Articles about Microsoft

Windows 10 Insider Builds really are coming thick and fast now. Microsoft rolled out three new builds for PC last week -- 15058, 15060 and 15061 -- and today we get yet another new build -- 15063.

Unlike the three previous builds, this one is for both PC and Mobile. Here's what's new.

Continue reading →

The Xbox One S is probably the best media device on the market from a value perspective. Not only does it play top-quality video games and offer streaming video apps, but it comes with an integrated 4K Blu-ray player too. Quite franky, many standalone UHD disc players cost more than Microsoft's game console, making it a no-brainer.

Today, Microsoft sweetens the deal even further, by bundling two free games when you buy from the company directly. These two games are in addition to the ones that may already be included. In other words, starting at $299, you can get the Xbox One S and at least three games!

Continue reading →

Moving from one operating system to another -- be it Windows to Linux, Mac to Windows or whatever -- can be fraught with tension. Microsoft wants to make life easier for anyone who has decided to ditch their Mac, by releasing the Mac to Surface Assistant to help migrate data to a new Surface Pro, Surface Book or Surface Studio.

For some time, Microsoft has featured detailed instructions on the Surface support pages that explain how to backup and transfer different types of data from one computer to another. With the Mac to Surface Assistant, however, all of this is taken care of by a wizard-led interface.

Continue reading →

The CIA's hacking tools leaked in the WikiLeaks Vault 7 disclosure revealed vulnerabilities in a range of popular software titles. Julian Assange has said that his organization will share details of the zero days revealed in the documents with the respective technology companies, but it now transpires that there are certain conditions to meet first. It’s a situation that has more than a slight air of "ransom" to it.

Microsoft has initially complained that after the initial leak there had been no contact from either WikiLeaks or the CIA, but it seems that contact has now been made with the Windows-maker and other companies. Mozilla is among those to have been contacted and to have responded, and sources suggest that Assange has attached conditions to disclosing details of vulnerabilities.

Continue reading →

Microsoft is in the final stages of preparing the Windows 10 Creators Update, and rolling out Insider Builds at an accelerated rate. On Tuesday, it released Build 15058 for PC, followed by Build 15060 yesterday.

And today, barely giving anyone the chance to install the last build, let alone test it, Microsoft rolls out yet another new update. Like the previous two releases, Build 15061 is PC only. Microsoft was hoping to release a Mobile build this week but was prevented from doing so thanks to a pesky blocking bug.

Continue reading →

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15058 for PC rolled out just two days ago, and we knew then that it wasn’t going to be the last new build of the week.

Today’s release, Build 15060, is -- like its predecessor --  for PC only and there’s no word on when a Mobile build is expected.

Continue reading →

A year ago, Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 would be the only Windows platform to support nextgen processors like Intel's Kaby Lake, AMD's Bristol Ridge, and Qualcomm’s 8996. The message then -- as now -- was clear: If you want to run a nextgen processor, you'll need Windows 10.

Last week, Microsoft published KB 4012982, with the title "'Your PC uses a processor that isn’t supported on this version of Windows' error when you scan or download Windows updates", suggesting that the restriction was now being enforced.

Continue reading →

Following a ruling by a Pennsylvania court that Google would have to turn over emails stored overseas, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Cisco have come together to file an amicus brief in support of the company.

Filing an amicus brief is a way in which companies or people not directly involved in a case can show their interest in it to a court. In this situation, it is in the best interest of the companies that filed the brief that US law enforcement remains unable to access customer data that is currently stored outside of the US.

Continue reading →

Microsoft's Malware Protection Center has identified a new wave of NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) installers that seek to evade detection by burying malware deeper in the code.

The changes have been seen in installers that drop ransomware like Cerber, Locky, and others. The installers try to look as normal as possible by incorporating non-malicious components that usually appear in legitimate installers.

Continue reading →

Microsoft wants to make Office more secure, so it has announced a bug bounty program for Office Insiders to catch vulnerabilities before shipping a public release.

The bug bounty program targets the Windows version of Office on the Slow ring and features rewards of up to $15,000, but for "certain submissions" -- presumably highly-critical security holes -- the software giant says that researchers can expected to be paid more.

Continue reading →

In the latest Insider build of Windows 10 Creators Update, there has been an interesting change to the way updates are handled. Build 15058 of Microsoft's operating system now handles updates over metered connections differently -- and it could mean that you incur charges.

If you pay for your internet bandwidth by the gigabyte (that is, you use a metered connection), you may well be concerned about Windows automatically installing updates and costing you money. In previous builds of Windows 10 it was possible to block automatic updates on a metered connection so you were placed in full control of when the downloads took place. Now this has changed.

Continue reading →

The Windows 10 Creators Update is set to arrive next month, and Microsoft is rolling out new builds to Windows Insiders at a rate of two a week at the moment. Build 15058 was released yesterday, and Microsoft intends to push out a second update by the end of the week.

As with all big new updates to Windows 10, you won’t simply be able to get it on the day of release. The rollout will be staggered, and that might mean you waiting days or even weeks to get your hands on the Creators Update. But there is a way to be first in line.

Continue reading →

If you’re thinking of joining the Windows 10 Insider program, or you just want to do a clean install with an up to date version of Windows 10, the good news is Microsoft has released a new ISO image.

The image, for Build 15048, is available to all, and you can download it now. This build rolled out to Insiders on the Fast ring twelve days ago so it's not the latest release -- that would be Build 15058, which Microsoft released yesterday -- but it includes a lot of important bug fixes, and a Windows Mixed Reality demo you can try.

Continue reading →

The Windows 10 Creators Update is only a matter of weeks away from launch now, and Microsoft is working hard to get the OS ready for release.

Preview Build 15055 rolled out to Insiders on the Fast ring last Friday, and today we have another new build for PC (a new Mobile build is expected to arrive later in the week).

Continue reading →

Windows Vista is probably the least-liked version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released, but, fact of the matter is, the 10 year old operating system has its fans, as it still runs on many PCs today. And that's a problem if you're part of the crowd, because next month it will stop receiving any kind of official support, leaving you exposed.

Mainstream support for Windows Vista actually ended on April 10, 2012, but Microsoft has since continued to offer support options and updates as part of its extended support phase. That will come to an end in less than 30 days from now -- on April 11. Here's what happens after that.

Continue reading →