Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 20170 to the Dev Channel with sound and search improvements
Yesterday, Microsoft rolled out a new Windows 10 Build to the Beta Channel (what used to be the Slow ring) and today the software giant follows that up with a new flight on the Dev Channel (previously the Fast ring).
Build 20170 introduces a couple of new features, but won’t be offered to Insiders running PCs with AMD processors due to a bug affecting overall usability.
A Windows 10 update is removing apps for some users
These days it is hardly uncommon to find that an update for Windows 10 ends up breaking something, but the latest problematic update is causing a strange issue by removing components of Windows itself.
Yesterday, Microsoft released KB4565503 to fix various bugs, including problems introduced by previous updates to the operating system. After installing this update, some users are reporting that the Notepad and Paint apps have been removed from their computers.
Microsoft releases KB4565503 to fix problems caused by previous Windows 10 updates
On Patch Tuesday last month, Microsoft kept up its track record of problematic updates. Users who installed KB4557957 or KB4560960 found they were plagued by problems with the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) and forced restarts.
Now the company has pushed out a new update, KB4565503, to address these issues and more.
SIGRed: Microsoft releases patch for critical, wormable vulnerability in Windows DNS Server
As part of this month's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has issued a fix for a 17-year-old Windows DNS Server vulnerability. Known as SIGRed and tracked as CVE-2020-1350, the flaw is a serious one that has been assigned a CVSS base score of 10.0.
The vulnerability affects all version of Windows Server and is a wormable remote code execution flaw that requires no user interaction. In addition to issuing a critical patch, Microsoft has also provided details of a workaround for anyone who is unable to deploy the fix immediately
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Insider Build 19042.388 (20H2) to the Beta Channel
It’s been a month since Microsoft announced that it would be replacing its Insider ring system, sorting Windows 10 preview releases by quality rather than frequency, and today sees another new release on the Beta Channel -- what used to be the Slow ring.
Build 19042.388 (20H2) is all about fixing issues and making general improvements. Key changes in this build are:
Microsoft is bringing disposable email addresses to Office 365
Gmail and numerous other web-based email services have long supported the option of creating disposable email addresses using a +xxx suffix. Now Microsoft is catching up with the competition and is planning to bring this option to Office 365.
The company refers to the upcoming feature as Plus Addressing, and it's due to arrive at some point in the third quarter of this year.
How to unlock hidden Windows 10 features -- including the brand new Start menu
Two weeks ago, Microsoft began rolling out a refreshed Start menu and personalized taskbar for Windows 10 Insiders on the Dev Channel. The new menu, which removes the solid color backplates behind the logos and adds a translucent background to tiles, comes as part of Build 20161 but isn’t available to everyone. We’ve already shown you one way to force Windows 10 to display this menu, but if you're feeling adventurous we have a second, more powerful method for you to follow.
Microsoft uses a system called Feature Control to hide new and unfinished features from users -- including the new Start menu -- but it’s possible to find and enable these, giving you the chance to test them out before anyone else.
Microsoft is dropping an important feature from OneDrive
While OneDrive is primarily used for cloud file storage, it also includes a handy feature that lets you remotely access any of the files stored on your PC. Or at least this is the case for the next couple of weeks.
When the end of July rolls around, Microsoft is killing off the ability to "fetch files" from a connected computer. Instead, users will have to explicitly specify which files and folders they want to synchronize and be able to access.
Microsoft Flight Simulator landing on Windows 10 very shortly
Fans of Microsoft’s famous Flight Sim won’t have long to wait until the latest incarnation arrives. This promises to be the most detailed and authentic version to date, with incredibly accurate landscapes that are ever-changing, coupled with highly detailed aircraft, covering everything from light planes to commercial jets.
Microsoft Flight Simulator has been around since 1982 -- feeling old yet? -- and the new version will be available in three editions -- Standard ($59.99), Deluxe ($89.99) and Premium Deluxe ($119.99).
Microsoft is dropping PHP support from Windows
PHP 8.0 is due for release in November, but when this major new version appears Windows will not support it.
The company says that bug fixes and security patches will continue to be released for the lifecycles of PHP versions 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4. But when the latest version is released later this year, Microsoft will "not [...] be supporting PHP for Windows in any capacity for version 8.0 and beyond".
Microsoft's new Kernel Data Protection will make kernel memory read-only and block attacks on Windows 10
Microsoft has revealed details of a new platform security technology which the company says will prevent data corruption attacks.
Kernel Data Protection (KDP) works by marking sections of kernel memory as read-only, so there is no way it can be tampered with. The technology comes in response to the fact that increasing numbers of attackers are using data corruption techniques to bypass security, gain additional privileges, and more.
Force Windows 10 to always use YOUR choice of browser and search engine
Windows 10 has a number of things that users find annoying about it, not least that it forces you to use other Microsoft products. Type a web query into the Windows search box, or ask Cortana something, and the results you receive will come from Bing.
Microsoft has recently replaced its old Edge browser with a Chromium version, and while this is a big improvement, the software giant has forced it onto users and made it hard (but thankfully not impossible) to remove.
Microsoft pushes out another update to PowerToys for Windows 10
Ah, PowerToys… how much we love thee! After reviving the much-loved utilities for Windows 10, Microsoft has wasted no time in releasing update after update, adding more and more tools and refining this incredible software.
It's only a week since the release of PowerToys v0.19.0, but the development team already has a new version for you to try out.
Microsoft launches Project Freta to detect malware in Linux kernels
Microsoft has revealed a new anti-malware service by the name of Project Freta. The company describes it as a "free service from Microsoft Research for detecting evidence of OS and sensor sabotage, such as rootkits and advanced malware, in memory snapshots of live Linux systems".
Project Freta is cloud-based, and the memory forensics tool was created by the NExT Security Ventures (NSV) team in Microsoft Research.
Microsoft takes another step towards killing off the Control Panel in Windows 10
Since the days of Windows 8, operating system settings have been split across the traditional Control Panel and the newer Settings. Over time, Microsoft has gradually tried to encourage people away from the Control Panel, burying it deeper and deeper in Windows.
Now the company has taken yet another step that signals the end of the line for the Control Panel you've come to know and love. In the latest builds of Windows 10, the System applet has been rendered all but redundant.
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