Month: April 2019

How you can clone a Windows 10 installation to a new drive using Clonezilla

Clonezilla is really a free tool according to Linux designed specifically for drive cloning containing any type of data. It does this by copying all of the bits on a drive to a different equal or larger drive.

If you’re running Windows 10 on your device, you can also use Clonezilla to migrate the current installation with all your settings, apps, and files to a new larger or faster drive with no need of reinstalling the operating system. Or use Clonezilla as a backup tool before making changes to your current installation.

Within this guide, you’ll learn the steps to use Clonezilla to clone a hard drive with an installing of Windows 10 to a different drive.
Warning: Although this is a non-destructive process, making changes to some drive has its risks, as a result begin using these instructions carefully and also at your personal risk. If you’re likely to replace a drive, it’ll be also a good idea to produce a back of the data before proceeding. You’ve been warned.

How you can clone Windows 10 to SSD or HDD using Clonezilla

Although using Clonezilla to make an exact copy of the drive on new drive is an easy process, there’s some preparation and specific steps that you need to follow.

The steps below will show you with everything else you should know, including shrinking the partition around the main drive to suit it on smaller drive, connecting a new hard disk, downloading and developing a bootable media to make use of Clonezilla, cloning process, and even the steps to make sure that after the process you’re using the entire available space.

Shrinking partition (optional)

If you’re moving from the large traditional hard disk (HDD) to some smaller and faster Solid-State Drive (SSD), you may need to shrink the partition to suit a volume on a smaller drive using these steps:

Open Start.

Search Disk Management and click on the very best lead to open the knowledge.

Right-click the main volume (C:) and select the Shrink Volume option.

Click the Shrink button to reduce along side it from the volume whenever possible.

Once you complete the steps, you can keep with the steps below to clone the drive.

Connecting clone drive

After reducing the size volume, you are able to connect the new drive to motherboard. The process to connect a traditional HDD, SSD, and M.2 drives will change per manufacturer as well as computer model, as such be sure to check your computer manufacturer support website for additional specific details.

You are able to connect a drive using a USB adapter, however, you shouldn’t use an external drive while you can’t utilize it as a boot drive. However, you can use a USB external drive if you’re intending to produce a backup, which you’ll restore towards the same or different drive.

Creating Clonezilla bootable media

Before you can clone a drive, you have to download the Clonezilla ISO file and create a bootable media to use the software.

The simplest method of produce a Clonezilla bootable media is to use the ISO with Rufus, a third-party tool made to create bootable USB flash drives.

You can download the Clonezilla zip file, but when you make a mistake using the instructions it can break your current installation.

To download and create a Clonezilla bootable Usb memory card, begin using these steps:

Downloading Clonezilla ISO file

To download the ISO file, use these steps:

Open Clonezilla download page.

In step No. 2, select the ISO option as file type.

Click the Download button.

Once you complete the steps, you are able to go to use Rufus to produce a USB bootable media.

Creating Clonezilla bootable USB

To create a bootable media, connect a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of storage, and then use these steps:

Open Rufus website.

Under the “Download” section, click on the download link for the new edition.

Double-click the file to launch the tool.

Use the “Device” drop-down menu and choose the Usb memory card.

Click the Select button.

Select the Clonezilla ISO file.

Click outdoors button.

Click the beginning button.

Once you complete the steps, before you begin your device using the tool, you have to ensure your device can boot from USB.

Typically, you’ll have to access your device Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) hitting one of the function key (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12), the ESC, or the Delete key during boot.

Once inside the first, look for the Boot section and make sure the boot order is placed to the drive that contains the Windows 10 installation files, and do not forget in order to save the configuration.

The BIOS/UEFI can be different with respect to the manufacturer and even per computer model, as a result be sure to check your manufacturer support website for more specific instructions.

Cloning Windows 10 using Clonezilla

To use Clonezilla to clone a Windows 10 installation to a different SSD or large HDD, use these steps:

Start your device with the bootable media.

Select the Clonezilla live option and press Enter.

Choose your language and press Enter.

Select the Keep option to stay with default keyboard layout option and press Enter.

Pick the option and press Enter.

Select the device_device option and press Enter.

Choose the Beginner mode option and press Enter.

Choose the disk_to_local_disk local_disk_to_local_disk_clone option and press Enter.

Pick the (source) drive which contains the information that you would like to clone to a different drive and press Enter.
Important: If you don’t specify this option correctly, you are able to end up wiping out the incorrect drive.

Select the (destination) drive, the empty drive that you’re replacing (or backup storage) and press Enter.

Choose the sfsck option to skip the checking and repairing from the source system files and press Enter.

Select the action to perform after the cloning is complete. Option available, include choose, reboot, or powerfoff. (You are able to select any option.)

Press Enter to carry on.

Type Y and press Enter to confirm the cloning process.

Type Y and press Enter again to re-confirm that the process is going to be erased within the destination drive.

Type Y and press Enter to close the boot loader, which is the piece of code that makes the Windows 10 drive bootable.

Once you complete the steps, Clonezilla will proceed to clone the information (bit-by-bit) in the source to the destination drive.

Following the process is finished, either switch the old using the new drive on your computer or remove the cloned drive if this sounds like backup.

Expanding cloned drive

When the clone drive is larger than original drive that you simply replaced, then you’ll want to use the Disk Management experience to expand volume to make the available the extra space usable.

Open Start.

Search for Disk Management and click the very best lead to open the knowledge.

Right-click the volume (C:) and select the Extend Volume option.

Click the Next button.

Choose the disk with space that you would like to allocate (usually the default settings).

Click on the Next button.

Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, the primary volume on the drive should expand using the unallocated space making the size of the storage bigger.

We’re focusing this guide on moving a current installing of Windows 10 with apps, settings, as well as your personal files to a new drive to exchange a hard drive or backup purposes, but you can clone any drive with data.

How to enable Remote Desktop using Command Prompt on Windows 10

On Windows 10, you can use Remote Desktop to access a computer or server remotely to assist other users or manage services without having to physically show up at the location.

Even though you can manage this selection through the Settings app, you can also enable or disable Remote Desktop on Windows 10 using commands with Command Prompt or PowerShell. You might want to use this approach to produce a script that you can use to quickly configure Remote Desktop on multiple computers, or send the script to a user, which they can just simply double-click to set up the feature automatically without additional steps.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to use Command Prompt to allow or disable Remote Desktop and open the necessary firewall ports for a successful connection on Windows 10.

How to enable Remote Desktop using Command Prompt

Begin using these steps to allow the remote desktop protocol with Command Prompt:

Open Start.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the next command to enable the remote desktop protocol and press Enter:

reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server” /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

(Optional) Type the next command to enable remote desktop through the Windows Firewall and press Enter: netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”remote desktop” new enable=Yes

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”remote desktop” new enable=Yes

Once you complete the steps, the protocol will enable, and you’ll have the ability to access the unit remotely.

How to disable Remote Desktop using Command Prompt

Use these steps to disable the remote desktop protocol with Command Prompt:

Open Start.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to disable the remote desktop protocol and press Enter:

reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server” /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

(Optional) Type the next command to disable remote desktop with the Windows Firewall and press Enter:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”remote desktop” new enable=No

After you complete the steps, you’ll have the ability to make use of the Remote Desktop modern app or the old Remote Desktop Connection app to access your pc remotely even with the firewall enabled.

We’re focusing this informative guide on Command Prompt, however, you can use the same commands to handle the remote desktop protocol on PowerShell.

Chromium Microsoft Edge for macOS Likely Coming

Microsoft may be getting ready to to produce preview version of its new Chromium-based browser for macOS devices.

Earlier this month, the company shipped the initial testing builds from the revamped Microsoft Edge running on Chromium, but these were only available for Windows 10 devices.

The company said in those days that versions supporting older Windows versions (Windows 7 and Windows 8.1), in addition to macOS, were on their way, without any other specifics around the ETA actually provided.

And today it looks like we’re getting closer to as soon as Microsoft would unveil a preview form of the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge for macOS, as discovered by German site WindowsUnited.
“macOS build likely coming very soon”

When trying to install the Windows 10 preview on Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Edge displays an error message indicating that the macOS build is just nearby.

“Oh no! Platform not supported,” this message reads. “Some features might not work, as your system is utilizing an operating system that’s not currently based on Microsoft Edge Insider builds. For the time being, we’re officially supporting Windows 10 version 1709 and above, and macOS version 10.12 and above.”

In other words, Microsoft could be focusing on updating these preview versions of Microsoft Edge to indicate that Windows 10 and macOS would be the only supported platforms. Officially, only Windows 10 is supported, so a macOS release might be just around the corner.

Interestingly, Microsoft’s browser for macOS could land before the dedicated version for older Windows, however this isn’t necessarily something to become surprised of. Windows 7 is scheduled to achieve the end of support in January 2020, while Windows 8.1’s market share has already been really small.

Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the discharge of the macOS browser version, so no specific ETA could be provided at this point.

Windows 10 Version 1903 Enterprise Evaluation ISOs Now Available for Download

After publishing the official Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update) ISOs on MSDN for subscribers, Microsoft just presented new Enterprise images for evaluation purposes.

Discovered by DiamondMonday, these ISO images permit you to try out Windows 10 version 1903 Enterprise for 90 days without the need for a license.

These ISOs install Windows 10 version 18362.30, and you can rely on them to judge Windows 10 May 2019 Update either on the testing system or simply in a virtual machine.

The pictures haven’t yet been posted on Microsoft’s Evaluation Center hub.

The en-US versions of Windows 10 version 1903 Enterprise (evaluation) are linked below:
x64: 18362.30.190401-1528.19h1_release_svc_refresh_CLIENTENTERPRISEEVAL_OEMRET_x64FRE_en-us.iso (4.13 GB)
x86: 18362.30.190401-1528.19h1_release_svc_refresh_CLIENTENTERPRISEEVAL_OEMRET_x86FRE_en-us.iso (2.97 GB)

Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update) happens to be in the final development stages, as Microsoft has recently shipped the RTM build to users within the Release Preview ring. Insiders within this ring can try out the brand new OS feature update for approximately Thirty days, because the software giant intends to begin the public rollout in late May.

In the meantime, the organization will roll out several cumulative updates including fixes and further refinements, so devices which have recently been updated to version 1903 should get a day-one update with all of improvement.

Because it happened in the case of all Windows 10 feature updates, the May update is going to be shipped in phases to devices around the globe, but Microsoft will even offer a manual download option for users who don’t wait to hold back for the automatic rollout. The Media Creation Tool will also be updated for everyone Windows 10 version 1903 when it’s ready.

Additionally, the software giant is anticipated to publish new ISO images for those editions of Windows 10 version 1903, allowing for a brand new start on all devices.

Microsoft Announces Windows 10 May 2019 Update CPU Requirements

Microsoft has published the list of processors supported within the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and this time the company hasn’t included any changes from the previous release.

The May 2019 update, also known as version 1903, happens to be within the RTM stage and available included in the Release Preview ring of the Windows Insider program.

Microsoft claims the update will stay in this ring for about one month to be able to resolve bugs and further refine the experience before the public launch.

When it comes to list of supported processors, nothing is different because the October 2018 Update, and Microsoft lists the following chips for version 1903:

Up with the following 9th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-9xxxK), and Intel Xeon E-21xx, Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors
Up with the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 2xxx, AMD Opteron and AMD EPYC 7xxx
Qualcomm Snapdragon 850
“May 2019 update launching next month”

As Neowin points out, the list does not range from the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, which kind of makes sense since its debut is supposed to take place later this season. Probably, this chip will be area of the Windows 10 19H2 release due in the fall.

Also surprising is the fact that AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series processor isn’t included in the list, which basically means that devices designed with this chip wouldn’t be able to run Windows 10 May 2019 Update. This would be unexpected, to say the least, but because of the May update isn’t officially available just yet, the list might be further updated once we get closer to the launch date.

Overall, from the hardware perspective, in case your computer has already been running Windows 10 October 2018 Update, it ought to be fully compatible with the May 2019 Update.

Microsoft Begins Showing End of Support Warnings on Windows 7 Computers

Microsoft has started warning Windows 7 users of the approaching end of support scheduled to take place in January 2020.

German site DrWindows claims such notifications are presently displayed on devices both in america as well as in Europe, with users in Germany recently obtaining the same warning too.

Users are being told that Windows 7 support is coming to a finish, and Microsoft recommends them to upgrade to a new OS version as soon as possible in order to continue receiving updates.

A “learn more” link can also be included in the notification, and it points users to a Microsoft support page providing additional information concerning the Windows 7 end of support.

“Windows 7 going dark in January”

Microsoft pushes Windows 10 as the recommended destination for Windows 7 users, but at the same time, the company also claims that buying a new computer is the best way to make the most of the brand new operating system.

“While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will likely be at greater risk for viruses and malware. Going forward, the easiest way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10. And the the easy way experience Windows 10 is on a new PC. Even though it is possible to install Windows 10 on your older device, it’s not recommended,” Microsoft says.

The notification is run by update KB4493132, that was announced by Microsoft earlier this year. Should you remove this update, the warning should no longer be visible on the unit.

However, the notification itself also comes with an choice to block it from showing up once more in the future, so you can technically prevent this behavior without necessarily taking out the update.

Windows 7 is scheduled to achieve no more support on January 14, 2020. It currently operates on a lot more than 35 % from the world’s computers.

Microsoft Edge Canary 75.0.131.0 Now Available for 32-Bit Windows 10

Microsoft has announced that it is new Chromium Edge can be obtained for 32-bit Windows 10 as well as part of the Canary development channel.

Now at version 75.0.133.0, Microsoft Edge Canary may be the version that receives updates every day, whereas the Dev sibling is only updated once a week.

A preview version of the brand new Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge was published a couple weeks ago for Windows 10, only the 64-bit operating system was supported. Beginning with today’s release, 32-bit devices can install it too, albeit their number is expected to become rather small.

The 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Edge must be identical, so you obtain the same look and features whatever the one you download.

Microsoft has also updated the Dev version of Microsoft Edge, bringing it to version 75.0.131.0, and you can make use of the link within the last paragraph to download it. If you’re already running the browser, you are able to update it using the built-in update system at Settings > About Microsoft Edge.

“Support for other platforms coming soon”

The present preview versions of the Chromium Microsoft Edge are presently available for Windows 10 exclusively, but Microsoft says that installers for older Windows and macOS will also be enroute.

The organization hasn’t offered any release target of these new Microsoft Edge flavors, but however, more information in this regard is expected next month at the Build developer conference.

In the meantime, those running older Windows, like Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, can already install the Chromium Microsoft Edge while using existing Windows 10 installer, albeit no official support is offered at this time.

You are able to download Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 from Softpedia using these links, but bear in mind the browser is really a work in progress and certain features aren’t yet ready.

How you can Block Windows 10 May 2019 Update

Windows 10 May 2019 Update is simply around the corner, and Microsoft says the public rollout would start late next month to production devices across the world.

Than the previous feature updates for Windows 10, the May 2019 Update can make its method to PCs at a slower pace, as Microsoft wants to detect issues earlier and resolve them before they reach a substantial number of devices.

“Our need to find the most impactful issues quickly required us to think differently about how we apply natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to identify high-severity issues faster, even when few individuals report them,” Microsoft said.

“We are also evolving our intelligent rollout ML model to higher differentiate devices that will have a good update experience. We have added new label criteria so we can train the model on the broader set of issues, for example display or audio issues after update.”

Quite simply, Microsoft really wants to avoid another Windows 10 feature update fiasco, that is obviously critical after the October 2018 Update.

The latest feature update, called October 2018 Update and version 1809, was pulled just a few days after its launch as a result of critical issue potentially causing the removal of user files. The update was re-released greater than a month later with a built-in fix, but with plenty of other conditions impacting the consumer experience.

Considering many of these, it’s no surprise that users are looking into ways to delay the upgrade towards the latest Windows 10 version. And in the situation from the May 2019 update, there are several ways to do it.

First and foremost, if you’re running Windows 10 Home, use a very simple trick that configures your network connection as metered.

To do this on the standard network, follow these steps:

Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Click network > Set as metered connection

Metered connections won’t be used to download large Windows 10 feature updates, so by setting all of your networks, be they Ethernet or Wi-Fi, as metered, your device would no longer be offered the May update.

On Windows 10 Pro, you are able to defer updates right out the Windows Update configuration screen. The path you have to follow is this:

Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options

Search for the choice called:

An element update includes new capabilities and enhancements. It may be deferred with this a number of days

And select the number of days you want to break the rules the May update. You are able to select a maximum of One year on Windows 10 Pro.

Windows 10 Pro users may also turn to the Group Policy Editor to configure update deferral. Launch the audience Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc within the Start menu and follow this path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business

Look for this policy and double-click it to produce its settings:

Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received

What you ought to do at this point is enable the policy and then choose between the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) and Semi-Annual Channel settings. The second allows you to defer an update for a maximum of 16 months.

When you select one of these two, you ought to be in a position to choose how many days you want to defer the update.

Just click the apply button and that’s it. All changes should be made prior to the May 2019 Update downloads on your device, so that you can technically make these settings today in anticipation of the general public launch.

Microsoft Announces Major Change for Windows 7 Monthly Updates

Microsoft has announced a brand new change for the way Windows 7 devices receive monthly updates, as the company pulls the PciClearStaleCache.exe component in the rollups.

The April 2019 monthly rollup for Windows 7 no more includes it, and Microsoft says that beginning with this release, no other update would ship by using it built-in.

Instead, what Windows 7 users and system admins need to do is install the updates released between April 2018 and March 2019, including these components included in every update cycle.

The April 2019 monthly rollup for Windows 7 (and the first one which ships without PciClearStaleCache.exe) is KB4493472.

“Administrators should make sure that anyone or even more from the Monthly rollups released between April 10, 2018 (KB 4093118) and March 12, 2019 (KB 4489878) happen to be installed prior to installing April 2019 and then updates. Each of these rollup updates includes PciClearStaleCache.exe,” Microsoft explains.

“Windows 7 to reach EOL in January 2020”

When it comes to purpose of this tool and also the reasons it’s bundled into monthly rollups, Microsoft says it helps resolve inconsistencies in the internal PCI cache.

Which means that if the static IP address settings are lost, the Wi-Fi network adapters are disabled, and the Wi-Fi profile settings aren’t displayed in the network flyout, there’s an opportunity you need to install an update that includes PciClearStaleCache.exe.

Windows 7, which remains the second most-used Windows version available on the market, is projected to become retired in January 2020, and users are recommended to begin planning the upgrade to Windows 10 as quickly as possible.

Also worthwhile to learn for Windows 7 users is this fact month’s rollup causes issues on devices with certain antivirus software installed, including Sophos, Avira, and Avast. Microsoft has blocked the update from being offered to those devices until fixes are issued. Avast has already published patches to resolve the bug on Windows 7 and 8.1.

The Dream of a genuine Windows 10 Phone Could Finally Become a reality

Everybody knows already that Windows 10 Mobile as a platform is really dead, and devices that run it might become obsolete once Microsoft stops shipping security updates this coming December.

In the meantime, however, the developer community gives hope that devices such as the Lumia 950 XL could survive for a bit more time, all because of a project that makes it possible to run Windows 10 for ARM.

This particular platform was launched by Microsoft because of its Always Connected PCs, but because of the ARM chips, it can power Windows phones as well.

But because I said on several occasions, while it’s possible to install Windows for ARM on a Windows phone, its limitations blocked it from becoming a daily driver and turning out to be a Windows 10 smartphone in all regards.

“Progress on cellular support”

And yet, one of these simple limitations has been resolved, as it’s almost possible to enable cellular service on the Lumia 950 XL running Windows for ARM. Developer Gustave Monce, who is one of the main contributors for this project, explains in a recent tweet:

“We got a Mobile Broadband Driver running. With the ability to read the SIM slot, switch on the Modem, read the SIM card, start the Modem firmware, switch on or off the radios when needed (I’ve checked), communicate w/ OS, but no Data working yet.”

So yes, Lumia 950 XL running Windows 10 ARM could soon become a more capable Windows phone, despite the fact that Microsoft has hardly any to do with this project.

Certainly, when the windows are 10 Mobile retirement date approaching fast, this kind of implementation can only be great news for everybody, especially if they don’t wish to give up on their Windows phones. Even though the marketplace share of Windows 10 Mobile has become at 0 percent, there are lots of diehard fans out there who’d rather stick with the woking platform if no EOL was in sight.