Month: April 2019

Microsoft No more Really wants to Get rid of Classic Paint in Windows 10

Microsoft has given on its intend to retire the classic Microsoft Paint in Windows 10, instead deciding to continue providing the app alongside the current Paint 3D.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), which launched in the fall of 2017, introduced a warning in Microsoft Paint to warn users the app has been deprecated.

Microsoft tried to steer users to Paint 3D, the company’s modern Paint app that accompany a lot of additional features, including full touch support and a concentrate on 3D content, which perfectly aligns with the company’s current push in Windows 10 overall.

“This form of Paint will quickly get replaced with Paint 3D. Classic Paint will then become available in the Store,” this notification read.

Not a long time ago, however, the warning simply disappeared, with many believing this could be no more Paint, as Microsoft might make the ultimate step and retire the app entirely.

“Microsoft Paint lives on”

But because it turns out, the organization does precisely the opposite, as Microsoft Paint would remain obtainable in Windows 10 and live alongside its 3D sibling.

Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager on the Windows Insider Program Team, explained in a tweet that Microsoft Paint would continue to be offered in Windows 10.

“MSPaint will be contained in 1903. It’ll remain included in Windows 10 for now,” he tweeted.

Specifics aren’t readily available for now, so it’s not known if this sounds like a brief change or Microsoft no longer wants to kill off the classic Microsoft Paint in Windows 10. If this sounds like the case, then a Microsoft Store listing for Paint is not likely to visit live, because the application continues to be offered included in Windows 10.

The next version of Windows 10 is called May 2019 Update, and it is projected to visit live the following month with Microsoft Paint included.

Just Apple Copying Microsoft: More Mobile Features Coming to PCs

Apple is pushing harder for an approach that Microsoft pioneered (and which, meanwhile, failed): deeper ties between iOS and macOS to be able to merge the two ecosystems for seamless transition in one to a different.

Among the company’s latest efforts concerns more iOS features which are migrated to macOS, having a report from 9to5mac indicating the next form of the desktop OS will bring several improvements in connection with this.

macOS 10.15 is anticipated to incorporate Screen Some time and Siri Shortcuts, both of which are already on iOS devices and which could technically help merge mobile and the PC.

Siri Shortcuts, which may be placed on iPhone and iPad in the App Store, will also go love macOS users using the release of the following major update later this year, the origin adds. At this point, however, it’s not yet known if Apple wants to make use of a similar approach and provide the app although the Mac App Store or bundle it using the operating system.

“Microsoft used it too”

Screen Time includes a brand new panel in System Preferences and will allow users to configure how much time they are able to run certain apps. Once the threshold is reached, the screen is locked and also the password needs to be provided in order to keep using the app.

Microsoft pushed for OS convergence a few years ago when it tried to merge Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10. Because of the poor adoption from the mobile operating-system, however, this plan of action eventually failed, and Microsoft ended up migrating several features from smartphones towards the desktop.

Apple’s plan, however, has bigger chances to achieve success, especially given the huge app portfolio that powers the iPhone.

A lot of this project is expected to become unveiled in June at Apple’s WWDC, as the Cupertino-based tech giant will probably insist tougher for developers to organize their apps for the merge between iOS and macOS.

Microsoft Kills Off Windows 8 App Updates Earlier than Anticipated

Microsoft has quietly updated an older announcement to convey that Windows 8 devices would not be supplied with app updates with the Microsoft Store after July 1 this season.

The company initially planned to stop rolling out app updates to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on July 1, 2023, according to the original schedule.

“You’ll still be in a position to publish updates to any or all apps (including individuals with Windows 8 and 8.1 packages). However, these updates will only be distributed around Windows 10 devices,” the company told developers in the announcement.

But because reported on Twitter by @nawzil10, the deadline was quietly gone to live in July 1, 2019. “Microsoft will stop distributing app updates to Windows Phone 8.x or earlier devices, and Windows 8,” the message now reads.

What’s vital that you know is that this updated schedule only concerns Windows 8, and never Windows 8.1. Based on Microsoft’s announcement, Windows 8.1 app updates continue to be projected to become retired on July 1, 2023.

“Windows 8 no more receiving support”

Microsoft pulling support for Windows 8 app updates sooner than anticipated isn’t necessarily surprising news. Not only that Windows 8’s share of the market is currently very small, however the operating system itself no longer receives support since 2016. Users can upgrade to Windows 8.1 free of charge.

In the meantime, Microsoft is pushing harder for Windows 10, so the easiest way to carry on receiving app updates is to upgrade to this latest operating system.

“As a part of our Windows device life-cycle, Microsoft Store will quickly stop accepting newly discovered apps with Windows Phone 8.x or earlier or Windows 8/8.1 packages (XAP and APPX). Right after that date, we will stop distributing app updates to Windows Phone 8.x or earlier and Windows 8/8.1 devices; in those days, updates will only be made available to customers using Windows 10 devices,” Microsoft explains.

Windows 8 was officially launched on October 26, 2012, while Windows 8.1 was introduced only a year later.

Microsoft Finds Bug in Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB4495666

Microsoft says it discovered a problem in the latest cumulative update for Fast ring insiders, so the company decided to put the rollout of 20H1 preview builds for these users on hold.

According to Microsoft, users running Windows 10 build 18362.53 after installing cumulative update KB4495666 can’t proceed to the Windows 10 20H1 preview builds due to errors 0xca00a000 and 0x80242016.

The problem appears to be brought on by this specific cumulative update, and Microsoft says it’s associated with the migration process when switching from 19H1 preview builds to 20H1.

“Fix coming this week”

As a result, the software giant chose to pull the 20H1 update for Fast ring insiders until a brand new cumulative update is released to solve the bug.

“We have determined that there is an issue using the Build 18362.53 (KB4495666) Cumulative Update that was released early a week ago that has caused updates to construct 18875 to fail. The problem only impacts 19H1 to 20H1 updates and occurs as a result of migration failure because the OS attempts to update towards the new build,” Microsoft explains.

“To resolve this issue, we are creating a new Cumulative Update that will have to be put on surface of Build 18362.53 first before Insiders can update towards the latest 20H1 builds. As we focus on this new Cumulative Update, we have stopped offering Build 18875 to Insiders on Build 18362.53 and holding off flighting a new 20H1 build until we can deliver the fix to unblock Insiders.”

The brand new cumulative update is anticipated now, which means that Fast ring insiders will be able to update to Windows 10 20H1 preview builds in a day or two.

Windows 10 20H1 is really a preview of the next spring update, and Microsoft previously shipped these builds towards the Skip Ahead ring exclusively. A week ago, however, Microsoft merged the Skip Ahead and Fast rings to supply both with 20H1 builds.

Unofficial Build of Chromium for Windows 10 ARM Now Available for Download

Microsoft’s migration from EdgeHTML to Chromium for Microsoft Edge browser opens the door to some whole new number of opportunities for Windows 10.

Included in Google becoming a bigger supporter of Windows 10 as a whole, Chromium is soon expected to arrive on the Windows 10 ARM platform too.

Even though Microsoft and Google are currently focusing on this project, a skilled developer recently got Chromium up and running on Windows 10 ARM. Today, an unofficial build of this browser can finally be downloaded and installed by users for testing purposes.

Keep in mind that this isn’t an official release, so you should think twice prior to trying it out on your device. I suggest you to do it in a secure environment, in case you’re afraid something could go wrong.

“ARM-based Microsoft Surface”

As for the official port of Chromium for Windows 10 ARM, Microsoft said not really a years ago it’s dealing with Google on making everything happen. And when this project gets the green light, practically all browsers powered by Chromium should be able to run on Windows 10 ARM, not just Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

“We’ve been collaborating with Google engineers to allow Chromium to run natively on Windows on ARM devices starting with Chromium 73. With these contributions, Chromium-based browsers will soon be able to ship native implementations for ARM-based Windows 10 PCs, significantly improving their performance and battery life,” Microsoft said.

Mozilla has recently released a Firefox version for Windows 10 ARM too. The browser continues to be in beta development stage, but because it turns out, ARM-based Windows 10 devices are slowly gaining ground and receiving more attention from developers worldwide. Microsoft can also be exploring its very own ARM Microsoft Surface model to support the project from a hardware perspective.

Mozilla Firefox for Windows 10 ARM Available these days for Download

Mozilla has released the first public beta of Firefox for Windows on ARM after the company previously presented an earlier look at the browser in 2018.

Although it might seem such as the project advances slowly, investing in an ARM64 browser wasn’t necessarily a priority given the rather poor adoption of Windows on ARM.

However, Microsoft and Google have both suggested that their Chromium-based browsers would run on Windows devices with Snapdragon chips, so Mozilla decided to build its very own flavor of Firefox to grow in this direction.

Despite being a beta, Firefox for Windows 10 ARM appears to be running quite smoothly, and more refinements would be added because the browser heads for the final development stages.

“Browsers, browsers, browsers”

There’s a great deal happening in the browser world these days, and many of the projects come from the same three large developers here, namely Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla.

After announcing that its browser would change from EdgeHTML to Chromium, Microsoft rolled out a preview of its new Microsoft Edge earlier this year, allowing users to try out the app on Windows 10. The brand new Edge will be available cross-platform, so it’ll also support older Windows and macOS.

Meanwhile, Bing is also developing its very own Chrome version for Windows on ARM, and some days ago, a developer got the browser running around the platform. In turn, this successful attempt allowed others to set up Google Chrome on Windows phones already updated to Windows 10 on ARM.

There’s no ETA at this time regarding when Mozilla would to produce stable form of its new Firefox browser, but given the application has already been within an advanced development stage and everything’s working so smoothly, it shouldn’t take too much time before an announcement in this regard is released.

Intel Rolls Out New Wireless Driver for Its Adapters – Version 21.00.0

Intel has made available a brand new Wireless Bluetooth version compatible with a number of its adapters, namely version 21.00.0, which adds general stability improvements and optimizations, in addition to a treatment for a rare Windows System Error.

In addition to that, producer resolves a compatibility issue between Skype and Apple Airpods (on Windows 10), removes an insect that caused connection problems after a power off/power on cycle, and improves Bluetooth LE mouse stability in a few instances.

As for the available files, Intel provides two executables for customers (home users and business customers) running Windows 10 platforms, and 7 archives for advanced IT administrators running Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 operating systems.

As far as installation goes, the operation is very simple: just save the appropriate package ideal for your system configuration and bit variant, run it, and follow all instructions displayed for an entire and successful upgrade.

In addition to that, once the installation has finished, it might be smart to execute a reboot to be able to allow all changes to take effect properly. If this task isn’t requested automatically, make sure to carry it out manually.

Considering all aforementioned aspects, download Intel Wireless Bluetooth Driver 21.00.0, stick to the one that’s valid for computer configuration, apply it, and also check our web site to bear in mind whenever a newer version can be obtained.

Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Cumulative Updates KB4493509, KB4493464, KB4493441

Microsoft just released a new batch of cumulative updates for Windows 10 devices included in the April 2019 Patch Tuesday cycle.

In fact each month, these updates include both security and non-security features, and because vulnerabilities in the operating system are resolved, you are recommended to install them as quickly as possible.

The April 2019 cumulative updates for Windows 10 are the following:

KB4493509 – Windows 10 version 1809

KB4493464 – Windows 10 version 1803

KB4493441 – Windows 10 version 1709

KB4493474 – Windows 10 version 1703

KB4493470 – Windows 10 version 1607

KB4493475 – Windows 10 RTM (original version)

“Version 1709 also being retired”

As said, these updates include several security patches, so Microsoft shipped fixes for its two browsers, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, but also for other OS components such as the Windows kernel and the Windows Graphics engine.

What’s necessary for know is this fact is the last Patch Tuesday update cycle for Windows 10 version 1709, also called the autumn Creators Update.

The Home and Pro SKUs are now being retired today, so going forward, Microsoft will only release security updates to devices running Windows 10 version 1709 Enterprise and Education. Which means that if you’re still on the Fall Creators Update and never running both of these SKUs, you need to upgrade to a newer release as soon as possible.

Additionally, the Anniversary Update, also known as Windows 10 version 1607, is reaching no more support for Enterprise and Education too.

At this point, it’s too early to tell if these updates install correctly or otherwise, but we’ll continue to monitor the primary feedback channels, as we do each month, and report back should any issue be reported. In the last couple of months, however, the update reliability continues to be substantially improved.

Microsoft to Release a brand new Batch of Windows 10 Cumulative Updates Tomorrow

The April 2019 Patch Tuesday rollout will start tomorrow, so that as it happens every month since mid-2015, Windows 10 gets its very own cumulative updates.

The Patch Tuesday cumulative updates include both security and non-security fixes, and Microsoft is anticipated to resolve several vulnerabilities in the software.

All Windows 10 versions will get cumulative updates tomorrow, albeit it’s worth knowing that for consumers just the Fall Creators Update and newer are supported. In other words, users running the Home or Pro SKUs need to be on version 1709 or later in order to get updates.

Enterprise and Education devices, as well as systems enrolled in the LTSC branch, are also getting updates no matter version.

“The end from the Fall Creators Update”

The April 2019 Patch Tuesday also marks the end of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Microsoft will ship the last batch of updates with this particular version on Home and Pro SKUs tomorrow, then consumers are recommended to upgrade to a newer Windows 10 release.

At this time, the most recent stable version of Windows 10 may be the October 2018 Update (version 1809), with Microsoft getting ready to introduce another major update called May 2019 Update. Its rollout would start the following month, and also the update is currently available for Windows insiders.

Once we do every month, we’ll publish detailed information from the Patch Tuesday cycle once the rollout begins. We’ll also keep an eye on the primary feedback channels to see if any issues are reported, especially as there’s growing concern among users and IT admins that the installing of cumulative updates could fail.

However, given critical security fixes are likely to be included, users are suggested to think about patching when the rollout starts depending on the resolved vulnerabilities.

Microsoft Might Launch Windows 10 Version 1903 With a Major Bug Causing BSODs

An insect potentially causing Windows 10 to crash having a Blue screen of death of Death (BSOD) when running certain games with anti-cheat software might remain unresolved for many titles once the public rollout begins.

Microsoft first acknowledged the issue in Windows 10 preview builds earlier this year, revealing that some devices could get a GSOD (Green Screen of Death and also the sibling of Blue screen of death of Death within the Windows Insider program) when running certain games with anti-cheat software.

The larger problem, however, was that Microsoft never disclosed the games that could be influenced by the bug, even though users discovered the hard way that the BattlEye anti-cheat software utilized in Fortnite was affected, others caused fatal crashes too.

The 2009 week, this anti-cheat software bug was finally resolved, and Microsoft lifted an upgrade block for devices that might happen to be impacted.

More concerning is that since the bug is related to third-party software, only the firms that Microsoft caused released fixes, while others are yet to do so. In other words, while crashes no longer occur when running some games, they still happen when launching others.

“The block has been removed since the most of games influenced by the problem have released updates for their games. So most gamers will no longer be impacted,” Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager on the Windows Insider Program Team, said.

“Risky approach”

When inquired about what happens with other games that didn’t get the fix, LeBlanc explained that a crash is indeed possible.

“If they weren’t fixed. Lots of this deals with organizations and that i cannot speak on their behalf. The team on our side has explained a.) the majority of games that will hit this problem have issued a fix and b.) the block continues to be removed,” he explained.

Without a doubt, this can be a very risky approach, since many users would just believe that the crash is brought on by Windows itself and not by third-party software. After the October 2018 Update fiasco, Microsoft certainly does not afford such a fiasco.

One approach that Microsoft could embrace to prevent shipping a Windows 10 feature update that may crash when launching certain games is to block the update from being offered to devices running unsupported titles. But then again, this involves Microsoft flagging all affected games and alerting users of the items exactly is going on, a strategy that the company appears to be avoiding at this time.