Microsoft releases Chromium-based Edge for Windows 7 and 8.x
After embracing the Chromium engine for Edge, Microsoft is gradually expanding the number of platforms the browser is available for.
Starting off as a Windows 10 browser and then spreading to macOS, there is currently talk of Linux being in Microsoft's sights. For now, however, it is Windows 7 and 8 users who are the latest to have Microsoft Edge available as a browser option.
Organizations urged to patch for BlueKeep as latest malware charts are revealed
Check Point Research, has released its Global Threat Index for May 2019 and is warning organizations to check and patch for the BlueKeep Microsoft RDP flaw in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 machines, to prevent the risk of it being exploited for ransomware and cryptomining attacks.
BlueKeep affects nearly a million machines accessible to the public internet and many more within organizations' networks. The vulnerability is critical because it requires no user interaction in order to be exploited. RDP is already an established, popular attack vector which has been used to install ransomware.
BlueKeep Windows vulnerability is so serious, even the NSA wants you to patch your system
It's around three weeks since Microsoft first urged Windows users to patch their systems against the BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) vulnerability. Concerned that not enough people were taking notice, the company then issued a further warning stressing the importance of installing a patch.
Now the NSA has got involved, joining Microsoft in begging users to secure their Windows XP and Windows 7 computers. The agency says that is "concerned that malicious cyber actors will use the vulnerability in ransomware and exploit kits containing other known exploits, increasing capabilities against other unpatched systems".
Microsoft releases first preview of PowerShell 7 and sets out feature roadmap
Having already announced that PowerShell 7 will be the next version of PowerShell, Microsoft has released the first public preview. For the first time, PowerShell is based on .NET Core 3.0.
The command-line shell and scripting language is set to be updated on a monthly basis, so we can expect a few more preview versions before it hits general availability around a month after .NET Core 3.0. As well as releasing this first preview, Microsoft has also shared details of the PowerShell 7 roadmap.
Microsoft implores Windows users to install patch for wormable BlueKeep Remote Code Execution vulnerability
Two weeks after warning about a critical Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft is concerned that around a million internet-connected computers remain unpatched and vulnerable to attack.
The company says that there is a risk that CVE-2019-0708, or BlueKeep, could turn into the next WannaCry if steps aren't taken to secure systems. While there is not yet any sign of a worm that exploits the vulnerability, proofs of concept do exist, and it could only be a matter of time before this changes. Microsoft is taking the matter so seriously, that it even released security patches for the unsupported Windows XP, Vista and 2003 -- people just need to install them.
Quake II RTX is coming to Windows and Linux -- and you can have it for free
The Quake franchise is a gaming behemoth, and fans of the first-person shooter will soon be able to enjoy the re-released and revamped Quake II RTX. The RTX is a reference to ray tracing, and the game takes advantage of NVIDIA RTX graphics cards to power massively enhanced visuals.
Next Thursday, June 6, NVIDIA is releasing the remastered version of the game on both Windows and Linux -- and you can play it for free.
South Korea will ditch Microsoft Windows for Linux
Windows 7 support will end in January of next year, and that is a huge problem for both business and home users that are still running the aging operating system. Can't these people just upgrade to Windows 10? Well, yeah, but many just don't want to. Windows 10 has extreme telemetry that many people consider to be spying. As a result, they simply don't trust Microsoft's latest operating system. Not to mention, for businesses and organizations with many computers, the upgrade to Windows 10 could prove to be a costly affair.
And now, as a result of the upcoming death of Windows 7 support, the South Korean government has reportedly decided to ditch Microsoft Windows entirely. According to The Korea Herald, the Asian country's government will switch from Windows 7 to a Linux-based operating system.
Forget Avengers: Endgame or Game of Thrones -- watch 'Clippy: The Unauthorized Biography' instead
Steven Sinofsky was a senior executive at Microsoft who is perhaps best known for presiding over the creation of Windows 8 and RT. However, he also had a key role in the development of Microsoft Office back in the 1990s. This was a time when users feared to attempt to write a letter in Word because just starting it could well summon up Clippy -- the Candyman of productivity software -- who would attempt to help, but was rarely of any real use.
Clippy might have been retired for 15 years now, but to mark the Office assistant’s 25th anniversary, Sinofsky has made an Unauthorized Biography of the divisive animated paperclip which you can watch in full here.
Internet Explorer flaw leaves Windows users vulnerable to hackers -- even those who don't use the browser
A zero-day exploit found in Internet Explorer means hackers could steal files from Windows users. What's particularly interesting about this security flaw is that you don't even need to be an Internet Explorer user to be vulnerable.
A security researcher has revealed details of an unpatched exploit in the way IE handles MHT files, and the problem affects Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2012 R2. It leaves users vulnerable not only to having their files stolen by hackers, but also means they could be spied upon.
With Windows 10 1809, Microsoft drops safe removal of USB drives as the default option
To safely remove or not to safely remove? That is the question... although another one might reasonably be, "well, what difference does it really make?". Since the arrival of USB drives, we have been warned that they need to be "safely removed" using the correct method in Windows, rather than just being yanked out -- but now this changes.
With Windows 10 1809, Microsoft is changing the default setting that's applied to USB drives and other removable media. The change means that the default policy applied to removable storage devices is Quick Removal rather than Better Performance -- so you can now just pull it out without a second thought.
Windows 7 nagging you to move to Windows 10? Upgrade to Linux instead with Zorin OS 15 Beta!
Well, folks, it's happening -- Windows 7 will soon be unsupported. Yes, the last Microsoft operating system to truly be loved by users will soon be dead. Microsoft would love for these users to switch to Windows 10, but understandably, not everyone wants to. After all, the user interface is a mess, and there are spying concerns with overly aggressive telemetry.
If you are still on Windows 7, Microsoft will soon begin warning you that support is ending. I actually don't hate Microsoft for nagging these users -- quite the opposite. The company informing users that the Windows 7 operating system will soon be dangerous to use should be celebrated. Thankfully, Windows 10 is not the only path -- Linux is a great option these days. In fact, one of my favorite distributions for Windows switchers, Zorin OS, has a new Beta out today. You should definitely give it a go.
Windows 10 is now on more than 800 million devices
The install base of Windows 10 has topped the 800 million mark according to the Microsoft Story Labs site. Microsoft executive Yusuf Mehdi tweeted the news yesterday.
This is an increase of 100 million since September last year and it seems likely that the increase has been partly driven by the impending end of support for Windows 7.
Locate and remove hidden Windows 10 apps using O&O AppBuster
If you use a laptop with a small SSD, you'll want to make sure you can reclaim as much hard drive space as possible. Many of the default apps Microsoft installs with Windows 10 can take up more space than you might realise and, better still, most can be removed simply and easily.
Take the Skype app, as an example. This app is now installed by default as Microsoft is keen to encourage us to use their technology. Problem is, it takes up nearly 0.5GB of your SSD, for an app you may never consider using.
Run Windows apps on Linux with the newly released Wine 4.0
It used to be, people would scoff at the idea of switching to a Linux-based operating system due to a lack of software. While that is still true for some folks -- especially business users -- it is less of a concern these days. Why? Well, so many things are done through the web browser nowadays, lessening dependence on Windows software. For many consumers, just having the Google Chrome browser on, say, Ubuntu, is more than enough to accomplish their wants and needs. Not to mention, there are many quality Linux apps like GIMP and DaVinci Resolve.
But OK, lets say you really want to use a Linux-based operating system, but there's some Windows-only software that you absolutely cannot live without. Thankfully, you may still be able to ditch Windows and upgrade to something like Fedora or Linux Mint. How? Thanks to the excellent Wine. This compatibility layer (don't you dare call it an emulator), can sometimes enable you to run Windows software on Linux. Today, version 4.0 is released.
How to view Wi-Fi passwords in Windows
You have probably used your laptop in all sorts of places. As well as at home and in the office, you may well have used it in hotels, coffee shops and other locations that offer Wi-Fi access.
As such, you've almost certainly got a large number of Wi-Fi passwords saved on your computer, passwords that are seemingly inaccessible. But these saved passwords are accessible -- if you know where to look, that is. This is handy if you need the password to get your phone online, or another laptop. Here's how to recover saved Wi-Fi passwords.
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