Articles about Microsoft

If you’re a Windows Insider in the Dev Channel, you’re about to start getting less stable, more experimental builds of Windows 11.

Build 22449, released today, follows on from Build 22000.168 released last week. The big leap in version numbers is because this new build is the first to come from the active development branch (RS_PRERELEASE). Future builds will no long match the Windows 11 that is set to roll out to users starting October 5.

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Ahead of a wider roll-out next week, Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5005101 update for Windows 10 version 21H1, 20H2 and 2004. The biggest fix found in this non-security release addresses problems with USB and Bluetooth headphones, but it also patches numerous other flaws.

KB5005101 also fixes a problem that causes brightness to be reset on standard dynamic range (SDR) content on high-dynamic range (HDR) monitors in certain circumstances, as well as addressing a issue with touch gestures causing freezes.

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It is a couple of weeks since Microsoft almost silently released Windows Server 2022, and now the company has officially announced that the operating system is generally available.

The release comes just over a month before the rollout of Windows 11 begins, and there is a strong focus on security. In particular, there is the addition of encrypted hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) and AES-256 encryption with support for server message block (SMB) protocol. The latest version of Windows Server also greatly increases hardware support.

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With Windows 11 set to begin rolling out at the Start of October, it was inevitable that Microsoft would take the opportunity to showcase some new hardware for it.

The software giant today announces a new event for the end of this month in which it is expected to take the wraps off a new collection of Surface devices, as well as show off its new operating system in some depth.

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Windows 11 is fast approaching -- Microsoft has just announced it’ll be rolling out from 5 October, and still we know virtually nothing about how much it’ll cost, how it’ll be supplied and whether there will be any cheap standalone deals available.

But one thing we do know: upgrades from Windows 10 will be free. So why risk having to pay big bucks for Windows 11, when you can purchase a copy of Windows 10 for as little as $49.99? Read on to find out what new features are coming, then discover how to get a risk-free Windows 11 upgrade at a price you can afford.

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As of September 1, 2021, Microsoft is making an important privacy change for Microsoft 365 usage analytics -- pseudonymization of user-level information by default.

Microsoft says that this change will help companies to more easily comply with local privacy laws, but it is something that is likely to be welcomed for various other reasons.

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Microsoft has released an updated preview version of Windows Terminal, and while the version number increase may be small, there are a surprising number of changes and additions to be found, including a revamped Settings UI.

With Windows Terminal Preview 1.11, it is now possible to minimize the app to the system tray and there are various updates to pane functionality. New options include the ability to swap panes within a tab, tab splitting via the context menu, and moving a pane to a new or existing tab. But there is plenty more to explore too.

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With the great (and lengthy) Windows 11 rollout set to begin at the start of next month, most of the attention is on that operating system, but Microsoft is still developing Windows 10 and rolling out new Insider builds on a regular basis.

Windows 10 21H2 Build 19044.1202 (KB5005101) is available in the Release Preview Channel now and as with previous recent releases how you’ll get it will depend on a number of things.

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People who are enrolled in the Windows Insider program who have installed Windows 11 on hardware that is not officially supported are being told by Microsoft that they need to switch back to Windows 10.

Windows 11's system requirements have been a source of confusion and frustration, but for those eager to try out the operating system, Microsoft had provided something of a loophole. For a little while now, it has been possible to install Windows 11 preview builds on hardware that does not meet the minimum requirements, but now the company is clamping down and notifying Insiders with incompatible systems to downgrade to Windows 10.

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Windows 11 is a great operating system. It hasn't even left beta status yet, but is absolutely the best desktop operating system Microsoft has ever created. Seriously, folks, it is exceptional. If your computer is compatible with it, and you like Windows 10, you will probably enjoy Windows11 even more -- if you keep an open mind.

You see, the upcoming Windows 11 is likely to be quite polarizing. It features radical changes to the user interface (such as a centered task bar) which I adore, but other users are sure to dislike. Not to mention, the system requirements will leave many still-capable computers unable to upgrade. Even worse, you might be left without updates! These unfortunate computer owners will have to decide whether to continue using Windows 10 or buy a new Windows 11-compatible PC.

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In a recent survey, there were two big new features in Windows 11 that had people excited. 35 percent said the centered Start menu was their favorite new feature, while 26 percent said it was native Android support they were most looking forward to.

Well, if you’re one of those people keen to run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC, there’s some bad news. The feature isn’t ready, and it won’t even start being tested by Insiders for months yet.

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There has been quite a lot of speculation regarding the date when Windows 11 will be made available to non-Insiders with clues pointing towards October 20.

However, Microsoft today reveals when the OS will start to arrive, and that will actually be October 5. However, before you mark that date in your calendar and start counting down the days, there are caveats that mean you probably won’t get it then. In fact, you might not even get it until the middle of next year.

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The system requirements for Windows 11 have been confusing from the moment they were announced, and Microsoft's changes to them has done nothing to make the situation clearer for most people

Microsoft's own PC checking tool, released to help people determine the compatibility of their system with Windows 11 was criticized and then pulled for failing to provide enough helpful information. It has since been updated, but now Microsoft has launched a new way to check whether your computer will run Windows 11 -- performing a check via Windows Update.

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Ahead of September's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released a preview of the KB5005103 update for Windows 10.

This non-security update addresses a number of issues, most notably fixing a problem which prevented certain MP4 files from playing. A second key fix sees Microsoft addressing a problem that reset syncing for Microsoft OneDrive to "Known folders only" after installing an update for Windows.

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Security researchers have discovered a serious security vulnerability in Microsoft Azure that could given an attacker unfettered access to any and all of the databases stored on its Cosmos DB service.

Researchers from security firm Wiz found that it is not only possible but trivial to obtain the primary keys to databases. The vulnerability, dubbed ChoasDB, may have existed since the introduction of the Jupyter Notebook back in 2019, and it gives attackers the ability to access, edit and delete data or entire databases. Microsoft is unable to change primary keys itself, and has emailed customers to advise them to do so; but the company has been criticized for failing to contact sufficient numbers of users.

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