Wayne Williams

Windows 10 Creators Update Build 15025 for PC arrives on the Fast ring -- but you may not be able to run it

Sad girl Windows 10 laptop

New feature-packed builds have been coming thick and fast as Microsoft works to get the forthcoming Windows 10 Creators Update ready in time for its planned launch in April.

There’s a lot of changes in the big update, and of course that means a lot of bugs to try and squash before it rolls out. Build 15025 is the version that Microsoft wants Insiders to use for the second Creators Update Bug Bash which starts on Friday, but ironically the new build comes with a major bug that means some users won’t even be able to install it.

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Windows 10 is now on one in four systems -- but can it catch Windows 7?

Windows runners

While Microsoft’s unconvincing numbers portray Windows 10 as an unstoppable operating system gobbling up market share, NetMarketShare’s monthly OS usage figures suggests things are going well for Windows 10, but that it will still be a long time before it starts to trouble Windows 7’s continuing dominance.

January proved to be a good month for the new OS, certainly better than December was at least.

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Microsoft is working hard to make Edge a great browser -- but is it too late?

microsoft_edge_icon

Bundling Internet Explorer in Windows 95 was enough for Microsoft to win the "browser wars" and consign Netscape to history, but a lot has changed since then. Bundling Edge in Windows 10 has had negligible effect on Chrome and Firefox’s dominance. After a year and a half, Microsoft Edge still only has a little over 5 percent share, according to NetMarketShare.

It didn’t help that Edge was only partially baked when Windows 10 debuted. Why swap your existing browser for one missing core features and with a far-from intuitive interface? (How to change the default search engine in Microsoft Edge quickly became one of my most viewed stories here). Microsoft is promising a wealth of new features for Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 Creators Update, but will that be enough to persuade users to give the browser a second chance?

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How to stop Windows 10 automatically rebooting after updates

AngryLadyLaptopMad

Windows 10, like previous versions of Microsoft’s operating system, often needs to reboot to action an update, and will occasionally do so at the least appropriate moment -- as this pro-gamer can testify.

While Windows 10 updates are mandatory, you can control (to a degree) when they install, and more importantly if and when Windows 10 restarts afterwards.

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datAshur PRO -- The ultimate secure USB flash drive [Review]

datAshur-Pro

USB flash drives are great for storing personal files on, so you can have easy access to them wherever you go. But what happens if you lose a drive or it gets stolen? All of your personal data could be at risk.

While there are ways to secure the contents of a flash drive using software, you need to remember to do so every time. The datAshur PRO, from iStorage, offers a hardware solution that’s simple to use and will protect your data with military grade XTS-AES 256-bit encryption.

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Microsoft shows Windows 10 market share growing steadily, but the numbers are fake [Updated]

Shocked PC

Microsoft’s own Windows 10 share numbers have always seemed a little, well, generous. While NetMarketShare’s OS usage share figures show the new operating system doing fine, but lagging some distance behind Windows 7 (as you'd expect), Microsoft’s figures paint an entirely different picture.

Five months ago, the software giant showed Windows 10 hitting 50 percent in the US, and two months ago, it had the new OS overtaking Windows 7 globally. Today’s update though stretches the believability just a little too far.

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Windows 10 Creators Update Build 15019 arrives on the Fast ring, adds new features, kills Edge extensions

Windows-10 key

After a couple of days’ delay, Microsoft finally releases a new build for Windows 10 Insiders on the Fast ring.

We already knew some of what to expect of this build, as Microsoft previously announced the new gaming features, but naturally there’s more to Build 15019 than just that.

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Read classic computer and video game magazines in your browser

atari ST

The Internet Archive offers a wealth of fantastic ways to revisit the past, whether you’re trawling through classic animated GIFs from the nineties, running Windows 3.1 programs in your browser, or playing DOS, classic arcade, or vintage console games online.

The latest trip down memory lane comes in the form of classic computer and video gaming magazines, something that really resonates with me as there are titles there that I not only read in my youth, but that I wrote for, or which were put together in the same building I worked in.

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Microsoft kills the ability to uninstall stock apps from Windows 10

Uninstall trash

Windows 10 comes with a selection of decent stock apps, but if you don’t use some (or indeed all) of them, then really they serve no purpose other than to take up disk space.

Microsoft introduced the ability to remove unwanted stock apps in build 14936 for Windows Insiders, but now it’s taken back that option.

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Facebook makes its privacy settings much clearer

Facebook privacy

Facebook has made lots of changes to its privacy settings over the years, usually in a bid to make them simpler to understand and use, yet many people just stick with the defaults.

Facebook’s new Privacy Basics aims to make it much easier for people to find the tools they need to control their information on the social network.

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Microsoft set to introduce new gaming features to Windows 10 this week

Game Mode

The last three Windows 10 Insider Preview builds have offered a wealth of new features, and the next build, which is expected in a day or so, won’t be any different.

This week’s update will include some big new additions for PC gamers, including Game Mode and Beam video game streaming.

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Mysterious Windows 10 update has users scratching their heads in confusion [Update]

Digital amnesia

Earlier today, Microsoft pushed out a new update for Windows 10. Since updates are mandatory in the new OS, it’s likely you already have it installed.

So what does it do? Microsoft isn’t saying. There’s no detailed information on its purpose, and the vague descriptions that do exist are conflicting.

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The new Windows Defender Security Center aims to improve Windows 10 safety

win defender

When extolling the virtues of Windows 10, Microsoft is keen to stress how much safer the new OS is.

The problem, of course, is that the weakest link in any security chain is pretty much always the user. Microsoft is introducing a new feature to Windows 10 that will make the OS more secure, and help users make better decisions.

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Google developing smart tools for Raspberry Pi

en-INTL-L-Raspberry-Pi-3-16GB-10-Class-with-NOOBS-QK9-00028-mnco

Google has big plans for creating a range of smart tools for the Raspberry Pi, and is asking users what they would like to see.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation says the search giant is developing tools covering AI and machine learning, and potentially areas such as robotics, IoT, 3D printing, home automation, wearables, and drones.

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ASUS takes on Raspberry Pi with its 4K-capable, Kodi-ready Tinker Board

tinker board

If you love Raspberry Pi, but require a little more power for your projects, then ASUS’s Tinker Board could be just what you’re looking for.

Although there’s no shortage of Raspberry Pi alternatives, the low-cost Tinker Board is better than most because its quad-core 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A17 processor has the oomph to handle 4K video and 24-bit audio, and it comes with twice as much RAM as the latest Pi.

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