windows 10

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)

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)

Infopackets Reader 'Brad' writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded to Windows 10 and the File Explorer (previously Windows Explorer) looks much different than it did previously. I would like to know how to change the default settings in File Explorer ... so that my icon view is set for Large Icons. Before I upgraded to Windows 10, my folder settings all looked the same (using Large Icons). I want this setting so that when I view a folder full of images, I can see their thumbnails. Can you help? " My response: Generally speaking you can set 1 folder to view with the 'Large Icons' setting, and then ... (view more)

Infopackets Tina V. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded to Windows 10 and am using Edge as my default web browser -- it's very different than Internet Explorer. Can you tell me: how can I change the start page in Edge? Right now it opens up with ... a bunch of tiles, asking me "where to" - and I don't like it. I'd much change my home page in Edge to start with Google.com. Any help you can offer would be appreciated! " My response: Changing the start or home page in Edge is much different than Internet Explorer, mostly because Microsoft Edge is made for touch-enabled devices. That said, getting ... (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)

Infopackets Reader Tim G. writes: " Dear Dennis, Since I upgraded to Windows 10, I cannot find how to view or create Libraries. Previously I was using Windows 7 and used Libraries extensively to sort my files. Can you help? " My response: The ... Libraries feature in Windows 10 is somewhat hidden, but you can make it viewable if you do the following: Click Start and then click This PC. A Windows File Explorer window will open; at the top left of the screen you will see the following tabs: File, Computer, and View. Click the View tab. The first option is Navigation Pane; click that, and then click ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Kelly S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded to Windows 10 and many of my programs are missing from the Start Menu. For example, Office 2013 is missing, so is Adobe Acrobat, and also Norton Antivirus is gone. Do you have any ... idea how this happened? Can you help me find my missing programs in the Start Menu? " My response: There are a number of reasons why programs go missing from the Start Menu after upgrading to Windows 10 - I'll try and shed some light. Windows 10 Program Incompatibility If a program is not compatible with Windows 10 , it will not be imported when you ... (view more)

Microsoft is to ditch support for all but the latest edition of Internet Explorer. The news coincides with reports that Microsoft's new Edge browser is rapidly falling from favor. The discontinued support Internet Explorer affects versions 8, 9 and ... 10 and will end on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. That will mark the final update for those systems, which will simply consist of an on-screen notification urging user to upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 or Edge. Officially, only Windows 7, 8, and 10 can run Internet Explorer 11, while Edge runs on Windows 10. Unlike some browsers such as Firefox ... (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)

Infopackets Reader Steve S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am trying to install Windows 10 Threshold 2 version 1511, release 10586 / 1511, otherwise known as 'Th2_release Professional 10586' through Windows Update, but I keep getting an error when it ... tries to install. The error message states 'We found some issues. Select this message to fix and finish updating.' I clicked the link and received another message, stating 'Could not update system reserved partition.' So, now the update won't install and I can't upgrade my Windows 10 to the latest version. Can you ... (view more)