Microsoft

Microsoft has reclassified Windows 10 as a "recommended update" for Windows 7 and 8.1. That means it will automatically download and attempt to install for many, and likely even most, users. It will be possible to stop the installation or to undo it ... without any major hassles (with some restrictions). That said, the download could be a problem for people on restrictive broadband plans. Late last year Microsoft classified Windows 10 as an optional update . That meant users could manually choose to download and install it through the Windows Update system that's normally used for ... (view more)

Windows virtual assistant Cortana will soon step up scanning of emails by default, in order to make Cortana more useful. Whether its an improvement or a sign of creepiness on Microsoft's part is up for debate. The announcement comes almost 3 years ... to the date, where Microsoft publicly launched a campaign named " Don't get scroogled by Gmail ." In that campaign, Microsoft complained that Google's email scanning practice was unjust. Email Scanning Takes Note of Schedule Cortana's new email scanning is being tested among Windows Insiders - the group of users who have signed up to get ... (view more)

In a move surely to upset many users, Microsoft has said it will be ditching support for Windows 7 and 8.1 on most new PCs. Some other PCs will lose support next July, earlier than many expected. The change is to do with the Skylake micro ... architecture for processors released by Intel in August 2015. Many PCs purchased recently will be running Skylake, as will most in the future. Until now, Microsoft had promised to offer extended support for Windows 7 until January 2020 and for Windows 8.1 until January 2023. Extended support means Microsoft continues to fix bugs and issue security updates, ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially dropped support for Windows 8. The move leaves an estimated 30 to 50 million devices needing an upgrade to get security and usability updates. The move, which takes effect with this weeks updates, is potentially confusing as ... Windows 7 is still supported by Microsoft. Additionally, this isn't the usual support timetable that applies to older editions of Windows. Instead, Microsoft is simply dropping support for Windows 8 where users haven't applied the first major batch of updates. Previously that was known as a service pack, but in this case Microsoft chose to ... (view more)

Rumors suggest that Microsoft will allow Windows 10 users a way to access mobile data connections without having to deal directly with mobile carriers. The system would require a special Microsoft SIM card , and could make life easier for people on ... the move. There's no official confirmation Microsoft yet, but the company has already published an app in the Windows 10 store. At the moment the app, simply titled "Cellular Data", appears to be a placeholder while the 'further details' link points back to the main Microsoft website. The app description says it will let customers ... (view more)

Microsoft claims 200 million devices are now running Windows 10. Independent estimates suggest the figure may be credible, but a variety of factors make it hard to label the number as a clear success or failure. The 200 million figure is said to be ... based on devices connecting to Windows Update. It represents the number of different devices that have connected - and thus shown they are switched on and running the system - at least once over a one-month period. (Source: windows.com ) Independent Estimate Suggests 164 Million While it's impossible to independently verify the statistics, the ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed the latest Windows 10 update has messed up Word 2016 for some users. Fixing the mistake is possible but somewhat complicated. The problem comes with the latest cumulative update to the system, known as Windows 10 Cumulative ... Update KB3124200, released December 17, 2015. The component update that's causing the problem accidentally renames a file during the update, which then causes macros, autotext entries, and styles to no longer load. Autocomplete Among The Messed-Up Features The file in question (normal.dotm) stores all the template information for Microsoft Word 2016 ... (view more)

Microsoft's latest change to the way it pushes users to upgrade to Windows 10 has been described as a "confusing new low." It's now using an on-screen message that appears to trick users into believing they must install the new operating system. The ... change is to the 'Get Windows 10' notification. That's the small white Windows logo that has appeared in the bottom right of the screen for most users of Windows 7 and 8.1 since a system update earlier in the year. Clicking on the logo brings up some promotional material for Windows 10 and a link to download the new operating ... (view more)

A software engineer has accused Microsoft of going to extreme lengths to push users into upgrading to Windows 10. Josh Mayfield says Microsoft is in a cat and mouse game with users who are explicitly trying to avoid an upgrade. We've previously ... reported on Microsoft's tactics to make Windows 10 an automatic upgrade for many users . Microsoft went as far as to recently reclassify the operating system as an optional update to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, meaning it will automatically install for all users who have set their machines to trust Microsoft and accept all updates. As things ... (view more)

Windows 10 is picking up new users at an increasingly slower pace according to newly-published figures. An international breakdown suggests the decision for Microsoft to give Windows 10 away free of charge may not have had as much impact as ... expected. The main set of new figures covers November 2015 and is from NetMarketShare. As with several other companies, it provides visitor analysis for a large number of websites (around 40,000) and regularly collates the data from these sites. Windows 10 Still Behind XP, 7, and 8 During November 2015, Windows 10 was used by around nine percent of ... (view more)