Category: Windows

New Windows update for PC vulnerabilities

Two newly discovered Windows vulnerabilities, known as Meltdown and Spectre, make it possible for hackers to steal all sorts of confidential information. To resolve this issue, Microsoft has released an update. Continue reading to stay protected.

Issues with Microsoft’s Spectre and Meltdown patches

After the January 3rd announcement of unprecedented security vulnerabilities, Microsoft has been rushing to release security updates for its Windows operating system. At their most basic, these complex vulnerabilities, named Spectre and Meltdown, make it possible for a program installed on your computer to access any information stored on your hard drive, even if it is protected.

These flaws mean that anything you’ve typed into your computer is at risk: credit card numbers, passwords — all of it. But don’t rush off to install fixes just yet. There are a few speed bumps you’ll have to navigate on your road to safety.

Incompatibility issues

According to reports, Microsoft’s patches have caused several problems to some users’ computers. For some, installing the new patches has resulted in computers with older processors to crash more often than usual. Users with newer processors have found their computers struggling to boot up, with some never getting past the Windows loading screen.

As a result, on more than one occasion, hardware and software vendors have recommended that its customers postpone installing the new patches.

Spectre and Meltdown can cause serious damage, but that doesn’t mean anyone should run off to haphazardly attempt computer repair above their ability. Until the process for installing patches has been ironed out, we recommend enlisting help.

Hire a professional

Given the issues on patches, IT novices shouldn’t update their computers on their own. Without adequate experience, you might install the wrong patch and cause even more problems to your computer. Or worse, install one of the pieces of malware masquerading as Spectre patches. Instead, why not call a professional to update your computer and protect your system from Meltdown and Spectre?

Data and network security is no easy task. We offer advanced, multi-layer protection to keep your data safe and sound. Give us a call and we’ll explain how we can help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Microsoft unveils new Windows features

The recent Windows 10 Fall Creators update is just a few weeks old but Microsoft has already released another major update. On December 19, they rolled out a new Windows 10 Insider update to test two new features: Sets and Timeline.

Sets

Sets takes the tab features from web browsers and adds them to various Microsoft apps, including Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. This reduces how many windows you have to have open.

For example, if you are working on a Word document and you need to research a particular topic, you can create a new tab, open Edge, and start surfing. The new tab page also gives you quick access to local files and Office 365 applications provided you have a subscription. This saves you from having to manage multiple windows since all the apps and websites that are relevant to your work are in one place.

And when you press save, Sets bundles your apps and research into a single file, allowing you to revisit relevant material.

Timeline

Speaking of revisiting material, Timeline displays apps and files you were using at a particular time so you can easily resume past activities.

What’s more, this feature works across all Cortana-enabled devices, which means you can switch from your desktop to your phone and access the same files you were previously working on. Cortana even suggests activities you might want to resume as you switch between devices.

To try Timeline, access Task View by pressing the Task View icon in the taskbar or hitting the Windows logo key + TAB. From there, you’ll be able to see recently accessed apps and websites and reopen them. There’s also a “See all” option that lets you view everything you’ve done in a single day, organized by hour. If you’re looking for a specific app, you can always use the search bar.

Windows 10 Insiders

Unfortunately, Sets and Timeline are not yet available to the general public. But if you’re interested in trying out these features for yourself, you can sign up for the Windows 10 Insider program.

Not only will you get these features, but you’ll also be one of the first to receive the latest updates Microsoft has to offer. You even get the opportunity to give feedback about new features, which helps improve Microsoft’s apps and services.

Want to be the first to know what features Microsoft will release? Call us today! As an experienced managed services provider, we’re tuned in to the most recent tech developments, whether they come from Microsoft, Google, or other industry leaders.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Here come crapware-free PCs

Bloatware, trialware, crapware — the unnecessary software usually pre-installed by the manufacturer on your brand new PC. Besides being annoying, this type of software also slows down your machine and can tamper with security. Microsoft is fed up with it too, which is why they’ve come up with Windows 10 Signature Edition PCs. Read on to find out more.

What are Windows 10 Signature Edition PCs?

Microsoft Windows 10 Signature Edition is a new generation of specially configured PCs that are clear of junkware, which is unnecessary software pre-installed by PC manufacturers on new PCs. Microsoft is aiming to provide users with cleaner, more optimized PCs.

What’s tempting about them?

They are cleaner. It’s undeniable that PCs devoid of aggressive attempts to lure you to pay for upgrades is a more pleasant user experience. No more annoyances, no more need to spend time manually uninstalling unnecessary programs yourself.

They are faster. Once PCs are clear of third-party junkware, they’ll load quicker, whether you need to boot, shutdown, sleep, or resume working.

They are more secure, according to Microsoft. The Signature Edition PCs boast a built-in firewall and anti-virus and anti-phishing tools that come with ongoing security support and updates throughout their useful lives. What’s more, ridding your PC of bloatware means reducing the chances of you clicking on suspicious ads that will make your PC prone to attack.

You can find Signature Edition PCs in Microsoft’s brick-and-mortar stores and online, manufactured by leading PC makers such as Dell, Acer, HP, and Lenovo.

Is there any downside?

Possibly, yes. Signature Edition PCs usually cost more than similar machines containing bloatware. This is because bloatware is a source of extra income, and many vendors end up increasing the PC price to make up for the loss.

Another thing to note is that even though the Signature Edition PCs have less third-party software, much of Microsoft’s own crapware remains. That includes Candy Crush Soda Saga, Bubble Witch 3 Saga, and Drawboard PDF. The good news is Microsoft bloatware generally doesn’t affect a PC’s performance unless it is running.

Interested in switching to a cleaner version of Windows, but unsure whether it would be worth it? Before spending your hard-earned money on a piece of hardware, you need to make sure you understand the pros and cons, so why not consult our experts today? They know about computers and can advise you on how to make the right IT investments.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Windows Hello makes logging in simple

In another example of sci-fi technology becoming reality, Microsoft’s biometric logins can now recognize your face, fingerprint, or eyes when you attempt to access your device. It’s exciting as well as convenient and we’ve got everything you need to get started, right here.

Say hello to fingerprint, iris, and facial scans

Windows Hello is an advanced biometric identity and access control feature in Windows 10. With it, there’s no need to enter a password; all it needs is your fingerprint, eye scan, or just your face.

For those who are worried about privacy, the feature stores your biometric data only on your device, never on Microsoft’s servers. Microsoft has also made it clear that third parties cannot access your biometric data, although, as with every new technology, it’s best to treat this with caution.

How to set up Windows Hello

All you need to get started is a laptop or desktop with Windows 10 and a compatible webcam (there is a full list here).

First, go to Settings > Account > Sign-in options. Then, under the Windows Hello section, you’ll see setup options for face, iris, or fingerprint scans. Select which method you want to set up and follow the prompts to create a login profile.

You can also save your biometric data or scan more than once to boost accuracy. Each time you scan, the system collects more data, so it’s worth completing a few scans before enabling the login feature.

However, passwords are still an option when using Windows Hello and should always be configured in case your camera isn’t operational. Once one account is set up, you can start adding family members who share the same device. Each of them can set up their own biometric profile in a separate account.

There are many features in Windows that can make your life easier. Our IT experts can help you get more out of your Windows devices. Contact us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Navigate Windows 10 easily with ‘Follow Me’

According to a Microsoft tipster, a proposed new feature in Windows 10 will allow users to navigate the system with the help of its virtual assistant (VA), Cortana. ‘Follow Me’ is an enhancement that will make navigating the operating system much easier, which will be particularly useful to those who find it a bit challenging.

Possible new Cortana features

Cortana can perform several tasks, including answering basic questions, sending reminders, and adjusting your music player’s volume. With the introduction of ‘Follow Me,’ it will provide an audiovisual-guided navigation within your Windows computer.

Currently, Cortana is capable of providing voice prompts when providing search results. Based on this short video clip, the improved version will perform more complicated tasks such as providing users with visual prompts for pairing a Bluetooth device with their PC.

The new feature looks easy to activate and deactivate, too. To quit, users can simply press the escape key.

Follow Me for businesses

Many business users haven’t fully embraced VA technology. In fact, those who work in corporate environments don’t find them particularly useful, as they’re often seen as an unnecessary add-on that doesn’t do much beyond performing voice-prompted searches, taking notes, placing or answering Skype calls, and doing other negligible tasks.

However, VAs are becoming standard features in modern operating systems, which means they’re likely to see substantial improvements in the future.

Moreover, assistants like Cortana are useful to some business users that require quick assistance in finding information on their computers. And although they perform mostly small tasks, they also help speed up things like calculating and setting schedules.

What’s in store for the MS assistant

In early 2017, Microsoft demonstrated that Cortana was capable of performing complex tasks when it introduced the ability for users to set up their PCs with the help of its digital assistant. When “Follow Me’ is launched, it will be a logical next step to this recently introduced functionality.

Since the Fall Creators Update was recently launched, ‘Follow Me’ will likely be featured in upcoming Windows 10 updates. As of now, Microsoft tipsters continue to speculate about the digital assistant’s new capabilities as they wait for an official announcement from the software company.

If you wish to explore time-saving and productivity-enhancing tools for your company’s Windows computers, contact us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Microsoft Ignite 2017: What’s new

For Microsoft fans, the company’s biggest IT conference, Ignite 2017, has revealed many exciting updates, especially for teachers, students, and professionals. We’ve gathered information that’ll surely ignite your interest.

Good news for schools and educators

Microsoft recently rolled out Microsoft 365 for Education, which combines Office 365 for Education, Windows 10, Enterprise Mobility and Security, and even Minecraft: Education Edition — a game that teaches kids how to code. This new bundle will provide more advanced tools for learning, increase classroom communication capabilities, and improve security.

Note that Office 365 for Education is already free and this will not change. However, the new Microsoft 365 for Education is equipped with more educational apps such as 3D and data virtualization tools, plus Microsoft Teams. While this makes it more tempting to use, all the goodies come with a cost — a per-user, per-month subscription.

In terms of hardware, Microsoft’s Windows 10 S laptops, which are already aimed at school users, will come with free Minecraft Education, Office 365 for Education, and Microsoft Teams — all for a price starting as low as $189.

What’s new for business people

Microsoft is targeting “firstline workers” such as clerks and sales reps with a new enterprise plan called “Microsoft 365 F1.” This software bundle combines Office 365, Windows 10, Enterprise Mobility and Security, and Microsoft Staffhub to enhance employee productivity.

The company also partners with hardware providers and has come up with Windows 10 S laptops for businesses. These ultra-slim laptops have enhanced security since they only run apps from the Window Store. But the glamor of it all is their wallet-friendly pricing.

HP Stream 14 Pro, Acer Aspire 1, Acer Swift 1, and Lenovo V330 ranges from $275 to $349. The first model is available now, while the rest will be released later this year and in February for Lenovo.

Goodbye Skype for Business

Microsoft officially announced that it will phase out Skype for Business and focus instead on developing “Microsoft Teams,” a communication tool the company launched earlier to compete with Slack.

This is not as dreadful as it may sound, since Skype and Teams share similar architecture, meaning we’ll probably get a better collaboration tool that still retains some of the Skype features we know and love.

New software and gadgets are exciting, yet in reality, not everyone can rush out to buy a new product every time it comes out. A more practical way would be to make use of what you already have. And you can do so with the help of our IT staff; they’ll be more than happy to help you maximize the performance of your current Microsoft software and hardware, or deploy new solutions if you wish. Call us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Who are the ShadowBrokers?

The WannaCry ransomware strain was created by amateurs who copied and pasted security vulnerabilities from a famous hacker group. It’s no longer a threat if you have updated your computer, but as evidenced by a recent announcement, the hacker group will continue to release dangerous security exploits for anyone to use.

Who are the ShadowBrokers?

There are several theories about who the members of this hacker group are — from National Security Agency (NSA) employees to Russian operatives — but all these theories are based on unreliable information. All we know for sure is that the ShadowBrokers are using social media to sell a seemingly endless trove of cybersecurity secrets.

What are they selling?

The ShadowBrokers’ first auction was in August of 2016, promising in broken English that the highest bidder would receive security vulnerabilities on par with government cyber weapons. Over the year that followed, the ShadowBrokers used auctions, crowdfunding, and direct sales to release vulnerabilities that all seemed to come from the NSA.

In April of 2017, the fifth release went public and was characterized by one security expert as “the most damaging thing I’ve seen in the last several years.” It included the ETERNALBLUE Windows vulnerability that allowed WannaCry to infect over 300,000 computers in a single day.

The September 2017 release

In a recent announcement, the ShadowBrokers announced a subscription service that will include access to bi-monthly security exploit releases. The first package included an NSA exploit named UNITEDRAKE, which allows hackers to remotely monitor or control a computer running any of the following versions of Microsoft’s operating system:

  • Windows XP
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows Server 2003/2008/2012
  • Windows 7 (if no updates have been installed)
  • Windows 8

The UNITEDRAKE exploit can secretly record audio from your microphone, video from your webcam and anything that is typed while you are logged in. It can also remove itself from the target computer leaving no signs of a breach.

How to protect yourself from ShadowBrokers releases

To date, all the known NSA security exploits and ShadowBrokers releases have targeted older and outdated versions of software. The best thing you can do to protect your computers is keep your operating systems and software applications patched with the most recent vendor updates.

Advanced network monitoring can detect suspicious activity, but that requires a significant amount of time and IT expertise. Small- and medium-sized businesses usually don’t have the resources to handle 24×7 network supervision, but our team can help.

If you need help securing your business and its information from cyber threats, give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

5 types of clutter that slow down Windows

If you’ve noticed that your Windows 10 operating system has been running slow, yet no virus has been found and everything seems to be running okay otherwise, your PC might have too much clutter. Clutter can impede its performance and eat away its memory. To help your computer perform at its peak once again, you need to know five types of clutter and how to remove them.

5 types of clutter you need to know

  1. Pre-installed software: This unwanted OEM software, referred to as “bloatware,” poses security risks and takes up tons of CPU, RAM, and disk space. To get rid of it, Refresh Windows.
  2. Windows Updates: All too often, Microsoft launches updates that fail to download correctly, leaving you with corrupted and unusable files. Some of them will be deleted by Windows, while some will hang around forever. To remove them, Reset Windows.
  3. Registry Bloat: Every action performed in Windows gets recorded in your computer’s registry, including files and applications you’ve deleted. And gradually, Windows becomes bogged down by thousands of redundant entries. The solution? Reset Windows.
  4. Error files: Whenever software in your system encounters errors in processing or crashes altogether, Windows will keep a log file of it. And, as with Registry Bloat, these log files accumulate. To remove all these space-eating files, Reset Windows.
  5. User Bloat: This means a large number of your own files, especially if it’s unorganized. Solution: Refresh Windows.

How to declutter Windows

To rid your computer of all this clutter, you have two choices: Reset or Refresh. When you Reset, a brand new copy of Windows 10 is installed and “resets” your system to its original state. When you Refresh, your PC reinstalls Windows 10 free of any bloatware.

Both tools will delete Windows 10 apps and your customized settings, and will give you choices of keeping your old files or deleting them.

To get started, go to Start > Setting > Update and Recovery > Recovery

If you want to Reset Windows, choose Reset This PC > Get Started and then follow the on-screen instructions.

If you want to Refresh Windows, you need to know whether your Windows update version is Windows 10 1607 or Windows 10 1703 since the processes are a bit different.

  • For Windows 10 1607, choose More Recovery Options > Learn How to Start Afresh With a Clean Copy of Windows 10, at which point you’ll see a new screen in your browser. Click Download Tool Now at the bottom of the page, and when the download is finished, follow the on-screen instructions.
  • For Windows 10 1703, click Settings > Update & Recovery > Recovery > More recovery options > Start Afresh to launch Windows Defender. Then click Get Started to start the Refresh process. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + R, enter systemreset -cleanpc and click Enter. When you see the Fresh Start menu, click next to start the process.

There are innumerable ways to make your computer perform faster and more efficiently, and our Windows experts are equipped with all the tricks of the trade. Give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Critical Windows security updates from Microsoft

Earlier this month, Microsoft released a patch that includes several security enhancements and addresses 48 vulnerabilities for all supported versions of Windows. If you’re not in the habit of installing security patches when they come out, now’s a good time to start. Let’s take a look at August’s updates and the issues they address.

Windows Search

Microsoft discovered a flaw that hackers could remotely exploit to take full control over an affected computer. The hacker could then install programs, view, change or delete data, and create new accounts with full user rights. The August security updates address the vulnerability by fixing how your computer’s memory interacts with Windows Search objects.

Windows Hyper-V

Another critical vulnerability is tied to Windows Hyper-V, a virtualization program. This flaw can be exploited when a server fails to properly verify an authenticated user from a virtual desktop.

For example, cyber criminals could exploit the vulnerability by running a malicious application on a guest operating system and cause the server to malfunction. The latest patch plugs the hole by correcting how Hyper-V validates guest operating system user input.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft security specialists revealed that the Edge browser is exposed to a remote memory-corruption vulnerability. Hackers can exploit this by luring an unsuspecting user to open a fake website that contains malicious programs. The new security update addresses the issue by modifying how Microsoft Edge handles objects in memory.

These are just a few examples of the critical vulnerabilities addressed in the August updates. In total, Microsoft patched 48 vulnerabilities in six of its main product categories, including Windows, Internet Explorer, Edge, SharePoint, Adobe Flash Player, and SQL Server. If you’re interested in all the security updates, check out Microsoft’s official Security Update Guide.

As a Windows user, you’re probably used to seeing pop-up messages that implore you to install a new Windows update. Take heed: These patches and updates cost you nothing and can be installed in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is give your consent with a couple of mouse clicks, so there really is no excuse for not updating.

It’s important to update to the latest Windows version to ensure your computer and data are safe from security threats. If you have any questions about Windows updates or need help scheduling them, get in touch with our experts today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.