Crossplay could be in the future for Xbox and Steam gamers

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft has repeatedly expressed its interest in smudging the line between traditional console and PC gaming audiences. As the rumors continue to surface about Microsoft’s next batch of console and game streaming hardware and services, it seems that Steam may be quietly preparing for a future where Xbox One and PC players coexist more natively.

Buried in the most recent Steam beta release is a line of code that could be pointing to cross-platform integration from the PC gaming storefront. While originally spotted on ResetEra (via Windows Central), the specific source code can be found at Steam Beta GitHub’s repository.

For a bit of context, Steam and Xbox Live have been cross-play buddies for a few years now on titles such as PC-first Rise of Nations and console first Killer Instinct. yet, this new line of code looks like it’s intended for use by more developers seeking deeper integration with features such as Xbox networking using more standardization with Valve’s Steamworks toolset.
Open sourcing this level of integration could spur and streamline more cross-platform development from all types of game developers and not just the console blessed AAA approved ones.

Microsoft has a long road ahead of itself in bridging the gap between console and PC audiences as well as navigating its ‘future-of-gaming’ story, but, taken this code find with a grain of salt, if Steam is prepping for more cross-platform development, Microsoft might be headed into 2019 in decent gaming shape.

Razer unveils its first keyboard and mouse designed for Xbox One consoles

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

The Xbox One will soon be receiving its first official wireless keyboard and mouse combo from the gaming-centric Razer hardware department.

You’d be forgiven if you thought that five years into the Xbox One’s lifecycle, the console would have had an official first-party wireless keyboard and mouse combo to tout, but Microsoft left it to the experts in gaming to produce a truly game focused experience.

News about Razer’s first wireless Xbox One-supported mouse and keyboard has sort been all over the place with the company first announcing its intent to create the combo almost half a year ago.
Since the announcement, fans have only been treated to teaser images along the way with a full image reveal happening in late Novemeber, 2018.

Adding to the convoluted timeline is Razer’s most recent promotions of formal announcement of the mouse and keyboard happening January 8th, around the time of the Consumer Electronics Showcase.

Without details on specs, pricing or availability, all fans have to go on is the below video that highlights the development journey of Razer’s wireless keyboard and mouse.

There are a few details that can be parsed from the video that shines a light on the specific features that are coming with the mouse and keyboard that are Xbox oriented such as a dedicated Xbox button on the keyboard and slide-out mouse mat for lap gaming. Other spotted features include a color changing Chroma backlit powered keyboard that Xbox One developers were rumored to have access to in order to enhance gaming experiences.

While the wireless keyboard and mouse are welcomed additions to the Xbox One family of peripherals, the combo raises the question of how they’ll change the landscape of competitive gaming on the console as well as how Microsoft will position its next set of consoles alongside its Windows 10 gaming ambitions.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update now available to download for “seekers,” some upgrade blocks still remain

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

It’s now been a little more than a month since Microsoft re-released the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, and the Redmond giant quietly announced yesterday that the major release is now available for all “seekers.” In an update posted on the Windows 10 update history page (via Windows Latest), the company explains that “Windows 10, version 1809, is now fully available for advanced users who manually select “Check for updates” via Windows Update.”

The release of the October 2018 update has been a PR nightmare for Microsoft, as the company had to quickly pause the rollout after a file deletion bug surfaced. John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery explained last month that the October 2018 update would have a slower rollout to “more carefully study device health data”, and the new bits now being available for all Windows 10 users checking for updates doesn’t change this. If you’re not in a hurry to get it, it’s probably better to wait for Microsoft to push this update to your PC.

It’s worth noting that there are still several upgrade blocks in place: if you’re PC has incompatible Intel display drivers, AMD Radeon HD2000 and HD4000 series graphic processor units (GPUs), F5 VPN clients or rend Micro’s OfficeScan and Worry-Free Business Security software installed, you won’t receive the October 2018 for now. Microsoft is still working with partners to fix these issues, and you can learn more details on the Windows 10 Update history page.

For Honor Complete Edition launches on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The For Honor Complete Edition is now live on Xbox One. This new repackaging of the game comes with the base game and all of the additional content that’s been released since its initial launch.

Here’s the official list of content for For Honor Complete Edition:

Get the entire ultimate For Honor experience with the base game, Marching Fire Expansion, the Year 1: Heroes Bundle, and the Year 3 Pass.

  • The base game includes: 12 Heroes, 7 Multiplayer Modes, and Story Campaign.
  • The Marching Fire Expansion includes: 4 new Heroes (Shaolin, Nuxia, Jiang Jun, and the Tiandi) and Unlimited solo or co-op PVE Arcade Mode.
  • The Year 3 Pass includes: 4 new Heroes coming in 2019 (1 week early access), 4 Elite outfits, one per new Hero, 30 days of Champion Status, 5 Scavenger Crates, and An effect for all Heroes.
  • The Year 1: Heroes Bundle includes: 6 additional Heroes (Centurion, Shinobi, Gladiator, Highlander, Aramusha and Shaman),  6 Elite Outfits (one per Hero), 30 days of Champion Status, 3 Scavenger Crates, 1 Exclusive Sunbeam effect for all Heroes, and 3 Exclusive Emblem Outlines.

For Honor is an action and adventure video game set within a chaotic world where Vikings samurai, and knights collide. The game features a single-player story campaign but the main focus is on its online battles which allows players to strategize and fight against each other.

Are you a fan of For Honor or will this be your first time playing? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox content.

FOR HONOR - Complete Edition WW
FOR HONOR - Complete Edition WW
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QR-Code

FOR HONOR – Complete Edition WW
Developer:
Ubisoft
Price:
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Hit video game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice joins Xbox Game Pass

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, one of the most-popular video games of the past year or so, is now available to play for free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice originally came out on Sony’s PlayStation 4 console and PC in August 2017, but eventually made the jump to Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles in April 2018. The game is a blend of action, puzzle-solving, and horror and is set during the 8th century. It was praised by many for its exploration of mental illness and won numerous awards for its visuals, gameplay, audio, game design, and narrative.

Xbox Game Pass is a Netflix-like video game subscription service on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles. Traditionally, new games would be added to the Game Pass library at the beginning of the month but, recently, several titles have been added a few weeks in.

Have you played Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice yet and will you give it a go with Xbox Game Pass? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
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Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Developer:
Ninja Theory Ltd
Price:
Free

The Printer Couldn’t Print: 5 Easy Methods You Can Use

Posted on by Matthew Adams

Printers are a vital part of most modern-day computers, especially in office setups where users require documenting stuff. But, the device is known to throw errors more often than others. And one such is The printer couldn’t print error on Epson, HP, and other manufacturers.

When you can’t find the printer, it at least makes sense as to why the print jobs are stuck. But, when everything looks in order, the printer is visible, set as default, and has no warning sign, troubleshooting is slightly trickier. So, let’s find out how you can fix things!

Why does my HP printer say it can’t print?

Here are a few reasons The printer couldn’t print test page in Windows 10:

  • Improper connection: Some older ones can only print when connected via a cable, and if that’s not the connection type, the error message will appear.
  • Issues with the driver: If the printer drivers are outdated, incompatible, or corrupt, it will have trouble printing and will throw a range of errors, including The printer couldn’t print in Microsoft Word.
  • Critical services not running: A few services need to be running for the printing jobs to go through effectively.

How can I fix The printer couldn’t print error?

Before we start making changes to the two devices, here are a few quick things you can try:

  • Restart both the computer and the printer.
  • Verify that the connection between the two is in order. To be sure, unplug the cable from both ends and reconnect it.
  • If the problem is limited to limited, download the HP Print and Scan Doctor tool to automatically identify and eliminate problems. Once done, check whether The printer couldn’t print a full page photo problem is fixed.
  • Assign a static IP to the printer. This could be done from the embedded web server accessible via the printer’s IP address. The interface for each manufacturer would be different, so we recommend you check the official website for the exact steps.

If these didn’t work, move to the changes listed next.

1. Run the Print Spooler service

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type services.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.services
  2. Locate the Print Spooler service, right-click on it, and choose Properties.properties
  3. Select Automatic from the Startup type, and click the Start button if the service is not running.automatic to fix the printer couldn't print
  4. Once done, click Apply and OK to save the changes.save changes

In most cases, it turns out to be the Print Spooler service to blame when The printer couldn’t print message shows up. So, make sure it’s active. Also, restarting the service should do the trick if it is already running.

2. Clear the print queue

  1. Stop the Print Spooler service as described earlier.
  2. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, paste the following path, and hit Enter:C:\Windows\System32\Spool\PRINTERSclear queue to fix the printer couldn't print
  3. Press Ctrl + A to select all the files here and hit Delete to clear them.
  4. Once done, restart the Print Spooler service.
  5. You can now try printing and check whether the error message disappears.

3. Reinstall the printer driver

  1. Press Windows + X to open the Power User menu, and select Device Manager.device manager
  2. Expand the Printers entry, right-click the problematic printer, and choose Uninstall device from the context menu.uninstall device to fix the printer couldn't print
  3. Now, tick the checkbox for Attempt to remove the driver for this device and click Uninstall.uninstall
  4. Once done, restart the computer, and Windows will automatically install a fresh copy of the best available driver.

Another quick solution when you get The printer couldn’t print message is reinstalling the driver as shown in the guide above.

If this doesn’t work out, you can certainly rely on a smart driver app that can help you solve any PC driver matters in a short time.

4. Turn off the offline mode

  1. Press Windows + S to open Search, type Control Panel, and click the relevant search result.control panel
  2. Click on View devices and printers.view devices and printers
  3. Right-click on the affected printer and select See what’s printing.see what's printing
  4. Now, click on the Printer menu, and uncheck the Use Printer Offline option.disable to fix the printer couldn't print

5. Soft reset the printer

  1. Turn off the printer and disconnect the power cord from its rear end and also that of the router.
  2. Now, power off the computer and wait for 30 seconds.
  3. Next, turn on the router by connecting the power cable and wait for it to get ready. It usually takes 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  4. Turn the computer back on, and once Windows fully loads, connect the power cord to the printer and turn it on.

That’s it! This is how you soft reset a printer. While the steps are for an HP device, the process is similar for other manufacturers. In case you face issues, check the official website.

One of the solutions here should have helped get rid of The printer couldn’t print message, and you should be able to use the device again. If the problem persists, we recommend you replace the cable used for the connection.

If you use the PC a lot, check some quick tips to manage your device and printer settings and how to improve the performance of Windows to make it faster than ever.

For any queries or to share another solution with us, use the comments section below.

More Surface Pro 4 devices to be replaced due to faulty hardware

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Around the middle of this year, a firmware update for Microsoft Surface Pro 4 devices was released. Quickly afterwards, reports started coming in of display and pen issues among many other things, and another update fiasco began to unfold.

What was the original problem

What happened was that Microsoft issued a firmware update in July 2018 that was meant to give the Surface Pro 4 lots of new improvements. Unfortunately for Microsoft, what the update allegedly did was screw up many a display with no possibility of a workaround.

Back to the issue in hand

Apparently, Microsoft started to replace some units fairly quickly (for a tech company anyway). Now, according to new reports, Microsoft has decided to speed up the process.

Of course, you will have to reach out to support to get the ball rolling but we’ll assume that if you were affected by this update, you have already done that. So, reach out to support (again) and get the ball rolling on a new surface.

But you may need to be quick. As I was researching this article, I came across one website that pointed out something I hadn’t cottoned on to. Since Microsoft no longer makes the Surface Pro 4, all the replacements must be coming from existing stock. How many Surface Pro 4s have they got, I wonder?

Surface Pro 4

What’s being said by whom?

One place I recommend you check out is the Microsoft Answers page that has the original complaint and then all the usual stuff afterwards. It’s very entertaining. Especially the bits where the people who work for Microsoft chime in with ‘help’. Well, entertaining if you don’t have a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Annoying as heck for people who do.

Apart from throwing their moderators to the wolves, Microsoft is as talkative as ever (when things go wrong). For major screw-ups, Microsoft’s usual tactic is to tell all and sundry that it is ‘investigating’ the issue, which is exactly what it has done here.

What caused the problem?

Who knows? It appears that Microsoft still has no idea what caused the problem in the first place. This is not only highly embarrassing but also begs the question about the use of the insider program again. If I remember rightly, both the fast and slow rings were skipped for the Windows 10 1809 update, and that ended pretty badly, although no machines have needed to be replaced as far as I am aware.

It’s only fair to assume that the firmware update for the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 must have skipped the insider program altogether as well, otherwise how did this major (and extremely costly) error not get picked up?

Wrapping it all up

What Microsoft has not addressed yet is the fact that for around five months, its customers have been led the old merry runaround. I would hate to suggest that it was presumably to give Microsoft’s legal department a chance to see if they could get out of replacing devices that were no longer under warranty, or better yet, get out of doing anything at all. That would be a terrible thing to suggest. Anyway, it would appear the big bosses just got the bad news and it is time to cough up.

Was your Microsoft Surface Pro 4 affected by this latest debacle? If so, let us know how you get on with fixing the problem or getting a replacement. We’d love to here from you.

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Microsoft open sources Trill, an internal tool for processing “a trillion events per day”

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Update: We mentioned that Trill will be available in the coming months, but it appears that it is already available on GitHub and developers can grab it here. 

Another day, another open source project gets a blessing from Microsoft. Today, December 17, 2018, Microsoft is open sourcing an internal project it’s dubbed Trill, so that more developers have access to a new temporal query language as well as “a trillion events per day” worth of aggregated data.

For those unfamiliar with Trill, it started as a Microsoft Research project back in 2012 and has since been featured in published research papers. Moving from the research phase to actual implementation, Microsoft has used Trill internally for Azure Data products and other mission-critical streaming initiatives throughout the company including Bing Ads and Halo.

Microsoft details Trill as,

Trill was the first streaming engine to incorporate techniques and algorithms that process events in small batches of data based on the latency tolerated by the user. It was also the first engine to organize those batches in columnar format, enabling queries to execute much more efficiently than before. To users, working with Trill is the same as working with any .NET library, so there is no need to leave the .NET environment. Users can embed Trill within a variety of distributed processing infrastructures such as Orleans and a streaming version of Microsoft’s SCOPE data processing infrastructure.

As of today, open source developers get access to the following Trill enabled data and toolsets:

  • As a single-node engine library, any .NET application, service, or platform can easily use Trill and start processing queries.
  • A temporal query language allows users to express complex queries over real-time and/or offline data sets.
  • Trill’s high performance across its intended usage scenarios means users get results with incredible speed and low latency. For example, filters operate at memory bandwidth speeds up to several billions of events per second, while grouped aggregates operate at 10 to 100 million events per second.

As far as the benefit to Microsoft from open sourcing Trill, the company seems to want Trill as the foundation layer for temporal processing for all businesses and developers. Microsoft also sees community involvement as the future of IStreamable abstraction for customers as well as IEnumerable and IObservable being made available to more people.

All Xbox One X / S bundles are now $100 off for a limited time

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft previously offered a $100 discount on select Xbox One bundles for Black Friday, and the company will be doing the same during the holidays. The limited-time offer starts today in the US and will last through December 25, while supplies last.

The list of discounted bundles is available on Xbox.com, but we’ve highlighted some of the most interesting below. If you’re not a fan of the standard black colour for the Xbox One X, and you can snag the Robot White Special Edition or the Gold Rush Special Edition for just $399:

  • Xbox One X Gold Rush Special Edition Battlefield V Bundle (also includes Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 1943) – $399
  • Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition Fallout 76 Bundle – $399
  • Xbox One X Forza Horizon 4 Bundle (also includes Forza Motorsport 7 – $399
  • Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle (1TB) – $199
  • Xbox One S Forza Horizon 4 Bundle (1TB) – $199
  • Xbox One S Battlefield V Bundle (1TB) – $199

Any Xbox console would definitely make a great holiday gift, and we hope these lowered prices will go standard in 2019. In case you missed it, Microsoft is planning to launch two new Xbox One consoles next year, a disc-less model that could start shipping in 2019, as well as an updated Xbox One S later in the year to cut manufacturing costs. Even though Microsoft is planning two next-gen “Scarlett” consoles in 2020, the Xbox One family will be supported for many years to come, and all Xbox One games you buy today are expected to be backward compatible on the next generation.

Windows 10 news recap: Surface Pro 4’s affected by firmware issue are being replaced, testing of splitting Search and Cortana now taking place, and more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Microsoft addresses faulty Surface Pro 4 firmware issue with device replacements

Surface Pro 4 devices that have suffered the fate of a firmware issue are being replaced by Microsoft. Specifically, the issue is caused by a firmware update that took place in July.

My Surface Pro 4

Windows 10’s People Bar set for the chopping block

The People Bar in Windows 10 is reportedly being deprecated soon. It’s a relatively new feature that aimed to surface those you communicate with most to make it easier to get in touch with them, but it appears Microsoft no longer has the same feeling for the People Bar as it did when it first touted the feature.

Microsoft starts testing splitting Search and Cortana in two

It looks like Microsoft may be in the Christmas-giving spirit, as it begins testing the break-up of Windows 10 Search and Cortana.

Mozilla Firefox gains native Windows 10 sharing in latest update

Firefox has released a new update that adds direct integration with Windows 10’s sharing functionality, making it easier to share across apps and with those you communicate with regularly.

Firefox on Windows 10

That’s it for this week – we’ll be back next week with more Windows 10 news!

Surface Diagnostic Toolkit Download: Quick and Easy Repair

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Computer problems are usually not that complicated to fix. The real problem is that most people are not keen to try and fix them, preferring to call IT or take the problematic machine to the local shop.

With the recent release of the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit (SDT), there is now a third option if you have a Surface device. Let’s have a look at how it works.

What is the Surface diagnostic toolkit?

The Surface Diagnostic Toolkit is a free Microsoft tool designed to help diagnose and resolve common issues with Microsoft Surface devices. It is compatible with Surface devices running Windows 10 and later versions.

The Surface Diagnostic Toolkit can identify and troubleshoot many issues, including battery and power problems, audio and video, network connectivity, and software and hardware issues.

In addition, the toolkit runs a series of tests to diagnose problems and provides recommended solutions or repair options.

The Surface Diagnostic Toolkit is easy to use and can be downloaded and installed directly from the Microsoft website. It is a valuable tool for Surface users experiencing issues and wanting to troubleshoot and fix problems without technical support.

How do I download Surface Diagnostic Toolkit?

  1. Go to the Microsoft website.
  2. Click the Download button.
    surface diagnostic toolkit download
  3. Select the tool version that matches your device’s operating system, then click the Next button.
    Fortect Top articles for Editing - 4510 articles Fortect Top articles for Editing - 4510 articles 100% 10 B1954 surface diagnostic toolkit download surface diagnostic toolkit download Turn on screen reader support To enable screen reader support, press Ctrl+Alt+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press Ctrl+slashBolaji Ola-Hassan has joined the document.
  4. Once the download is complete, double-click the downloaded file to launch the installer.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit on your device.

Once the tool is installed, launch it from your Start menu or search for “Surface Diagnostic Toolkit” in the Windows search bar.

How do I run repair on my Surface Pro?

  1. Download and install the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit as described in my previous section.
  2. Launch the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit from your Start menu or search for Surface Diagnostic Toolkit in the Windows search bar.
  3. On the main menu, select Run All, or any specific repair.
  4. Follow the prompts and instructions to run the diagnostic tests on your device.
  5. Once the diagnostic tests are complete, the tool will summarize any issues detected.
  6. If the tool detects an issue that can be repaired, click on Repair and Continue to begin the repair process.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.
  8. After the repair, click on Restart your computer.

The Surface Diagnostic Toolkit is a powerful tool that can help diagnose and resolve many common issues with Surface devices. 

However, it may not be able to resolve all issues, and in some cases, you may need to contact MS support for further assistance.

SDT has been around a while and is one of those rare good and practical ideas. Please tell us your experience using this tool and what you find most interesting.

Windows 10 ARM emulator: What it is and what it does

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Since the Fall Creators Update, users who have ARM64 (or ARM32) machines are able to run Windows 10 without any issues. Two supported editions are Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 S. This brings a lot of advantages and diversifies a bit stalled development of the platform.

How does Windows 10 ARM emulator work?

Now, do not mistake this for the Windows 10 Mobile, as the Qualcomm-powered CPUs are finding their place on more and more non-smartphone devices. This breakthrough allows users to utilize low power consumption and mobile data features on the ARM architecture.

Since all UWP applications for standard x86 and x64 processors flawlessly emulate on ARM, you get the full Windows 10 experience with all the goodies an ARM CPU brings to the table.

But how does Windows 10 ARM emulates x86 and x64 applications? Or can it do it in the first place? It can do it and in a seamless manner, for that matter.

The only exception being x64 Win32 applications which are not supported. The applications don’t need to be recompiled or modified thanks to emulation of WOW64 layer.

x86 win32 emulation

It works by compiling blocks of x86 instructions into ARM64 instructions with optimizations to improve performance. Accordingly, these instructions are translated and cached, so the application modules are optimized to work in a seamless manner.

Primarily, if the app you want to use has an ARM version, that’s the version you’ll get. On the other hand, if that’s not the case, the system will provide you with the version for x86 architecture.

What are your thoughts on Windows 10 on ARM-powered devices? Tell us in the comments section below.

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Microsoft launches Surface Go in India; available exclusively on Flipkart for now

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has finally launched its smallest, most portable and affordable Surface device yet – Surface Go – India.

While the company skipped the first two generations of Surface in India, Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 were launched together in India in January 2016. The latest generation Surface Pro (2017) – at the time – which went on sale in the US in June last year was launched in India earlier this year.

In August, Microsoft announced the launch of the extended Surface family of devices in India – the Surface Book 2 and the Surface Laptop. Looks like Microsoft is now considering India as a definite market for Surface devices.

Surface Go Specifications

  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home in S mode
  • Display: 10-inch 1800 x 1200 | 217ppi | 3:2 aspect ratio | 10-point multi-touch | Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Processor: Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615
  • RAM: 4GB/8GB
  • Storage: 64GB eMMC or 128GB SSD
  • Ports: 1 x USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover Port, MicroSDXC Card Reader
  • Cameras: 5MP front camera | 8MP auto-focus rear camera
  • Connectivity: Qualcomm Atheros (QCA61x4A) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 4.1
  • Dimensions: 9.6″ x 6.9″ x .33″ (245mm x 175mm x 8.3mm)
  • Weight: 1.15 lbs (0.52 kg) without keyboard/1.7lbs (0.77 kg) with keyboard

Surface Go is now available for pre-order in India exclusively with Flipkart starting from 12:01pm on December 15, 2018.

While the 4GB + 64GB variant is priced at ₹38,599, the 8GB + 128 GB variant is priced at ₹50,999. The black Surface Go Type Cover will retail at ₹8,699 and the colored Surface Go Signature Type Cover at ₹11,799.

Commercial customers can opt for Windows 10 Pro which brings essential business security features to protect devices and infrastructure from modern threats. Users can benefit from Windows Autopilot, whereby the Surface Go can be unboxed and configured from the cloud.

What are your thoughts on the Surface Go, and would you like to pick one up?

How to Fix Windows Bootloader Device Unknown Boot Error

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

When boot errors occur, inexperienced users will usually panic. And, even though they’re quite troublesome, they can be resolved without necessarily resorting to a clean reinstallation from the get-go. Corrupt Bootloader has a variety of errors, and one of them is Bootloader Device Unknown, where the usual system drive can’t be recognized.

We made sure to cover this and provide you with some solutions for quite a pressing issue at hand.

How can I fix Bootloader Device Unknown errors?

1. Repair the installation

To repair the installation, we’ll need a bootable Windows installation drive. You can use a USB flash drive or DVD with the system installation.

If the problem occurs on a Windows 10 PC, you can easily create a bootable drive with the Media Creation Tool tool. Once you get your hands on the Windows installation media, the reparation procedure is rather simple.

Here’s what you need to do in order to repair system errors:

  1. Unplug everything from your PC apart from the mouse and keyboard.
  2. Insert the bootable media drive (USB or DVD) and boot with it.
  3. Once the drive boots, choose “Repair your computer“.
  4. Choose Troubleshoot.
  5. Select Advanced options.
  6. Choose Startup repair.

2. Repair BCD / MBR

The BCD (Boot Configuration Data) or MBR (Master Boot Record) can get corrupted and thus your volume will switch from a system drive to an unrecognized device.

These also require reparations, and bootable media will come in handy again. We need to access the Command Prompt in the pre-setup screen and repair BCD (or MBR) that way.

Here are all the steps you need to follow through:

  1. Insert the Windows 10 bootable media (USB stick or DVD) and restart your PC.
  2. Set the bootable media with the Windows 10 installation as the primary boot device. Change the boot order by either entering the Boot menu or within BIOS settings.
  3. Press any key to boot.
  4. The loading process of the installation file should commence.
  5. Select the preferred language, time/format, and keyboard input. Hit the ”Next” button.
  6. In the following dialog box, select ”Repair your computer” from the bottom left corner.
  7. Open Troubleshoot from the selection menu.
  8. Choose Advanced Options.
  9. Open Command Prompt. If prompted, select your account and enter the password.
  10. In the command line, type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    • bootrec /FixMbr
    • bootrec /FixBoot
    • bootrec /ScanOs
    • bootrec /RebuildBcd
  11. Exit, remove the installation drive and try starting the system in a usual manner.

3. Backup your data and reinstall Windows

Finally, if there’s a possibility to backup your data, the final step is reinstallation. Starting from scratch might be an issue for many affected users, but sometimes, that’s just what you need to do.

There’s a variety of backup tools that should allow you to get all your files out so you can safely format the partition and install a fresh system.

Once you’ve got everything backed up, use the said media installation drive and perform a clean reinstallation.

With that said, we can conclude this article. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to tell us in the comments section below.

A quick guide to stop Microsoft from collecting your data

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Yesterday’s news about Microsoft collecting data, even when unauthorised to do so, has left many Windows 10 users unsure about how to stop Microsoft from collecting their data.

Never fear. Windows Report is here to help you navigate the minefield that is Microsoft Privacy Settings.

Steps to block Microsoft Activity history

How to check Activity history settings

First thing you need to do is go to Settings > Privacy > Activity history, and see what your settings are. The “Let Windows collect my activities from this PC” was checked, even though I am pretty sure I didn’t check it, because I don’t like sharing anything.

Anyway, you need to decide what data you want to give Microsoft, and check the boxes you are happy to check. Or you can leave them both unchecked as I have.

Active History Settings

Now you should go into all the App permissions and turn the ones off that you want. This should mean that the only data your PC is sending to Microsoft is the data you want. If only it were that simple.

However, you may be surprised to hear that this is not enough to keep Microsoft from snooping on you. Read on to find out what else you need to do.

App Permissions

In case you want to be secure while surfing the internet, you will need to get a full-dedicated tool to secure your network.  Install now Cyberghost VPN and secure yourself. It protects your PC from attacks while browsing, masks your IP address and blocks all unwanted access.

Check your account settings online

If you head over to your activity history in your Microsoft Account page, you will see all the data that Microsoft has been collecting on you. The first thing you’ll want to do is clear it. You will probably get some sort of warning like this:

Clearing History Warning

If you think about the two warnings above, they don’t really make sense. I ignored them and cleared everything. If you some how feel that your fixing you issues may be hindered or your experiences less relevant, then you can choose not to clear your data; the option is yours.

By the way, when the warning notice popped up, it was shaking like it was having some sort of fit. Anyone else have the same experience? I wonder if it’s a glitch, or it’s there to try and scare people into pressing the ‘Don’t clear’ button.

What had Microsoft Activity history been collected?

There was quite a lot of data that had been collected. However, I have to say that it did seem a bit random. When I used Skype, there was a record, which makes some sense as Microsoft owns Skype.

My browsing history was sparse (as I had not given permission to track my internet use), but Microsoft appeared to be very interested in my Netflix viewing, as there was a record of that.

Make sure to check your ads settings

Anyway, you’ll need to go through everything, turning off anything you are uncomfortable with. As you can see below, you will also need to turn off the ads settings even if you had disabled that on your PC.

Now, I know that I had turned those settings off on my PC because I did an article a couple of weeks ago showing you exactly how to do it. So, Microsoft knew I didn’t want personalised ads showing up and didn’t want Microsoft tracking my internet use. Yet on my account settings in the website, it showed that I did want Microsoft to track my internet use show me personalised ads.

Browser Ads

As you can see above and below, I have now unselected the two options.

Wrapping it all up

You should finally be set up the way you want things to be set up. And I know a lot of people are asking what all the fuss is about. The usual comment is, “I don’t do anything wrong so I don’t care if they track me”, but that’s not the point.

The point is that Microsoft et al. do not have the right to collect your data without your permission. Your data has value. If it didn’t, companies like Facebook and Google would have little value, instead of being two of the most valuable companies on the planet. Why shouldn’t we hold Microsoft to the same standards as Facebook and Google?

Tell us what you think. Do you care that Microsoft is collecting your data? Or are you one of the people who are more relaxed about these things? Let us know your thoughts below.

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The file chosen is not recognized by E-Run [WE FIXED IT]

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

E-Prime is a premium psychology software tool. It’s used for creating and conducting experiments in this scientific branch. There are rare errors occurring during the creation process. However,  you’ll run into a one eventually.

Moreover, one common error is “The file chosen is not recognized by E-Run” which prevents the automatized E-Run from accessing media files you’ve assigned. Solve it by checking the explanation below.

What to do if E-Run won’t recognize files on E-Prime

There are multiple reasons why a multimedia file can’t load into the E-Prime over its automatized feature called E-Run. The most common reasons are:

  • The file is corrupted or unsupported.
  • The file is already opened.
  • Or, the disk has a write protection and thus the application can’t load the file.

With that in mind, we advise you to restart the application and give it another try. You can also try to change the format of the file at hand, as the current format might be unsupported.

The list of supported files contains the following formats:

  • .AVI Audio Video Interleave File.
  • .BMP Bitmap Image File.
  • .EMF Enhanced Windows Metafile.
  • .JPEG JPEG Image.
  • .JPG JPEG Image.
  • .MP3 MP3 Audio File.
  • .MPEG MPEG Movie.
  • .PNG Portable Network Graphic.
  • .TIF Tagged Image File.
  • .TIFF Tagged Image File Format.
  • .WMA Windows Media Audio File.
  • .WMF Windows Metafile.
  • .WMV Windows Media Video File.

In addition, it might help running the E-Prime with the administrative permission. Just right-click on its desktop shortcut and open Properties. In the Compatibility tab, check the “Run this program as an administrator” and confirm changes.

After that, the E-Run feature of the renowned psychology software should have access to all files you want to load. If not, reinstall the application and give it another try.

With that said, we can conclude this article. If you have any questions or suggestions, give us a shout in the comments section below.

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Windows 10’s People Bar set for the chopping block

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Perhaps, the fumbled release and subsequent PR nightmare of Windows 10 October 2018 Update has made the Windows team a bit gun shy about rolling out or amending seemingly frivolous features.

Regardless of the reasoning, the company appears set to scale back its People Bar feature in the next public Windows 10 update.

A relatively new Twitter reporter (@thebookisclosed) with an eye for code has been on a tear recently, unveiling recent Microsoft moves with a fair degree of accuracy, is now reporting that the company will be removing the feature over the next few Insider builds and ultimately drop support of it before the next public Windows 10 update.

At this moment, Microsoft has yet to comment on the Twitter post and most well-known reporters and observers have also remained relatively mum on the reporting.

However, the possible removal of the People Hub probably comes with little surprise to Windows 10 users as the Microsoft itself mentioned it zero times during its 2018 developer conference keynotes.

The removal of the People Bar may come as huge loss to those who used Skype or compartmentalized emailing to a large degree but it seems Microsoft’s telemetry might be showing that group was small enough to do away with the feature with minimum blowback.

As a personal observation, the People Bar not only lacked the developer support for new features but it also lacked the foresight from Microsoft.

Perhaps, Microsoft’s move to Chromium will help breathe some life into the concept of the People Bar by providing, out-of-the-box support for Android’s Messages PWA, giving Windows 10 users a native cross-platform messaging experience.

Microsoft’s sleeper hit, Kaizala, powers over 1000 organizations in India already

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has announced that Kaizala is now powering over 1000 organizations in India across government and business institutions.

Business organizations using this product represent a cross-section of industry sectors, from BFSI to manufacturing to retail, and include YES Bank, UPL, Alembic, Shopper’s Stop, and Eureka Forbes.

A ‘made for India’ product, Kaizala aims to enhance workplace productivity by bringing mobile-only workers, mainly first-line workers, into a digitally integrated modern workplace. It is, of course, backed by Microsoft Azure platform ensuring compliance with an organization’s data-use policies as well as GDPR.

Kaizala, a Microsoft Garage project introduced in 2016, was formally launched as a beta in February 2017 by Satya Nadella at the Future Decoded event in Mumbai. Later in the year, the company officially debuted the new product – Microsoft Kaizala.

At the launch, Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India said that the company is delighted with the rapid adoption in just over an year. “Microsoft Kaizala, with cloud scale & enterprise security, is enabling organizations to achieve more by empowering employees, engaging customers, and enhancing workplace productivity,” he said.

Microsoft Kaizala is now available in 18 languages including Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, and Telugu.

Microsoft also announced new, unique features like Me Chat and Persistent Chat for Kaizala. With Persistent Chat, messages are saved over time, hence, even when a user joins a group at a later stage he/she will be able to read messages that were exchanged prior to his/her joining the group. Me Chat is a user’s personal space where the user can save notes, messages, photos, and more. Users can find their saved items quickly with Search, and can forward them to whoever they want.

The company also announced Microsoft Kaizala Web in preview giving users the ability to use Microsoft Kaizala on their web browser. Also, users can now make audio and video calls to their Microsoft Kaizala contacts.

Microsoft Kaizala is a chat-based communication and data management tool. It is an enterprise ready, compliant and secure chat app. It offers organizations easy and simple way to share data for insightful decision making and gives employees an easy-to-use solution for efficient collaboration and improved productivity. Microsoft Kaizala provides controlled user access and data security in accordance with an organization’s policies and is compliant with data protection legislations such as GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC2 and HIPAA.

– Rajiv Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft

Microsoft Kaizala is an open platform and has developers integrating their solutions to address diverse business needs. Microsoft Partners like WittyParrot, Bitscape, PC Solutions, et al offer custom solutions for businesses.

Microsoft Kaizala is now commercially available across 28 markets in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and South America. Microsoft also announced that it will be expanding the reach of Kaizala to Office 365 commercial plans worldwide.

Telegram updates on Windows with custom languages and more new features

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The popular Telegram messaging app updated to Version 1.5 today on Windows computers and added a lot of new functionality.

In addition to new emoji, improved scaling for larger screens, 2x speed for video and audio, and Twitter and Instagram link previews, this update also added support for custom languages which means that anyone can now create and add their own languages for use on the platform.

Here’s the full release notes:

  • Support for custom languages. Crowdsource a cloud-based language pack for Telegram in any language using our Translations platform – then apply it in real time.
  • Interface scaling for large screens, up to 300% (up to 150% for macOS retina screens).
  • ‘Count unread messages’ setting for the Badge counter in Settings > Notifications. Disable to show number of unread chats.
  • Video messages displayed in shared media (under voice messages).
  • Updated emoji. Farewell to question marks ?

Also in this update:

  • Listen to voice and video messages in 2X mode if you’re in a hurry.
  • Add a comment when sharing posts from channels.
  • View all photos and videos in Twitter and Instagram link previews.
  • Add emoji to media captions.

Telegram is a messaging app that’s popular in tech circles due to its enhanced encryption and future plans for its own cryptocurrency. Do you use Telegram? Let us know why or why not in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Windows app content.

BELOW is now available on Xbox One for sale and for free play in Xbox Game Pass

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The atmospheric action and adventure title, BELOW, is now available to purchase outright on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles or play for free as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

BELOW is designed to be challenging gaming experience with randomly-generated locations, little hand-holding, and permadeath (no respawning after a character dies). The game has been highly anticipated by gamers and gaming media alike since its initial reveal in 2013 but had been delayed for several years due to the developers wanting to perfect their creation before its release.

Here’s the official game description, trailer, and store link:

Test your adventurer mettle against The Isle’s procedural subterranean labyrinths. Explore a large, interconnected underworld crawling with cunning wildlife, deadly traps and stalked by a shadowy presence. Survive the perils of The Depths and unearth what lies below… or die trying.. BELOW is a procedural terrarium filled with life, mystery and death.

Explore the vast subterranean underworld of The Isle: a dangerous, unfathomable deep. Choose your path through the randomly generated labyrinth crawling with deadly monstrosities, traps and hazardous environments. Perma-death awaits at every false step, and there are no hints to guide you… Spelunking through The Depths of BELOW is a treacherous endeavour, with death around every corner. The world is alive with flora & fauna, and there are many ways to scavenge materials and harvest ingredients to create life-saving remedies or useful survival tools…

What lies below? Only the bravest wanderers will find out. The Depths are filled with secrets and danger. BELOW embraces the idea that players enjoy discovering secret areas, finding hidden passageways and unravelling the deepest mysteries hidden in the darkness…

Having you been waiting to play BELOW and will you buy it or play it with Xbox Game Pass? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more gaming content.

BELOW
BELOW
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BELOW
Developer:
Capy
Price:
$24.99

What to do if You are Unable to Restart DNS Client

Posted on by Ivan Jenic

The DNS server, short for Domain Name Server, is where the management, maintenance, and processing of Internet domain names occur. Or in simple terms, a DNS server assigns an IP address to your PC so that you are easily recognizable on the world wide web. And it does so by translating the domain names to IP addresses.

However, often the server might stop running altogether or have other issues like web pages not getting loaded correctly.

That could be due to some error cropping up, though, in such a scenario, one easy and sure-shot method of getting things back on track is to restart the DNS Server, which is exactly what we discuss in this article.

How can I fix DNS client restart issues?

1. Via command line interface

how to start/stop dns client from cmd prompt

Start command prompt: You can do this either by clicking on Start followed by selecting Run or by simply pressing the Windows and R button simultaneously. When the Run dialog box appears, type cmd and press Enter to start the Windows command prompt.

Alternatively, you can simply type cmd in the Cortana search box, right click on the Command prompt app that shows and select Run as administrator.

Type the command net stop dnscache and press enter. This will stop the service. However, it might take a few seconds for the command to take effect.

You will be shown the following messages:

  • The DNS Server service is stopping.
  • The DNS Server service was stopped successfully.

Next, type the command net start dnscache and press Enter. This will restart the DNS server though again there might be a few seconds’ delay for that to happen. DNS Server runs as a service in your PC and the above command restarts the service.

The following message should confirm the above.

  • The DNS Server service is starting.
  • The DNS Server service was started successfully.

2. Via graphical user interface

Changing DNS setting via admin tools

Launch Control Panel: You can do this by clicking on Start > Windows Systems > Control Panel. Alternately, you can also type Control Panel in the Cortana search box and selecting accordingly from the search results shown. You can also right click on the Start menu and select Control Menu.

Under Control Panel, click on System and Security > Administrative Tools and open DNS snap-in.

From the list of options on the left, locate server, right-click on it and select All Tasks. Here, there are Start and Stop options for starting and stopping the service, respectively.

3. Restart DNS Server on a remote server

This is done with the help of the utility named sc, which gets installed together with the OS so far as Windows Server 2003 is concerned. To perform the start and stop DNS operations, here is what needs to be done.

To Stop DNS.

C:> sc \matrix stop dns

SERVICE_NAME: dns

TYPE               : 10  WIN32_OWN_PROCESS

STATE              : 3  STOP_PENDING

(STOPPABLE, PAUSABLE, ACCEPTS_SHUTDOWN)

WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)

SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)

CHECKPOINT         : 0x1

WAIT_HINT          : 0x7530

To Start DNS.

C:> sc \matrix start dns

SERVICE_NAME: dns

TYPE               : 10  WIN32_OWN_PROCESS

STATE              : 2  START_PENDING

(NOT_STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN))

WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)

SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)

CHECKPOINT         : 0x0

WAIT_HINT          : 0x7d0

PID                : 504

FLAGS              :

This is all you need to do.

You can check if things have been resolved by launching any internet browser and entering a domain name in the address bar. If the page launches successfully, you know you have your issue resolved.

Meanwhile, here are some additional resources worth having a look at.

Microsoft Clarity takes on Google Optimize and Analytics

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

I am not sure why tech companies keep trying to jump on the success of other tech companies. A couple of examples that spring to mind. Google+, which started because of Facebook, and failed miserably. And Microsoft EdgeHTML, which was developed to counteract Chrome’s dominance, and failed miserably.

Now Microsoft is going to try to challenge Google Analytics and Google Optimize with Microsoft Clarity. Will this go the way of Edge, or will we finally have an alternative to Google Analytics?

What is Microsoft’s Clarity?

Good question. Sadly, while the website is active, there is very little information there. I tried to put in a website I own and got the following message below:

Clarity Pending Approval

So, not exactly an auspicious start as on the homepage of Clarity, it clearly states, “As soon as you sign in with any of your Microsoft accounts, you will be prepared to add Clarity to your website in a matter of seconds.”

Maybe seconds mean a different thing in Microsoft land, but when using Google Analytics, my sites are ready to go in actual seconds. I doubt Clarity is going to be knocking on Google Analytics’ doors any time soon if people have to wait for their sites to be approved.

In Microsoft’s defence, in the FAQs they have responded to, “Can anyone sign up? Are there any restrictions?” with, “Since we have just released this as a beta product, we are onboarding users based on our ability to provide a great and seamless experience.”

However, according to the Bing blog about Clarity, it looks like this wait period will be a permanent feature. This is a bad idea. I have to wait for Bing to email me to tell me my site has been approved?

Well, since I only have a Hotmail account because I use Windows, and I have not checked my Hotmail email in at least 5 years, I’m going to be one of the first to say that if Microsoft doesn’t get rid the wait time and email approval, it’ll become an issue.

More details about Clarity

Having said all that, the website may not be very active, but you can find more by going to the Bing blog. Here is the link again. And I have to say that in some ways, Clarity sounds quite good. One thing that I reckon will be very useful is the ‘session replay’, where you will be able to see exactly what visitors do on your website, and more importantly, where they are when they leave.

If you see a pattern emerge, where many visitors abandon your website after reading a particular paragraph in a post, for example, you can then take a look at the offending paragraph to find out what is causing people to leave.

As Bing points out, “Being able to replay users’ mouse movements, touch gestures and click events allows you to empathize with users and understand their pain points.”

Wrapping it all up

There is a lot more information. If you head over to the blog about Clarity, you can read more cool stuff. There is also a video that gives you an idea of what Microsoft is trying to do.

To be honest, I hope Microsoft succeeds with Clarity. There is a general rule of thumb that a dominant player in any market is a bad idea for consumers. Let’s hope Clarity is a success, if for no other reason than to be an alternative to Analytics.

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You can fix corrupted OBS files using these two quick methods

Posted on by Ivan Jenic

Open Broadcaster Software or just OBS, as the name signifies, is a free and open source streaming and recording platform used by the media professionals, or for that matter, just about anyone. The software also comes with several features such as encoding, recording and broadcasting, besides doing scene composition and real-time capture as well.

Written in C and C++ programming languages and maintained by the OBS Project, the software is quite stable too though there also are times when things can go wrong with the recording and such.

Described here are a few methods that can help you set things right in the unfortunate scenario of OBS files getting corrupted, which in any case is a big issue for those working on OBS.

How to fix corrupted OBSfiles

  • Open your installation of OBS on your PC.
  • Click on Settings from the bottom down corner.
  • In the Setting dialog box, select Output from the options shown in the left panel.
  • Under the Recording tab, click on Recording Format.
  • From the dropdown list that shows, select mkv. The point here is to avoid mp4 at all costs as such recording prove to be quite problematic in the long run and have almost zero chance of retrieval if things go wrong with the recordings.
  • Click on Apply at the bottom right for the change to take effect.

— RELATED: 5 of the very best MKV players for Windows 10 [FRESH LIST]

Same is the case if you are in advanced mode, that is Output Mode at the top is select as Advanced.

  • If that be the case, click on the Recording tab and select Recording Format.
  • From the dropdown box that opens up, select mkv. (Again, you are advised against selecting mp4).
  • Click on Apply at the bottom right corner.
  • Click on Close at the top right corner and you should be better off with your future recording from henceforth.

Further, if you have a previous recording which you are unable to open, the most likely reason for that is that it might have become corrupted. To retrieve such corrupted recording, you are advised to use video repair tools like Youdot video repair software that has been specifically designed to handle such cases. Standard data recovery software won’t be of much use in such cases.

Meanwhile, here are some related resources that you might want to browse.

Microsoft will send this awesome looking Windows 95 sweater to some lucky fans

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Forget the Xbox Onesie, Microsoft has just unveiled the ultimate item for the Windows fan: a beautiful sweater featuring the old-school Windows 95 logo. If you have yet to follow the Windows Twitter account, hurry up as Microsoft will send a few of these fashion items to some lucky fans via Twitter DMs.

After all these years, the old Windows 95 logo has probably become as iconic as something like the “rainbow Apple” logo, and any Windows fan born in the 80’s or early 90’s would definitely wear this sweater with pride. It’s too bad that Microsoft isn’t selling these on the Microsoft Store during the holidays, but in the meantime the company already send a couple to some employees and high-profile MVPs. As you can see, Chief Windows Insider Dona Sarkar, who is also a fashion designer gave it her seal of approval.

https://twitter.com/BenThePCGuy/status/1073349098357481472

Do you think it’s time for Microsoft to open an official Windows gear store, like the Xbox team recently did? If so, what kind of swag would you like to see on it? Sound off in the comments below!

Forza Horizon 4’s Fortune Island expansion is now available on Xbox One and Windows 10

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Fortune Island, the first expansion for Forza Horizon 4 is now available on Xbox One and Windows 10. The DLC is free for owners of the Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition, but it’s also available in the Forza Horizon 4 Expansions Bundle ($34.99) or the Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Add-Ons Bundle ($44.99).

“With extreme terrain, perilous weather conditions such as atmospheric storms and the Aurora Borealis, a brand-new Horizon treasure hunt and a host of new driving challenges, Fortune Island cranks the Forza Horizon 4 experience to 11,” wrote Brian Ekberg, Forza Community Manager. This first expansion also brings 20 new achievements to the game, which 500 Gamerscore points in total.

Developer Playground Games is planning a second DLC for the open-world racing game, but its content and release date are still unknown. We hope it will be as fun as the Hot Wheels for Forza Horizon 3, which received critical acclaim following its release last year.

Forza Horizon 4 recently won the best racing/sports game awards at the 2018 Game Awards, and it’s definitely the best Xbox/Windows 10 exclusive Microsoft released this year. If you haven’t tried it yet, the game is free to play with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, and Game PAss members can also save 10% off a standalone purchase of Fortune Island or 10% off each bundle.

Forza Horizon 4 Expansions Bundle
Forza Horizon 4 Expansions Bundle
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Forza Horizon 4 Expansions Bundle
Developer:
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Price:
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Yes, Microsoft is releasing preview-quality Windows Updates, but it’s nothing new

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Earlier this week, Michael Fortin, Corporate Vice President, Windows published a blog post about Windows 10 monthly security and quality updates. The post details the different type of monthly updates, from the “B” releases happening on Patch Tuesday, to optional “C” and “D” patches that Microsoft ships later in the month.

Today, an article from PCWorld put an emphasis on these optional releases, highlighting the fact that these C and D updates are “beta code.” In the own words of Microsoft’s Michael Fortin, “the intent of these releases is to provide visibility into, and enable testing of, the non-security fixes that will be included in the next Update Tuesday release.”

We cover every new Windows 10 build on OnMSFT, and we always mention it when they come with known issues. Even Patch Tuesday updates sometimes come with known issues, so it’s not just “C” and “D” updates that can be problematic.

However, what the PCWorld articled failed to mention is that Microsoft has been releasing preview-quality updates for quite a long time. To our knowledge, the company changed its update schedule starting with Windows 10 version 1703 (aka the Creators Update). This is what Microsoft’s Michael Niehaud explained at the time:

Based on feedback from customers, we are making some adjustments to the updates that we are releasing for Windows 10, version 1703 (also known as the “Creators Update”). With these changes, we will routinely offer one (or sometimes more than one) additional update each month. These additional cumulative updates will contain only new non-security updates, so they will be considered “Updates” in WSUS and Configuration Manager.

Microsoft has been offering preview of upcoming non-quality fixes since the release of Windows 10 version 1703

So yes, Microsoft has been releasing more than one new build every month for quite some time now, and the optional quality updates that are released later in the month eventually end up in the Patch Tuesday for the following month. All Windows 10 updates, including these optional updates are cumulative, which means that they include all previously released fixes.

Microsoft re-explained its Windows 10 update servicing cadence back in August of this year, making it clear that the optional “C” and “D” updates are only available for seekers. Additionally, the company said that it may sometimes ship “out-of-band releases” to address critical bugs that cannot wait for the next Patch Tuesday. “These are reserved for situations where devices must be updated immediately either to fix security vulnerabilities or to solve a quality issues impacting many devices,” the blog post explained.

In case the August blog post wasn’t enough, the company also published the following 3 minutes video explaining everything about Windows 10 monthly updates:

To conclude, yes, Microsoft has been releasing optional quality updates since the release of Windows 10 version 1703 last year. These updates are a preview of upcoming quality fixes, and they’re only available for users who check for updates in Windows Update. These patches eventually end up in the following Patch Tuesday, which will be pushed to all Windows 10 users.

Again, the optional C and D updates sometimes come with known issues, but that’s also often the case with the monthly Patch Tuesday updates. In the past, Microsoft used the Windows Insider Release Preview Ring to test all new Windows 10 builds in the production ring, but the company has been doing this less consistently over time. Anyway, it may be a good idea to keep the Windows 10 update history page in your bookmarks, but you can also count on us to tell you all the details about new Windows 10 patches.

Microsoft teases Xbox Year in Review

Posted on by davew

As another year comes to a close, Microsoft and Xbox will help players look back on how much they’ve done on Xbox One and Xbox Live. Much like the 2017 Year in Review tool, Xbox teased a new 2018 Xbox Year in Review experience on Twitter.

This year will likely be no different than previous years in terms of Xbox statistics. You will be able to see your personal stats, including how much Gamerscore points you earned this year, your most played games, and total amount of hours spent playing games, as well as how your stats rank to other Xbox players in your region. You will be able to share your stats with friends over Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

Maybe Microsoft will share more information regarding our collective playing time on Xbox One and Xbox Live. How would you make the Xbox Year in Review better than previous years? Let us know in the comments below!

Cheat Sheet: What you need to know about Edge on Chromium

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft’s news that it’s shifting its Edge web browser onto the Chromium engine has prompted discussion around a broad swathe of different web technologies. If you’ve found all the names and jargon confusing, you may find this reference of use.

We’ve put together a cheat sheet of key terms and technologies. It should help you understand the roles of the different projects and what’s changing within Edge. Phrases in italics in the definitions indicate a reference to another term within this cheat sheet.

Microsoft

  • Edge – Starting simple, Edge is Microsoft’s modern web browser introduced with Windows 10. It’s built as a UWP app and is powered by the EdgeHTML browser engine. Last week, Microsoft confirmed that it will switch to the Chromium browser engine over the next year, and will gradually become available on more Windows versions and different operating system platforms. Edge currently uses the Chakra JavaScript engine, but this will be changed to V8 as a consequence of the move to Chromium.
  • EdgeHTML – The proprietary Microsoft browser engine used by Microsoft Edge since its introduction with Windows 10 in 2015. The engine was split from Trident. Besides powering the Edge browser, EdgeHTML is also used to render various components of the Windows 10 interface, and supports Windows 10 UWP apps written with JavaScript and HTML. It is tightly bound to the Windows 10 system, and is not available for any other platform.
  • Trident – Discontinued Microsoft browser engine used from Internet Explorer 4 until Internet Explorer 11. Responsible for much of Internet Explorer’s dominance during the early 2000s, but became outdated owing to poor compliance with web standards. Microsoft made efforts to improve the engine with additional features and standards support in later incarnations. The engine was also used to support JavaScript apps on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
  • UWP – Universal Windows Platform. A collective set of APIs and technologies which enable developers to create apps for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and related modern Microsoft ecosystems. UWP is typically associated with the Microsoft/Windows Store, the most common distribution channel for these apps. Apps can be built for UWP using a wide variety of technologies, such as C++, C#/XAML and JavaScript/HTML. Options are also available to create UWP apps from existing classic Win32 Windows desktop apps, iOS apps, or PWAs.

Browsers

  • Browser engine – Core, self-contained component of a web browser responsible for constructing and rendering webpages such that they are visible and interactive. Browser engines are usually opaque to the end user, who is typically unaware of their role in the browsing experience. The engine incorporates several sub-components, such as a layout engine and rendering engine, which implement different required functionalities for constructing webpages.
    Browser engines are usually, but not always, standalone components which can be implemented by multiple distinct web browsers – for example, the Chromium engine is currently used by Google Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi and many others. Each of these browsers has a unique interface and user-facing feature set, but relies on the Chromium engine to fetch, construct and render actual webpages.
  • Blink – A popular and established open-source browser engine used by multiple web browser projects, including Chromium. Blink is broadly compliant with modern web standards and moves to implement emerging standards and recommendations in a timely manner, which has contributed to its popularity. It was forked from the WebKit engine.
  • Chromium – An open-source web browser project originally developed by Google. Chromium is the foundation of many web browsers, most notably Google Chrome. It is powered by the Blink browser engine and uses V8 as its JavaScript engine. Chromium is available on all major desktop platforms, as well as Android. The project has drawn criticism for its close ties to Google; despite its open-source nature, Chromium development is led by Google, and the project includes default integration with Google services.

JavaScript

  • JavaScript engine – A program that interprets and executes JavaScript code. Historically, most JavaScript engines have resided in web browsers, but in recent years JavaScript’s use outside of the browser has grown to include servers, command-line applications and mobile applications, necessitating evolution in engine development.
  • Chakra – A JavaScript engine developed by Microsoft and used for Edge and UWP. It was forked from Microsoft’s older JScript engine. Initially a proprietary technology, Microsoft open-sourced the engine in 2015. Besides use in the Edge web browser, Chakra has also found popularity in other deployments, including embedded environments.
  • V8 – An open-source JavaScript engine used primarily by the Chromium browser project, enabling the execution of JavaScript code inside web browsers. V8 is also used by many other JavaScript runtimes, including the Node.js server-side JavaScript environment, and the Electron desktop app framework.

Web technologies

  • HTML – Hypertext Markup Language. HTML is the markup language used to create the structure and fundamental layout of webpages. Browser engines use HTML files to construct the webpage which is ultimately rendered to your display.
  • JavaScript – A high-level interpreted programming language which is a core component of modern websites. JavaScript is essential to web apps and interactive pages as it provides developers with a way to interact with the webpage and the browser. JavaScript also has a wide range of use cases outside of web browsers, including in native apps (such as with Microsoft’s Windows 10 UWP platform), and on embedded devices.
  • PWA – Progressive Web App. A set of development approaches, concepts and technologies which enable websites and web apps to behave like installed native apps on compatible devices.
    Features available vary by the platform on which the PWA is being used, but typically include the ability to “install” the website/web app in a manner akin to that of a native app, as well as support for service workers – a web technology which facilitates use of features such as offline operation, background sync and push notifications which are usually associated with native apps.
    PWAs are often mischaracterised by the tech media and non-developers as hybrid or hosted web apps. A pure PWA solely uses web standards to provide its functionality and is delivered from a website domain. It’s then up to individual platforms to implement the relevant web standards and provide a native-like experience.

This glossary provides a high-level overview of each of these technologies and terms; if you want to learn more, we encourage you to head to the websites of each featured project. Although these technologies may go unnoticed by users, they’re instrumental to the web and make it possible for us to consume webpages using our browsers.

Microsoft admits Activity History “naming issue,” explains how to turn off Privacy Dashboard browsing history

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Since the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft received criticism for its data collection practices, with telemetry you can’t complelety turn off on the desktop OS. Earlier this week, users complained that Windows 10 apparently continues logging your Edge browsing history in the cloud even after disabling activity history on both the computer as well as online.

We reached out to Microsoft yesterday and we just got a response from Marisa Rogers, Privacy Officer, Windows & Devices Group. The exec admitted that the different privacy settings in Windows 10 can be confusing, especially the “Activity History” section which also exists on Microsoft’s online privacy dashboard:

“Microsoft is committed to customer privacy, being transparent about the data we collect and use for your benefit, and we give you controls to manage your data. In this case, the same term “Activity History” is used in both Windows 10 and the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. Windows 10 Activity History data is only a subset of the data displayed in the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. We are working to address this naming issue in a future update.” – Marisa Rogers, Microsoft

So yes, Microsoft plans some naming changes in a future Windows 10 update, but the company also confirmed that you can absolutely prevent your Edge browsing history from showing up on Microsoft’s online privacy dashboard. To do that, you have to follow these two steps:

  1. Under Settings -> Privacy -> Activity history, make sure that “Let Windows sync my activities from this PC to the cloud” is not checked.
  2. Under Settings -> Privacy -> Diagnostics & feedback, make sure that Diagnostic data is set to “Basic” (when set to “Full,” information about websites you browse is sent to Microsoft).

We made the test on one of our PCs this morning, and no web browsing data has been collected so far. In the end, the problem seems to be that turning everything off in “Activity History” doesn’t actually turn everything off, and privacy-conscious users currently have to look elsewhere to completely disable sharing Windows 10 apps and services Activity History with Microsoft. The company may well be committed to customer privacy, but this is another case where the execution could probably be much better.

Microsoft teases Windows 95 themed ‘softwear’ annoucement

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

The Windows team used a little tongue and cheek earlier today when teasing a software theme announcement via their Twitter account.

A simple tweet was sent out with the quote “Is this #thowback sparking your #90s nostalgia? Tune in tomorrow for a major “softwear” announcement.”

Judging by the image and the timing during the holiday season, it seems the Windows team may be preparing some time of wearable swag for anyone who has some upcoming holiday parties themed around “ugly/gaudy” sweaters.

Other than the sweater like design of the content in the image, there isn’t much else to gon on and there hasn’t been much in the way of leaks that would point toward a clothing storefront for Windows-themed merchandise as of late.

We’ll just have to keep an eye on the official Windows Twitter page for their big announcement tomorrow.

Users claim Microsoft still collects activity history despite being disabled

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Recent comments on Reddit would suggest that Microsoft is still not playing the game when it comes to collecting data on its users. This is a clear breach not just of Microsoft’s own guidelines, but almost certainly a breach of various laws, especially GDPR.

The Backstory

When Microsoft released Windows 10, there was an outcry after it was discovered that it was collecting and sharing the activity of its users. While Microsoft stated that the data was only being used to help it improve the Windows 10 experience, this was not enough of a reason to justify it.

Microsoft was forced to back down and introduced new privacy settings that would allow users to opt out (more or less) if they didn’t want their data used by Microsoft. Sadly for Windows 10 users, and hopefully for Microsoft, this has not happened.

What’s the problem?

On the December 10th, 2018, a redditor commented that, “I have disabled activity history completely yet some applications are still showing on the privacy dashboard. (It’s not just UWP apps either). How do I stop this?”

Reddit GDPR

It appears that, even though users can go to Settings > Privacy > Activity History > uncheck “Let Windows synchronise my activities from this PC to the cloud”, Microsoft is still getting our data.

How to get round this issue

In case you want to be secure while surfing the internet, you will need to get a full-dedicated tool to secure your network.  Install now Cyberghost VPN and secure yourself. It protects your PC from attacks while browsing, masks your IP address and blocks all unwanted access.

While one would assume that by selecting the settings in Windows 10 would protect your data, it appears that the best way to make sure is to head over to tenforums and use a Registry file to prevent Microsoft from collecting user data.

Why this is important

This is yet another example of how tech companies seem to think that they are above the law. GDPR clearly states that tech companies can only collect and use your data if you have given your consent.

True, GDPR does not have to be followed if your company website is only being accessed by people in non-European Union countries, but how likely is that? If a website is being accessed by users in the EU, then the company must abide by GDPR rules, no matter where the company itself is based.

Wrapping it all up

This is not rocket surgery. Time and time again, we are finding out that we are sharing more information with tech companies, when we have not expressly given our permission for them to collect that information.

The law is clear and it would be disingenuous at best for Microsoft to claim that this was merely a misunderstanding, or even worse, that is is the fault of Windows 10 users.

Here is my twopenneth worth. The default setting on Widows 10 should be that absolutely none of your data is shared with Microsoft. And that the only way Microsoft can use your data is if you physically tick the box saying they can.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you okay with the idea of Microsoft using your data to improve Windows 10? Let us know your thoughts below.

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Get Windows 10 KB4471329 and KB4471324 to fix black screen issues

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

In another of our regular update articles, we are going to look at Patch Tuesday updates KB4471329 and KB4471324. Microsoft released these two updates in tandem with KB4471332 which we have already covered in a different article. Let’s start with KB4471329.

KB4471329: Windows 10 version 1709 OS Build 16299.846

Improvements and fixes

KB4471329 is pretty much the same as KB4471332. It fixes a problem with the Seek Bar in Windows Media Player when playing certain types of files. As I mentioned in the other article, as this issue did not affect normal playback, most people are probably not aware of it.

What are the known issues?

However, where KB4471329 differs from version 1809 is the known issue. Here it is:

After you install the August Preview of Quality Rollup or September 11, 2018 .NET Framework update, instantiation of SqlConnection can throw an exception. For more information about this issue, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 4470809 SqlConnection instantiation exception on .NET 4.6 and later after August-September 2018 .NET Framework updates.

This is somewhat annoying for people who are suffering from the above known issue, as this issue has been around for quite awhile. Microsoft’s workaround that, “[it] is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release” is an oft-repeated refrain that must be slightly irritating when the issue has been known for so long.

KB4471329

 

KB4471324: Windows 10 version 1803 OS Build 17134.471

Improvements and fixes

KB4471324 has a great deal more improvements and fixes going on than either of the other two updates released on Patch Tuesday. I’m going to briefly quote Microsoft here. If you want the unabridged version, go to the support page.

  • Addresses an issue that may prevent the use of the Seek Bar in Windows Media Player when playing specific files.
  • Addresses an issue that may cause some users to see a blue or black screen.
  • Addresses an issue with Microsoft Intune that causes devices to be incorrectly marked as not compliant.
  • Addresses an issue that may cause some custom Start menu layouts to display incorrectly.

As with the other two updates, Microsoft has also released security updates for the following:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Scripting Engine
  • Windows App Platform and Frameworks
  • Microsoft Graphics Component
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Windows Storage and Filesystems
  • Windows Authentication
  • Windows Wireless Networking
  • Windows Kernel

What are the known issues?

This update has the same known issue as KB4471329. However, it also has the following known issue, “After installing this update, some users cannot pin a web link on the Start menu or the taskbar.” You won’t be surprised to hear that, “Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.”

How to get your updates

As always, the best way to install updates is by going to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. If you want to go down the stand-alone package route, you can go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website. Click KB4471329 or KB4471324 relevant information.

If you want more details of either of these two updates, please go to the relevant support pages. This one for KB4471329 and this one for KB4471324.

How are you getting on with these latest updates? As always, feel free to share any problems (and solutions) you have had in the comments below.

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Microsoft Solitaire Collection won’t start on Windows 10/11

Posted on by Andrew Wafer

Playing Solitaire is fun and relaxing whether you do it at work, on a short brake or before closing everything and heading to bed. So, it’s quite disappointing to notice that the Microsoft Solitaire Collection isn’t working anymore.

Anyway, don’t panic as this is only a system problem that can be easily fixed. So, if you’re having problems while trying to open the Solitaire game, follow the troubleshooting steps listed below.

What can I do if Microsoft Solitaire Collection won’t start in Windows 10?

  • Reset Microsoft Solitaire Collection
  • Reinstall the game
  • Run the Windows 10 app troubleshooter
  • Reset Windows Store cache
  • Update the Windows system
  • Update Microsoft Store apps
  • Switch to a Solitaire app

1. Reset Microsoft Solitaire Collection

  1. Press Win+I keyboard hotkeys.
  2. From System Settings pick System.fix update and security not working windows 10
  3. Then, from the left panel of that window click on App & features.
  4. Scroll and find the entry named Microsoft Solitaire Collection.reset microsoft solitaire collection
  5. Click on this entry and pick Advanced options.
  6. Now, click on the Reset button. From the window that will be displayed click on Reset again.

If you’re having trouble opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.

2. Reinstall Microsoft Solitaire Collection

  1. Open the Search box on your device – click on the Cortana icon.
  2. In the Search field enter power shell and right-click on the result with the same name; choose ‘Run as administrator’.
  3. In the Power Shell command line type: Get-AppxPackage *solitairecollection* | Remove-AppxPackage.reinstall microsoft solitaire collection
  4. Press Enter and when it’s done, close the window and also restart your Windows 10 system.
  5. Now, open Windows Store and install the Microsoft Solitaire Collection again.

Your Windows search box is missing? Get it back right now with the help of this handy guide!

PowerShell has stopped working? Don’t let this ruin your day. Fix it in a few easy steps from this guide.

3. Run the Windows 10 app troubleshooter

You can let Windows try to automatically fix any errors related with recently installed or updated apps – the problems that you experience might be caused by a recent update or by a file corruption.

So, go to this page and run the Microsoft dedicated troubleshooter engine. This troubleshooter is especially created to scan and fix the apps that are installed on your computer, including the Microsoft Solitaire collection.

If the Troubleshooter stops before completing the process, fix it with the help of this complete guide.

4. Reset Windows Store cache

You can choose to reset Windows Store cache as this might fix the Microsoft Solitaire Collection won’t start problem in Windows 10. Here is what you need to do:

  1. Press the Win+R keyboard dedicated hotkeys.
  2. The Run box should be displayed on your computer.
  3. There, type wsreset.exe.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. Restart your Windows 10 computer in the end.

5. Update the Windows 10 system

You need to make sure that all available updates are installed. So:

  1. Press Win+I hotkeys and choose Update & Security.
  2. Click on Windows Update from the left panel of the main window.check for updates windows 10
  3. Just apply all the updates that are waiting for your approval.

Having trouble updating your Windows? Check out this guide that will help you solve them in no time.

6. Update Microsoft Store apps

  1. Open the Microsoft Store app.
  2. From the top right corner of the main window click on your account.
  3. Choose Downloads and then pick Check for Updates.
  4. Follow any other on-screen prompts and update your apps.
  5. Restart your Windows 10 system in the end.

Can’t update the Microsoft Store? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.

7. Switch to a Solitaire app

This is rather a suggestion than a solution and it could be really helpful. We suggest you try other solitaire collections that could be a real replacement for Microsoft’s Solitaire. Here are few that you can install on your Windows 10 PC and play them:

These games have a different design but still the same rules. However, if you are a very principal person, you can wait until Microsoft will come out with an official fix for this problem.

So, these methods should fix the Microsoft Solitaire Collection won’t start issue in Windows 10.

If you’re still having problems while trying to play Solitaire, make sure you check your Internet connection, Firewall , and antivirus settings – security options might block certain apps.

You want to check if your firewall is blocking certain apps? Follow the simple steps from this guide to find out.

Also, from Display Settings make sure that the default setting is set to 125% and not to 150% as the dialog box related with the Microsoft Solitaire Collection might be too big to fit on your screen and that might cause the actual malfunctions.

Also, don’t forget to share your experience with us and with the other users who might be facing the very same issue. For more questions, reach for the comments section below.

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Windows 10 KB4471332 fixes Media Player, improves OS security

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Here is a very quick post on KB4471332, an update that hit the streets this December. This is a Patch Tuesday update that Microsoft released to fix a few of the ongoing issues from the October 1809 Update still causing problems.

KB4471332 improvements and fixes

To be honest, this update is not very exciting. Microsoft has finally got round to fixing a problem with the Seek Bar when playing certain types of media files. As it didn’t affect normal playback, I suspect that most people weren’t even aware that this was a problem.

Windows Media Player

In fact, this was a problem caused in the Windows 10 version 1803 update, so while it is nice to have this one fixed, presumably some people have been waiting about 8 months for this. Not exactly speedy service.

What known issues are there?

The surprisingly good news on this update is that for the first time in awhile, there are no known issues with this update.

Any other updates?

Microsoft released KB4471332 on a Tuesday, so we also have some security issues fixed. No idea what the issues were to be honest, but if you have any of the following, they are now more secure than on Monday.

  • Windows Authentication
  • Microsoft Scripting Engine
  • Internet Explorer
  • Windows App Platform and Frameworks
  • Microsoft Graphics Component
  • Windows Storage and Filesystems
  • Windows Wireless Networking
  • Windows Kernel
  • Microsoft Edge

As always, the best way to install updates is by going to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. If you want to go down the stand-alone package route, you can go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

There aren’t many extra details you need to know, but if you want to check out exactly what Microsoft said, feel free to go to the Microsoft Support page.

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Microsoft starts testing splitting Search and Cortana in two

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Windows Insiders are continuing to discover some unannounced new features in recent Windows 10 Insider builds. Some Windows Insiders are now testing a new header in the Settings app that includes shortcuts for Microsoft Rewards, Phone settings and more, but others are are seeing Cortana being separated from Windows Search today (via Thurrott.com)

Some testers previously found a way to separate the two using special software, but the change is now live for some Fast Ring Insiders running the latest build 18298.

Just like the other test with the new header in the Settings app, it’s not clear if many Insiders will see this change. Microsoft has yet to confirm that it plans to separate Cortana from Windows Search in the upcoming 19H1 update for Windows 10, but it does make sense to de-emphasize the digital assistant. After all these years, Cortana is still only available in select markets, and it may well be better to make Windows Search stand on its own.

Cortana was the first digital assistant to ship on a desktop operating system, but the execution always left a lot to be desired. Now than Amazon’s Alexa is available in the Windows 10 Microsoft Store, Windows 10 users may soon be able to hide Cortana from the taskbar and replace it with their digital assistant of choice. However, this could just be some A/B testing and depending on Insider feedback, Microsoft may well keep Cortana in Windows Search. We’ll see what happens, but in the meantime let us know if you think separating the two would be a positive change in Windows 10.

 

Switzerland’s largest bank to move some data to Microsoft cloud services as soon as next year

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft continues to face an uphill battle for cloud service provider supremacy, however, helping Switzerland’s largest bank migrate its data to the cloud definitely helps move the market share needle in a positive direction.

According to Bloomberg Technology, Microsoft and UBS Group AG have reached a deal to store data at the company’s purpose-built facilities neat Zurich and Geneva areas, beating out competitors Amazon and Google who incidentally have facilities in Switzerland.

The proposed transition is slated to occur sometime next year and reported to be worth “hundreds of millions of Swiss francs” for Microsoft.

Microsoft won the bid for UBS Group AG’s data transition and storage as its Azure services addresses two of the largest concerns from Finna regulators, who are pressuring banks in Switzerland to be secure and financially conservative while still adhering to strict privacy laws.

Banks in Switzerland, the world’s largest center for offshore wealth, are under pressure to cut costs as low interest rates and the dismantling of the nation’s banking secrecy squeeze profits. While using cloud services can eliminate the need to maintain costly data centers, Switzerland’s financial regulator Finma enforces strict laws regarding what data can be moved outside of the country.

Over the next few years, UBS is reported to have plans to outsource much of its own data center investments in favor of other, better-equipped cloud service providers based on their investor presentation.

Due to the secrecy involved with Swiss banking, neither Microsoft or UBS has much to say publically about the new arrangement. Mike Dargan, UBS’ chief information office offer brief acknowledgment and a vaguely optimistic comment about the deal to Bloomberg Technology.

“We’ve started to accelerate our journey into the public cloud space. UBS expects significant cost benefits from this strategy, while not compromising on security.”

As for further details, it seems UBS is still mulling over which of its applications it will allow Microsoft to host and client data has yet to be moved anywhere.