Microsoft

Ransomware is one of the most concerning, and the most prevalent, forms of malware around at the moment. While there are numerous security tools out there that you can install to keep yourself protected, if you have upgraded to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update you have a built-in tool at your disposal.

Called Controlled Folder Access, the feature locks down files and folders to protect them against unwanted changes -- including encryption by ransomware. It's not enabled by default, so here's what you need to do.

Microsoft has announced that it will drop its lawsuit against the US government after the Department of Justice said that it will use fewer secrecy orders when making requests for user information.

Microsoft's battle has been running since April last year, and it gained support from the likes of Mozilla, the EFF, Google and Apple. The company was not happy that gagging orders prevented it from telling customers when investigators requested access to their data. The move by the DOJ is described by Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith as an "important step for both privacy and free expression," and a step to "protect the constitutional rights of all Americans."

When I was a kid, one of my favorite meals was meatloaf -- yeah, I am a stereotypical red-blooded American. My mom would make this dinner regularly, but she had a secret ingredient -- carrots! Yeah, she would mix mushed carrots into the ground beef loaf. Guess what? I couldn't tell the difference, and so, I was eating vegetables. Hiding healthy foods in other ones has become quite popular in recent years -- there are even cookbooks that teach it.

Unfortunately, some children can be just as averse to learning as they are to eating vegetables. Sure, some kids are avid learners and eaters of healthy food, but if they aren't, some parents can be in for quite the struggle. Today, Microsoft showcases a new way to teach children coding by tricking them into thinking they are playing Minecraft. You know what? That is rather brilliant!

Microsoft rolls out two Windows 10 feature updates a year. In April, the Creators Update arrived, followed by the Fall Creators Update this month. In order to reduce the number of problems big updates like this can cause users, Microsoft staggers the rollout.

Fans and early adopters get it first, then comes the initial phase, where the update is made available for newer systems, followed by full availability. This, in theory, is a smart move. Microsoft can monitor the rollout, and if things are going smoothly, make the update available to more users. The problem is, with the Creators Update the rollout took forever.

After months of beta testing through the Windows Insider program, Windows 10 Fall Creators Update has finally been released. While the update brings a number of changes and additions to Microsoft's operating system, it has also brought problems for some people.

Among these issues is the apparent disappearance of various apps. This is not down to apps being removed from Windows, but Windows 10 Fall Creators Update has rendered some apps completely inaccessible. If you've experienced this problem, here's how to fix it.

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Cortana. She is actually quite the good voice assistant. When I used Windows 10 Mobile, I found her to be superior to Siri. With that said, I don't really need a voice assistant on my desktop computer, so it feels like Cortana is invading my space when I use Windows 10. In comparison, Siri is much less apparent on macOS -- I forget she is there, to be honest.

Since I no longer use Windows 10 Mobile, and I don't really leverage Cortana on my desktop PC, I guess Microsoft's assistant is largely out of my life, right? Not so fast. On October 22, the Cortana-powered Harman Kardon Invoke speaker hits stores. Actually, I got one early, and I will be playing with it this weekend in the BetaNews Lab. With this speaker, the virtual assistant can serve me in a standalone setup -- no need to go to my PC. Intriguing...

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users have (especially owners of Razer laptops), you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy.

If you been using Windows 10 for a while, you’ll probably know how to do this, although the process may be slightly different to what you're used to.

Just a few days ago, Microsoft revealed details of the Surface Book 2 which is due to launch in November. But before the device is even available, it has been dealt a blow by Consumer Reports.

Earlier in the year, the review group said that problems with reliability meant that it was impossible for it to recommend any Microsoft laptop or tablet. Now Consumer Reports says that this extends to the Surface Book 2, meaning that the device will not be recommended.

Microsoft has released a new tool to help IT decision makers understand the differences and similarities between Azure and Amazon Web Services easier.

The tool is called Cloud Services Map.

As businesses of all sizes continue to put more and more of their data online, the need to ensure this information remains secure is more pressing than ever.

Microsoft has long been the preferred choice of partner for many companies, with its Microsoft 365 platform offering a comprehensive, and more importantly, secure way to ensure data stays protected. But just exactly what goes in to ensuring millions of enterprises can leave the office each evening feeling assured that their data is safe?

Security researchers at CyberArk are reporting about a new technique that could be used to take control of Windows 10 devices.

Known as BoundHook, the technique takes advantage of the BOUND hooking technique in Intel MPX (Memory Protection Extensions). But while CyberArk says that it will "bring new capabilities to both software security vendors and malware writers," Microsoft is downplaying the issue, suggesting there is nothing to worry about.

With the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft pushed out a major update for .NET Framework, which arrives with a large number of changes, including support for .NET Standard 2.0, adding roughly 200 new APIs as a result, and improved performance.

And, for developers to be able to take advantage of the new features that are part of .NET Framework 4.7.1, Microsoft also updated the Visual Studio 2017 IDE to version 15.5.

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and if you want to get your hands on the latest version of the operating system you can now download the ISO files straight from the software giant's website.

Microsoft has a dedicated landing page for Windows 10 ISO files, which lets you download both the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ISO files without messing around with the Media Creation Tool. However, if you click that link from a Windows device you will be redirected to the Media Creation Tool page. That's a bummer, but you can easily avoid that. Here's how.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is slowly rolling out to users with compatible systems, but don’t expect to be offered it any time soon. A quarter of users are still waiting to get the Creators Update.

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.

The latest feature update for Windows 10 is rolling out to users now. But while Microsoft might have started the process today, it will likely be quite a while before you’ll be offered it. Only newer PCs will get it at first, and it might take weeks, or months, before it reaches your system.

The good news is, if you’re willing to take a bit of risk, you can start the upgrade immediately.