percent of Windows 10 products are currently running older versions of the operating system, and Avast warns that it discovered a worrying share of devices currently on Windows 10 RTM or even the Creators, which are no longer receiving updates for Home and Pro SKUs.

“Google Chrome, the top app”

In the case of Windows 7, it’s even worse. Out of all Windows 7 desktop PCs, at least 15 % are currently on the RTM build that was published by Microsoft in ’09 and released to users as the original version of the operating-system.

15 percent of Office installations are Office 2007, according to Avast, which no more receives support either. Only 3 percent of users run Office 2010, the next version to obtain the ax the coming year.

There are also countless devices that run outdated software. Avast says 55 percent of all installed applications aren’t updated towards the new edition. Adobe Shockwave is most often outdated, accompanied by VLC Media Player, Skype, and Java.

Google Chrome is easily the most used application, while Adobe Acrobat Reader is the runner-up, just ahead of WinRAR. Microsoft Office and Mozilla Firefox round up the top five.

The most recent updates for Windows 7 will be released on January 14, 2020, as well as in the meantime, expect Microsoft to become more aggressive in its efforts to maneuver users to Windows 10.

How to fix the Windows 10 Blue Screen of Death

The Windows 10 Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) or the Stop Error screen appears whenever you doing something like upgrading the operating-system, booting or simply caring for your PC. Many people face the Black Screen problem, and a few encounter BSOD problems. Let us learn what to complete in each case.

Blue Screens in Windows 10/8 are simple, and they do not display the Stop Error message, as you maybe have to force it to display the Stop Error details.

Blue Screen of Death when upgrading to Windows 10

When you’re upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, BSOD might appear. This usually is really because of Bios settings, however in certain cases, it might be the cause of corrupted installer download.

If this happens, the installer will give you back to that old operating-system where you’ll have to run the upgrade again. Do not concern yourself, and so will ‘t be tied to a half installed OS, although the installation files is going to be on your C: Drive. Be sure to clean them prior to trying the upgrade again. Delete all files in the Software Distribution folder, and take away the entire Windows~BT folder from C Drive.

After this, visit the BIOS by pressing DEL key while booting up and let UEFI Boot before upgrading the system again. It’s best if you are using cellular phone media supplied by Microsoft. Run Setup.exe in the installation media you created, and it should help you navigate BSOD while upgrading.

Blue screen of death of Death while Booting Windows 10

Two scenarios are possible when booting Windows 10. Within the first, you are able to access the desktop, while in the second nowhere Screen will not let you access it, in which case you is going to be stuck in a restart loop.

The primary causes of would be the conflicts caused by the Windows driver or perhaps an update that went wrong. When the reason may be the latter, you’ll have to block and remove that update.

When the desktop is obtainable, visit Settings-Windows Updates-Advanced-View Installed Updates. Check the dates of the updates, after which remove those installed on the date after which the BSOD started to appear. If the works, block the update completely.

If your driver update is the problem, do the same for them. However, after taking out the driver update, also block automatic driver updates from Microsoft to control it later on, while using the a 3rd party tool that allows driver selection is much better.

BSOD reboot loop prevents access to Desktop

If you are stuck within the reboot loop, Windows 10 will automatically enter Repair mode after a while. Once there, use System Restore to repair the problem. Click on System Restore and choose the date before the BSOD. This can completely restore your computer to that particular time, removing any changes since then along the way. This will not affect all of your files.

Blue Screen of Death while focusing on Windows 10

Again, a Windows Update, a device driver update or some installed hardware could be the problem. It is recommended again use the method previously mentioned to obtain the problem after which block it.If you did install some hardware recently, shut your pc down and disconnect it. Boot it again and visit Device Manager by clicking WinKey+ Break. If the hardware may be the problem again, uninstall it. Reboot again to check if the issue is resolved.

Last but not least, it is usually great to have some type of free backup software like MiniTool ShadowMaker on your pc as the last type of defense against problems like these, and more.

Windows 10 19H1: Microsoft pushes its services with ‘Make Windows even better’ prompt

Microsoft has a new setup process within the next version of Windows 10 that invites users to “make Windows even better” by establishing devices and services having a Microsoft Account.

The following Windows 10 feature update, version 1903, includes the new prompt whenever a system first starts, encouraging users to setup services ‘powered with a Microsoft account’.

Microsoft is currently testing this feature with Windows Insiders using recent builds from the 19H1 branch.

“Let’s make Windows better still – this shouldn’t affect what you’ve already setup,” says the prompt, spotted in recent builds by Ghacks.

Among the key features Microsoft wants users to set up is linking a phone and a PC. Users are asked to type their telephone number inside a field and send it to Microsoft.

Microsoft says this action will deliver ‘essential apps’ to assist users are more effective across devices. After sending the amount, Microsoft sends a hyperlink in an SMS to obtain ‘the first app’, that could be its Your Phone app.

Microsoft wants users to be signed directly into its cross-device mobile apps, including Microsoft Launcher, Edge, and Cortana for Android, in addition to Edge Carry on PC, and Cortana for iOS.

Other Microsoft Account services that users are prompted to setup include Windows Hello ‘to sign in faster and much more securely’, Office 365, and One Drive for backup and keeping files accessible. Gleam setup process for ‘Do more across devices’ that promises ‘seamless experiences’.

There doesn’t appear to be anything sneaky going on in the new prompt. However, Microsoft recently began offering Windows insiders on 19H1 builds the chance to try out Windows Hello Face, fingerprint or perhaps a PIN to sign-in to Windows without a password.

Setting up passwordless sign-in is simpler for users who curently have a Microsoft account with a telephone number. Getting this step taken care of during the initial setup could reduce friction for users trying passwordless sign-in.

The company also recently announced that Windows 10 users on version 1809 can use Windows Hello and FIDO2 security keys for passwordless sign-in to its core services, including Outlook.com, Office 365, Skype, OneDrive, Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Xbox Survive laptop computer, Mixer, Microsoft Store, Bing, and MSN.

If users don’t want to set up services and devices so they’re connected to a Microsoft Account, Microsoft does provide the choice to ‘Skip for now’. But clearly if Microsoft has made new experiences available, it might prefer people use them.

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 preview with search, Cortana, Start, font, Settings, and Console improvements

Microsoft today released a brand new Windows 10 preview with improvements to look, Cortana, Start, font, Settings, and also the Windows Console. The update bumps Windows 10 from build 18312 (distributed around testers on January 9) to build 18317. These builds are from the 19H1 branch, addressing the Windows 10 update which will get to the very first 1 / 2 of this season.

Windows 10 is being developed like a service, meaning it receives additional features regularly. Microsoft has released six major updates so far: November Update, Anniversary Update, Creators Update, Fall Creators Update, April 2018 Update, and October 2018 Update.

The seventh update will decouple Search and Cortana within the taskbar. We’ve heard about this transformation for a while and even some Windows Insiders have experienced this update for a few weeks now. This build brings it to more testers: Clicking the search box in the taskbar now launches “the very best in house search experience” and clicking the Cortana icon launches the “voice-first digital assistant experience.” Search and Cortana settings are also split between the two, along with the familiar group policies.

Next, Start in Windows 10 is becoming its very own process, called StartMenuExperienceHost.exe. So far, it had been hosted by something called ShellExperienceHost.exe. The modification simplifies debugging, insulates Begin with potential issues impacting other surfaces, and according to an experiment run on some testers’ machines, it also improves reliability. Separately, Microsoft can also be creating a change so that Start no more suspends, which improves launch time.

Now you can drag and drop font files from File Explorer in to the modern Fonts page under Settings to set up them. After installation, click on the font to view the different associated font faces and all its details. You can also uninstall the font out of this font details page.

Microsoft has simplified the Windows Insider Program Settings page (Settings => Update & Security => Windows Insider Program) to get more users to register. Now you can change your Insider under “Pick your Insider settings.”

Lastly, the Windows Console has additionally gained some fixes related to text, GitHub, colors, resizing, scrolling, resizing, fonts, and so forth.
Bug fixes and known issues

This 19H1 build includes the following general bug fixes and enhancements:

Fixed an issue leading to File Explorer unexpectedly having a lock on USBs when attempting to securely eject them.
Fixed a problem leading to frequent bugchecks (GSODs) within the last two flights, citing an error with bindflt.sys.
Fixed a problem leading to frequent bugchecks (GSODs) in the last flight, citing error KERNEL_LOCK_ENTRY_LEAKED_ON_THREAD_TERMINATION.
Fixed a problem leading to the inability to connect with VMs using Hyper-V console after upgrading to recent flights. This problem also impeded the ability to connect with VMs with Enhanced Sessions enabled.
Fixed a problem leading to some full screen games showing a black screen in recent flights even though they worked in windowed mode.
Fixed a problem resulting in CDP User Service periodically unexpectedly using a large quantities of CPU in recent flights.
Fixed an issue causing text in the Windows Security app to become incorrect or potentially missing altogether.
Fixed a problem from recent flights where clicking the network button on the sign-in screen didn’t work.
Fixed a problem resulting in certain devices not being able to wake from hibernation recently. There have been two possible symptoms on wake should you be impacted – one would be a black screen, one was a screen that continued to say “hibernating…”.
Fixed a problem resulting in Display Settings crashing in recent builds. Should you be impacted, this could also have had the symptom that clicking System or Ease of Access from the main Settings page may crash Settings.
Fixed a problem with certain touch keyboard languages where pressing AltGr + [any key] around the full layout would dismiss the touch keyboard.
Fixed an issue where Windows Sandbox wouldn’t launch on PCs with multiple GPUs.
When Scan Mode is on and Narrator is on the slider, the left and right arrows will decrease and increase the slider. Down and up arrows continues to visit the previous or next paragraph or item. Home and End will slowly move the slider towards the beginning or even the end.
The Narrator listing of headings command now works as expected in Chrome.
Improved Narrator support for Microsoft Teams.
For cursor and pointer, fixed going back to the best mouse pointers when changing back to the original size and colours.
Fixed an issue where some devices would fail to install an update with error code. If you’re updating from 18309 or newer this problem will be fixed with this update, if you’re updating from a build just before 18309 it will be fixed for the following update.

This build has 16 known issues:

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will probably cause a bugcheck (GSOD) when utilizing certain Linux binaries for example VI and tar. If you require WSL to work, please pause taking flights before the concern is fixed.
The Windows Security app may show a mystery status for the Virus & threat protection area, or otherwise refresh properly. This might occur after upgrade, restart, or settings changes.
Launching games that use anti-cheat software may trigger a bugcheck (GSOD).
Clicking your account in Cortana Permissions doesn’t mentioning the UI to sign from Cortana (if you were already signed in) for some users within this build.
Creative X-Fi sound cards are not functioning properly.
When attempting to update this build some S Mode devices will download and restart but fail the update.
Night light functionality is impacted by an insect in this build.
When you open Action Center the fast actions section may be missing.
Windows feature update may fail but show up like a successful update in Windows Update history page. Should this happen you will notice more than one successful install for the same update within the history page.
When performing Reset this PC deciding on Keep my files on a device which has Reserved Storage enabled the consumer will have to initiate an additional reboot to make sure Reserved Storage is working again properly.
There is an issue impacting a small amount of users enrolled in Microsoft Intune where they might not receive policies. Those coverage is not applied and left inside a “pending” state around the server. The workaround is to go to Settings/Accounts/Access work or school and “Disconnect” your Azure AD account after which re-enroll.
Some Realtek Sdcard visitors not working properly.
Update Orchestrator Service reduces periodically. A fix will be included in a future build. As a result of this problem, you might see an error on Windows Update Settings saying that the update failed to restart. If you see this, restarting using the power menu in Start (“Update and restart”) should work, although there’s a chance that it won’t.
Closing the lid to some laptop and re-opening may cause icons within the task bar to appear blank. To fix this open task manager and restart explorer.exe or reboot.
If you download a style from Microsoft Store, it won’t appear in Themes Settings.
If you put in the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the short ring to add/install/enable optional content. It is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings.

As always, don’t install this on your production machine.

Windows 7 Users, Choose The next Destination: Windows 10, Linux, or Mac?

Microsoft will retire Windows 7 in under a year, as the company will stop offering extended support for the 2009 operating system on January 14, 2020.

Which means that Windows 7 devices is going to be left unguarded should any vulnerabilities be discovered, and there’s without doubt it will happen because, as mentioned before, Windows versions share most from the code and security flaws in one of them also appear in others.

The 2009 week after i announced the final one year of support for Windows 7, I told you the January 2020 milestone represents a huge chance of Microsoft to concentrate all its efforts on Windows 10.

And without a doubt, Microsoft hopes that by killing off Windows 7, users would migrate en-masse to Windows 10, which is the most logical choice in the long term.

Microsoft also provides support for Windows 8.1, but it goes without saying that Windows 10 is the recommended version, especially for enterprises which may benefit from longer support when performing the upgrade.

While at first glance the option isn’t really very difficult for home users, when i see it at this time, those still running Windows 7 have to choose between sticking with this OS version, upgrading to Windows 10, or going the non-Windows way and migrating to Linux.

Obviously, Apple’s macOS may be the destination that some could pick, but because of the expense of the MacBook, for instance, it’s hard to believe too many people would follow this path.

So technically, it all comes down to Windows 7, Windows 10, or Linux.

Without support, sticking with Windows 7 isn’t quite the most recommended option, especially because this would mean that any vulnerabilities within the OS would remain unpatched and exploits would become more efficient against computers still running it.

Windows 7 won’t just disappear overnight, and applications will continue to work onto it, though eventually, increasingly more developers would concentrate their efforts on Windows 10 and leave this year’s OS version behind. So at some point in the near future, everyone would eventually have to choose between Windows 10 and Linux.

Windows 10, on the other hand, isn’t everyone’s bag, especially due to the modern experience that it relies on. Windows 7 is the last operating system that was offered with no modern environment, as it’s the situation of Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, therefore the transition towards the latter might be overwhelming for many.

On the other hand, Windows 10 includes improved security, new features, and a lot of updates all across the operating-system. It’s also Microsoft’s recommended choice, also it receives updates twice every year. It has the same system requirements as Windows 7, which means you shouldn’t notice any performance slowdown.

And finally, Linux. The open-source world has improved a great deal lately, and it’s now much more user-friendly than it was Ten years ago. Distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint are extremely easy to use, plus some even offer tools which are specifically aimed at users coming from Windows.

Linux is somewhat safer than Windows, though this platform isn’t entirely hackerproof either. However, given its limitations within the gaming world, moving to Linux could be impossible for gamers too, making Windows pretty much the only destination.

And now it’s your turn. Using the clock already ticking, what’s the next stop after Windows 7? Are you going to stay with Windows or change to Linux? Let us know within the box following the jump.

Windows 7 Update Support Ends One Year From Today

Microsoft happens to be locked into Windows 10 for that foreseeable future, but a significant share of worldwide Windows users continue to be on older versions like Windows 7. Anyone still clinging to Windows 7 is going to be counting the times with dread from now on. In precisely one year, Microsoft can finish official support operations for Windows 7.

Released in ’09, Windows 7 was an immediate hit after consumers struggled to deal with Windows for the preceding 3 years. Windows 7 brought improved interface elements, window management, and it was easier on system resources. That was an issue in ’09 when ultra-low-power Netbooks were commonplace. Many Or windows 7 holdouts upgraded to Windows 7 and have remained there during the last decade.

You might be of the opinion that Microsoft already cut Windows 7, however the company has lots of “levels” of support. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7 in 2015, but the OS continues to be included in extended support until January 14, 2020. In this phase, Windows 7 no more receives new features via updates, but Microsoft will still push out security patches on a regular basis. In precisely twelve months, which will also end.

Microsoft has were able to convince a plurality of Windows users to update to the new edition of the platform. Using the end of Windows 7 update support, we’re prone to see Windows 10 grow substantially. Unlike past years, there isn’t any “new” form of Windows on the horizon – Microsoft continues to be updating Windows 10 regularly with new features since its 2015 debut. It’s also unlikely that anyone will be jumping from Windows 7 to Windows 8, that was widely seen as an misstep by Microsoft that overemphasized touchscreen usage.

The one-third of Windows users on 7 won’t evaporate completely, though. There are still people using Or windows 7 all these years later, after all. Microsoft offers custom support contracts for businesses and governments that can’t migrate to newer versions from the operating-system, but these custom updates come with a big price tag. For the average user, Windows 7 will start obtaining unpatched vulnerabilities in one year. The longer waiting to upgrade next, the more broken and dangerous your computing experience is going to be.

The following Windows shutdown comes in 2023 when Windows 8.1 will lose extended update support. The initial Windows 8 release lost full update support in January 2016.

How you can disable reserved storage in Windows 10

For those who have upgraded to Windows 10 version 1903 — or Windows 10 19H1 as you may know it — you will notice that a portion of the hard disk continues to be put aside because of the new “reserved storage” option.

Microsoft introduced this Storage Reserve (as it is sometimes known) to “ensure proper performance and successful updates of your device”, although not most people are happy about it. You might be running low on disk space, or you just might prefer to stay in charge of the way your hard drive can be used — in which case, read on to discover how to disable reserved storage.

Just how much space Windows 10 sets aside varies quite a bit from one computer to a different. For many people it is around 2.5GB, while for others it’s 7GB or maybe more. You should check just how much space you’re losing by heading to Settings > System > Storage, after which clicking Show more categories followed by System & reserved.

When you can see how much hard disk space has been reserved by Windows, you’ll find that there is no way to change or disable the feature. Microsoft explains that you could lessen the size of reserved storage by reducing the amount of Optional Features and languages you’ve installed. What it really doesn’t tell you, however, is that by delving in to the registry you are able to disable it completely. Here’s what you need to do:

Press the Windows key and R simultaneously, type regedit and press Enter.
In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ReserveManager.
Double click the ShippedWithReserves key and set its value to 0.
Exit the Registry Editor.

Should you ever choose that you need to re-enable the feature, just change the value of the important thing back to 1.