Hands on with Microsoft Delve, an awesome way to see the Microsoft 365 content that’s most relevant to you

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The core experience of Microsoft 365 is collaboration and sharing documents. You likely already share documents in OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and other apps across the service. So, what if you’re looking for one central hub where you can see how documents have been shared across your organization, and what you have shared yourself?

That’s where Microsoft Delve comes in. The Microsoft 365 app can be used to discover and organize the information that is most interesting to you on any given day, from across Microsoft’s apps and services. You even can create a profile, too, where your coworkers can get to know more about you. So, if you’re curious about how Microsoft Delve works, here’s a quick tour and guide.

Finding and sharing documents and content in Delve

Once you sign in to Delve or choose it from the Microsoft 365 app launcher, you’ll be sent to the Home experience. From home is where you’ll get an up-to-date overview of what you and the people you work with are working on. This highly personalized area shows documents from OneDrive for Business or SharePoint that are likely to be most interesting to you right now. Powered by the Microsoft Graph, the things that show up in Delve may include Office documents, PDF files, SharePoint site content, images, and more. You also might video shared in emails, if they’ve been saved to Stream. If you’re looking for something specific, you can use the search box, too.

Keep in mind, though, that your documents are safe. Delve never changes permissions and only you see your private documents on Delve. Other people can see that you’ve modified a document, but only if they have access or if you’ve given them access to the same document. Documents are also not stored in Delve, and are pulled from SharePoint and OneDrive for Business, so everyone has their own view. You see your private documents, and other people see theirs. More information about this is available here.

Anyway, each document or item in the home will be represented as a tile. You’ll also see a profile photo for who uploaded or owned the document and item. There’s also a number on each tile, showing you how many views or how many times the document has been opened.

As expected, you can click the tile to open the document. But you also can click . . . more options to send a link, copy a link or check on who can see the file. Additionally, on the bottom left side of each tile, you will see two options. One will allow you to favorite the item to see it later. You’ll have quick access to all these favorites from the favorites section in the sidebar. Another option also allows you to add it to a board, which we discuss next.

Boards in Delve

The Board

Another core experience of Delve is what is known as a “board.” This “board” can be a collection of different items that you feel share a similar theme or content. If you haven’t already created one, a board can be crafted by clicking the manage board icon (it looks like three squares stacked on top of each other) on the lower-left corner of a card in the Home experience. You also can add an item to an existing board by typing out the name.

Once created, the items that you add to a board will show up within a few minutes for other Delve users who have access to them. You will also see a new board section appear on the bottom left side of the sidebar of Delve. Keep in mind, though, that not all content types can be added to boards. If the manage board icon isn’t available on a card, you can’t add that content type to board.

Your Profile

Much like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, Delve allows you to have a profile page. This profile page can be accessed by clicking on the Me section in the sidebar. Your Profile has your contact information, and additional information such as your photo, a custom-background image, your role, schools, skills, and much more. You can edit this at any time by clicking the Update Profile icon. Edits are saved automatically, but you can save at any time by clicking Save. All information with the small globe icon is also public for everyone to see. However, some information, such as your name or title, may be collected from your IT department and can’t be changed.

Keep in mind, though, that your profile page will be visible to everyone in your organization. When other people visit your page, they can see your contact information and connect with you directly. They can also see who you’re working with, and what documents you and people around you are working on. Importantly, though, they will only see documents that they already have access to and not your private documents that have not been shared.

The profile is a key part of Delve, as you’ll be able to click someone else’s profile page with the People link in the sidebar. This will give you information about them and what they’re working on. You’ll see what people they’re connected to, and a selection of popular documents from people around them — if you already have access to them. Contact information shows up as well, and a small graph showing availability times, so you now when the person is in and out of office.

Find the Microsoft 365 content that’s most relevant to you

Tracking down documents across OneDrive and Teams can be hard sometimes, so Delve is something that is much appreciated. It makes finding Office documents and the content that is most relevant to you much easier. Check out Delve now today, and let us know how you’re liking it by dropping us a comment below

How to check PC temperature on Windows 10 [FULL GUIDE]

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Keeping the optimal temperature of your computer processor is vital for its health. Processors that oftentimes get too hot can lead to severe hardware or software problems, eventually to BSOD, sudden shutdown, or freeze.

But, as you know, when gaming or working on certain programs that require a lot of processing resources, your computer tends to heat up. This also happens when you keep your laptop on your lap or on a blanket, blocking its cooling system.

But there are a few ways to check on the temperature of your device and we’re going to explain to you how.

How can I check the temperature of my CPU?

What’s the ideal CPU temperature?

Unfortunately, there’s no standard good or bad temperature when it comes to CPUs. But for each processor, there’s a Tj. Max, or a temperature junction, is the highest operating temperature up to which the processor works properly.

You can check online for the limits, depending on your processor.

Ideally, if you keep your processor just under 60° C you’re OK, while a temperature between 70° C to 80° C means an overworked processor, and you should see what’s blocking the fans. Anything above 90° C might cause your device to shut down.

For any one of the last two instances, it is useful to know how to cool off CPU temperature.

That’s it! If you have other suggestions for CPU temperature monitoring software, just drop us a line in the comments section below.

How to check CPU temperature

1. Check temperature in BIOScheck cpu temp in bios

  1. Restart your computer.
  2. Enter BIOS by repeatedly pressing Delete, F1, or F2 (depends on the computer).
  3. In BIOS, go to over the different tabs until you see the CPU settings.

Here you should see what you’re looking for under CPU Temperature. The temperature is typically shown in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

2. Use third-party free software

There are a bunch of third-party programs that you can install for free and that is considerably hassle-free compared to the previous method. Most of them don’t clutter your computer, so they’re safe to use.

What’s more, you can customize their features so that you can see exactly what you’re interested in.

Speccy – Lightweight app

Speccy is a lightweight app developed by CCleaner, the popular developer of PC optimization software of the same name.

How to check PC temperature on Windows 10

It comes as a bundle of system diagnostic features, including the ability to check CPU temperature in Windows 10. With a single click, you can get useful information about your PC’s hardware details such as motherboard, RAM, graphics cards, and more.

You can also see the CPU temperature in the system tray by going to View > Options > System Tray > Minimize to tray, and checking Display metrics in-tray.

⇒ Get Speccy

Core Temp – Easy to use

How to check PC temperature on Windows 10

Core Temp is an app that monitors and displays in real-time processor temperature and other vital information.

It can show the temperature of each individual core of every processor in your system and inform you of your processor’s Tj. Max, which is the highest temperature level beyond which your CPU starts overheating.

The app displays the temperature in the system tray, by default. If not, you can enable this from Options > Settings > Windows taskbar.

When installing it, make sure you uncheck other included bundle features.

⇒ Get Core Temp

Open Hardware Monitor – Intuitive interface

Open Hardware Monitor is also free software that monitors your CPU temperature, as well as fan speeds, voltages being used, load and clock speeds of your computer.

With this app, you can get in one view detailed information about each Core your processor has.

As expected, you can opt to see a specific Core temperature in the taskbar, by right-clicking on each Core temperature and selecting Show in-tray.

⇒ Get Open Hardware Monitor

A software that can monitor your CPU’s running temperatures is a helpful tool to have if you’re having computer problems or want to stress test your newly-built PC to check everything is working properly.

You can check other PC specs using the CPU Z tool for a more in-depth review.

Have you tried any of these tools so far? Tell us your opinion!

8 two-player online games to challenge a friend

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

While single-player online games are a good option to have fun, one of the most sought-for features is the multiplayer option. I mean, it should always be more fun to compete against a real face or cooperate with your best mate to save the world.

As expected, the two-player online games offer is varied, from multiplayer games to co-op games and even classic board and card games. You can play with your buddies either online or together on the same PC or console. 

Mind that some of the games in the following list are not for free.

Best online games to play with your friends

Apex Legends

A battle royale type of game in which you team up with one or two friends (Legends) to make a unique squad that will fight against other teams and gains wealth and fame.

The game received multiple awards, including for Best Multiplayer category. It is available for PS4, Xbox One, or PC, with a free download, and further in-game purchases.

⇒ Get Apex Legends

Fortnite

Another free battle royale type of game, in which you have to build forts, and fight and take out competitors until you’re the last man (or woman) standing.  It also supports a story mode, where you can battle against zombies with a friend.

The game can’t be played locally, only online, and is available for Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, iOS, or Android. 

⇒ Get Fortnite

Mario Kart Tour

free car games

Available only as an app, on Apple Store or Google Play, Mario Kart Tour is very suitable for nostalgics, but not only. After all, Super Mario games have been a long time favorite with many online games fans of all ages.

The standard version is free to play, but then there are, of course, in-app purchases.

After downloading the app, you have to create a Nintendo account, register your friends on the dedicated list and invite them to play.

Mind that according to recent reviews the multiplayer option proved faulty, but for sure the developers are working to fix it, as many players have installed the app precisely for this feature.

⇒ Get Mario Kart on Google Play

Pandemic

This one is a great co-op game that can be played in 2 to 5 players, that have to make up a team and fight a worldwide infectious disease.

Since it doesn’t have a multiplayer option, you can invite friends and cooperate to make a strategy, then play in turns.

The game is available on PCs and Macs, a well as on gaming consoles and mobile devices running on Windows or iOS, at prices starting from $4.99.

⇒ Get Pandemic on Amazon

A way out

Yet another co-op game, perfect for two players, in which the two of you are prisoners trying to escape.

You have to work together to get through various challenges and many times you depend on one another to survive. 

The game is available for separate purchase for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. 

⇒ Get for PC

⇒ Get for Xbox

⇒ Get for PS4

Portal 2

Portal 2 is a great single-player puzzle game, but due to the high demand, a two-player mode was introduced.

It features a unique futuristic story, challenging test chambers and tricky puzzle rooms that the two of you have to go through together, to advance in the game.

Portal 2 is suitable for PCs, Xbox One, or Xbox 360. 

⇒ Get Portal 2 on Amazon

Words with friends

words with friends online

Back to some classic board games, this is a Scrabble-like game that you can play with your Facebook friends. All you need is a Facebook account and then challenge a networking buddy.

You can play it either locally or download the dedicated app and log in with your Facebook account.

⇒ Get from Google Play

⇒ Get from Apple Store

Chess on Linchess.org

Last but not least, a good chess game for the more geeky ones.  No registration is required and access is completely free.

When the two of you are ready, go to Lichess.org and choose the Play with a friend option, then choose the type of game you want and press on one of the icons. You’ll receive a sharable link, which your friend has to access to join your game.

From then on, just make your smartest move!

⇒ Play Chess

These were just a few options of two-player games, covering multiple game types, for all tastes, we hope. A few errors like the Once Human network error may suffice but it’s nothing you can’t handle.

We’d like to hear your recommendations on this topic, so please use the comments section below.

No Man’s Sky video game launches on Windows 10 and gets Xbox One and PS4 crossplay

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

It’s a pretty big day for fans of the No Man’s Sky video game. Not only is the latest update rolling out today on Xbox One with a number of new features and fixes, the Windows 10 version of No Man’s Sky is now available to buy and download on PC via the Microsoft Store and crossplay has been enabled for all players on Xbox One, Windows 10, and Sony’s PS4 console.

Oh, and No Man’s Sky is now also playable for free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on console or PC.

“A tremendous amount of work has gone into this update and the underlying technology and systems,” an announcement on the official No Man’s Sky website reads. “We’ve moved to an entirely new networking architecture, with more flexibility for the future, allowing players to play together regardless of platform. I’m very proud of the team that has worked so hard to make this happen. Meanwhile we are continuing to work hard on new content updates, large and small for the future.”

Here’s the full patch notes for today’s update with details on each of the new features introduced today.

Game Pass

  • No Man’s Sky is now available in the Windows Store and is on Game Pass for Xbox One and Windows 10 players.

Cross-Platform Multiplayer

  • Replaced the entire network backend, so that players can now make multiplayer connections across all platforms.
  • Cross-platform groups can be created or joined in game, or from the frontend.
  • Ambient multiplayer on the Space Anomaly, in space, or on planets, can now match you with players from any platform.
  • Players from your own platform are identified by your platform’s icon. Players from another platform are identified by a controller icon.

No Man’s Sky Friends

  • When face-to-face with another player, a quick interaction has been added to smoothly create a new group or invite new players to your existing group.
  • Once in a group with a player, you can use the same interaction to quickly add them to your No Man’s Sky Friends, allowing you to quickly find and join their game again at another time.
  • No Man’s Sky Friends can also be added at any time by means of a unique code.
  • No Man’s Sky Friends can be managed on a new screen available from the Network Options page.

Chat Options

  • Re-enabled Voice Chat on PS4.
  • An option to automatically transcribe voice chat has been added to the Network options.
  • An option to automatically translate voice chat has been added to the Network options.
  • Guidance text has been added to the chat window after typing an unknown command.
  • Fixed a number of instances where incorrect auto-chat messages are broadcast.
  • Added a system to prevent multiple instances of the same auto-chat message being broadcast.

Quality of Life

  • It is now much easier to target other players to see their names.
  • Added a warning message when leaving the Anomaly while listed for a Nexus mission that has not started yet.
  • Iteration Ares now sells a range of basic upgrade modules.
  • Improved the feeding experience when giving bait to large creatures.
  • Introduced a small number of general optimisations.
  • Introduced some small improvements to load times.

VR Improvements and Bug Fixes

  • Upgraded the OpenVR implementation to 1.10.30.
  • Cockpit exit handles can now be grabbed both ways up.
  • Added an option to show the player’s body when playing in VR.
  • Camera height now reflects the height of your character in VR.
  • Improved the accuracy of hand tracking in VR.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that could prevent rainbows from appearing on some platforms.
  • Introduced some minor visual improvements to GTAO to improve quality and reduce smearing artefacts on moving objects.
  • Introduced some improvements to the volumetric fog fading effect on planetary approach.
  • Fixed an incorrect icon in multiplayer bone-collection missions.
  • Fixed an issue that caused full-strength camera shake and controller vibration to be applied whenever a ship landed in multiplayer, regardless of how near that ship was.
  • Fixed an issue that caused parts of the backpack to be visible in first-person mode.
  • Fixed a console-only issue that caused additional, incorrect, terrain resource markers to appear near to real terrain resource deposits.
  • Fixed an issue that caused a misleading “out of jump range” message when out of warp fuel in Creative mode.
  • Improved the accuracy of the error message given when unable to summon your starship because you are in combat.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the Antimatter Reactor from being built on planets without atmospheres.
  • Fixed an issue that caused some players to appear to bend their knees backwards when aiming at high angles.
  • Fixed a stutter that could occur when summoning the Space Anomaly.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause ship audio to play repeatedly in multiplayer.
  • Fixed a VR issue that could make it difficult to target players who were near the Nexus.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Community Research update message to appear as soon as a player started a new Creative Mode game.

No Man’s Sky had a bit of a rough launch after it failed to meet the expectations of gamers but, after a number of updates, it’s gradually become one of this console generation’s greatest recovery stories right alongside Star Wars Battlefront II.

Do you play No Man’s Sky? Let us know which of these announcements excites you the most in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming news.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare’s latest update is now live on Xbox One consoles and it’s BIG

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The latest update for the mega-popular Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare video game is now live to download for players on all platforms including Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles.

This latest update features a bunch of new content for Modern Warfare’s fourth season which is also now live after being delayed a week due to the state of unrest in the United States.

Among the more noteworthy changes are the addition of eight Mastery Challenges for each weapon, new Contraband Contracts, and in-match events.

Here’s the full release notes:

WHAT’S NEW

Weapon Mastery Challenges!

Once you’ve unlocked Gold for a weapon, Mastery Challenges become available. There’s 8 Challenges per weapon, each granting their own rewards, with 4 Playercards and 4 Emblems up for grabs. You’ll need to make your way through 2 Kill Challenges, 2 Headshot Challenges, and 4 additional Challenges that must be done in order (Gold, Platinum, Damascus, Obsidian). Completing all challenges for 51 weapons unlocks a badass special Sticker and Playercard!

Warzone In-Match Events!

Events can occur during Warzone Battle Royale matches and have an impact on the strategy and approach to gameplay. Events can happen in any given match without advance notice. When they happen events will always occur mid-game. E.g. after the first drop kit and before the Gulag closes. Only one event type will occur in a given match, so familiarize yourself with three new event types, available at the start of Season Four – ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Fire Sale’, and ‘Supply Chopper’.

When a ‘Jailbreak’ occurs, all players that have been eliminated will be released back into the match. Whether you were waiting for your 1v1 in the Gulag, or had been relegated to a spectator, now you’ll have another chance. You will get a one-minute notice before a Jailbreak event happens to find additional armor or secure a weapon for your returning teammates. Jailbreak events can occur any time during the middle game of a Battle Royale match, so it may be worth it to spectate, just in case. Be mindful that when a Jailbreak occurs, it’s not just your teammates that are coming back, but tons of additional enemies.

A ‘Fire Sale’ is an in-game event that temporarily discounts most of the items at a Buy Station up to 80% or even gives items out completely free. A Fire Sale is the perfect time to pick up a UAV, Armor Box for your squad, or even a lethal Killstreak. During a Fire Sale buying back a fallen teammate is completely free. If your short on in-match Cash, a Fire Sale might be the best chance to redeploy a squadmate. Note that even during a Fire Sale, Loadout Drops are not discounted. Fire Sales only last sixty seconds, so expect Buy Stations to be crowded and prepare for a fight.

A ‘Supply Choppers’ event brings a non-lethal, but heavily armored helicopter to Verdansk. The helicopter will have a lot of health, and it will require a few rounds of bullets and maybe a rocket or two to bring it down. The helicopter will not shoot at you, but make sure that while you’re distracted enemy teams don’t take advantage. Once you destroy the Supply Chopper, it will drop high quality loot for players to pick up. This loot includes three UAVS, two armor boxes and munitions boxes, a gas mask, a grenade launcher, and tons of Cash at a minimum. Supply Choppers leave after a certain period of time, so if you want to take one out start firing right away. Remember, that after taking down a Supply Chopper, you have to collect the loot. Watch out for enemy teams who might try to take you out during the collection or steal your hard-earned rewards.

Contraband Contract System!

Contraband is a new, rare contract with a permanent Blueprint Reward. Contraband contracts have a chance to spawn after a previous contract is completed. If you see the Contraband briefcase, hurry up and collect it. Once you have it, take it to the designated Helicopter Extraction location to call in the helicopter. The player carrying the briefcase must deposit it into the helicopter drop-bag to complete the mission. If you kill a player carrying this briefcase you can steal it complete the contract for your team. Be on the lookout for them on your Tac Map!

PLAYLIST UPDATE

Modern Warfare

  • Barakett Promenade has been added to Ground War!
  • Trench Mosh Pit (2v2)!
  • Scrapyard 24/7!
  • Blueprint Gunfight!

Warzone

  • Quads
  • Trios
  • Duos
  • Solos
  • Blood Money

Warzone Rumble!

  • Warzone Rumble is a brand-new mode in Warzone. Two teams of 50 players parachute and battle it out in various areas around Verdansk. This mode is high action with custom loadouts, vehicles, and quick respawns.
  • Modified Special Operations:
  • Just Reward – Veteran
  • Just Reward – Regular

DOWNLOAD SIZE

The Season 4 download is going to be large. In order to reduce the overall disc space that MW and WZ take up, we’re compressing a bunch of assets. Once installed, the S4 launch will only take up an additional 4GB on consoles for all of the new content.

We’re continuing to sweep all assets to make size reductions where we can, and also further optimize future patches for size. If helpful, one reminder for console players, you can uninstall the content packs for modes that you’re not playing if you want to free up space.

You can learn how to do so HERE.

GENERAL FIXES

  • Fix for some players not receiving their Season 3 emblem
  • Fixes to help reduce players encountering Error Code 13-71. If you still experience this after today’s update, please reach out to Activision Customer Support
  • Fix for a bug where the Ghost Perk was not hiding players from the Heartbeat Sensor when viewing the Killcam
  • Fixed an issue where some players were unable to activate a Nuke after getting the appropriate number of kills
  • Fix for a bug where the 4th Operator Mission for Talon, “Complete 2 Warzone Plunder Matches” was not tracking as intended
  • Fix for an issue where some players could find long wait times when attempting to load into Ground War matches
  • Fix for a bug where neutral Hardpoints were appearing yellow instead of grey
  • Various exploit fixes across multiple maps
  • Fix for the Officer Challenge, “Get 20 kill while crouched” not tracking properly for some players
  • Fixed a bug where the white health regen was triggering on downing other players even if Quick Fix wasn’t equipped
  • Fix for an exploit where players could sometimes call in duplicate UAVs
  • Added new weapon perks to the Specialist Bonus (the bonus earned after getting 8 kills while specialist is active): Frangible-Disabling, Frangible-Wounding, Mo’Money, Recon, Heavy Hitter, FMJ, Presence of Mind
  • Fixed a bug where players were unable to perform executions when on some elevated surfaces
  • Fixes to help prevent an issue where players were able to move before the match countdown timer completed
  • Fixes to help prevent against black graphical corruption issues some players were seeing
  • Fix for the “For the Cause” grip tape not appearing properly on the base M4
  • Improved stability fixes for PC
  • Fixes to help prevent issues with voice chat

WEAPONS

  • Lowered ammo count for reload warning on belt fed LMG
  • Fixed bug with HDR and Sleight of Hand where reloading would not give ammo to the player

WARZONE

  • Loot Update: New weapons and updated Blueprints! Be on the lookout for the Fennec, CR-56 Amax, Renetti, and more!
  • Fixed a bug where the Recon Contract could spawn inside an Ammo Supply cache, making it unusable
  • After completing the Contraband Mission and calling in the extract helicopter, players could shoot the helicopter without receiving hitmarkers and the helicopter would remain on screen indefinitely
  • Fixed a bug where players were able to drop their weapon in the Gulag
  • Fix for an exploit where players were able to duplicate Self Revive kits

SPECIAL OPERATIONS

  • Fix for a bug where a player was stuck in 3rd person gameplay
  • Daily Challenges are now displayed alongside Multiplayer and Warzone challenges
  • Fixed an issue where unlocking an Operator skin in Co-Op would not unlock the base skin for that Operator as well
  • Fixed a bug where the game would not end correctly if the last player alive used Team Revive immediately before dying

SPECIAL OPERATIONS: SURVIVAL

  • Fix for being able to duplicate the Juggernaut Suit Munition minigun
  • Fix for rare instances of waves not ending properly
  • Fixed an exploit on St. Petrograd where players could fully hide from soldiers behind a bar

Interestingly, Xbox One players have begun reporting that the update size is significantly larger than it should be. While the update should be around 30GB in size, many Xbox gamers have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration at updates that are hitting 80 and even 100GB.

Activision has officially stated that this is a bug and that a fix is being looked into. Those on a limited internet plan may want to disable game updates for the meantime.

Are you excited for Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 4 and have you encountered this Xbox One update glitch? Share your experiences with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Twitter for more Xbox gaming news.

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Microsoft confirms Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will use Epic’s new Unreal Engine 5

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

As we’re just a couple of hours away from Sony’s big PlayStation 5 event, Microsoft doesn’t want to be left out of the conversation about the future of gaming. Indeed, the company has just published a long post on Xbox Wire that summarizes everything that’s been revealed about the Xbox Series X so far, with some interesting details about Microsoft’s upcoming first-party games.

As you may know, Microsoft plans to showcase new Xbox Game Studios titles in July, and the company confirmed that Senua’s Saga: Helllade II, the first next-gen game we saw back in December 2019 will use Epic’s new Unreal Engine 5.

The power of Xbox Series X was first demonstrated with the unveiling of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will be building the game on Unreal 5 and leveraging the power of Xbox Series X to bring the Hellblade franchise to levels never before seen. The footage shown was captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways you have never imagined.

Xbox head Phil Spencer previously confirmed on Twitter that several Microsoft studios were using the Unreal Engine for their next-gen games. The first Unreal Engine 5 demo we saw last month ran on Sony’s PlayStation 5, though the new game engine will support all gaming devices (including current generation consoles) when it’s released next year.

After putting so much emphasis on the fact that the Xbox Series X is the most powerful console ever, we hope that Microsoft’s big game showcase in July will not disappoint. In the meantime, the company will likely pay good attention to Sony’s event today, especially since the Japanese company may well reveal the design and price of the PlayStation 5.

Windows 10 build 19645 supports Hyper-V nesting on AMD chips

Posted on by Don Sharpe

A day after releasing Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft has shipped Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19645 to beta testers in the Fast ring.

This update brings impressive changes, including support for nested virtualization on AMD processors. Also, it introduces a new way of delivering updates to the Linux Kernel.

The package includes a couple of bug fixes too.

Nested virtualization in Windows 10 build 19645

Windows 10 build 19645 introduces support for nested virtualization on AMD-powered PCs.

So, if your computer uses an AMD processor, you can now use it to run Hyper-V within a Hyper-V virtual machine (VM).

Generally available versions of the Windows OS support nested virtualization only on Intel microchips.

The only other change build 19645 brings relates to how Microsoft delivers updates for the Linux kernel residing in WSL 2 distributions. With this version, the Windows image no longer contains the Linux kernel.

Therefore, in the future, Microsoft will be servicing the Linux kernel via Microsoft Update.

We changed the servicing model for the Linux kernel inside of Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 distributions. This build includes this change to remove the Linux kernel from the Windows image, and instead have it be serviced via Microsoft Update, the same way that 3rd party drivers (like graphics, or touchpad drivers) are installed and updated on your machine today.

Some of the fixes this Windows 10 update brings are:

  • Bug checks for PCs booting from eMMC storage when coming out of hibernate.
  • Inconsistent rendering of taskbar preview thumbnails.
  • Some text fields not showing handwriting input after tapping with a pen.

Plus, if you’re a fan of the Your Phone app, Microsoft has confirmed that you can now use the app to control music or audio apps running on your Android smartphone.

Have you installed Windows 10 build 19645 yet? Feel free to let us know or ask any questions via the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

Test attack exposes Intel SGX security vulnerabilities  

Posted on by Don Sharpe

A recently published proof of concept exposes security weaknesses in Intel SGX or Software Guard Extensions. The report comes amid the growing sophistication of cyber threats, which has demonstrated that software-based antimalware tools alone are inadequate.

As such, tech companies like Microsoft are advocating for hardware-backed reinforcements to traditional software protections.

Intel SGX chips fail SGAxe test attack

Cybersecurity researchers successfully breached Intel SGX enclaves.

They demonstrated that it’s possible to access data protected within the enclaves by bypassing all the countermeasures Intel has in place.

We then proceed to show an extraction of SGX private attestation keys from within SGX’s quoting enclave, as compiled and signed by Intel. With these keys in hand, we are able to sign fake attestation quotes, just as if these have initiated from trusted and genuine SGX enclaves.

In the test attack, the researchers were able to steal protected data, which should be difficult when it comes to Intel SGX. Essentially, the technology allows developers to partition confidential information in hardware-secured enclaves.

The experiment proved that code executed at higher privilege levels can breach the SGX ecosystem.

SGAxe is a transformed version of CacheOut, which is also a security vulnerability in certain Intel microchips.

Intel has published the full list of vulnerable processors.

While there’s no evidence of any SGAxe exploit in the wild, hackers can still draw inspiration from the available proof of concept to get started. So, hopefully, Intel will release micro-updates to patch the affected chips soon enough.

10th Generation Intel Core processors are not in the list of affected chips, though. That should be good news, considering that one of their key selling points is their best-in-class built-in security.

Do you think hardware-backed PC security, such as Intel SGX enclaves, is the way to go? You can always share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Packet loss Battlefield 1: What is it and how to fix it?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Battlefield 1 is a popular WW1-themed first-person shooter developed by EA DICE and distributed by Electronic Arts. But don’t get fooled by its name, as it’s far from being the first game of the long Battlefield series. It’s actually the 15th installment.

The game received a lot of positive reviews, and was generally well-received, compared to the previous titles in the series. It sold over 15 million copies, which is outstanding considering the game was released in 2016.

Battlefield 1 caters to the needs of both single-player and multi-player enthusiasts. If you’ve never played in multi-player and plan to never do it, then you can skip this article altogether.

Mainly because packet loss, one of the most annoying issues you can encounter in online games, doesn’t affect the game in single-player. But first, let’s discover a bunch of things about this dreaded packet loss.

What does packet loss mean in Battlefield 1?

Packet loss generally means the same thing, regardless of where you encounter it.

Packets of data that you send or receive never make it to their destination, which can cause other issues such as high latency, jitter, rubberbanding, crashes, or even connection timeouts.
More often than not, packet loss is caused by network congestion. Thus, it can occur suddenly and disappear just as quickly before you even notice it.

However, sometimes, losing packets can be caused by faulty hardware/software components, improper network routing, DDoS attacks, or even server-side faults. And that’s when you can step in and try to fix it.

How to test for packet loss for Battlefield 1?

  1. Press the Win key on your keyboard
  2. Type CMD
  3. Right-click the command prompt and select Run as administrator
  4. Go to the Pingtestlive website
  5. Note the IP address of the server you’re interested in
  6. In the CMD window, type pathping x.x.x.x (x.x.x.x = the IP address of the server)
  7. Wait for the test to complete
  8. Check if there’s any packet loss between the source (you) and the server

Long story short, as the connection gets further away from you, your ping will increase. But that doesn’t mean packet loss is a must. So be careful and check every hop thoroughly.

How to fix Battlefield 1 packet loss?

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet Access on your PC
  2. Install it
  3. Launch it and log into your PIA account
  4. Connect to the server of your choice
  5. Repeat the packet loss test above
  6. Launch Battlefield 1 and check if the problem still persists

You can perform either one of the last two steps since they’re meant to show the same thing: if packet loss still occurs. Note that using a VPN won’t work if you lose packets on your end, or if the Battlefield 1 server experiences issues.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

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Therefore, the only way using a VPN might work is if the leak happens on your ISP’s side.

Private Internet Access is a great all-round VPN tool from Kape Technologies. It can help you not only bypass packet loss, but also protect your privacy, secure your connection, and even bypass geoblocking. Additionally, it offers 24/7 live chat support.

2. Troubleshoot the connection manually

  1. Run the packet loss test as described aboveCMD pathping
  2. Locate the hop or hops where the packet leaks occur
  3. Depending on your test results, take any of the following actions:
    • Check/repair/replace/update/upgrade any faulty components on your end (PC, router, cables)
    • Call your ISP and ask the support team to look into the issue
    • Ask your ISP to connect the network distribution company if the issue is on their end
    • Contact Electronic Arts’ support team and inform them of your findings

As we’ve mentioned above, network congestion is usually the culprit. Therefore, the best fix, in this case, would be waiting around for the issue to pass. Maybe don’t log in at peak hours.

Battlefield 1 packet loss usually passes by itself

Since it’s a quite popular game (world-wide), you can expect a lot of players to log into the game at any hour of the day. If you experience packet loss, you might want to check whether the problem is on your side, or on your ISP’s.

If there seems to be packet loss on the Battlefield 1 server, you might want to wait it out. Network congestion usually leads to this kind of situation, and the best way to solve it is to wait it out.

Last, but not least, you should consider investing in a trustworthy VPN. Even if it won’t solve your packet loss crisis every time, it can still help you bypass geo-restrictions, safe-keep your privacy, and secure your connection.

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Microsoft to help improve RPA tool WinActor

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft and NTT DATA are joining hands to help enterprises deploy and utilize cloud-based resources, specifically on Azure. The two companies will jointly improve NTT DATA’s WinActor, a robotic process automation (RPA) application.

The Redmond-based company is already in the RPA field, and it even has its own such tool, Power Automate. Besides, Microsoft recently announced it had acquired Softomotive, the firm that developed WinAutomation.

Microsoft alliance with NTT DATA to enhance WinActor

The move by Microsoft to extend its partnership with NTT DATA doesn’t come as a surprise.

For starters, the tech giant is in the habit of acquiring or at least forming alliances with like-minded tech firms to help enterprises quickly and smoothly move their data and applications to the cloud.

It took over Movere, a cloud-migration service, in September 2019, for example.

The company is now liaising with NTT DATA on multiple tech fronts, and WinActor development is a key objective of the alliance.

In a statement published today, Microsoft said it’s collaborating with NTT DATA to help with the digital transformation of businesses. Going forward, the corporations will work hand in hand to deploy Microsoft Azure-powered solutions and services.

The companies will enhance NTT DATA’s knowledge management solution everis knowler, and robotics process automation tool WinActor focusing on streamlining business operations and increasing productivity and efficiency.

NTT DATA is itself a global leader in IT. So it has the breadth and depth necessary to help with the deployment of Microsoft’s productivity solutions, including Microsoft 365.The companies can also leverage their synergistic alliance to push Teams to more people working from home.

Lately, Microsoft has been improving Teams’ capacity for workforce collaboration. For example, the Office 365 platform will soon allow Meetings with up to 300 participants.

What are your views about the improvements coming to WinActor? You may reach for the comments section below to leave your feedback anytime!

Vectra integration with Azure Sentinel to power SOCs

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Vectra integration with Azure Sentinel is finally here, the IT security firm announced. The development comes against the backdrop of increased attacks on cloud-based systems or applications, such as Office 365.

For example, according to a 2019 report, bad actors targeted Microsoft 365 accounts with an unsettling degree of success.

Fortunately, enterprises can use products like Azure Sentinel to spot and stop cyber attacks before they happen. Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is another tool available to users that need to analyze their systems and quickly detect threats before they materialize.

Well, these Microsoft security services are being integrated with Vectra to provide an optimized view of enterprise-wide security postures and threats.

Vectra integration with Azure Sentinel

Security Operation Center (SOC) processes that utilize siloed tools are not efficient enough in the face of constant threats that organizations face day to day. Moreover, security personnel receiving threat alerts from disjointed systems may miss some important signals.

So, Vectra integration with Azure should help such teams consolidate their threat detection and response strategy. According to a statement by Vectra, this partnership should bring benefits such as:

  • Bring the Vectra high fidelity behavioral detections straight to your Sentinel Workbook for immediate attention with direct links into the Vectra UI for deeper analysis.
  • Automate incidents in Azure Sentinel based on configurable threat and certainty score thresholds from Vectra.
  • Perform forensic analysis on incidents to identify devices, accounts, and attackers involved. Leverage Vectra threat intelligence feed to proactively prevent future attacks.

Enterprises leveraging Vectra incorporation into Microsoft Defender ATP enjoy these additional perks:

  • Gain Vectra’s full view of network interactions and seal all security visibility gaps.
  • Stop and isolate hackers, while keep resources running and available.
  • Utilize high-fidelity detections along with extensive process-level host-context.

Have you got any suggestions or questions regarding Vectra integration with Azure Sentinel or other Microsoft security services? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Windows 10 2004 upgrade triggers storage corruption issues

Posted on by Don Sharpe

The much-awaited Windows 10 2004 brought a number of impressive new features and improvements, including things like Windows Hello in safe mode, optimized reserved storage, and the new business-oriented Cortana app.

Considering what users that have upgraded to the Windows 10 May 2020 Update are saying on social media, such as Twitter and Reddit, it’s safe to conclude that the installation went smoothly for the vast majority of them.

However, the latest OS version from Microsoft has been something of a mixed bag of goodies. As such, it’s leaving some users disappointed, despite its good features.

The OS is causing all manner of issues, from installation failure to storage problems, based on Microsoft and user reports.

Windows 10 2004 causes storage issues for some users

One user has shared to the Windows 10 Subreddit the storage problems they’re experiencing after installing Windows 10 version 2004. Their main concern is the wide spread corruption of system files on a parity drive.

The user claims that these issues never existed before upgrading to the OS.

I got my first chkdsk error shortly after upgrading to 2004. New errors keep showing up now, and my files contents are being corrupted. Chkdsk repairs the errors, but more come back. Some files partially lose their contents, others lose their contents entirely. File contents are being replaced either partially or completely by NULL bytes.

Well, Microsoft released some Patch Tuesday updates to fix various issues affecting Windows, including version 2004. However, most of these are security patches, so solutions for many other problems like driver incompatibility or corrupt storage are still  unavailable.

Apart from that, it appears that some users are able to eliminate some of the Windows 10 2004 issues by rolling back the update. But that’s usually a viable option to users that have a system backup in place.

Did you manage to update to Windows 10 2004 without major issues? As always, you can share your experience or ask any questions via the comments section below.

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5 Best virtual pet games online

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina
If you are not ready to bring a real furry friend to your family or house, you can start by getting plenty of practice caring for virtual pets in virtual pet games. At first, there was only Tamagotchi – a digital pet created in Japan that became a blast of a toy in the 1990s and early 2000s.  Now you have tens of virtual pets that you can choose from, in as many possible environments, with enhanced graphics and challenges. And, of course, they are available on any device or gaming platform, be it a smartphone, computer, or gaming console. We’ll be looking at only a few of them, but the options are extremely varied.

What are the best virtual pet online games?

The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs

sims 4

This is an expansion pack for The Sims 4, which allows the player to create a variety of cats and dogs and add them to the Sims’ homes or care for neighbourhood pets as a veterinarian. 

The game brings a Create A Pet tool, that lets you personalize cats and dogs, each with their own unique appearances, distinct behaviours, and outfits.

It also brings a new world, Brindleton Bay, that you can, of course, populate with pets.

The game is available to play on PCs, Macs, Xbox One, and Playstations.

⇒Get The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs

Planet Zoo

planet zoo

A much-awaited for zoo construction and management simulation game, Planet Zoo is all about wildlife conservation.

The player has to build a zoo to shelter 68 species of animals (in the basic version of the game) – and create the perfect environment for them. Then, one also has to entertain and educate the human visitors.

The game received very good reviews upon launch and has already snatched a few awards.

⇒Get Planet Zoo 

Falcon Age

best pet games falcon age

For fans of bird games, this one can be a good mixture of a good story plot about colonialism in the US with realistic graphics, and entertaining enough since it focuses on building a relationship with a falcon.

And while you get to raise and train the falcon since it’s only a baby bird, your pet can reward you with cute fist bumps.

The game also comes with an optional VR mode, which is recommended if you want to get the full experience of the game.

Falcon Age is available for PC and Playstation 4.

⇒Get Falcon Age

Cat Quest 2

cat quest 2

This is a classic action RPG-game, situated in the fantasy realm of cats and dogs (so it’s not only about cats). As you might guess, it’s a sequel of the very popular game of the same name.

Players praised the satisfying combat episodes doubled by exciting and varied dungeons filled with new traps and obstacles, the fantastic graphics, and the infectious humour.

Whether you play solo or cooperate with a friend, the aim is to regain your throne (or your thrones).

The game is available to play on a multitude of platforms including PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, PCs, Macs, smart TVs. 

There’s a demo version that you can download, and then purchase the full version.

⇒Get Cat Quest 2

Megaquarium

best pet games megaquarium

This is one of the best management games of 2019, where you are the curator of your own aquarium.

You get to design your displays, look after your fish, manage your staff, and keep the visitors happy. And fish-caring is not as easy as you might think!

Besides completely captivating the player with the building and management plans of the establishment, there’s also the feeding plan and placement plan for each type of fish.

Megaquarium is available to play on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, PCs, Macs, and Linux.

⇒Get Megaquarium

And that concludes our top picks. We’ll be happy to hear your picks, so use the comments section below.

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6 Best Online Golf Game to Play in Your Browser [With Friends]

Posted on by Matthew Adams

Are you looking for the best online Golf games to play with friends and other people? This is the right article for you.

Golf is a great sport played by millions across the world. When the weather isn’t so good, however, you can play numerous online golf games instead. Players can play these titles in browsers and downloadable multiplayer ones retailing on Steam.

The best of these items are realistic golfing simulations that include various multiplayer modes.

Can you play online Golf games with friends?

Yes. You can play online Golf games with friends without any problem. However, it totally depends on the game you are going to play. Not all games allow you to play with friends. Some are only allowed to play with other persons randomly.

Many online games have local play facilities. Most titles offer to play online using the internet. So, our suggestion is to choose the right game before purchasing. For your convenience, we have prepared the best list of games that most people will enjoy.

What’s the best online Golf game?

Shot Online

ShotOnline online golf game

Shot Online is an online Golf MMO that has had some rave reviews. This is a freely available online Golf game with an RPG twist. Aside from playing Golf across the game’s 21 courses, players can also exchange items and complete quests in Shot Online community events.

With its proprietary physics engine, Shot Online provides a realistic golfing simulation. That makes it one of the best free Golf games out there. Players can compete in SO tournaments that offer prize money. So, playing Shot Online can pay off in more ways than one.

⇒ Shot Online

Golf with Friends

Golf with Friends is an online multiplayer Windows PC game that’s based on golf putting. There are no tee shots or chipping in this game as it’s all about putting. This is a mini-golf game with 12-player online multiplayer modes.

It includes 11 18-hole-themed miniature golf courses for players to play its Hockey, Dunk, and Classic game modes. Golf with Friends certainly isn’t a realistic golfing simulator, but it’s a fun mini-golf alternative to other online golf games.

⇒ Golf with Friends

WGT Golf

WGT Golf is another best title considered as the benchmark for browser-based online Golf games. It’s one of the best 3D online games you can register for and play in browsers. WGT features realistic Golf simulations and 25 famous Golf courses.

Players can play on renowned Golf courses, such as St Andrews, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Kiawah Island, and Bandon Dunes. In addition, WGT holds a series of virtual golf tournaments on those courses in which players can win both real and virtual golf prizes.

⇒ WGT Golf

Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf

Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf is both an online and single-player golf game for Windows and Mac OS X. This is very much a golf simulator with accurate in-game physics and even a real-time weather system that replicates the weather conditions at your actual location.

Perfect Golf also comes with Course Forge, which enables players to design their own courses. For online multiplayer, PG includes a multiplayer lobby from which you can find other players to play rounds. Players can also enter online tournaments from the game’s tournament lobby.

⇒ Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf

Golf Club 2019

Golf Club 2019 is an official PGA Tour game with online and single-player game modes. Players can play on real championship courses in Golf Club 2019’s PGA Tour Career mode. This game features six TPC golf courses, which are Sawgrass, Boston, Scottsdale, Deere Run, Summerlin, and Southwind.

Golf Club 2019 enables players to set up societies for competitive online multiplayer games. Those societies have their own presidents who establish and schedule events for society members to play against player ghosts. In the game’s head-to-head online multiplayer, you can play new Alt-Shot and Skins game modes along with Stroke and Matchplay.

Those online golf games bring all the thrills and spills of the sport to your Windows desktop or laptop. You can play out some thrilling golf rounds against players across the world in those games.

⇒ Golf Club 2019

The Online Golf Challenge

The Online Golf Challenge is a free-to-play 3D 18 holes game you can play in the browser without any download required. After registering, you can play rounds on golf courses in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Players can level up their characters and play in regular daily or weekly tournaments. Online Golf Challenge includes a world rankings list for its tournament mode that players can climb up during its seasons.

There isn’t much in the way of prizes to play for in Online Golf Challenge tournaments other than OGC Marks, but you’ll still have fun.

⇒ The Online Golf Challenge

Basically, these are the games you can play and enjoy online if you are a Golf lover. If you already played any of the titles featured in this article, feel free to let us know in the comment box.

KB4557957 for Windows 10 v2004 may freeze your system

Posted on by Claudiu Andone

Microsoft just released the June Patch Tuesday and we already see some problems with the patches.

This is the first Patch Tuesday after the major Windows 10 May 2020 update and the issues start showing up when the users perform the updates.

KB4557957 for Windows 10 v2004 freezes your system

A user describes his problem on Reddit after installing the new KB4557957 patch for Windows 10 version 2004:

KB4557957 seems to behave weird on my system. Shortly after rebooting, the system semi-freezes. I can move the mouse cursor around, but app/programs freezes. Can’t shutdown/reboot so have to shutdown the computer by holding the power button.

The problem seems pretty serious as it blocks the user from shutting down or reboot his computer by normal means and he had to shut down his computer by pressing the power button.

How can I fix the freezing issue with the KB4557957?

It’s not the first time that a patch creates freezing problems after installing. Actually, it starts to become a pretty common issue with KBs.

The user’s solution, as he mentioned in his post, was to simply uninstall the update. After that, everything returned back to normal.

Unfortunately, nobody from the forums had another solution to this problem. So, if you’re experiencing this problem as well, perhaps the only thing you can do is also to uninstall the update.

How can I uninstall an update?

If you want to uninstall the KB4557957 patch, type update in Windows Search and click on the Check for updates from the results.

Next, click on View update history and then on Uninstall updates. Right-click on the KB patch from the list and select Uninstall.

Did you have any other problems with the update, check out our Windows 10 version 2004 most common issues.

If you experience any other problems, please tell us your story in the comments section below.

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How to set up Bellsouth email on Windows 10/11 step by step

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Bellsouth email account is quite common in the States as the email host under the AT&T ISP provider.

There seems to be a lot of sign-in issues with this host since the user’s credentials are discredited or they just can’t sign in. If that’s the case for you, the best way is to contact AT&T support.

On the other hand, we’ll need to confirm that you’ve configured your email host properly. And, as many users use Outlook as their go-to email client, you can find how to set up Bellsouth.net account on Outlook.

Bellsouth.net email settings for Outlook

Setting up a Hotmail account on the Outlook is as simple as possible. It doesn’t require any manual configuring of the incoming and outgoing servers. You just enter your credentials and sink emails.

However, that’s not the same for all third-party email clients. Some of them require a manual approach when configuring POP3 SMPT servers.

Nonetheless, if you have even elementary knowledge about this, the procedure is rather simplistic. Of course, we made sure to explain it below. Here’s how to add Bellsouth.net email in Outlook on Windows 10:

  1. Open the Outlook client.
  2. Click on File > Add account.
  3. Choose Manual configure server settings or additional server types and click Next.
  4. Click Yes on the next window.
  5. Enter your Bellsouth.net email address and name.
  6. Choose IMAP and POP. Click Next.
  7. For the Incoming Mail Server, enter imap.mail.att.net.
  8. For the Outgoing Mail Server, enter smtp.mail.att.net.
  9. Enter your email address and password when prompted.
  10. Choose More settings and check both My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication and Use same settings as my incoming mail server boxes.
  11. Open Advanced tab and make sure that the Incoming Server port number for POP3 is 995.
  12. The Outgoing Server port should be 465.
  13. Enable SSL under the Use the following type of encrypted connection section.
  14. Click Finish and that should do it.

You might also be interested in 5+ best antivirus for Yahoo Mail to protect your emails

If the test fails, replace the imap.mail.att.net and  smtp.mail.att.net with the pop.mail.yahoo.com and smtp.mail.yahoo.com, respectively. After that, you can try again.

With that, you should be able to receive and send emails without issues. Outlook should allow you all kinds of configuration options and settings, so make sure to customize it to your liking.

This article will also help you if you are looking for the following information:

  • Bellsouth.net email settings
  • Bellsouth email settings outlook
  • Bellsouth email server settings
  • Incoming mail server for Bellsouth.net
  • Bellsouth pop3 settings
  • Yahoo Bellsouth email settings

With that being said, we can conclude this article. In case you have anything to add or take from this instruction manual, make sure to tell us in the comments section below.

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Top 5 settings in Microsoft Teams you need to change or try now

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Once you’re up and running with Microsoft Teams, there’s a lot you can do to customize it. We’ve already discussed that in a separate post, but there are a few settings you should also consider changing to tweak your experience for the good. From notifications, application behavior settings, read receipts, and more, here are the top five settings you need to change or try out in Microsoft Teams right now.

Application behavior settings and theme

The first thing on our list is application behavior settings. These can be found under the general settings tab of Microsoft Teams. From there, there are some settings to tweak that can change your Teams experience. For instance, you can choose to turn off or enable auto-start of the application on the startup of your PC. You also can choose to keep the app running in the background when closed. Both of these make it easier to stay on top of new messages. At the top, there are also some theme settings, too, for the visual appearance of the app.

Read receipts 

Next up is read receipts. This feature of Teams lets users you’re chatting with know they’ve seen or read messages. It shows up in the chat as an eye icon. This is turned on by default, but if you’re hoping for more privacy, you can disable it easily. To do this, open Teams settings by clicking on your profile picture, and then choosing Privacy. You should then see a toggle switch for Read receipts.

Notification Settings

Third on our list is notification settings. These settings will help clean up your activity feed and your emails. There are various settings you can play with, including for turning off the banner notifications that appear on desktop, as well as the email notifications. You even can turn notification sound on or off, and disable notifications for likes and reactions. The sky is the limit, and there’s a lot you can change.

Background blur and custom backgrounds

While this one doesn’t relate to Teams settings itself, it is something you might want to consider changing when on a call with your coworkers in Teams. If you didn’t already know, you can set your own custom background during a video call to help disguise things in the background. You also can blur out the background too. Both settings can be found on the page you see before you join a call, or during a call from the . . . icon in the middle of the screen during a call. In the case of joining before a call, you’ll notice a purple slider next to the video icon, click it and you’ll get the option to blur your background. You’ll also see some of the pre-set backgrounds, and the ability to choose your own image there, too.

Multi-window pop-out chat

Final on our list is another indirect Microsoft Teams setting — pop-out chat. As the name suggests, this feature lets you pop out your chat messages into a separate window on top of your current conversations. Available as an option when right-clicking on a chat, pop-out chat functions very easily.  You can drag out the window and resize it, put it on another monitor, and keep a chat close in view when you’re on a video or voice call. The feature only works on Teams on Windows 10 and MacOS, however, and isn’t supported on the web or Linux as of yet.

Which settings do you change in Microsoft Teams?

These are our top 5 picks for settings to change in Microsoft Teams, but there’s a lot more that we didn’t discuss. Check out out Microsoft Teams hub for more articles, guides, and how-tos. And please let us know in the comments about which settings you change when using Microsoft Teams.

Lenovo and Dell share list of devices compatible with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft officially started rolling out the Windows 10 May 2020 Update last month, and the software giant said that they are taking a “measured approach” to gradually roll out the major release to all the compatible devices. To help users find out if their particular machine is compatible with the latest version, both Dell and Lenovo have shared a list of compatible systems that have been tested by the manufacturers with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (via Deskmodder).

Lenovo users can head over to the official support page now, enter the serial number of their Lenovo PC in the search box, or use the “Select Your Product” button to see available support options. Alternatively, you can also use Ctrl+F to find if your computer is listed in the following product families: ThinkPad laptops, Lenovo Notebook/Ideapad, ThinkCentre+AIO, IdeaCentre+AIO, and ThinkStation. In addition, the company has also highlighted a couple of device-specific issues on this page, along with some workarounds to resolve those problems.

Dell owners who are interested to update their PCs can navigate to the company’s support page to check the compatible product groups and devices. Considering that some people may not know the exact model of their machine, Dell has provided some additional information to help them determine their PC model. All other Dell users can simply use the Ctrl+F command to directly jump to their model on the support page. Dell has listed a couple of product families as the main entry points including Alienware, Inspiron, XPS, Latitude, Optiplex, Precision Workstation, and Embedded Box PCs.

It is worth noting that your computer may still get the Windows 10 May 2020 Update even if it isn’t listed on these sites, and it’s just that the manufacturer hasn’t tested it yet. However, Dell stated that it won’t provide driver updates for machines that have not been tested. “If your device is not listed in the tables below, Dell is not testing the device and drivers will not be updated for that model,” the support page reads.

No Man’s Sky, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and more are coming to Xbox Game Pass this month

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft announced a big update for the Xbox Game Pass catalog this morning. Three new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC this month, starting with No Man’s Sky and Dungeon of the Endless tomorrow, June 11, which will be followed by Bard’s Tale Remastered and Resnarkled on June 18.

Console subscribers will get three additional games this week, including Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 & 2.5 ReMix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on June 11, plus Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales on June 18. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass for console subscribers are invited to check out the free UEFA Euro 2020 DLC for eFootball PES 2020 this month, as well as a free upgrade for The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind.

There are two other new games to mention for Xbox Game Pass for PC, with Battletech and Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2 to be available on June 11. Moreover, Obsidian Entertainment’s new survival game Grounded will be available for pre-install on June 16 on PC and console ahead of its Xbox Game Preview debut on July 28.

The Xbox team also revealed today a list of 11 games that will leave Xbox Game Pass on June 15. You can find all platform details below:

  • Book of Demons (PC)
  • Everspace (Console & PC)
  • Resident Evil Revelations (Console)
  • Riptide GP: Renegade (Console & PC)
  • Riverbond (Console & PC)
  • Samorost 3 (PC)
  • Screamride (Console)
  • Superhot (Console & PC)
  • Supermarket Shriek (Console & PC)
  • The Last Door: Season 2 (PC)
  • The Stillness of the Wind (PC)

While there’s no E3 2020 this year, it’s good to see that Microsoft still kept some exciting announcements for Xbox and PC gamers. It’s not clear if we should still expect a June “Xbox 20/20 update” to follow last month’s Inside Xbox live stream, but hopefully, we won’t have to wait until July to get some next-gen Xbox news.

How to fix Arduino problems on Windows 10/11

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

If you’re an advanced user, you might be familiar with hardware and software project called Arduino.

Arduino is similar to Raspberry Pi in a way, but users reported problems with Arduino on Windows 10, so today we’re going to show you how to fix problems with your Arduino on Windows 10.

Steps to fix Arduino issues on Windows 10

  1. Run IDE as Administrator
  2. Install the driver manually
  3. Change your date
  4. Connect the device to a different PC
  5. Install the necessary certificates
  6. Reinstall Arduino drivers
  7. Check if the proper board is selected
  8. Turn on/off Compatibility mode
  9. End LVPrcSrv.exe process
  10. Run Arduino bat file
  11. Don’t run cygwin
  12. Disable certain devices
  13. Check if your device is working properly

In most cases, you can quickly fix Windows 10 Arduino bugs by installing the latest drivers manually. If this method fails to fix your issues, try using compatibility mode.

Now, if the issue persists, just follow the instructions listed below and we’re sure one of these solutions will help you fix the technical glitches you’re experiencing.

1. Run IDE as Administrator

Users reported Serial port ‘COM4’ already in use try quitting any programs that may be using it error message on their Windows 10 PC.

Arduino comes with its own IDE tool that allows you to program it, but it seems that users are unable to start the IDE due to this error.

To fix this problem on your Windows 10 PC, you need to start the IDE tool as administrator. To do that, simply right click the IDE and choose Run as administrator from the menu.

If running the IDE as administrator fixes the problem you’ll have to use this method every time you want to start the application.

If you want, you can set the application to always run with administrative privileges by following these steps:

  1. Right click Arduino IDE and choose Properties from the menu.
  2. Go to Compatibility tab and check Run this program as an administrator option.
    arduino-problem-properties-2
  3. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

After running Arduino IDE as an administrator, the problem should be completely resolved.

2. Install the driver manually

Users reported that they can’t connect to Arduino with IDE, and that can be a major problem. In order to fix this issue, you need to install Arduino drivers manually, and you can do that by following these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu and choose Device Manager from the menu.
    arduino-problem-device-1
  2. When Device Manager opens, locate the Arduino device that doesn’t have its driver installed.
  3. Right click the device and choose Update Driver Software from the menu.
    arduino-problem-device-2
  4. Choose Browse my computer for driver software.
    arduino-problem-device-3
  5. Select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
    arduino-problem-device-4
  6. Click the Have Disk button.
    arduino-problem-device-5
  7. Click the Browse button and locate the driver.
    arduino-problem-device-6

Few users reported that they are unable to install the driver because it’s unsigned. This is a security measure by Windows designed to protect you from potentially malicious drivers.

By using this feature you can only install drivers that are digitally signed and genuine to your PC. Unfortunately, few users reported that this feature caused the problem with Arduino drivers.

If you can’t install Arduino drivers on your Windows 10 PC we recommend that you turn off driver signature enforcement feature by following these steps:

  1. Open the Start Menu and click the Power button.
    arduino-problem-restart-1
  2. Hold the Shift key on the keyboard and click Restart.
  3. You’ll see three options available on the screen. Choose Troubleshoot.
  4. Now choose Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
  5. When your computer restarts you’ll see a list of options available on the screen. Press F7 or 7 on your keyboard to select Disable driver signature enforcement option.

Now Windows 10 will start normally and you’ll be able to install unsigned drivers without any problems.

You might encounter a warning while trying to install an unsigned driver, but you’ll still be able to install Arduino driver without any problems.

3. Change your date

Few users reported issues while installing Arduino drivers on their system, and it seems that the problem was caused by an expired certificate.

This can prevent the driver from being installed, but you should be able to fix the problem simply by changing your date.

To do that on Windows 10, follow these steps:

  1. Right click the clock in the Taskbar and choose Adjust time/date option.
    arduino-problem-time-1
  2. When Date and time window opens make sure that Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically options are disabled. Now click the Change button.
    arduino-problem-time-2
  3. Change date and time dialog will now appear. Set an earlier date, for example few days or months earlier and click Change.
    arduino-problem-time-3
  4. After your date is changed try to install the driver again.
  5. After you install the driver, go to Date and time window again and set the correct date. You can also turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically options.

4. Connect the device to a different PC

According to users, if Windows 10 can’t recognize your Arduino you might want to connect it to a different PC that runs an older version of Windows. Users reported that their device was recognized after connecting it to a different PC.

After finding the Arduino model, they were able to download the driver and install the device on their Windows 10 PC.

5. Install the necessary certificates

If you can’t install Arduino drivers on your Windows 10 PC, you might have a problem with driver certificates. You can easily fix that by installing the necessary certificates on your PC. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Open Arduino/drivers directory.
  2. Locate arduino.cat, right click it and choose Open.
  3. When new window opens, click the View Signature button.
  4. Now click Install Certificate button.

After the certificate is installed you should be able to install Arduino drivers without any problems.

6. Reinstall Arduino drivers

Users reported that they keep getting Can’t open device message when they try to start their Arduino.

Apparently, this issue is caused by your drivers, and one of the simplest ways to fix this problem is to reinstall your drivers. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Locate your Arduino in Device Manager and right click it. Choose Uninstall.
    arduino-problem-uninstall-1
  3. Check Delete driver software for this device and click OK.
  4. After the driver is removed, restart your PC.

After deleting the driver, simply download the latest version of the driver and install it on your PC. By doing that all driver-related issues with Arduino will be resolved.

7. Check if the proper board is selected

According to users, you can get Can’t open device error message if you don’t select the proper board from Arduino IDE. To avoid this problem be sure to go to Tools section and select the appropriate board.

8. Turn on/off Compatibility mode

Users reported No serial port name defined error message in Arduino IDE, and according to them, this issue is caused by Compatibility mode.

This feature is extremely useful if you want to run older software on Windows 10, but sometimes using the Compatibility mode can lead to certain issues.

To fix this problem with Arduino, you need to disable Compatibility mode by doing the following:

  1. Locate Arduino IDE shortcut, right click it and choose Properties.
  2. Navigate to Compatibility tab and make sure that Run this program in compatibility mode for isn’t checked.
    • If this option is checked, uncheck it and click Apply and OK to save changes.

Some users claim that you can fix this problem by running Arduino IDE in Compatibility mode for Windows 98/Me.

To do that, repeat the steps above and make sure that you check Run this program in compatibility mode for option. Select an older version of Windows, and click Apply and OK to save changes.

arduino-problem-compatibility-1

9. End LVPrcSrv.exe process

Users reported that Arduino software freezes when they try to upload a program, and this can be a major problem for users.

Apparently, Logitech process called LVPrcSrv.exe is causing this error to appear and in order to fix it you need to end this process from Task Manager. To do that, follow these simple steps:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. When Task Manager opens, go to Details tab and look for LVPrcSrv.exe.
  3. If you find this process, right-click it and choose End task from the menu.
    arduino-problem-task-1
  4. After the process is closed, close Task Manager and try to run Arduino software again.

If LVPrcSrv.exe is causing this problem on your PC, you’ll have to end this process every time you want to run Arduino software on your PC.

10. Run Arduino bat file

According to users, they are getting Arduino has encountered a problem and needs to close error message on their PC when trying to start Arduino by running the arduino.exe file.

To avoid this problem you can simply start Arduino by double clicking the run.bat file. Keep in mind that Arduino environment can be sometimes slow to start, so you’ll have to be patient.

11. Don’t run cygwin

Users reported that certain issues can occur if you try to compile a sketch in Arduino while having cygwin running in the background. To avoid this problem on your PC, you can simply turn off cygwin while using Arduino.

If that doesn’t help, you might have to delete cygwin1.dll from the Arduino directory and replace it with a cygwin1.dll from your cygwin directory.

12. Disable certain devices

Few users reported that Arduino software takes a long time to start and it seems frozen when you try to open Tools menu. This issue is caused by other devices that can create COM ports on your PC.

A good example of these devices are Bluetooth devices, so if you one of these devices available, be sure to disable it from Device Manager. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Locate the device that you want to disable, right-click it and choose Disable from the menu.
    arduino-problem-disable-1

After disabling these devices the loading time of Arduino software should improve.

13. Check if your device is working properly

According to users, issues with Arduino board can occur if your device is broken, therefore it’s advised to try it on a different PC. If you can, be sure to try the device on different computers with different operating systems.

If the issue appears on all devices, it means that your Arduino board is faulty and you should replace it as soon as you can.

As you can see, there are all sorts of problems with Arduino and Windows 10, but in most cases, you should be able to fix these problems simply by installing the proper driver or by checking your security certificates.

[wl_navigator]

Bang & Olufsen to make high-end premium audio products for Microsoft’s Xbox consoles

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Premium consumer company, Bang & Olufsen, announced today that they are partnering with Microsoft to produce high-end audio products for their Xbox video game consoles.

Few specifics were detailed in the announcement but it was confirmed that these upcoming products would feature connectivity with Xbox consoles and would be aimed at gamers with a fair bit of disposable income.

“The gaming industry has grown significantly over the last few years across age groups, gender and countries, and we expect this trend to continue,” Bang & Olufsen’s Christoffer Poulsen said in a statement. “The technology has advanced significantly in gaming, and enhancing the sound experience offers a place for us to play a key role. By entering the gaming industry, we want to do what we do best: delivering outstanding sound performance wrapped in astonishing design and solid craftmanship. We see a big commercial potential within gaming, and in Xbox we believe we have found the ideal partner to realise that potential.”

While Xbox-branded Band & Olufsen headphones are likely a safe bet, it’s not hard to imagine the Xbox logo atop the Beoplay speaker (see above image) or maybe even on a smaller Bluetooth speaker. Whatever they make, the partnership does seem to be a natural fit given the recent effort to transform Xbox into more of a lifestyle brand.

“We’re excited for the launch of Xbox Series X later this year and ushering in the next generation of gaming,” Xbox’s Matt Kesselring enthused. “As we march towards release – we’re excited to partner with Bang & Olufsen to bring a new premium tier of gaming audio to market for Xbox and Bang & Olufsen fans around the world that travels with you everywhere you love to play Xbox”

Are you a fan of Bang & Olufsen? What kind of Xbox products would you like to see them release? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Facebook for more Xbox news.

Destiny 2 to get 60fps on Xbox Series X, PS5 crossplay coming, and years of future content planned

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

A number of major announcements were made earlier today in regards to the popular online multiplayer video game, Destiny 2, and its future on both of Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles.

Destiny 2 Will Support 4K and 60fps on Xbox Series X

While we already knew that Destiny 2 was coming to Microsoft’s next gen Xbox Series X console, it was confirmed today that the Xbox Series X version of the game would indeed support 60 frames-per-second (FPS) in addition to 4K resolution. Destiny 2 already plays in 4K on the Xbox One X console but it’s currently restricted to 30FPS due to the current gen hardware. Xbox Series X players should get a much smoother gameplay experience.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X Crossplay

At launch, the Xbox Series X version of Destiny 2 will support crossplay with the current gen Xbox One version. Cross-save will also be supported which means that those who already have progress and content on the Xbox One version will be able to continue where they left off on the Xbox Series X. All content will transfer to the Xbox Series X version of Destiny 2.

Crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation players is expected to come sometime in 2021.

A Free Xbox Series X Destiny 2 Upgrade

Destiny 2 will also support Microsoft’s new Smart Delivery system which will enable current owners of Destiny 2 on Xbox One to have the game for free on Xbox Series X. All downloadable content and in-game purchases will transfer as well.

No Destiny 3 Video Game is Planned

Instead, Bungie has committed themselves to adding new content to Destiny 2 for at least the next few years. Three new expansions were announced with Beyond Light coming September this year, The Witch Queen set for 2021, and Lightfall locked in for 2022.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is currently available for digital pre-order on Xbox One consoles in both a regular version (which unlocks instant access to the new Exotic Rimed Ghost Shell and a new Legendary Emblem), a Destiny 2: Beyond Light + Season version (which unlocks the same two items plus the No Time to Explain Exotic Pulse Rifle and catalyst), and a Destiny 2: Beyond Light Deluxe Edition (includes the Freeze Tag Exotic emote, access to Seasons 12-15, the No Time to Explain Exotic Pulse Rifle, ornament, catalyst, and the Any Other Sky Exotic Sparrow.)

Plans to cycle out stale content and replace it with old content is also planned with locations and weapons from the original Destiny game confirmed to be making a return. “To create a sustainable ecosystem where the world can continue to evolve in exciting ways, and where we can update the game more quickly, we’re going to adopt a new content model that we’re calling the Destiny Content Vault (DCV),” the official announcement explains. “Each year, usually at the expansion boundaries, we will cycle some destination and activity content out of the game (and into the DCV) to make room for new experiences.

“The first cycle of Destiny 2 content going into the DCV begins this fall, with the appearance of the Pyramid ships in Season of Arrivals and the Beyond Light expansion, which we revealed today. Those events will usher in dramatic changes to the Destiny universe, affecting characters, destinations, and Guardians for years to come.”

Are you a Destiny 2 player and does this news get you hyped? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Twitter for more Xbox gaming news.

Destiny 2
Destiny 2
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Destiny 2
Developer:
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Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
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Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Developer:
Bungie
Price:
Free


Destiny 2: Beyond Light + Season
Destiny 2: Beyond Light + Season
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Destiny 2: Beyond Light + Season
Developer:
Bungie
Price:
Free


Destiny 2: Beyond Light Deluxe Edition
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Deluxe Edition
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Destiny 2: Beyond Light Deluxe Edition
Developer:
Bungie
Price:
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Want to Play Hearts Online? Check out These 6 Great Options

Posted on by Matthew Adams

Hearts is a great trick-taking card game played between three to six players. Hearts is not as widely played as Poker online, but there are plenty of websites where you can play this popular card game.

General card game websites widely include Hearts among their games. There are also a few dedicated Hearts websites for players to play at.

How can I play Hearts games online?

VIP Hearts

VIP Hearts online hearts games

VIP Games is a website where you can play numerous cards and board games online. Its VIP Hearts site has a thriving community of Hearts players.

At VIP Hearts, you can play beginner, custom, or tournament Hearts games with quality high-definition graphics. You’ll need to register on the site to play real players, but you can play bots without registering.

When registered, you can play Hearts with the same account on any device. The VIP Hearts site also includes handy playing guides for the game on its blog.

⇒ VIP Hearts

WorldofCardGames.com

WorldofCardGames.com online hearts games

WorldofCardGames.com is a site where you can play Hearts, Gin Rummy, Sergeant Major, Spades, Euchre, and 29. You can play against bots and real players without registering on this site. However, you’ll still register to play ranked and tournament Hearts matches.

The great thing about this site is the wide range of wallpapers and avatars it includes for players to choose from. Players can select assorted, fabric, walls, and floor backgrounds for Hearts match.

The website includes fun alien and animal avatars to select. Players can also select eight alternative deck designs to play with.

⇒ WorldofCardGames.com

Cardgames.io

Cardgames.io is a throwback to the old-school card game websites with somewhat basic designs. There you can play various card games, such as Hearts, Solitaire, Gin Rummy, Spades, Go Fish, and Euchre.

This website’s UI design is a little basic compared with other card game sites, and it doesn’t include a huge range of customization settings. However, you don’t need to register on it to play multiplayer Hearts. So, you can start playing multiplayer Hearts matches straight away at Cardgames.io.

⇒ Cardgames.io

HeartsGame

HeartsGame is a free online game of Hearts where you play against 3 bots. You can change the game difficulty from the Settings and also the deck style and background of the cards.

The objective of the game is to accumulate as few points as possible and avoid getting hearts and the Queen of Spades in the process.

The best part about HeartsGame is that you don’t need to create an account or sign up anywhere. Just hit the link below and play the game in any browser.

⇒ HeartsGame

Trickster Hearts

Trickster Hearts online hearts games

At Trickster Cards, you can play the Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Pitch, Bridge, 500, and Whilst card games. Players can select to play standard Hearts and it Jack of Diamonds variant at Trickster Hearts.

This website includes a good number of options to configure Hearts matches with as players can adjust scoring, passing, and time settings. It also has a decent UI design and a good range of theme customization options. Players can even add their own photos to cards, which is something of a novelty.

If you sign up for a Trickster account, you can accumulate chips. With those chips, you can buy into more competitive Hearts games. In addition, Trickster includes ranked leaderboards for Hearts and its other card games.

⇒ Trickster Hearts

Cardzmania.com

Cardzmaina.com is another of the best card game websites where you can play Hearts. This is a good website for Hearts as you can play four alternative variations of the game with up to six players. Furthermore, you don’t need to register on this website to play multiplayer matches against real players.

Cardzmaina also includes a ranked Hearts leaderboard and weekly cup for its registered players. So, there’s enough here to satisfy most Hearts players even though the website lacks customization options for themes.

⇒ Cardzmania.com

These are six decent websites to play Hearts at. Of those selected, WorldofCards.com, Cardzmaina, and Tricker offer the widest range of playing options for players.

However, all the sites are worth noting for Hearts fanatics.

FIX: CLR20r3 error (not available/stopped working)

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

While trying to run an application on your system including a game or server application, you may encounter a clr20r3 error. Most of the time this is a non-fatal and a common error.

However, it can leave your computer unusable as it can affect many applications installed on your system.

Several users have reported that they are unable to run or use some third-party and Windows applications due to the clr20r error in the Microsoft Community Forums.

Stopped working CLR20r3
When I try to start Spacechem, hotline miami or Eador a window pops up telling me the application stopped working. I get this error:
I believe it is a problem with .net framework 3.5. Since all of this applications use .net framework 3.5.

Fix this error on your Windows 10 computer with these reliable solutions.

How can I fix the CLE20r3 error on Windows 10?

1. Reregister Windows Media Components

  1. Type cmd in the search bar.
  2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Command Prompt.
    re-register Windows Media Components
  3.  In the command prompt, type the following command one by one and press Enter after each command:
    regsvr32 atl.dll
    cd C:WINDOWSeHome
    ehSched /unregServer
    ehSched /service
    ehRecvr /unregServer
    ehRecvr /service
    ehRec.exe /unregServer
    ehRec.exe /regserver
    ehmsas.exe /unregServer
    ehmsas.exe /regserver
  4. Exit the command prompt and reboot the system.
  5. After the restart, try to open the app that was giving the error and check if it is resolved.

Learn how to configure and play old games on Windows 10 today and avoid errors for good

2. Reinstall Windows Media Center

  1. Press the Windows Key + R to open run.
  2. Type control and press OK to open Control Panel.
  3. In the Control Panel, go to Programs > Programs and Features.
  4. From the left pane, click on Turn Windows features On and Off.

  5. In the Windows Features window, expand the Media Features section.
  6. Uncheck the Windows Media Center option.
  7. Click OK to save the changes and close the Windows Features window.
  8. Reboot the system and again open the Windows Features window from the Control Panel.
  9. Expand the Media Features section and check the Windows Media Center option.
  10. Close the window and reboot the system. Now try to run the program that was giving the error again and check for any improvements.

You may apply the above steps for earlier Windows versions.

  1. Open Windows Features window from the Control Panel.
  2. Expand the Media Features section and then uncheck the Windows Media Player option.
  3. Click OK to save the changes and close the window.
  4. Reboot the system. After the restart again open Windows Features and check the Windows Media Player option.
  5. Again try to open the app that was giving the error and check for any improvements.

Complete the above procedure on Windows 10 computers.

3. Repair .Net Framework

  1. Press Windows Key + R.
  2. Type control and press OK.
  3. In the Control Panel, go to Programs > Programs and Features.
  4. Click on Turn Windows Features on or off option.
  5. Check if the  .NET Framework 3.5 and .Net Framework 4.7  Advanced Services option is enabled.
    Repair Net Framework
  6. If it is enabled, uncheck the options and click OK.
  7. Reboot the system.
  8. After the restart, check the .NET Framework 3.5 and .Net Framework 4.7  Advanced Services again.

If the Windows Server Manager failed to open, rest assured that this quick guide will help you out.

[wl_navigator]

KB4561645 not installing on some Windows Server 2008 PCs

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft uses Patch Tuesday to release feature improvements and fixes for security issues affecting Windows PCs. Today, the company shipped multiple updates, including KB4561645, a security-only patch for Windows Server 2008.

However, some users are getting an error when they try installing the latest fix on their PCs. Fortunately, Microsoft has revealed the reason why.

KB4561645 not installing on some Windows Server 2008 PCs

As you may remember, Windows Server 2008 already reached its end of support. That means Microsoft no longer delivers free feature improvements or security updates for devices running on the operating system.

However, premium extended support for the OS is still available. Therefore, according to Microsoft, only ESU-supported devices can successfully install KB4561645.

In other words, you have to be running an OS edition that’s eligible for ESU. If you try installing on a non-supported PC, you’ll get an error after restarting your machine.

After installing this update and restarting your device, you might receive the error, “Failure to configure Windows updates. Reverting Changes. Do not turn off your computer”, and the update might show as Failed in Update History.

If you’re encountering that issue, confirm that you’re running a supported OS. If you are, make sure your add-on key is installed and working on your PC.

The above issues may not be the only thing preventing you from securing your machine with KB4561645, though.

Therefore, verify that you installed the necessary updates for Windows Server 2008 ESUs to install smoothly without any issues.

For example, do you have servicing stack update KB4493730 installed? Microsoft shipped the SSU back in 2019.

Similarly, be sure you have the ESU Licensing Preparation Package or KB4538484, which rolled out on February 11, 2020.

Windows 7 users without ESU support are also unable to install the latest security update available for the OS this Patch Tuesday.

Have you migrated from Windows Server 2008 yet? Feel free to let us know or ask any questions via the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

Windows 7 Update KB4561643 fails to install for some users

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Patch Tuesday for June 2020 is already here. It brings a whole bunch of fixes to multiple security issues affecting Windows PCs. KB4561643 is one of the updates you can download right away to secure your computer.

The patch is meant to address a problem that makes it impossible to update files with the .msi extension from a network folder. But it also has a issue that Microsoft just acknowledged.

KB4561643 may not install on some PCs

Microsoft has confirmed that installing KB4561643 may not have the expected outcome for some users. Instead, they’re getting an error suggesting that their system failed to configure the update.

You’re likely to receive the error message when you restart your machine after updating.

After installing this update and restarting your device, you might receive the error, “Failure to configure Windows updates. Reverting Changes. Do not turn off your computer,” and the update might show as Failed in Update History.

If you check in Update History, the patch appears as Failed.

There’s some good news, though, for users getting this error after installing this particular Patch Tuesday update.  

For starters, this is an ESU for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. So, you may be experiencing the problem if your PC isn’t supported for this type of update.

Microsoft withdrew free support for Windows 7 earlier this year, so its users have to pay to receive security updates for the nearly obsolete OS.

You could also get the update error if you don’t have an ESU Mak add-on key running on your PC. You may need to first install and activate it to address the issue.

It appears that you may still be unable to update even if you’re installing on an ESU-supported PC. Users that bought an ESU key and are encountering the problem may have to verify they’ve activated the key.

How’s your experience so far with the latest Windows security updates, especially KB4561643? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

KB4560960 patch for Windows 10 might disconnect your modem

Posted on by Claudiu Andone

Microsoft released the June Patch Tuesday and for the moment, it seems uneventful.

However, there might be a problem with the KB4560960 patch for Windows 10 that might create some problems if you have an LTE modem.

KB4560960 might cause Internet connectivity issues

Microsoft lists a single known issue with the KB4560960 patch on the release page:

After installing this update on a Windows 10 device with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) LTE modem, reaching the internet might not be possible.

However, the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) in the notification area might still indicate that you are connected to the internet.

This issue might affect Windows 10 version 1903 OS Build 18362.900 and version 1909 OS Build 18363.900.

How can I fix the LTE modem internet connection problem?

Microsoft specified that they are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

However, if you’re not willing to wait this long, you might try some quick fixes:

  • Press the ON/OFF button on your modem to turn it off, wait for at least 10 seconds, then power it off again.
  • If your modem doesn’t have a power button, disconnect the power cable from the modem, wait for at least 10 seconds, then plug the power cable back on.
  • Try resetting your modem.

How can I download the new June Windows 10 patch?

If you want to download the latest Windows 10 June patches, you can manually download them from our June Patch Page.

Before installing them, read up on the best way to apply them. Also, remember to always back up your data before installing updates like the ones from Patch Tuesday.

The best ways to download the latest Patch Tuesday updates, recommended by Microsoft are

  • Windows Update and Microsoft Update
  • Microsoft Update Catalog
  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

If you don’t want to install the whole patches and you are interested only in some of the cumulative updates, go for the Windows Update Catalog.

[wl_navigator]

Windows 10 June Patch Tuesday [DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINKS]

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The 6th round of major feature updates have just hit live, and they are called the June Patch Tuesday Updates.

As always, Microsoft managed to deliver these updates, bringing new security features, fixing old bugs, and improving their level of security.

This round of Patch Tuesday updates is also special in the sense that they are the first to contain updates for the new Windows 10 v2004, which has just been launched on 27 May 2020.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the new features that each cumulative update brings, along with any known issues, and a direct download link.

That being said, check out the list below, look for your own version of Windows 10, and get the latest cumulative update.

Cumulative updates included in June Patch Tuesday Updates

Windows 10, version 2004

This is the latest major feature version of Windows 10 available. This means that it has all the newest features and the highest level of security among all versions of Windows 10.

That being the case, make sure that you try installing it as soon as it becomes available, and if your hardware allows it.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes 

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Addresses an issue that prevents you from using some voice commands in Windows Mixed Reality when the preferred Windows display language is English (Canada) or English (Australia).
  • Improves the reliability of voice assistants that use Windows voice activation (Settings > Privacy > Voice Activation) for keywords.
  • Improves the reliability of Cortana’s voice activation when using the “Cortana” keyword on devices that support low-power keywords.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, Windows Silicon Platform, Microsoft Xbox, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Peripherals, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, and the Windows Update Stack.

Known Issues

  • Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1909

Windows 10 version 1909 and versions 1903  share a common core operating system and an identical set of system files.

As a result, all major changes that apply to one version will be present in the other.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes 

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, Windows Silicon Platform, Microsoft Xbox, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Peripherals, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Known Issues

  • After installing this update on a Windows 10 device with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) LTE modem, reaching the internet might not be possible. However, the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) in the notification area might still indicate that you are connected to the internet.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1903

Windows 10 version 1909 and versions 1903  share a common core operating system and an identical set of system files.

As a result, all major changes that apply to one version will be present in the other.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Same as Windows 10, version 1909

Known Issues

  • Same as Windows 10, version 1909

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1809

According to Microsoft, the last security update for most editions of Windows 10, version 1809 will be released on November 10. The include the Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, and IoT Core editions.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Addresses an issue that causes the promotion of a server to a domain controller to fail. This occurs when the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process is set as Protected Process Light (PPL).
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, Microsoft Xbox, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, and the Windows Update Stack.

Known Issues

  • After installing KB4493509, devices with some Asian language packs installed may receive the error, “0x800f0982 – PSFX_E_MATCHING_COMPONENT_NOT_FOUND.”

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1803

For those of you keen on having the best that’s security has to offer, remember that Windows 10, version 1803 (the April 2018 Update) Home and Pro editions have reached the end of service.

As such, if you currently own any of these two editions, try to update as soon as possible.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, Microsoft Xbox, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Known Issues

  • Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1709

Like all the previous versions of Windows 10, 1709 has also been updated, bumping the build number to OS Build 16299.1932.

However, remember that this version of Windows 10 has also reached the end of service for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstation, and IoT Core editions.

As such, try to update as soon as possible if you want to benefit from the latest features and bug fixes.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, Microsoft Xbox, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.​

Known Issues

  • Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1703

Note: Windows 10, version 1703 has reached the end of service for all of its available editions.

Thus, if you want to continue receiving security and quality updates, Microsoft recommends that you update to the latest version of Windows 10.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Management, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Microsoft HoloLens, Windows Virtualization, Windows Peripherals, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Known Issues

  • Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1607

Note: Windows 10, version 1607 has reached the end of service for all of its available editions.

That being the case, if you want to continue receiving security and quality updates, you should update to the latest version of Windows 10.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Addresses an issue that prevents you from installing some .msi apps. This occurs when a device is managed by a Group Policy that redirects the AppData folder to a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Authentication, Windows Cryptography, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, the Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Known Issues

  • After installing KB4467684, the cluster service may fail to start with the error “2245 (NERR_PasswordTooShort)” if the group policy “Minimum Password Length” is configured with greater than 14 characters.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Windows 10, version 1507

Note: Windows 10, version 1507 has reached the end of service for all of its available editions, so if you want to continue receiving security and quality updates, you should update to the latest version of Windows 10.

Cumulative update name:

Improvements and fixes

  • Addresses an issue that prevents users from updating .msi files from a network folder.
  • Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Media, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Shell, the Microsoft Store, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Authentication, Windows Virtualization, Windows Peripherals, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows File Server and Clustering, Windows Hybrid Storage Services, the Windows Update Stack and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Known Issues

  • Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

[DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK]

Patch Tuesday list of CVEs

Of course, Patch Tuesday isn’t just about new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements, as their main focus is actually security updates.

That being said, the June Patch Tuesday Updates bring fixes to over 139 CVEs.

How else can I download Patch Tuesday updates?

If you prefer alternative ways of getting the latest updates, then you might as well try the three typical means of doing so:

  • The Windows Update menu
  • The Windows Update Catalog
  • The Windows Server Update Service (WSUS)

These are all the cumulative updates for all versions of Windows 10 released this month. If you want to check out more information about past cumulative updates, check out our dedicated article covering Windows 10’s Changelog.

Note: Always remember to  have a backup of all of your data before performing a big set of updates like the ones on Patch Tuesday.

While most of the times these updates go smoothly, there have been rare occasions where updates would damage your PC to the point of you losing your data.

Editor’s Note: Patch Tuesday is an amazing time of the month, so if you want to know about it, check out this in-depth guide.

Mordhau packet loss: What is it and how to fix it?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Mordhau is a popular, multiplayer medieval hack’n’slash first/third-person video game. Wow, that’s a rich description. Anyway, imagine you’re on a medieval battlefield with a proper weapon in your hand.

You have to hack your way through your enemies and survive. Although you might think it’s easy, playing the game will show you that you’re so, so wrong.

Aside from it still needing some improvement combat-wise, you’ll face technical challenges that any other online service puts you through. And that’s more annoying than any hit-and-miss bug you’ll encounter in Mordhau.

Packet loss is still one of the most unwanted issues you might experience in online games. Next to jitter, high ping, and random disconnections, packet loss can easily ruin your game experience in just a few moments.

What is packet loss in Mordhau?

Mordhau fix common bugs

In Mordhau, packet loss is when data bits (packets) you send or receive never make it to their destination. Realistically speaking, packet loss is quite the same regardless of where you encounter it.

This phenomenon might actually slip unnoticed if it happens briefly or doesn’t have a pattern. However, leaking packets leads to other, more noticeable problems in-game.

Mordhau packet loss issues:

  • Rubberbanding
  • High latency
  • Jitters
  • Crashes
  • Connection timeouts, drops, disconnections

How to fix Mordhau packet loss?

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet Access and install it on your computer
  2. Launch it and log into your PIA account
  3. Choose a server and connect to it
  4. Launch Mordhau and check if you still leak packets (you’ll know instantly)

Private Internet Access is a great all-round VPN product from Kape Technologies. It has passed all of our tests successfully and offers you 24/7 live chat support.

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However, note that using a VPN is not a magic fix. Instead, it can take care of the situation only if the problem is on your ISP’s side. Thus, if you leak packets on your home network or if the game server loses packets, using a VPN might only complicate things further.

2. Perform manual troubleshooting of your network

  1. Use our comprehensive guide to run a complete packet loss testPacket loss analysis Windows with tracert and pathping
  2. Notice the hops with ping spikes (packet leaks)
  3. Take the necessary measures to fix the issue according to the test results

If the method above is a bit confusing, we’ll clarify it in a jiffy. For starters, packet loss can occur in one of the following locations:

  • On your home network and its components (PC, router, cables, console, home line)
  • Your ISP’s network/servers (the one that starts where your home line ends)
  • The network distribution company (the one above your ISP)
  • Mordhau’s game servers

If you’re familiar with all of the potential locations, we can keep moving. As we’ve said before, depending on the location, you’ll need to take a different action. Namely:

  • Check/repair/upgrade/update/replace any faulty component on your home network
  • Give a call to your ISP if you notice anything wrong on its side
  • Ask your ISP to call the network distribution company if you notice packet loss on the hops between the ISP and Mordhau server (final hop)
  • Contact Mordhau’s customer support and let someone know about the packet loss situation

Experiencing bugs in Mordhau? Our expert guide will show you how to fix the most common ones.

More often than not, the situation will fix itself. However, you might want to check if there’s something you can do to alleviate the issue, just to be sure.

Mordhau packet loss situations can be fixed

To wrap it up, if you experience packet loss in Mordhau, there might be something you can do about it. However, more often than not, packet loss occurs suddenly and doesn’t last for long, so chances are you won’t even notice it.

However, if you notice prolonged packet leaks or a pattern, you might want to step in. Keep in mind that using a VPN won’t work all the time, especially not if you leak packets on your home network, or if there’s something wrong with the Mordhau game servers.

On the other hand, having a VPN can save you from a lot of headaches. It can give you a privacy boost, secure your connection, and help you bypass geo-restrictions without significant efforts.

UPnP bug exposes Windows 10 devices to RCE attack

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Data theft is lucrative business, and has been for a long time. That’s why cyber criminals are making billions of dollars per year by stealing and selling personal data like names, credit card details, and health records. They use different tools and techniques to breach IT networks, and a UPnP bug is one of the latest to get the attention of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

How hackers can exploit the UPnP bug to exfiltrate data

Recently, NIST updated the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) with information about the Universal Plug and Play protocol exploit (CVE-2020-12695). The organization is currently analyzing it.

The bug, named CallStranger, has been around since 2019 when a cybersecurity researcher reported it (via Bleeping Computer).

Ideally, UPnP should be a convenient way for devices to register each other’s presence on your network. Windows 10 PCs, routers, printers, and Wi-Fi access points are some of the gadgets that may use the networking technology.

Usually, no authentication is necessary for these devices to discover each other via UPnP. Moreover, they’re usually part of a local, trusted network.

That wouldn’t be a problem except for the possibility of hackers exploiting the CVE-2020-12695 vulnerability in UPnP. In other words, a malicious actor can scan for the connectivity ports and use them to gain entry into a device.

For example, an attacker could remotely leverage the UPnP bug to discover a Windows 10 PC connected to your network. In the case of CallStranger, the malware could sidestep all data loss prevention and network security measures in place.

This way, the bad actor can easily access and steal data stored on your PC. That’s not the only IT risk, sadly.

CallStranger can also be remotely deployed in a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. Hackers could also use it to scan internal networks.

Have you had any experience with the UPnP bug? Feel free to share it (or ask any questions) in the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

Spectrum Packet Loss: What Is It and How to Fix It?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Packet loss is not only annoying but can render your daily activities impossible to perform. More so if you work from home and your whole job revolves around using the Internet.

This unwanted phenomenon can occur out of the blue and disappear just as quickly. Most of the time, packet loss occurs due to network congestion. Thus, if you’re not some network administrator, there’s nothing much you can do about it.

However, sometimes packet loss has other, more specific causes. For instance, your ISP could throttle your bandwidth. Or some part of your home network might be faulty.

In this case, crossing your arms and waiting around won’t be as effective, and you’ll have to step in.

What is Spectrum packet loss?

First of all, Spectrum is a communication services provider. To be more specific, Spectrum, also referred to as Charter Spectrum, is the trade name of the Charter Communications company.

Spectrum offers consumer communication services such as Internet, telephone, wireless, and cable television. Naturally, we’re going to focus on the Internet part in this article.

It’s worth mentioning that, like your home network and the destination server you connect to every time you use online services, the Spectrum network is also a node in your connection.

Packet loss happens when the data packets you transmit or receive never reach their destination. This phenomenon can occur anywhere on your connection, often relying on several nodes.

What causes Spectrum packet loss?

There are a lot of reasons behind leaking packets. If you have no network/IT background, it will be somewhat difficult to comprehend this part, but we’ll do our best to simplify things.

Here are the most common causes of packet loss:

  • Network congestion
  • Faulty equipment either on your, your ISP (Spectrum), or the destination server’s side
  • Software or hardware malfunctions/bugs
  • ISP throttling
  • Outdated hardware (having a gigabit connection and a 100 MBps network adapter)
  • DDoS attacks or similar cyber threats

However, only a bunch of the causes listed above can be directly associated with Spectrum. Provided that Spectrum is your ISP, of course. Namely:

  • Network congestion
  • ISP bandwidth throttling
  • Faulty hardware/software on your ISP’s servers

You’re also likely to run into the self-install not working error if your router does not meet system requirements.

Also, you can check out the Spectrum internet charges and the professional installation charges to sort it out; read this guide to learn more.

How to fix the packet loss Spectrum?

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet Access.
  1. Install it on your computer.
  2. Launch it and log into your account.
  3. Connect to the server of your choice.
  4. Check to see if the problem still persists.

Private Internet Access is one of the best VPN services for Spectrum. It’s a great all-around service that passed all our tests with flying colors.

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However, note that a VPN such as PIA will only work if packet loss occurs on your ISP’s side. This is mainly because VPNs route your connection through their own servers, bypassing ISP servers, thus avoiding things like clutter or throttling.

Therefore, we suggest you isolate the issue and make sure it’s on Spectrum’s side before trying a VPN.

2. Troubleshoot your connection manually

  1. Use our guide on packet loss to run a complete test.
  2. Determine where your connection is leaking packets.
  3. Take the necessary measures to correct the issue.

As we’ve explained in our comprehensive guide, you might experience packet loss in the following locations:

  • Your home network, which includes your PC, router, and even cables
  • The network of your ISP (the one immediately above your home network)
  • Network distribution company’s servers (the ones above your ISP)
  • The destination server (game, streaming, website, email server)

Some potential fixes for the situations mentioned above are:

  • Make sure your home network is in top shape (check cables, your devices, router)
  • Call your ISP and ask them to look into the problem (if the leak happens on their side)
  • Ask your ISP to contact the network distribution company and tell them about the problem
  • Contact the destination server’s support team/owners if they’re the ones leaking packets

If Spectrum leaks packets, try waiting it out first

All things considered, the most common for Spectrum packet loss remains network congestion. This can be somewhat fixed with proper network management, but it’s not in your power to perform this complex operation.

The next best thing is waiting, but who has time for that, right? Our suggestion is to try using a VPN, but only if you’re sure that the packet loss is Spectrum’s (your ISP’s) fault.

Note that using a VPN can improve packet loss, but it can also boost your privacy, secure your connection, and dodge geo-blocking.

Alternatively, you could try troubleshooting your connection manually and take the necessary steps to fix the issue according to your findings.

Minecraft Dungeons gets a first patch on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch to address multiplayer issues, more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

If you’re playing Minecraft Dungeons, its time to download the game’s first patch, which addresses multiplayer problems and many more issues. This update only covers the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions of the game, and comes in at around 2GB in size.

On Xbox, Mojang has corrected the problem where players might get an infinite loading screen when accepting a game invite while the title was suspended during online gameplay. They’ve also fixed the issue where the game might crash during online multiplayer. Along with the stability improvements, the final fix is for an issue that caused the Corrupted Cauldron boss not to spawn in the Soggy Swamp mission when you played it in multiplayer.

As for the Nintendo Switch version, there are just two fixes: Data collection has been improved to help identify game crashes, and the game now has the correct naming across all languages. No word yet about patches for the PC and PlayStation 4 versions of the game, but hopefully these platforms will get some love soon. If you experience any issues, you can keep reporting them on bugs.mojang.com to bring them to the addition of the developers.

Windows 10 PCs target for Ransomware as a Service attacks

Posted on by Don Sharpe

You know how tech companies use SaaS or PaaS to deliver IT solutions to enterprises at scale? Well, cyber criminals have developed a model of their own called RaaS, which they’re using to efficiently distribute malware in massive waves. They recently targeted Windows 10 PCs for ransomware attacks, according to a Bleeping Computer report.

Windows 10 users targeted in Avaddon ransomware attack

In the recent Avaddon attacks, users receive an email enticing them to open a photo, which is actually not real. The body of the email contains a wink emoji.

But according to cyber security company Appriver, the photo is a cover for malware. In that case, the people behind the attacks are taking advantage of the fact that Windows doesn’t reveal file extensions by default.

So, unsuspecting victims end up clicking on the photos only to unleash a JavaScript file that triggers ransomware activity on their machines.

All of the messages contain an attachment that arrives in the IMG<number>.jpg.js.zip format. Once the zip is extracted, there is a small 1 kilobyte javascript file inside. This is much smaller than last year’s campaign of 8 kilobytes, largely because the latest version does not contain any additional obfuscation techniques.

When the malware is executed in Windows 10, it encrypts all files, from images to documents. Then, the attackers leave a ransom note on the victim’s desktop.

The note informs the user about the encryption of all their files by the Avaddon ransomware.

Next, the cyber criminals offer software the victim can buy to decrypt and access their computer files. So, they direct the user to a Tor payment portal where the transaction should takes place.

Avaddon is a Ransomware as Service (RaaS) actor running an affiliate program. Affiliates acquire the malware from Avaddon for distribution to targeted PC systems.

You can minimize the risk of falling victim to such attacks by using email scanning tools. Also, updating and activating Windows Defender can help prevent ransomware from executing on your machine.

Feel free to share your views or ask any questions via the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

Microsoft is reportedly working on a redesigned Xbox app for iOS and Android

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft could be working on a new Xbox app for iOS and Android devices that has been rebuilt from scratch, according to a report from Windows Central. The report includes mock-ups of what the new Xbox app could look like, and it does look quite different with a new bottom navigation bar that replaces the current hamburger menu.

The app is said to be in early stages of development, and it’s currently missing several features social features including the Activity Feed and Xbox Live Clubs. Still, the overall design looks to be more in line with the Xbox Game Pass Pass for mobile devices, which also uses a bottom navigation bar.

Mockups of the redesigned Xbox mobile app (source: Windows Central).

As of today, the Xbox app for iOS and Android can be used to chat with friends on Xbox Live, check your Activity feed, see your latest achievements, and purchase games from the Xbox Store. The app can also act as a remote for your Xbox One console instead of using your Xbox controller. It may have become a bit bloated and slow over the years, and maybe the upcoming launch of the Xbox Series X will be a good opportunity for the Xbox team to rethink its mobile strategy.

Microsoft’s new AI editors already facing backlash over racism story

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

For the past decade, various tech industries have extolled the virtues of artificial intelligence and its place in the future of humanity. Unfortunately, not all benefits have extended equally to everyone and a recent Microsoft gaffe once again highlights a continued AI blindspot for people of color.

As tensions run high in the US following the murder of several people of color by police officers in recent months, Microsoft’s new AI publishing software pushed out a story dealing with the personal effects of racism on bi-racial singer Jade Thrilwall but featured the wrong mixed-race performer.

While the story was about Jade and her reflections on racism, the featured image was of band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock, another mixed-race singer of the band Little Mix. While apparently a reoccurring incident according to Jade, Microsoft’s gaffe was called out by Jade in particular on social media.

“@MSN If you’re going to copy and paste articles from other accurate media outlets, you might want to make sure you’re using an image of the correct mixed race member of the group.”

“This shit happens to @leighannepinnock and I ALL THE TIME that it’s become a running joke,” she said. “It offends me that you couldn’t differentiate the two women of colour out of four members of a group … DO BETTER!”

The blunder comes a few days after news that Microsoft was in the midst of firing hundreds of human editorial staff in favor of its own AI editing platform.

Despite the tech industry’s bullish ambitions about AI, the software continues to have a spotty relationship when dealing with people of color with reports of the best algorithms struggling to recognize black faces equally, or even Microsoft’s own AI bot Tay using racially insensitive rhetoric comparing black people to monkeys.

When confronted by The Guardian about the bungled article in light of its recent editorial downsizing, a Microsoft spokesperson responded with, “As soon as we became aware of this issue, we immediately took action to resolve it and have replaced the incorrect image.”

Unfortunately, Microsoft’s AI editorial mistake doesn’t seem to give the company pause in continuing to shift its new news publishing process, and instead, the remaining staff is being instructed to clean up the mess caused by its AI replacements.

Because they are unable to stop the new robot editor selecting stories from external news sites such as the Guardian, the remaining human staff have been told to stay alert and delete a version of this article if the robot decides it is of interest and automatically publishes it on MSN.com. They have also been warned that even if they delete it, the robot editor may overrule them and attempt to publish it again.

As news continues to highlight protests, race, and injustice in the United States and particularly around black lives, Microsoft’s new AI will be definitely working overtime to correctly match black faces with new stories that surface, the question is, how often will it be successful?

Don’t expect a new Inside Xbox digital event this month, but team is “working hard” on July’s first-party games showcase

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Last month, Microsoft announced a series of “Xbox 20/20” monthly moments to share some next-gen news ahead of the launch of the Xbox Series X later this year. For the May Xbox 20/20 update, Microsoft did an Inside Xbox live stream to reveal some trailers of upcoming games running on Xbox Series X, and the Xbox team has since admitted that the showcase didn’t exactly meet fans’ expectations.

With Microsoft promising monthly updates throughout the rest of the year, there has been some confusion about a potential Xbox digital event this month. Yesterday, Jeff Grub from VentureBeat wrote that “The company was aiming to show off the long-rumored, more-affordable Xbox Lockhart around June 9. But it pushed those plans all the way to August — at least for now. Microsoft doesn’t want to go before Sony’s Thursday event.” ”

However, Xbox marketing exec quickly denied on Twitter yesterday that Microsoft had delayed this rumored June event to August. “We have not pushed anything back, our plan remains to have our next digital show in July and teams are working hard on that,” Greenberg tweeted.

Actually, Greenberg announced in a series of tweets on May 5 that there wouldn’t be an Inside Xbox digital event in June. “There will be news we are planning to revel/release, but not an Inside Xbox show next month, Greenberg said in a reply to a question about a June event. In another tweet, the exec said that “June will be done a bit differently than an Inside Xbox show.”

While we should get some Xbox news this month, this will likely come in the form of a blog post on Xbox Wire. Microsoft still has a lot of things to discuss, including the availability of Project xCloud on Windows 10 PCs, or new Xbox Series X features that probably deserve a bit more attention, such as Smart Delivery.

Anyway, Microsoft better comes up with something substantial this month to make the wait before the July digital event more bearable. With Sony planning to reveal the first PlayStation 5 games on Thursday, June 11, the Japanese company has a big opportunity to claim back the next-gen gaming narrative before Microsoft can strike back next month with its first-party games showcase.