Wednesday 12th April 2017
News
Vista Support Ends
Microsoft ended its support for Windows Vista yesterday (11th April 2017). This means there will be no new security patches or fixes for this operating system. Vista users should consider migrating onto a new operating system to maintain security. For most users, this will mean a new machine.
Another Scam
If you are signed up for Neighbourhood Alerts (see blog on 9th
Nov 2016 for more), you might be aware of a new email scam. You get an email
including your real name and address together with an attachment that claims to
reveal all the details they have about you. The attachment contains malware
that will try to steal sensitive data such as passwords. Do NOT open
attachments unless you are 100% sure of their origin.
Microsoft Sign-In Issues
Last month I mentioned that Microsoft had issues where people could not
log into some services such as Outlook.com, Skype and OneDrive. Well, it happened again on 21st
March. Microsoft appear to have resolved the issue – again. Hopefully, they
have permanently fixed whatever was causing this.
DVLA Driving Licence Check
You can check the details of your Driving Licence by going to:-
You need to enter the following information:-
Your Driving Licence number,
Your National Insurance number, and
Your Postcode.
Brian G discovered that trying to do this with the current version of
Microsoft Edge results in a ‘time out’ error.
In other browsers it seems to work fine. This is another example of the
need to have at least two browsers on your system so that you can always try
another one if a web site seems to misbehave. In Windows 10, you always have
two browsers – Edge and Internet Explorer, but it is probably worth installing
Chrome too.
I tried the above DVLA web site in the latest version of Edge released with the Creators Update, and it worked with no
time-out error. So, whatever the problem is with the current version of Edge,
it appears to have been fixed in the 1703 version of Windows 10.
AOL + Yahoo = Oath
I mentioned last time that US telecoms giant Verizon was buying Yahoo
for $4.48bn. They already own AOL and will combine the two organisations into a
new brand – Oath.
Openreach
Ofcom, the regulator, has insisted that BT must separate Openreach so
it can run as an independent company. Openreach operates and maintains the
phone and broadband infrastructure which all the phone and broadband companies
use. It will remain 100% owned by BT, but in most other respects it will run as
a separate company. The BT branding will be removed from Openreach vans. If
Ofcom are not satisfied that Openreach are treating all the broadband companies
equally and fairly, they may require BT to sell it off completely.
Creators Update
This update was code-named Redstone 2 and follows on from the
Anniversary Update (aka Redstone 1) last year. It will be version number 1703 and
it was released yesterday (11th April), although the rollout will be
gradual, so it may take a few weeks to reach your PC. A further big update
(Redstone 3) is expected in the Autumn. I have updated my Windows 10 and Edge
documents (now two separate documents) to reflect some of the changes in this
new version. You can download my documents from:-
bit.ly/CE-Windows10, and
Note – the above links are case-sensitive.
Here are some things which are new or changed in the Creators Update:-
- Paint 3D is a new app for editing 3D images. There will be a smartphone app (Windows Graphic 3D Experience) allowing a smartphone’s camera to take a 3D scan of an object. This can be uploaded to Windows 10 and edited with Paint 3D and printed with a 3D printer. Not very relevant to the average home user, but it probably justifies the name of this update, along with using mixed/augmented reality headsets (e.g. Microsoft’s Hololens and others).
- The Quick Access Menu (right-click on Start or press Windows Key+X) now has Settings where it used to have Control Panel. Control Panel still exists, and the easiest way to launch it now is probably to click Start and begin typing Control Panel.
- Settings now has an Apps section where you can uninstall or change default apps. This was previously in the System section.
- New Night Light settings allows you to automatically change the display to warmer colours at night. Reducing the blue light from screens as you approach bedtime can help you sleep. Go to Settings, System, Display to find the settings.
- Dynamic Locking. If you pair your Windows 10 system with a Bluetooth device (e.g. a smartphone), it can automatically lock when that device moves out of range. Settings, Accounts, Sign-in Options.
- Settings has new Gaming section. This allocates extra RAM and other resources to games.
- You can now create a folder tile in the Start Menu by dragging one tile on top of another – similar to iOS and Android.
- If you use a PIN to sign into Windows, you won’t have to press the Num Lock key anymore!
- Windows Defender has an updated look and has been wrapped into the new Windows Defender Security Centre.
- PowerShell replaces Command Prompt by default in the Start right-click menu. To change this, go to Settings, Personalisation, Taskbar and look for the switch labelled Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell.
- Edge gains a Preview Bar. Previously, if you had several tabs open, hovering the mouse over a tab gave a thumbnail preview of that page. New in this version, you can click on the down arrow to the right of the tabs and a bar will open showing previews of all open tabs. Use the arrow again to close the bar.
- Edge has support for 3D content including Virtual and Mixed Reality content.
Preventing Windows Updates
Windows 10 downloads and installs updates automatically. This is good to maintain the security of your system. However, if you do wish to prevent updates, perhaps while you do some critical work on your PC, you can designate your Internet connection as metered. To do this in Windows 10 go to Start, Settings, Network & Internet, Wi-Fi and click on your current Wi-Fi connection (at the top of that window). Click the On switch under Metered connection. In the old 1607 version of Windows 10, you could only set Wi-Fi connections as metered. In the new 1703 version, you can also set Ethernet (i.e. wired) connections as metered.
Registry Cleaners
We had a brief discussion about Registry cleaning apps such as CCleaner. My opinion is that they do little, if any, good and could cause some harm. So I don't advise running them on a regular basis and I don't think they improve the performance of your PC. In support of my view, I refer you to this article, but you can google for more:-
https://www.howtogeek.com/171633/why-using-a-registry-cleaner-wont-speed-up-your-pc-or-fix-crashes/
Next Session
Wednesday 10th May 2017, 1:30 - 3.30 p.m.
