The issue seems to appear after Windows tells users to restart and install updates. It was first reported on May 14, but has seen a surge recently as the update rolls out to more users. The black screens have been investigated by computer repair firm Computer Cellar, which beliefs it to be an issue with Avast. A large number of affected users report using Avast, with others on its other software, AVG....

Windows users are familiar with how the platform reacts when a new peripheral connects for the first time. Specifically, if the device has a manual (optional) driver, it would be available on Windows Update and install automatically. Users have had no control over these updates. Microsoft now says starting next month (November 5), the following changes will come to Windows 10: Available in Windows 10 version 2004, the new install process means the platform will no longer search for optional drivers if an automatic one is available....

These days, Microsoft runs Windows as a service. The company launched two yearly major feature updates for Windows 10 and monthly security and problem solving patches. The first of 2018 is the Spring Creators Update, also known as Redstone 4. Microsoft is finalizing that build as we speak and it will be launched in April. The second yearly release of 2018 will be the codenamed Redstone 5. Last year Microsoft changed the way the Insider Program operates....

Microsoft has confirmed it has known about this issue in Windows 10 October 2018 Update for two weeks. The company says the flaw causes the Task Manager to incorrectly report CPU usages. This was reported in the known issues of Windows 10 preview build 17763. You may remember build 17763 was the release to manufacturing (RTM) build for the October 2018 Update. It is unclear if Microsoft missed the problem or just decided to patch it after release....

According to a report from Winfuture.de, the chipmaker is upgrading the current processor. This is a hardware upgrade, which means current Always Connected PCs will be running old Snapdragon 835 technology. The evidence for the claim stems from new Geekbench benchmark results for Windows 10 on ARM. Specifically a Lenovo device running Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 845 flagship processor. As expected, the chip upgrade will bring significant improvements to hardware. Qualcomm’s new chipset sports 8 cores and can run at around 3GHz....

Thanks to Twitter’s Richard Hay, we now have an idea what that will look like. To get out of ‘S Mode’, users can visit the Microsoft store and click ‘Get’, similarly to an app installation. “With Windows 10, you can choose a PC that fits the way you work and live,” says the description. “If performance, security and peace of mind are your top priorities, stick with Windows 10 in S mode....

The update pushes the build to v18362.295 and contains many bug fixes and security updates. Users unable to install the build are missing out on these improvements, while those experiencing reboots after application are in an even worse situation. “Screen goes black, PC shuts down. PC restarts, and goes straight to Desktop. As though it were just restarting normally, were it not for the fact that it doesn’t wait for programmes to close before doing so,” explains one Reddit user (via WindowsLatest) “I don’t have a login or anything, and it doesn’t go to BIOS either....

While CERT detailed the flaw, it was discovered by SandBoxEscaper, who also provided a Proof-of-concept (PoC) for the problem. Firstly, to exploit the vulnerability, the bad actor would need to be local and using the PC. However, the problem is still worrying. The flaw is buried in the Windows 10 task scheduler and means the API function is not checking for permissions. CERT discussed the vulnerability earlier this week and stated there is no current patch available....

Now it seems early builds (via Windows Central) of Windows 10X feature a new setup experience. In a revolutionary turn of events, Microsoft is ditching Cortana and instead lets users click the options they want right away. This is likely to reduce accessibility, but the company is reportedly working on a full voice control system for the OS, so that’s likely to replace the digital assistant. The most striking change here is the design, however....

1 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your PC in Task Manager2 How to Identify What Processor / CPU is in Your PC in Settings3 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your the PC using Control Panel4 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your PC in System Information (msinfo32)5 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your the PC using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag)6 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your the PC with Device Manager7 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your PC with Command Prompt8 How to Check What Processor / CPU is in Your the PC using PowerShell9 How to Check Which Graphics Card You Have10 How to Check RAM Type, Speed and Size on Windows11 How to Check Your Motherboard Model Information on Windows...

Microsoft confirmed the release (via TechDows) this week as part of Windows Calculator. The company announced the update alongside Windows 10 Insider Preview build 20161, which is a Windows 10 21H1 release. However, Windows Calculator is update out of Microsoft’s regular Windows update cycle. This means updates can arrive whenever and are not tied to build number releases. Microsoft explains Graphing Mode was one of the top-requested tools for the calculator....

According to the app manifest files, it seems WCOS will install apps that report compatibility to Windows.Core and Windows.Universal. When compiling, devs will have to target specific device families. Currently, those include Windows desktop, Windows mobile, Team (Surface Hub) and Xbox. Alternatively, devs can specify their app as Windows Universal, which will let it run on all of the above devices. Windows Core will simply join this list, and current apps seem to be exclusive to the OS....

In regards to System Insights, the biggest change is the ability to add new predictive capabilities without any updates. Though it may not be at its most powerful currently, it will mean that Microsoft, third-parties, and developers can deliver new additions mid-release. On top of that, Microsoft says they’ll support the following: “New capabilities can specify any performance counter or ETW event, which will be collected, persisted locally, and returned to the capability for analysis when the capability is invoked....

Discounts are already available and the Xbox Spring Sale will run until April 11. There really are hundreds of games with discount prices. We won’t list them all on this page, but you should head to Microsoft’s official announcement to see the complete list. Needless to say, in such a vast portfolio of games, you will find something you love at a reduced price. Big hitters are included, such as franchises like Assasins Creed, Batman, Call of Duty, Fallout, Borderlands, and many more....

1 Microsoft2 Apple3 Facebook4 Google To ensure a smooth end, Adobe is working with Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla. Those web giants have announced their own plans for killing off Flash Player on their browsers. Adobe is also reaching out to content creators to change their Flash content to other formats. The multimedia software language was once a staple of the internet. It was utilized to create web apps, websites, games, animations, mobile services, and more....

Microsoft had announced hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling for WDDM 2.7 and has been testing it in preview. For some reason, the option is not enabled on the release of Windows Display Driver Model 2.7 that ships with Windows 10 May 2020 Update. If you’re unfamiliar with the tool, it allows both dedicated and integrated graphics cards (GPUs) to manage video RAM individually. This allows PCs to have better performance including improved framerates, smoother playback, and reduced latency....

AMD has confirmed the issue and says users may see performance drops up to 15 percent when running Windows 11. Working with Microsoft, the company has found there are two causes of the issue. Firstly, Windows 11 could be causing the L3 cache latency to triple. AMD points out this would result in performance drops between 3 and 5 percent on applications, while games could see a drop of up to 15 percent....

It is worth noting it was never going to be impossible to overclock the CPU. However, overclocking a locked chipset is complex, which meant the new Ryzen 7 is arguably unappealing to enthusiasts. Currently, early users/reviewers are overclocking the chip via BCLK (base clock). According to OC3D on Twitter, AMD is now making last-minute changes to the 5800X3D to add overclocking support. This will be provided by the AMD Curve Optimizer, a handy feature that was launched in 2020 and gives the ability to have per core voltage-frequency changes on the company’s chips....

Exploits on the OS are common and a report by MWR InfoSecurity shows that a newly discovered exploit is threatening users. Taking advantage of Android’s MediaProjection framework, the exploit trick users into recording their screen. This is achieved without user consent. MWR InfoSecurity says the exploit is present in Android versions 5.0 Lollipop through version 7.1 Nougat. MediaProjection framework was debuted with Android 5.0. It simple allows users to capture screen contents or record audio....

In a tweet thread today, Kuo points out Apple is currently working on the next iPad Mini. As is usually the case with Apple products, it is unlikely the new model will have a fresh design. Instead, the big selling point of the product will be the processor. That means users will see a spec bump over the current model, which was launched in 2021. Considering two years would have passed, I hope that bump is significant....