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VeraCrypt: update drops 32-bit support on Windows and fixes several security issues

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:31:31 -0000

The first update of 2025 for the open source encryption software VeraCrypt is now available. VeraCrypt 1.26.18 is a security update that is also introducing a number of fixes and other changes, […]

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The first update of 2025 for the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/14/veracrypt-encryption-software-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">open source encryption software VeraCrypt</a> is now available. VeraCrypt 1.26.18 is a security update that is also introducing a number of fixes and other changes, including dropped support for 32-bit versions of Windows. The details: <ul> <li>VeraCrypt 1.26.18 fixes two security issues affecting the Linux and Mac versions of the software.</li> <li>On Windows, 32-bit support has been dropped.</li> <li>The minimum Windows version is now Windows 10 version 1809.</li> </ul> What is VeryCrypt? VeraCrypt is an encryption software that you may use to encrypt entire systems, drives, partitions, or protected containers on storage devices. Tips: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/14/fix-the-veracrypt-automatic-repair-issue-on-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Fix the VeraCrypt "Automatic Repair" issue on Windows</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/11/26/how-to-change-the-pim-of-a-veracrypt-volume/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to change the PIM of a VeraCrypt volume</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/30/installing-veracrypt-in-gnulinux/" data-wpel-link="internal">Installing VeraCrypt in GNU/Linux</a></li> </ul> <h3>Downloading and installing the VeraCrypt update</h3> VeraCrypt comes without built-in updating support. This means that you need to download and install the new release manually. First thing you may want to do is check the current version. Tip: you can check the current version by selecting Help > About VeraCrypt in the interface. While you may visit the official downloads page, you may notice that it does not link to the latest version just yet. Check the <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/veracrypt/files/VeraCrypt%201.26.18/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">project's SourceForge repository</a> instead. There you find the latest downloads. Note that the installation requires a reboot. <h3>The security fixes</h3> VeraCrypt 1.26.18 fixes two security issues that affect the Linux and Mac versions of the encryption software. They are: <ul> <li>CVE-2024-54187: Added absolute paths when executing system binaries to prevent path hijacking</li> <li>CVE-2025-23021: Prevent mounting volumes on system directories and PATH</li> </ul> Additional details have not been published at the time of writing. <h3>The non-security changes</h3> All operating systems got support for AES hardware on ARM64 platform and "SHA-256 x86 intrinsic to enhance the performance of PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256". Windows users need a 64-bit version of the operating system and at least Windows 10 version 1809 to run the latest VeraCrypt release. Users on older versions of Windows need to keep using the outdated versions of VeraCrypt to keep on using it (or upgrade Windows). The release makes a few noteworthy changes next to that: <ul> <li>Reduces driver deadlock issues under low-memory scenarios.</li> <li>Fixed an issue affecting the creation of Traveler Disks.</li> <li>Changed generators to modern ones to improve security.</li> <li>Updated libraries.</li> </ul> There are also non-security changes for Linux and mac OS. On macOS, screen capturing is now disabled by default. The --allow-screencapture enables it again for those who require it. There is also a fix for both systems that ensures that a volume exists before the mounting operation is started. You can check out the <a href="https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Release%20Notes.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">full changelog</a> here if you are interested. Do you use encryption software? If so which and why that one? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/21/veracrypt-update-drops-32-bit-support-on-windows-and-fixes-several-security-issues/" data-wpel-link="internal">VeraCrypt: update drops 32-bit support on Windows and fixes several security issues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Customize ChatGPT to generate personalized responses based on your interests, profession

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:29:57 -0000

OpenAI has rolled out some new customization features for ChatGPT, enhancing the way users interact with the AI chatbot. Available in the browser version and on Windows desktop, these updates allow individuals […]

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OpenAI has rolled out some new customization features for <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/19/chatgpt-search-is-now-available-for-free-users/" data-wpel-link="internal">ChatGPT</a>, enhancing the way users interact with the AI chatbot. Available in the browser version and on Windows desktop, these updates allow individuals to dictate how ChatGPT responds, making interactions feel more personal and tailored. <h3>You can now personalize your conversations with ChatGPT</h3> The enhancements are available via the "Customize ChatGPT" screen that appears when you click on your profile icon. Here, you can specify how you would like to be addressed, share your occupation, and indicate preferred response traits such as being "chatty" or "witty." Users may also choose to share their interests and values, to tailor the responses on a more personalized level. More details can be found <a href="https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8096356-custom-instructions-for-chatgpt" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">here</a>. This streamlined interface is designed to save users from repeating instructions, allowing for a more efficient conversation. The customization options also include options for users to share their interests and values, thereby refining how ChatGPT engages with them with tailored responses. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206735" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/You-can-now-personalize-your-conversations-with-ChatGPT.jpg" alt="You can now personalize your conversations with ChatGPT" width="1086" height="943" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/You-can-now-personalize-your-conversations-with-ChatGPT.jpg 1086w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/You-can-now-personalize-your-conversations-with-ChatGPT-768x667.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px" /> While these improvements provide a welcome upgrade, there are certain limitations. ChatGPT does not provide users options to switch between multiple profiles, in case you want it to generate content in different tones or styles, i.e. formal or informal. This will require the user to make some manual adjustments in the customization settings, or while interacting with the AI. Despite this limitation, the personalization options are interesting, with users able to request responses in various styles, from casual banter or a more serious tone. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/10/openai-launches-sora-an-ai-tool-that-generates-videos-from-text/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">OpenAI</a> launched ChatGPT Tasks a week ago, which will assist users with their calendar and to-do lists. These updates mark a meaningful step forward, but they are relatively trivial compared to the more ambitious features that OpenAI has in its roadmap for the year. It is worth mentioning that users in the European Union, as well as those from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, don't have access to these customization features at the moment, although OpenAI assures that it will be available soon. Additionally, the Mac app version is not included in this rollout but is expected to receive the updates in the coming weeks. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/21/customize-chatgpt-to-generate-personalized-responses-based-on-your-interests-profession/" data-wpel-link="internal">Customize ChatGPT to generate personalized responses based on your interests, profession</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
A look at Firefox's improved Profiles Manager that just launched

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 13:34:44 -0000

Firefox has supported profiles for a very long time. This may come as a surprise to many users, as the visibility of the feature is lacking. Veteran users know that they can […]

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Firefox has <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2008/04/30/working-with-several-firefox-profiles/" data-wpel-link="internal">supported profiles</a> for a very long time. This may come as a surprise to many users, as the visibility of the feature is lacking. Veteran users know that they can run Firefox with the parameter -p to start the profile manager. There is also about:profiles, which can be loaded in Firefox's address bar. From a usability point of view, it compares badly against Chromium-based browsers. That is probably the main reason why Mozilla set out to improve the experience. The new Profile Manager of the Firefox web browser <a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1931006#09" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">has just been enabled</a> in Firefox Nightly. This is the first step towards enabling the new manager in Firefox Stable, the version that is most widely used. Good to know: Profiles add more to the browser than just a fresh coat of paint and a new icon. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2011/08/05/how-to-create-multiple-firefox-profiles-for-specific-tasks/" data-wpel-link="internal">These act as independent users</a>, which means that they have their own set of bookmarks, open tabs, installed extensions and other customizations. Here is what you can expect. <h2>Firefox's Profile Manager</h2> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206727" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-profile-manager.png" alt="Firefox's new profile manager in Menu" width="1058" height="608" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-profile-manager.png 1058w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-profile-manager-768x441.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1058px) 100vw, 1058px" /> A click on the Menu-icon in Firefox's toolbar displays the new Profiles entry. Another click displays all existing profiles, an option to create a new profile, and to manage all profiles. <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206729" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-existing-profiles.png" alt="Firefox existing profiles " width="1058" height="608" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-existing-profiles.png 1058w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-existing-profiles-768x441.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1058px) 100vw, 1058px" /> You can load any profile with a click on its name or icon. This loads the profile in a new browser window without closing the existing one. A click on the new profile option loads the creator page. Each profile has a name, theme, and avatar that you can pick. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206728" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/create-new-firefox-profile.png" alt="New Firefox Profile creator" width="1280" height="928" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/create-new-firefox-profile.png 1280w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/create-new-firefox-profile-768x557.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/create-new-firefox-profile-1200x870.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /> Select the manage profile entry instead to get an overview and management options. Here you may do the following: <ul> <li>Edit any profile.</li> <li>Delete a profile.</li> <li>Create a new profile.</li> <li>Toggle "choose a profile when Nightly opens".</li> </ul> This is the same window that opens when you keep the option to choose a profile when the browser opens enabled. Here is how it looks. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206730" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-choose-profile.png" alt="Firefox choose a profile " width="1128" height="638" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-choose-profile.png 1128w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/firefox-choose-profile-768x434.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px" /> Note that the profile that was used previously will be loaded when you disable the option. You may then still switch to another profile using the profile menu. For those wondering, the old profile manager is still available. You can still launch Firefox with the -p parameter to load it, at least for now.   <h3>Closing Words</h3> The new profiles entry under menu in Firefox improves the visibility of the feature. This highlights the feature to many Firefox users, which is good. Now it is your turn. Do you use profiles in your browser of choice? If so, how many do you use and for which purpose? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/20/a-look-at-firefoxs-improved-profiles-manager-that-just-launched/" data-wpel-link="internal">A look at Firefox's improved Profiles Manager that just launched</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
This is the simplest option to upgrade Windows 11 on unsupported hardware

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:39:25 -0000

Several methods exist to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware and to upgrade to a new version of Windows 11 from older versions. Microsoft allows this on one hand, but says it […]

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Several methods exist to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/08/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-24h2-on-unsupported-hardware/" data-wpel-link="internal">install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware</a> and to upgrade to a new version of Windows 11 from older versions. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/06/microsoft-posts-instructions-for-upgrading-to-windows-11-on-unsupported-pcs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft allows this on one hand</a>, but says it does not offer any kind of support, if the PC does not meet the system requirements. Manual methods are available, but programs like Rufus have made the entire process better by automating most of it. Still, changes may block certain options that worked before. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/21/windows-11-flyby11-enables-upgrades-on-unsupported-devices/" data-wpel-link="internal">I reviewed the open source application Flyby11</a> last October. The program supported two methods to install the latest version of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. It was easy to use and worked well during tests. The developer of the program <a href="https://github.com/builtbybel/Flyby11/releases" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">has released</a> a new version that makes things even simpler. All it takes now is to drag & drop a Windows 11 ISO image on the drop area in the program interface. Everything else is taken care of by the program. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206724" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/flyby-upgrade-windows-11-unsupported-hardware.png" alt="Flyby11 Upgrade Windows 11" width="922" height="617" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/flyby-upgrade-windows-11-unsupported-hardware.png 922w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/flyby-upgrade-windows-11-unsupported-hardware-768x514.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 922px) 100vw, 922px" /> Probably the biggest hindrance for many users at this point is the Windows 11 ISO. That's why Flyby11 links to Microsoft's official download website. You may also use Rufus for that or any other program or services that offers the latest Windows 11 ISO image. As far as the Microsoft option is concerned, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">here is its link</a>. Once you have downloaded the ISO file, drag and drop it on the program interface. The application starts an inPlace upgrade right away at this point. There is a second option available. Click on the link "Apply Compatibility Patch to ISO (Clean Install)" to patch a Windows 11 ISO image instead. This allows you to clean install the operating system on the PC or any other. Please note that this does not work on very old PCs, as Microsoft has recently added a block that prevents devices with processors <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/02/26/windows-11-version-24h2-may-block-devices-without-sse-4-2-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">that do not support the SSE 4.2 instructions</a> from successfully installing and running the latest versions of Windows 11. Every other system should work without issues though. <h3>Closing Words</h3> InPlace upgrades have been a thorn in the sides of Windows 11 users who run the operating system on unsupported hardware. Upgrades are not provided via Windows Update by Microsoft and running the official ISO image without any modifications will throw the "not compatible" error. The new FlyBy11 resolves that for many users. While there is a good chance that Microsoft is going to change the process when it releases Windows 11, Version 25H2, it is probably only a matter of time before another workaround is discovered. Now it is your turn. Do you run Windows 11 on your devices or another version of Windows? Is your hardware supported? Feel free to leave a comment down below. (via <a href="https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2025/01/17/flyby11-windows-11-upgrade-auf-nicht-unterstuetzter-hardware-jetzt-noch-einfacher/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Deskmodder</a>) Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/17/this-is-the-simplest-option-to-upgrade-windows-11-on-unsupported-hardware/" data-wpel-link="internal">This is the simplest option to upgrade Windows 11 on unsupported hardware</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Microsoft 365 price increased after introduction of Copilot

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 06:05:47 -0000

Microsoft has increased the prices of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. But you get access to Copilot with the subscription. You may be aware that the company launched a premium plan called Microsoft Copilot […]

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Microsoft has increased the prices of Microsoft 365 subscriptions. But you get access to Copilot with the subscription. You may be aware that the company launched a premium plan called Microsoft Copilot Pro, which allowed subscribers to access advanced AI models with higher usage limits. Microsoft is pushing artificial intelligence more aggressively, by introducing Copilot Bryan Rognier, Vice President, Microsoft 365 Consumer, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/01/16/copilot-is-now-included-in-microsoft-365-personal-and-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">announced</a> on the company's blog, that the service now has 84 million consumer subscribers. Microsoft 365 users can now access Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and via the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. Another new addition to the subscription is the new Microsoft Designer app, which you can use to create, i.e. generate images. The app comes with AI editing tools that can be helpful to erase unwanted objects from photos. The announcement highlights various benefits of using AI in Office apps, but also mentions something that could be considered controversial, AI Credits. I explained how <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/08/heres-a-closer-look-at-rewrite-ai-in-notepad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">AI credits work in Notepad's Rewrite</a>, well it's more of the same with Office apps. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers will be allocated AI credits to use across apps on a monthly basis. Need more? Well, you will have to subscribe to Copilot Pro to access the AI without usage limits. Naturally, such advanced features come at a cost, to the user that is, hence the price hike. <h3>Microsoft 365 Personal and Family prices increased</h3> The price of Microsoft 365 subscriptions have been increased by $3 per month, and this change impacts both Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions. This is the first price hike for the subscription service, which debuted in 2013. Prior to the price increase, users were able to subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal for $69.99 per year, or Microsoft 365 Family plan for $99.99 per year. The latter lets up to 6 users access the service. The price hike is not exclusive to the U.S., it applies globally, and it has come into effect already. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206721" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Microsoft-365-subscription-plan-price-increased-scaled.jpg" alt="Microsoft 365 subscription plan price increased" width="1200" height="724" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Microsoft-365-subscription-plan-price-increased-scaled.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Microsoft-365-subscription-plan-price-increased-768x464.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> Let's take a brief look at how much it costs in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. A Microsoft 365 Personal now costs $99.99/£84.99/€99,00 per year, while an annual subscription for Microsoft 365 Family costs $129.99/£104.99/€129,00. You can visit the official website to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">check the price</a> of Microsoft 365 in your region. It is worth mentioning that users with an active subscription are not affected by the price increase, until the next renewal. What about privacy? Is your data safe? Well, Microsoft says that it will not use your files, responses or prompts when you access Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps to train its AI models. On a side note, the Redmond company has <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-windows-end-of-support-means-for-office-and-microsoft-365-34e28be4-1e4f-4928-b210-3f45d8215595" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">confirmed</a> that Office and Microsoft 365 apps will not be supported on Windows 10, when the operating system reaches its end of life on October 14, 2025. That means users on Windows 10 will not get any feature and security updates for Office products. Ending support for Windows 10 is one thing, but denying support for a subscription that a user has paid for is really strange. It is unclear if the change affects OneDrive. As a reminder, <a href="https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">LibreOffice</a> is free, open source, and a great alternative for Microsoft Office. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/17/microsoft-365-price-increased-after-introduction-of-copilot/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft 365 price increased after introduction of Copilot</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
First Bitwarden password manager update of 2025 improves password auto-fill

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:13:34 -0000

Bitwarden is an open source password management solution that we have mentioned and recommended several times here on this site in the past. The developers have released the first major update of […]

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Bitwarden is an open source password management solution that we have mentioned <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/02/20/migrating-from-lastpass-to-an-alternative-password-manager-keepass-vs-bitwarden-which-one-will-you-choose/" data-wpel-link="internal">and recommended</a> several times here on this site in the past. The developers have released the first major update of 2025. It is <a href="https://bitwarden.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">available already</a> for all supported platforms and includes a number of important changes and improvements. Bitwarden published <a href="https://bitwarden.com/help/releasenotes/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">the changelog</a> on its official website. A core change improves auto fill. <h3>Auto Fill improvements</h3> All browser extensions support the improvement. Up until now, you had to use the Fill-button to fill out login information automatically. Once the update is installed, you may initiate the process by simply clicking on an entry. This functionality is not enabled by default, but you can enable it in the following way: <ol> <li>Select Settings > Autofill.</li> <li>Toggle "Click items to autofill on Vault view" to enable the feature.</li> </ol> Once enabled, clicking on a vault item will paste the data into the web form on the active webpage. To view an item from the menu, select the three-dots menu and then the view option to do so. The second auto fill related feature improves the entering of TOTP-codes using browser extensions. Bitwarden supports two-factor authentication codes for quite some time. These need to be entered as a second authentication step, provided that you have configured this extra layer off protection. With the update installed, it is now possible to use the inline menu to enter TOTP codes on websites. It is necessary to enable the inline autofill menu, if you have not done so already. Here is how that is done: <ol> <li>Select Settings > Autofill.</li> <li>Locate "Show autofill suggestions on form fields" and pick the desired autofill memthod.</li> </ol> Bitwarden recommends to disable the autofill of the web browser to avoid conflicts. <h3>Other improvements in Bitwarden</h3> Bitwarden notes that password managed desktop apps that are downloaded via the Snap Store do support biometric unlocks after the installation of the update. The remaining changes are mostly for Enterprise customers and organizations: <ul> <li>New Public API operation. GET operation added to /public/organization/subscription.</li> <li>Remove Free Bitwarden Families sponsorship policy to prevent users from "redeeming a sponsored Families plan through their organization".</li> <li>New integrations page added to the Admin console that provides Help Center links.</li> <li>Provider members can no longer export client vaults.</li> </ul> Now it is your turn. Which password manager do you use and why? Have you tried Bitwarden in the past? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/16/first-bitwarden-password-manager-update-of-2025-improves-password-auto-fill/" data-wpel-link="internal">First Bitwarden password manager update of 2025 improves password auto-fill</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Google Chrome 132 update fixes 16 unique security issues

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:23:25 -0000

Google released a new security update for its Chrome web browser that patches 16 unique security issues in the browser. Several of the vulnerabilities affect other Chromium-based web browsers as well, including […]

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Google released a new security update for its Chrome web browser that patches 16 unique security issues in the browser. Several of the vulnerabilities affect other Chromium-based web browsers as well, including Microsoft Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, or Opera. The point update for Google Chrome brings the desktop version to 132.0.6834.83 and 132.0.6834.84 for all supported operating systems. The update itself is available for Chrome on Windows, Linux, Mac, ChromeOS, and Android. <h3>16 unique security vulnerabilities fixed</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206714" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/google-chrome-132-security-update.png" alt="Google Chrome 132 security update " width="1308" height="747" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/google-chrome-132-security-update.png 1308w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/google-chrome-132-security-update-768x439.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/google-chrome-132-security-update-1200x685.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1308px) 100vw, 1308px" /> Google <a href="https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2025/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_14.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">reveals</a> that it has fixed 16 security issues in the new update. The official release notes lists only publicly reported issues. These have a severity rating of high or lower only. Vulnerabilities were fixed in several components of the browser, including its JavaScript engine, Extensions, or navigation. Google makes no mention of exploits in the wild, which is reassuring. Chrome users may want to upgrade the browser as soon as possible to block potential attacks. On desktop, the easiest option to do that is the following: <ol> <li>Open Menu.</li> <li>Select Help > About Google Chrome.</li> </ol> Google Chrome displays the currently installed version on the page. The browser checks for updates whenever that page is opened. Chrome should download and install the point update automatically at this point. Please note that a restart of the browser is required to complete the update. This does not happen automatically though. Android users need to wait until the update is offered via Google Play. There is no option to speed up the delivery of the security update on the mobile platform. <h2>Outlook</h2> Another point update is expected next week, as new security updates for Chrome get released once a week by Google. The next stable version of Chrome is version 133, which Google is expected to release in two weeks. As mentioned earlier, if you use another Chromium-based browser, look out for updates for these. Since they use the same engine as Google Chrome, they tend to be affected by the majority of security issues that affect Chrome as well.   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/15/google-chrome-132-update-fixes-16-unique-security-issues/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google Chrome 132 update fixes 16 unique security issues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows Control Panel unexpectedly says that some BitLocker settings are managed by your administrator

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:37:04 -0000

Microsoft has confirmed a new bug that is related to BitLocker. The issue impacts Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, including the very latest versions. Windows may unexpectedly display a message about […]

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Microsoft has confirmed a new bug that is related to BitLocker. The issue impacts Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, including the very latest versions. <h3>Windows may unexpectedly display a message about Bitlocker settings</h3> Users may notice a message being displayed in the Control Panel page for BitLocker Encryption on their computer. The message reads as follows: "For your security, some settings are managed by your administrator." According to a support page referred to as KB5051141 on <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/after-enabling-bitlocker-for-your-security-some-settings-are-managed-by-your-administrator-is-unexpectedly-displayed-5ad9ee7d-cb2c-4bc3-8aed-e7e0ecd11a83" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Microsoft's website</a>, the message is displayed on PCs that have BitLocker enabled. More specifically, the message may appear on unmanaged devices which use the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). A managed device is one that is handled by a company, organization or school's IT department. This could cause some confusion among users, especially if they are the sole user of a PC, e.g. a home computer. Naturally, people may worry whether they have been hacked, or if their system has been hit by a virus. Hey, my computer is not managed, why am I seeing this message? Relax! There is no need to panic if you come across the message on your computer, it is not going to break your PC, as it is not an error per se. Windows just seems to be reporting the status incorrectly, and that is why Microsoft has published the document, to reassure people that it is a known issue, i.e. there is nothing wrong with your PC. As for fixing the problem, there is no workaround for removing the annoying message at the moment. Microsoft says it is working on a solution to resolve the error. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206710" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Windows-may-unexpectedly-display-a-message-about-Bitlocker-settings.png" alt="Windows may unexpectedly display a message about Bitlocker settings" width="962" height="437" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Windows-may-unexpectedly-display-a-message-about-Bitlocker-settings.png 962w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Windows-may-unexpectedly-display-a-message-about-Bitlocker-settings-768x349.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 962px) 100vw, 962px" /> That being said, BitLocker has been rather buggy for quite a while. Last year, it was said to have allegedly <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/10/20/report-bitlocker-slowing-down-ssds-on-windows-11-by-up-to-45/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">slowed down SSDs</a> by up to 45%. And then there was an issue that was caused by a faulty Windows Update that sent PCs booting into BitLocker recovery. This issue, which also affected both Windows 10 and Windows 11, was resolved in <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/08/13/the-windows-security-updates-of-august-2024-are-now-available-bitlocker-recovery-issue-fixed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">August 2024</a>. But that didn't fix everything. More recently, a security researcher called Thomas Lambertz, demonstrated a bitpixie attack at the Chaos Communication Congress, to show how easy it was to breach BitLocker by exploiting Secure Boot's encryption with a custom Linux system. He explained that this method is used by law enforcement agencies, and companies like Cellebrite, in order to gain access to encrypted PCs without a password. This vulnerability has remained unpatched since 2022, which is rather alarming. It could essentially allow hackers to steal information very easily, especially from stolen laptops. Lambertz advised users to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/30/you-better-add-pin-protection-to-your-bitlocker-configuration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">set up a PIN</a> for BitLocker, in addition to a Windows PIN, to ensure that their data is protected from hackers. However, setting a BitLocker PIN is not possible on Home Editions of Windows. I recommend watching the video <a href="https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-windows-bitlocker-screwed-without-a-screwdriver" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">here</a> to learn more about the vulnerability. It is worth noting that <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/11/25/enable-256-bit-bitlocker-encryption-on-windows-11-to-boost-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">BitLocker is enabled</a> by default on clean Windows installations, this change was introduced as part of the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/09/17/exclusive-microsoft-announces-release-of-windows-11-24h2-feature-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 24H2 feature update</a>. On a side note, Microsoft has released the Windows security updates for January 2025, you can read <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/14/the-windows-security-updates-for-january-2025-are-now-available/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Martin's article</a> for more details. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/15/windows-control-panel-says-that-some-bitlocker-settings-are-managed-by-your-administrator/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows Control Panel unexpectedly says that some BitLocker settings are managed by your administrator</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
The Windows security updates for January 2025 are now available

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:45:56 -0000

Same procedure as every year. Microsoft released the first batch of security updates of 2025 a moment ago. Security updates are available for all supported client and server versions of Windows and […]

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Same procedure as every year. Microsoft released the first batch of security updates of 2025 a moment ago. Security updates are available for all supported client and server versions of Windows and also other company products, including Microsoft Office. Our overview of the monthly security updates provides users and system administrators with information and actionable advice. It pulls information from various sources, including several official Microsoft websites and official release notes. You find, among other things, a list of known issues, direct download links, the list of major changes, a security assessment, and more in the paragraphs that follow. <h2>Microsoft Windows Security Updates: January 2025</h2> You may download the following Excel spreadsheet to get a list of released updates. Click on the following link to download the archive to the local device: <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/windows-security-updates-january-2025.zip" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows Security Updates January 2025 Excel</a> Executive Summary <ul> <li>Microsoft released a total of 159 security updates for various Microsoft products and 2 security update for non-Microsoft issues (e.g. Chromium).</li> <li>All clients affected by a Citrix software issue that may prevent the installation of the January 2025 security updates.</li> <li>Windows clients with issues are: <ul> <li>Windows 10 version 22H2</li> <li>Windows 11 version 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server clients with issues: <ul> <li>Windows Server 2008</li> <li>Windows Server 2022</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11, version 22H2, Home and Pro, have reached end of support. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/07/09/windows-11-version-21h2-and-22h2-end-of-life-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft will force upgrade</a> devices to newer Windows versions.</li> </ul> <h2>Product overview</h2> Each supported version of Windows and their critical vulnerabilities are listed below. <ul> <li>Windows 10 version 22H2: 120 vulnerabilities, 5 critical, 115 important</li> <li style="list-style-type: none;"> <ul> <li>Microsoft Digest Authentication Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21294" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21294</a></li> <li>SPNEGO Extended Negotiation (NEGOEX) Security Mechanism Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21295" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21295</a></li> <li>BranchCache Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21296" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21296</a></li> <li>Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21298" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21298</a></li> <li>Windows Reliable Multicast Transport Driver (RMCAST) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21307" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21307</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2: 120 vulnerabilities, 5 critical, 115 important <ul> <li> same as Windows 10 version 22H2</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11 version 24H2: 121 vulnerabilities, 9 critical, 46 important <ul> <li>Windows NTLM V1 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21311" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21311 </a></li> <li>Plus all from Windows 10 version 22H2.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Windows Server products <ul> <li>Windows Server 2008 R2 (extended support only): 78 vulnerabilities: 6 critical, 72 important <ul> <li>Microsoft Digest Authentication Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21294" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21294</a></li> <li>SPNEGO Extended Negotiation (NEGOEX) Security Mechanism Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21295" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21295</a></li> <li>BranchCache Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21296" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21296</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21297" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21297</a></li> <li>Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21298" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21298</a></li> <li>Windows Reliable Multicast Transport Driver (RMCAST) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21307" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21307</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2012 R2 (extended support only): unknown</li> <li>Windows Server 2016: 110 vulnerabilities: 7 critical, 103 important <ul> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21309" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21309</a></li> <li>Plus every critical vulnerability of Windows Server 2008 R2</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2019: 117 vulnerabilities: 7 critical, 112 important <ul> <li>Same as Windows Server 2016</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2022: 121 vulnerabilities: 7 critical, 114 important <ul> <li>Same as Windows Server 2016</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2025: 125 vulnerabilities: 7 critical, 118 important <ul> <li>Windows NTLM V1 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21311" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2025-21311 </a></li> <li>Same as Windows Server 2016</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2>Windows Security Updates</h2> Windows 10 version 22H2 <ul> <li>Support Page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-14-2025-kb5049981-os-builds-19044-5371-and-19045-5371-12f3788f-6e7d-4524-8ab3-27d1666e0510" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049981</a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Security updates</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 23H2 <ul> <li>Support Page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050021-os-builds-22621-4751-and-22631-4751-0dabc772-4925-4d47-97c4-a792adb1e6d9" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050021</a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Security updates</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li>Support page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050009-os-build-26100-2894-bdbfb097-ea20-487d-9171-718d15e26f1b" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050009</a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Security updates</li> </ul> Windows Security updates 2025-01 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049994" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049994</a>) 2025-01 Security Update for Windows 10 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050411" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050411</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049981" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049981</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1507 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050013" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050013</a>) Server 2025-01 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050004" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050004</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Quality Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050006" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050006</a>) 2025-01 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 R2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050048" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050048</a>) 2025-01 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050049" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050049</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Quality Update for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050061" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050061</a>) 2025-01 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050063" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050063</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Update for .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050180" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050180</a>) 2025-01 Security Update for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050410" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050410</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049983" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049983</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 Version 1607 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049993" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049993</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050008" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050008</a>) .NET 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2 for Windows Server 2012 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049609" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049609</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2 for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049610" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049610</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2 for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049611" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049611</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows Server 2012 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049616" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049616</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049618" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049618</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049619" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049619</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Update for .NET Framework 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2 for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049627" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049627</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049628" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049628</a>) 2025-01 Security Only Update for .NET Framework 4.6.2 for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050181" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050181</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 3.5.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050183" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050183</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows Server 2012 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050184" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050184</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050185" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050185</a>) 2025-01 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 SP1, 4.6.2 for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050186" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050186</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.7.2 for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049608" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049608</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049613" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049613</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 Version 1607 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049614" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049614</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049615" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049615</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049617" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049617</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Microsoft server operating system, version 23H2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049620" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049620</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Windows 10 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049621" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049621</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Windows 11 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049624" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049624</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Microsoft server operating system, version 22H2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5049625" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049625</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.7.2 and 4.8 for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050182" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050182</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050187" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050187</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Windows 10 Version 22H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050188" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050188</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Microsoft server operating system, version 22H2 for x64 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050190" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050190</a>) 2025-01 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050416" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050416</a>) Servicing Stack 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 Version 1607 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050109" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050109</a>) 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 10 Version 1507 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050112" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050112</a>) 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050115" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050115</a>) 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2012 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050116" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050116</a>) 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050681" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050681</a>) 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050682" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050682)</a> Non-Security updates 2025-01 Dynamic Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050120" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050120</a>) 2025-01 Dynamic Update for Windows 10 Version 1507 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050121" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050121</a>) 2025-01 Dynamic Update for Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050198" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050198</a>) 2025-01 Dynamic Update for Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050199" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050199</a>) 2025-01 Dynamic Update for Microsoft server operating system for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050201" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050201</a>) 2025-01 Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5050575" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050575</a>) <h3>Known Issues</h3> Windows 10 version 22H2 <ul> <li>(NEW) OpenSSH may fail to start, which prevents SSH connections. <ul> <li>Workaround: Microsoft suggests updating permissions to temporarily address the issue. Instructions found <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-14-2025-kb5049981-os-builds-19044-5371-and-19045-5371-12f3788f-6e7d-4524-8ab3-27d1666e0510#ID0EPBD=Catalog" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</li> </ul> </li> <li>(NEW) Devices with Citrix components installed may not be able to install the January 2025 security updates. <ul> <li>Citrix has released a workaround that needs to be applied before installing the January 2025 security updates. <a href="https://accounts.cloud.com/core/login?ReturnUrl=%2Fcore%2Fconnect%2Fauthorize%2Fcallback%3Fclient_id%3DO8sCZ5eEEXj1tDTKQQ1XEQ%253D%253D%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcitrite.my.salesforce.com%252Fservices%252Fauthcallback%252FAthenaConnect%26response_type%3Dcode%26scope%3Dopenid%2520email%2520profile%2520ctx_principal_aliases%26state%3DCAAAAZRmDm3IMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwAAAA_MZfpsmglLmQmsnE7vEGdpl5e-r5ciqVqfn-Ty30JzLuW1xAb__RjeuNmbkltVbJEKUDI1VwZzDQjT7oPULgUQ8yhX6l35BIsfoU7V4gCJsg6EtjHuNCQ4lGk3sAaRWX246aYjdNtbPnRA0S8gZKwiY8QXd43529IM4Q-Gl0kXGgJTzd8Ib4xS5XMac4zW1jt5brLiMvoVs7t1jx-wrJdXAesAws5ZlIVZvnfxELWY41kF7kuK2mSUvZOt70tXvt8xgFRyrOrU3qq26l3zPOAe3bohjawb7s5KM-41STl9vlSGczA7IURWKWR7RuTXQ4R5se6QxBz1UWfBOd92avHr_EYtj1dutlET6LYisOd5l7VM6rhk3BnIZLWQExIMfWM4wDaJTcHYekw18Mz_KDJXHktxRyJ5PQC877zT6TjVF9B5BrVMVDWj4NsMNH_EzsxZfaBq9kZ3nTEMgwDTsy1O25PbX0N2F31fZMu5JQT4ps%26tt%3Dsomething" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Link here</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2 <ul> <li>(OLD) OpenSSH may fail to start, which prevents SSH connections. <ul> <li>Workaround: Microsoft suggests updating permissions to temporarily address the issue. Instructions found <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/november-12-2024-kb5046633-os-builds-22621-4460-and-22631-4460-6ff7b117-cd80-471a-a9ac-48a794bda2d6#ID0ELBD=Catalog" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">here</a>.</li> </ul> </li> <li>(NEW) Devices with Citrix components installed may not be able to install the January 2025 security updates. <ul> <li>Citrix has released a workaround that needs to be applied before installing the January 2025 security updates. <a href="https://accounts.cloud.com/core/login?ReturnUrl=%2Fcore%2Fconnect%2Fauthorize%2Fcallback%3Fclient_id%3DO8sCZ5eEEXj1tDTKQQ1XEQ%253D%253D%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcitrite.my.salesforce.com%252Fservices%252Fauthcallback%252FAthenaConnect%26response_type%3Dcode%26scope%3Dopenid%2520email%2520profile%2520ctx_principal_aliases%26state%3DCAAAAZRmDm3IMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwAAAA_MZfpsmglLmQmsnE7vEGdpl5e-r5ciqVqfn-Ty30JzLuW1xAb__RjeuNmbkltVbJEKUDI1VwZzDQjT7oPULgUQ8yhX6l35BIsfoU7V4gCJsg6EtjHuNCQ4lGk3sAaRWX246aYjdNtbPnRA0S8gZKwiY8QXd43529IM4Q-Gl0kXGgJTzd8Ib4xS5XMac4zW1jt5brLiMvoVs7t1jx-wrJdXAesAws5ZlIVZvnfxELWY41kF7kuK2mSUvZOt70tXvt8xgFRyrOrU3qq26l3zPOAe3bohjawb7s5KM-41STl9vlSGczA7IURWKWR7RuTXQ4R5se6QxBz1UWfBOd92avHr_EYtj1dutlET6LYisOd5l7VM6rhk3BnIZLWQExIMfWM4wDaJTcHYekw18Mz_KDJXHktxRyJ5PQC877zT6TjVF9B5BrVMVDWj4NsMNH_EzsxZfaBq9kZ3nTEMgwDTsy1O25PbX0N2F31fZMu5JQT4ps%26tt%3Dsomething" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Link here</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li>(New) OpenSSH may fail to start, which prevents SSH connections. <ul> <li>Workaround: Microsoft suggests updating permissions to temporarily address the issue. Instructions found <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050009-os-build-26100-2894-bdbfb097-ea20-487d-9171-718d15e26f1b#ID0ELBD=Catalog" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">here</a>.</li> </ul> </li> <li>(NEW) Devices with Citrix components installed may not be able to install the January 2025 security updates. <ul> <li>Citrix has released a workaround that needs to be applied before installing the January 2025 security updates. <a href="https://accounts.cloud.com/core/login?ReturnUrl=%2Fcore%2Fconnect%2Fauthorize%2Fcallback%3Fclient_id%3DO8sCZ5eEEXj1tDTKQQ1XEQ%253D%253D%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcitrite.my.salesforce.com%252Fservices%252Fauthcallback%252FAthenaConnect%26response_type%3Dcode%26scope%3Dopenid%2520email%2520profile%2520ctx_principal_aliases%26state%3DCAAAAZRmDm3IMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwAAAA_MZfpsmglLmQmsnE7vEGdpl5e-r5ciqVqfn-Ty30JzLuW1xAb__RjeuNmbkltVbJEKUDI1VwZzDQjT7oPULgUQ8yhX6l35BIsfoU7V4gCJsg6EtjHuNCQ4lGk3sAaRWX246aYjdNtbPnRA0S8gZKwiY8QXd43529IM4Q-Gl0kXGgJTzd8Ib4xS5XMac4zW1jt5brLiMvoVs7t1jx-wrJdXAesAws5ZlIVZvnfxELWY41kF7kuK2mSUvZOt70tXvt8xgFRyrOrU3qq26l3zPOAe3bohjawb7s5KM-41STl9vlSGczA7IURWKWR7RuTXQ4R5se6QxBz1UWfBOd92avHr_EYtj1dutlET6LYisOd5l7VM6rhk3BnIZLWQExIMfWM4wDaJTcHYekw18Mz_KDJXHktxRyJ5PQC877zT6TjVF9B5BrVMVDWj4NsMNH_EzsxZfaBq9kZ3nTEMgwDTsy1O25PbX0N2F31fZMu5JQT4ps%26tt%3Dsomething" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Link here</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>(OLD) Players on ARM devices may not be able to play Roblox via the Microsoft Store. <ul> <li>Workaround: download and play the title directly from the <a href="https://www.roblox.com/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">developer website</a>.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Security advisories and updates</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-us/vulnerability/ADV990001" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-us/vulnerability/ADV990001">ADV 990001</a> -- Latest Servicing Stack Updates</li> </ul> Microsoft Office Updates You find Office update information <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/office-updates-msi" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/office-updates-msi">here</a>. <h3>How to download and install the January 2025 security updates</h3> Security updates are downloaded and installed automatically by default on unmanaged Windows devices. While it is possible to change that behavior, on most systems, security updates do get installed automatically. You can speed up the installation though, as it does not happen in real-time. This can be done through the Settings app or by downloading the update file from a Microsoft server to install it manually. Here is how you check for updates in the Settings app: <ol> <li>Open the Start menu, type Windows Update, and select the result.</li> <li>Activate the "check for updates" button. This runs a manual check for updates.</li> <li>Activate the "download & install all" button, if the update is not downloaded automatically.</li> </ol> Updates are also published on the Microsoft Catalog website. You find them linked below. <h4>Direct update downloads</h4> Below are resource pages with direct download links, if you prefer to download the updates to install them manually. Windows 10 version 22H2 <ul> <li><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5049981" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5049981</a> -- 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 21H2</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 22H2 <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5050021" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050021</a> -- 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 22H2 </li> </ul> <section class="entry">Windows 11 version 23H2</section> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5050021" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050021</a> -- 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 23H2</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li id="page-header"><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5050009" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5050009</a> -- 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 24H2</li> </ul> <h4 class="entry">Additional resources</h4> <section class="entry"> <ul> <li><a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2025-Jan" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2023-Jul">January 2025 Security Updates release notes</a></li> <li><a class="ext-link" title="" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/description-of-software-update-services-and-windows-server-update-services-changes-in-content-for-2025-kb894199-0c540f4f-60c8-7dc2-23c9-48153749966d" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/description-of-software-update-services-and-windows-server-update-services-changes-in-content-for-2021-kb894199-0c540f4f-60c8-7dc2-23c9-48153749966d">List of software updates for Microsoft products</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/01/16/latest-windows-updates-and-service-packs-overview/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/01/16/latest-windows-updates-and-service-packs-overview/">List of the latest Windows Updates and Services Packs</a></li> <li><a href="https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance">Security Updates Guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/">Microsoft Update Catalog site</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2010/12/20/microsoft-windows-update-overview-all-you-need-to-know/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2010/12/20/microsoft-windows-update-overview-all-you-need-to-know/">Our in-depth Windows update guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/15/how-to-install-optional-updates-on-windows-10/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/15/how-to-install-optional-updates-on-windows-10/">How to install optional updates on Windows 10</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-version-24h2-update-history-0929c747-1815-4543-8461-0160d16f15e5" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">Windows 11 24H2 Update History</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-version-23h2-update-history-59875222-b990-4bd9-932f-91a5954de434" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-update-history-a19cd327-b57f-44b9-84e0-26ced7109ba9">Windows 11 23H2 Update History</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-10-update-history-8127c2c6-6edf-4fdf-8b9f-0f7be1ef3562" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-10-update-history-857b8ccb-71e4-49e5-b3f6-7073197d98fb">Windows 10 Update History</a></li> </ul> </section> Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/14/the-windows-security-updates-for-january-2025-are-now-available/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Windows security updates for January 2025 are now available</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Google allows advertisers to fingerprint you for even better tracking

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:15:41 -0000

Google has announced a change to its advertising policies that will allow advertisers to use digital fingerprinting starting February 16, 2025. Why it is important: digital fingerprinting uses signals, like the IP address, […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Google allows advertisers to fingerprint you for even better tracking appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Google has announced a change to its advertising policies that will allow advertisers to use digital fingerprinting starting February 16, 2025. Why it is important: digital fingerprinting uses signals, like the IP address, location, language, used software, or operating system, to identify devices and users on the Internet. Numerous digital fingerprinting techniques exist, some even <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/02/14/researchers-develop-cross-browser-fingerprinting-technique/" data-wpel-link="internal">capable of cross-browser fingerprinting</a>. Tip: you can test your browser's anti-fingerprinting protections, or lack therefor, on the EFF's <a href="https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Cover Your Tracks webpage</a>. This tracking technique works well with other methods, but may also stand on its own. It offers several advantages over cookies, but only to the trackers: <ul> <li>Information may be collected without user consent or the user even knowing that it is collected.</li> <li>The data is stored remotely, not on the user's device.</li> <li>Unlike cookies, which can be deleted easily at any time, digital fingerprint data cannot.</li> </ul> Google <a href="https://support.google.com/marketingplatform/answer/15732590" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">announced</a> the change on its Google Marketing Platform Help support website. According to Google, the updated policies "clarify the activities that we prohibit to better protect the ads ecosystem from harmful activities, while being less prescriptive with partners in how they target and measure ads". The UK's Information Commissioner's Office was <a href="https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">one of the first</a> to react to Google's announcement stating that "businesses do not have free rein to use fingerprinting as they please". It highlighted that Google was against fingerprinting of users in 2019 stating back then that it subverted user choice and that it was wrong. What changed? Google's stance is that two advertising ecosystem shifts have happened in recent time. <ol> <li>Advances in privacy-enhancing technologies.</li> <li>Rise of ad-supported devices and platforms.</li> </ol> Privacy-enhancing technologies, short PETs, include on-device processing, trusted execution environments, or secure multi-party computation. Google says that advancements "are unlocking new ways for brands to manage and activate their data safely and securely". The big policy shift is only hinted at in the main support article. A single sentence in the middle of the text provides it: "The policy also updates the requirements for our partners on the use of data signals.". The updated policy itself is not linked on that page. You can <a href="https://support.google.com/platformspolicy/answer/15738904?sjid=7399373982054974182-EU" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">open it here</a>. When you compare the current policy to the new, you will notice several changes. For users, an important change is listed under "Identifying users and user consent". Previously, Google did not allow advertisers to pass any information to it that <ul> <li>Google could use or recognize as personally-identifiable information.</li> <li>permanently identifies a particular device (such as a mobile phone's unique device identifier if such an identifier cannot be reset).</li> </ul> The second rule has been removed in the new policy. In other words, advertisers may identify users based on the devices that they use and may pass the information to Google for tracking purposes. What can you do about it? <ol> <li>Content blockers work against many forms of fingerprinting as well.</li> <li>Some browsers, for example Brave and Firefox, come with fingerprinting defenses that make it harder for companies to track you using fingerprints.</li> </ol> Now it is your turn. Do you use protections against fingerprinting in your browsers, apps and devices? Are you worried about the policy change? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/13/google-allows-advertisers-to-fingerprint-you-for-even-better-tracking/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google allows advertisers to fingerprint you for even better tracking</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
VLC to add support for offline AI subtitles and translations

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:27:27 -0000

VideoLAN's open-source video player has reached 6 billion downloads. The developers celebrated the milestone by announcing a new feature at CES 2025, AI generated subtitles. Subtitles are useful when you want to […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post VLC to add support for offline AI subtitles and translations appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

VideoLAN's open-source video player has reached 6 billion downloads. The developers celebrated the milestone by announcing a new feature at CES 2025, AI generated subtitles. Subtitles are useful when you want to watch a movie or a TV show that is in a foreign language, or if you have troubles hearing. But subtitles may not always be available for the video that you wanted to watch, and sometimes they can be hardcoded or use weird fonts or colors. Additionally, a good chunk of Internet users may not know how to find, download, and integrate subtitles for local media. <h2>Live Captions</h2> Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a feature called <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/02/16/microsoft-expands-windows-11-live-captions-to-more-languages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">live captions</a>, you can access it with the following hotkey: Windows + Ctrl + L. It is a handy feature that you can use for any media, including streaming videos on YouTube, Netflix, and other video streaming sites. Admittedly, it sometimes struggles to provide accurate subtitles, but it is better than nothing and improving. Android, iOS, macOS also have similar live captioning features. <h2>VLC automatic subtitle generation and translations</h2> Maybe VLC's offline subtitle generator can be a better solution for this. But it is not the first to introduce such a feature. There are other tools that use Open AI's Whisper to generate subtitles, like <a href="https://github.com/thewh1teagle/vibe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Vibe</a> or <a href="https://github.com/synexo/subtitler" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Subtitler</a>. But these apps are not user-friendly per se. What VLC seems to have built could be an easier solution. <h3>VLC to get automatic AI subtitling and real-time translations</h3> VLC's GitLab has some <a href="https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/merge_requests/5155" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">merge requests</a> related to implementing a speech-to-text technology in the video player. It will use Whisper, but it's not relying on OpenAI's Whisper model. Instead, VLC will be using <a href="https://github.com/ggerganov/whisper.cpp" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">whisper.cpp</a>, a C-based fork of Open AI's Whisper automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. VideoLAN's AI subtitling tool will work offline without connecting to online services, i.e. without any requirements for an account or service. That also means it will be privacy-friendly. Besides, it also eliminates the need to manually search for subtitles, download them, and enable them for the video. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206699" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/VLC-to-add-support-for-offline-AI-subtitles-and-translations.jpg" alt="VLC to add support for offline AI subtitles and translations" width="1106" height="854" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/VLC-to-add-support-for-offline-AI-subtitles-and-translations.jpg 1106w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/VLC-to-add-support-for-offline-AI-subtitles-and-translations-768x593.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1106px) 100vw, 1106px" /> It's not just about generating subtitles, what's more impressive is that VLC's AI capabilities will also translate the subtitles in real-time. The feature will support over 100 languages, this could allow users to understand dialogs in any language. Imagine you are travelling or don't have access to the internet, and VLC can not only provide the subtitles for videos, but also translate them offline. That is remarkable. The requirements for the feature have not been revealed, but it will likely require an optional download that contains the AI model required to generate the subtitles, and translate them. AI subtitling in VLC is not available just yet, it will be added in the future. You can watch the announcement video on <a href="https://x.com/videolan/status/1877072497146781946" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">VideoLAN's X account</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/videolan_vlc-ai-accessibility-activity-7282825642067279874-R9AP" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">LinkedIn page</a>. Did you know that the latest version of <a href="https://potplayer.daum.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">PotPlayer</a> also supports automatic subtitling? It also uses the Whisper models. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206701" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PotPlayer-supports-automatic-subtitle-generation.jpg" alt="PotPlayer supports automatic subtitle generation" width="1200" height="644" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PotPlayer-supports-automatic-subtitle-generation.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PotPlayer-supports-automatic-subtitle-generation-768x412.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> I called <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/05/amazon-prime-videos-ai-will-recap-the-story-of-tv-show-episodes-and-seasons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Amazon Prime Video AI recap</a> a cool use of artificial intelligence, and I think VLC's AI subtitles is even better. This is another example of how AI can be beneficial when it does not invade your privacy. But the success of the feature would depend on the accuracy of the generated subtitles. Hopefully it will work as promised. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/13/vlc-to-add-support-for-offline-ai-subtitles-and-translations/" data-wpel-link="internal">VLC to add support for offline AI subtitles and translations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows 10: New Outlook will be installed automatically, but there is a solution

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:06:17 -0000

Microsoft announced this week that it is going to install the new Outlook application on Windows 10 systems automatically. Windows users and administrators who do not want the app need to make […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 10: New Outlook will be installed automatically, but there is a solution appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Microsoft announced this week that it is going to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/01/17/report-microsoft-starts-mail-and-calendar-app-migration-to-the-inferior-outlook-app/" data-wpel-link="internal">install the new Outlook application</a> on Windows 10 systems automatically. Windows users and administrators who do not want the app need to make changes to their systems using the Registry and PowerShell to block the new Outlook client; this can only be done after it has been installed. Microsoft plans to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/03/08/microsoft-wont-kill-classic-outlook-for-windows-until-at-least-2029/" data-wpel-link="internal">retire the classic Outlook application</a> for Windows and already <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/06/17/say-goodbye-to-windows-mail-and-calendar-app-and-welcome-the-new-outlook-for-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">retired the Mail and Calendar applications</a> on Windows in favor of the new Outlook client. Not all users and organizations are happy with the change. Proton, known for its mail service and other products, stated last year that the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/01/12/proton-mail-says-that-the-new-outlook-app-for-windows-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service/" data-wpel-link="internal">new Outlook was Microsoft's newest data collection service</a>. Some users dislike the new Outlook for its lack of features and also <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/02/02/microsoft-sneaks-ads-into-the-new-outlook-for-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">because it contains ads</a>. The details: <ul> <li>The new Outlook will be installed alongside the February 2025 security updates.</li> <li>The update is released on February 11, 2025.</li> <li>The new client is also included in the preview update, which will be released on January 28, 2025.</li> </ul> <h2>No way to prevent installation of new Outlook on Windows 10</h2> <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-apps/outlook/get-started/control-install#block-new-outlook-preinstall-on-windows" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Microsoft says</a> that there is no way to prevent the new Outlook from being installed. In other words, if the February 2025 security updates are installed on a Windows 10 PC, the new Outlook is installed on the system as well. Since Windows updates are cumulative, future updates will also include the new app. Administrators may remove and then block the new Outlook application, but only after its initial installation according to Microsoft. Here is how this is done. <ol> <li>Open the Start menu.</li> <li>Type PowerShell.</li> <li>Right-click on PowerShell and select "run as administrator" to launch PowerShell with elevated rights.</li> <li>Select Yes when the security prompt appears.</li> <li>Paste the command<code class="lang-PowerShell">Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -AllUsers -Online -PackageName (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.OutlookForWindows).PackageFullName</code>and press the Enter-key.</li> </ol> This removes the new Outlook package from the system. This is not sufficient, however. Microsoft notes that you need to set a key in the Registry as well to prevent future installs. <ol> <li>Open the Start menu again.</li> <li>Type regedit.exe and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Confirm the security prompt with a click on yes.</li> <li>Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\Orchestrator\UScheduler_Oobe\OutlookUpdate</li> <li>Right-click on OutlookUpdate and select New > String Value.</li> <li>Name it BlockedOobeUpdaters.</li> <li>Double-click on BlockedOobeUpdaters and set the value to ["MS_Outlook"].</li> <li>Restart the PC.</li> </ol> The new Outlook will not be installed again as part of Windows updates according to Microsoft after the changes have been made. <h3>Closing Words</h3>   The automatic installation of the new Outlook app on Windows 10 will likely annoy some users of the operating system. Microsoft could have picked a different distribution method, one that allows administrators and users to block the installation in first place. This would have led to fewer installs though, which is likely the reason for the application's inclusion in the February security updates for Windows 10. Have you tried the new Outlook? What is your take on all of this? Feel free to leave a comment down below. (via <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-to-force-install-new-outlook-on-windows-10-shares-powershellregistry-workaround/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Neowin</a>) Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/10/windows-10-new-outlook-will-be-installed-automatically-but-there-is-a-solution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 10: New Outlook will be installed automatically, but there is a solution</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
The Linux Foundation announces the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 07:13:45 -0000

The Linux Foundation has launched an initiative called the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers. Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Opera are members of the group. While the news comes as a surprise, the list […]

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The Linux Foundation has launched an initiative called the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers. Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Opera are members of the group. While the news comes as a surprise, the list of members who have joined the group is unsurprising to say the least. Brave and Vivaldi, DuckDuckGo are not members, and it is not clear why they are not part of the project, given that their browsers are based on the Chromium open source project. It seems rather silly that Google, Opera, Vivaldi joined hands with other browser makers to fight against Microsoft Edge as part of the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/27/chrome-opera-vivaldi-waterfox-and-wavebox-join-hands-to-fight-against-microsoft-edge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Browser Choice Alliance</a>, and now they themselves are part of a group that includes Microsoft. I suppose it is for their perceived version of the greater good. <h3>What is the purpose of Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers?</h3> Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers is an initiative that has been created to aid innovation, improve the adoption, and enhance the open development of projects in Chromium's ecosystem, according to the official announcement. As you may be aware, Google Chrome, Opera Browser, Microsoft Edge use Chromium's Blink engine to power their respective browsers. The browser makers have partnered with The Linux Foundation to foster an open source environment and support the developers financially and continue the technological progress of Chromium. Basically, this sounds like a second foundational pillar for Chromium, which Google maintained to a large degree on its own until now. You can find the press releases from <a href="https://blogs.opera.com/news/2025/01/opera-joins-supporters-of-chromium-based-browsers-open-source-ecosystem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Opera</a>, <a href="https://blog.chromium.org/2025/01/announcing-supporters-of-chromium-based.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Chromium</a>, <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/01/09/microsoft-joins-the-collective-to-support-chromium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-announces-the-launch-of-supporters-of-chromium-based-browsers" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">The Linux Foundation</a> on their websites. <h2>How will this affect Firefox or Safari?</h2> But what about other browsers? The whole thing seems rather bizarre, given that most Linux distros ship with Mozilla Firefox preinstalled. Why would the Linux Foundation support Chromium? By expanding adoption and removing barriers to innovation within the Chromium ecosystem for the entire web industry, are you not hurting other browsers like Firefox (and its forks), Apple Safari and others? Everyone hates Manifest V3 and its aftermath including the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/16/google-chrome-removal-of-ublock-origin-and-other-unsupported-extensions-has-started/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">removal of uBlock Origin</a> and other extensions from Chrome, will this new initiative fix things, or make it worse? And the timing is uncanny. Just when the Department of Justice is trying to push Google to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/19/u-s-doj-could-force-google-to-sell-chrome/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">potentially sell Chrome</a>, and split Android from the company, suddenly the Linux Foundation declares its support for Chromium browsers? What are the odds of that happening? Is there something happening behind the scenes? The Linux Foundation will manage the fund of the Supporters of Chromium-based Browsers, and handle things transparently with open governance and community-driven development. Google says that it is "committed to being the responsible steward of the Chromium project and to the massive investment necessary to keep Chromium working well for the entire web industry." On the other hand, we do have to wonder what would happen if Google is ever forced to sell Chrome. It is possible that the Linux Foundation could take over the development of Chromium from Google, or at least oversee the project. Some users claim all this could be a PR move by Google in the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/23/google-files-remedies-proposal-in-dojs-antitrust-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">antitrust case</a>, and that this could help it retain Chrome. Others are saying this could be a big loss for Mozilla. Do you remember <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/13/mozilla-servo-browser-builds-for-windows-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Servo</a>? It is an open source browser engine that was created by Mozilla, but the Mozilla Corporation laid off its developers in 2020. The Linux Foundation took over the governance of Servo, and now it supports Chromium. I guess we have come full circle. What do you think about all this? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/10/the-linux-foundation-announces-the-supporters-of-chromium-based-browsers/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Linux Foundation announces the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Google Chrome: legit EditThisCookie extension removed instead of malicious copycat

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:06:04 -0000

EditThisCookie is a specialized extension for Google Chrome that you may use to edit cookie data stored by the browser. I mentioned it back in 2015 here on Ghacks. The extension, with […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Google Chrome: legit EditThisCookie extension removed instead of malicious copycat appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

EditThisCookie is a specialized extension for Google Chrome that you may use to edit cookie data stored by the browser. I mentioned it <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/04/12/how-to-activate-youtubes-transparent-player-design/" data-wpel-link="internal">back in 2015</a> here on Ghacks. The extension, with over 3 million users and 11,000 ratings, has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. What Google has not removed is a copycat extension, first called EditThisCookies and now EditThisCookie®, which is malicious. When you <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/error" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">try to launch</a> the Chrome Web Store address of the legitimate extension, you get the "This item is not available" error message. The page of the fake extension is still up (not linked, because it is malicious). Eric Parker, known for his malware investigations, analyzed the malicious extension in a YouTube video. <iframe loading="lazy" title="What this Chrome Extension is REALLY Doing" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZgM_50aqbg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> The extension had 30,000 users at the time the video was published on YouTube. Today, it sits at more than 50,000 users. Parker installed the extension on a test system and discovered several anomalies. These include: <ul> <li>A fake website for the fake extension.</li> <li>Obfuscated code.</li> <li>Information stealing code, especially when on Facebook.</li> <li>Phishing.</li> <li>Advertising code.</li> </ul> The researcher did not find code to exfiltrate cookie data, which means that session cookies are not touched by the analyzed version of the extension. With automatic extension updates enabled by default in Chrome, there is a chance that additional spyware or malware capabilities are added via updates. Chrome and Chromium users may want to check the list of installed extensions to see if the fake one is installed on their devices. Just load chrome://extensions/ in the browser's address bar to get a list of all user-installed extensions. If you see EditThisCookies or EditThisCookie®, then you have the fake one installed. Remove it immediately in that case. An alternative is <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/cookie-editor/hlkenndednhfkekhgcdicdfddnkalmdm" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Cookie Editor</a>. Good to know: <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/11/21/verify-google-chrome-extensions-before-you-install-them/" data-wpel-link="internal">our guide on verifying Chrome extensions</a>. <h3>Closing Words</h3> The fate of the original popular cookie editing extension for Chrome is unclear at this stage. A check on the legitimate's extension presence on GitHub suggests that it may have something to do with missing Manifest V3 support. The extension appears to have been unavailable <a href="https://github.com/ETCExtensions/Edit-This-Cookie/issues/370#issuecomment-2241356789" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">since at least</a> July 2024. While it would make for a great headline, that Google removed the wrong extension, it seems more likely that the legitimate extension was removed because it does not support the new extensions ruleset for Chrome. Google's web store had and still has a massive <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/10/11/chrome-has-a-massive-copycat-extensions-problem/" data-wpel-link="internal">copyat extension problem</a>. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/11/28/fake-chrome-apps-highlight-why-automated-scans-are-not-enough/" data-wpel-link="internal">Back in 2015</a> and 2017, I noticed that the store hosted numerous "uBlock" extensions. All of them, with the exception of uBlock Origin, were copycats. Expect more copycats of extensions that are not updated from the old extensions manifest to the new in the near future. What is your take on this? Do you vet Chrome extensions before installation? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/31/google-chrome-legit-editthiscookie-extension-removed-instead-of-malicious-copycat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google Chrome: legit EditThisCookie extension removed instead of malicious copycat</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
How to rebuild the icon cache in Windows 11

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 15:16:11 -0000

Windows 11 uses the icon cache extensively to display icons of applications and other elements of the operating system. It is designed to speed up the loading and display of icons. Sometimes, […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to rebuild the icon cache in Windows 11 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Windows 11 uses the icon cache extensively to display icons of applications and other elements of the operating system. It is designed to speed up the loading and display of icons. Sometimes, issues may arise. A common issue is corruption of the icon cache. This may lead to the display of wrong, old, duplicate, missing, or broken icons and other issues. The reason for this, most of the time, is corruption of the icon cache. The solution in that case is to rebuild the icon cache. This guide explains how that is done on Windows 11. The same method works on Windows 10 as well. <h2>Rebuilding the icon cache in Windows 11</h2> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206681" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-refresh-icon-cache.png" alt="Refresh the icon cache in Windows 11 using a single command" width="1113" height="626" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-refresh-icon-cache.png 1113w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-refresh-icon-cache-768x432.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1113px) 100vw, 1113px" /> You can rebuild the icon cache using a single command. Here is how that is done: <ol> <li>Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-X to display the administrative menu.</li> <li>Select Terminal from the menu.</li> <li>Confirm the security prompt by selecting the option yes.</li> <li>Paste the command "ie4uinit.exe -show" and press the Enter-key.</li> </ol> Note that you do not get a response; this is normal and nothing to worry about. <h3>The Sledgehammer method</h3> If the above command does not fix the icon cache on the Windows 11 system, you may try the following, which is more powerful. <ol> <li>Open the Start menu.</li> <li>Type cmd and select Command Prompt to launch it.</li> <li>Paste the command ie4uinit.exe -show and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Paste the command taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Paste the command CD %userprofile%\AppData\Local and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Type del iconcache.db /a and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Paste the command CD %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\ and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Type del iconcache* and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Type start explorer.exe and press the Enter-key.</li> </ol> You probably wonder what some of the commands do. <ul> <li>taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe - This commands force kills the explorer.exe process. Note that this removes the taskbar among other things when executed. Don't worry, the command start explorer.exe restarts Explorer at the end.</li> <li>CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local - This command changes the directory to the user's \AppData\Local directory.</li> <li>del IconCache.db /a /f /q - This command deletes the file IconCache.db</li> <li>del iconcache* /a /f /q -- The command deletes all files that start with iconcache in the folder %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\.</li> </ul> <h3>Rebuilding does not resolve all issues related to icons</h3> Rebuilding works if the icon cache has become corrupted. It does not work in some other cases. For example, when an icon file gets moved or deleted on the system. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/30/how-to-rebuild-the-icon-cache-in-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to rebuild the icon cache in Windows 11</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows 11 is promoting Xbox PC Game Pass with a pop-up ad

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 07:45:39 -0000

Microsoft is displaying yet another ad on Windows 11. This time, a pop-up banner promotes the company's Game Pass subscription for PCs. I'm a fan of Xbox PC Game Pass, it is […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 is promoting Xbox PC Game Pass with a pop-up ad appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Microsoft is displaying yet another ad on Windows 11. This time, a pop-up banner promotes the company's Game Pass subscription for PCs. I'm a fan of Xbox PC Game Pass, it is a pretty cool service that lets you play a lot of games, including new launches, without breaking the bank. But, there are better ways to promote it than with a pop-up that users might consider annoying. How many different types of ads have we seen on Windows 11? Here's a quick recap, the operating system shows ads for Xbox Wireless Controllers, Bing AI, Microsoft 365, and more. There are ads in the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/02/02/microsoft-sneaks-ads-into-the-new-outlook-for-windows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Outlook app</a>, the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/08/26/windows-10-start-menu-will-soon-display-ads-for-microsoft-365/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Start Menu</a>, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/03/14/microsoft-is-testing-file-explorer-ads-in-latest-windows-11-insider-build/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">File Explorer</a>. Of course, we mustn't forget all those <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/13/microsoft-is-sneakily-trying-to-import-tabs-from-other-browsers-into-edge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">recommendations</a> for Microsoft Edge. The <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/07/01/microsofts-weather-app-now-displays-more-ads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Weather app has ads</a> in it. Even the Microsoft Store also displays "suggestions" on the homepage, which are just ads, but at least that is restricted to the app. How many of these products might actually be useful for a user? <h3>Microsoft says that these pop-ups are not ads</h3> Let's back to the Xbox PC Game Pass ad. Believe it or not, according to <a href="https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/12/30/windows-11-is-showing-more-xbox-game-pass-pc-ads-notifications-turn-them-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Windows Latest</a>, a Microsoft spokesperson told the blog that these pop-ups are not classified as ads, instead these notifications are considered as tips and suggestions. It's <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/07/11/microsoft-is-not-done-yet-more-ads-spotted-in-latest-windows-11-build/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">up for debate</a> as to what qualifies as an ad and a recommendation. Interestingly, the spokesperson also told the blog that the alerts give people an option to purchase Call of Duty Black Ops 6: Vault Edition from the Microsoft Store, or to download the Microsoft Defender app. Before you ask, no this is not the same app that is preinstalled on Windows 11, the antivirus on your PC is called Windows Security. Microsoft Defender is a security dashboard of sorts, and it's not free. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206677" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-says-that-these-pop-ups-are-not-ads.jpg" alt="Microsoft says that these pop-ups are not ads" width="1031" height="609" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-says-that-these-pop-ups-are-not-ads.jpg 1031w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-says-that-these-pop-ups-are-not-ads-768x454.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1031px) 100vw, 1031px" /> So, a notification for Xbox PC Game Pass is a suggestion? Even if it is meant to highlight a specific game, its purpose is to promote a paid product. Microsoft can sugarcoat it however it wants to, but that's literally what advertisements do, they are a marketing tool to spread the word about things that a company sells. That's exactly what the company has been doing over the past few years. This ad or notification, whatever you want to call it, has a button to dismiss the pop-up, and another button "Join Now" clicking on which directs you to the Microsoft Store page where you can buy/subscribe to PC Game Pass. Don't want to see these notifications? You can <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/27/do-this-if-you-want-to-stop-ads-in-windows-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">turn off ads</a> in Windows 11 by following our guide. It's not the first time we have seen such ads in Windows 11, remember when Microsoft placed <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/05/13/microsoft-is-testing-game-pass-ads-on-the-settings-homepage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">ads for Game Pass</a> in the Settings app? I'm a gamer, and occasionally use Game Pass, but even I think these banners are unnecessary. The service has become quite popular among the gaming community. If you are a gamer, you are probably aware of Game Pass, and you are either subscribed to it, or choose not to. My point is, these pop-up ads offer very little value. This does make me wonder how non-gamers perceive these ads, perhaps they are even more annoying, aka completely irrelevant to their usage. What do you think about such ads? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/30/windows-11-is-promoting-xbox-pc-game-pass-with-a-pop-up-ad/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 is promoting Xbox PC Game Pass with a pop-up ad</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
How to block Chrome from signing you into a Google account automatically

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 14:40:14 -0000

If you are using Google Chrome, you may have noticed something strange. When you sign-in to a Google service, like Gmail or Google Drive, you get signed-into the browser automatically as well. […]

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If you are using Google Chrome, you may have noticed something strange. When you sign-in to a Google service, like Gmail or Google Drive, you get signed-into the browser automatically as well. While some users may prefer that, as it ensures that features such as sync or personalization options are enabled, others may dislike it. Here are a few reasons: <ul> <li>You may not want Google Account-specific features in Chrome and prefer to stay signed-out because of that.</li> <li>You may want to use different accounts for different Google sites.</li> <li>For privacy.</li> </ul> The default setting in Chrome signs you into a Google Account in the browser whenever you sign-in on a Google-owned website. Tip: check out our <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/22/google-chrome-how-to-disable-toast-popups-in-the-browser/" data-wpel-link="internal">guide on disabling toast popups in Google Chrome</a> as well. <h3>Disable the link between Google Account and Chrome</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206667" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/allow-chrome-sign-in.png" alt="Allow Chrome Sign-in Setting" width="1101" height="711" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/allow-chrome-sign-in.png 1101w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/allow-chrome-sign-in-768x496.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1101px) 100vw, 1101px" /> Thankfully, it is easy to disable the disable this in Chrome. Here is how that is done: <ol> <li>Load chrome://settings/syncSetup in the Chrome address bar. This opens the Sync and Google services settings of the browser.</li> <li>Toggle "Allow Chrome sign-in" under "Other Google services" to disable the feature. The control should show up in gray colors when it is disabled.</li> </ol> Note that you may need to restart the browser before you are signed-out off the Google Account in Chrome. You can also sign-out manually during the session by clicking on the profile icon in the Chrome address bar and selecting the "sign out of Chrome" option. <h3>Sign in to Chrome when you sign in to other Google services</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206668" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/chrome-sign-in.png" alt="Chrome Sign-in options" width="1101" height="711" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/chrome-sign-in.png 1101w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/chrome-sign-in-768x496.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1101px) 100vw, 1101px" /> Google is working on a new feature linked to sign ins. It is available in Chrome Canary at the time, but maybe not for everyone at the time of writing. Sign in to Chrome when you sign in to other Google services is the name of the new feature. It is set to "sign in" by default, which replicates the status quo for the most part. In other words, Chrome may sign you in automatically when you sign in on the web into a Google product. The two other options are "don't sign in" and "ask every time". The first is identical to disabling the "allow Chrome sign-in" option outright. The second shows a prompt whenever you sign in, so that you may decide whether to sign in to Chrome as well with that Google account. <h3>Closing Words</h3> You could also avoid this by using a different browser. It might also improve privacy overall, considering that you would be switching from a browser that is controlled by an advertising company. You might also be able to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/16/google-chrome-removal-of-ublock-origin-and-other-unsupported-extensions-has-started/" data-wpel-link="internal">continue using uBlock Origin</a> in that case. Speaking of browsers; what is your preferred web browser at the time of writing and why? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/27/how-to-block-chrome-from-signing-you-into-a-google-account-automatically/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to block Chrome from signing you into a Google account automatically</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Find out if an USB device is fake with free ValiDrive app for Windows

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 13:04:24 -0000

Fake USB devices continue to be a problem. These devices claim to have higher storage capacities than they actually have. These devices are sold in many different places: from Chinese online shops […]

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Fake USB devices continue to be a problem. These devices claim to have higher storage capacities than they actually have. These devices are sold in many different places: from Chinese online shops to Amazon or eBay. While there are some best practices to avoid fakes, including being cautious when an USB drive is very cheap for the storage space it has or has a large storage space that is not even available yet, it is difficult otherwise to find out if an offer is legitimate or a fake. Software comes to the rescue, but only after you have made the purchase. In 2018, we reviewed <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/03/14/8-tools-to-detect-fake-storage-devices/" data-wpel-link="internal">eight tools to detect fake storage devices</a>. Several of the programs are still available. <h3>ValiDrive</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206663" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/validrive.png" alt="Validrive validating an USB drive" width="399" height="312" /> ValiDrive is a new free tool to test USB drives. It "conducts a data preserving, 576-region spot-check to test the readability, writability, and true storage presence of any drive of any size connected to any Windows' USB port". The tool has been created by Gibson Research Corporation, known for other high quality tools such as <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/02/16/take-control-of-windows-updating-and-upgrading-with-incontrol/" data-wpel-link="internal">InControl</a>, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2011/10/18/dns-benchmark-speed-test-dns-servers/" data-wpel-link="internal">DNS Benchmark</a>, or <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/01/16/gibson-releases-inspectre-vulnerability-and-performance-checker/" data-wpel-link="internal">InSpectre</a>. Usage is simple. Download the application <a href="https://www.grc.com/validrive.htm" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">from the Gibson website</a> and run it afterwards. It does not need to be installed and is ready right away. Select the "check USB drive" button in the interface. Once done, insert the USB drive into a port on the computer. ValiDrive should recognize it at this point. Activate "Validate this drive" and wait for the validation to run its course. Note that it may take some time to complete a scan, as read and write operations are run on the drive to test its validity. The scan is visualized using colors: <ul> <li>Green indicates validated areas of the drive.</li> <li>Blue is for read errors.</li> <li>Yellow shows write errors.</li> <li>Red highlights no storage areas (in other words, fake storage areas).</li> </ul> All green is the best result. USB drives with red areas are fake, as they report more storage than they actual have. Once done, ValiDrive creates and displays a final report. The report lists additional information about the scan, including the declared and validated drive size, and information about the read and write operations. For most users, it may be enough to take a look at the color coded map of the drive, as it reveals whether its advertised size is the actual size. <h3>Closing Words</h3> Tools like ValiDrive can only be used after a purchase has been made. They may come in handy at other times, for instance when you buy used devices or need to verify USB devices regularly as part of your job. All in all, it is a tiny mighty handy tool to have in your arsenal. One downside is that it is only available for Windows. Other than that, it is excellent and a definitive recommendation. Now You: how often do you use USB storage devices? Did you ever buy a device that was fake? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/26/find-out-if-an-usb-device-is-fake-with-free-validrive-app-for-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Find out if an USB device is fake with free ValiDrive app for Windows</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows 11 KB5048685 Update causes Wi-Fi and Start Menu to stop working

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 11:02:09 -0000

The KB5048685 Update seems to be causing multiple problems for users on Windows 11 23H2. Microsoft released the cumulative update on December 10. Like most Patch Tuesday updates, this one was meant […]

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The KB5048685 Update seems to be causing multiple problems for users on Windows 11 23H2. Microsoft released the cumulative update on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/10/microsoft-releases-the-december-2024-security-updates-for-windows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">December 10</a>. Like most Patch Tuesday updates, this one was meant to fix a slew of security vulnerabilities, over 70 to be specific. But in almost poetic fashion, the patch has introduced some new issues. <h3>Windows 11 KB5048685 may cause the Start Menu and Wi-Fi to fail</h3> Users who updated their machine are saying that the Start Menu is freezing when they try to access it. Similar issues have also been reported to affect users who installed KB5048667 for Windows 11 24H2. The Start Menu may also display a white colored backdrop, even when dark mode is enabled. While Microsoft is yet to acknowledge the problem, a support article on <a href="https://support.citrix.com/s/article/CTX692398-start-menu-may-stop-responding-if-kb5048685-installed-on-windows-11-22h223h2-vda?language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Citrix's website</a>, spotted by <a href="https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/12/21/windows-11-december-2024-update-issues-break-start-menu-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Windows Latest</a>, mentions that the Start Menu may stop responding on Windows 11 22H2/23H2 if the KB5048685 update is installed. The company, which specializes in virtualization software, has outlined some steps as a workaround for the issue. It involves tinkering with the Windows Registry, so use it at your own risk. Citrix VDA users can navigate to the following path: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CtxUvi. Value Name: UviProcessExcludes Type: REG_SZ Append 'StartMenuExper' ending with semicolon (;). Restart your computer. Here's <a href="https://community.citrix.com/forums/topic/253484-start-menu-of-windows11-not-work-after-installing-citrix-vda/#_=_" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">another workaround</a> on Citrix's community forums. This <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/SCCM/comments/1hcl9zi/202412_cu_for_windows_11_24h2_x64_breaking_the/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">thread</a> on the System Center Configuration Manager subreddit also has several reports about the Start Menu breaking after the cumulative update, but an important thing to note here is that the issue also occurs on Windows 11 24H2. A user discovered that a DLL was using an outdated version from Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Package, and that manually installing the latest library fixed the problem. This could affect PCs that don't have Citrix software too. The KB5048685 Update is also <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1hdu6im/latest_security_update_stopped_my_wifi_from/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">causing</a> the Wi-Fi to stop working for some users. Similar reports can also be found at the <a href="https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/wifi-broken-on-windows-11-after-update-kb5048685/18ca654a-a21d-45b5-9742-20514419fc35" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Microsoft's Answers</a> community. Some <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1hb84su/cumulative_updates_december_10th_2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">redditors</a> say they have had difficulty in getting the update to actually install on their PC, and even manually trying to install the patch failed. Interestingly, some of these users have an AMD processor. You may run into a <a href="https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/window-11-fails-to-install-kb5048685-error/73418112-fc45-46e8-a261-47224730b8bc" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">0x80070002 error</a> message if the update failed to install. If your computer is <a href="https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-keeps-telling-me-to-restart-to-finish-my/95144050-5bf1-49a8-83d1-dca5bae73300" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">restarting</a> but not installing the update, you should run Services.msc to check if the Windows Update service is running. A couple of other users stated that they were able to resolve their issues by using the option under Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update. You may want to try that if things haven't been peachy. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206660" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Windows-11-KB5048685-may-cause-the-Start-Menu-and-Wi-Fi-to-fail.jpg" alt="Windows 11 KB5048685 may cause the Start Menu and Wi-Fi to fail" width="732" height="396" /> It is unclear how widespread these problems are, but I don't think it affects the majority of users. I installed the KB5048685 Update a few days after it was released, and have not experienced any of the problems that were reported by users, YMMV. On a side note, Windows 11 24H2 is still plagued by many issues. There are bugs that cause <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/25/microsoft-blocks-windows-11-24h2-update-on-pcs-with-star-wars-outlaws-and-assassins-creed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">performance issues in games</a>, one of which is related to the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/19/microsoft-confirms-auto-hdr-bug-in-windows-11-and-blocks-updates-as-a-consequence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Auto HDR</a> feature. Microsoft is <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/25/windows-11-issue-may-prevent-further-installations-of-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">preventing the installation</a> of updates on certain PCs. I'm still on Windows 11 23H2, and you can stay on the older version of the operating system by using the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/02/16/take-control-of-windows-updating-and-upgrading-with-incontrol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">InControl app</a>. What about you? Did you run into one of the bugs on your computer? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/26/windows-11-kb5048685-update-causes-wi-fi-and-start-menu-to-stop-working/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 KB5048685 Update causes Wi-Fi and Start Menu to stop working</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows 11: issue may prevent further installations of updates

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:44:33 -0000

The latest version of Windows 11, version 24H2, has had its fair share of issues already since its release a few months ago. We covered some of them here, for instance the […]

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The latest version of Windows 11, version 24H2, has had its fair share of issues already since its release a few months ago. We covered some of them here, for instance the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/19/microsoft-confirms-auto-hdr-bug-in-windows-11-and-blocks-updates-as-a-consequence/" data-wpel-link="internal">Auto HDR issue</a>, that can make certain games freeze or display colors incorrectly. Microsoft added another issue to the seemingly ever-growing list of Windows 11 issues. The details: <ul> <li>It affects Windows 11, version 24H2 (the latest version of Windows 11 at the time of writing).</li> <li>The issue may prevent installs of future updates on affected systems.</li> <li>There is a workaround, but only for users not affected by the issue already.</li> </ul> <h2>Issue may prevent the installation of future security updates</h2> The issue affects Windows 11, version 24H2 devices that were installed using installation media, but only if the installation media included the October 2024 or November 2024 security updates. Good to known: First and third-party tools like the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Windows 11 Update Assistant</a> or <a href="https://rufus.ie/en/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Rufus</a> support the creation of installation media. Affected devices may block the installation of any future security updates. This would include the installation of security updates via Windows Update, the direct installation of updates, and installation of updates through other means. Microsoft does not specify the issue further. Microsoft confirms that the issue does not affect update installations via Windows Update, including upgrades from earlier versions of Windows to the latest Windows 11 feature update. Most Windows 11 devices should be fine therefore. <h3>Microsoft's workaround</h3> Microsoft suggests that users create installation media that includes the December 2024 security updates instead of the October or November 2024 updates. This prevents the issue, as the December 2024 security updates appear not to be affected by the issue. The company has no advise at this time for customers who experience the issue already on devices. It says that it is working on a resolution. If the installation is recent, customers may be able to start over from scratch. This would include creating new installation media with the December 2024 security updates and a brand new installation of Windows 11 on the affected device. Windows Server installations are not affected by the issue, according to Microsoft. You can check out the issue on <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24H2#3469msgdesc" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Microsoft's website</a>. The company will update the information once it manages to resolve it. Now You: did you run into any issues with Windows lately? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/25/windows-11-issue-may-prevent-further-installations-of-updates/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11: issue may prevent further installations of updates</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
PayPal-owned Honey accused of deceptive practices and more

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:57:00 -0000

When PayPal acquired the shopping service and browser extension Honey, many thought that the $4 billion that the company paid was a steep price for the service. Honey has faced its fair […]

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When <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2019/11/21/paypal-acquires-maker-of-shopping-extension-honey-for-4-billion/" data-wpel-link="internal">PayPal acquired</a> the shopping service and browser extension Honey, many thought that the $4 billion that the company paid was a steep price for the service. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/04/honey-extension-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Honey has faced its fair share off criticism in the past</a>. A YouTuber claims now that he has uncovered deceptive business practices that impact users of the extensions but also the very people that promoted Honey. Honey is a browser extension. Once installed, it is highlighting discounts and other beneficial codes when users visit shopping sites. It is not the only extension or service that promises that. Microsoft did even integrate its own service directly into its Edge browser. Here is the YouTuber's video: <iframe loading="lazy" title="Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vc4yL3YTwWk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> <h2>Accusations against Honey pile up</h2> The YouTuber MegaLag claims that Honey is bad for customers, webmasters, and also influencers who advertised the service. One of the main claims surrounds the setting of affiliate cookies. According to the information, Honey is said to save affiliate cookies on user systems unethically. Good to know: affiliate cookies are used to determine payments to third-parties. A basic example is a webmaster to adds a link with an affiliate code to a website. When a user clicks on the link to visit the linked resource, an affiliate cookie may be placed so that the linked resource can pay the webmaster when the visitor makes purchases. Honey is saving affiliate cookies when users activate coupons, when users use the cashback program Honey Gold, and even when there are not any discounts in the service's database and the user confirms that, according to the report. The main issue, according to the YouTuber, is that Honey overwrites cookies from websites or other creators. In other words: Honey will be paid when a user of the extension makes a purchase, not the webmaster or content creator who lead the visitor there. Apart from that, cookies may allow sites and marketers to track users. <h2>How influencers may lose money with Honey</h2> PayPal-owned Honey has sponsored videos on YouTube and maybe also other platforms. Popular YouTube creators such as Mr.Beast or Linus Tech Tips have recommended honey. Problem is: when the same YouTubers use affiliate links for products that they recommend in their videos, Honey may interfere and overwrite their codes in the affiliate cookie with its own. The YouTuber does not earn any money when a user buys something on the linked shopping site, as Honey is getting the money instead. <h2>More issues</h2> Another issue surrounding Honey according to the researcher is that Honey is not always showing the best discounts. The service prioritizes offers from partners and may also ignore codes submitted by users of the app, if the codes interfere with partners. <h3>Closing Words</h3> Back in 2021, Ashwin suggested that Internet users who valued their privacy should not be using Honey. The new investigation adds weight to that suggestion. It needs to be verified independently though. What is your take on extensions like Honey? Do you use them to save on the Internet? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/24/paypal-owned-honey-accused-of-deceptive-practices-and-more/" data-wpel-link="internal">PayPal-owned Honey accused of deceptive practices and more</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
In the age of AI, captchas are mostly a burden to humans

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:55:34 -0000

Captchas were invented in the early 2000s to tackle an issue on the Internet: bots. Bots were used to quickly snag up auctions on eBay, tickets for a concert or sports event, […]

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Captchas were invented in the early 2000s to tackle an issue on the Internet: bots. Bots were used to quickly snag up auctions on eBay, tickets for a concert or sports event, or to take snapshots of websites faster than any human. The idea was simple: display a basic puzzle to the user to make sure that a human is performing the action and not a bot. This worked fine in the beginning for the most part. Bots were not powerful enough to solve captures quickly or at all at the time. Captchas evolved, Google acquired the technology a decade ago and evolved it further. Soon, you'd get the dreaded "I'm not a robot" checkboxes and eventually <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/10/30/google-recaptcha-v3-without-user-interaction-launches/" data-wpel-link="internal">no checkboxes to prove that you were human</a>. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-107401" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/google-recaptcha-660x497.png" alt="google recaptcha" width="660" height="497" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/google-recaptcha-660x497.png 660w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/google-recaptcha-100x75.png 100w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/google-recaptcha.png 732w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" /> Services like <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/04/13/cloudflare-drops-google-recaptcha-in-favor-of-hcaptcha/" data-wpel-link="internal">Cloudflare introduced hCaptcha</a> and other solutions to block bots and allow human visitors. <h2>Rise of AI makes captchas a burden, but only for humans</h2>   Systems were invented to bypass captchas, but the rise of AI has made captchas a burden to humans only. <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/24/googles_recaptchav2_labor/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">According to</a> a 2023 research paper, researchers were able to defeat 70% of captchas in 2016 already. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/12/12/buster-promises-to-solve-captchas-automatically/" data-wpel-link="internal">Extensions like Buster</a> or <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/10/less-cloudflare-captchas-with-privacy-pass/" data-wpel-link="internal">Privacy Pass</a> promised to improve the handling of captchas. Buster claimed that it could be used to solve any captcha and Privacy Pass was designed by Cloudflare to reduce the number of captchas the service displayed to visitors. to help solve any captchas, to make the process less cumbersome for humans. Today, researchers claim that AI is capable of solving anything thrown at them at a fraction of the time it takes humans to solve them, according to a report by <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-i-am-a-human-bot-detection-is-no-longer-working-and-just-wait-until-ai-agents-come-along-246427" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">The Conversation</a>. While you are still pondering whether you have overlooked a car or traffic light while solving a captcha, bots have most likely solved it in milliseconds only to perform whatever action they have programmed to do. So, that ticket for the concert may be long gone, even if you are among the first to start the checkout. Tools like Google Vision or OpenAI's Clip are better at recognising objects than humans will ever be. The same is true for deciphering letters, numbers, and symbols in captchas. Even the latest iteration of Google's captcha technology, which does not require any puzzle solving at all, has been conquered already. This particular technology observes the behavior of the user on the website. Does the visitor behave like a human? With AI becoming more powerful, systems can easily mimic human behavior on websites to pass these tests. Other forms of captchas exist. Some ask users to move a puzzle piece somewhere, or position an animal so that it aligns with something displayed as well. These have been conquered already by AI systems. <h3>In Closing</h3> Ever since captchas were invented, there was a heated debate whether they do more harm than good. Nowadays, with bots easily solving anything thrown at them, captchas are only capable of blocking older bots and, of course, humans, from accessing a site or service. So, would it be better to get rid of all captchas? It would certainly be beneficial to the millions of Internet users who regularly bite in their keyboards out of frustration when a captcha cannot be solved quickly. What is your take on all of this? Do you encounter captchas regularly? Have you problem solving them, sometimes? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/23/in-the-age-of-ai-captchas-are-mostly-a-burden-to-humans/" data-wpel-link="internal">In the age of AI, captchas are mostly a burden to humans</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Google files remedies proposal in DOJ's antitrust case

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 07:37:38 -0000

The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust trial vs Google just became more interesting. Google has proposed some remedies ahead of a hearing in April 2025. In case you missed it, a federal […]

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The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust trial vs Google just became more interesting. Google has proposed some remedies ahead of a hearing in April 2025. In case you missed it, a federal judge found Google to be breach antitrust laws, accusing the company of building and maintaining an <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/08/07/u-s-judge-rules-that-google-has-an-illegal-search-engine-monopoly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">illegal monopoly</a> in the search engine industry. While it prepares for the two-week hearing next year, Google ran into further problems, when it came to light that the DoJ was planning a proposition to break up Google, which could force <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/19/u-s-doj-could-force-google-to-sell-chrome/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Google to sell Chrome</a>, and also split Android from the company. Google obviously likes none of these, it believes the changes could harm the security and privacy of users, It has proposed some remedies for the Court to consider before the appeal begins. This isn't surprising, it had to be done, any company has to look at its best interests first. <h3>Google suggests alternative remedies in the lawsuit against the DoJ</h3> Let's take a closer look at <a href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/google-remedies-proposal-dec-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">the proposals</a>. The first one says that "Browser companies like Apple and Mozilla should continue to have the freedom to do deals with whatever search engine they think is best for their users." <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206650" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Google-suggests-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ.jpg" alt="Google suggests alternative remedies in the lawsuit against the DoJ" width="780" height="595" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Google-suggests-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ.jpg 780w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Google-suggests-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ-768x586.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /> I'm going off-topic for a bit here. Google Chrome is one of the founding members of the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/27/chrome-opera-vivaldi-waterfox-and-wavebox-join-hands-to-fight-against-microsoft-edge/" data-wpel-link="internal">Browser Choice Alliance</a>, a coalition of browser makers that seek to allow users the right to use their browser of choice on Windows. Allow me to quote what Google Chrome's VP and GM said about Microsoft's unfair practices to promote Edge on Windows devices. “Consumers have many choices when it comes to browsers. When they choose to download a browser, their choice should be respected. We’re proud to be part of a group advocating for consumer choice and respect.” Now, when you switch the topic to search engines, Google does exactly what Microsoft has been accused of. If Microsoft is wrong to decide that Edge is the best experience for the user, then Google cannot decide that it is the best search engine either. You see, it is not the user's choice, it is a revenue sharing partnership between two companies. Back on topic. Browser companies and Apple already have the freedom to make deals with whomever they wanted. Why didn't they? Not everyone has pockets that run deep as Google's to make deals with OEMs. Google argues that the Court had accepted that browser companies assess the quality of various search engines, and find Google to be superior to its rivals. Once again, this lawsuit is not about the quality of a service, but about unfair practices by the company, which has been deemed to be an illegal monopoly, and its agreement with Apple which is reportedly worth billions played a crucial role in the outcome. Think about it, let's say a different search engine went to Apple or Mozilla and placed an offer on the table. And then Google comes with a ridiculously bigger offer, who is going to win this bidding war? This is how the company has dominated the search engine market. This is not speculation, Microsoft even <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/10/03/microsofts-ceo-admits-bing-is-inferior-to-google-but-a-deal-with-apple-could-change-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">tried to sell Bing</a> to Apple, and failed. Google is literally out muscling the competition with these exclusive contracts, which in turn restricts other search engines from growing. It's not a fair fight, which is the whole point of this antitrust lawsuit. How will this proposal be beneficial to other search engines? Google's second proposal suggests browsers should be allowed to partner with Google Search and earn revenue from the deal. But it also says that browser makers should be allowed to sign multiple default agreements across different platforms, such as a different search engine for iPhones and iPads. This proposal also suggests an option to change the default search provider once every 12 months. The article on the company's blog also mentions that it Google achieved its status as the best search engine, and that people use Google not because they have to, but because they want to. Does Google offer freedom for Android users? Buy an Android phone, and you will find that it is preloaded with a ton of Google apps out of the box, many of which are set as the default app for their respective category e.g. Messages, Dialer, Chrome, Google Search. Where does user choice factor in here? Google has also proposed a change that could impact Android device makers. It says that OEMs can preload multiple search engines, and preload any Google app independently of preloading Search or Chrome. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206649" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Googles-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ.jpg" alt="Google's alternative remedies in the lawsuit against the DoJ" width="792" height="537" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Googles-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ.jpg 792w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Googles-alternative-remedies-in-the-lawsuit-against-the-DoJ-768x521.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px" /> Well, a lot of people don't know how to change the default search engine, this was stated by executives of rival search engines during their testimony against Google. While the proposal about preloading other search options sounds interesting, would it work? It might if it was implemented like this: Display a prompt on the screen (when they set up the device), asking the user to choose the search engine they want to use, without highlighting (pre-selecting) a specific choice. Another thing that could play an important role is for operating systems and browsers to make it easier to change the search engine or the default browser, don't hide the option under multiple menus and screens. Google also acknowledged its partnership with Mozilla's, it did so earlier too, which led to users speculating about Firefox's future, and whether this would be the end of Firefox if the deal with Google is terminated. The Mountain View company has highlighted that the contract with Google generates vital revenue for Mozilla. Nobody is denying that, but this sympathy card cannot be played to right a wrong. I don't think this argument has any legs to stand in a court of law. Bending the rules of an antitrust law to benefit a single company is foolish. Mozilla will probably have to find another sponsor. As someone who has been using Firefox for over 15 years, I will admit that while I'm slightly concerned about whether Mozilla may or may not survive, I think that Firefox will endure simply because the browser is open source. It will thrive like Linux has. All things considered, I doubt these proposals would be taken seriously by the court. They barely change anything, all they suggest is that Google should be allowed to do what it is doing. Nobody is going to accept that. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/23/google-files-remedies-proposal-in-dojs-antitrust-case/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google files remedies proposal in DOJ's antitrust case</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
AdGuard Mail: email alias and temp email service from the makers of the adblocker

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:29:04 -0000

AdGuard announced AdGuard Mail today. The new product is free at the time of writing and designed to improve email privacy. It is available as a web-based version as well as apps […]

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AdGuard announced AdGuard Mail today. The new product is free at the time of writing and designed to improve email privacy. It is available as a web-based version as well as apps for mobile devices and Windows and works similarly to services such as <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/08/22/firefox-relay-create-email-aliases-to-combat-spam-and-improve-privacy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox Relay</a>, SimpleLogin, or AnonAddy. At its core, AdGuard Mail supports two main features: <ul> <li>Email aliases -- These forward emails to another email address. Use them to sign-up for sites, apps, or services without revealing your real email.</li> <li>Temp email addresses -- These are temporary email addresses that you may use for the same purpose.</li> </ul> The main differences between the two is that aliases forward while temp emails display the received emails directly in the AdGuard inbox. <h3>Using AdGuard Mail</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206643" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias.png" alt="Create Email Alias AdGuard Mail" width="2560" height="1504" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias.png 2560w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias-768x451.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias-1536x902.png 1536w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias-2048x1203.png 2048w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/adguard-mail-create-alias-1200x705.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> The service is easy to use. It is free at the time of writing, but this may change in the future. Nothing has been announced at this time though in this regard. Visit the <a href="https://adguard-mail.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">main Adguard Mail website</a> to get started. There you may hit the install button to install an app on your device or use the web-based version. It is necessary to create an account. This does link the first email address as well, which AdGuard uses to forward emails from aliases. Aliases Creating an alias is simple. Select Aliases and hit the plus button to do so. Aliases are created automatically, but you may use the generate button to create new word combinations. There is only one domain available at the time. You may add a name and description to the alias, which may be helpful keeping an overview. The two other options allow you to add more recipients, email addresses that get the forwarded emails, and tags for better management in the actual mailbox. Temporary emails You can generate one temporary email for use on the web. This remains active until you hit the generate button again. Until then, all received emails are shown in the interface. You can read and interact with these emails there. All existing emails will be deleted when you generate a new temporary email. Only one temp email can exist at a time. Remaining features Other than that, you may add more recipients -- real email addresses - to AdGuard Mail. This allows you to pick multiple recipients for aliases, or use different recipients for certain aliases. There is also a statistics section, but it shows little information at the time. First Impressions AdGuard Mail is a new product. It is easy to use and available for all major platforms. That is good. Downside right now is that it does not support features that comparable solutions, such as <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/04/09/proton-ag-acquires-simplelogin-email-alias-service/" data-wpel-link="internal">SimpleLogin</a> or <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2019/11/25/a-look-at-the-email-forwarding-service-anonaddy/" data-wpel-link="internal">AnonAddy</a> do support. Here is a short list of features that are missing currently: <ul> <li>Use different domain names for aliases or temp email.</li> <li>Support for custom domain names.</li> <li>Reply to emails using aliases / temp email accounts.</li> <li>Support for security features such as PGP encryption or two-factor authentication.</li> </ul> It is possible that AdGuard is working on these features already. It could introduce them as part of a paid plan in the future. Closing Words Using an email alias service is favorable, as it will protect your email addresses from spam, scams, and other unwanted content. AdGuard's solution is basic, but also easy to use and setup. It is a good option if you are just getting started and do not want to pay a subscription fee. Then again, the mentioned alternatives also support free plans. Do you use email alias or temporary email services? What is your take on the new AdGuard Mail service? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/20/adguard-mail-email-alias-and-temp-email-service-from-the-makers-of-the-adblocker/" data-wpel-link="internal">AdGuard Mail: email alias and temp email service from the makers of the adblocker</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Microsoft confirms Auto HDR bug in Windows 11 and blocks updates as a consequence

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 12:51:42 -0000

Windows 11, version 24H2 has not been out for long, but its number of issues is already longer than a polonaise at the German carnival. Gamers faced their fair share of issues […]

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Windows 11, version 24H2 has not been out for long, but its number of issues is already longer than a polonaise at the German carnival. Gamers faced their fair share of issues already. The release version of Windows 11 24H2 had some issues already. There was a particular issue with the game Asphalt 8 and also issues with Easy Anti-Cheat applications. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/25/microsoft-blocks-windows-11-24h2-update-on-pcs-with-star-wars-outlaws-and-assassins-creed/" data-wpel-link="internal">Another issue affected certain Ubisoft games</a>. Now, Microsoft confirmed that Auto HDR is also affected. The details: Windows gamers who have Auto HDR enabled on their devices won't get the upgrade offer to Windows 11, version 24H2 via Windows Update. Microsoft furthermore asks gamers not to install the latest version off Windows 11 through other means. This includes updates via the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or media creation tool. <h3>The Auto HDR issue</h3> <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24h2#3466msgdesc" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Microsoft describes</a> the issue in the following way: "You might observe that the game colors are incorrect in certain display configurations. You might also observe that some games stop responding.". In other words, games may freeze and potentially crash on Windows 11, version 24H2, if Auto HDR is enabled. Note that this affects devices that have been upgraded to the latest version already. If you noticed color issues or freezes in games, you may now have found the culprit, provided that you use Auto HDR on the device. Microsoft published a workaround for customers who are on Windows 11, version 24H2 already. It, to no surprise, suggests to disable Auto HDR for all games or certain games. Here is how that is done: <ol> <li>Open the Start menu.</li> <li>Select Settings.</li> <li>Switch to System > Display in the Settings app.</li> <li>Select Graphics on the page that opens.</li> <li>Toggle auto HDR to off on the page that opens.</li> </ol> This disables the feature for all apps and games on the Windows 11 PC. An alternative to that is to enable or disable Auto HDR for specific apps or games only. This can be done on the same page under "Custom settings for applications". There you may set the feature for specific apps or games only. Microsoft says that it is working on a resolution. In the meantime, Windows games who have not upgraded yet are stuck on an earlier version of the operating system. Now You: Do you game on Windows? What is your take on all the issues affecting games and gaming? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/19/microsoft-confirms-auto-hdr-bug-in-windows-11-and-blocks-updates-as-a-consequence/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft confirms Auto HDR bug in Windows 11 and blocks updates as a consequence</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
ChatGPT Search is now available for free users

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:32:53 -0000

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Search for all users. Let's take a closer look at how the search engine works. So far, ChatGPT has attracted users who want to generate text, images, code, […]

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OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Search for all users. Let's take a closer look at how the search engine works. So far, ChatGPT has attracted users who want to generate text, images, code, write poems, essays, letters, or even create <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/10/openai-launches-sora-an-ai-tool-that-generates-videos-from-text/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">AI-generated videos with Sora</a>. The next step in its evolution is search, a rather important one that plays an essential part in our day-to-day usage, a market that is dominated by Google. ChatGPT Search was <a href="https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">announced a couple of months ago</a>, but it wasn't available for free users. Now that it has expanded to everyone, you can access it. You will need an OpenAI account to use ChatGPT Search. Signing up for an account does not require a phone number, so you could use an email alias service like Simple Login or Firefox Relay to protect your privacy. <h3>How to use ChatGPT Search on the web</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206634" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-use-ChatGPT-Search-on-the-web.jpg" alt="How to use ChatGPT Search on the web" width="1200" height="630" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-use-ChatGPT-Search-on-the-web.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-use-ChatGPT-Search-on-the-web-768x403.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> 1. Go to ChatGPT.com and sign in to your account. 2. Enter your query, you can use natural language. 3. Hit the Enter key, or click on the globe icon to search. 4. ChatGPT Search will display the relevant results, along with citations from which the information was pulled. You can follow the same steps to use ChatGPT Search on your mobile device, except that you will need to use the ChatGPT app on your phone. Note: The search button will be missing if you are not signed in to your account. This method will take some time getting used to if you want to use ChatGPT Search as your primary search engine. Most users probably run their queries on Google or other services by typing into the search box or the address bar in a web browser. Using a chat to search might feel like odd at first, like retraining a muscle memory, but it's actually not different from using a search engine's page. You don't have to click the globe icon manually, ChatGPT will search the web or provide information from its "trained database", the result depends on your query. That said, if you want it to search the web, use the dedicated button. Your searches are essentially chats, OpenAI saves your chat history, and the data is synchronized between devices. <h3>Easier method for Chromium browsers</h3> OpenAI as released an official <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/chatgpt-search/ejcfepkfckglbgocfkanmcdngdijcgld" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">ChatGPT Search extension</a> for Chrome. You will need to be signed in to ChatGPT to use the service. Once you have installed the add-on, it sets ChatGPT as your default provider. This allows you to type your queries in the browser's address bar, search box, or highlight some text via the right-click context menu, and the searches are run through OpenAI's service. This offers a better experience than visiting ChatGPT's website and opening a new chat every time. The ChatGPT Search add-on is not available for Firefox, not yet anyway. <h3>OpenAI's ChatGPT Search is impressive</h3> Instead of displaying a page full of links and snippets from various websites, ChatGPT Search provides a summarized version of the results in a chat. The primary difference is that ChatGPT Search uses real-time information, unlike OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, which is trained on a specific set of data that is often critically outdated. ChatGPT's Search results includes the sources, and the bot even displays an inline video that is relevant to the topic. You may provide feedback to improve the results. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206633" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example.jpg" alt="ChatGPT search example" width="826" height="758" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example.jpg 826w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-768x705.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px" /> I tested the search engine by looking up various things such as the weather, sports, news events, how-to articles, etc. The results are quite good, it's not perfect because you do not control the sources from which it extracts the data. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206636" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-5.jpg" alt="ChatGPT search example 5" width="785" height="474" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-5.jpg 785w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-5-768x464.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px" /> ChatGPT also displays images within the summary, these are sourced from the websites where it obtained the data from. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206637" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-6.jpg" alt="ChatGPT search example 6" width="841" height="712" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-6.jpg 841w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-6-768x650.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px" /> The summarized versions of searches are clutter-free, making the content easier to read, and informative, though it remains to be seen how it will deal with fake news or unverified data. But, all things considered, ChatGPT Search does seem impressive in the early stage. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206630" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-4.jpg" alt="ChatGPT search example 4" width="883" height="699" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-4.jpg 883w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ChatGPT-search-example-4-768x608.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px" /> One important thing to note is that there are no ads in the search results, but things could change in the future. There is no waitlist for ChatGPT Search, it is now available for all users in regions where ChatGPT is available. It works with free accounts, so you don't need a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription to use the search service. You can watch the video of the product's announcement on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzgNJJ2ErEE" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">OpenAI's YouTube Channel</a>. On a sidenote, ChatGPT is now available via WhatsApp. You can call or chat with the bot at 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478), you can find more details about the experience on the <a href="https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10193193-1-800-chatgpt-calling-and-messaging-chatgpt-with-your-phone" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">official website</a>. Can ChatGPT Search dethrone Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot? That is a tough task, but I feel it is better equipped now to compete with the big players. This could be the future of AI-powered search engines. Do you like a personalized search result displayed in a chat, or a long list of results that you can choose from? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/19/chatgpt-search-is-now-available-for-free-users/" data-wpel-link="internal">ChatGPT Search is now available for free users</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
How to enable or disable Wi-Fi in Windows 11

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:42:30 -0000

Wi-Fi is next to Ethernet one of the main ways of connecting a device to the Internet. A PC needs a wireless adapter or chip to support Wi-Fi. The majority of mobile […]

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Wi-Fi is next to Ethernet one of the main ways of connecting a device to the Internet. A PC needs a wireless adapter or chip to support Wi-Fi. The majority of mobile devices, for example laptops and tablets, support wireless connectivity. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on disabling or enabling wireless Internet connectivity on Windows 11 PCs. It also lists examples when this may be useful. The default: Wi-Fi is enabled by default on Windows 11. This means that the device is actively looking for wireless access points to connect to. Once a connection has been established, Windows will try to connect to the access point automatically. <h2>Reasons for wanting to turn Wi-Fi off</h2> <ul> <li>The device connects to the Internet via an Ethernet cable.</li> <li>You want to or have to block Internet connectivity for a time or permanently.</li> <li>Simplify network management.</li> </ul> <h3>Enable or disable Wi-Fi in the Quick Settings</h3> Step 1: Click on the Wi-Fi icon displayed in the System Tray area on the Windows 11 taskbar. You find it on the right side of the taskbar next to volume. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206621" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-icon-windows-11-taskbar.png" alt="Wi-Fi icon in Windows 11" width="369" height="242" /> Tip: you can also press the keys Windows and A together to display the Quick Settings. Step 2: Click on the Wi-Fi symbol displayed in the Quick Settings interface. This toggles Wi-Fi on the device. A blue background indicates that Wi-Fi is enabled, a white background that it is turned off. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206623" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/quick-settings-wifi.png" alt="Toggle Wi-Fi Quick Settings" width="435" height="519" /> Optional: You may also use the interface to connect to a different wireless access point. For this, it is necessary to click on the right-arrow icon in the Quick Settings next to the wireless icon. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206624" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-other-wifi-access-points.png" alt="Windows 11 connect to different access points" width="465" height="513" /> Note that I removed the names of the access points. They are displayed next to the strength indicator in the interface. There is also a Wi-Fi toggle on the page to enable or disable Wi-Fi. <h2>Manage Wi-Fi in the Windows 11 Settings</h2> The second option that you have to control wireless connectivity on Windows 11 devices is via the Settings app. Step 1: Select Start and then Settings to launch the app. You may also press the keyboard shortcut Windows-I instead to launch it. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206625" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-settings.png" alt="Windows 11 Settings" width="966" height="829" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-settings.png 966w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-11-settings-768x659.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 966px) 100vw, 966px" /> Step 2: Navigate to Network & Internet. There you find the toggle to turn Wi-Fi on or off. A click disables or enables the wireless connection. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206626" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-settings-toggle.png" alt="Disable or enable Wi-Fi Windows 11 Settings" width="1112" height="677" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-settings-toggle.png 1112w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-settings-toggle-768x468.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1112px) 100vw, 1112px" /> Optional: Click on the arrow icon next to the Wi-Fi icon for additional management options. Here you get another option to disable or enable Wi-fi connectivity. When you disable Wi-Fi here, you get a new menu that allows you to restore Wi-Fi connectivity automatically after 1 hour, 4 hours, or 1 day. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206627" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-management-windows-11-settings.png" alt="Wifi management" width="1112" height="677" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-management-windows-11-settings.png 1112w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wifi-management-windows-11-settings-768x468.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1112px) 100vw, 1112px" /> Other options include: <ul> <li>Opening the properties of the active wireless connection.</li> <li>Showing all available wireless networks, with options to connect to one of them.</li> <li>Manage all known networks. This gives you options to remove networks.</li> <li>Display the hardware properties of the wireless adapter.</li> <li>Enable random hardware address for improved privacy.</li> </ul> <h3>Other options to disable or enable Wi-Fi</h3> Windows 11 users have several other options to control wireless connectivity. These may include: <ul> <li>Using the Device Manager to disable the wireless network adapter (which in turn disables all Wi-Fi functionality).</li> <li>Using the classic Control Panel to disable Wi-Fi.</li> <li>Disabling Wi-Fi from the command prompt using the netsh command.</li> <li>Using a physical switch or key to toggle Wi-Fi.</li> </ul> Now it is your turn. Have another tip or reason for disabling Wi-Fi on your computers? Feel free to share it with everyone else in the comments down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/18/how-to-enable-or-disable-wi-fi-in-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to enable or disable Wi-Fi in Windows 11</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Firefox-maker Mozilla's boosted revenue significantly in 2023, but the financial report may also raise concern

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 17:59:05 -0000

Mozilla has posted its financial report for the year 2023. The organization continues to do well. It had big revenue boost in 2023, but the report may also raise concern. The details: […]

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Mozilla has posted its financial report for the year 2023. The organization continues to do well. It had big revenue boost in 2023, but the report may also raise concern. The details: <ul> <li>Mozilla's revenue in 2023 was 653 million US-Dollar.</li> <li>The organization's assets increased by 138 million US-Dollar to 1.335 billion US-Dollar.</li> <li>Revenue from search deals and subscriptions fell for the first time.</li> </ul> The big news is that Mozilla managed to increase revenue by about 59 million US-Dollar <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/05/mozilla-earned-close-to-600-million-in-2022/" data-wpel-link="internal">compared to the year before</a>. That's a big jump in revenue. Even more so, when you take a look at the revenue from search deals, subscriptions, and services. Search engine deal revenue continues to make the bulk of revenue. It dropped by 15 million US-Dollar to 495 million in 2023, however. Subscription and services revenue, which includes ads, also decreased by 9 million US-Dollar to 65 million revenue in total. So, what caused the revenue to jump? The financial report lists two areas that contributed heavily. First, Interest and dividend income. It jumped from $9 million in 2022 to $47 million US-Dollar in 2023. Investments contributed 24 million US-Dollar, while Mozilla reported a loss of $19 million back in 2022. <h2>Expenses increased as well</h2> Revenue reached a record high, but so did expenses in 2023. Mozilla's total expenses were $496 million US-Dollar, which is $71 million more than in 2022. Software development expenses increased by $40 million, other program services by $6 million, branding and marketing by $8 million, and general and administrative by $15 million. <h3>Outlook</h3> Mozilla should be concerned about the falling royalties, advertising, and subscription revenue. The main idea for the past few years was to push subscriptions and advertising to close the gap to royalties. Being too dependent on a single company, in Mozilla's case Google, has never been a wise business decision. While it is somewhat expected that search engine deal revenue is falling, as Firefox's userbase is shrinking slowly, it should be of concern that the one thing that should make up for the loss tanked in 2023 as well. The 2024 numbers will show if Mozilla managed to turn around the revenue of its subscription business. Even if it can, reliance on that one search deal with Google will continue to be the main revenue driver for the foreseeable future. You can download or view the report on the <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/annualreport/2024/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Mozilla website</a>. What is your take on the report? Should Mozilla be concerned about its two main revenue sources? Or is there a light on the horizon? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/17/firefox-maker-mozillas-boosted-revenue-significantly-in-2023-but-the-report-may-also-raise-concern/" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox-maker Mozilla's boosted revenue significantly in 2023, but the financial report may also raise concern</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
HDMI 2.2 to be unveiled at CES 2025 - requires new HDMI cable

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:19:32 -0000

The HDMI Forum plans to unveil HDMI 2.2 officially at a press conference on January 6th, 2025. The organization plans to reveal the new specification of the next-generation of the HDMI standard. […]

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The HDMI Forum plans to unveil HDMI 2.2 officially at a press conference on January 6th, 2025. The organization plans to reveal the new specification of the next-generation of the HDMI standard. The official press release does not reveal much about the upcoming standard, only this much: " The new specification, with next-gen HDMI(R) Technology and higher bandwidth, enables a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI Cable". HDMI 2.2 is <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/hdmi-forum-to-hold-press-conference-at-ces-2025-to-announce-new-specification-release-7a77f2e1" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">mentioned explicitly</a> in the press release. To sum it up: <ul> <li>Will support higher resolutions and quality, and refresh rates.</li> <li>Requires a new HDMI cable.</li> </ul> Specifics have not been mentioned, but a look at the current standard HDMI 2.1 may help. It supports a bandwidth of up to 48 Gbps and uncompressed resolutions such as 4K at 120 Hz and 8K at 60 Hz. HDMI 2.2 should improve that, for instance by enabling uncompressed 8k at 120 Hz or even 10K. The requirement for new cables could mean an even bigger jump. <h2>May take years for devices to become available</h2> As is the case with most standards, it may take years and not months before devices that support it are released. HDMI Forum announced HDMI 2.1 in January 2017 at CES. Microsoft's Xbox One was one of the first devices to support HDMI 2.1 features such as Variable Refresh Rate. This started in 2018. The first graphics adapters with support were launched in 2020. Nvidia released the GeForce RTX 3000 series and AMD the Radeon RX 6000 series in the year. This means that the next Nvidia and AMD video cards will likely not support HDMI 2.2. The same is true for Nintendo's Switch 2 console, which is also expected to be released in early 2025. <h3>Closing Words</h3> It may take a year or even longer before devices that support HDMI 2.2 are released. The next PlayStation or Xbox could very well support it, but both consoles are years away at this point. On PC, gamers and enthusiasts may also need to wait a year or more before the new standard becomes available. That leaves entertainment, but 8K and beyond is still mostly an enthusiast's thing. What is your take on HDMI 2.2, and 8K and higher resolutions? Is that something that interests you? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/16/hdmi-2-2-to-be-unveiled-at-ces-2025-requires-new-hdmi-cable/" data-wpel-link="internal">HDMI 2.2 to be unveiled at CES 2025 - requires new HDMI cable</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Microsoft confirms it will not lower Windows 11 system requirements

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:09:16 -0000

Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 11 system requirements are not changing. Windows 10 users on older PCs may not like this. Microsoft refuses to budge from Windows 11's minimum requirements A […]

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Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 11 system requirements are not changing. Windows 10 users on older PCs may not like this. <h3>Microsoft refuses to budge from Windows 11's minimum requirements</h3> A couple of weeks ago, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/05/windows-11-microsoft-sticks-to-system-requirements-despite-sluggish-conversion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Martin wrote</a> about the possibility of Microsoft lowering the system requirements for upgrading old PCs to Windows 11, especially those that do not support hardware-level security features that are only possible with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. Uncompromising security or stubborn? An updated <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-on-devices-that-don-t-meet-minimum-system-requirements-0b2dc4a2-5933-4ad4-9c09-ef0a331518f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">support article</a> (spotted by <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-confirms-its-not-lowering-windows-11-system-requirements-for-unsupported-hardware/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Neowin</a>) on Microsoft's website states that "Windows 11 minimum system requirements remain unchanged". Microsoft is also advising users who installed Windows 11 on a device not meeting Windows 11 system requirements, to downgrade immediately. Wow, that is quite a bold statement, and useless. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206613" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-refuses-to-budge-from-Windows-11s-minimum-requirements.jpg" alt="Microsoft refuses to budge from Windows 11's minimum requirements" width="840" height="649" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-refuses-to-budge-from-Windows-11s-minimum-requirements.jpg 840w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Microsoft-refuses-to-budge-from-Windows-11s-minimum-requirements-768x593.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> Windows 10 was launched in 2015, it will turn 10 years old when it is retired by the Redmond company next year. That is a long time, no one can deny that Microsoft has done a good job of supporting the operating system for a decade. See, that's not the problem. The problem is millions of computers around the world will be ineligible to receive security updates, when Windows 10 reaches its <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/04/12/a-new-journey-with-windows-microsofts-end-of-support-notice-for-windows-10-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">end of life support</a> in October 2025. We all saw what kind of impact a broken software could have when a <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/07/22/crowdstrike-in-a-nutshell-how-a-faulty-software-update-took-down-millions-of-windows-pcs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">faulty update by CrowdStrike's</a> security software took down millions of PCs worldwide in June 2024. Now just imagine millions of Windows PCs that are exposed to security vulnerabilities, the impact could be much worse. <h3>Windows 10 remains popular among users</h3> Let's talk numbers. According to <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Statcounter's</a> global stats for Desktop Windows versions, 61.82% of PC users are on Windows 10. Windows 11 has just 34.94% of the user share. Things are slightly different when it comes to gaming. <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Steam's Hardware Survey</a> shows that 43.31% of players on its platform are using Windows 10, while 52.98% are on Windows 11. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206614" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Windows-10-remains-popular-amongt-users.jpg" alt="Windows 10 remains popular amongt users" width="1200" height="883" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Windows-10-remains-popular-amongt-users.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Windows-10-remains-popular-amongt-users-768x565.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> Still, both surveys highlight the fact that nearly one half of PC users worldwide have not upgraded to Windows 11. This could be due to varying factors like unsupported hardware, economic conditions, Some users may do not wish to upgrade to Windows 11 for various reasons, and you can't really blame them. I mean, if a PC is working fine on Windows 10, there is no reason to stop using it. It's like the Bernie Sanders meme, "I'm once again asking your support". Come on, Microsoft! Play nice. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206615" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-November-2024.jpg" alt="Steam Hardware & Software Survey November 2024" width="971" height="633" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-November-2024.jpg 971w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-November-2024-768x501.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 971px) 100vw, 971px" /> What about browsers? Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/09/09/mozilla-extends-firefox-115-support-for-old-windows-and-macos-devices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox</a>, Brave Browser, etc., will likely be supported for a while on Windows 10. I guess the same would apply to many apps. There are way too many complications that factor in here, you can't just discard a large chunk of users just because they are on an older operating system. Not everyone can afford to lose their user base. It won't cost much to provide security updates for Windows 10 users, will it? Windows 10 and 11 are not too dissimilar, all Microsoft probably needs to do is to do is provide the patches that are available for Windows 11, and ship them out to users who are stuck on Windows 10. Of course, Microsoft found a different solution for this issue, by launching <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/12/05/breaking-consumers-will-be-able-to-extend-windows-10-support/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Extended Support Updates</a> for Windows 10. Users will need to shell out <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2024/10/31/how-to-prepare-for-windows-10-end-of-support-by-moving-to-windows-11-today/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">$30 a year</a> to receive security updates. Your other options are to upgrade your PC or buy a new one, or switch to Linux. Alternatively, you can use some third-party apps like InControl to prevent your PC from updating to Windows 11, you can find more details about it <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/14/windows-10-support-ends-in-exactly-1-year-here-are-your-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">here</a>. I use the app to block the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/09/17/exclusive-microsoft-announces-release-of-windows-11-24h2-feature-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 24H2 update</a>, at least until the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/25/microsoft-blocks-windows-11-24h2-update-on-pcs-with-star-wars-outlaws-and-assassins-creed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">major bugs</a> are sorted out. Personally, I feel that a trillion-dollar company like Microsoft that lacks in neither resources nor the manpower could, and should take the responsibility of providing security updates for older PCs, instead of choosing to leave users stranded in uncertainty. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/16/microsoft-confirms-it-will-not-lower-windows-11-system-requirements/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft confirms it will not lower Windows 11 system requirements</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
The revised Recall on Windows 11 is still recording information that it should not

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:47:37 -0000

Recall continues to be a privacy disaster. Reports suggest that the AI feature is recording sensitive information, even with the sensitive information filter enabled. When Microsoft announced Recall, it did so riding […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post The revised Recall on Windows 11 is still recording information that it should not appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Recall continues to be a privacy disaster. Reports suggest that the AI feature is recording sensitive information, even with the sensitive information filter enabled. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/05/21/microsoft-announces-copilot-pcs-and-ai-powered-recall-feature/" data-wpel-link="internal">When Microsoft announced Recall</a>, it did so riding on a wave of positive AI news. The company was preparing nothing other than the next generation of Windows and it wanted to announce a big feature during the main announcement. AI, after all, stands at the center of the company's new Copilot+ PC certification. What Microsoft did not expect <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/06/03/microsoft-needs-to-make-windows-11s-recall-feature-opt-in/" data-wpel-link="internal">was the criticism</a> that it received shortly after it revealed Recall. An AI system that monitored and recorded pretty much anything on the PC? Enabled by default? With little safeguards and security to protect the recorded data? What could possibly go wrong? For the big bang, Microsoft decided to skip Insider builds. This meant that it did not receive feedback from early testers, only from internal sources and maybe some partners that were allowed to try Recall. Did no one warn Microsoft about the issues or were they swept away? So, Microsoft pulled Recall shortly after reveal and <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/08/22/microsofts-controversial-windows-recall-feature-is-coming-back-in-october/" data-wpel-link="internal">promised to go back</a> to the drawing board. Then in late September, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/09/30/windows-recall-microsofts-second-launch-attempt-after-devastating-criticism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft announced Recall 2.0</a>. It did good on some of the promises that it made. Recall was now opt-in and no longer running automatically in the background. The AI feature used better security now, including extra protection of the database that contained a user's recorded history. Note: the Sensitive Information filter is designed to block screen captures by Recall if sensitive data, such as a credit card or social security number, is entered. <h3>Still not good enough, it appears</h3> A report by Tom's Hardware <a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-recall-screenshots-credit-cards-and-social-security-numbers-even-with-the-sensitive-information-filter-enabled" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">suggests</a> that Recall is not ready for prime time yet. Here is a summary of Recall's wrongdoings according to the author who tested it: <ul> <li>Sensitive information entered into an app like Notepad is still recorded.</li> <li>Filling out a PDF document in Edge with sensitive information, like the Social Security Number, did record it.</li> <li>Custom HTML pages using web forms that asked for credit card numbers were also recorded, when a user entered the data.</li> </ul> Good news is that Recall did block the recording of credit card information when the author visited two online stores. Granted, Recall is still only available in Insider builds at the time of writing. Some issues or bugs are to be expected. Microsoft may be able to fix the discovered issues before release. <h3>Closing Words</h3> Only the signed-in user should have access to information that Recall captures. That is Microsoft's promise and it certainly improved security in key areas in the second version of Recall. Authentication is required whenever someone wants to access the captured data. That should prevent the bulk of malware from ever accessing the data. Windows users who enable Recall need to be aware though that the feature may record sensitive information, even with the filter enabled. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft manages to improve the filter before official release. Now it is your turn. What is your take on Recall? Would you use it in the future, if Microsoft manages to correct the remaining issues? Or are you in the other camp, that sees the privacy issues and little use for the feature all in all? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/13/the-revised-recall-on-windows-11-is-still-recording-information-that-it-should-not/" data-wpel-link="internal">The revised Recall on Windows 11 is still recording information that it should not</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Start11 adds support for Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 09:25:44 -0000

Start11 is a popular Start Menu alternative for Windows 11. And now, the app lets you move the Taskbar to the side of your screen. Microsoft does not officially support a […]

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Start11 is a popular Start Menu alternative for Windows 11. And now, the app lets you move the Taskbar to the side of your screen.   Microsoft does not officially support a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11, despite it being requested by many users since the operating system was launched. You will have to rely on third-party tools to make changes to the Start Menu and other aspects of Windows. <h3>Get a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11 with Start11</h3> Stardock has <a href="https://www.stardock.com/blog/532687/start11-v25-beta-arrives-with-vertical-taskbars" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">announced</a> on its blog that it has made it possible for users to move the Taskbar to the side in the latest beta version of Start 11. The customization app allows you to place a Vertical Taskbar on the left or the right side of your screen, the choice is yours. To do this, you will need to install Start 11 v2.5 beta on your computer. When you have installed the program, you can select your taskbar experience from the configuration panel, i.e. click on the Taskbar tab in the side panel and go to Enhanced Taskbar Settings to make your changes. It's that simple. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206604" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Get-a-Vertical-Taskbar-on-Windows-11-with-Start11.jpg" alt="Get a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11 with Start11" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Get-a-Vertical-Taskbar-on-Windows-11-with-Start11.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Get-a-Vertical-Taskbar-on-Windows-11-with-Start11-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> Image credit: Stardock. The update also brings an option to use Start11 with a left aligned Start button on multiple monitors. Prior to this update, the feature only supported two displays. Start11 is a premium program, a license for a single installation costs $9.99. You can download a <a href="https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">trial version</a> of Start11 from Stardock's website to try it free for 30 days, before you buy it, or uninstall the software. Trying the program does not require a credit card, buy you will need to enter your email address, and click on a link that you will get in the activation mail to start the 30-day trial. If you own Start10, you may be eligible to upgrade to Start11 at a lower price. I recommend checking <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1694750/Start11_v2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Start 11 v2 on Steam</a>, as it may offer better regional pricing in some countries. That being said, you should know that beta versions are locked behind a paywall. So, unless you have bought the app already, you'll need to wait for the final release of Start11 2.5 to try the Vertical Taskbar feature via the free trial. If you want a free app that supports Vertical Taskbar, you can try <a href="https://windhawk.net/mods" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">some mods</a> for <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/12/31/windhawk-1-0-beta-new-version-of-the-modular-windows-customizer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Windhawk</a>. But, you may want to be careful when you are using such programs that modify the Windows registry, as you can easily mess things up. Create a system restore point, a backup of the registry, and maybe back up your important data before experimenting. It is kind of silly that we need a third-party software to make basic changes that were previously supported on Windows. If only Microsoft cared about quality of life features, instead of shoving ads everywhere. Do you remember when the Head of Product for Windows Shell casually <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbsUdFuWKuU&t=595s" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">explained</a> that they had rebuilt the Taskbar from scratch, and they were working on adding more features? This was over 2 years ago, by the way. Microsoft also went on to clarify that touchscreen devices did not have enough room on the display for a vertical taskbar? So, don't make the feature available for those devices. The majority of Windows users are either on a desktop, or a laptop. You can't deny what a larger percentage of users want, to please a smaller subset of people. What is your favorite Start Menu alternative? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/13/start11-adds-support-for-vertical-taskbar-on-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">Start11 adds support for Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Mullvad VPN audit: low number of vulnerabilities found and fixed, lots of praise

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:59:15 -0000

Mullvad VPN is a popular privacy-focused VPN service. The service is using a disk-less infrastructure and has recently started to run encrypted DNS servers in RAM as well. You may also buy […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Mullvad VPN audit: low number of vulnerabilities found and fixed, lots of praise appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Mullvad VPN is a popular privacy-focused VPN service. The service is using a <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/20/mullvad-vpn-completes-migration-to-disk-less-vpn-infrastructure/" data-wpel-link="internal">disk-less infrastructure</a> and has recently started to run <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2023/11/11/mullvads-public-encrypted-dns-servers-run-in-ram-now/" data-wpel-link="internal">encrypted DNS servers</a> in RAM as well. You may also <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2022/07/27/mullvad-vpn-codes-are-now-available-on-amazon/" data-wpel-link="internal">buy Mullvad codes on Amazon</a> or through other ways that keep you anonymous. <a href="https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app/blob/main/audits/2024-12-10-X41-D-Sec.md" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">In late 2024</a>, Mullvad asked Germany-based X41 D-Sec to conduct an audit of the service, making it the fourth external security audit since 2018. Company engineers were tasked with auditing the source code of Mullvad's VPN apps on all platforms and performing penetration testing. This happend between October and November 2024. <h2>Vulnerabilities were found</h2> X41 D-Sec discovered a total of six vulnerabilities. <ul> <li>Three high-security vulnerabilities.</li> <li>Two medium-rated vulnerabilities.</li> <li>One low vulnerability.</li> </ul> Additionally, the researches found three issues with security impact. Mullvad addressed the issues that were within scope. Some of the discovered issues are not fixable by Mullvad, as they are found in certain behaviors of operating systems or protocols. The three security issues rated high are all fixed. They were: <ul> <li>A potential heap corruption issue on Android, Linux, and macOS.</li> <li>An issue with the fault signal handler in mullvad-daemon affecting Android, Linux, and macOS.</li> <li>Use of taskkill.exe on Windows in the installer without use of absolute paths.</li> </ul> <h3>Not all issues can be fixed by Mullvad</h3> One issue, rated medium, for instance, which may leak the virtual IP address of tunnel devices to network adjacent participants, affects Linux and Android only. On Linux, Mullvad solved the issue by changing a kernel parameter. On Android, Mullvad's app has no control over that parameter. The company did report the issue to Google, hoping that Google will change the default behavior on Android to address this. It should be noted that the issue affects other apps on Android as well. Mullvad says that it does not consider the leak high severity. It may however leak the tunnel IP to observers. IPs get changed monthly, but signing out of the app and back in again gives the client a new tunnel IP address as well. Closing Words Security audits find potential vulnerabilities, which companies may then fix proactively. They may also help instill confidence in existing or future users of the service, especially if conducted regularly. Now it is your turn. Do you us a VPN solution? If so which and why? Feel free to leave a comment down below.   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/12/mullvad-vpn-audit-low-number-of-vulnerabilities-found-and-fixed-lots-of-praise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mullvad VPN audit: low number of vulnerabilities found and fixed, lots of praise</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Apple Intelligence expands to 6 more countries with iOS 18.2, iPadOS, 18.2 and macOS 15.2

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:44:27 -0000

Apple Intelligence is now available for users in 6 more regions. However, it only supports the English language. The Cupertino company was biding its time, waiting on the sidelines watching Google Gemini, […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Apple Intelligence expands to 6 more countries with iOS 18.2, iPadOS, 18.2 and macOS 15.2 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Apple Intelligence is now available for users in 6 more regions. However, it only supports the English language. The Cupertino company was biding its time, waiting on the sidelines watching Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and other companies attract users to their AI service. It finally unveiled Apple Intelligence in <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/06/11/here-are-the-new-features-in-ios-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">June 2024</a>. While everyone expected it to debut when iOS 18 was launched, the much awaited AI features were nowhere to be seen, even on the new <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/09/10/apple-announces-iphone-16-iphone-16-plus-iphone-16-pro-and-iphone-16-pro-max/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">iPhone 16</a> models. Users had to wait until the end of October for <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/29/apple-releases-ios-18-1-macos-15-1-and-ipados-18-1-with-apple-intelligence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1</a> to arrive and bring Apple Intelligence, and it still disappointed many, because the AI capabilities were only available for users in the United States, specifically, to those who had set their device to the US English language. Many users were furious that Apple has been falsely advertising a flagship feature that was not available in their region. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206596" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/iOS-18.2-iPadOS-18.2-and-macOS-15.2-update.jpg" alt="iOS 18.2, iPadOS, 18.2 and macOS 15.2 update" width="1200" height="750" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/iOS-18.2-iPadOS-18.2-and-macOS-15.2-update.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/iOS-18.2-iPadOS-18.2-and-macOS-15.2-update-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> <h3>Apple Intelligence arrives in 6 more countries</h3> Apple Intelligence is <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/12/apple-intelligence-now-features-image-playground-genmoji-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">now available</a> for English users in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In other word, the company has simply expanded support for localized versions of English, and the AI features have arrived along with the iOS 18.2, 18.2 and macOS 15.2 updates. What about support for other languages? <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206595" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Apple-Intelligence-is-now-available-in-6-more-countries.jpg" alt="Apple Intelligence is now available in 6 more countries" width="1200" height="750" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Apple-Intelligence-is-now-available-in-6-more-countries.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Apple-Intelligence-is-now-available-in-6-more-countries-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> <h3> When will the rest of the world get Apple Intelligence?</h3> Apple says that it will add support for additional languages including Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese in 2025. The company plans to release a software update in April to introduce the AI features partially. Apple has confirmed that it will bring Apple Intelligence to regions in the European Union next year. But, should you wish to use the features, there is a way to enable them regardless of which Country you live in. The catch is that you will need to switch your device's language to English. <h3>How to enable Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad or Mac</h3> 1. Open the Settings app. 2. Go to the General section and switch to Language and Region. Use the + button under preferred languages, and add one of the following localized version of English: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206597" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-enable-Apple-Intelligence-on-iOS-iPadOS-and-macOS.jpg" alt="How to enable Apple Intelligence on iOS iPadOS and macOS" width="1200" height="750" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-enable-Apple-Intelligence-on-iOS-iPadOS-and-macOS.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-enable-Apple-Intelligence-on-iOS-iPadOS-and-macOS-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> For example, set it to English (US). Restart your device to proceed. Note: You don't need to change the device's region. 3. Go to the main screen of the Settings app, and Navigate to Apple Intelligence & Siri. 4. Change the language under Siri Requests to use the same language that you added in step 2. e.g. English (US) 5. Now you should see an option that says Get Apple Intelligence. Click on it. Wait for the download to complete. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206594" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Download-Apple-Intelligence.jpg" alt="Download Apple Intelligence" width="1200" height="750" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Download-Apple-Intelligence.jpg 1200w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Download-Apple-Intelligence-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> Note: Apple Intelligence is supported on the following devices: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Mac with M1 and later. Once your iPhone, Mac or iPad has completed the download, you will be able to start using Apple Intelligence in various apps. You may customize the voice settings based on your preferences. <h3>Apple Intelligence features</h3> The Notes app now includes an Image Wand that lets you create images based on the written or visual content in a note. Write like a pro with the help of AI-assisted Rewrite, Proofread, and Summarize tools which are available across many apps. Visual Intelligence is another interesting feature that can summarize and copy text, translate content between languages, detect contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses, and add them directly to your Contacts. The new Image Playground app can help you generate images, this feature is also integrated in other apps like Messaging, Freeform, Keynote, to name a few. Apple Intelligence allows you to create stylish, personalized Genmoji simply by typing. Find something interesting to buy? Use Camera Control to Google for more details about the item. ChatGPT is integrated in Siri, and you can use OpenAI's services anonymously, without signing in to your account. Users who have a ChatGPT subscription can choose to sign in to gain additional features. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/12/apple-intelligence-expands-to-6-more-countries-with-ios-18-2-ipados-18-2-and-macos-15-2/" data-wpel-link="internal">Apple Intelligence expands to 6 more countries with iOS 18.2, iPadOS, 18.2 and macOS 15.2</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
How to restore the full date and time format on Windows 11's taskbar

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:05:32 -0000

Microsoft rolled out a change recently on Windows 11 that removed some bits of information from the taskbar. For the date, only day and month are shown, while the year has been […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to restore the full date and time format on Windows 11's taskbar appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Microsoft rolled out a change recently on Windows 11 that removed some bits of information from the taskbar. For the date, only day and month are shown, while the year has been removed. For the time, only the hour and minute is shown. Information such as AM or PM has also been removed. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206586" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/simpler-date-time.png" alt="Windows 11 Simple Date and Time" width="500" height="328" /> Microsoft says this was done to free up space on the taskbar. While some users may like the change, as it gives them more room for other icons and information on the taskbar, others may dislike it. Good news is that Microsoft added a new preference as well that allows users who do not like the change to restore the classic behavior. Tip: You can hover with the mouse cursor over date and time to get a small popup with the full information. <h3>How to restore the full date and time on Windows 11</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206587" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time.png" alt="Windows 11 Simplified Date and Time" width="2560" height="1504" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time.png 2560w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time-768x451.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time-1536x902.png 1536w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time-2048x1203.png 2048w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-abbreviated-date-and-time-1200x705.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Here is a step-by-step guide to restore the classic taskbar behavior: <ol> <li>Right-click on date and time on the taskbar.</li> <li>Select "adjust date and time". You can also open Settings > Time & language > Date & time manually instead.</li> <li>Expand "Show time and date in the System tray" by clicking on the down-arrow icon.</li> <li>Uncheck "Show abbreviated time and date".</li> </ol> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206588" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/full-date-and-time-restored.png" alt="Windows 11 full date and time" width="566" height="178" /> The change is immediate. You should see the full date and time again on the taskbar. <h3>Using the Registry</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206589" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time.png" alt="Registry Show full date and time Windows 11" width="2560" height="1504" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time.png 2560w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time-768x451.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time-1536x902.png 1536w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time-2048x1203.png 2048w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/show-shortened-date-time-1200x705.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Administrators may modify the Registry to restore the classic display of date and time on Windows 11's taskbar. <ol> <li>Open the Start menu.</li> <li>Type regedit and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Confirm the security prompt that is displayed.</li> <li>Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced</li> <li>Check if ShowShortenedDateTime exists on the right. <ol> <li>If it does, go to step 6.</li> <li>If it does not, do the following: <ol> <li>Right-click on Advanced.</li> <li>Select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.</li> <li>Name it ShowShortenedDateTime.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> <li>Double-click on ShowShortenedDateTime.</li> <li>Set its value to 0.</li> <li>Restart the PC.</li> </ol> Tip: To restore the default, delete the key ShowShortenedDateTime, or set its value to 1. <h3>Using the Group Policy Editor</h3> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206590" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/group-policy-turn-off-abbreviated-time-date-format-windows.png" alt="Group Policy Editor: turn off abbreviated date time Windows 11" width="1508" height="1060" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/group-policy-turn-off-abbreviated-time-date-format-windows.png 1508w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/group-policy-turn-off-abbreviated-time-date-format-windows-768x540.png 768w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/group-policy-turn-off-abbreviated-time-date-format-windows-1200x844.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1508px) 100vw, 1508px" /> Note: the Group Policy Editor is only available in Pro, Enterprise, Workstation, or Education versions of Windows 11. Home users may want to use the Registry directly to make the change, as described above. <ol> <li>Open the Start menu.</li> <li>Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter-key.</li> <li>Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.</li> <li>Double-click on "Turn off abbreviated time and date format".</li> <li>Change the value from "Not configured" to "Enabled".</li> <li>Click on ok.</li> <li>Close the Group Policy Editor.</li> <li>Restart the PC.</li> </ol> <h3>Closing Words</h3> There you have it. It takes just a few clicks to restore the full date and time format on the taskbar on Windows 11 devices. Now it is your turn. Do you like the new format? Or do you prefer the old? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/11/how-to-restore-the-full-date-and-time-format-on-windows-11s-taskbar/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to restore the full date and time format on Windows 11's taskbar</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Microsoft releases the December 2024 security updates for Windows

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 18:41:05 -0000

Welcome to the last Windows security updates overview of 2024. Microsoft released security updates for Windows, Office, and other company products today. Our monthly guide helps home users and system administrators alike, […]

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Welcome to the last Windows security updates overview of 2024. Microsoft released security updates for Windows, Office, and other company products today. Our monthly guide helps home users and system administrators alike, as it provides an overview of the released security updates. It furthermore includes information about known issues, non-security updates, links to support pages, and download links among other useful information. Good to know: Microsoft has recently <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/11/update-for-windows-update-adds-end-of-support-actions/" data-wpel-link="internal">pushed an update</a> to devices that are no longer supported and the current version of Windows 10. These are designed to notify users about the support status and to push feature updates, if available. <h2>Microsoft Windows Security Updates: October 2024</h2> You may download the following Excel spreadsheet to get a list of released updates. Click on the following link to download the archive to the local device: <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/windows-security-updates-december-2024.zip" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows Security Updates December 2024</a> Executive Summary <ul> <li>Microsoft released a total of 72 security updates for various Microsoft products and 1 security update for non-Microsoft issues (e.g. Chromium).</li> <li>Windows clients with issues are: <ul> <li>Windows 11 version 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server clients with issues: <ul> <li>Windows Server 2008</li> <li>Windows Server 2025</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11, version 22H2, Home and Pro, have reached end of support. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/07/09/windows-11-version-21h2-and-22h2-end-of-life-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft will force upgrade</a> devices to newer Windows versions.</li> </ul> <h2>Product overview</h2> Each supported version of Windows and their critical vulnerabilities are listed below. <ul> <li>Windows 10 version 22H2: 44 vulnerabilities, 8 critical, 36 important <ul> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49112" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49112</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49118" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49118</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49122" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49122</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49123" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49123</a></li> <li>Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49124" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49124</a></li> <li>Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49126" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49126</a></li> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49127" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49127</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49132" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49132</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2: 44 vulnerabilities, 9 critical, 35 important <ul> <li>Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49117" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49117</a></li> <li>Plus the critical fixes of Windows 10 version 22H2</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows 11 version 24H2: 45 vulnerabilities, 9 critical, 46 important <ul> <li>same as 22H2 / 23H2.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Windows Server products <ul> <li>Windows Server 2008 R2 (extended support only): 22 vulnerabilities: 6 critical, 16 important <ul> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49112" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49112</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49122" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49122</a></li> <li>Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49124" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49124</a></li> <li>Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49126" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49126</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49118" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49118</a></li> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49127" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49127</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2012 R2 (extended support only): unknown</li> <li>Windows Server 2016: 33 vulnerabilities: 13 critical, 20 important <ul> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49106" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49106</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49108" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49108</a></li> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49112" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49112</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49115" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49115</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49116" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49116</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49118" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49118</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49119" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49119</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49120" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49120</a></li> <li>Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49122" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49122</a></li> <li>Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49124" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49124</a></li> <li>Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49126" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49126</a></li> <li>Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49127" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49127</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49128" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49128</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2019: 56 vulnerabilities: 15 critical, 41 important <ul> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49123" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49123</a></li> <li>Windows Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49132" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49132</a></li> <li>Plus updates for all critical issues of Windows Server 2016</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2022: 41 vulnerabilities: 16 critical, 25 important <ul> <li>Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -- <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49117" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2024-49117</a></li> <li>Plus updates for all critical issues of Server 2019 and 2016.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Server 2025: 57 vulnerabilities: 16 critical, 41 important <ul> <li>Same as Windows Server 2022-</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2>Windows Security Updates</h2> Windows 10 version 22H2 <ul> <li>Support Page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/december-10-2024-kb5048652-os-builds-19044-5247-and-19045-5247-454fbd4c-0723-449e-915b-8515ab41f8e3" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048652 </a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Security fixes.</li> <li>Fixed an issue that prevented Windows activation after replacing the motherboard.</li> <li>Updates Country and Operator Settings Assets.</li> <li>Fixed an IPP USB printer issue.</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2 <ul> <li>Support Page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/december-10-2024-kb5048685-os-builds-22621-4602-and-22631-4602-ea3736d3-6948-4fd7-9faf-8d732ac2ed59" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048685 </a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Security fixes.</li> <li>Tailored Experiences is now Personalized offers in the Out of box experience. Turn off under Settings > Privacy & Security.</li> <li>System Tray shows a shorter date and time. For date, the year is removed. For time, am/pm is removed. Can be restored under Settings > Date and Time.</li> <li>Start menu apps support jumplists now. Reveal with a right-click. Hold down the Shift-click before right-clicking to start as admin.</li> <li>New options for touchscreen edge gestures to turn off left or right screen edge gestures. Configure under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touch.</li> <li>IME Toolbar hides when apps are in full screen mode.</li> <li>File Explorer option to share content to Android devices. Requires the Phone Link app for PC.</li> <li>Dynamic Lighting got some new effects. Also placeholder if no compatible devices were found.</li> <li>Speech-to-text and Text-to-speech improvements. Needs an update via Microsoft Store, which is displayed to the user, if the update is required.</li> <li>Plenty of non-security fixes.</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li>Support page: <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/december-10-2024-kb5048667-os-build-26100-2605-708755a6-d809-4a8a-8d20-53c4108590e6" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048667 </a></li> </ul> Updates and improvements: <ul> <li>Same as Windows 11 23H2.</li> </ul> Windows Security updates <ul> <li>2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1507 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048703" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048703</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048652" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048652</a>)</li> </ul> <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048703" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Server</a> <ul> <li>2024-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048710" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048710</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Security Only Quality Update for Windows Server 2008 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048744" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048744</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Security Only Quality Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048676" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048676</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048695" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048695</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048699" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048699</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 R2 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048735" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048735</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 Version 1607 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048671" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048671</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 Version 1809 (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048661" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048661</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Cumulative Update for Microsoft server operating system, version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048654" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048654</a>)</li> <li>2024-12 Cumulative security Hotpatch for Azure Stack HCI, version 21H2 and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition for x64-based Systems (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5048800" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048800</a>)</li> </ul> <div id="td-incontent-1487325214072" class="rvloader-container mb--10"> <h3>Known Issues</h3> Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2 <ul> <li>(OLD) OpenSSH may fail to start, which prevents SSH connections. <ul> <li>Workaround: Microsoft suggests updating permissions to temporarily address the issue. Instructions found <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/november-12-2024-kb5046633-os-builds-22621-4460-and-22631-4460-6ff7b117-cd80-471a-a9ac-48a794bda2d6#ID0ELBD=Catalog" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">here</a>.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li>(OLD) Players on ARM devices may not be able to play Roblox via the Microsoft Store. <ul> <li>Workaround: download and play the title directly from the <a href="https://www.roblox.com/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">developer website</a>.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Security advisories and updates</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-us/vulnerability/ADV990001" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-us/vulnerability/ADV990001">ADV 990001</a> -- Latest Servicing Stack Updates</li> </ul> Microsoft Office Updates You find Office update information <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/office-updates-msi" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/office-updates-msi">here</a>. <h3>How to download and install the December 2024 security updates</h3> Important updates, including most security updates, get downloaded and installed automatically on most unmanaged Windows devices. This includes the majority of home devices. Home administrators may run a manual check for updates. Note that this may also reveal Feature Updates that are available for the PC. Step-by-step instructions: <ol> <li>Open the Start menu, type Windows Update, and select the result.</li> <li>Activate the "check for updates" button. This runs a manual check for updates.</li> <li>Activate the "download & install all" button, if the update is not downloaded automatically.</li> </ol> Updates are also published on the Microsoft Catalog website. You find them linked below. <h4>Direct update downloads</h4> Below are resource pages with direct download links, if you prefer to download the updates to install them manually. Windows 10 version 22H2 <ul> <li><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5048652" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048652</a> -- 2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 21H2</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 22H2 <ul> <li><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5048685" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048685</a> -- 2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 22H2</li> </ul> <section class="entry">Windows 11 version 23H2</section> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5048685" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048685</a> -- 2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 23H2</li> </ul> Windows 11 version 24H2 <ul> <li id="page-header"><a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5048667" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">KB5048667</a> -- 2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 version 24H2</li> </ul> <h4 class="entry">Additional resources</h4> <section class="entry"> <ul> <li><a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2024-Dec" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2023-Jul">December 2024 Security Updates release notes</a></li> <li><a class="ext-link" title="" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/description-of-software-update-services-and-windows-server-update-services-changes-in-content-for-2021-kb894199-0c540f4f-60c8-7dc2-23c9-48153749966d" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/description-of-software-update-services-and-windows-server-update-services-changes-in-content-for-2021-kb894199-0c540f4f-60c8-7dc2-23c9-48153749966d">List of software updates for Microsoft products</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/01/16/latest-windows-updates-and-service-packs-overview/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/01/16/latest-windows-updates-and-service-packs-overview/">List of the latest Windows Updates and Services Packs</a></li> <li><a href="https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance">Security Updates Guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/">Microsoft Update Catalog site</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2010/12/20/microsoft-windows-update-overview-all-you-need-to-know/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2010/12/20/microsoft-windows-update-overview-all-you-need-to-know/">Our in-depth Windows update guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/15/how-to-install-optional-updates-on-windows-10/" data-wpel-link="internal" data-mrf-link="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/15/how-to-install-optional-updates-on-windows-10/">How to install optional updates on Windows 10</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-version-24h2-update-history-0929c747-1815-4543-8461-0160d16f15e5" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external">Windows 11 24H2 Update History</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-version-23h2-update-history-59875222-b990-4bd9-932f-91a5954de434" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-update-history-a19cd327-b57f-44b9-84e0-26ced7109ba9">Windows 11 23H2 Update History</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-10-update-history-8127c2c6-6edf-4fdf-8b9f-0f7be1ef3562" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-wpel-link="external" data-mrf-link="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-10-update-history-857b8ccb-71e4-49e5-b3f6-7073197d98fb">Windows 10 Update History</a></li> </ul> </section> </div> <div></div> Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/10/microsoft-releases-the-december-2024-security-updates-for-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft releases the December 2024 security updates for Windows</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
OpenAI launches Sora, an AI tool that generates videos from text

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:43:18 -0000

OpenAI has announced a new AI model that can create videos from text. Say hello to Sora. Sora was introduced earlier this year in a preview, but now the AI-powered tool […]

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post OpenAI launches Sora, an AI tool that generates videos from text appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

OpenAI has announced a new AI model that can create videos from text. Say hello to Sora.   Sora was introduced earlier this year in a preview, but now the AI-powered tool has graduated from beta, bringing a newer model called <a href="https://openai.com/index/sora-is-here/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Sora Turbo</a>. <h3>OpenAI's Sora can generate videos based on text, images and videos</h3> The video generator's primary feature is easy to use, it's very similar to how artificial intelligence tools can be used to generate images. You enter a text prompt, describing the content of the video, and Sora creates the video for you. It offers additional features, such as allowing you to import images and video files. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206577" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-Video-Editor.jpg" alt="OpenAI Sora Video Editor" width="1091" height="617" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-Video-Editor.jpg 1091w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-Video-Editor-768x434.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1091px) 100vw, 1091px" /> Sora Turbo can replace, remove and re-imagine, remix your videos based on your requirements. You can edit the content of your timeline, aka the Storyboard, by cutting, organizing the frames to create a personal timeline, looping videos, or combine two videos into a single clip. Sora can create videos based on a collection of photos. The AI offers presets with styles and filters that you can choose from. You can watch videos that were <a href="http://sora.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">created by Sora</a> at OpenAI's website. The maximum length of a video that Sora can create is 20 seconds, and there are more limitations in how one can use the tool. Videos generated by Sora have a watermark. There are many precautions in place, users cannot use the service to create illegal, explicit, or violent content. Sora is not available for free users, you will need to have a <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/15/the-official-chatgpt-app-for-windows-is-now-available-for-free-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">ChatGPT</a> subscription. Let's talk about this. <h3>OpenAI Sora pricing and limitations</h3> OpenAI had announced a ChatGPT Pro subscription that costs $200 per month, and while the price seemed crazy, it kind of makes sense now. On the other hand, ChatGPT Plus only costs $20 a month. ChatGPT Plus users get 1000 credits for Sora, which offer up to 50 Priority videos, but does not allow access to Relaxed videos. ChatGPT Pro users have access to 500 Priority videos (10,000 credits), and unlimited Relaxed videos. Pro users can download videos without watermarks. Hang on, what are Priority Videos and Relaxed Videos? What are Sora credits? It's like this, credits are sort of tokens or currency that you can spend for generating Priority videos. A 20-second video in 1080p square resolution costs 1000 credits, but that's for ChatGPT Pro users. ChatGPT Plus users can only create 720p videos which are 5 seconds long. Relaxed videos do not consume credits, I guess you can call them free. The difference between Priority videos and Relaxed videos is kind of odd. Priority videos as the name suggests generates videos faster. When you run out of credits, Sora switches to Relaxed mode that queues up videos to be completed. Relaxed videos are only available for the higher-priced tier, ChatGPT Pro. Basically, this is a restriction in place to prevent the servers from getting hammered. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-206578" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-pricing-and-limitations.jpg" alt="OpenAI Sora pricing and limitations" width="1108" height="864" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-pricing-and-limitations.jpg 1108w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OpenAI-Sora-pricing-and-limitations-768x599.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1108px) 100vw, 1108px" /> And no, Sora credits cannot be stacked up, they do not roll over to the next month. You either use the credits or they expire. There is a whole help page about all this, you can find the answers <a href="https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10245774-sora-billing-credits-faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">here</a>. Many people may feel that the price is too steep to create 20-second videos. I get it, you are probably thinking what are you going to use it for, besides as a screensaver or a personalized slideshow of some sort? For example, as a gamer and a bookworm, and I would like to experience what a particular fantasy world looks like in a video or art form, but is that worth $20? That depends on your spending power and needs. I think that tools like these might offer more value to artists, designers, etc. Sora is not included with ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, or Edu. You need to be 18 years of age or older to access the AI. Sora is available for all ChatGPT subscribers, except those in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the European Economic Area. Anyway, if you're interested in trying Sora or learning about its capabilities, you may want to check out the official help section and <a href="https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9957612-generating-videos-on-sora" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">tutorials</a> on OpenAI's portal, or the OpenAI <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=360ZqfabuPQ&list=PLOXw6I10VTv8q5PPOsuECYDFqohnJqbYB" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">YouTube channel</a>. On a side note, Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO,<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/08/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-ai-development-is-finally-slowing-down.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external"> said</a> that the progress of AI tools have begun slowing down, and that the low-hanging fruit is gone. He's correct, AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Apple Intelligence, etc., have evolved from being mere chatbots to generating code, writing letters, poems, stories, summarizing text content on pages, generating images, and creating videos. There is word already about <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/02/brace-yourself-ads-could-come-to-chatgpt-in-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">ads in AI apps</a>, but the next real big step in AI's evolution will take time. But, do we need to rush the advancements of AI? Would it not be better to improve the current AI models? AI moderation needs to be a top priority. Most, if not all, AI bots have many flaws. The biggest problem is, of course, combating fake news and incorrect information, but there are other concerns such as misusing of data, or potentially causing harm to others. Big Tech needs to take a deep breath, analyze the situation, and ensure that AI tools are made safer to use. What do you think about Sora? Cool? Scary? Useful? Meh? Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/10/openai-launches-sora-an-ai-tool-that-generates-videos-from-text/" data-wpel-link="internal">OpenAI launches Sora, an AI tool that generates videos from text</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
iVerify: Pegasus spyware infections may be much higher than previously thought

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:48:58 -0000

Security experts at iVerify have developed a solution to detect traces of the spyware Pegasus on mobile devices. Pegasus is marketed as a solution to fight terrorism and crime, but governments all […]

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Security experts at iVerify have developed a solution to detect traces of the spyware Pegasus on mobile devices. Pegasus is marketed as a solution to fight terrorism and crime, but governments all over the world have used it to spy on journalists, dissidents, or activists. We have talked about it in the past, for instance when Apple released updates for its products <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/14/apple-ios-security-update-forcedentry-pegasus/" data-wpel-link="internal">to prevent the spyware</a>. The spyware is available for Android and iOS, and it is not really clear how widespread its use is. The technology that <a href="https://iverify.io/blog/iverify-mobile-threat-investigation-uncovers-new-pegasus-samples" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">iVerify created</a> could help get a better understanding of that. Here are the details: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>iVerify calls the solution Mobile Threat Hunting.</li> <li>It is integrated into the company's iVerify Basic app and other company apps for Android and iOS.</li> <li>Preliminary scans of 2,500 devices running the software concluded that 2,5 per 1,000 were infected by Pegasus on Average.</li> </ul> While that may not sound much, extrapolation begs to differ. For every 1 million devices, 2,500 may be infected by Pegasus. If you take the 310 million mobile devices in the United States alone, you'd end up with more than 750,000 infected devices by Pegasus alone. IVerify argues that the number could be lower and gives reasons for that: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The 2,500 devices may have been more likely to be targeted by spyware.</li> <li>It is not a global representative sample.</li> </ul> <h2>You can test your devices for traces of Pegasus</h2> The company has integrated the scan for Pegaus into into its apps for Android and iOS. The iVerify Basic app is a security app that is available for $0.99 for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailofbits.iverify" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iverify-basic/id1466120520" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">iOS</a>. The security app supports a range of features. Notable are: <ul> <li>Scanning for common malware and out-of-date operating systems.</li> <li>Security guides.</li> <li>Advanced scan using diagnostic log uploads.</li> </ul> To test for Pegasus, it is necessary to create a full log file of the device and share it with the iVerify App. The log gets uploaded and then analyzed. This option is available once every 90 days for users of iVerify Basic. Note: Full bug reports contain lots of information about the device and software. This includes device logs, system message logs, stack traces, file system folder files, and more. <h3>Closing Words</h3> Mobile users who suspect that their devices may have been compromised may use the integrated security scan feature to check for Pegasus traces. The scan is not free, as you have to make a one-time payment of one Dollar to purchase the app. Still, it seems to be one of the few, or even the only, option right now to check for Pegasus traces on mobile devices without breaking the bank or having expert knowledge on the matter. Now it is your turn. Have you heard of iVerify before? Would you run the app on your devices?   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/09/iverify-pegasus-spyware-infections-may-be-much-higher-than-previously-thought/" data-wpel-link="internal">iVerify: Pegasus spyware infections may be much higher than previously thought</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Google Search: about the new try without personalization option

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 13:19:44 -0000

Google is rolling out a new feature on Google Search that is adding an option to display search results without any personalization. The feature, which is available on desktop and mobile devices […]

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Google is rolling out a new feature on Google Search that is adding an option to display search results without any personalization. The feature, which is available on desktop and mobile devices is shown as a link at the bottom of search results on Google Search. Google reveals on its search pages that "results are personalized" by default. What that means is that Google uses information that it has about the searcher to display results. Google may use past searches, activity on search results pages, interaction with ads, location, but also other information to personalize results. Related content <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="YNkpjxzAwT"><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/05/23/how-to-use-google-search-entirely-ai-free-automatically/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to use Google Search entirely AI-free automatically</a></blockquote> <iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="“How to use Google Search entirely AI-free automatically” — gHacks Technology News" src="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/05/23/how-to-use-google-search-entirely-ai-free-automatically/embed/#?secret=8xzUmWbPDV#?secret=YNkpjxzAwT" data-secret="YNkpjxzAwT" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Personalized search results are not limited to users who are signed in to a Google account. Even if you are not signed-in, you may get custom results based on data that Google has about you or your activity. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-206571" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/google-try-without-personalization.png" alt="Google new option to search without personalization" width="958" height="689" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/google-try-without-personalization.png 958w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/google-try-without-personalization-768x552.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 958px) 100vw, 958px" /> A click or tap on the "try without personalization" link reloads the results without any of that. In other words: you get information as if Google would know nothing about you. While that does not guarantee that results will be different, it may help Google users who dislike getting their results personalized. Tip: you may automate this by appending &peek_pws=0 to the Google Search URL. It is probably only a matter of time before extensions are released that automate the process. <h2>Exceptions</h2> Google notes that it may still use the context of the query to improve results. It may use your location, language, or device type to personalize results, even when you select the do not personalize option. Turning off personalization disables the ability to find past searches in Autocomplete furthermore, according to Google. Additional information about the new option is available on the <a href="https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/12410098?visit_id=638690854234549656-2650716724&p=personalization&rd=1" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">Google Search Help website</a>. <h3>Closing Words</h3> It is quite difficult to get search results that are not personalized. Google admits that it is still using some information to generate search results, even when users are logged out and activate the "do not personalize" option. If you do not want these to be included, you may need to use different search engines. Search engines like Startpage, DuckDuckGo, or Qwant claim that they do not personalize results. Now it is your turn. What is your take on the new Google Search feature? Would you like to see fully non-personalized search results on Google? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/06/google-search-about-the-new-try-without-personalization-option/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google Search: about the new try without personalization option</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.
Windows 11: Microsoft sticks to system requirements, despite sluggish conversion

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:01:30 -0000

Microsoft released Windows 11 in 2021 as the successor of Windows 10. Unlike previous Windows systems, Windows 11 came with an updated set of system requirements. Main requirements included a relatively modern […]

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Microsoft released Windows 11 in 2021 as the successor of Windows 10. Unlike previous Windows systems, Windows 11 came with an updated set of system requirements. Main requirements included a relatively modern CPU and support for TPM 2.0. PCs that did not meet the requirements could not be upgraded to Windows 11 using Windows Update. While Microsoft introduced <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/08/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-24h2-on-unsupported-hardware/" data-wpel-link="internal">bypasses to install Windows 11</a> on devices that do not meet the system requirements, it <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/26/will-unsupported-windows-11-devices-be-bricked-by-microsoft/" data-wpel-link="internal">warned users</a> of the consequences. PCs that do not meet the system requirements of Windows 11 are not entitled to receive updates, according to Microsoft. While cumulative updates have installed fine on unsupported Windows 11 machines up until now, the same cannot be said for new feature updates. This year, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/08/19/microsoft-blocks-one-way-of-installing-windows-11-on-unsupported-hardware/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft did block</a> one method of installing the operating system on unsupported hardware. It <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/02/26/windows-11-version-24h2-may-block-devices-without-sse-4-2-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">prevented the installation</a> of <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/01/windows-11-2024-is-now-available-what-you-need-to-know/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11, version 24H2</a>, on very old systems as well, even though previous versions installed just fine. <h3>Slow conversion</h3> Third-party statistics service <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">StatCounter</a> observes traffic on more than 1.5 million websites. The company sees Windows 10 leading the field when it comes to Windows PCs. Windows 10 has a usage share of more than 61 percent as of November 2024. Windows 11 follows in second place with a share of around 35 percent. Windows 10 loses about a percentage per month and Windows 11 gains that percentage. With eleven months of support left for Windows 10, it is clear that conversions need to accelerate to even make it past Windows 10 until October 2025. Millions of PCs won't be upgraded to Windows 11 or replaced by a Windows 11 device by October 2025. That leaves these customers without support, unless they plan to purchase extended security updates. Microsoft is making them available to home users, businesses, and Enterprise customers for the first time. Home users may subscribe for a single year of update extensions, whereas business and Enterprise customers get the option to extend by three years. System requirements are here to stay Microsoft could reduce the pressure on its customers and do something for the environment, if it would change the system requirements of Windows 11. At least one requirement is non-negotiable, according to Microsoft. Microsoft employee Steven Hosking explains in a <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/tpm-2-0-%e2%80%93-a-necessity-for-a-secure-and-future-proof-windows-11/4339066" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer">long blog post</a> on the company's Windows IT Pro Blog that TPM 2.0 is essential for Windows 11. The trusted platform module is used for cryptographic operations and also storage. Devices that do not support it are blocked from upgrading, but there are ways around this as mentioned above. With Microsoft putting its foot on the ground, the only other potential lever left is the processor. It would allow systems with TPM and a not-so-recent processor to upgrade to Windows 11. <h2>Closing Words</h2> While it seems doubtful that Microsoft is relaxing the requirements, outside pressure could force Microsoft's hand. More than 100 million incompatible systems and customers could potentially be lost in October 2025, if Microsoft decides to play hardball and customers decide not to replace their perfectly-fine PC with a new one. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/10/14/windows-10-support-ends-in-exactly-1-year-here-are-your-options/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 10 users have some options</a> besides upgrading to Windows 11. Do you use a PC with Windows 10 or earlier versions of Windows? What are your plans going forward? Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2024/12/05/windows-11-microsoft-sticks-to-system-requirements-despite-sluggish-conversion/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11: Microsoft sticks to system requirements, despite sluggish conversion</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.