Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro at a big discount now... and get Windows 11 free later
If you bought a computer with Windows 10 pre-installed, the chances are that it came with Windows 10 Home Edition. While this is fine for day-to-day stuff, it does -- fairly obviously -- lacks many of the feature of Windows 10 Pro.
Many people are drawn to the idea of Windows 10 Professional but are put off by one thing. Price. But what about it Windows 10 Pro was significantly cheaper? We have a special offer that means you could save 65 percent off the usual selling price -- and then you can get a free upgrade to Windows 11 later!
WhyNotWin11 is a better Windows 11 compatibility checker
There is huge interest in Windows 11, in particular finding out if a computer can be upgraded to the latest version of Windows when it is released in the coming months. Microsoft has released its own PC Health Check app that reveals whether a computer can run Windows 11, but it is not overly informative -- even though it has been updated to provide more information.
But PC Health Check is not the only tool for checking if you can upgrade to Windows 11 or not. Another option is WhyNotWin11, which helps you to determine if you hardware is up to the task, including checking what TPM version your system has.
Windows 11 is borrowing ideas from PowerToys
If you're a fan of utilities, you've very probably installed PowerToys for Windows 10. Long an essential software collection for older versions of the operating system, Microsoft gave the beloved tools a reboot for Windows 10 a couple of years ago, and it has gained an enthusiastic following.
And this is not surprising; the utility collection includes some incredible tools, and there's the promise of more great additions in the future. But it's not just us users who think PowerToys is great, the developers behind Windows 11 also appear to be fans. So much so that they decided to steal a few ideas from PowerToys and integrate them into Windows 11.
Microsoft updates PC Health Check app so you'll know why you can't upgrade to Windows 11
Since Microsoft officially announced Windows 11 earlier this week, there has been a huge amount of interest from people eager to find out whether their computer is capable of running the operating system. The TPM (Trusted Platform Modules) requirement in particular has caused much confusion.
Microsoft released the Windows PC Health Check tool to allow people to check to see if their computer is compatible with Windows 11. While it is fair to say that it did indeed let reveal whether a system Windows 11 compatible or not, it did not give much more than a "yes" or "no". Now the tool has been updated to provide more helpful information, so if your computer fails the Window 11 compatibility test, you will know why.
Windows 11 is only getting one major update each year
With Windows 10, Microsoft has been releasing two "feature updates" per year -- but with Windows 11, this release schedule is changing.In a move that will be welcomed by system administrators around the world, Microsoft will only be pushing out one big update per year.
While some people will mourn the loss of twice-yearly additions to the operating system, it will make life much easier for anyone managing large numbers of computers who is concerned about down time and problems. But this is not the only news about Windows 11's updates.
Windows 11's Android app support is not as disappointing as you might think
Microsoft has officially announced Windows 11, the dust has settled, and the excitement has died down a little. Now it's time to look at what we know is going to be included in the latest version of the operating system, rather than guessing and speculating as we have had to do up to now. And when we do this, there various reasons to be disappointed.
We always knew -- or at least suspected -- that Windows 11 was not going to be a major change from Windows 10. It has already been dismissed by some as being little more than a theme pack or service pack, but there are new features. One of the things that generated quite some interest is support for Android apps, but hearts then sank after learning that rather than Google Play, apps will need to come from the Amazon app store. But there is some great news...
Want to move the Windows 11 taskbar? Tough! You can't
The taskbar has been a feature of Windows for many years now, and it is almost as iconic as the Start button. Traditionally it is placed at the bottom of the screen, but there has always been the option to move it to the top or sides if preferred. Not so with Windows 11.
Although the majority of people leave the taskbar where it is, the prevalence of widescreen and ultra-widescreen monitors has meant that it makes more and more sense to move it to the side to make better use of space. With Windows 11, however, Microsoft has taken the decision to lock the taskbar in place at the bottom of the screen.
How to check if your PC can run Windows 11 right now
Following Microsoft's big event yesterday, PC users around the world are asking themselves "will my computer run Window 11?". Although many people have installed the leaked version of the operating system, most will be waiting for the official release later in the year.
Microsoft has already shared details of the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, but this is not information that everyone finds useful; many have been baffled by the TPM (Trusted Platform Modules) requirement, for instance. People are looking for a straight "yes" or "no" answer rather than having to check hardware specs. So, if you're wondering whether or not you need to buy a new PC to be able to enjoy everything that Windows 11 has to offer, here's how you can check right now using a special tool from Microsoft.
Millions of Dell devices at risk due to SupportAssist security vulnerabilities
Security researchers from Eclypsium have discovered a total of four vulnerabilities in Dell's SupportAssist software. As the software is pre-installed on the majority of Dell machines running Windows, millions of systems are at risk of remote attack.
Eclypsium says that a total of 129 Dell models are affected by the security issues. The chain of vulnerabilities that leaves systems open to attack has a cumulative CVSS score of 8.3 (High) and there is a warning that they "pose significant risks to the integrity of Dell devices".
Antivirus entrepreneur John McAfee found dead hours after US extradition approval
John McAfee, founder of the eponymous antivirus company, has been found dead in his Spanish jail cell. He is thought to have died by suicide.
His death last night came just hours after authorities in Spain approved his extradition to the US where he faced tax-related charges. The 75-year-old rose to fame because of his software company, later becoming notorious for his eccentric behavior and an allegation of murder.
Microsoft issues fix for high-pitched noise in Windows 10
Ahead of today's announcement about Windows 11, Microsoft has issued a fix for yet another problem with Windows 10.
Earlier in the week, the company released a preview of the KB5003690 update, which primarily boosts game performance and fixes blurry text in Windows 10. But it transpires that this same update -- which is due to roll out to everyone next month -- also addresses an audio bug introduced by the KB5000842 update.
WDDM 3.0 to bring support for graphical Linux apps in Windows 11
Tomorrow is the day we learn more about Windows 11. Microsoft's big event is going to be packed with information about the upcoming version of the operating system, but the leaks that have already made their way to the internet mean there's already a lot that we know.
There is undeniably a lot to look forward to, although many have already decried Windows 11 as being little more than a new theme pack for Windows 10. One thing we know Windows 11 includes is WDDM 3.0 (Windows Display Driver Model) and this means WSL GUI, or WSLg for short -- or, to put it another way, graphical Linux apps in Windows.
Microsoft ramps up the automatic installation of Windows 10 21H1 update
Windows 11 is going to be unveiled tomorrow, but in the meantime, Microsoft has not forgotten about Windows 10. It's now a few months since the company released Windows 10 version 21H1, but it has been a staggered rollout.
Now Microsoft is stepping things up a gear and is starting to push the update to more devices. 21H1 is being rolled out to more users as an automatic update, after a period of machine learning training in which potential issues were identified.
Microsoft is adding a new utility to PowerToys v0.39 -- Awake
If you think it feels like a long time since PowerToys received any significant updates, you're not wrong -- it has indeed been a while. But that's about to change as Microsoft is preparing to add a new utility to the collection.
Briefly known as Espresso (in a nod to the 'caffeinate' command in macOS), the new tool is called Awake. Coming to PowerToys v0.39, this is a keep-awake utility that can be used to stop Windows from going to sleep.
Microsoft offers bug-blasting KB5003690 cumulative update to all supported Windows 10 versions
The attention surrounding Windows right now is very much focused on what Microsoft is going to have to say about Windows 11 later this week. But in the meantime, there are still millions of users running Windows 10 and contending with its various problems.
Now, having tested it with Windows Insiders on the Beta or Release Preview channels, Microsoft is giving the KB5003690 update a wider release. The cumulative update is now available for Windows 10 versions 20040, 20H2 and 21H1, fixing various issues including poor gaming performance, blurry text, and more.
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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