Latest news with #WindowsUpdate
Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Best Practices for Managing Windows 10 End of Life Securely
Windows 10 end of life security. In less than three years, Microsoft will no longer provide any form of support to users of the OS. On October 14, 2025, the company will stop pushing out security updates and any other technical support for Windows 10. At this point, you can continue to use your Windows 10 device as usual — the OS wo n't shut off suddenly or stop working. still, it'll no longer be defended against malware and ransomware, and vulnerabilities will be left open without security updates to fix them. Your best bet is to start by checking the Windows 10 upgrade guide. It clearly states if your device is eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 11. If so, this is your best bet for a seamless upgrade path that is also quite affordable since it's completely free through Windows Update. Windows 11 brings a host of modern security and performance improvements and features over its predecessor. If your device doesn't Windows 10 support ending, you'll have to choose another option, like secure Windows 10 transition (ESU) plan. This service is only available to commercial customers (businesses and organizations), and you must pay to keep getting security updates after the end-of-support date. ESU costs consumers about $30 per device, per year, though some existing commercial customers may have lower rates negotiated with Microsoft. However, there's good news if you don't qualify for an ESU discount: Microsoft has announced that it will be offering the Extended Security Updates program for free. All you need to do is either sign in to your device with a Microsoft account or redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points and you'll be all set. Microsoft offers various tools for businesses to help you manage Windows 10 EOL, from simple readiness checklists to more advanced deployment planning and professional migration services. If you're in an enterprise setting, it's also worth taking a look at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the UK's recommendation to companies to 'move away from Windows 10 as soon as possible.'
Mint
29-07-2025
- Mint
5 Windows settings I tweak on every new laptop to get more done faster
As someone who reviews multiple laptops, setting up a fresh machine each time gets a little repetitive. But over time, I have built a routine during setup that helps me get started faster. It also makes the device more efficient right from the start. Today, I am sharing these tricks with you so you can also make your Windows laptop experience much better. Setting up a new Windows laptop feels great, but not when you have to do it every few weeks. I discovered a simple trick to bypass the Microsoft account login screen. On the setup screen, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt. Then type oobe\bypassnro and press Enter. The laptop will reboot and return to the setup screen. When you reach the network setup stage this time, click 'I don't have internet' to create a local account. This saves time and avoids automatic sign-ins to all Microsoft apps. Trackpad gestures significantly boost productivity, especially when working with many browser tabs. I set the three-finger tap to act as the middle mouse button, which is ideal for opening links in new tabs and quickly closing them. I also customise the four-finger swipe up/down gestures to control volume. To do this, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad > Advanced gestures. There, you can modify the three-finger and four-finger gestures to suit your workflow. You can also assign a four-finger tap to play/pause music and use four-finger left/right swipes to skip tracks. Most laptops come preloaded with bloatware that consumes storage and system resources, eventually slowing performance. You can uninstall these apps using a powerful uninstall tool called Revo Uninstaller. I recommend using this tool very carefully, as it can also uninstall system apps that may be important for Windows to function properly. Many laptops I review feature QHD+ or 4K resolutions, and default scaling often wastes valuable screen space. Adjusting the scaling greatly improves productivity by allowing more content to fit in apps and enhancing split-screen efficiency. To adjust, right-click on the desktop and select Display settings. Scroll down to Scale and layout, then adjust the scaling percentage. I typically reduce it to 125% or even 100%, depending on the display size and resolution. Most people don't realise this, but Delivery Optimisation quietly runs in the background and can slow things down. It's supposed to speed up updates by sharing them with other PCs over the internet, but in reality, it ends up using bandwidth and system resources. I always disable it right after setup. To do this, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimisation, and turn it off.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
Microsoft Backtracks on 'Fixed' Windows 11 Firewall Issue
Microsoft is addressing an ongoing Windows 11 problem that triggers error messages in the Event Viewer. The issue, which began with the operating system's June 2025 preview update and was mistakenly marked as fixed earlier this month, causes an error with the label "Config Read Failed" to appear in the Events log each time a user restarts their PC. This error is recorded as Event ID 2042 for Windows Firewall With New Security. In a new update, Microsoft explained that this event log is connected to Windows Firewall and shows the message "More data is available." The company says these errors do not mean there is an actual problem with Windows Firewall. Instead, these alerts arise from a mysterious new functionality Microsoft is working on. As a result, the error message "can be safely ignored," the company noted. Microsoft initially announced that this bug had been fixed in its July Patch Tuesday updates. But the company later corrected itself, saying the issue had been marked as resolved by mistake. Microsoft apologized for the confusion and revealed that a real fix will be included in an update soon.
Mint
22-07-2025
- Mint
Windows laptop battery draining quickly? Turn off these 7 services right now
If you use a Windows laptop, you've probably noticed how quickly the battery drains, especially when you're not near a charger. One reason is that Windows runs a lot of background services you don't actually need. These services quietly eat up your battery even when you're not doing much. Here are 7 Windows services you safely turn off to make your battery last longer when you're working, studying or travelling. 1. Turn off Windows Search Indexer Have you ever noticed your laptop heating up or slowing down even when you're just browsing or typing a document? One reason could be the Windows Search Indexer. This tool keeps scanning your files to make the search bar work faster. But the truth is, it doesn't do a great job and keeps running even in battery saver mode. Turning it off won't harm your laptop, but yes, it'll just make the search a little slower. You can also use better tools like 'Everything' or 'PowerToys Run' if you really need to search quickly. 2. Stop background updates with BITS The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) downloads updates quietly. But it runs all the time and uses CPU, storage and battery. This is especially annoying when you're watching a video or on a Zoom call since your laptop might slow down or heat up. Disabling it means you'll need to check for updates manually, which is not a bad thing. Your laptop will also feel smoother if you're using an older hard drive. 3. Disable Windows data collection Windows constantly collects information about how you use your PC. This is done by the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry service. It runs in the background and uses system resources even if you don't notice it. If you value your privacy and want to save some battery, turning this off is a smart idea. You might not see a huge difference immediately, but over time, the battery savings add up. 4. Skip Program Compatibility checks The Program Compatibility Assistant checks if older software will run on your PC. But most of us don't use ancient apps. And when the service kicks in, it can slow things down and drain your battery. Unless you're using legacy software, turning this off won't hurt anything. You can always turn it back on later or run older apps using a virtual machine if needed. 5. Say no to Windows Error Reporting This service sends crash reports to Microsoft. It doesn't fix problems—it just reports them. And when it's active, it can use up to 10% of your CPU. If you're working on the go or dealing with errors, this can drain your battery fast. Turning it off won't affect your laptop's normal usage. 6. Pause Windows Update Medic This tool helps Windows Update run smoothly. But it also kicks in randomly and uses CPU power when you least expect it. If you've already turned off BITS, this one won't do much anyway. Keep it off and only enable it when you're plugged in and ready to update. 7. Disable touch keyboard service (If you don't need it) This is for touchscreen or stylus use. If you don't use those features, this service is just wasting battery. If your laptop doesn't have a touchscreen, turn it off. But leave it on if you use a pen or touch input.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
A Windows 11 update failing to install is nothing new, but Microsoft has spectacularly dropped the ball with the latest patch for June
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Windows 11's June update is failing to install for some people It's complicated because Microsoft released an initial update this month – which was paused – and then a revised patch that replaced it This revised patch is also causing unfortunate bugs according to some reports Windows 11's latest update is proving problematic for some folks who can't even install it, and others are running into trouble with bugs in the patch – or the fact that it doesn't resolve the issues that it's supposed to. We need to rewind a bit here for context, and remember that Microsoft got off to a bad start with Windows 11 24H2's update for June. The initial patch (codenamed KB5060842) was paused after Microsoft discovered that it was clashing with an anti-cheat tool, meaning games using that system would crash. To resolve this, Microsoft released a second update (patch KB5063060) that replaced the first patch in Windows Update, but as Windows Latest reports, people are running into installation failures with that upgrade. Some users are encountering the usual nonsensical and unhelpful error messages (bearing meaningless error codes like '0x800f0922'), while others say that the revised update gets stuck downloading and never actually finishes. This is based on complaints from Microsoft's Feedback Hub, readers contacting Windows Latest directly, and posts on Reddit like this one, which describes a worrying boot loop (of three to four reboots) before the user got back into Windows 11 to discover the update installation hadn't worked. There are people also saying they've run into bugs with KB5063060. Those include reports of the taskbar freezing when the PC wakes up from sleep, and issues with external monitors going wrong and Bluetooth devices being forgotten (so you must rediscover them every time Windows 11 is restarted). There are some more worrying reports of PCs ending up freezing full-stop, so they need to be rebooted. And there are a few complaints (again on Reddit) that even after installing this second patch – which is supposed to work fine with games that use Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) – some games are still problematic. 'I still get the same problem playing Star Citizen," wrote one gamer. "Game freezing randomly and the Windows event log viewer showing the EAC error.' There are further reports of Fortnite and efootball25 (which used to be PES) still crashing, so it seems that not all the wrinkles have been ironed out. Analysis: a disappointingly messy rollout for June Installation failures are a long-running problem with Windows 11 (and Windows 10 for that matter). It's therefore no surprise that, given the misfire with the initial update, more issues are now cropping up. As Windows Latest points out, because there were two updates this time round, there may be issues with PCs that already grabbed KB5060842 and are now getting the second KB5063060 update, due to having a game with EAC installed that's affected by the anti-cheat compatibility bug in the first one. In such scenarios, it's possible that Windows 11 trying to overwrite the first patch with the second is causing Windows Update to fall over. Those in this situation should be limited in numbers, though, as Microsoft pulled the first patch quite swiftly (so it didn't get through to many PCs with games that use EAC, at least in theory anyway). That's just speculation, but whichever way you slice it, this has been a messy rollout of an update (well, a pair of updates technically). What can you do if you're stuck unable to install the revised June update? One approach is to download the update manually and install it directly, which you can do by grabbing the file from Microsoft's site (the x64 version, as the Arm-based one is for Snapdragon PCs). That should install successfully, but I'd be rather wary of taking this approach if you're not a reasonably confident computer user. Alternatively, you can simply wait until Microsoft hopefully sorts out any issue(s) behind the scenes on its side, and the update might just succeed under its own steam later this week. There's no guarantee of that, though, and you're very much in a less-than-ideal situation. Those who can install the revised update, but are still experiencing crashing with games (or elsewhere) can't do much except wait and pray any issues are resolved. The only other possible route is to uninstall the patch, but that's not recommended due to it leaving your PC without the latest round of security fixes provided with every cumulative update for Windows 11. (You also won't get the newest features either, some of which are nifty additions). You might also like... Windows 11's hidden PC migration feature proves Microsoft isn't messing around when it comes to killing off Windows 10 macOS Tahoe 26 is official - here's everything you need to know about all the new features Can't upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux project wants to save your old PC from the scrapheap when Windows 10 support ends
