Category Archives: 2020.10

How to Connect with a radio Display in Windows 10

Posted on by

When giving presentations in order to extend the screen, you can connect with a wireless display in Windows 10. Here’re the exact steps to follow.

For those who have a projector, Television screen, or perhaps a second monitor, you may make Windows 10 display its screen wirelessly on that device. This eliminates the need to use long and bulky cables to mirror or extend the screen. As you can guess, connecting to some wireless display is extremely beneficial in a lot of situations just like a presentation in a boardroom, movie watching, the immediate necessity of a secondary monitor, etc. Though the feature is a part of Windows 10 for some time, it is one of the lesser-known or ignored features.

For example, not long ago i desired to show some old photos to my family and friends. Instead of passing laptops or phone to them, I just connected to a radio display (TV in this case) so that all of us could enjoy those photos simultaneously. Exactly the same be also applicable within the presentation of some kind in office environments.

This positive thing is, so long as you don’t mind some latency, you are able to happily use the wireless screen functionality in Windows 10 to improve your productivity and obtain the job done. So, to help you get started, here are the precise steps to follow along with to connect to some wireless display in Windows 10.

Prerequisites

Before you connect Windows 10 to some wireless display, both your computer or laptop and the wireless display, whether it’s a TV or Monitor should satisfy the below requirements.

Should have build-in support for Miracast.
Both devices should be in the same local network.
Your WiFi driver should support WiFi Direct.

If your devices don’t satisfy the above requirements, you won’t be able to connect to the wireless display.

Steps for connecting to a Wireless Display in Windows 10

To connect a radio display to Windows 10 there’s two major steps. First, you need to add the wireless display to Windows 10. Next, connect with it in the Project menu.

First, press “Win + P” to open the Project menu.
Here, click the “Connect to some wireless display” link.
Now, click on the “Find other kinds of devices” link at the bottom.
Click on the “Add Bluetooth or other devices” button. You will find that option around the right page.
Select the “Wireless display or dock” option.
Windows will now scan the local network for compatible wireless displays. Once found click your wireless display.
At this point, your wireless display may show a confirmation message. Accept it as needed.
Once you accept, the wireless display is connected and also the Windows 10 screen should be duplicated on to the other screen.
You are able to control how the wireless display should be utilized from the Project menu. Just press the “Win + P” menu and select the appropriate option.

Once you successfully add some wireless display, it’s not necessary to go through the process again. Simply click on the “Connect” button within the notification center and then select the wireless display in the list.

Windows 10 Project Modes

Automatically Windows 10 offers, four different wireless display connectivity modes. You can observe these modes in the Project menu (Win + P). They are as follows.

PC screen only: The wireless screen is disconnected and only your PC/laptop screen is active.
Duplicate: Your PC/laptop is duplicated on the wireless screen. This really is mode will work for screen sharing or presentations.
Extend: The wireless display acts as a secondary monitor. Good for increasing screen property and productivity.
Second screen only: Your PC/laptop screen is switched off and you’ll see everything only around the wireless display.

Depending on your use case, make a choice of the available project modes and are good to go. To disconnect, either click the “Disconnect” button on top bar or choose the “PC Screen Only” option in the Project menu.

That’s all.

How to Show Scrollbar in Apps in Windows 10

Posted on by

If the default scrollbar in the Settings app and Store app is tough to determine or use, you can show the full scrollbar in Windows 10. Here’s how.

Microsoft is increasing the Settings app with each release. Whether it is adding more options from the User interface or updating its design, gradually, the Settings app gets snappy and powerful. In an effort to clean up and streamline the user interface from the Settings app and other store apps, Microsoft chose to hide the scrollbars automatically.

Although the scrollbars are “hidden”, you can still see the scroll bar like a thin line towards the right-hand side from the app. When hovered over the line with your mouse, you will notice the actual full scrollbar and use it to scroll up and down.

Hiding scrollbars result in the apps look a little bit nicer but at the cost of user experience. So, if you do not like the hidden scrollbars, you may make Windows 10 show scrollbars constantly by changing just one option in the settings app. This is particularly useful if you primarily use the mouse pointer to move the scrollbar. Let me demonstrate how you can always show the scrollbar in Settings and Store apps in Windows 10.

Always Show Scrollbars in Windows 10

To show off hidden scrollbars for store apps in Windows 10, we have to modify a choice inside the Settings. But for unkown reasons, the choice isn’t that easy to find unless you know how to locate it exactly. Nevertheless, it is easy to disable hidden scrollbars in Windows 10.

1. Open the Settings app. You can do that by pressing the keyboard shortcut “Windows Key + I” or looking it up within the Start menu.

2. After opening the Settings app, visit “Ease of Access” page.

3. Choose the “Display” tab around the left panel.

4. Around the right-panel, discover the “Automatically hide scroll bars in Windows” option and toggle the switch under it to “Off” position.

The modification is instantaneous. As soon as you toggle the option to “Off”, you will notice the scrollbars appear within the Settings app as well as in all other Store apps, whether it is first-party Microsoft apps or third-party apps.

That is it.

How to Block Windows 10 October 2020 Update

Posted on by

Windows 10 October 2020 Update, or Windows 10 version 20H2, may be the newest feature update released by Microsoft to its users, and needless to say, many rushed to install it on day one.

But simply enjoy it happened before, the October update is being rolled out in phases, and this implies that few people gets it at the same time. This is actually the correct approach, there’s without a doubt, as the likelihood of a bug hitting a specific system is much lower.

“In the work, learn and fasten from home environment where people are counting on their PCs more than ever before, we’re taking a measured seeker-based rollout approach to the October 2020 Update. We’re throttling availability within the coming weeks to make sure a dependable download experience, therefore the update might not be offered to you right away. Additionally, some devices might have a compatibility issue for which a safeguard hold is in place, so we won’t offer the update until we’re confident that you’ll have a good update experience,” Microsoft itself explains.

The October 2018 Update proved precisely how important this rollout happening in waves really is for everybody. The ultimate build shipped to production devices having a bug potentially causing the removal of files kept in libraries, therefore the Redmond-based software giant halted the rollout after becoming conscious of the glitch happening on a small group of devices that already received it.

However this likelihood of bugs isn’t something that companies and some home users understand, which is why they choose to wait a little bit longer until the update is a component of their devices. The greater time passes after Microsoft pushes the go-ahead for that production form of an element update, the higher the chances for that experience overall to become more refined, so holding back on the installing of the October 2020 Update could be quite a smart choice.

There are many ways to block installing a feature update for a short time in Windows 10, but we’re going to stick with probably the most straightforward available right now within the operating-system. No requirement for group policies, third-party software, or anything like that.

It’s the update pausing option that you can find around the Windows Update page from the Settings app. The way in which Microsoft has designed this selection allows you to pause updates for approximately Thirty days, so just click the “Pause updates for 7 days” option repeatedly and you should begin to see the timer towards the top of the screen increasing. If you want to install the October 2020 Update sooner, simply click the Resume updates button around the Windows Update page.

Microsoft doesn’t recommend users to bypass the upgrade blocks that avoid the October update from turning up on Windows Update, and the company says that it’s keeping an eye on all feedback channels to make sure that all issues are discovered in the early phases.

“As with each release, we’ll closely monitor the October 2020 Update experience and share timely info on the current rollout status and known issues (open and resolved) across both feature and monthly updates through the Windows release health dashboard and @WindowsUpdate. Please still tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via Feedback Hub,” the company says.

Windows 10 October 2020 Update is the first Windows 10 feature update that accompany the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser pre-loaded. Simultaneously, it also includes additional refinements, such as theme-aware live tiles, that really help make the Start menu overall look more contemporary by simply aligning with the rest from the visual settings in the OS.

Internet Explorer Will Automatically Load Microsoft Edge for Incompatible Sites

Posted on by

Microsoft Edge is Microsoft’s modern bet within the browser market, so Ie is just an old application with simply no future right now.

Quite simply, if you’re using Internet Explorer, you’d better start considering the change to Microsoft Edge, as this is the only real Microsoft browser that’s getting love these days.

The Redmond-based tech giant is trying to help make the experience overall as straightforward as you possibly can, so that as a part of its commitment to the brand new Edge, it also developed a method to automatically redirect Internet Explorer users to the new browser whenever an incompatible site is loaded.

What this means is that Internet Explorer can now automatically launch Microsoft Edge if you point the browser to some website that doesn’t support it.

You must be running Microsoft Edge stable version 87 or later for the whole thing.

“Many modern websites have designs which are incompatible with Ie. Whenever an online Explorer user visits an incompatible public site, they get a message that tells them the website is incompatible using their browser, and they need to manually change to a different browser,” Microsoft explains.

“The need to manually change to a different browser changes starting with Microsoft Edge Stable version 87. When a user goes to a site that’s incompatible with Ie, they will be automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge. This short article describes the consumer experience for redirection and also the group policies that are used to configure or disable automatic redirection.”

The way the whole thing works is pretty straightforward. As noticed by BornCity, an assistance document authored by Microsoft reveals the company has created a summary of all websites which are regarded as incompatible with Internet Explorer. Once the browser detects the user tries to load it, Ie checks to see if Microsoft Edge 87 is a component of the unit. If it’s, IE launches Microsoft Edge and loads this page within the browser.

A notification is shown on screen to let users realize that the web site they tried to load doesn’t support Ie. Interestingly enough, once Edge is loaded, the browser also imports all browsing data from Internet Explorer, essentially preparing a full-time migration toe the new browser.

“On redirection to Microsoft Edge, users are provided the one-time dialog within the next screenshot. This dialog explains why they’re getting redirected and prompts for consent to copy their browsing data and preferences from online Explorer to Microsoft Edge. The following browsing data will be imported: Favorites, Passwords, Search engines, open tabs, History, settings, cookies, and also the Home Page,” Microsoft explains.

“When a site is redirected from Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge, the Internet Explorer tab that started loading the website is closed if it had no prior content. Otherwise, the active tab view goes to a Microsoft support page that explains why the site was redirected to Microsoft Edge.”

While it’s pretty clear the purpose here’s to move users to Microsoft Edge, Microsoft explains that whenever you’re completed with the incompatible page, you can just go back to Ie for the browsing needs, as long as you load compatible websites.

Microsoft has additionally announced three group policies for IT admins you can use to enable automatic redirection to Microsoft Edge:

RedirectSitesFromInternetExplorerPreventBHOInstall
RedirectSitesFromInternetExplorerRedirectMode
HideInternetExplorerRedirectUXForIncompatibleSitesEnabled

The migration towards the Chromium engine, the same one that’s powering Google Chrome and several other high-profile browsers, allowed Microsoft Edge to become a cross-platform offering. So in addition to Windows 10, Microsoft Edge can also be installed on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and macOS. Recently, the Redmond-based software giant also released a preview build of Microsoft Edge for Linux, with the stable version expected within the coming months.

Microsoft Announces Theme-Aware Splash Screens in Windows 10

Posted on by

After theme-aware live tiles in the Start menu, that are around today for everybody included in the update to Windows 10 October 2020 Update, here come the theme-aware splash screen for apps.

Specifically, Microsoft announced in the newest preview build of Windows 10 that it’s bringing a new design to splash screens, essentially allowing their turn to match the main one of the operating-system. Quite simply, if you use the dark mode in Windows 10, then the splash screen is dark too. If you stick with the light mode, the light visual style can be used too.

“Building on theme-aware tiles in Start, we’re introducing theme-aware splash screens for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. Now, when an eligible UWP app is launched, the splash screen color will match your default app mode. For instance, if you have light theme turned on, you’ll visit a light theme splash screen, and if you’ve dark theme turned on (for that “default app mode”) then you’ll see a dark theme splash screen,” Microsoft explains.

At this time, only a few apps have a theme-aware splash screen, for example Settings, Calculator, Maps, Movies & TV, Office, and many others, but before the feature goes live for production devices, all Microsoft apps on Windows 10 should come with the same update.

Gradual rollout

Worthwhile to learn is that not everybody running this preview build gets the brand new feature, as Microsoft is just conducted a limited test for now, with the objective of making it available for everybody at a later time.

“This feature has created to a subset of Insiders within the Dev Channel at first to help us quickly identify issues that may impact performance and reliability. Be assured they will be gradually rolling out to everybody in the Dev Channel,” Microsoft explains.

Windows 10 October 2020 Update Now Available for Download

Posted on by

Microsoft has officially started the rollout of Windows 10 October 2020 Update, previously known as Windows 10 version 20H2 and also referred to as 2009.

Windows 10 October 2020 Update isn’t an enormous feature update for that operating system, although it does come with important improvements, including a refined Start menu with theme-aware live tiles.

However, the October 2020 Update follows in the footsteps from the November 2019 Update, and it is considered a little bit more than the usual service pack, with the focus on underneath the hood improvements and less on additional features.

Because it happened previously, the October 2020 Update has been presented to users in stages, so few people is getting it today. Microsoft says this is necessary to ensure that no major bugs are experienced, as it permits the company to suspend the rollout in case of critical issues.

October 2020 Update available with a manual check for updates

“In the work, learn and fasten from home environment where individuals are relying on their PCs more than ever before, we’re going for a measured seeker-based rollout method of the October 2020 Update. We are throttling availability over the coming weeks to make sure a dependable download experience, therefore the update may not be provided to you immediately. Additionally, some devices might have a compatibility issue for that your safeguard hold is within place, so we won’t offer the update until we’re certain that you will have a good update experience,” Microsoft explains.

Users running Windows 10 version 1903 or later without any upgrade blocks in position should be able to install the October 2020 Update by manually checking for updates in Windows Update.

The supply of the new update should increase in the coming weeks and months as Microsoft manages to determine the level of reliability for more configurations out there.

The very best Internet Security Suite for Windows 10

Posted on by

Finding the right Internet security software suite for Windows 10 isn’t by any means easy business, and it’s all because pretty much every vendor out there claims they offer the best protection available today.

Fortunately, professionals at AV-TEST have conducted new information on the total of 22 security packages for Windows 10 in July and August, thus trying to help us figure out what product we ought to install on our devices.

Much like before, all tested security suites were evaluated for protection, performance, and usability, with a maximum score of 6 points per each test. Overall, each product could reach a maximum score of 18 points.

The results are surprising, to say the least. And I’m saying it a great way, as from the 22 tested products, only 6 of these actually didn’t get the AV-TEST certification.

At least 8 Internet security suites received the utmost score of 18 points after being awarded with 6 points for defense, performance, and usability:

AhnLab V3 Internet Security
Avira Antivirus Pro
F-Secure SAFE
G DATA Internet security software
Kaspersky Internet security software
McAfee Total Protection
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
NortonLifeLock Norton 360

The remaining items that receive the AV-TEST certification scored 17.5 points overall, so that they were pretty near to top-notch performance anyway.

“To make sure, even this test performed over a period of 8 weeks is only a snapshot over time. But it does demonstrate the high performance of many security solutions under Windows 10 for consumer users. The highest point score of 18 was achieved by a total of 8 products, whereas 8 additional packages earned the excellent score of 17.5 points. Which means that 16 from the 22 security packages tested also earned recognition as a TOP PRODUCT, in addition to a certificate for his or her security. Interesting to note: Even Windows Defender Antivirus completed this test with 18 points. In hindsight at the test history of the past Twelve months, however, this were rather the exception rather than the rule,” AV-TEST explains.

“Many of the security packages and Internet security software suites recognized offer plenty of useful extra features, in addition to a high amount of security and reliability. Thus, when comparing packages with equal point scores, it is useful to check out their full range of features.”

When it comes to the products that disappointed within this new information, worth mentioning would be the three worst scorers.

First of all, it’s Malwarebytes Premium, which scored only 5.5 points for defense, 4.5 points for performance, and 4.5 points for usability. What this means is Malwarebytes earned as many as 14.5 points, insufficient to receive the certification and thus be considered a top product.

At the same time, the PC Matic suite from the vendor with similar name left a lot to be desired, with only 3 points received for that protection offered throughout the research. On the other hand, it reached a score of 6 points for performance and 4.5 points for usability, however this only brought the ultimate score to 13.5 points. Obviously, it hasn’t received the organization’s certification.

And also the last within the charts this time around is the Smart Antivirus from a vendor called Cylance. This security product received only 12 points in the test after getting just 2.5 points for the protection that it offered throughout the testing. As far as usability goes, it received 3.5 points, the cheapest score in the 22 items that were contained in the research.

The only real good news for Cylance users is that the application received the maximum of 6 points because of its performance on Windows 10.

Downloading Microsoft Edge with Chrome or Firefox Is Quite a Challenge Now

Posted on by

Microsoft Edge has been reinvented for that modern world, so it’s now in line with the Chromium engine, the same one that’s powering Google Chrome along with a couple of other browsers available.

At the same time, Edge has become cross-platform, which means it’s no longer only at Windows 10 and it’s available too on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and macOS. A Linux version can also be in the works, and a preview build is anticipated this month.

Needless to say, users on all these platforms can download the new Microsoft Edge manually, though Microsoft has additionally pushed it via Windows Update on Windows systems. But on the other hand, as with every other browser, anyone can simply head over to the official page and download the installers for whatever operating system they’re running.

But as as it happens, downloading Microsoft Edge with Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (and possibly other browsers too) has become a significant challenge lately, as Microsoft has changed the download page to be able to request users to launch the legacy version of the browser.

In other words, should you load the Microsoft Edge download page, you have to be using Microsoft Edge Legacy to be able to get the installer. Otherwise, you won’t be served the download link in Google Chrome or Firefox.

Spotted by TechDows, the modification happened sooner or later recently, and Microsoft hasn’t said anything about this. Once you load the download page in Chrome or Firefox, you can now see a Try Now button in the actual center of the screen that prompts you to definitely launch the Legacy form of Edge.

The link about this button uses the microsoft-edge parameter, which on Windows 10 devices launches the “Open with” screen to allow users launch the legacy version of the browser. However, if you manually browse your files to suggest the prompt to Chrome or Firefox, the link still isn’t loaded, so you’re tied to this message on the screen.

This behavior, however, doesn’t appear to happen in all browsers. For example, everything appears to be working correctly in Opera on my small device, as the download page shows a “download” button which when clicked provides the official installer for Windows 10.

The change is surprising, to say the least, though there’s a good chance it happened by mistake and could be corrected rather sooner than later. Microsoft itself hasn’t said anything about it, so don’t be too surprised if everything returns to normalcy within the future, especially after more and more people find out about this broken download page.

However, Microsoft has previously been quite aggressive in its make an effort to convince users to try out Microsoft Advantage on their devices, so it wouldn’t make sense at all for the company to limit the download page to the legacy form of the browser. In the meantime, if you wish to download the most recent version of Microsoft Edge for Windows 10, you can easily head over to the download link on Softpedia, in which you obtain the installer much easier. Not to mention, you could change to the legacy form of Edge for the entire thing, although it is obvious that carrying this out isn’t necessarily the most convenient thing to do because the app has already been abandoned.

The adoption of Microsoft Edge keeps growing, so Microsoft should correct this blunder as soon as possible. We have reached out to the company to learn more and can update the content if we hear back.

Microsoft Kills Off Office 2010 and Office 2016 for Mac

Posted on by

Microsoft has officially discontinued Office 2010 and Office 2016 for Mac, so customers still running the two productivity suites would no longer get any new updates.

Obviously, just like when it comes to Windows, running unsupported software isn’t at all recommended, not just because no other improvements and updates would be received, but additionally due to the security vulnerabilities that would just remain unpatched.

The demise of Office 2010 and Office 2016 for Mac doesn’t come out of the blue, as Microsoft previously announced that these two versions could be retired back in 2017.

“As we first announced back in April 2017, this decision aligns with our broader commitment to providing tools and experiences created for a brand new world of work. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that people have to help our customers stay agile and connected despite constant change. Which means delivering cloud-connected and try to up-to-date versions in our best apps to each person and every organization on earth,” Microsoft explains.

“With Microsoft 365 Apps, we all do that in three big ways. First, the cloud enables real-time collaboration across apps and within Microsoft Teams, the hub for teamwork. Second, AI and machine learning advance creativity and innovation in from PowerPoint design to Excel analysis. And finally, built-in, cloud-powered security protects your data and offers the peace of mind that comes with knowing your business won’t be productive, but additionally secured.”

Without official support, not only that users aren’t getting any security fixes for that vulnerabilities which are discovered, but bugs are no longer fixed and tech support team is not offered.

Unsurprisingly, the recommended option for those impacted by this end of support is the transition to Microsoft 365, the subscription-based service that guarantees continued updates and additional features as soon as they are ready.

The adoption of Microsoft 365 itself has skyrocketed lately, especially as most of the planet gone to live in working from home and more companies needed a productivity suite in which to stay touch with colleagues and get the job done remotely.

However, companies that haven’t prepared for the migration may be caught unguarded, especially given that many IT pros and admins continue to be working from home and transitioning towards the subscription-based service might be more difficult.

“We understand that everyone is in a different stage of their journey to the cloud, and we’re committed to supporting our customers in their transition to Microsoft 365 Apps. For those customers who aren’t ready for the cloud and have a specific need for on-premises or hybrid deployment, for example fully disconnected or restricted environments, we provide Office 2019, the perpetual form of Office that does not receive feature updates. However for everyone else, we’ve created a set of resources to help you transition towards the Microsoft 365 Apps and innovations made to help to keep your environment up to date once you’ve made the transition,” Microsoft explains.

According to Microsoft’s support policy, Office 2010 received 10 years of support, so customers are now required to upgrade to get updates.

However, if Microsoft 365 isn’t the chosen path, Office 2019 continues to be available as a one-time purchase that can be used without a subscription. Microsoft has confirmed it intends to release at least one more stand-alone Office version following the 2019 suite, though for the time being, no other specifics are available.

However, it’s pretty clear that the focus is on Microsoft 365 at this time, so companies should think about a change to the subscription-based product as soon as possible.

Internet to No Longer Be Supported for Microsoft Accounts

Posted on by

IE should not be used as the daily browser, Microsoft says, and if you really want to stay with an alternative developed by the software giant, you can already download the all-new Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge.

So with Internet Explorer an old browser, it’s clear that the clients are betting big on Microsoft Edge. And IE’s days are numbered already, with Microsoft announcing earlier this year this app would no longer be based on the Microsoft 365 suite starting August 17, 2021.

Microsoft Teams would drop support for IE even earlier, as the browser would cease working on this service on November 30 this season.

And based on German site Dr. Windows, November is also likely to bring the demise of Ie on Microsoft Accounts and Microsoft apps, so theoretically, if you are using this browser, you’ll no longer be in a position to log into your account unless you upgrade to Edge or perhaps a different app.

The migration to the new Edge

An announcement in connection with this is missing, however, you shouldn’t be too surprised if this indeed happens.

“In this moment of bridging between modern and legacy apps, many purchasers may go through there isn’t any choice but to depend on a two-browser workaround of using IE 11 alongside a modern browser. However, using the new Microsoft Edge and Ie mode, customers don’t need an awkward workaround of 1 browser for many apps and another for other apps. They can standardize on a single browser and seamlessly experience the greatest of the modern web in a single tab while accessing a business-critical legacy IE 11 app in another tab – all housed within the new Microsoft Edge,” Microsoft said earlier this year.

The brand new Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge can be obtained on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and macOS. A Linux version is also coming, and a preview arrives this month.