Articles about Windows 10

Microsoft has finally fixed many of the myriad problems with the botched Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but one issue it hasn’t yet addressed, is the one to do with file associations.

With this problem, Windows fails to remember which programs you want to use to open certain files with by default. This was a problem Insiders reported to Microsoft back in May, but which -- like the file deletion issue -- got missed. The company previously announced that it is working on a fix, which it hopes to roll out by the end of the month.

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Microsoft has finally begun to roll out a new, and hopefully improved version of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, meaning it once again only has the one major feature update in development.

Today the software giant releases Build 18282 on the 19H1 branch, and introduces some interesting new features. For 2018 most software companies have been giving us dark themes. For its next feature update, due out in spring 2019, Microsoft will be introducing a Light alternative.

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Yesterday, Microsoft began re-releasing the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (aka Windows 10 1809), with a string of fixes. This time around, the software giant advises waiting until you’re offered the new update, rather than forcing the install, which is a wise move. There’s no guarantee you won't encounter issues after installing it if your system isn’t fully compatible.

While I disagree with my colleague Brian Fagioli’s description of Windows 10 as a "smelly turd", there’s no question that the October 2018 Update was something of a mess, and released without proper quality control. The latest iteration of the update fixes a large number of problems (all of which should have been addressed before its initial release), and if you installed it first time around, you’ll want to grab the update as quickly as possible. This is what’s different in this release.

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Three-hundred-and-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.

Microsoft is still working on the re-release of Windows 10 version 1809, but more problems have been discovered.

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While there’s still no sign of a re-release for the botched Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft is rolling out new builds for the feature update that follows it, codenamed 19H1.

Today’s new release, Build 18277, gains a new focus assist option that will spring into life whenever you’re doing anything full screen on your PC so you’re not bothered by notifications.

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

The October 2018 Update for Windows 10 has not been re-released yet but a new build was moved to the release preview recently which suggests that a release may happen in the coming week or the week thereafter.

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StatCounter claims that Windows 10 overtook Windows 7 back in February, and its latest figures have the new operating system well ahead now. Rival monitoring service NetMarketShare disagrees however, and last month even had Windows 7 gaining share and Windows 10 falling back.

October’s figures show the new operating system back on track though, this despite the negativity surrounding the botched October 2018 Update.

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Things might have gone badly wrong for Microsoft with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but the company is working hard on the next big feature release out next spring.

Build 18272 (19H1) pushed out to Insiders on the Fast ring today (and also available in ISO form) includes some input improvements and new sign-in options for Windows Hello.

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Microsoft’s first Windows 10 feature updates used the "Threshold" codename, but the software giant switched to using "Redstone" for the Anniversary, Creators, Fall Creators, April 2018, and October 2018 updates.

The software giant went with "19H1" for the update due out next spring (the April 2019 Update possibly), but it plans to change its naming convention once again for the update that's scheduled to be released in October 2019.

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Windows 10 is a great operating system, but it’s not without its problems from time to time. That said, it’s still a huge leap forward from past Microsoft offerings, like Windows 95 and 98.

If you’ve ever wondered what Windows 10 would be like if it had been released at the end of the last century, then take a look at Windows 10 -- 1990s Edition. Who needs Cortana when you can have Clippy helping you out?

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Three-hundred-and-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.

Microsoft is still working on getting the next feature update for Windows 10 ready for wider distribution. The company had to pull the upgrade days after initial release because of data loss issues.

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Microsoft is still busy fixing the many problems that have blighted the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but that hasn’t stopped development on the follow up, due out next spring.

Build 18267 for Insiders on the Fast ring, introduces -- among other things -- the ability for the OS to index all of your folders and drives, to make finding files on your PC much easier.

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As you know by now, Microsoft was forced to put the Windows 10 October 2018 Update on ice following reports that it was deleting user files. What made the problem even worse was Insiders had reported that issue to Microsoft months ago, but the software giant failed to address it.

While the feature update is back in testing, non-Insiders have been discovering additional problems with it. First up, if you use the built-in zip tool to extract a file to a folder where a version of that file already exists (even if it has different data), nothing will actually happen.

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While many people use Windows 10 every day, I sometimes wonder how many actually enjoy doing so. Look, Microsoft's operating system is very popular, but that could be largely out of habit. The interface is very inconsistent, and with aggressive telemetry, it can feel like you are being spied on too. Computers running Microsoft's OS are prone to malware, and even worse, users could find their important files deleted! Hell, even the Surface hardware feels uninspired these days. Once people start looking at alternatives, such as the excellent Linux-based Chromebooks, they may wonder why they need Windows 10 at all.

For education in particular, many schools find Chromebooks safer and easier to manage. Not to mention, they can be quite cost effective too. So it should come as no surprise that a major country has chosen Chromebooks over Windows 10 devices for education. What is the country of which I speak? New Zealand. You see, all public schools there now have access to Chrome Education licenses.

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Three-hundred-and-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.

Microsoft is readying the Windows 10 October 2018 Update for re-release after it stopped the distribution of the new feature update for Windows 10 a matter of days after release because of a data loss bug.

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