Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft has been teasing us with talk of a new "modern" operating system, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten about Windows 10.

Today it releases a new Fast ring build on the 20H1 branch -- the feature update set to roll out to users a year from now -- and adds a wealth of new features to the Your Phone app.

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Microsoft’s original grand plan for Windows 10 was an operating system that was always up-to-date. Updates were intended to be mandatory, and while you could delay them a bit, you couldn’t opt out of them entirely. And the software giant was committed to rolling out two major feature updates a year.

Fast forward to now, and things are very different. You can delay, or avoid, most updates, including feature updates -- assuming you’re even offered them in the first place.

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It’s been hinted for a while that Microsoft is working on a new operating system for dual-screen and Chromebook-like PCs, and while the software giant has yet to confirm the existence of the rumored "Windows Lite" OS, Nick Parker, Corporate Vice President, Consumer and Device Sales, did drop some pretty big hints about it at Computex 2019 in Taipei.

While on stage he referred continually to a modern operating system designed to run on "modern PCs and innovative devices" that offers seamless background updates and zero interruptions, greater security, and always on connectivity.

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If you need a mouse, there are two companies that very rarely disappoint -- Logitech and Microsoft. Not only are their mice often accurate and comfortable, but very durable too. Sure, there are other brands that produce solid mice, but Microsoft and Logitech pointing devices will probably survive a nuclear war, outlasting humanity.

Some of the greatest mice of all time were from Microsoft's IntelliMouse series. The IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 was a personal favorite of mine -- it is so comfortable, and the thumb buttons are absolute perfection. I am pretty sure I still have it in a box somewhere, and if I plugged it into my PC today, it would work flawlessly. IntelliMouse was so beloved by many computer users, that Microsoft released the refreshed Classic IntelliMouse in 2017. Today, the Windows-maker takes things even further, with the all-new "Microsoft Pro Intellimouse" -- a beautiful blend of retro design and modern specifications.

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If you have a computer with a Qualcomm Wi-Fi adaptor, you could well find that you suffer from random connection dropouts after installing Windows 10 May 2019 Update.

The problem stems from a problem with older Wi-Fi drivers, and to avoid problems for user Microsoft has chosen to halt the rollout of the update to systems that could be affected. In addition, the company has issued a warning against manually or forcibly installing the May 2019 Update.

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Microsoft began to roll out the latest big feature update for Windows 10 a couple of days ago, and you can get it via Windows Update, or force the update if it’s not yet showing up for you.

With each new OS update, however, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here’s what’s missing in Windows 10 1903, the May 2019 Update..

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After an extended period of testing in the Release Preview ring, Microsoft has finally started rolling out the May 2019 Update to Windows 10 users, albeit in a "measured and throttled" way.

You might be able to get it now by going through Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update or, failing that, via the Media Creation tool. There is a very simple way to force Windows 10 to start the upgrade process immediately however.

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Windows 95 has been enjoying a little nostalgia-fueled revival recently. There have been concepts made for modern versions of the ancient OS on desktop and mobile and it’s even possible to give an Apple iPhone a Windows 95 makeover.

Last year, developer Felix Rieseberg released Windows 95 as an Electron app and he updated this a few months ago so it could run gaming classics like Doom. His latest update gives the OS a welcome performance boost.

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It is now a year since GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules came into effect in Europe, and on this anniversary, Microsoft is starting a conversation about bringing similar privacy regulation to the US.

The company praises the privacy framework and says that it has improved how companies handle their customers' personal data. It says that GDPR has inspired a global movement that has seen countries around the world adopt new privacy laws, and that it is time for the US to follow suit.

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Windows 10 May 2019 Update is now rolling out to users with compatible systems.

If you can’t wait to try the new features, the good news is Microsoft has updated its Media Creation tool to include the update and you can use this to download Windows 10 now and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD. This is particularly handy if you want to perform a clean install, or update multiple computers in quick succession.

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After the mess that was the October 2018 Update, Microsoft has been a lot more cautious with the follow up, giving it an extended period of testing in the Release Preview ring.

Today, the software giant declares the May 2019 Update stable enough to begin making it available to non-Insiders, although it says it will still be taking a "measured and throttled" approach to availability.

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If you’re a Windows 10 user then you might be interested in -- or even excited for -- the next generation of Microsoft’s Edge browser which is being built around Chromium.

If you’re a Mac user, then you likely couldn’t care less about it. Still, Microsoft is hoping it can change your mind and today it introduces the first preview build for macOS.

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Microsoft has been gradually hugging Linux closer to its heart, making it ever easier to install Linux-based operating systems within Windows 10. Now Ubuntu fans have a new option when it comes to installing their favorite distro.

It is now possible to install either Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or 19.04 using Windows 10's Hyper-V Manager -- the admin tool designed to make it easy to manage virtual machines.

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These days, if you want to chat with friends and family you probably do so through one of the many mobile messaging choices -- such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Snapchat.

Before mobile communications really took off, Microsoft’s cross-platform MSN Messenger (later rebranded Windows Live Messenger) was the chat tool. At its peak, some 330 million users a month were logging into the instant messaging client. MSN Messenger was discontinued in 2014, with Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype from eBay largely to blame for its demise, but if you’ve ever wondered what the chat tool might look like if it was revived today, then MSN Messenger 2019 Edition is the answer.

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The May 2019 Update is still undergoing testing in the Release Preview ring, but Microsoft is busy working on builds from the 20H1 branch, the feature update set to be released in the first half of next year.

We’re starting to see new features arriving on that branch, and today’s flight, Build 18898, adds a useful addition to the Task Manager.

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