Microsoft finally fixes PrintNightmare vulnerability with KB5005031 and KB5005033 updates
To help address the ongoing problems with the so-called PrintNightmare vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527), Microsoft has announced a change to the default behavior of the Point and Print feature in Windows.
The change has been delivered via the KB5005033 and KB5005031 update and means that in order to install printer drivers, users will have to have administrative privileges. This mitigates against the Windows Print Spooler vulnerability that allowed any user to install drivers via Point and Print, a fact that could be exploited to install a malicious drivers to allow for remote code execution and SYSTEM privileges.
Microsoft launches Xbox Cloud Gaming beta in the Xbox App on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Microsoft has launched a beta version of its cloud gaming service for Windows. The Xbox Cloud Gaming beta is available in the Xbox app in Windows 10 and Windows 11, greatly expanding the gaming options available to PC users.
Using Xbox Cloud Gaming with the Xbox App provides access to scores of Xbox games for Windows users, but there are a few caveats to bear in mind.
Thousands sign letter asking Apple to scrap plans to scan users' photos for child abuse images
An open letter signed by privacy advocates, security experts, technology companies and legal specialists has been sent to Apple, decrying the company's plans to scan the photos of Mac, iPad and iPhone users for evidence of child abuse.
While on the face of it, Apple's "Expanded Protections for Children" plans are a good thing, it has also come in for heavy criticism. With the release of macOS Monterey, iOS 15 and iPad OS 15, the company is implementing CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) detection which will check image hashes to see if they feature in databases of known abuse images. It has been likened to creating a backdoor to users' files and has horrified privacy experts.
ASUS BIOS update gives motherboards TPM 2.0 support ready for Windows 11
ASUS is one of the first motherboard manufacturers taking steps to ensure that its customers will be able to enjoy Windows 11. The company has released BIOS updates for a number of its boards which automatically enable TPM 2.0 support.
The hardware requirements for Windows 11 have proved confusing and controversial in just about equal measure, but it is the need for TPM 2.0 that has caught many people off guard. Even for people with systems that have TPM 2.0 and therefore support Windows 11, there is the potentially difficult process of enabling the feature. With its latest BIOS updates for both AMD and Intel mobos, ASUS has eliminated this step so there is no need to manually enable it.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.43.0 with an absolute barrel load of fixes and changes (plus a bit of telemetry)
If it feels like a while since there was an update to PowerToys, that's because the last significant release was a little over a month ago. But now Microsoft has broken the dry spell by pushing out PowerToys v0.43.0.
Sadly, there are no new utilities to play with in this particular release, but it remains important. In terms of bug fixes, improvements and changes, this is one of the biggest updates to the suite of tools in quite some time. There is also the slightly controversial addition of telemetry to one of the utilties.
Microsoft gives further clues about the Windows 11 release date
We know that Windows 11 is on the way, we know that there is a new look, we know that there are new features, and we know that we can test drive the beta version right now. But what about the actual release date for the finished product?
So far, Microsoft has not given much away beyond saying it will be ready for the holiday season. That said, it seems that the only way to get hold of the RTM build this year will be to buy a new computer with it pre-installed; anyone looking to upgrade from Windows 10 will have to wait until next year. We've already had hints that the release date for Windows 11 is October, but now there are further clues -- from Microsoft itself.
Windows 10 will block Potentially Unwanted Applications by default
Microsoft is making a change to the way so-called Potentially Unwanted Apps (PUAs) are handled by Defender and Edge in Windows 10.
Starting this month, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 will default to blocking PUAs. Users who want greater control over the apps that can be run on their computer have the option of disabling the setting, but this does mean missing out on an important protective measure.
How to enable Hyper-V in Windows 10 or Windows 11 Home so you can run virtual machines
With the release of the first beta build of Windows 11, increasing numbers of people are keen to try out the operating system. You could install Windows 11 as your primary OS, you could opt to dual boot with Windows 10, or you could just use an old computer (assuming it meets the minimum system requirements).
But perhaps the least disruptive option is to go down the route of virtualization. There are various tools you could use for this, but Windows offers Hyper-V, an optional component that can be used to create virtual machines. Technically, it is exclusive to the Pro editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, but with a little tweaking, it's also available in the Home editions. Here's how to enable Hyper-V.
New variant of PrintNightmare exploit lets any user gain admin privileges in Windows
The PrintNightmare vulnerability has indeed proved to be something of a nightmare for Microsoft, and it's one that shows no signs of coming to an end. Security researchers have unearthed yet another method of exploiting the Windows print spooler vulnerability, making it possible for anyone to gain administrator privileges.
The latest method involves creating a remote print server and connecting to it. This causes Windows to install a driver which requires loading a DLL with System privileges -- a fact that can be exploited to launch an elevated Command Prompt. Even on a fully patched and updated copy of Windows 10 21H1, the attack works.
Is graphics card maker 3dfx staging a comeback?
Some names transport you back to the past, and this is certainly true of 3dfx. It is now two decades since the graphics card maker went bankrupt and was swallowed by NVIDIA.
But now it seems that the company is rising from the dead. Over the weekend, a Twitter account for 3dfx Interactive appeared and started posting some interesting tweets. First, there is at the promise of a "major announcement regarding our return this Thursday" (August 5), followed by a poll asking people if they'd like to see a new 3dfx Voodoo card. So, what's going on?
Microsoft just made it even easier to install Windows Subsystem for Linux in Windows 11 (and 10)
Windows Subsystem For Linux has evolved hugely over the years, and with WSL2 things have become really impressive. But in order to enjoy everything the WSL2 has to offer, you have to have it installed, and this is something that Microsoft has acknowledged as being unnecessarily complicated.
So the company has done something about it. In the latest preview builds of Windows 11 and Windows 10, you do not need to jump through endless hoops to get WSL2 installed; a single command is now all it takes.
Linspire-based Linux distro Freespire embraces cloud apps with 'an entirely new direction'
Freespire is a Linux distro with an interesting history. It draws heavily on Linspire, the distro that started life as Lindows until Microsoft took exception to the name, unsuccessfully tried to sue, and then came to a licensing arrangement and acquired the moniker for itself.
Nearly two decades later, Linspire is still going strong and the development team behind it --PC/OpenSystems LLC Open Source Development team -- has announced a move in "an entirely new direction". This sounds like a bold statement. In practice this will involve "incorporating a cloud app approach" and coincides with the launch of Freespire 7.7.
Users already have problems with the Windows 11 beta
Although it is a little while since Microsoft announced Windows 11 -- and there have already been several Dev builds released -- it is just days since the first Beta build was made available.
On the face of things, the availability of a Beta build should mean a more stable version of the operating system, but that's not to say there aren't problems. Of course, being beta software means that bugs and issues are to be expected, but it is the switch from the Dev to the Beta channel that is causing some people trouble. And the issue? Windows 11's system requirements, of course.
Microsoft releases KB5004296 update for Windows 10 to fix game performance problems and more
It's time for Windows 10 users to gamble with another update. With the release of the KB5004296 update, Microsoft addresses a longstanding problem with game performance under Windows 10.
KB5004296 does not include any security fixes but the promise of boosting game performance is a major highlight. Microsoft says that the update "addresses an issue that prevents power plans and Game Mode from working as expected", pointing out that this has been causing "lower frame rates and reduced performance while gaming".
How to switch from the Insider Dev channel to the Beta channel to get stable builds of Windows 11
There has been great interest in the release of Windows 11, and in their eagerness to try out the operating system, lots of people are taking advantage of the Windows Insider program to test out preview builds. Many people have got involved with the Insider program for the first time, and with only comparatively unstable Dev builds available initially, lots of keen testers jumped on the Dev channel, even if this is something they would not normally be comfortable doing.
After releasing a handful of Windows 11 preview builds to the Dev channel, Microsoft has now started to push out more stable beta builds of the software. If you have been trying the Dev builds out of curiosity and now feel ready to stick with more stable builds, here's how to switch to the Beta channel.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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