Category Archives: 2020.11

How to Block the Welcome Screen in Windows 10

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As you probably noticed if you’re a long-time Windows 10 users, every time you use a new feature update for the operating-system, you choose a welcome screen when you log in to the desktop once again.

This welcome screen actually includes a very simple purpose: it typically helps beginners learn how to make use of the operating system, and also at the same time frame, it shows a summary of the improvements contained in the latest feature update.

Of course, this type of welcome screen comes in handy especially to rookies, but however, it’s something which power users would gladly disable for any more straightforward approach when signing in towards the desktop following a Windows 10 feature update.

Initially, disabling the Windows 10 welcome experience isn’t necessarily a hard move to make, but Microsoft has actually included a dedicated toggle within the Settings app, and there’s a chance lots of people don’t even find it.

Like a side note, certainly one of Microsoft’s priorities in Windows 10 is discontinuing the classic User interface and moving all options to the Settings app. It is because the Settings app supplies a more modern experience that aligns using the approach Microsoft is applying for Windows 10, while the classic Control Panel belongs to the traditional push which was a part of Windows 7.

Obviously, Microsoft ditching the User interface has several drawbacks, and something of these is Windows 7 users upgrading to Windows 10 feeling lost when it comes to establishing the operating-system. And then, it’s the Settings app itself increasingly cluttered, though you must always rely on the search feature to locate something that you wish to modify in Windows 10.

Leaving aside these shortcomings, the Settings app has become Microsoft’s only focus when it comes to configuring Windows 10, and it’s also the home of an option for the welcome experience we discussed above.

Also it all comes to just a simple toggle that you’ll find in the following location:
Windows 10 > Settings app > System > Notifications & actions

The choice that you’re looking for is known as:

Show me the Windows welcome experience after updates and often after i register to highlight what’s new and suggested

The method described above will also apply to Windows 10 November 2020 Update, the newest feature update for that operating system that’s now going live gradually to devices across the world.

Not to mention, there’s an excellent chance it’ll work in the following Windows 10 feature update coming in 2021 – much like this year, Microsoft intends to unveil two feature updates the coming year, one in the spring and the other one in the fall.

Windows 10 version 21H1 will be another small update centered on underneath the hood improvements and fewer on new features, virtually just like the November 2020 Update does right now. However, the fall update expected to go live in October or November 2021 is anticipated to bring many more improvements, including new capabilities.

Earlier this week, it has emerged that Microsoft may be planning to bring Android apps to Windows 10 without resorting to the Your Phone app, and this fall update will probably be the one introducing this functionality. Needless to say, if this is the situation, we ought to expect the feature to go live first in Windows Insider builds going live in the first half of 2021.

At this point, Microsoft has always been completely tight-lipped about this topic.

Windows 10 to obtain Two Feature Updates Next Year, Major Release within the Fall

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Much like it happened this year, Windows 10 is projected to receive two different feature updates the coming year, such as a big release bringing plenty of improvements.

This is based on the latest information coming from the rumor mill, although the strategy totally is sensible for several reasons.

First of all, it’s vital that you take a look at how Microsoft currently ships Windows 10 feature updates:

Spring update: major release typically coming in April – May
Fall update: minor release typically coming in October – November

Small update coming in the fall is typically a little bit more than a service pack, all centered on under the hood improvements and less on additional features. This is actually the case of the recently shipped Windows 10 version 20H2 too, and also the same approach was used twelve months before too.

However, the bigger update is the one introducing new features and functionality which have been previously tested with the help of users signed up for the Windows Insider program. The most recent big update for Windows 10 may be the May 2020 Update which shipped the 2009 spring.

According to a report, Microsoft can change this release strategy in 2021, with the smaller release to go reside in the spring, while the larger update with new features and everything scheduled for that fall.

This new calendar is sensible for just one big reason: Microsoft is projected to unveil Windows 10X early in the year and then ship one major update each year using the same timing, so theoretically, this is how the release strategy is likely to look going forward:

Spring update: major Windows 10X update, small Windows 10 update
Fall update: major Windows 10 update

One of the new capabilities that will go live in Windows 10 21H2 is meant for x86 64-bit app emulation for Windows 10 on ARM.

This is quite big news not only for users, however for Microsoft too, as this will allow the software giant to deal with the possible lack of apps on devices such as the Surface Pro X and therefore provide access towards the large ecosystem of apps available on Windows 10. Obviously, ARM will become a bigger focus in the long run for Microsoft, which makes total sense, especially right now when Apple has also started building its very own ARM chips.

Another big change visiting Windows 10, though this time it’s not clear if this is projected to happen within the fall update or otherwise, is support for Android apps around the desktop. While you probably know already, such capabilities already are provided with the Your Phone app along with a compatible smartphone, but Microsoft wants this experience being readily available for everybody running Windows 10.

So theoretically, what Microsoft really wants to do is to bring Android apps towards the Microsoft Store and therefore provide a more native experience from one end to another. However, the job in connection with this is probably still arrived, and right now, it’s not yet known how much progress Microsoft makes about this feature.

Probably, Microsoft is working heavily on optimizing Android apps on Windows 10, all with the purpose to deal with any performance issue that might be experienced. But given the work is still under way, it remains seen if Android app support goes live in Windows 10 or not – considering Microsoft itself hasn’t announced the feature, there’s additionally a chance the organization ditches the project entirely if the progress that’s being made doesn’t match its expectations.

How to Force OneDrive to Pause or Sync on Metered Connection

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When on a metered connection like mobile data, you are able to force OneDrive to pause or sync when needed. Here’re the exact steps you should follow to achieve that.

For many Windows 10 users, OneDrive is the go-to with regards to cloud storage and sync. In the end, OneDrive is made into Windows 10 and is better integrated using the File Explorer. Compared to other cloud services, OneDrive’s desktop app is feature-rich while being fast, reliable, and easy to make use of. Personally, I personally use OneDrive every day to sync my work and project files. For instance, all of the screenshots I take are directly synced to OneDrive so that I’m able to access them on any device I want. As long as you possess a decent internet connection, the files are synced automatically.

Though the general automatic file sync is a great thing, depending on your online connection type, like when utilizing mobile data, you might want to control OneDrive sync. For example, you will possibly not want OneDrive to sync when on the metered connection since it consumes lots of data. On the other hand, maybe you want to sync files since you need them immediately.

No matter the reason, OneDrive lets you control the sync behavior when using a metered connection. That’s, you can either entirely pause OneDrive on the metered connection or enable OneDrive Sync on the metered connection. Regardless of the choice you are making, here’s the best way to force OneDrive to pause or sync on the metered connection.

Sync OneDrive on Metered Connection

By default OneDrive pauses sync when linked to a metered connection, To sync OneDrive on a metered connection, you need to disable the pause option in the OneDrive settings. Here’re the exact steps you need to follow.

First, open the Start menu.
Search for “OneDrive” and then click it.
After opening, right-click on the OneDrive icon around the taskbar.
Select the “Settings” option in the list.
In the Settings window, visit the “Settings” tab.
Here, uncheck the “Automatically pause sync when this device is on the metered connection” option.
Click on the “Ok” button in order to save changes.

That is all. Once you select the option and save the changes, OneDrive should start syncing again. Do remember that with respect to the number of files you have as well as their sizes, you might run out of data pretty quickly.

Pause OneDrive on Metered Connection

Just as you are able to resume OneDrive, you can also configure OneDrive to pause sync when connected to a metered connection. This is extremely helpful when OneDrive is applying up all of the data and bandwidth to sync files. Here’re the steps you should follow.

First, open the Start menu.
Look for “OneDrive” and then click it.
After opening, right-click around the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.
Select the “Settings” option in the list.
In the Settings window, go to the “Settings” tab.
Here, select the “Automatically pause sync if this system is on a metered connection” option.
Click the “Ok” button to save changes.

After changing the settings, OneDrive will no longer sync file while using the metered connection. When OneDrive is paused because of metered connection, it will “This PC is on a metered connection. OneDrive Sync is paused to avoid data charges” message.

Microsoft Announces Microsoft Office Update for Apple Silicon

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Apple took the wraps off its own in-house built M1 processor earlier this week, and the first devices run by it are supposed to continue sale on November 17.

Needless to say, the apps out there have to be optimized to run on Apple Silicon, and because the world’s number 1 software company, Microsoft really wants to be among the first to bring its products on Apple’s new devices.

Merely a next day of first announcing the beta builds of Office for Apple Silicon, Microsoft returns with a big announcement: Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 support is ready for M1-powered devices.

In other words, those getting Apple’s new generation of devices can install Microsoft Office on day one thanks to this new update.

What’s vital that you know is the fact that Mac users have to install the November 2020 Update, or version 16.43, to profit from the support for M1-powered devices.

“The latest discharge of apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Onenote, and OneDrive can be placed on devices which are in line with the Apple Silicon architecture. To find the best experience, install the November 2020 release (build 16.43), or later. This release of Office includes the latest optimizations for macOS Big Sur, which is the first operating-system to support Apple Silicon,” Microsoft explains.

“Apple Silicon processors can run apps which are compiled for that Intel chipset through a software technology referred to as Rosetta 2. This translation layer is automatically enabled in macOS Big Sur and provides users with access to any or all features in Microsoft’s apps including support for third-party add-ins. End-users and business customers can use existing methods to install and deploy Office.”

Microsoft explains the very first time users launch the brand new Office on Apple Silicon, they ought to notice a longer loading time, though this would no more happen at another time. Quite simply, after you install Microsoft Office on the device run by the new M1 chip, the productivity suite would need as much as 20 seconds to load additional time to load (Microsoft originally estimated the whole thing would require 20 seconds, however this reference has since been removed), but things will come normal again next.

“The first launch of each Office app will take longer because the operating-system needs to generate optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor. Users will notice that the apps ‘bounce’ in the dock for about 20 seconds while this process completes. Subsequent app launches is going to be fast,” Microsoft explains.

There aren’t any feature differences between your new build of Microsoft Office and also the other versions available on macOS, as feature parity continues to be crucial for the software giant.

In the meantime, the company says it continues the work on a universal installer that would be available on the Mac.

“As demonstrated at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June 2020, we’ve already begun the process of moving Mac apps to universal binaries. In the future we’ll natively support both Apple Silicon and Intel chipsets within the same executable,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft 365 became one of Microsoft’s main cash cows, and it’s pretty clear that support Apple Silicon on day one is a priority. And it’s all because increasing numbers of people will work from home nowadays because of obvious reasons, and embracing productivity suites like Office 365 may be the only way to stay productive much like they would’ve been working from the office. Microsoft itself acknowledged that its products recorded massive development in the final 8 months or so, revealing recently the adoption of Microsoft Teams skyrocketed due to the global health issue weight loss employees started working remotely.

Play Wow: Shadowlands with AMD’s 20.11.2 Radeon Graphics Driver

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AMD has announced the supply of a new version of their Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition Graphics driver, namely the 20.11.2 (20.45.01.18) package, which includes compatibility using the latest Radeon RX 6800 Series cards that are designed for the best 4k gaming experience.

Besides this, the present release also adds support for the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands title, adds Radeon Boost feature for Fortnite, Warframe, Fallout 76, The Witcher 3, and Sniper Elite 4 games, and includes a new Vulkan extension (VK_KHR_fragment_shading_rate).

Moreover, the 20.11.2 build resolves graphical glitches and custom fan settings issues seen on Radeon RX 500 series GPUs, improves Xuan-Yuan Sword VII performance on Radeon RX 5700 series cards, and fixes Far Cry Primal corruptions seen on Radeon RX 5000 series products.

However, this update may still notice a few bugs when playing Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, Cod: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and other games as highlighted in the Release Notes below.

Regarding compatibility, besides a supported GPU, remember that your configuration should be managing a 64-bit variant of Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Windows 10 os’s. Also, it comes with an “Auto-Detect and Install” package that downloads the right driver for your hardware.

Therefore, remove any previous version present on your computer, save and run the right package for your computer, watch for all files required to be produced available, and follow all instructions displayed on the screen for an entire upgrade.

With this in mind, if you consider applying this release, download AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition Graphics Driver 20.11.2, do the installation and execute a reboot once finished. Also, check back around to remain “updated one minute ago.”

How to Total Clear Memory Cache in Windows 10

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When the memory cache is occupying too much space or slowing down the system, adopt these measures to clear memory cache in Windows 10.

If you open software or perhaps a file, Windows automatically stores part or all of it within the system memory. Of course, how the application information is kept in the memory (RAM) is completely managed by Windows itself. Since the system memory is significantly faster and much more accessible compared to regular hard drive or even the SSD, the applications or files is going to be snappier, and switching together will be a breeze. Generally, this kind of storing in memory is known as Memory Cache.

However, under certain conditions, the memory cache can get clogged and fill the entire system memory. This is especially true if your system has less memory to start with (less then 8GB). In those cases, the machine will show “Low Memory” warning, performance is going to be sluggish and apps won’t work as they should. Within the worst-case scenario, the system might crash with possible loss of data.

If you feel the memory is filling up or maybe the system is showing low memory error, follow the steps below to completely pay off the memory cache in Windows 10.

Restart the Windows 10 System

The best way to clear the Windows memory cache is just to show from the system and turn it on again. When attempting to restart the machine, Windows will either complete all the pending tasks or abandons them when needed. Unlike the standard hard drive, the machine memory is volatile. i.e, without active power, the data in RAM is lost. Since all of the memory sheds, Windows will begin afresh solving the memory cache problem.

To restart the system, right-click on the start menu and select “Shut down or sign out ?¨² Restart”. After restarting, the memory cache should be cleared. in the task manager (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC).

Clear Memory Cache by Processing Idle Tasks

If you don’t wish to restart the machine to purge memory cache, that you can do yet another thing. i.e, force Windows to process any and all idle tasks. Generally, when the idle tasks are not completed, they sit within the memory awaiting Windows instructions to accomplish the process task. So, when the memory cache is full, forcing Windows to process idle tasks may clear it. Here’s how you can do it.

First, right-click on the desktop.
Select the “New → Shortcut” option.
Now, copy and paste “%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks” within the “Location from the item” field.
Click “Next” to carry on.
Type “Complete idle processes” because the name. You can name it anything you like.
Click “Finish”.
Now, double-click around the new shortcut to execute it.

As soon as you double-click around the shortcut, the command will be executed and Windows is forced to process all the idle tasks. You will not use whatever progress or confirmation window. Once that’s done, the memory cache should hopefully be cleared.

Do keep in mind that this is not a guaranteed way because if the idle processes are not responsible for the memory clogging, you won’t use whatever improvement. In those cases, the next best option would be to restart the system.

Download KB4579311 Offline Installer Windows 10 v2004 (security update)

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KB4579311 is a security update for Windows 10 v2004 systems. Here are the direct links to download KB4579311 offline installer for Windows 10 systems.

Just this day or two back, Microsoft released an update for HP laptop users to repair battery issues. This patch Tuesday, Microsoft released another update squarely from Windows 10 v2004 systems. KB4579311 is a security update with no other improvements or fixes. The update is pretty small but patches some important security bugs in Windows 10 v2004. Those security fixes include although not restricted to possible win32k privilege escalation, group policy accidentally deleting files recursively within the System32 folder, null port creation under certain circumstances, flaws in Windows kernel, graphics component, virtualization, etc.

Overall, KB4579311 is a pretty small but much-needed security update for Windows 10 v2004 system. As always, the update is automatically installed. Otherwise, you are able to manually trigger the update from the Settings app (Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update).

Alternatively, you may also download KB4579311 offline installer with the links given below. The offline installers are especially useful once the Windows Update is not able to download the update in order to do the installation on an offline machine.

Download KB4579311 Offline Installer

Fundamental essentials download links for KB4579311 update offline installer.

KB4579311 For Windows 10 v2004 users:

KB4579311 32-bit (x86) offline installer (115.9 MB)
KB4579311 64-bit (x64) offline installer (346.8 MB)

Depending on your operating-system version, click on the appropriate link to download the installer. Along with the above links, you can also make use of the MS Update Catalog website to download the update’s offline installer.

KB4579311 Change Log

Addresses a problem with a possible elevation of privilege in win32k.
Addresses an issue with the Group Policy service that might recursively delete critical files in alphabetic order from %systemroot%\system32. This issue occurs when a policy has been configured to delete cached profiles. These file deletions may cause stop error “0x5A (CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED)” boot failures.
Addresses an issue with creating null ports while using user interface.
Security updates to Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Media, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Authentication, Windows Virtualization, and Windows Kernel.

That’s all.

How to Disable BitLocker in Windows 10 (remove bitlocker)

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If the BitLocker encryption causes unnecessary problems, adopt these measures to show off, remove, or disable BitLocker in Windows 10.

For many Windows users, BitLocker is one of the best and free methods to encrypt drives and their content. To start using BitLocker, all you need to do is enable BitLocker on the target drive, set a password, backup BitLocker recovery key and you are good to go. The actual BitLocker module will take care of the entire encryption and decryption of the drive as and when needed. Of course, when not needed, you are able to decrypt the drives and disable BitLocker.

While BitLocker makes it easy to safeguard data with strong encryption, it has its own quirks too. For example, taking into consideration the functionality and just how BitLocker works, it does not play nice with other software, isn’t suitable for dual-booting, and can even create problems with Windows 10 upgrades. The upgrade problems are especially persistent if you chose to encrypt the C drive.

Regardless of reason, if you no longer need BitLocker drive encryption, you are able to disable it with just a few clicks. Follow any of the below methods to fully disable BitLocker in Windows 10.

Disable BitLocker from Control Panel

You can turn off BitLocker from the control panel itself. Here’s how.

Open the Start menu.
Type “Control Panel” and press Enter.
After opening the user interface, set the View By to “Large icons”.
Next, find and then click the “BitLocker Drive Encryption” option.
Find the drive with BitLocker turned on and then click it.
Click around the “Turn off BitLocker” option.
When prompted for a password, type it and press Enter.

Once you confirm the action, BitLocker will decrypt the drive and turns itself off. That’s all.

Disable BitLocker Command (cmd)

You can perform single command to quickly disable BitLocker in Windows 10. Before executing the below command, be sure to note down the actual drive letter of the encrypted drive. You can find the drive letter within the File Explorer.

Open the beginning menu.
Type “Command Prompt”, right-click onto it, and choose “Run as administrator”.
After open CMD as admin, execute the below command. Replace “X” with the actual drive letter of the encrypted drive.
manage-bde -off X:
When prompted, type the BitLocker password and press Enter.

When you authenticate with the password, Windows 10 will decrypt the drive and turns off BitLocker.

PowerShell Command to show Off BitLocker

PowerShell too includes a dedicated command to completely switch off BitLocker in Windows 10.

Open the beginning menu.
Type “PowerShell”, right-click onto it, and select “Run as administrator”.
After open PowerShell admin, execute the below command in it. Replace “X” with the actual drive letter.
Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint “X:”
When prompted for any password, types in and press Enter

As soon as you enter the password, Windows will decrypt the drive and disables BitLocker with that specific drive.

Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB4586781 Problems Already Being Reported

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Microsoft published new Windows 10 cumulative updates only a few days ago as part of the November 2020 Patch Tuesday cycle, not to mention, the May 2020 Update, or version 2004, received its group of improvements too.

These landed as cumulative update KB4586781 and included security fixes when utilizing certain peripherals and the Microsoft Office security suite, as well as improved security when Windows performs basic operations.

Microsoft originally said KB4586781 came with just two known issues (another one for Windows Server was added at a later time), but none of these had anything to do with failed installs or BSODs.

And yet, the fact is, both still happen, and posts online are the living proof in this regard. A Microsoft Answers thread spotted by TechDows, as well as other complaints authored by users on various forums indicate that cumulative update KB4586781 sometimes fails to install, so when it does manage to deploy successfully it actually causes more problems, the worst of which is really a fatal crash from the system.

Someone on Microsoft’s forums explains this cumulative update was offered to their new laptop and after installation, the unit ended up hitting a BSOD that managed to get impossible to use it. Through the looks of products, KB4586781 is the only one that could have caused the problems, and many other users confirmed in messages within the same thread that installing this cumulative update causes similar errors on their own computers too.

“However, when my laptop was restarted and updated the above windows update, it ran into problems and turned to “blue screen”. After which, the laptop turned off itself automatically. I pressed the “On” button of my laptop, it restarted and automatically repaired itself. Then, it turned off itself again. I pressed the “On” button of my laptop 2nd time. Then, laptops removed the most recent windows update of the aforementioned. It worked again. I strongly believe there’s a serious issue when the windows are update KB4586781,” they say.

The bigger issue is that a failed update keeps trying to install, eventually resulting in the boot problems over and over again, so the solution is to actually block its installation completely.

Others claim that the update just does not install, this time around with no BSOD.

“I have a similar issue. exactly the same pack fails to install every day. But I don’t want this update, how can I stop it? I need to work and cannot have another meltdown, I’ve stabilized my laptop by disabling Norton and Chrome, although errors continue arising,” someone says. “I hope mine won’t go BSOD soon! Keep failing 3 times already for this Windows Update, It tried to rollback the update & luckily my desktop is still able to boot up,” another user adds.

The good news right now is that these complaints don’t seem to be very widespread, the likelihood of similar issues hitting your system is quite low. Unless you installed the update already and things are working correctly, that is.

To determine if the cumulative update is already on your device, just click the Start menu and type winver. The OS build number should be 19041.630 for Windows 10 version 2004 and 19042.630 for Windows 10 version 20H2 – if the build number is anything less than that, then your device isn’t yet running this cumulative update, and you’ll need to either get it from Windows Update with a look for update or manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 Will Receive Updates Until May 2024

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Microsoft has shared more information about its scheduled Surface update lifecycle, revealing the Surface Go 2, the top Book 3, Surface Pro X SQ2, and Surface Laptop Go could be supported until 2024.

The full dates are available in the table embedded at the end of the content.

The top Laptop Go and Surface Pro X SQ2 (the revised version which was announced earlier this year) are the type getting the longest duration of support at this time, as they are supposed to get to the end of servicing on October 13, 2014.

Surface Book 3 will continue to receive updates until May 26, 2024.

Firmware and driver updates

Microsoft explains that the Surface driver and firmware lifecycle is divided into two parts, namely device support period and OS version support, using the latter concerning the date once the Windows 10 versions the Surface devices run are supposed to be retired.

Quite simply, in case your Surface runs a version of Windows 10 that no more receives updates, which means you need to update to a newer discharge of the operating system to obtain more patches.

Furthermore, Microsoft clearly states that Surface computers won’t receive updates for any Windows 10 version over the age of the one it ships with.

So far as the driver support is concerned, Microsoft guarantees a minimum of Four years of updates.

“The device support period defines the period during which Surface will support driver and firmware updates for any device. The unit Support Period starts when a system is released. Surface devices will get driver and firmware updates not less than Four years from the time the device was initially released. In cases where the support duration is longer than Four years, an updated end of servicing date is going to be published prior to the date of last servicing,” Microsoft explains.

New Surface models are projected to produce next year, including the Surface Pro 8.