These are the current upgrade blocks for the Windows 10 May 2019 Update
After the disaster that was the buggy October 2018 Update, which most Windows 10 users have avoided like the plague, Microsoft has taken the wise step of introducing additional testing.
The next big feature update is expected to roll out to all by the end of May, but for the moment it’s undergoing extended analysis in the Release Preview ring.
Windows 10 users still avoiding the October 2018 Update like the plague
The Windows 10 May 2019 Update is currently undergoing testing in the Release Preview ring to ensure it should be relatively bug free when it finally rolls out to all (in theory at least).
Microsoft has already identified an issue that prevents the OS update from installing on systems with a USB flash drive or SD card connected.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-thirty-two 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.
Lots of news this week: Microsoft Paint lives on, at least for now, Sets may be dead, and admins who upgrade devices to the May 2019 Update should make sure they unplug external USB drives or SD cards before doing so.
Windows 10 May 2019 Update needs more space than ever before
With the release of the May 2019 Update, Windows 10 is becoming more space-hungry than ever. For both the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 10 version 1903, Microsoft has increased the minimum storage requirements to 32GB.
For 32-bit users the new requirement is double what it used to be, while for 64-bit users there is a 12GB increase from the previous minimum of 20GB.
Microsoft drops password expiration policies from Windows 10 1903 security baseline
In new draft security baseline documentation, Microsoft has scrapped the policy that requires users to change their passwords on a regular basis.
The new security settings apply to Windows 10 version 1903 and Windows Server version 1903, and the change sees Microsoft conceding that its policy of forcing periodic password changes is "an ancient and obsolete mitigation of very low value". The company has a series of suggestions for how to better improve password security.
Microsoft will block the Windows 10 May 2019 Update if you have a USB drive or SD card connected
If you have external storage attached to your computer, you may well find that you're unable to install the Windows 10 May 2019 Update when it is released next month.
Out of an apparent abundance of precaution, Microsoft is opting to block the installation of the update if a computer has an external USB drive or SD card plugged in. The block is being introduced because of fears that drive letters might be inappropriately reassigned during the installation.
Microsoft decides to keep Paint in Windows 10... for now
For all of its simplicity and limitations, there are still a lot of people who -- for some reason best known to themselves -- love Microsoft Paint.
As such, when it was announced a while back that Microsoft intended to strip the utility from Windows 10 and replace it with Paint 3D -- an altogether different beast -- there was a collective wailing and gnashing of teeth. But now it seems that Paint has been given a stay of execution.
Microsoft displays warning messages in Windows 7 about the impending end of support
Windows 7 users have started to report the appearance of a pop-up message from Microsoft informing them that support for the operating system is coming to an end.
While this will not come as a surprise to everyone, not all Windows 7 users will be aware that Microsoft is on the verge of dropping the ageing OS. We have already seen pop-ups encouraging users to update to Windows 10 but now Microsoft is turning up the pressure, telling Windows 7 users: "After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is nearing the end".
Microsoft may have abandoned Sets in Windows 10 -- what now for app tabs?
In what will come as something of a disappointment to many, Microsoft seems to have decided to abandon the Sets feature of Windows 10. This highly-anticipated feature was to bring tabs to apps, making it easier to work with multiple instances of the same program.
In the middle of last year, though, Microsoft removed Sets from Insider builds of Windows 10, promising that the feature would return in a future build. But a tweet from senior program manager Rich Turner suggests that Sets is no more... although that might not mean that app tabs are completely off the agenda.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-thirty-one 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 May 2019 Update for Windows 10 is still being tested. MSDN subscribers can get their hands on Windows 10 version 1903 builds already.
Micropatch now available for Internet Explorer security hole
A few days ago, a security vulnerability in Internet Explorer came to light. A flaw in the handling of certain files can be exploited by hackers to steal files from users, and -- most worrying -- it doesn't matter whether the victim is an Internet Explorer user or not.
Microsoft is yet to create a fix for the vulnerability, so someone else has stepped up to the plate. Specialists from ACROS Security have create a micropatch for Windows 10 that addresses the issue, once again beating Microsoft in securing people's computers.
How to secure Windows 10 -- Microsoft reveals SECCON framework to protect systems
Based on the DEFCON levels, Microsoft has unveiled the SECCON framework -- a series of guides for securing a range of Windows 10 configurations in different environments.
Starting with an "Administrator workstation" at level 1 and building up to "Enterprise security" at level 5, the framework is Microsoft's attempt to simplify and standardize security. While it is not a one-size-fits-all solution, the company says it is "defining discrete prescriptive Windows 10 security configurations to meet many of the common device scenarios we see today in the enterprise".
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-thirty 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 next feature update for Windows 10 has been postponed. Microsoft plans to release the May 2019 Update to the public at the end of May 2019 in order to give it another round of testing in the Release Preview ring.
The hidden costs of managing Windows: How to overcome the 'penalty of growth' with upgrade automation
A growing employee roster. Expanding office locations. The use of innovative tools and technology. These are all the hallmarks of a successful and growing business. Unfortunately, they can also be substantial obstacles when it comes to keeping Windows endpoints current with the latest OS updates, security patches and software upgrades. Because of the time, cost and often a lack of resources, these hidden costs of Windows management force many organizations to stall in making crucial system upgrades. This puts them at grave risk of a security breach the likes of WannaCry or NotPetya that could shut down the entire company -- definitely not a growth driver.
For growing businesses, the modern work environment has made migrations, like the roll-up from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (and even everyday patching), extremely difficult with hidden costs that add up quickly in the race to merely stay current. Here are just a few obstacles in Windows management that inadvertently penalize businesses for growth.
Microsoft releases cumulative update for the Windows 10 May 2019 Update
Microsoft has pushed out the next big feature update for Windows 10 to the Release Preview ring, but it will be a while yet before it’s properly available for prime time.
It’s only just been declared ready for serious testing, but already the software giant has issued an update for it, and identified a known issue.
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