Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 19044.1202 (KB5005101)

With the great (and lengthy) Windows 11 rollout set to begin at the start of next month, most of the attention is on that operating system, but Microsoft is still developing Windows 10 and rolling out new Insider builds on a regular basis.

Windows 10 21H2 Build 19044.1202 (KB5005101) is available in the Release Preview Channel now and as with previous recent releases how you’ll get it will depend on a number of things.

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Microsoft is kicking some users off the Windows 11 Insider program

Windows 11 laptop

People who are enrolled in the Windows Insider program who have installed Windows 11 on hardware that is not officially supported are being told by Microsoft that they need to switch back to Windows 10.

Windows 11's system requirements have been a source of confusion and frustration, but for those eager to try out the operating system, Microsoft had provided something of a loophole. For a little while now, it has been possible to install Windows 11 preview builds on hardware that does not meet the minimum requirements, but now the company is clamping down and notifying Insiders with incompatible systems to downgrade to Windows 10.

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Say goodbye to Microsoft Windows 11 and wave hello to Ubuntu-based Linux Lite 5.6

Windows 11 is a great operating system. It hasn't even left beta status yet, but is absolutely the best desktop operating system Microsoft has ever created. Seriously, folks, it is exceptional. If your computer is compatible with it, and you like Windows 10, you will probably enjoy Windows11 even more -- if you keep an open mind.

You see, the upcoming Windows 11 is likely to be quite polarizing. It features radical changes to the user interface (such as a centered task bar) which I adore, but other users are sure to dislike. Not to mention, the system requirements will leave many still-capable computers unable to upgrade. Even worse, you might be left without updates! These unfortunate computer owners will have to decide whether to continue using Windows 10 or buy a new Windows 11-compatible PC.

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Looking forward to running Android apps in Windows 11? The feature won't arrive until next year

In a recent survey, there were two big new features in Windows 11 that had people excited. 35 percent said the centered Start menu was their favorite new feature, while 26 percent said it was native Android support they were most looking forward to.

Well, if you’re one of those people keen to run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC, there’s some bad news. The feature isn’t ready, and it won’t even start being tested by Insiders for months yet.

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Microsoft officially reveals Windows 11's release date, but most people won't get it then, and some will have to wait until next summer!

There has been quite a lot of speculation regarding the date when Windows 11 will be made available to non-Insiders with clues pointing towards October 20.

However, Microsoft today reveals when the OS will start to arrive, and that will actually be October 5. However, before you mark that date in your calendar and start counting down the days, there are caveats that mean you probably won’t get it then. In fact, you might not even get it until the middle of next year.

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Windows Update is letting Windows 10 users know if they can upgrade to Windows 11

Windows 11 magnifying glass

The system requirements for Windows 11 have been confusing from the moment they were announced, and Microsoft's changes to them has done nothing to make the situation clearer for most people

Microsoft's own PC checking tool, released to help people determine the compatibility of their system with Windows 11 was criticized and then pulled for failing to provide enough helpful information. It has since been updated, but now Microsoft has launched a new way to check whether your computer will run Windows 11 -- performing a check via Windows Update.

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Microsoft releases KB5005103 update preview to fix video playback problems and OneDrive issues

Square Microsoft store logo

Ahead of September's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released a preview of the KB5005103 update for Windows 10.

This non-security update addresses a number of issues, most notably fixing a problem which prevented certain MP4 files from playing. A second key fix sees Microsoft addressing a problem that reset syncing for Microsoft OneDrive to "Known folders only" after installing an update for Windows.

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Microsoft Azure found to have the 'worst cloud vulnerability you can imagine' -- ChaosDB

Microsoft building logo

Security researchers have discovered a serious security vulnerability in Microsoft Azure that could given an attacker unfettered access to any and all of the databases stored on its Cosmos DB service.

Researchers from security firm Wiz found that it is not only possible but trivial to obtain the primary keys to databases. The vulnerability, dubbed ChoasDB, may have existed since the introduction of the Jupyter Notebook back in 2019, and it gives attackers the ability to access, edit and delete data or entire databases. Microsoft is unable to change primary keys itself, and has emailed customers to advise them to do so; but the company has been criticized for failing to contact sufficient numbers of users.

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You will be able to install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC... but there could be serious security drawbacks

Windows 11

When Microsoft first released details of the system requirements for Windows 11, there was a mixture of confusion, annoyance and disbelief. The need for TPM 2.0 sent people running off to find out what on Earth this is, and many were disappointed to learn that a number of relatively recent CPUs were not supported.

Seemingly aware of the frustration the minimum requirements were causing, Microsoft has relented a little. Even though there will be no official upgrade path from Windows 10 to Windows 11, it will be possible to manually install Window 11 on hardware that is not technically supported. Microsoft, of course, is hardly shouting about how to do this, and points out that the system requirements exist to ensure the best possible experience. And while these warnings are to be expected from the company and will be ignored by many people, there is one very important factor to keep in mind if you are thinking about taking advantage of a loophole to install Windows 11.

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Microsoft releases a test version of its updated Windows 11 PC Health Check app

When Microsoft first announced Windows 11, users turned to the company’s PC Health Check app to see if their systems would be able to run the new OS.

For a lot of users, the answer turned out to be no, although the app didn’t explain why. Because this was far from helpful, Microsoft two months ago took the step of removing the app. Now, today it makes it available once again, with the promise that it will actually do what it’s supposed to this time around -- tell you if your PC can run Windows 11, and if not, why not.

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Microsoft updates the Windows 11 minimum system requirements, but it's not good news for many

When Microsoft first announced the minimum system requirements for its upcoming operating system, most people didn’t take much notice. Surely Windows 11 wouldn’t be too different from Windows 10, right? Wrong.

Primarily as a result of its support for TPM 2.0, Windows 11 won’t run on a lot of systems, especially older ones. This caused a lot of negative feedback, leading Microsoft to reconsider whether or not it had made the right call, and today it announces its findings.

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Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 22000.168 and an update for the Microsoft Store

Windows 11 laptop

Although Microsoft is expected to release Windows 11 this October, there’s still plenty of work to be done on the new operating system between then and now.

Today the software giant releases Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.168 to everyone in the Dev and Beta Channels, but with the warning that Dev Channel builds are set to become less stable in the future and Insiders who aren’t prepared to take that risk should consider switching to the Beta Channel.

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Microsoft releases KB5005932 update for Windows 10 to fix PSFX_E_MATCHING_BINARY_MISSING errors

Windows 10 desktop background

Microsoft has released a compatibility fix to Windows Setup to address a problem in Windows 10 versions 2004, 20H2 and 21H1. The issue means that some people trying to install the latest cumulative updates (LCU) for Windows see a PSFX_E_MATCHING_BINARY_MISSING error.

The procedure for installing the update and then fixing the problem is a little out of the ordinary, but Microsoft has provided full details about how to complete the process so future LCUs can be successfully installed.

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How to pre-order Microsoft's Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Halo Infinite Xbox Series X

If you are an Xbox fan, there's a good chance you already own one of Microsoft's newest game consoles. Whether it is Xbox Series S or X, both gaming systems play the same games, but the latter is more powerful than the former. With all of that said, the latest Xbox consoles can still be hard to buy due to low supply and high demand. The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely contributed to this.

For those of you that still don't have one of the latest consoles, today, Microsoft unveils an insanely cool new variant of the Xbox Series X. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the much-respected Halo franchise, the Windows 11-maker announces a new Limited Edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X ($549.99) will launch on November 15. It comes with a digital copy of the upcoming Halo Infinite game. In addition, the company is selling a Halo Infinite Limited Edition Elite Series 2 controller ($199.99). While pre-orders have largely sold out already, you can still score a Halo Infinite Xbox Series X pre-order today.

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PowerToys is getting a Windows 11 makeover

Windows 11 PowerToys

The PowerToys collection of utilities is much loved, and understandably so. Over the last couple of years, developers have been busy bringing more and more tools to Windows 10 users and now there is something for Windows 11 users.

For now, there is no word about new, Windows 11-specifc PowerToys utilities, but users of the latest version of Microsoft's operating system do have a design overhaul to look forward to.

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