Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft has included various protective and security tools in Windows 10, and for the most part these are very welcome. But there are times when the operating system is a little over-zealous, and the protection becomes intrusive and restrictive. A good example is the SmartScreen filter which has been designed to safeguard your computer against potentially dangerous software downloaded from the internet.

You'll know when this kicks in as when you try to run or install a particular app, you'll see a message that reads "Windows protected your PC" and the operation is blocked. In some instances you'll be able to easily bypass the block, but this is not always the case. So what can you do? Here's how to get around SmartScreen.

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Microsoft's love affair with Linux has been developing in recent years, and has now reached the stage of being a serious relationship. Such is Microsoft's commitment that the company is now actively involved in contributing to the Linux kernel.

One of the latest updates sees the company shifting its focus slightly when it comes to Hyper-V. Its virtualization tool has thus far been largely fixated with x86_64, but now there is a move towards "running Linux as ARM64 Hyper-V guest".

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Drivers are essential to the smooth running of your computer, but they can also be tricky little blighters and the source of all manner of problems -- as anyone who has installed a duff update will attest. Now Microsoft is introducing an important change that will make it much easier to see which hardware is using which drivers.

The change is coming as part of an update to the Device Manager, and it's something that can currently be seen in the preview builds of the operating system. It will probably be included as part of the Windows 10 Sun Valley update that will make its way to users later in the year.

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Microsoft has released a public preview of new APIs for Microsoft Graph that give system administrators, developers and professionals fine-grain control over updates for Windows 10.

The new APIs are powered by the Windows Update for Business deployment service and allow for greater management of update deployment in various environments. Control over the installation of Windows 10 updates is something that administrators and regular users alike have long craved, but it is something that has been made all the more important this year following the release of a seemingly endless string of problematic updates.

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There are many reasons that Windows 10 can freeze leaving you unable to continue with the work you were in the middle of, or play the game you were about to beat. All manner of issues can arise that lead to your computer hanging and requiring you to restart.

But before you reach for that power button, it is worth giving something else a try -- restarting your graphics card drivers. How can you do this if your system is seemingly frozen? There's a keyboard shortcut that can help you out.

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If you've been looking for a way to customize the look of your computer, Microsoft has just released two free Theme Packs for Windows 10.

The Forest Camo and Arctic Camo theme packs have been designed to match special editions of the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse, but they can be downloaded for free regardless of whether you own this device. It's not all that often that you get something for free, so when it happens, grab whatever's on offer!

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File under "color us surprised": the KB5001391 update that Microsoft released for Windows 10 recently has been well-received by users.

Feedback about the update shows that people who have installed KB5001391 are happy not only with the fact that it adds News and Interests to the taskbar, but also that it seems to be stable and problem free. Some users are even finding that their system is performing better after installing this particular update.

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With the release of Windows 10 Build 21370 yesterday, Microsoft gave us a glimpse of the direction in which it is taking the operating system in the coming months. As ever, the Insider build includes a number of enhancements, and chief among the improvements this time are changes to Bluetooth audio.

Perhaps the most exciting change is the arrival of support for Bluetooth AAC, delivering higher quality wireless audio streaming. There's also an important fix for an issue that has plagued people using wireless phones.

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The development of PowerToys continues, and this widely appreciated labor of love is gradually gaining more and more utilities. The latest instalment in the tool's story sees Microsoft releasing PowerToys v.0.37.0.

For now, this is primarily a bug fixing and improvement-introducing release, and some important changes have been made to some of the individual utilities. As of this release, PowerToys now requires at least Windows 10 version 1903 (because of future adoption of WinUI 3). While this requirement will not represent much of an issue for many people, the fact that the eagerly anticipated Video Conference Mute is missing is a disappointment.

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Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) was being prepared for release, with Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring the first to be offered it.

Today, the software giant rolls out a new build to Insiders in the Dev Channel.

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Working with multiple monitors is great -- in theory. The extra space is obviously useful, as is the ability to use different screens to group together related apps, documents and windows.

Sadly, Windows 10's implementation of multi-monitor support is a little flawed, particularly when using DisplayPort. Many people with two or more screens will have experienced a problem that sees app windows being randomly rearranged, particularly after a system wakes from sleep. But this should be coming to an end as Microsoft is finally addressing the issue.

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Microsoft has released a new "C" preview update for Windows 10 ahead of May's Patch Tuesday. With the optional KB5001391 update, anyone running Windows 10 2004 and Windows 10 20H2 can get the new News and Interests feature in the taskbar.

While there are no security fixes in this update, it is still well worth installing -- not just because of the new taskbar feature, but also because of the number of performance, stability and other non-security issues it addresses.

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Windows 10 Insiders have been testing out the May 2021 Update for a while now, but it won’t be long before the update gets made available to non-Insiders.

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc says that Build 19043.928 is the final build for the May 2021 Update. It will be firstly offered to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel although they will need to request it.

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Microsoft has launched a new preview version of Winget Windows 10. Taking inspiration from AppGet, Winget is a Linux-style package manager that allows for command line control of software.

With the latest release, Winget 0.3, Microsoft has added a number of new features to the tool, including the ability to use it to uninstall software. While this is unlikely to tempt the majority of people away from using Settings or the Control Panel, it is extremely handy for anyone looking to uninstall software using scripts.

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Earlier today, Amazon revealed its all-new Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus tablets. Both are more powerful than their predecessors, but priced from just $149. If you’re in the market for a low cost Android tablet, then they are definitely worth your consideration.

You can also pick up either device as part of the new Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle which includes a 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal subscription and comes with premium Office apps, and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage. You don’t need to buy a new tablet though as the Microsoft Office and OneNote apps are now available to install through the Amazon Appstore.

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