So you want to install Windows 10 on an XP?

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Dear Windows 10 I AM THE ONLY FREAKING administrator that I care about!

My Windows 10 64 bit desktop greeted me with this instead of Device Manager.


Circumvent “This App Has Been Blocked For Your Protection” for Apps In Windows 10

Right click on Windows Start logo and open Command Prompt (Admin).

Now type “net user administrator /active:yes” and press enter.
Note the ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL message. (try to humor it)

Now LOG OFF your computer by finding your account name in Start Menu
OR SKIP ALL THIS STUPID CRAP AND JUST REBOOT THE FREAKING COMPUTER

LOG IN TO YOUR M$ ACCOUNT! This is what happens when M$ gets bored...

Beware of the TrustedInstaller...


Also I had to reinstall a Bluetooth mouse on my laptop for some reason...
Project involved going to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and PAIR Motorola mouse using another wireless mouse.

Laptop no longer goes into a deep sleep and can be wakened with mouse movements.

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Microsoft pauses Windows 10 previews to shift to radical new update system

Insider builds are seeing a brief pause so that Microsoft can transfer Insider builds to the company’s new Unified Update Platform (UUP). The UUP allows Microsoft to deliver differential downloads—also known as delta updates. This means that upgrading to future Insider builds of Windows 10 will only require users to download and install the code that has changed since their last update, rather than the entire update.

Microsoft says users can expect about a 35 percent reduction in download sizes via the UUP. That means faster download times to get to a new build, and a lower hit on bandwidth for both you and Microsoft.

Delta updates are the biggest change that comes from the Unified Update Platform, but the new updating method also aims to make update checks more efficient. Microsoft’s plan for doing this is pretty simple. The company will send less update data to PCs and other Windows 10 devices from the Windows Update service, and devices will have to do less processing of update information on their own.

It should come as no surprise that Insiders are getting a look at the UUP experience now since it allows Microsoft to test the new update platform on its dedicated early adopters. Mainstream users won’t see the advantages of the UUP until after the Windows 10 Creators Update rolls out in early 2017.

Chrome 55 now available: loads HTML5 over Flash by default

Chrome 55, as explained by Google’s Anthony LaForge earlier this year, will default to a site’s HTML5 experience in most every instance when it has a choice. If a site only uses Flash, you’ll be prompted to allow it the first time you visit.

An exception to this rule only applies to the top 10 websites that use Flash (and only for a year). Those sites are: YouTube.com, Facebook.com, Yahoo.com, VK.com, Live.com, Yandex.ru, OK.ru, Twitch.tv, Amazon.com and Mail.ru.

Elsewhere, Chrome 55 is also said to drastically reduce RAM usage by as much as 50 percent thanks to an updated JavaScript V8 engine that reduces the memory zone and heap size. Google’s web browser is notoriously bad for its handling of memory so it’s great that they’re finally addressing the issue.

To upgrade Chrome, go to menu > Help > About Google Chrome:

After it upgrades automatically, click Relaunch button...

Windows 10 LTSB (Long Term Servicing Branch), Explained

Did you know there’s a version of Windows 10 that doesn’t get big feature updates, and doesn’t even have the Windows Store or Microsoft Edge browser? It’s called Windows 10 LTSB, short for Long Term Servicing Branch.

LTSB Gets Security Updates for 10 Years, Without Feature Updates
Because the LTSB version is designed for stability, it’s updated very differently from other builds of Windows 10. Microsoft will never publish a feature update like the Anniversary Update or November Update for Windows 10 LTSB. These machines will get security and bugfix updates through Windows Update, but that’s it. Even when Microsoft releases a new version of Windows 10 LTSB with new features, you’ll have to download new Windows 10 LTSB installation media and install or upgrade from the media. Windows 10 LTSB will never be automatically updated with new features.

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Make Edge Open Tabs from Last Browsing Session at Every Start

Using Menu ... on right top, go to Settings. My version off Edge looks like this:

Kinda sick looking as I never use it...at least it does not go to MSN by default yet...

You’ll soon be able to tell Cortana to shut down and restart your Windows 10 PC

Microsoft is delivering a new beta build of Windows 10 to testers this week, packed with a lot of small additions. Chief among them is some interesting changes to Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant. In build 14986 of Windows 10, available now for Fast Ring testers, Cortana will now let you turn off your PC, put it to sleep, or restart by using your voice. Cortana also supports the ability to lock a PC and change the system volume.

Microsoft is also adding some music playback controls to Cortana, allowing Windows 10 users to play tracks from services like iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio even when a PC is locked.

Google Chrome Browser Not Working On Windows 10

Restart the computer a few times and check for Windows Updates.

In the Search box on the taskbar, enter Windows Update, select Windows Update. On the Windows Update page, select Check for updates.

Try uninstalling Chrome from Control Panel and re-install it from any other browser in Clean Boot.

For Clean Boot:

This helps eliminate software conflicts that occur when you install a program or an update or when you run a program in Windows. It starts Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs.

1. Press Windows Logo Key+X. Click on Run.

2. Type msconfig. Click Ok.

3. Then follow the steps from 3-7 for Windows 8.1 in the BELOW link.

How to perform a clean boot in Windows

You must log on to the computer as an administrator to be able to perform a clean boot.

Your computer may temporarily lose some functionality when you perform a clean boot. When you start the computer normally, the functionality returns. However, you may receive the original error message, or experience the original behavior if the problem still exists.

If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from following these steps. We strongly recommend that you do not use the System Configuration utility to change the advanced boot options on the computer unless a Microsoft support engineer directs you to do this. Doing this may make the computer unusable.

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Laptop had a couple of tough days running one day at a a time with freezing up problems!
Game completely lost registration and previous games info lost. BT mouse had to be installed twice more.
So far has been running well since Thursday...

Cumulative Update KB3201845 (14393.479) for Windows 10 v1607 Released

Update for 1511 32 bit:


Prey PC locator and theft application needed reinstalled on both W10 machines.

Microsoft's fix for Windows 10 update cutting off internet? 'Restart your machine'

Some customers have reported difficulties connecting to the internet," a Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged. A Microsoft staff member said the firm is looking into the reports and recommended that those affected restart their PCs. If that doesn't work, the Microsoft employee suggests visiting Microsoft's network support page.

Note: Be very careful installing new network drivers on older machines!
Have an old backup...

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Microsoft to disable most Flash content in its Edge browser

By enabling Click-to-Run functionality for Flash content in its built-in Windows 10 browser, Microsoft is matching announced plans from other browser makers, including Apple's Safari, Mozilla's Firefox, and Google's Chrome.

With Click-to-Run enabled, Microsoft Edge will default to HTML5 content when it's available. Here's how Microsoft describes the new feature:

Sites that support HTML5 will default to a clean HTML5 experience. In these cases, Flash will not even be loaded, improving performance, battery life, and security. For sites that still depend on Flash, users will have the opportunity to decide whether they want Flash to load and run, and this preference can be remembered for subsequent visits.

The new move is a continuation of a feature released in the July 2016 Anniversary Update, in which Microsoft Edge selectively pauses "certain Flash content, like ads," if that content is not central to the page.

Clean Up PC – A New Reset feature in Windows 10 Creators Update

Now, the Windows 10 Creators Update Preview Build 14986 seems to have introduced a third system reset option named “Clean up and update this PC”. And the corresponding GUI option for this feature may be added in the upcoming builds or in the Windows 10 Creators Update (final) which is due for release in March 2017

The “Clean Up” dialog says it does the following things:

Remove all apps and programs installed on the system.
Change settings back to their defaults.
Update your PC to the latest version of Windows without removing your personal files..

For now, the “Clean up and update this PC” option can only be invoked by running the following command-line, either from the Run dialog or Command Prompt:

systemreset -cleanpc

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Cannot Install Windows Store Apps and Edge Extensions in Windows 10?

If you’re unable to download, install or update the extensions for Microsoft Edge and other Apps available at the Windows Store in Windows 10, this post helps you how to fix those issues.

How to Uninstall and Reinstall OneDrive in Windows 10?

Since the beginning of Windows 10, uninstalling OneDrive desktop client required running OneDriveSetup.exe in the Windows\SysWOW64 directory (Windows x64) or Windows\System32 (Windows x86), with the /uninstall switch.

Now, you can uninstall OneDrive from the System Apps & Features Settings page or via Programs and Features in the Control Panel.

Backup your Wi-Fi Profiles and Restore them when needed

Saving Wi-Fi profile passwords helps you connect to networks automatically when in the range, without having to type the SSID and password every time. It’s even more helpful when connecting to hidden networks.

Hidden networks are hotspots with SSID broadcast turned off — which means you’ll need to type in the SSID (if you know the name) in addition to its PSK to connect to the network.

Additionally, you may want to backup all the saved Wi-Fi profiles with their passwords by exporting the configuration to XML files.

You will soon be able to pause Windows 10 updates

As Microsoft notes, security updates for Windows Defender will continue to be installed automatically which isn’t really an issue as these updates won’t affect the stability of the OS.

This feature, unfortunately, won’t be available until the Windows 10 Creators Update is released. At the moment, the Creators Update is expected to arrive in early 2017 — sometime around March. If you are a Windows Insider, you will likely be able to try out this feature in January when Microsoft releases a new Windows 10 Insider Preview build.

Microsoft bringing new 'Game Mode' to Windows 10

Microsoft is working on a brand new "Game Mode" feature for Windows 10 that will enhance the PC gaming experience by minimizing resources used by running apps to almost nothing and allocating freed up resources to the game, making it run faster, better and smoother overall.

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Have an early look at Project Neon, Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 UI update

Microsoft is actively working on a user interface update for Windows 10 called Project Neon. We first heard about the update last November but now, we’ve got some visuals to share courtesy of the crew over at MSPoweruser.

Project Neon is said to largely focus on things like animations, simplicity and consistency, or as the publication notes, it essentially brings back Aero Glass from Windows 7 and mixes it with some Windows Phone 7 / 8 animation elements.

Microsoft Edge – Prevent Download of Unsafe Files Blocked by SmartScreen Filter

The SmartScreen Filter warns the user when running unrecognized programs or files downloaded from the internet. When you download files using Microsoft Edge, the file download is blocked if the source URL is blacklisted or the downloaded program fails the application reputation check by Microsoft SmartScreen filter. However, Edge allows users to download the unsafe file regardless of the warning.

Windows 7 Games in Windows 10 – Chess Titans, FreeCell, Solitaire, Mahjong

The Games pack bundled with Windows Vista and Windows 7 included some some nice piece of software like Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place and some card games. Microsoft decided not to include the Games pack in Windows 10, as it now offers Modern or UWP version of some of those games from the Windows Store, which are ads supported.

If you’re an ardent fan of the classic Windows Vista/7 Games Explorer pack, you can download them from the links and play them in Windows 10.

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Chrome browser works faster after wake ups each day until a reboot.

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB3210721).

WIFI Advanced setting appears to reset to a Metered Connection...

Security company ESET says Microsoft’s Edge browser has no exploits in the wild

“From our point of view this situation with Edge was predictable, because, unlike IE11, Edge keeps modern security features turned on by default, including the AppContainer full process for sandbox and 64-bit processes for tabs,” the report says.

Internet Explorer had 109 known vulnerabilities, with 3 being exploited in the wild. Edge had 11, with none in the wild.

They note that the Edge browser finally purges Microsoft’s official browser from code which was written in the nineties when Microsoft was more security naive, and removed a range of interrelated vulnerabilities found in earlier versions of Windows.

Why make exploits when nobody is using it?

The 22 best changes in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15002

Microsoft to address latest Windows 10 privacy concerns with Creators Update

Microsoft is also introducing a new web-based privacy dashboard. It’s designed to show Microsoft Account users any activity data including location, search, browsing, and Cortana data in a single view. You can clear data like browsing history, location data, or search history all in the new privacy dashboard which is available now. Microsoft says it’s planning to “add more functionality and categories of data over time.”

Privacy advocates have argued since the introduction of Windows 10, that the operating system sends back location, text input, voice input, touch input, websites you visit, and other telemetry data to Microsoft. The company’s latest changes are clearly designed to address some of these concerns, but we’ll have to wait until the Creators Update is available in April to see whether Microsoft has truly addressed all of the EFF’s concerns.

Windows 10 Insider preview build arrives with a huge number of new features

Windows Goodbye or Dynamic Lock – New Windows 10 Creators Update Feature

Windows Goodbye or “Dynamic Lock” locks the device if it detects that the user is not around. Whereas “Windows Hello” signs in the user using face recognition. It’s unclear how the Dynamic Lock feature will work — whether a supporting hardware (camera, sensors) is required and if so, what type of equipment?

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New update may have finally messed up Bluetooth keyboard!

Tried to remove BT keyboard when Device Settings said there was a driver error:

However keyboard remained even after removal and a reboot as above.
Even uninstalled keyboard driver from Device Manager...which is kinda scary!

Reboot took over 5 minutes so I finally pressed the power button...

Finally found a new keyboard and I entered a numerical code to replace the bad one, which then disappeared.

Reliability indicates that the reboot was a Windows shutdown error:

BT drivers installed successfully...

Recent Windows 10 update broke multi-monitor gaming
Blame KB3213986 (for version 1607)

If you're a PC gamer that enjoys a bit of multi-monitor action, you might have run into several issues over the last couple of days. This isn't an issue with your hardware or drivers; a recent Windows 10 update has broken multi-monitor gaming in some situations.

All the blame can be laid on KB3213986, a general Windows 10 update released on January 10 that fixes a wide range of issues. Thanks to Windows 10's update system, this update was delivered automatically to nearly all Windows 10 users without any way to cancel or delay its installation.

Microsoft has acknowledged the issue with this update, stating that some users "may experience delayed or clipped screens while running 3D rendering apps (such as games) on systems with more than one monitor." One solution is to run games in windowed (or borderless windowed) mode, rather than full screen. Microsoft also suggests starting the application with only one monitor connected.

It seem as though KB3213986 does not include any security patches, so anyone affected by multi-monitor gaming issues can safely uninstall this update while Microsoft works on a fix.

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Uninstalled Cumulative Update for 32 bit Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB3210721).
Bluetooth keyboard driver error, failed to remove and reboot that lasted forever again.
Could not uninstall keyboard drivers listed in Device Manager either this time.
Cumulative update says it is a Security update when listed in Uninstall list...hmmm
Used Windows Update showhide (WUDshowhide) to prevent it from installing again.

After uninstall and reboot Windows decided to STEAL all of the app file defaults and reassigned them:

Note that Edge cannot use Java's confirmation page STILL, but it grabbed it! Only IE can be used!
Edge now steals all my Twitter app links!

Microsoft launches a Windows Update error code troubleshooting site

It supports Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The site offers different options based on the operating system you select.

If you select Windows 10, you will be asked to download the Windows Update Troubleshooter and run it. For Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users, you get different troubleshooters for their respective operating systems

Fix Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 Update errors

Microsoft warns business users to upgrade from "long-outdated" Windows 7

The posts states that corporate customers who don’t make the transition within the next three years face enormous dangers. There are also warnings over Windows 7’s “higher operating costs" resulting from security issues that Windows 10 could deal with, as well as its reliability and compatibility problems.

The Redmond firm may want to push everyone onto Windows 10, but Windows 7 remains the world’s most popular desktop/laptop operating system, holding a 48.34 percent share of the market. It’s especially popular withing the enterprise sector, which could be why the post specifically targets businesses.

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Microsoft to no longer update original Windows 10 release 1507 after March 26, 2017

The first release of Windows 10, known as 1507, is the version that Microsoft will no longer update after March 26, 2017. The other two versions of the product in market -- the November update (1511) from November 2015 and the Anniversary Update (1607) -- will continue to get regular security and feature fixes and updates.

The 1507 release won't just stop working, but it won't get updates of any kind after March 26. This is all part of Microsoft's grand Windows as a Service plan. No updates is one way of getting users to move to a more recent release.

Wonder when they will cutoff Version 1511 updates on my former XP laptop?

Microsoft annoys Chrome users with taskbar pop-up ads in Windows 10

Microsoft has started to advertise its Personal Shopping Assistant (PSA) extension for Chrome to Windows 10 users with a small notification above the browser’s taskbar icon.

The extension is billed as a "smart shopping cart across the web" that can automatically organize visited product pages, mark them as favorites, and let you know of price changes among other things. The add-on itself has been around for about a year and is also available for Edge, Opera, and Firefox.

The ads have begun appearing to those testing the still-in-beta Creators Update for Windows. In a short statement due to the initial backlash, A Microsoft spokesperson wrote: "We are always testing new features and information that can help people enhance their Windows 10 experience.”

Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) to be discontinued in Creators Update

1511 calls it Steps Recorder on the tile. It shows up as a small long window with options.

Windows 10 versus Windows 7: Whose numbers do you trust?

First, Windows 7 and Windows 10 completely dominate PC usage, accounting collectively for 72.7 percent to 88.9 percent of visits from the installed base. That's a pretty wide range, though, which I'll get into in a moment.

Second, about half of the installed base continues to use Windows 7, with all three data sources pegging the number within a couple points of 50 percent.

Based on my own efforts, I'd say many XP users were only able to upgrade to Windows 7 not 10.

Windows 10 Game Mode: Free FPS boost of a few percent, with more to come

The Creators Update will ship with a periodically updated whitelist of known games for automatically enabling Game Mode, in a fashion that's similar to the frequently updated optimization profiles that video drivers include. Windows users will also be able to opt in and out of Game Mode on a game-by-game basis using the Win+G keyboard shortcut. Microsoft plans to offer developers some facility for automatically enabling Game Mode for their software, though it's not clear if this will ship in the Creators Update or at some later point.

At the time of writing, a first Insider Preview build of Windows 10 with Game Mode should become available some time tomorrow, and Gammill told us that the internal build he was using, which is about a week newer than today's build, shows further improved performance.

How Windows 10's Game Mode will make your PC games run better

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Found that Chrome browser can be rejuvenated by closing it and restarting...
Taskbar has been stuck up for a few days now, otherwise laptop worked well all week.
No sign of Bluetooth problems either!

My One Calendar app was not updating anything but birthdays from Facebook
The Synchronization was reporting an error saying that it could not connect
So I removed my Outlook.com account (Windows) from app and reinstalled it.

M$ may have changed the URL for some reason...



The Facebook and Webcal accounts are necessary to get Facebook birthdays.

The MS Calendar is even worse! No Facebook accounts even listed.

KB3216755 Cumulative Update (14393.726) for Windows 10 called out in KB3213986

Windows 10 Cumulative Update 14393.726 KB3216755 for v1607 has been released, but it’s only available on the Microsoft Update Catalog website. This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update. Key changes include:

Addressed known issue called out in KB3213986—Users may experience delays while running 3D rendering apps with multiple monitors. If you installed earlier updates, only the new fixes contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

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How to stop Windows 10 from rebooting after updates

First, right-click the Start menu and select the Control Panel.

On the upper left-hand side, at the very top, select Administrative Tools. Next select Task Scheduler then scroll to expand the Microsoft navigation tree to find Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator then select Reboot in the middle pane, then click Disable in the far-right pane.

This is how Task Scheduler looks on my Windows 10 laptop after stretching a bit:

Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator ................Reboot ............................... Disable \ Enable

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After Edge took over PDF files it cannot find the WIFI printer!

Go to System Settings and Choose default apps by file type at bottom:

DO NOT RESET TO MICROSOFT RECOMMENDED DEFAULTS!
A list of file types will come up. This will take some time!
Meanwhile Windows 10 is CHANGING APP DEFAULTS as you wait!

Hopefully your previous default PDF program will display when clicked

Once the app was changed the printer was found and printed the file!

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Laptop froze after running about 11 days, had to restart...

4 days later lost Bluetooth keyboard again...
Bluetooth keyboard driver error, failed to remove and reboot that lasted forever again.
Could not uninstall keyboard drivers listed in Device Manager either this time.
Cumulative update says it is a Security update when listed in Uninstall list...hmmm
Used Windows Update showhide (WUDshowhide) to allow it to be installed again.
Re-installed Cumulative Update for 32 bit Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB3210721).

Microsoft Delays February 2017 Security Updates Due to "Last Minute Issue"

Our top priority is to provide the best possible experience for customers in maintaining and protecting their systems. This month, we discovered a last minute issue that could impact some customers and was not resolved in time for our planned updates today.

After considering all options, we made the decision to delay this month’s updates. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this change to the existing plan.

Cortana can now remind you to do the things you promised to do in your emails

Cortana does all the work in the background making this helpful feature incredibly easy to use.

To get started, simply send emails as you would normally and when you’ll do something, Cortana will recognize that and save the details in a suggested reminder for you. If you’ve specified a deadline in the email, Cortana will ping you before it’s due and save it in the action center. Other suggested reminders will be in the Cortana home.

The new feature is available today in the United States on Windows 10, and Microsoft says that it will expand to iOS and Android "in the coming weeks".

The feature is dependent on user consent, so if you don't like the idea of your emails being 'scanned' for reminders, that won't be a problem

Apparently not on Windows 8.1 Phone...

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32 bit 1511 laptop froze again after only 2 days with last update...

Microsoft quietly prolongs life of original Windows 10 (1507)

Rather than end support for Windows 10 v. 1507 -- Microsoft labels the OS by year and month -- in March, as announced last year, the company will issue the version's final security updates in May, probably May 9, that month's Patch Tuesday.

Probably because they had no update so far this month...

Support family and friends with Windows 10’s new Quick Assist app

And unlike some remote-access tools such as Microsoft's older Remote Desktop Connection, Quick Assist doesn't blank out the screen of the computer being controlled remotely -- users at both computers see the desktop of the PC being controlled. That makes Quick Assist a great teaching tool: The person remote-controlling the computer can demonstrate how to use a particular program or perform a particular task.

How to use Microsoft's Paint 3D in Windows 10 Creators Update

Chances are that you haven’t seen Paint 3D yet—but you will. Microsoft first launched the app in conjunction with the Windows 10 Creators Update and Surface Studio announcements last fall. Since then, the app has remained accessible to Insiders only as a preview, before its more general release later this spring. If you’re running an Insider build, there’s really no reason not to download it from the Store and try it out. We’ll show you how!

"Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros

Here's how it works in practice: If you upgraded to Windows 10 Pro one year ago, in February 2016, you got the latest release, version 1511. Six months later, Microsoft released the Anniversary Update, version 1607, to the Current Branch (CB). That version was released to the Current Branch for Business (CBB) on November 29, 2016.

An option available only in business versions (Pro/Enterprise/Education) allows you to defer feature updates until they're released to the Current Branch for Business. Using Group Policy, you can defer those updates by an additional eight months in version 1511. That means you'll be forced to upgrade to version 1607 or later in July 2017, less than a year and a half after your initial deployment.

And that upgrade cycle is going to get tighter. In version 1607, the Group Policy to defer updates shrinks from eight months to 180 days, with a 60-day grace period at the end. In addition, Microsoft has hinted that it plans to ship two feature updates per year starting in 2017. The upshot is that you should expect to upgrade every PC in your organization roughly once a year.

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Laptop still running on 4th day...taskbar hides so far too...
Full browser window Facebook popup videos hard or impossible to play on laptop.

No February 2017 Patch Tuesday

Microsoft is very vague in the announcement. First, it is not really clear if all updates are postponed, or if only a subset of updates are not delivered. While it seems clear that Windows updates are postponed, it is not really clear if the same is true for Office, Microsoft .NET or other Microsoft product updates.

Second, and this is the major problem for many probably, is that the postponing means that Flash has not been updated yet, and that the SMB Zero-Day vulnerability has not been patched either.

Third, we don't really know anything about the issue that delayed the release of security patches. This opens the door for speculation, and suggestions ranged from "what Microsoft said" to Windows Update servers may have been compromised.

Some updates, including the telemetry updates KB2952664 and KB2976978 have been pulled from the Microsoft Update Catalog as well. It is unclear whether this is related to the issue.

It is unclear whether Microsoft will push out select, critical security patches prior to March's Patch Tuesday, or if all Windows users will have to wait until March 2017 to get the patches for their machines.

It is recommended to block Flash in Microsoft Edge to block any attacks.

1) Click on the menu icon (the three dots) and select Settings from the menu.
2) Scroll down and select "view advanced settings".
3) There you find a toggle for Adobe Flash. Switch "Use Adobe Flash Player" to off, to disable the technology in Edge and protect the browser from Flash-targeting attacks.

Desktop W10 PC received Definition Update for Windows Defender - KB2267602 (Definition 1.235.3406.0) on 2-22.
Both received Security Update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB4010250) on 2-22.


There’s another Windows 10 update coming after the Creators Update

While Microsoft did not directly give a timeline for the release of the next featured update for Windows 10 this year, mentions of it can be seen above in the above video at around the 23-minute mark. In the video, Microsoft discusses the Windows 10 release lifecycle, specifically mentioning that “plus the two [releases] that we intend in shipping in 2017.”

The over hour long video had low volume on my laptop. (no ad blockers)

Windows 10 privacy settings still worrying European watchdogs

How to Customize or Restore Your Icons in Windows

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Windows 10’s Settings Are a Mess, and Microsoft Doesn’t Seem to Care

It’s been over four years since Microsoft first released the PC Settings interface with Windows 8, but the Control Panel and Settings app are still a confusing, split experience. There still isn’t a single interface, as there is on other operating systems, and Microsoft is seriously dragging their feet on consolidating them.

Microsoft told us that Windows 10 would continue to include the Control Panel “until the Settings app is developed with the complete settings options needed to support all Windows devices.” But Microsoft seems content to slowly move over a few settings every year rather than finish the job now—or, you know, before Windows 10 was released.

Tweaking Windows 10 Privacy Settings

The first order of business is to head to the Windows 10 Privacy settings. So yes, there's actually a centralized place where you can tweak this stuff, with more updates to come in the upcoming 'Creators update'. To get there, click on Start, then go to Settings > Privacy and click the General tab on the left sidebar. Here, you’ll find four options that can all safely be disabled.

These are the privacy settings listed in version 1511 on my laptop:


How to Bring Back the Quick Launch Bar in Windows 7, 8, or 10

Microsoft is making it easy to stop Windows 10 rebooting your PC randomly

To stop these random reboots, Microsoft is adding a new snooze option that appears in a new prompt to let you know there’s a Windows 10 update available. Snooze will stop an update installing for three days, and give you time to save any crucial work. Alongside snooze, you can also pick a time to schedule a restart for a more convenient time. Microsoft has been testing these changes with Windows Insiders, and says the feedback has been positive.

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Laptop ran a week until it got slow with only one restart of Chrome.

An update on our Unified Update Platform (UUP) for insiders only

As a recap, one of the biggest benefits UUP brings to our customers is a reduction in download size of build updates on PCs. We’ve converged technologies in our build and publishing systems to enable differential downloads for both PC and Mobile.

A differential download package contains only the changes that have been made since the last time you updated your device, rather than a full build. Differential download packages rely on re-using files on your current OS to reconstruct the newer OS. This could include copying files as-is that have not changed between builds, or it could involve applying “binary deltas” or “diffs” to old files to generate newer files. Differential download packages are smaller and can take a shorter amount of time to download.

Android inches closer to passing Windows as most popular OS for internet

In North America Windows (all versions) maintained its lead across all platforms with 40.7% share in February followed by iOS (24.9%) and Android (20.3%). It’s a similar story in Europe where Windows (51.8%) is more than twice the level of Android (23.5%). However, in Asia, Android is now over 50% (51.8%) compared to 29.8% for Windows.

Microsoft better start working on making more APPS available. What good is Windows 10 when it cannot run
most common apps available on Android or IOS? Their phones are USELESS.
They should at least find a way to allow Android apps to run on Windows 10!

Microsoft now puts ads in Windows 10 File Explorer

The OneDrive advert in File Explorer is much less subtle than some of Microsoft’s past Windows promotions. It’s also not controlled by the same option as other ads in Windows 10. If you want to disable this pop-up, go to View > Options in File Explorer. Scroll down and turn off the option for “Show sync provider notifications.” The drawback here is that you won’t see any sync provider notifications, but if you don’t use OneDrive, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Microsoft will soon let you try Windows Store apps without having to install them

The company announced that it has launched the feature, dubbed Playable Ads, in the Windows Dev Center last week. Unlike Google’s version, which runs part of an app, Playable Ads lets you try a full Windows Store application as if it was natively installed on your device by streaming it for just three minutes.

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Laptop got Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB4013198).

WIFI disconnected on first day after a few hours sleep...

Say goodbye to these Windows 10 features in the Creators Update

Microsoft is expected to begin the process of finalizing the Windows 10 Creators Update in the next few days, selecting a release candidate which should make its way to Windows Insiders from next week. The final update is expected to roll out to all Windows 10 users from next month - heading to PCs first, and other devices later - bringing a wide range of new features and improvements to the OS.

Microsoft fixes record number of flaws, some publicly known

The company published 17 security bulletins covering 135 vulnerabilities in its own products and one separate bulletin for Flash Player, which has its security patches distributed through Windows Update. Nine bulletins are rated critical and nine are rated as important.

The affected products include Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Office, Exchange, Skype for Business, Microsoft Lync, and Silverlight.

Desktop: Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4013429).
Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4013418).
Security Update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1607 (for x64-based Systems) (KB4014329).


Microsoft now blocks Windows 7 and 8.1 updates on Kaby Lake, Ryzen systems

It seems clear, though, that Microsoft doesn't want these processors to work on their older operating systems. So they've decided to roll out a processor check in Windows Update on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, preventing users from download updates if their system contains a Kaby Lake or Ryzen CPU.

Microsoft's recommended fix is, of course, to upgrade your system to Windows 10, even if it's working perfectly on an older OS. There does not appear to be any technical reason for the restriction, other than Microsoft's statement that these processors aren't supported.

Microsoft lets Windows 7 and 8.1 users reserve free upgrade to Windows 10