Microsoft recommends using Word as an alternative to Publisher despite admitting it’s not up to the task
In around a year and a half, the beloved DTP app Microsoft Publisher is reaching the end of its life. When October 1, 2026 rolls around, Microsoft will no offer the software or provide support for it. The company has some advice about what to do next.
If you were planning to just continue using it regardless, you may have to think again. Unless you’re using a very old copy of Publisher, the app will simple stop working. Microsoft warns that paying “Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher”. The solutions and alternative options suggested by the company are, frankly, laughable.
Microsoft is ready to create more annoyance by rolling out OneDrive ads to Office users
Looking for another reason to shake a fist at Microsoft? How do you feel about a new batch of unwanted prompts in Microsoft 365?
Search no more! This very reason is about to materialize in Word, PowerPoint and Excel as Microsoft starts to pester users to back up their files to OneDrive. By May, but perhaps as early as this month, you could find that you’re hit with ads badgering you to add files to Microsoft’s cloud storage service.
You can get Office apps for free if you're willing to opt for an ad-supported Microsoft 365 subscription
The gradual move towards a subscription-based model for software payments has been continuing for a number of years now -- and the costs can soon add up. For anyone who is looking for ways to make things a bit less of a strain on their wallet, Microsoft has come up with a solution -- ad-supported versions of its Office apps.
If you are happy to endure advertising in the likes of Word and Excel, you can opt for a free Microsoft 365 subscription. Sadly, ads are not the only catch.
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Microsoft is dropping the privacy protection VPN feature from Microsoft Defender really soon -- unless you pay up
Microsoft has very quietly announced that the VPN feature of its Microsoft Defender security tool is going away for anyone unwilling to part with money.
In a support document entitled “End of support-Privacy protection (VPN) in Microsoft Defender for individuals”, the company gives very short notice for the dropping of the free tool. When the end of February rolls around, the VPN feature will only be available to users paying for a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription. What does all of this mean?
Sticking with Windows 10? No more Microsoft 365 for you!
It has been hard to escape reminders that Windows 10 reaches end of support later this year; Microsoft has made much of the fact that there will be no more security updates after October 14. But there are further consequences awaiting anyone who decides to keep using Windows 10.
Microsoft has revealed that when Windows 10 support ends, Microsoft 365 apps (or Office to most people) will also stop working. Users are left with two options -- switch to an Office alternative, or upgrade to Windows 11.
Microsoft will forcibly install the new Outlook app on Windows 10 in February
While making much of the end of support for Windows 10, practically begging users to move on to Windows 11, Microsoft is sending out some confusing signals. The company has announced that the new Outlook for Windows will be forcibly installed on the aging operating system.
Somewhat unusually, the app will be pushed out as part of February’s security updates. This is likely to lead to mixed reactions; some people will be unhappy at having software installed against their will, while others will be pleased to get something new and more secure.
Outlook crashing when copying text? Microsoft has a fix for that
For two months or more, users of Microsoft Outlook have been hit by a bug that results in the email client freezing. Unfortunately, the bug is triggered by performing a very common action -- using Ctrl + C to copy text.
Having finally acknowledged the issue in November, Microsoft has now been able to address the problem. Here is what Microsoft 365 users need to know.
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Microsoft brings AI-powered Copilot features to Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more
At its Ignite 2024 conference, Microsoft today introduced a raft of new features for Copilot, its AI assistant. These include AI agents in Microsoft 365 that can take on unique roles, and Copilot Actions that let users delegate repetitive tasks.
For many people, however, the most exciting updates will likely be the new AI tools for creating custom content and managing tasks more efficiently in Microsoft 365 which are being introduced to Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Microsoft Office 2024 unveils new Fluent design, updates apps to match latest Microsoft 365 release
Subscription-based software isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some of us would prefer to pay a one-off fee upfront for a software package we know will last us years without any significant changes. Thankfully, Microsoft caters to both types of user, both with the subscription-based Microsoft 365 range of products and now with a brand new version of its flagship product, Microsoft Office 2024.
Office 2024, which starts from $149.99 for its Home edition, replaces Microsoft Office 2021 and brings the feature set bang up to date. It’s also joined by a new Office LTSC 2024 release aimed firmly at larger organizations who want an on-premises edition for a disconnected or restricted environment.
Microsoft confirms weird Word bug that deletes files if you name them incorrectly
Microsoft has acknowledged a peculiar issue with Word that can cause files to be deleted immediately after they are saved. Users of the word processor are being warned to avoid naming their files in a certain way to avoid data loss while the company investigates the problem.
While having to meet specific criteria when saving files is not unusual, using an illegal name would usually simply result in an error message and a prompt to choose a different name. With this bug, however, the file appears to be saved when in reality it has been deleted.
Why third-party email filters may be ineffective in Microsoft 365 environments
Because email is the primary source of initial entry in many breaches, many organizations pay for sophisticated, third-party email filtering solutions on top of the protections afforded by Microsoft 365. This is a wise investment; having layers of protection by different vendors helps eliminate blind spots found in any one vendor solution and provides complexity that can foil attack attempts.
Yet, few know that threat actors can easily bypass these third-party filtering products by directing emails to onmicrosoft.com domains that are an inherent part of the Microsoft 365 configuration.
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