microsoft

Microsoft's revamped version of the Edge browser will launch on January 15, 2020. It's based on the same code as Google's Chrome and will be able to run Chrome extensions. Designed as a replacement for the much maligned Internet Explorer, Edge ... debuted with the release of Windows 10 back in July, 2015. The original version was built from scratch using Microsoft's own browser engine, which is the component that turns a web page's code into what users actually see on the screen. The new edition isn't simply an update but rather a complete rebuild. It will now use code and ... (view more)

Microsoft is adding an extra layer of security to Windows 10: it's blocking malware from tampering with Windows Defender. That's a security tool that's available commercially to businesses but is also built in to Windows 10 without extra cost. ... Tamper Protection tackles a rather cheeky tactic used by some malware creators, namely having the malware access Windows Defender and switch off key features. The idea is to reduce the likelihood of malware being detected in action. The feature has been in testing since April, 2019 and is now ready for a public rollout. Naturally Microsoft is keeping ... (view more)

Dear Infopackets Readers, For the past 5+ years I've been writing articles about fake tech support scammers based in India. In fact, I just published an article about "Expert4Help" scam last week. Here's how the scam works: While browsing the ... Internet, you may suddenly receive a full screen "virus warning". The warnings appear even when browsing legitimate websites (Amazon.com, for example). The warnings are often accompanied by a computer-generated voice, which says that the computer is infected and that you must call "Microsoft support" to "fix" the "problem". These warnings are meant to be ... (view more)

The latest Windows 10 update is designed to fix problems with printers. Instead it seems to be causing more problems. The update in question is Microsoft patch KB4524147 , which is marked as a "critical" update for those users running Windows 10 ... version 1903. It addresses an Internet Explorer scripting engine security vulnerability (CVE-2019-1367) . Another highlight of this update is a fix for "an intermittent issue with the print spooler service that may cause print jobs to fail." Unfortunately some users report quite the opposite has happened with regard to their printers. Since ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tricia B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I stumbled across your article on PC / Web Network Experts after researching Expert4help.com scam . A few weeks ago I was using my PC when suddenly I received a popup virus alert stating that my PC ... was infected. I called 1-833-257-8555 and spoke to a man with a thick Indian accent . They then connected to my PC remotely and installed some antivirus software to 'fix' the 'problems'. They then wanted me to sign a 3 year contract with them for $898 . I told them 'No,' and that I would pay $350 for a 1 year contract. They kept insisting that I ... (view more)

Microsoft has issued an emergency patch for Internet Explorer. In the most extreme circumstances, a user simply visiting a website could give a hacker complete remote control of a computer. Between Chrome's dominance and Edge becoming the default on ... new Windows machines, Internet Explorer is far from popular and is now used on around 8 percent of desktop computers. However, that still means around a hundred million machines could be affected by this bug. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) It's a sign of how serious the problem is that Microsoft has issued an emergency patch, or as it calls it, an out-of- ... (view more)

Users have highlighted two more problems with the latest Windows 10 Update, released September 10, 2019. It's messed up sound for some users, while others can no longer get online. For those keeping track, the problems are with the Windows 10 update ... KB4515384 , which has already given some users a broken Windows search tool and others a mysterious red or orange hue to their screen. Ironically, that update was designed partly to fix problems with a previous update ( KB4512941 ) which broke the Windows Search for some users, and also caused constant high processor demand for others. One of the ... (view more)

It's becoming something of a pattern that Microsoft issues a Windows 10 Update that causes a problem , then issues a follow-up that fixes it, but then introduces new problems. And it's happened again. Just last week Microsoft issued an update ( ... KB4512941 ) that fixed problems in the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903), but introduced new bugs with some users finding the Windows search tool didn't work at all, or their processors were under constant strain. Microsoft has since release a new bug fix (KB4515384) for the previous bug fix, but users are reporting new problems. At the time of ... (view more)

Microsoft has changed its mind about phasing out support for Adobe Flash, which is used to help web browsers view multimedia. Both Internet Explorer and the current edition of Edge browsers will continue to support the technology by default until ... the end of 2020, in contrast to other browsers. Adobe says it's ditching Flash at the end of next year, largely because it's become redundant with website designers now preferring to create multimedia and interactive elements in HTML 5, rather than with Flash. HTML 5 works in modern browsers without the need for plug-ins like Flash. Chrome and ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jeanie G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I believe I have been scammed by Quick PC Experts ( quickpcexpert.com ). I was using my web browser and suddenly a virus warning appeared on my screen, stating that I needed to call Microsoft ... certified support at 1-855-724-2570 . There was no way for me to close the virus alert window. I was very frightened and so I called the 1-800 number. The person I spoke to had a very thick Indian accent . Quick PC Expert then confirmed that my computer was infected, and that's when I let them remotely connect to my PC. They installed a firewall and ... (view more)