Category Archives: Windows 10

In keeping with its traditionally senseless naming conventions, Microsoft decides to skip Windows 9 and call its next O/S Windows 10.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

More Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds

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The rapid pace of Windows 10 Preview builds being delivered to my test PC continues. I guess that’s what Microsoft meant when it described this release channel as ‘Fast’.

In the last week or so, my test PC has been updated four times, to Windows 10 preview builds 14383, 14385, 14388, and 14390.

Given that each of these new builds is effectively a new install of Windows 10, they are surprisingly non-intrusive. The downloads are of course large, so there’s a bandwidth consideration. But the downloads happen in the background, and the installs and subsequent restarts happen during off hours (at night). Often I don’t notice the change until I start copying files and notice that Explorer’s copy dialog has once again reverted to its default, simple view.

Note: the Windows 10 version number is no longer visible on the desktop. Microsoft says “the desktop watermark is now gone. This is because we’re beginning to check in final code in preparation for releasing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update”. I’m not sure I follow the logic there, but at least it’s somewhat consistent. The watermark stops appearing when a release is imminent.

Build 14383

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Build 14385

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Build 14388

Bug fixes; reliability and performance improvements.

Build 14390

Bug fixes.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

Windows 10 anniversary update coming August 2nd

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Microsoft is planning a big update for Windows 10 on its release anniversary. The update is planned for August 2, 2016, but that date may shift as we get closer.

The anniversary update will include the new Windows Ink, Edge browser extensions, and numerous performance and stability improvements. In other words, all the changes we’ve already seen as part of the Windows Insider program.

The update will be free to install on any computer already running Windows 10. After July 29, upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8.1 will no longer be free, and is expected to cost $119 USD.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

More Windows 10 Preview Builds

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Microsoft is pushing out new Windows 10 Preview Builds with somewhat alarming rapidity recently. Alarming, because it seems my test PC is always either downloading one of the massive updates, or installing one.

My test PC is now running Build 14379, and I haven’t noticed any changes of interest, good or bad. Let’s look at the release notes to see what’s different in the new builds.

Build 14371

A new Activation Troubleshooter helps to resolve problems encountered by users after changing hardware such as hard drives and motherboards.

This build also includes improvements to accessibility, and easier to understand Edge download displays. Some tweaks were made to a few display settings, and more display settings will now be maintained between builds.

Build 14372

According to the release notes, Build 14372 has “a handful of fixes to [improve] overall performance and reliability.”

Build 14376

Performance and reliability fixes for Windows Store, various display fixes, a fix for a specific Edge/Explorer crash, and a fix for an authentication error related to Terminal Services.

Build 14379

More display fixes and crash fixes.

Crapware, Hardware, Microsoft, Security, Things that are bad, Windows 10

Pre-installed crapware still a problem

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A recent report from Duo Security shows that pre-assembled, ready-to-run computers purchased from major vendors almost always include pre-installed software that often makes those computers much less secure. That’s in addition to being unnecessary, unstable, resource-hungry, and often serving primarily as advertising conduits.

If you purchase a pre-assembled computer, you should uninstall all unnecessary software as soon as possible after powering it up. Before even connecting it to a network. It can be difficult to identify exactly which software should be removed, but a good starting point is to remove anything that shows the manufacturer’s name as the Publisher. PC World has a helpful guide.

And now the good news, at least for some of us: Microsoft now provides a tool that allows a user with a valid license to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch at any time. Minus all the crapware that the manufacturer originally installed.

Microsoft, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.x

Microsoft now less sneaky about Windows 10 upgrades

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Now that their free Windows 10 upgrade offer is almost over, Microsoft thought this would be a good time to reduce some of the more devious tricks they’ve employed to fool users into upgrading from Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10.

One incredibly annoying behaviour of at least one of the previous upgrade dialogs was that closing the dialog by clicking the ‘X’ button at the top right corner was actually interpreted by Microsoft as approval to proceed with the upgrade.

But it’s too little, too late for some users, many of whom encountered serious problems after their computers were upgraded to Windows 10 without their approval.

Techdirt has an amusing look at this issue.

Update 2016Jul04: Apparently Microsoft is making one final big push to get people to upgrade. The Verge reports on new, screen-filling upgrade prompts that are starting to appear on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers.

Edge, Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds 14352, 14361, 14366, and 14367

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I was starting to wonder why my Windows 10 test computer wasn’t getting new preview builds. It was seemingly stuck on build 14342, as new build announcements paraded past in my RSS feed reader.

As much as possible, I’ve attempted to evaluate Windows 10 as a regular user, so I held off trying to fix this, assuming it would fix itself. A couple of days ago, I finally relented, and started to investigate.

Looking at All Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update, I was confronted with this message: “We couldn’t connect to the update service. We’ll try again later, or you can check now. If it still doesn’t work, make sure you’re connected to the Internet.” I clicked the Check for Updates button and initially it seemed to be working. It showed a new available build, and actually installed a minor update, but then when it started to download the new build, the message reappeared.

I found plenty of reports on the web of other people having similar difficulties, but mostly for earlier builds. None of the suggested solutions had any effect, including disabling the option Updates from more than one place, and running the Windows Update troubleshooter. The troubleshooter found nothing untoward.

I use a special DNS service for privacy reasons, so on a hunch, I switched to my ISP’s DNS and again checked for updates. Preview Build 14366 started downloading, and eventually installed.

Is Microsoft somehow preventing Windows 10 preview builds from being downloaded when certain DNS services are being used? I find that difficult to believe, but it’s certainly possible.

What’s new in builds 14352, 14361, and 14366?

Build 14352

Release announcement (May 26, 2016).

  • Cortana improvements
  • Windows Ink improvements
  • Feedback Hub now shows Microsoft’s responses
  • A load of bug fixes

Build 14361

Release announcement (June 8, 2016).

  • LastPass extension for Microsoft Edge
  • Windows Ink improvements
  • Settings – visual improvements
  • Start screen – visual improvements
  • the usual pile of bug fixes, many related to Edge

Build 14366

Release announcement (June 14, 2016).

  • Windows Store app – resource usage improvements
  • a bunch more bug fixes, including several for user interface glitches

Build 14367

Release announcement (June 16, 2016).

  • New tool to clean-install the latest Windows 10 release
  • the usual pile of bug fixes
Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14342

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I’ve been running build 14342 for a few days now on my test PC. I haven’t experienced any new problems, and it seems to have resolved at least one annoying networking problem left over from the previous build.

What’s New in Build 14342

User Account Control prompts now look different, but their functionality hasn’t changed. There are enhancements for Microsoft Edge, and improvements for the new BASH shell integration. A new setting, Settings > System > Apps for websites doesn’t work yet, but will in the future allow you to designate an app to open specific web sites. The Feedback Hub was also improved in this build.

Build 14342 contains fixes for numerous issues in previous builds, including problems with media playback, Cortana, displays, login, the user interface, apps, location, and anti-virus software compatibility.

Interestingly, the Wi-Fi Sense feature has been disabled. There’s been a lot of debate about the security of this feature since Windows 10 was released. Microsoft says the feature was disabled because nobody was using it. The Verge has more about this, as does Brian Krebs.

Adware, Cortana, Edge, Microsoft, Windows 10

Cortana no longer works with Google

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In a recent blog post, Microsoft announced that it is no longer possible to make Cortana work with any search engine other than Bing, or any browser other than Edge.

This announcement confirms two things: first, even Microsoft considers Cortana’s main function to be a voice interface for web searching. Second, despite its claims, Microsoft cares more about selling eyeballs to advertisers than giving users options.

To be fair, advertising is the business model of the web. Should we criticize Microsoft for trying to emulate Google? Yes. Yes we should. We (grudgingly) accept web advertising, because the vast majority of what we consume on the web is otherwise free.

On the other hand, stuffing ads into an operating system I paid for is not acceptable. Why not offer a free version of Windows that includes ads? One could argue that this is what Microsoft did, in offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade. But if that’s the case, where’s the paid version that doesn’t include ads?