Articles about Microsoft

Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel get another new Windows 10 build to play with today.

Build 20236 adds the ability to change the refresh rate of a selected display by going to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings. The rates on offer will vary depending on what your hardware supports, but a higher refresh rate should deliver smoother motion.

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Learn Microsoft Office 2019 provides a comprehensive introduction to the latest versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. With the help of illustrated explanations, this Microsoft Office book will take you through the updated Office 2019 applications and guide you through implementing them using practical examples.

You'll start by exploring the Word 2019 interface and creating professional Word documents using elements such as citations and cover pages, tracking changes, and performing mail merge. You'll then learn how to create impressive PowerPoint presentations and advance to performing calculations and setting up workbooks in Excel 2019, along with discovering its data analysis features.

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If you start to see the error message "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software" in Windows 10, it is because of a change Microsoft is making to driver validation.

The change has been introduced with the latest cumulative update for Windows 10 as Microsoft starts to block some third-party drivers from being installed. It also means that when you try to view driver signature properties you may see the error message "No signature was present in the subject".

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For utility lovers keen to live on the cutting edge, Microsoft has released an experimental build PowerToys v0.24.0.

While this is largely a bug-fixing release, it does see the addition of the video conference mute tool which allows for the instant cut-off of video and audio across all chat and video conferencing tools. This release also sees the addition of telemetry for settings.

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Amazon Prime Day has now stretched into a two-day event, giving you a full 48-hours to spend your hard-earned cash on discounted things that you probably don't need. So why not put your money towards something genuinely useful, like a discounted Windows 10 Professional license?

If you've been looking for a cheap way to get hold of Windows 10 Professional, our special offer will save you a massive 80 percent off the usual price. Whether you're looking to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Professional, or you just like the idea of having a spare license around for when you may need it, read on to find out more!

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While there's a lot to be said for having certain programs run automatically when you turn on your computer, there is a price to pay. If you have too many apps configured to autorun, you will notice that boot times are increased, and you have to wait longer for your desktop to reach a usable state.

When you install or update software, many will give you a choice of whether to have them run at startup or not, but all too often the choice is made for you. In Windows 10 21H1, Microsoft will start to warn you about new startup entries and give you the chance to take action to avoid system slowdown and slow boot times.

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Microsoft has teamed up with HP to work on a fix for a problem affecting various HP Business Notebooks. The flaw not only causes a reduction in performance and battery life, but can also lead to swollen batteries.

The problem lies with the HP Battery Health Manager, and the update from Microsoft and HP is rolling out to enable a new charging algorithm to help alleviate the issue.

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It is only a matter of weeks since the source code for Windows XP and various other Microsoft products leaked online. While the best part of two decades old, many people were eager to take a look at the code for the operating system, including people looking for code reused in Windows 10 that could be exploited.

Microsoft jumped to action, started an investigation, and took steps to try to stem the spread of the source code. But the company was surprisingly slow at removing the code from its own site after someone uploaded it to GitHub.

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Progress with Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows 10 continues, with the company pushing out version 0.23.2 of the utilities.

While this is -- as we were already expecting -- a release that focuses on improving stability and fixing bugs, Microsoft has also shed some light on the next major versions of PowerToys. But first, there is some slightly bad news.

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Microsoft has released the latest version of its Chromium-based web browser. Edge 86 is packed full of not only the usual raft of bug fixes and performance improvements, but also a host of new features.

This version of the browser sees the arrival of Secure DNS (DNS-over-HTTPS) support, as well as numerous improvements to PDF handling. Support for tables of contents aids document navigation, while pen support for highlighting and enhanced scrolling will be welcomed by many. Other improvements and additions include site testing in Internet Explorer mode.

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The latest Windows 10 build for Insiders in the Dev Channel introduces a couple of new features.

First up in Build 20231 is a new page in the Windows out-of-box experience (OOBE) setup which asks users what they will primarily be using Windows 10 for (Gaming, Schoolwork, Family, Entertainment, Creativity, or Business) to help ensure the OS gets set up correctly.

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Windows 10 is a decent operating system, but it isn’t what you’d call exciting to look at. The recent Start menu update, with a translucent background, and new Fluent Design icons, is definitely a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough.

If there’s one thing that Windows 10 really needs, it’s a visual overhaul, and making good use of Microsoft’s Fluent Design system, with blur effects, transforms a slightly bland looking operating system into something amazing.

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With Windows 10, Microsoft is understandably keen to promote its own products, and this is something that has been noticeable in the Start menu. Search results from Bing have long-featured there, and this is not something everyone is happy with.

For a while it was possible to disable the BingSearchEnabled key in the Registry to turn this off, but this option was removed in Windows 10 version 2004 (or Windows 10 May 2020 Update). So, if you want to disable Bing, there is now a new method you have to use -- and there is the happy side effect that it also disables Start menu ads.

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The development of PowerToys for Windows 10 has been impressive, with Microsoft continuing to add new utilities all the time. Now the company is looking for feedback from users to help decide just what it should focus on next.

Specifically, the development team says that while it currently has ideas for three new PowerToys, it only has time to work on two of them next year. Rather than making the decision itself, power users are being asked to vote, choosing between a Gif/Video screen recorder, the ability to adjust font rendering, and a tool called "Mouse without borders".

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Here on BetaNews, some of our most constantly popular posts relate to Windows 10's 'secret' screen recorder that is part of the Game Bar tool.  Seemingly aware that people are keen to be able to create video of on-screen activity, Microsoft is now working on a dedicated screening recording app.

Currently known as Video GIF Capture, the tool is being created by the PowerToys developers and it promises to give people the ability to record what is happening on their screen and save it as an animated GIF or video file.

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