Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft is no stranger to announcing the deprecation of components of Windows, or even entire apps. But what does it mean exactly? The company has tried to make things a little clearer, but it’s up for debate whether it achieved this or not.

In a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, Microsoft starts off by defining deprecation by describing what it is not -- “deprecation is not the end point of the lifecycle”.  It is also not to be considered “the end” according to Microsoft. Eh?

Continue reading →

Microsoft has very quietly announced that the VPN feature of its Microsoft Defender security tool is going away for anyone unwilling to part with money.

In a support document entitled “End of support-Privacy protection (VPN) in Microsoft Defender for individuals”, the company gives very short notice for the dropping of the free tool. When the end of February rolls around, the VPN feature will only be available to users paying for a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription. What does all of this mean?

Continue reading →

If you’re running Windows 11 or Windows 10 but miss the look and feel of Windows 7, there’s a simple yet brilliant way to transform your newer OS into the older one.

This process, which takes just five mouse clicks, brings back all the features you may have missed, such as Windows Media Center, Windows Gadgets, and, of course, those classic Windows 7 games. The familiar, fuss-free Start menu also returns. This transformation works on all versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, up to 24H2.

Continue reading →

Six-hundred-thirty-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.

Microsoft announced two new Surface for Business Copilot+ PCs this week that are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors.

Continue reading →

Microsoft has today announced two additions to its Surface for Business Copilot+ PC family, with new versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop that, instead of using Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, will be powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), giving buyers a choice.

Microsoft says the Surface Pro 11 for Business is designed to deliver high performance, versatility, and security. The device offers up to 28 percent more overall performance, 98 percent better graphics performance, and double the battery life during Teams calls, compared to the Surface Pro 9. The 13-inch PixelSense display features optional OLED technology with better color accuracy, and anti-reflective properties for improved visibility, even in direct sunlight.

Continue reading →

Microsoft first announced its Pluton security processor as far back as 2020 and more recently has said it will be enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs as part of the company's commitment to Secure by Design.

Today the company is releasing more details about Pluton and how it operates. Operating directly on dedicated hardware on the CPU system-on-chip (SoC), Pluton helps provide additional protection for sensitive assets like credentials and encryption keys, using a combination of hardware, firmware and software

Continue reading →

When Microsoft released the January security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 earlier this month, there were soon complaints from users about audio issues. Having only recently acknowledged a link between the update and the problems, Microsoft has now issued a fix.

The release of the KB5050094 update will give those who are willing to install preview versions of updates the chance to get their audio devices working again. The way in which this problem is being address is not ideal, and will raise questions from many people.

Continue reading →

With the v0.88 release cycle for PowerToys, Microsoft says that it will be focusing on “new features, stability, and improvements”. And the release of PowerToys v0.88.0 gets things off to a good start with the arrival of a new tool.

But this release also sees Microsoft giving with one hand and taking with the other. The arrival of the new ZoomIt module is balanced by the departure of Video Conference Mute which has been deprecated and removed from the suite of Windows utilities.

Continue reading →

Having previously announced its intention to terminate the option to perform driver synchronization updates via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Microsoft has issued a reminder to users as the deadline draws closer.

There is still time to prepare for the demise of WSUS driver synchronization, but the clock is definitely ticking. With the end just weeks away, Microsoft has not only reminded admins that they need to take action but also suggested alternatives.

Continue reading →

Six-hundred-thirty-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.

The latest version of Windows 11 has reached broad availability. The update will be offered on more devices as a consequence and outdated devices may be forced upgraded to version 24H2.

Continue reading →

It can hardly have escaped the notice of anyone that Windows 10 is reaching the end of support later this year. By now, it is abundantly clear that there will be no more (official) security updates as of October, but there are other casualties that are starting to become apparent.

Fans of using themes as a way of customising the look of Windows will be sad to hear that the official Microsoft page that is used to host hundreds of themes is due to be closed down.

Continue reading →

Microsoft has quietly announced a significant change to the sign in/out process for Microsoft accounts. The change could have massive security implications for many people.

As of next month, when you sign into your Microsoft account, you will remain signed in until you opt to sign out manually. At the moment the (arguably more secure) approach sees users signed out automatically after a period of inactivity, helping to protect anyone using a public computer.

Continue reading →

The most recent big update to Windows 11 has been available for more than three months now, and if you have not yet opted to make the leap, Microsoft may be about to do it for you.

The Windows 11 2024 Update is now, in Microsoft’s words, “broadly available”. While there is a lot of focus on getting Windows 10 users to upgrade before their operating system reaches end of life, fans of older editions of Windows 11 need to be aware that forced updates could see Windows 11 24H2 installed whether you are ready or not.

Continue reading →

The recently released security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 are proving problematic for some people. Microsoft has acknowledged issues with the KB5049981 and KB5050009 updates on systems with “certain Citrix components installed”.

With Windows 10 breathing its last, users will be keen to grab all available security updates before Microsoft abandons it later in the year, so it is good that while there is not yet a proper fix for the problem, a workaround is available.

Continue reading →

Laptop users rejoice -- Microsoft is finally getting around to making life a little easier for you. When you’re working on battery power, you really need to know how much juice you have left, and this is something that has been frustrating to access in Windows 11.

While hovering the cursor over the taskbar battery icon is not exactly a massive hardship, most other devices and operating systems provide much more helpful information that is visible at all times. Windows 11 users can now look forward to the same, with the taskbar showing the battery percentage permanently.

Continue reading →