Category Archives: 2019.01

Color Theme and Personalization Settings in Microsoft Office

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Many of us work in Microsoft Office programs for a large part of our workday. Why not take a couple of minutes to personalize the user interface experience? These customizations may not seem like much, but they can make work just a little more fun.

You are able to customize the interface Color Scheme along with other personalization settings in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Onenote, along with other programs. This is actually simple to do, and when you make your selections, they should “stick” for each new session.

How to Change Your Settings

Select File > Options > General. Look toward the bottom of this screen to find User Name, Editing Initials, and Theme. Office 2016 offers new themes for those who find previous theme options too blaring around the eyes, so be sure to make sure that out if the is a problem for you personally.
Some versions for example Office 2013 offer customization of an Office Background graphic that shows up in the upper right of the screen. Find this by selecting File > Account > Office Background, then selecting from in regards to a dozen illustrations.
Be sure to notice different choices available under Choose Commands from the drop-down menu. For instance, you can also Change the Quick Access Menu in Microsoft Office. You can even get down to the detail of each group (the subsections of each menu tab).
In top of the right, you will notice a drop-down menu for specifying whether you would like this toolbar customization to apply to any or all tabs, main tabs, or even the optional Tools Tabs (or non-default tabs).

Tips

Keep in mind that one method to offer several individuals using the same computer more personalization and control over their Microsoft Office experience would be to go for Office 365 accounts instead of a traditional desktop installation of the suite. Since each person has their very own sign-on, even when utilizing the same subscription, their settings can be unique.
In that very same vein, Office 365 users can take advantage of syncing across multiple devices, to include the personalization and customization settings for example those mentioned previously. This means your consumer experience should be fairly similar across various device sizes and types, though some interface differences to expect.
If you are well on a PC, you may also want to consider Microsoft’s Personalization Gallery. This site offers several helpful information on Windows themes, desktop backgrounds, and language pack customizations. Note that a few of these system customizations for PC will vary according to your form of the Windows operating system.

What’s New in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010?

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Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 – area of the Microsoft Office 2010 suite – was released to market in the center of 2010. It had been superseded by Office 2013, Office 2016, and (in the other half of 2018) Office 2019.

Older versions of Microsoft Office are more susceptible to security vulnerabilities plus they cannot support several advanced features within the Office 365 platform. Microsoft stopped supporting Office 2010 with Service Pack 1 in October 2014, although enterprise users on Service Pack 2 enjoy extended support through October 2020.

Upgrade to a more modern form of Microsoft Office to acquire current advanced features and protection against malware. We retain this article primarily because of its historical value, and because some people with very old machines (or people in companies or schools with slow upgrade cycles) still use PowerPoint 2010 despite its obsolescence.

01
Areas of the PowerPoint 2010 Screen

For anyone who got on board with PowerPoint 2007, this screen will look familiar. However, there are some new additions to PowerPoint 2010 when it comes to features, and some subtle additions in terms of slight changes to existing features in PowerPoint 2007.

File Tab: The new File tab within the left corner of the ribbon replaces the Office button. Most of the same features are present plus some additional features have been added.
Ribbon: The ribbon replaces the toolbar in older versions of PowerPoint, just before PowerPoint 2007.
Quick Access Toolbar: This toolbar appears within the top left corner from the PowerPoint 2010 screen. This is a customizable toolbar, so you will add icons for features that you use frequently.
Tabs around the Ribbon: These tabs on the ribbon are headings for groups of tasks. These tabs look like the headings on the menus in older versions of PowerPoint.
Help Button: This tiny question mark icon is how you can access help for PowerPoint 2010.
Slides/Outline Pane: The Slides/Outline pane is situated on the left side of the window. The Slides pane shows thumbnail versions of each from the slides in the presentation. The Outline pane shows a text outline of all the info on the slides.
Notes: The Notes section is really a place for the speaker to put in writing any hints or references for his presentation. Just the presenter will see these notes.
Status Bar: The Status bar shows current facets of the presentation, like the current slide number and just what design theme was used. A tiny Common tools toolbar gives quick access to features the presenter would use often.

02
New File Tab Replaces the Office Button in PowerPoint 2010

When you click on the File tab from the ribbon, you’re presented with what Microsoft is looking the Backstage view. The is the place to consider any details about this file, like the author, and options for saving, printing, and viewing detailed option settings.

The old saying “What’s old is totally new again” one thinks of. Microsoft Office users were used to the File option around the old menu, and the new ribbon was different enough. So, the return from the File tab around the ribbon is going to be comforting to a lot of users, particularly those who didn’t jump on the Office 2007 bandwagon.

An initial click the File tab reveals a data section, with options for:

Protecting the presentation by setting permissions
Checking for issues and get yourself ready for sharing the presentation
Managing versions, stating the number of versions of this presentation you have created, and allowing for deletions

03
Transitions Tab on the PowerPoint 2010 Ribbon

Slide transitions have always been a part of PowerPoint. However, the Transitions tab is new towards the PowerPoint 2010 ribbon.

04
Animation Painter is totally new to PowerPoint 2010

The Animation Painter is among those “Now why didn’t we believe of this before?” kind of tools. Microsoft has created a tool that works much like the Format Painter.

The Animation Painter will copy all of the animation options that come with an item to a different object, another slide, multiple slides, in order to another presentation. This selection is indeed a time-saver while you don’t have to add each one of these animation properties separately to every object. The additional bonus is many fewer clicks.

05
Share Your PowerPoint 2010 Presentation and Collaborate with Colleagues

PowerPoint 2010 now can help you share your presentation on the internet to anyone on the planet. By sending a link towards the Link to your presentation, your global audience can follow along within their browser of choice. The viewers don’t even need to have PowerPoint installed on their computer.

06
Minimize the PowerPoint 2010 Ribbon

This is a small feature, but many users of PowerPoint discover that that they like to see a lot of presentation on screen and they want to reclaim a number of that valuable real estate.

In PowerPoint 2007, you could hide the ribbon, therefore the feature has always been there. With this particular version, Microsoft has just introduced a little button to get it done with fewer mouse clicks.

07
Add a Video for your PowerPoint 2010 Presentation

PowerPoint 2010 now offers the choice to embed or link to a video (which is currently located on your pc) to your presentation in order to link to a video online, for example YouTube.

Embedding a video located on your pc saves a lot of anguish if you later move or send your presentation to another location. Embedding the video implies that it always stays with the presentation, which means you don’t have to make sure to also send the recording file along. The video can be of an actual “movie” type or also embed an animated GIF kind of clip art.

Linking to a video

On your pc greatly reduces the file size from the overall presentation. However, you risk forgetting to repeat the video file when you move the presentation to another location.
On a website such as YouTube, allows you to embed the code of the video to your presentation. The recording is not really in your presentation, so you will always need an internet connection in order to view the video.

08
Produce a Video of the PowerPoint 2010 Presentation

Microsoft has realized the need for converting an exhibition right into a video. Users of PowerPoint happen to be asking for this for years, and at long last, the feature exists in PowerPoint 2010.

Benefits of Converting a PowerPoint 2010 Presentation into Video

The WMV video file format could be read by most computers.
You can still use other software to transform the presentation into other file formats (for example AVI or MOV for example) if you choose.
Any transitions, animations, sounds, and narration will be embedded in to the video.
The video can be published to a website or emailed. It is not editable, therefore the entire presentation will always remain because the author intended.
You can control the quality of the video by selecting appropriate options.
The targeted audience does not need to have PowerPoint placed on their computer in order to see the video.

Are Those Free Microsoft Product Keys Real?

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A totally free product key, that you see known as a free CD key, for something similar to a Windows based pc, or a Microsoft Office version, as well as other bit of software or game, might be really helpful for several reasons.

Most obvious, a totally free product key sounds great if you have lost your original one but you have to reinstall this program. How easy to just pull a totally free product key from the list and use it!

Maybe you just want to try out a new bit of software or the latest version of Windows. A totally free install key would protect you from risking money on something you’re not quite confident that you want yet.

“Are Those Free Microsoft Product Keys Real?”

Free product keys are for sale to the taking on the web, and often do work, but they’re not legal.

You will know old adage saying if something sounds too best to be true, that it probably is? Well, that applies perfectly here.

Plenty of websites list product keys for Windows, like Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7. Free product keys can also be found for Microsoft Office software, such as the popular Microsoft Office 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, etc. Most popular of have the freedom keys for popular PC-based game titles.

The merchandise keys these websites offer were likely made up of a product key generator program or are duplicate product keys from legitimate copies of Microsoft Office that were stolen after which posted online.

It does not matter where the product key originated from – utilizing a product key other than the unique one which comes with an individual copy of Windows or bit of software is against the law.

Requiring a distinctive product secret is important to a program’s activation process. It’s one of the ways that software makers can be certain that every copy of their program or operating-system can be used only once and that you are spending money on the copy you use.

“What If I Bought this program but Just Aren’t able to find the Key?”

Still not recommended. While technically this might work, many times, it doesn’t these days and it is still illegal, no matter your reason and whether or not it really works.

Most software companies, especially bigger ones like Microsoft and Adobe, already screen for product keys from popular lists. Many of these companies also employ product activation, which is yet another step to be sure that the product key you simply entered applies and legally purchased.

For you personally, assuming the program continues to be installed or was recently installed, you may be capable of getting towards the product key via a key finder tool. See How to locate Software Serials, Keys, and Installation Codes for more with that.

We’ve written a bit more in detail about Microsoft’s programs, specifically Windows and Microsoft Office.

Some software program’s tie your products answer to the consumer account that was accustomed to purchase the program. So, you may have an e-mail using the product type in it, or, at least, an area of your online account that holds the product key you bought with the program.

Or, for those who have a user account associated with the program, and all the license details are stored online in your account, this program itself might have a login screen. When you use that, you’re confirming that the account is assoicated having a valid purchase, then you can use the applying while not having to know the product key.

If all else fails, probably the most straightforward and legal method of getting a unique product key is to purchase a brand new copy of the operating-system or bit of software yourself. This ensures that the new product secret is linked to the program or OS that you simply purchased – you can be assured that it’s legal to use it.

An alternative choice is always to purchase a used copy of the software. You can sometimes find less expensive, used applications from a legitimate seller on Softwareonlinedeal.com as well as other major retailer.

Transferring a piece of software in one computer (like a friend’s who no longer wants this program) for your computer is also often a choice but the specific steps involved vary from program to program.

There Are Some Free Product Keys

Despite everything we said above – that almost all product keys you find online are illegal – there are some instances where a product key is free. Although this isn’t true for MS Office products and Windows operating systems, it does happen with less popular programs.

Although it is rare, some completely free programs require a product key before they may be used. This might be so the developers can keep tabs on how many people are installing the software. Regardless of reason, those keys are certainly 100 % legal and free.

On a similar note, you can look for alternative or similar programs which are free and that don’t even require a key. We have plenty of “top free” lists here on Lifewire that are prime examples of how you can get great software without paying anything.

How to produce a slide-to-shutdown feature for any Windows 10 PC

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Be it for business or pleasure, people tend to use Microsoft Windows 10 PCs in several ways. For example, many users stick to the traditional keyboard-mouse-desktop interface, while some prefer the newer touch display interface. Each interface has merits with respect to the task available, but it is frequently as simple as a personal preference.

For its part, Microsoft has attempted to give Windows 10 features and tools that accommodate as many different interface preferences as possible. The Start Menu, especially when set to full-screen mode, was created especially for users of touchscreen displays. However, despite all the touch display-friendly features, there is one of the things missing-slide-to-shutdown.

This how-to tutorial shows you how to include a slide-to-shutdown feature to the Windows 10 touchscreen display interface having a simple shortcut to some special command.

Slide-to-shutdown

The most straightforward way to add some slide-to-shutdown shortcut is via the Windows 10 desktop. Right-click on any open spot on your desktop and visit the New item within the context menu. Click on the Shortcut item to start a new creation dialog.

Within the Type the position of the item box you will want to copy this command:

%windir%\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe

Click the Next button and then give your new shortcut a reputation.

Click on the Finish button to accomplish the process. When you double-click your new shortcut a pull-down shade should show up on your screen. Just pull that shade down to the foot of your display as well as your computer will turn off.

Fine tuning

To refine your new shortcut, you could right-click it, click on the Properties item, and then change the icon to something which matches its function.

Additionally, since this shortcut will probably be used usually as part of the Windows 10 touchscreen display interface, you should right-click the shortcut again and click on the Pin to begin item in the context menu. Now, the slide-to-shutdown shortcut will be area of the Start Menu and simple to locate when utilizing your fingers along with a touch screen to navigate Windows 10.

Two Ways to Disable Cortana around the Windows 10 Lock Screen

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Microsoft insists Cortana is here now to remain, but it’s no secret that lots of Windows 10 adopters, particularly those who use their PCs at home, aren’t really big on the digital assistant.

And while many disable it entirely on their own Windows 10 devices, others stick to it for basic things like searching the net or establishing reminders in the desktop.

A particular feature of Cortana that many find useful is the access from the lock screen, which basically helps make the digital assistant work even if the device is locked.

However, as we discovered hard way, this is a double-edged sword because although it does let you perform certain tasks easily in the lock screen, it could also expose content around the tool and even make it easier for malicious actors to break to your device.

Obviously, Cortana around the lock screen isn’t everyone’s bag, after news that Microsoft is separating digital assistant and the search feature in Windows 10 version 1903, I’m seeing a growing number of users who would like to turn it off entirely.

Some simply want to limit its capabilities, and disabling functionality on the lock screen is one way to do this. In Windows 10, there are two new ways to make sure the digital assistant is not listening for voice input when the system is locked.
“The easy way”

First and foremost, it’s the easiest way. Basically, Microsoft lets you disable Cortana on the lock screen right out the digital assistant’s settings screen. Click Cortana and then Settings.

As a substitute, you are able to launch the Settings app and go to:
Settings > Cortana > Speak with Cortana

Within the Lock Screen section, be sure you disable the choice called:
Use Cortana even if my device is locked

At this time, Cortana ought to be disabled on the lock screen, but instead work normally within the remaining operating system whenever you unlock the device.
“The hard way”

If you’re an IT pro or perhaps a system administrator running Windows 10 Pro, you are able to switch to the audience Policy Editor to make sure that Cortana is blocked on the lock screen.

Begin by launching the Group Policy Editor. To get this done, type gpedit.msc within the Start menu, after which visit the following location inside the app:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search

Around the right side of the screen, there’s a summary of policies that allow you to configure looking feature in Windows, including one that’s directly aimed at the way in which Cortana works on the lock screen. It’s called:
Allow Cortana above lock screen

The policy has a self-explanatory name, so if you enable the policy or allow make use of the default not configured state, Cortana will work on the product is locked. Microsoft explains:

“This policy setting determines set up user can communicate with Cortana using speech while the system is locked. If you enable or don’t configure this setting, the consumer can communicate with Cortana using speech as the system is locked.”

Basically, you need to disable the policy to show off Cortana once the device is locked and prevent any commands from performing tasks.

Both methods work on all versions of Windows 10, including on the upcoming version 1903 that’s due in the spring. Small changes might be made here and there depending on how Cortana has been updated in Windows 10, but choices to disable the digital assistant around the lock screen won’t disappear.

Windows 10 build 18317 (and earlier) for PCs: Everything you need to know

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As part of the 19H1 development, Microsoft recently pushed out Windows 10 build 18317 for PCs signed up for the Fast ring. This is actually the release number 19 for testers, even though it’s a small update, you’ll find some new changes likely to arrive later around.

Within this flight, Cortana and check are splitting up in 2 different experiences. You will find changes to set up fonts using files. The beginning menu runs using its own tactic to prevent issues and simplify debugging. The Windows Console received several improvements, and also the Windows Insider Program settings are now easier to configure.

Alongside build 18317, Windows 10 build 18312 and make 18309 were also made available to testers, and even though, they are not huge updates, they introduced a few interesting features and improvements.

Within this Windows 10 guide, we’ll demonstrate probably the most exciting changes and improvements coming in the very first 1 / 2 of 2019.

Windows 10 build 18317

Here’s everything that Microsoft has worked within the last three Insider preview builds for the next form of Windows 10.

Start menu

Before build 18317, the beginning menu was part of the ShellExperienceHost.exe process, which also handles other components and graphical elements. Beginning with this preview, the beginning menu now operates on its very own separate StartMenuExperienceHost.exe process to reduce issues with the experience and simplify debugging.

Cortana and Search

It has been noted for a while that Microsoft is planning to bust out Cortana from Search in order to de-emphasize digital assistant from the search functionality, and starting with build 18317, Cortana and check are officially splitting up into two separate experiences.

Consequently (at least for now), in the taskbar, you will find a new button to search files and the web, and the other button to produce Cortana directly into the voice assistant experience.

In addition, within the Settings app, you’ll now find separate sections a customized Cortana settings and to change the Search settings.
Sign-in screen

On build 18305, Windows 10 unveiled some design changes to reset your Windows Hello PIN from the Sign-in screen aligning the interface with similar look and feel available on the internet. However, at that time, the knowledge was just available for the Home edition of Windows 10. Now, since build 18309, the reset design is available for those editions from the OS.

Included in the Fluent Design gradual rollout, beginning with the 19H1 development, the Sign-in screen includes a new acrylic effect without anyone’s knowledge, which is meant to help users to concentrate within the signing task. Starting with build 18312, the machine is adding an organization policy to disable the result without the need to disable all the transparency effects globally.

The new policy will come in the Group Policy Editor, specifically under Administrative Templates > System > Logon > “Show clear logon background.”

Finally, in recent previews, Microsoft also introduced a new mechanism to permit users to sign-in and finish establishing a merchant account on Windows 10 utilizing an SMS code, which was only available for the Home edition of Windows 10, but now since build 18309, the feature is available in all editions from the OS.
Reserved storage

Since build 18309, Windows 10 includes “Reserved storage,” that is a new feature designed to reduce problems during updates.

Basically, the brand new feature will reserve area of the available internal storage for updates, temporary files, system cache, and apps. In case of a new update, Windows 10 will delete these unnecessary files to allow more room to set up updates.

Reserved Storage will allocate around ~7GB of space, and if it’s not enough, the feature will clean up other system files to release additional space. However, if the device still doesn’t have the require available space, then you will be prompted to delete files manually or connect a removable drive the system may use as temporary storage to use an update.

This new feature will enable automatically after performing a clean installation, or on new computers pre-loaded with the next form of Windows 10.

Microsoft states that users can’t delete any pre-allocated space that acts as Reserved storage, but it will be easy to influence the area that is set aside by uninstalling optional features and removing languages you don’t use using the Settings app.

You can always see if your pc allocating space for updates on Settings > System > Storage, clicking the Show more categories option, and clicking the machine & reserved option. If you notice the “Reserved Storage” section, then your feature is enabled on your device.
Settings

As usual, in the last three preview builds of Windows 10, the Settings app also ships with a quantity of changes, including updated text and descriptions for a lot of from the settings, and more users may now see the new header design within the homepage.

Display

On Settings > System > Display, in the Graphics settings page, since build 18312, you’ll now get a new “Variable refresh rate” option to optimize games for displays and graphics cards that support variable refresh rate (VRR).

Fonts

On Settings > Personalization, the Fonts page now officially supports a drag and drop choice to install fonts using a file for the current user.

If you need to install fonts for those users, you’ll still need to right-click the file and select the “Install for all Users” option from the context menu in File Explorer.

Although Microsoft is logging this selection for build 18317, this option has been available since build 18305.
Apps & features

On Settings > Apps, the Apps & features page has been updated with new descriptions for that function that locks your pc down to install apps in the Microsoft Store or any source.

Starting with build 18317, the Settings app describes the feature as “Choose where to get apps,” and the options have been renamed to:

Anywhere.
Anywhere, but tell me if there’s a similar app within the Microsoft Store.
Anywhere, but warm me before installing an application that’s not from the Microsoft Store.
The Microsoft Store only (recommended).

Cursor & pointer

On Settings > Easy Access, the Cursor & pointer page now allows you to select from 15 different cursor sizes using the slider.

Color filters

On Settings > Ease of Access, the Color Filters page in build 18317, now warns users that the use of “Night light” will modify the color filters, and adds a hyperlink to quickly disable Night light as necessary.

Windows Update

On Settings > Update & Security, you won’t find new alterations in the Windows Update page, but the ability to temporarily pause update is now readily available for the Home edition of Windows 10.

Backup

On Settings > Update & Security, starting with the most recent flight of Windows 10, the Backup page no longer offers to restore files from the backup made out of the legacy form of the feature.

Recovery

On Settings > Update & Security, since build 18312, the Recovery page, you’ll find an up-to-date interface to use the “Reset this PC” feature to reinstall Windows 10.

In the new version of Reset this PC, you’ll find an interface that’s more consistent across devices, and now it takes fewer steps to accomplish the process.
Windows Insider Program

On Settings > Update & Security, the Windows Insider Program page gets updated with build 18317 with several changes to make the register experience simpler to use.

In addition to updating the text on the page, it is easier to understand in which ring your system is enrolled. If you want to change these settings, now you can click your current enrollment to access a brand new page to change to a different ring (Slow or Release Preview).

Also, it’s now possible to gracefully opt-out of the program when the next major update releases having a single toggle switch underneath the “Stop getting preview builds” section.
Windows Console

Windows 10 build 18317 and build 18312 also brings numerous changes for Windows Console. For instance, since build 18312, the title bar of Command Prompt uses the same color scheme configured on your device.

Since build 18317, the console also introduces several improvements, like the ability for ConPTY to flush output buffer before terminating to make certain that apps receive all input and display correct output.

If you’re using the raster fonts, the console now correctly preserves the consumer font after running .NET Core code (which defaults to UTF-8 codepage 65001). Linux now renders text correctly when scrolling, and there are several improvements in performance when utilizing ConPTY.

As part of the Windows Subsystem for Linux, it’s now possible to manage Linux distros which are included in the wslconfig command line tool.

You can now import a distro to a non-system drive using the “-import” option, and it’s possible to export Linux distributions for Windows 10 using the “-export” option.
Accessibility

Inside a continued effort to make Windows 10 more accessible by anyone, build 18317, as well as build 18309, deliver several improvements for Narrator.

Starting with build 18317, Narrator includes better support for Microsoft Teams. In addition, when using the Scan Mode on the slider, Narrator will decrease and boost the left and right arrows.

Also, since build 18309, you can download additional voices in other languages with no need of downloading an entire language pack. This option is available on Settings > Easy Access > Narrator, and using the Increase the voices link.

Finally, now you can use the Narrator + 5 (twice) command to render current character phonetics.
Input

As for input changes, beginning with Window 10 build 18309, while using the Windows key + H keyboard shortcut to dictate using a language that isn’t supported, you will see a notification telling you that dictation fails for the language.

In addition, while using Left Alt + Shift keyboard shortcut now will generate a notification explaining the attempt of a language change, and you will find a hyperlink to disable it while using Settings app.
Setup

Beginning with build 18309, when utilizing a bootable media to carry out a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, the Cortana voice-over is going to be disabled by default.

If you need to use the screen reader, you can begin Narrator while using Windows key + Ctrl + Enter keyboard shortcut.
Other changes

Combined with the additional features and improvements, in the latest preview, Windows 10 may also increase the Fiber Local Storage (FLS) slot allocation to allow applications to load a large number of unique DLLs as necessary dynamically.
Wrapping things up

While in the last three previews, we mostly see tweaks and incremental changes, we can still look for a few significant additions, for example Reserved Storage, the separation of Cortana and check, and also the ability for administrators to quietly finish installations of Windows 10 with no Cortana voice-over.

Of course, if you are planning to set up any of these previews, remember that these are not finalized versions of Windows 10. This means that bugs, errors, featuring no longer working correctly are required.

It’s recommended to experience with pre-releases using a spare computer or virtual machine. Thinking of using your primary computer, you should not proceed without making a full backup that you can use to go back to the previous version in case that you take into problems.

Next Windows 10 version enables you to search without Cortana’s involvement

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Today’s Insider build of Windows 10, number 18317, changes how search and Cortana are utilized, as Microsoft is trying to reposition Cortana as a productivity-focused digital assistant and integrate search with Office 365.

Currently, Windows 10 has a single text box on the taskbar that’s used for searches and Cortana commands. Type a word or two and will also search the Start menu, settings, and documents. But type a command (“tell us a joke,” say) with no search is performed; instead, the command is sent to Cortana, and she or he duly responds. In the new build, the text box is used solely for searching. To provide Cortana an order, you will need to speak to her or click another Cortana button on the taskbar.

The mixture of these two features was an oft-criticized part of the Windows 10 interface, as there’s no particular reason to bundle them together. Both can respond to typed commands, so while using text box for two different things saved some space. Because searches are popular, the chances are many people were introduced to Cortana as a result of searching. Separating the 2 things should make the Windows interface a bit more logical. The settings pages are also disentangled.

Microsoft is promising to make some big changes to its search experience that will be particularly visible to corporate Office 365 users. Searches, whether invoked from Windows, Bing, Office, or Teams will be unified. So wherever you begin your research, they’ll all be capable of finding, for instance, documents in the corporate SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, conversations in Teams or Yammer, or contacts from the company address book.

Cortana isn’t being abandoned, but Microsoft is making changes to provide its assistant more focus. For instance, the Insider preview version of Windows 10 also includes integration between Cortana, Microsoft’s To-Do app, and Outlook’s tasks. Cortana has long had the opportunity to set reminders; the combination implies that these will now be made visible in To-Do and Outlook. The Cortana button on the taskbar might not be her final home?arumors have been circulating for many months that eventually Cortana functionality is going to be moved into the Action Center, with Cortana used to handle notifications.

Configure Windows 10 to seal Down the Device on Low Battery

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Windows 10 continues to be optimized for longer life of the battery, and Microsoft has been focused particularly on making the operating-system and also the apps that come with it as power efficient as possible.

For instance, the company has praised Microsoft Edge’s low battery effect on several occasions, claiming that this is what sets the browser apart from the remaining industry.

In the end are all aware how everything ended up for Microsoft Edge, as being a battery-friendly application is critical nowadays, especially as more and more users decide to work on a tight schedule with no nearby source of energy.

Not surprisingly, Windows 10 lets users keep an eye on battery level, and supply notifications every time they get near to the moment the unit must be plugged in.

Like its predecessors, Windows 10 comes with several policies making it possible to configure battery notifications, and even setup the operating system to automatically sleep, hibernate, or even shut down the unit when reaching a lesser battery level.

First and foremost, on Windows 10 Pro you have to launch the Group Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc within the Start menu or when pressing Windows key + R. Then, navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Notification Settings

As you can tell within the right side of the screen, there are several policies that allow you to configure notifications and also the actions which are performed on certain triggers. The available policies in Windows 10 19H1 are the following:

Critical battery notification action
Low battery notification action
Critical battery notification level
Turn off low battery user notification
Low battery notification level
Reserve battery notification level

As you can easily figure out, the objective of each policy is fairly straightforward, however the one which you need to use to configure the unit to automatically sleep or turn off on low battery is Low battery notification action.

Double-click this insurance policy to allow it – by default, the insurance policy is not configured, so you have to turn it on after which set the experience that you want to do once the low battery level is reached.

In the options box in the lower part of the screen, you need to configure the experience that might be launched once the low battery level is reached. You can choose between sleep, hibernate, turn off, with no action. Pick the one you would like, hit OK and that’s pretty much all you must do here.

One extra parameter you need to configure may be the low battery notification level, which basically lets you configure when you should run the action that you set up earlier.

You can do this with the policy using exactly this name and obtainable in same position. So double-click the insurance policy called Low battery notification level after which enable it. In the lower part of the screen, configure the low battery notification level using a numeric value that represents the percentage when the notification is triggered.

For example, you can set the amount to 20, then when your battery percentage drops to 20%, you’ll see a notification warning that you’re running out of battery and also you have to connect the unit.

No reboot is needed to save the changes, and they are applied immediately. However, if you’re already on low battery, you may want to i believe charge prior to the configured action is triggered on your device.

These coverage is available on all Windows 10 versions, and continue to be provided on Windows 10 version 1903 launching in April 2019.

Windows 10 for Foldable Devices Spotted Online

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While Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that foldable devices are part of its long-term vision, it’s believed the company has worked on several projects, both in the software and hardware departments.

This week, for instance, BuildFeed has come across what’s certainly going to function as the very first Windows 10 build for foldable devices.

Obviously, no specifics can be found, but judging in the build string, which is 10.0.18313.1004 (rs_shell_devices_foldables.190111-1800), this can be a new Windows 10 version that is specifically developed for a new kind of devices.

By the looks of things, this project is part of Windows 10 19H1 (version 1903), which is scheduled to launch in the spring.

“Hello, Andromeda!”

And even though no details happen to be provided, the very first device you think of and that could be run by this new OS version is Microsoft’s very own Andromeda. Built as a dual-screen device supporting several form factors, Andromeda is one of Microsoft’s most ambitious, and also at the same time frame, most highly-anticipated products.

Andromeda was originally pushed back to the drawing back this past year, and individuals with understanding of the problem said hello might see daylight this year whether it actually receives the green light.

At the same time, Microsoft is also working with a number of partners on foldable devices, all as part of a method that has been used before for the Surface lineup. Microsoft would thus launch its very own model pioneering a new product category, while partners would help expand it with devices in other price ranges, eventually ensuring customers would be supplied with a wide variety of choices.

It remains seen how this project evolves and, more importantly, if the foldable device push would be finalized by the time the next Windows 10 update goes live. For the time being, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on anything related to it, which makes total sense because the company would thus have the ability to shelve the project should something fail.

A great start to patching in 2019

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Following a busy year of patches and real challenges to the excellence of the update process, Microsoft has delivered a “mild” January Patch Tuesday that addresses 47 unique vulnerabilities. This month, we’ve one publicly reported vulnerability (CVE-2019-0579) that addresses an issue with the Microsoft JET engine. No critical updates for Adobe (really!) along with a “Patch Now” rating for the Microsoft IE and Edge browser updates. In addition to the normal security and quality updates released this month, Microsoft has published its latest Servicing Stack Update (SSU) with ADV990001 which applies to Windows 10 (all releases), Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2016.

I would also follow Chris Goettl’s advice and patch December’s out-of-band IE update ( (CVE-2018-8653) like a priority.

Microsoft has documented eleven known issues with this update, that are summarized here:

After you put in the August Preview of Quality Rollup or September 11, 2018 .NET Framework update, instantiation of SqlConnection can throw the best
System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) managed workloads are noticing infrastructure management issues after VMM refresh
After installing this update on Windows Server 2016, instant search in Microsoft Outlook clients fail using the error, “Outlook cannot perform the search”
After installing KB4467684, the cluster service may neglect to start with the mistake “2245 (NERR_PasswordTooShort)” if the Group Policy “Minimum Password Length” is configured with more than 14 characters
After installing KB4467691, Windows may fail to launch on certain Lenovo laptops which have under 8 GB of RAM

And finally, it looks like there has been some early reports of Wifi hotspots not connecting correctly with this particular latest update. Microsoft has already been focusing on a fix, and that we may see an From Band (OOB) update later this month to resolve this problem.

Each month, I try to collapse the update cycle into product families (as based on Microsoft) using the following basic groupings.

Browsers (Microsoft IE and Edge)
Microsoft Windows (both desktop and server)
Microsoft Office (Including Web Apps and Exchange)
MicrosoftNET Core, .NET Core and Chakra Core
Adobe Flash Player

Windows

This month brings a single publicly reported vulnerability (CVE-2019-0579) that could lead to a remote code execution scenario across all Windows platforms. At the moment, there aren’t any known vulnerabilities which have been reported as exploited within the wild. As a whole, Microsoft has addressed 29 vulnerabilities across the Windows platform (both server and desktop) with three rated as critical by Microsoft. A fast review of the 3 reported critical updates includes:

CVE-2019-0547: A memory corruption vulnerability exists within the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to some client.
CVE-2019-0550, CVE-2019-0551: An online code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on the guest operating-system

Add this month’s Windows updates to your standard patch deployment schedule.

Browsers

Microsoft has addressed six vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge and IE with the most serious rated as critical by Microsoft. It appears as though the Chakra JavaScript engine has difficulties with memory handling that could lead to a remote code execution scenario around the targeted system. Because of the nature of the vulnerability, please add this update for your “Patch Now” schedule.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft hasn’t released any quality or security updates for Microsoft Office with this January release cycle. Having said that, it may be helpful to observe that Microsoft has pulled the Office 2010 update.

Development Tools (.NET and JavaScript)

This January security release tries to resolve nine reported vulnerabilities, with one rated as critical and also the remaining eight rated as vital by Microsoft. The update towards the Chakra Core project are available on Microsoft’s GitHub here. The other updates are contained in Microsoft’s Security Only, Security Update and Monthly Roll-up releases. Add these updates to your standard development patch release cycle.

Adobe (Flash Player)

Another 0-day day discovery in the Trend micro coupon Zero Day initiative shows how specially crafted PDF files may be used to exploit security vulnerabilities in Adobe API’s and how to use PDF files to execute code with logged-in user privileges. Adobe has not released any critical updates for January (really!), with a single lower rated vulnerability (APSB19-02). Add this patch for your standard release schedule.

Other news

As well as for those watching the slow progress of Windows 10 users finally overtake Windows 7 will observe that there’s still lots of work to get everyone on the “Final OS” or even the “Forever OS” . Unless, you need to move your desktop to the cloud. Having said that, Windows 7 support ends the coming year this week. And given a few of the issues with Microsoft releases in 2018, let’s hope Michael Fortin’s assurances about Microsoft’s release quality endure for 2019.