Amazon is putting its Alexa assistant into everything these days.

The Seattle-based company started with TV-streaming boxes and standalone Echo speakers. Now, Alexa is having into more gadgets and computers - even those of companies not named Amazon.

Within the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this week, several Windows PC manufacturers announced new computers coming this holiday season that will support Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, hands-free, rather like how you'd interact with an Amazon Echo.

Property, Amazon struck a special offer with Microsoft may well let Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant "talk to every one other" on Windows 10 PCs, but an Amazon representative said these new Alexa integrations were unrelated.

HP announced its spaceship-like Pavilion Wave PC would support Alexa, while Acer said the voice assistant would launch on "select Aspire, Spin, Switch and Swift notebooks, combined with Aspire all-in-one PCs ranging from Q1 2018." Asus says a portion of its Zenbook and Vivobook laptops would also support Alexa.

These new PCs - like those who work in Acer's lineup - include special hardware that would let Alexa improve with commands more rapidly and hear you best over loud music, similar to Amazon's Echo devices. But all will use a new Alexa app for Windows 10 that's expected later the year 2010.

While it's unclear exactly how many customers should be enticed by these Windows PCs, Amazon is generally happy about having HP, Acer, and Asus arrange to supporting Alexa. Though Google and Apple are expanding their voice assistants, Amazon has maintained its lead by getting Alexa into quite as much hardware that they can.

You can now find Alexa on countless devices - even lightbulbs, ovens, and vacuum - but its on the way to Windows 10 PCs is a wide deal, considering total number of people use and make use of Windows PCs regularly. These particular PCs may very well expose much more to Alexa, which only helps Amazon bring people into its ecosystem.

I'm increasingly skeptical of security holes that are fitted with their own logos and PR campaigns. Yesterday's sudden snowballing of disclosures about two kinds of vulnerabilities, now recognized as Meltdown and Spectre, has ended in enormous amount of reports of varying quality, and widespread panic within the streets. When it comes to Intel's stock price, that's similar to blood on the streets.

While it's genuine that both vulnerabilities affect every single computer produced in the past 19 years, it's also true that the threat - shell out plain-vanilla Windows users - isn't imminent. An individual of the situation, but avoid the stampede. The sky isn't falling.
How your Meltdown and Spectre flaws were found

Here's how it all unwound. Instruction online June 2017, a burglar researcher named Jann Horn, helping Google's Project Zero team, discovered one way for a sneaky program to steal information from regions of a computer which can be supposed to be off limits. Horn and Project Zero notified the vendors - Google, evidently, as well as Intel, Microsoft, Apple, AMD, Mozilla, the Linux folks, Amazon or anything else - and a quiet effort began to plug the protection holes without alerting "the bad guys."

Although the Linux community leaked details, in the KAISER series of patches posted in October, few realized the enormity for the problem. In general, people in the know agreed to keep it all quiet until Jan. 9 - this month's Patch Tuesday.

On Monday, Jan. 1, the beans started spilling. An anonymous poster calling him/herself Python Sweetness place out in the open:

There is presently an embargoed security bug impacting apparently all contemporary CPU architectures that implement virtual memory, requiring hardware changes absolutely resolve. Urgent continuing development of a software mitigation is currently being done in outside and recently landed throughout the Linux kernel, and a noticeably similar mitigation began appearing in NT kernels in November. While in the worst case the software fix causes huge slowdowns in typical workloads.

John Leyden and Chris Williams along the Register turned the leak into a gush on Tuesday, with details of the effort to plug the Meltdown security hole:

A fundamental design flaw in Intel's processor chips has forced a large redesign of one's Linux and Windows kernels to defang the chip-level security bug.

Programmers are scrambling to overhaul the open-source Linux kernel's virtual memory system. Meanwhile, Microsoft is expected to publicly introduce the desired changes for that Windows operating system on an upcoming Patch Tuesday: These changes were seeded to beta testers running fast-ring Windows Insider builds in November and December.

By Wednesday, the Patch Tuesday gag was thrown into your wind, accompanied by a definitive statement by Google's Project Zero, festooned with official logos ("free to employ, rights waived, via CCO") and metric a ton of ink followed. There are thousands of explainer articles circulating these days.

If you need a survey, look at Catalin Cimpanu's essay in BleepingComputer or use the New York Times piece from Cade Metz and Nicole Perlroth. The period says:

The Meltdown flaw is specific to Intel, but Spectre is mostly a flaw in design that is been used by many processor manufacturers for several years. It affects create microprocessors that you can buy, including chips that is caused by AMD that share Intel's design therefore the many chips founded upon designs from ARM in the united kingdom.

Those of you hating on Intel should remember there's plenty of blame to serve. That said, I still cast a jaundiced eye at CEO Brian Krzanich selling $24 million in INTC stock on Nov. 29.
Microsoft releases Windows patches

Last night, Microsoft released Windows patches - Security-only Updates, Cumulative Updates, and Delta Updates - in a wide array of Window versions, from Win7 onward. Get the Update Catalog for details. (Thx, @Crysta). Be aware that the patches are listed making use of a "Last Updated" date of Jan. 4, not Jan. 3, the nominal release date. The Win7 and 8.1 patches are Security Only (the kind you have to install manually). I've been assured that Win7 and 8.1 Monthly Rollups comes out monday on Patch Tuesday.

The Win10 patch for Fall Creators Update, version 1709, contains other security fixes besides those resulting from Meltdown. Yet another Win10 patches are considered Meltdown-only. Those of you running the beta version of Win10 1803, in the Insider Program, have already received the patches.

BUT?- you won't have any patches installed unless and until your antivirus software sets the registry key. (It now entirely possible that the value of the crucial doesn't matter; simply the presence of the registry entry switches on Meltdown protection. Thx, @abbodi86, @MrBrian.) If you're running third-party antivirus, it needs to be updated ahead of Meltdown patch installer will run. It seems as if one can find known failures of bluescreens for some antivirus products.

Remember, there are cumulative updates for Ie 11 within versions of Win7 and 8.1 indexed by the Update Catalog. The fixes for Win10, and with Edge, are on the respective Win10 cumulative updates. Microsoft also released fixes for SQL Server 2016 and 2017.

Noticed that the Windows Server patches are certainly not enabled automagically. Those of you who would like to turn on Meltdown protection will have to change the registry. (Thx @GossiTheDog)

Or windows 7 and Server 2003 don't yet have patches. Not sure on whether Microsoft will release those eventually.

Kevin Beaumont, @GossiTheDog, is maintaining a list of antivirus products and their Meltdown-related problems. On-line Docs, it goes without saying.
Meltdown and Spectre facts

With your news swirling, perhaps you may feel inclined to purchase patched up at present. I say wait. There's a little facts that stand in the way of a superb scare story:

There are the same as active exploits for either Meltdown or Spectre, though there are some demos running in labs.
Updating Windows (or any operating platform, including macOS and ChromeOS) isn't sufficient. You will want to install firmware updates, too, and none of the major PC manufacturers have firmware updates. Genuinely Microsoft.
It's unclear in the meanwhile which antivirus products set the orlando magic registry key, although Windows Defender is apparently one of the compliant products.
If the whole planet were ending, Microsoft would've released Monthly Rollups for Win7 and 8.1, yes?

In addition, we have no clue how these rushed-to-market patches will clobber the billion or thereabouts extant Windows machines. I'm already seeing a report of conflicts with Sandboxie on AskWoody, and Yammer going offline isn't reassuring.

It's possible Microsoft's kernel team has realized another change-the-blades-while-the-blender-is-running feat. But it's also quite probable that we'll hear loud screams of pain from many corners today or tomorrow. The anticipated performance penalty may or may not pan out.

There's an enormous number ofget rid of Pros prevent against speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities (consisting of the warning about firmware updates)
Windows Server Guidance refer to it as against the speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities (along with a PowerShell script to find out if your machine is safe)
Mitigating speculative execution side-channel attacks in Microsoft Edge and Web browser
Important information regarding the Windows security updates released on January 3, 2018 and antivirus software
Microsoft Cloud Protections Against Speculative Execution Side-Channel Vulnerabilities
SQL Server Guidance to reduce against speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities

Nowadays hardware or software manufacturer yourrrre able to name has some warnings/explanations posted. I looked for AMD's response (basically, Meltdown poses "near zero risk" on AMD chips) particularly enlightening. Reddit carries a megathread devoted specifically on the topic.

Microsoft officially called time located on the free Windows 10 upgrade offer in 2016, but allowed anyone using assistive technologies to go on to upgrade on the new OS without a penny.

This offer done anything about an honor system -- you weren't had to have to provide any proof basically used assistive technologies in order to make use of the deal -- allowing want you to continue to upgrade to Windows 10 cost free. Microsoft finally closed this loophole on December 31, 2017, except (whisper it) times, and the deal, are still available.

As noted, and tested by Ghacks, you can still upgrade your Windows 7 or 8.1 device using the assistive technologies page for free.

Just click the Upgrade Now button from the statement: 'Yes, Benefit from assistive technologies for ready in my upgrade to Windows 10.'

Doing so will download the Windows 10 Upgrade oral appliance you can run this and refer to the manual to upgrade your device for your latest version of Windows.

Whether Microsoft simply hasn't got around to ending the offer yet, or -- despite what it's said -- titans keep the offer running for long periods longer, isn't clear. Having said that if you do need to upgrade to Windows 10 free-of-charge using this method, you then definately still can. For the moment at least.

Reckoning on which analyst firm might be, Windows 10 will be an whisker away from overtaking Windows 7 while the most popular desktop operating system, or still the distance off.

Steam's monthly usage survey, which shows usage share with the gamers' perspective, paints take place different picture however. There is consistently reported Windows 10 to be the top computer itself of choice, until recently, when Windows 7 roared within the top spot.

As well that Windows 7 gained in popularity, so did the development of Chinese gamers for the service, that has been clearly an excellent coincidence. If you would like future proof of a link backward and forward, December's updated stats help prove it.

Within the past month of 2017, Windows 7 kept a share of 56.45 percent (comprising 54.79 percent for any 64-bit build, and 1.66 percent for a 32-bit version). In November, its share was previously a whopping 71.3 percent, meaning it fell 14.85 percentage points in a month.

And in December, Simplified Chinese -- currently the most popular language on Steam -- fell 15.31 percentage points to 49.04 percent. (Second placed English grew 6.40 percentage points and so sits on 23.42 percent.)

Windows 10 rebounded using this method in December to accept a share of 37.12 percent (made up of 36.Eighty percent for the 64-bit build, and 0.32 percent for 32-bit version), up 13.18 percentage points.

Whether this correction continue in January will to be seen, but we'll ascertain next month.

Microsoft releases two big feature updates a year for Windows 10. 2017 saw the arrival from the Creators Update in April, followed by the Fall Creators Update in October.

The Creators Update was a slow and at times problematic release. A quarter of Windows 10 users still didn't have it by the time its successor rolled out. Thankfully, Microsoft seems to have learned some important lessons, and the Fall Creators Update is being installed at a much faster rate.

According to the latest figures from AdDuplex, a mere two months after it launched, the Fall Creators Update (1709) is already on more than half of your Windows 10 PCs in use -- 53.6 percent to be precise. That's up from 20.5 percent a mere month ago.

33.7 percent of users are now running the Creators Update (1703), with 10.5 percent relating to the Anniversary Update (10.5 percent). 1.3 percent are still on Windows 10 1511, and 0.5 percent are on Windows 10 1507.

Windows Insiders running an early build of your next version of Windows 10 -- Redstone 4 -- account for 0.4 percent.

As you might expect, Fall Creators Update adoption is faster in some countries than others. Canada and certain Western European countries lead the way, with upwards of 60 percent share. The US is at 56.9 percent and the UK at 57.2 percent. Adoption in African and South American countries is currently at ~30 percent.

Back in July 2015 when Microsoft launched Windows 10, this latest operating system was offered absolutely free of charge to having it . Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 who performed the upgrade and activated the install within your first 12.

And while the free upgrade offer resulted in July 2016, Microsoft still allowed users with assistive technologies to upgrade to Windows 10 at no extra charge when they were running accessibility features in Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

The more interesting tidbit so is this particular tool for upgrading to Windows 10 free of charge included an absense of checks on users' computers, so regardless if no accessibility features were enabled, the free of charge upgrade remained allowed to search through.

This offer was should end immediately after the July 2016 deadline on your original free upgrade promo, nevertheless for some reason, Microsoft consented to keep it up and running for much longer, turning it into more of a loophole to obtain Windows 10 free.
"The clock is ticking"

A few months ago, however, Microsoft finally announced the fact that it would be closing this loophole on December 31, very first pretty much your last opportunity upgrade to Windows 10 gratis.

"If you use assistive technologies, you'll be able to upgrade to Windows 10 without charge as Microsoft continues our efforts to boost the Windows 10 experience those who use these technologies. Please utilize this offer before it expires on December 31, 2017," Microsoft said.

It's fair to say that whoever thought i'd upgrade to Windows 10 requires to have done this considering, but seeing that no other supply of the system at no charge is recognized at this point, users whorrrre still on Windows 7 and 8.1 should think twice if they aspire to skip this offer or even otherwise.

For what it's worth, Windows 10 are purchased from the Microsoft Store in the for $119.99 when you purchase the Home SKU or maybe for $199.99 for those who go for the Pro version.

December has gotten a few surprises in Windows PatchLand, but for the most part, the coast is. "Clear," that is, if you can't made huge, muscular lifters of installing the Win10 Fall Creators Update, version 1709 (or got pushed engrossed), before the nominal four-month testing period lapsed.

In broad terms, it's safe to put in this month's Windows and Office patches, unless you're using Win10 1709, presently there are a few obscure gotchas which often can bite you if you're using Win7 with encrypted fileshares, or Active Directory app login. For those who installed Win10 1709 before letting the unpaid beta testers skate out on Crait, there's very little reason to fit this month's security patches, when you don't use Web browser or Edge. Which, generally if the statistics ought to be believed, a person don't.
Office atches

Microsoft has a catch-all web address for known (which would be to say, officially acknowledged) bugs in Office patches. About them, you'll find entries for known Outlook problems ("After updating to Win10 1709, the Outlook People Pane never shows any results"), Excel problems ("You can experience problems loading the Excel Solver add-in whenever you have WPS Office installed on your machine"), and Onenote ("Can't rename sections in Onenote for Windows"). There's furthermore general warning whenever you're having crashes upon opening files situated OneDrive, you need to install modern version of OneDrive.

I don't know why, but there's no mention on that page in the major improvement in the way Word blocks DDEAUTO fields after installing this month's Word security patches. I talked about that the 2009 week. Main thing: You should install this month's Word security patch - KB 4011575, 4011590, 4011608, 4011612, and/or 4011614 - but know the potential problem. If you ever subsequently open a Word doc, so it no longer responds correctly (by, say, pulling data from an Excel spreadsheet and putting the comprehensive data in the doc), you'll want to slog through your manual workarounds, edit the registry, as well as DDE right again.
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 patches

The coast stands to reason unless you're using Active Directory to log into apps, or you're opening Office documents from an encrypted fileshare. When you don't understand the gibberish, don't worry, you're fine. If you undertake understand the gibberish, get hooked throughout the Patch Management mailing list.

Microsoft is blocking updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 on recent computers. If you're running Windows 7 or 8.1 for the PC that's per year old or newer, refer to the manual in AKB 2000006 or @MrBrian's writeup on @radosuaf's method to make every effort to can use Windows Update to build updates applied.

If you're very related to Microsoft's snooping you and want to install just security patches, realize the privacy path's driving more difficult. The outdated "Group B" - security patches only - isn't dead, but it's specifically within the grasp of typical Windows customers. When you insist on manually installing security patches only, refer to the instructions in @PKCano's AKB 2000003 remain aware of @MrBrian's suggestions for hiding any unwanted patches.

For several Windows 7 and 8.1 users, I recommend following AKB 2000004: The right way to apply the Win7 and 8.1 Monthly Rollups. If you'd like to minimize Microsoft's snooping having said that install each of the offered patches, shut down the Customer Experience Improvement Program (Step 1 of AKB 2000007: Switching off the worst Windows 7 and 8.1 snooping) before you'll install any patches. (Thx, @MrBrian).

Challenge driver updates - you're greater off keeping them from a manufacturer's website. After you've installed the most popular Monthly Rollup, if you're focused on minimizing Microsoft's snooping, put into practice the measures in AKB 2000007: Turning off the worst Win7 and 8.1 snooping. Learn that we don't figure out what information Microsoft collects on Window 7 and 8.1 machines.
Windows 10

If you're stuck on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, version 1709, I strongly recommend that you stop using Internet Explorer and Edge, and hold back until Microsoft fixes extremely bugs in this particular month's Win10 1709 cumulative update, KB 4054517. As soon as you absolutely must use IE or Edge, hold your breath, let down your antivirus, incase you hit any problems, emulate references in yesterday's article.

If you're running Win10 Creators Update, version 1703 (my current preference), or version 1607, the Anniversary Update, and then you want to be on 1607 or 1703 while those found on 1709 get to eat Microsoft's canine, follow the instructions here to ward off the upgrade. Along the way through the steps, understand that Microsoft, uh, forgot to honor the "Current Branch for Business" setting - you need to run the "feature update" (read: version change) deferral setting, when you have one, entirely up to 365. And hope that Microsoft doesn't forget proven methods to count to 365.

If you're running a younger version of Win10, you're basically all by yourself. Microsoft doesn't you any more.

To obtain Windows 10 patched, check out the steps in "8 steps to fit Windows 10 patches similar to a pro."

As is also always the case, DON'T CHECK ANYTHING THAT'S UNCHECKED. Get hold of, don't be tempted to place in anything marked "Preview."

Time for get patched. Moments to get your friends patched. As you get suckered into providing technical support for all of your close friends, it's time to take them patched, too. Full instructions have reached the referenced guides to patching.

It's been a huge four weeks since Microsoft flighted an important Windows 10 Insider build. Considering the software giant normally rolls out new develops a weekly basis, it's been a longer wait for Build 17063 to come, but a wait that's definitely been price.

Microsoft said this was a important build, andf the other it wanted to get right. It's clear to understand why. There is certainly new features, and big changes galore throughout.

The standout new feature in this build will be introduction of Timeline. Originally intended to be part of the Fall Creators Update, but dropped the mulch can become became clear it actually was never going to be ready in time (pun intended), the feature is referred to as introducing "a new option to resume past activities you started on this PC, other Windows PCs, and iOS/Android devices."

Timeline shows snapshots of past activity (apps you used to be using, and tasks that you were working on) and means that you can carry on from where you left off. Timeline can work with a lot of apps when it arrives in the next big feature release for the time being you can use it to resume web-browsing in Microsoft Edge, and keep going working in files in Microsoft Office and updated UWP versions of Maps, News, Money, Sports, and Weather.

A new Activity History Settings page really helps to configure which accounts result from Timeline, and Cortana is now able to suggest activities you ought to resume.

Sets is also a big addition in this type of build. The recent feature groups together everything -- relevant webpages, research documents, necessary files and applications -- that relate to a specific task. Although this is an exciting new inclusion, may well have access with it, as it's being introduced began this morning a "controlled study". Should you get to test it out, let us know how you feel of the feature from your comments below.

Alongside those latest features, there's the inevitable set of Edge enhancements. Examples of these are an updated Dark theme, and Fluent design tweaks. Adding and managing bookmarks for EPUB and PDF books is improved, and there's support for working offline on some sites, and far push notifications.

The Web Media Extensions package, which adds support for open-source formats (OGG Vorbis and Theora) and was originally an optional addition, is right now included as standard.

This build also adds gesture improvements for Precision Touch Pads.

Cortana's Notebook appears to have been given a makeover, and Cortana Collections are generally merged with Lists. Giving use Cortana to stop music playback on more from your favorite music apps, though this feature can be available for EN-US users now.

Start and Action Center already support acrylic, section of Microsoft's Fluent design system, additionally the acrylic look now has been used to the taskbar, Share UI, Clock & Calendar flyout, Network flyout, Volume flyout, and Input flyout.

Tweaks are usually made to OneDrive files and folders when needed, and the My People feature has continued to develop and now makes for drag and drop rearranging, the option to add up to 10 men and women to the taskbar (up of this default three), and animations for anyone in the overflow.

The Snipping Tool gains an "edit in Paint 3D" button, and Settings gets a new look (hello Fluent). Scaling was improved to assist you to overcome the situation of blurry apps, there's completely new Keyboard Settings page, improved Region & Language Settings, better Data Usage Management, the capacity to reset Game Mode Settings, and enhancements to Windows Defender. You will find updates to input at the same.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) could now run background tasks, elevated and non-elevated WSL instances can run simultaneously, and WSL will finally be supported when connected via OpenSSH, VPN, Enter-PSSession, and so. There's also a new tool to change Linux paths to Windows-friendly ones.

It is really not all good news though. From this build, on and on forward, Microsoft is beginning to retire HomeGroup. The sharing feature is not viewed as being relevant for this day and age.

Other general changes, improvements, and fixes for PC include:

Fixed a concern where all sorts of dynamic volumes (right here) wouldn't mount properly or become accessible from Windows (your data remained intact but inaccessible along the volume on impacted builds).
Fixed one factor where after buying and selling the People flyout notification toasts might stop appearing so that the computer had been rebooted.
Fixed a situation where Cortana's notification settings were unexpectedly missing in Settings after upgrading to recent builds.
Fixed a matter where when had been a problem with Cortana's speech resources not available, she could finish up blocking Start.
Fixed a dilemma resulting in potentially not receiving all of your notifications from Cortana in the previous first flights.
Fixed a predicament where whenever utilizing Windows in Hebrew no internet advertising were shown looking until a living room was entered.
Fixed a predicament such that Recycle Bin will now show up in the search results when typing in Cortana. This was a server-side change so you'll see it beyond your bounds from this flight.
Fixed a worry where opening the Action Center while deal a notification toast visible you could end up the Action Center unexpectedly animating in using the bottom corner rather than side.
Fixed a matter where if you decide to reinstalled or reset your personal machine without internet throughout the last few flights the default tiles in Start could get stuck as downward arrows.
Fixed very important where when the system was below the knob on memory context menus might display in a very narrow width, missing all text.
Fixed a major problem with the File Picker dialog from recent builds where saving file names that included 1 period contained in the name (being a.ver2.exe) would produce the file extension not included with the saved file (A.ver2).
Fixed a matter where certain videos when watching in Microsoft Edge would stop playing and also be unresponsive upon altering play speed to 4x or 8x.
Fixed difficult resulting the expected tooltip not appearing when hovering a button over images on certain sites in Microsoft Edge.
Fixed a matter where no search suggestions were displayed while inputting the Microsoft Edge address bar in cases where the PC was set to a region not currently held by Cortana.
Fixed an issue that could lead to an error message saying "device will never respond" when attempting to make use of Near Share.
Fixed an aspect where nearby devices which have near share enabled are not listed in Share.
Fixed a major problem resulting in cursor lags on some devices when night light was transitioning.
When you use the split gesture to require more space between two words at the handwriting panel (a caret, as showcased here) that space will close up again after a pause.
Added a top level backlink to Storage Settings to "free up space" now, for obtaining at it faster should you need it, rather than having to open Storage Sense first.
Made some small tweaks in the design of the Windows Update Settings page and subpages.
To improve discoverability, sometimes you may have an update pending reboot in Windows Update Settings, near the restart now button you might now also visit button for picking other restart options.
Fixed issues resulting in some Insiders discovering that Outlook 2016 crashed frequently with the previous flight.
Fixed a worry where the group policy align a custom lock screen image wouldn't work if you had also set a plan that disabled the on the login screen.
Fixed an issue resulting in docker broken in the last few flights.
Fixed a worry from recently flights the place that the Emoji Panel's most frequently used page wasn't updating.
Fixed a huge concern where the touch keyboard showed a very small size on large monitors.
Updated the touch keyboard to can have an animation when invoking and dismissing.
Fixed problems where keys along the full touch keyboard might become stuck during a visually pressed state.
Updated the wide touch keyboard approaches that if you double tap the Shift factor to turn on caps lock the answer will now continue in a visual pressed state so you merely see that caps lock is engaged.
Updated the actual entire touch keyboard to make sure you now use keyboard shortcuts with 3 keys (just like, WIN + Alt + D).
Made some small design changes to dictation UI seems when you press WIN+H.
Fixed very important where the Chinese (Simplified) Pinyin IME might hang when typing quickly into Cortana.
Fixed the specific situation where VPNs that used custom pop-up windows during connection were failing with error 720 when attemping to connect.
Fixed the matter causing users which all have enabled the legacy console turn out to be unable to launch any command line application.

Known issues include:

Popular Tencent games like League of Legends and NBA2k Online could potentially cause 64-bit PCs to bugcheck (GSOD).
[DEVELOPERS] Deploying an x86 app to a x64 PC remotely be responsible for "FileNotFound" deployment failures once the target PC is running Build 17040. Deploying an x64 app for your x64 PC remotely and a x86 app to your x86 PC are appropriate fine.
Microsoft Edge will not receive Push Notifications from websites in this type of flight, owing to an issue saving permissions in a per-site basis. Microsoft expects this trouble to be resolved in the next preview build.
Launching an immersive All over video through the Movies and television app within Windows Mixed Reality can lead to the video facing incorrectly. Subsequent launches of 360 degree videos works correctly.
When users look to create a Microsoft Edge InPrivate window from inside a Mixed Reality headset, a typical window should get created instead. Users won't have the know-how to use InPrivate inside Mixed Reality for this build. InPrivate on desktop is not affected.
Microsoft is getting ready for the inclusion of OpenSSH Server being deployment mechanism in Developer Mode. Numerous analysts . UI code got checked in ahead of the components, as a consequence while there is a "Use OpenSSH (Beta) for remote deployment" switch on the UI under Settings, it won't work, and turning it on will break remote deployment individual device up until switch is not power on.
If you're using any EUDC fonts Microsoft Edge, Cortana, and additional apps that employ a webview won't launch. You might resolve this by deleting the HKCU\EUDC key in Registry Editor. Note, in case you do this, you won't have the know-how to see EUDC characters. Microsoft recommends you export this regkey before deleting it, so it's all too easy to reapply the crucial in a future flight as soon as the issue is actually fixed.
After upgrading to that fact build a person might find touch and pen to never work on the non-primary display. In relation to this, mouse, touch, and pen input would not happen in the absolute right place after an orientation change or when you're using a non-native aspect ratio.

Do you want to fast and easy access for one's contacts in Windows 10? The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update provides a new hub called My People through which you can use any contact. Can be seen all the details on individuals, easily email people from the hub, edit the contact info, pin an e-mail to the taskbar for quicker access, and enjoy a timeline of past emails to the contact. Let's look at how to put in place and use the My People app to access your contacts.

1. Thinking of Running Fall Creators Update?

First, make certain you're running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. To make this happen, click on the Windows 10 Start button and select Settings. Inside the Settings screen, go through the System category along with About setting below of the screen.

Brows through the version number listed for Windows 10. Should the version is 1709, there is Fall Creators Update. Or perhaps even, go to Settings and judge "Update & security." Click on the setting for Windows Update, and click on the button to "Check for updates." Make certain that Fall Creators Update ("Feature Update to Windows 10, version 1709") will be downloaded.

2. Get moving now
Click on the People icon to the taskbar to display the "Your People" window soon after click on the Start now button.

3. People and Mail
Under apps, you need to see a minimum of two entries: People and Mail. It's also wise to see Skype because you installed it. Several apps may already indicate likely connected. Should you want to access contacts from an application not yet connected, press its name. Go through prompts to touch base that app. When done, click on the People icon again and then click Apps, and all sorts of listed apps should show an association.

4. Acquire a New Contact
If you would like a new contact through the My People window. Choose the
"See more" icon () and then click "New contact" from the pop-up menu.

5. Choose Account
If you utilize more than one keep track of your contacts, decide the account make use of.

6. Submit Contact Info Form
Put together the form with your contact information and save it.

7. Pin Contacts
Hit the People Hub icon again. You can actually pin close to three contacts for the taskbar to quickly access them. The My People hub might point to some contacts to pin. Just click a contact to be able to that person.

8. Pinned into the Taskbar
An icon with that person's photo or initials appears next to the My People icon. It's also possible to see your entire contacts. Select link towards the bottom of the My People window to "Find and pin contacts." Again, click a contact to pin that person.

9. See Contact
The app only allows until three pins if you want to see those contacts on your taskbar. But you can pin about three contacts, along with the additional ones appear towards the top of the My People window. Push a taskbar icon firstly of your contacts to experience that person's information.

10. Remove a communication
To remove a contact from the taskbar, right-click on your icon and pick "Unpin from taskbar."

11. Just Kidding
Don't want the My People feature in the least? Open the My People Hub again. Pick the "See more" icon and then suddenly select "People bar settings."

12. Turn it Off
Scroll correct the bottom of the Taskbar settings window. Turned off the option for "Show contacts over the taskbar," along with the My People icon and then any pinned contacts disappear.

Windows 7's security rollups, more comprehensive from the fixes it pushes out each Patch Tuesday, have almost doubled wide since Microsoft revamped the veteran operating system's update regimen in 2010.

According to Microsoft's own data, exactly calls the "Security Quality Monthly Rollup" (rollup at this point on) grew by a lot more than 70% within the first dozen issued updates. From its October 2016 inception, the x86 version of the update increased from 72MB to 124.4MB, a 73% jump. Meanwhile, the always-larger 64-bit version went from an 119.4MB to 203.2MB 12 updates later, representing a 70% increase.

The swelling security updates was not, in themselves, unexpected. Last year, when Microsoft announced huge changes to the way serviced Windows 7, it admitted that rollups would put on pounds as the months pass. "The Rollups will commence out small, but we expect that these will grow in the future,' Nathan Mercer, a Microsoft product marketing manager, said at that moment. Mercer's explanation: "A Monthly Rollup in October ought to include all updates for October, while November include October and November updates, and similar matters."

Eight weeks later, whilst was mentioned the growth issue, Mercer again conceded that the rollups could get big. "Eventually Monthly Rollup will grow to around the 500MB size," Mercer said in mid-October 2016.

It looks like Mercer's forecast was probably a on the light side.

To the 12-update pace that Windows 7's rollups have established, the 64-bit version will weigh in at approximately 350MB by October 2018, rrncluding a year now, as Windows 7 nears its expiration date, almost 600MB. The second would represent a 20% boost far above Mercer's target size. Likewise, the x86 edition would increase to 216MB and 374MB in 2018 and 2019, respectively, that the 12-update growth rate continues.

"The dimensions of these may possibly be a concern," said Chris Goettl, product manager with client security and management vendor Ivanti. "When the rollups grow to 300MB to 500MB, some companies don't have the downtime [to install updates that large], specifically those with a global reach or perhaps to remote areas across slow connections."

Create a 500MB update and also systems in any retail shop, Goettl said. "That will be a pretty significant using the available bandwidth if your store [and its devices] are running 24/7."
Enterprises will pick the update poison

Microsoft issues 2 types of security updates for Windows 7 relating to the second Tuesday in each month: a rollup along with what the company has dubbed "Security Only Quality Update" (security-only came from here). The latter includes the month's security-related patches surely nothing else.

As they quite simply contain only that month's patches, they're much smaller than the same month's corresponding rollup. The 64-bit security-only for July was just 30MB and the 32-bit was a smaller 19MB, versus same month's rollups of 194MB and 119MB. The variations in December were even starker: 900KB and 1.4MB with the 32- and 64-bit security only updates, respectively, and 125.1MB and 204.7MB to the rollups.

The rollups are larger not merely because they drag their past with it - each succeeding rollup includes that month's patches along with all previous patches oh no- October 2016 - but because they also include non-security bug fixes. Usually, though though not always, issued later in each month, the non-security updates are bundled on the security patches, triggering the size of the rollup.

But only some Windows 7 machines are eligible for the smaller security-only updates: Those serviced by WSUS (Windows Server Update Services), or tools, whether third-party or Microsoft's own System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), that depend upon WSUS for content. Other Windows 7 devices, including ones run by consumers and businesses, that connect via Windows Update or Windows Update for Business, are handed rollups. It doesn't get a choice.

Can easily, the security-only updates issued for Windows 7 in 2017 were one-sixth the actual size of the same month's rollup. Only 1 about the 11 64-bit security-only updates was bigger than 40MB, for example, and simply 2 of the 32-bit versions broke the 20MB mark.

As per Goettl, the security-only updates are about the same size they can have been if containing a similar array of separate patches, like those Microsoft distributed one does the radical turn to dump decades of practice last fall.

But size has not been the only reason, or else even the major reason, why security-only updates were a blessing for enterprises. "Security-only provides some flexibility," Goettl said, preaching about the ability to postpone an update.

As the rollups are cumulative - because they include all past patches, in addition to the latest - you cannot deploy them without installing every fix since more than October 2016. In the event the patch breaks something, say a business-critical application or workflow, all rollups succeeding that must be don hold.

But by adopting the security-only updates, an IT staff can at least roll out, as an instance, December's version regardless if it has essential hold off on November's due to a rogue patch. That practice is just like, although on your more macro level, exactly how individual patches were deployed or blocked, dependant on whether they interfered with operations. (Aforementioned was what Microsoft banned by moving the year before to this all-inclusive approach, where every a month's patches are poured into one bucket and are therefore inseparable.)

Goettl saw security-only updates as a thoughtful sop to enterprises, a bone Microsoft threw in the direction of most important customers ensuing laid for the new laws in 2016. "One thing that softened the blow [of the cumulative update announcement] was who they offered the security-only bundle," Goettl said. "In Windows 10, you should that option."

Such as a lot of patch experts, Goettl has urged those qualified to apply for security-only to stick with all the smaller updates. "It really appears as if a lot of the breakage problems come subsequent the month in the event the non-security fixes start," he added, talking of the patches that have been included with the below month's rollup. "Things break there. This month, by way of example, there were countless non-security fixes [in the rollup]. Consumers we recommend security-only for client PCs, especially [on systems with] sensitive software."
Cutting updates started with size

Not all providers of Windows 7 machine has got to pay full price towards the increasingly large rollups. Some get yourself discount.

Enterprises that deploy updates through WSUS can use the optional "express installation files" feature, which limits the bandwidth consumed for the local network, on the other hand reducing update-related traffic with the perimeter.

That's done by identifying those bytes that change between two versions the same file, then generating an update containing just those differences. (The software is typically known as the "delta" update, and is defined as used by most software developers to distribute updates.)

However, you will find a tradeoff, which Microsoft spells in this support document: After enabling the feature, as large as the downloads from Microsoft's servers about the local WSUS server(s) increases substantially. Reported by Microsoft, express installation files may treble the amount of bits downloaded to the WSUS server(s).

"When you distribute updates by using this method, it takes an initial purchase of bandwidth," Microsoft stated. "Express installation files are greater than the updates they are just plain meant to distribute. Mainly because the express installation file must contain the many possible variations associated with every file you'll find it meant to update.

"However, this pricing is mitigated by a reduced amount of bandwidth expected to update client computers about the corporate network," the document continued.

During an example Microsoft highlighted, a 100MB update arrived 300MB downloaded towards WSUS server, but the actual amount transmitted instead of the local network to each and every client will be as little as 30MB when express installation files is started up. With it off, original download on the WSUS server would be 100MB, the strength of the update, but that same 100MB have to be delivered to client PC all through local network.

Other caveats connect with express installation files in Windows 7, but even an most important would it be is not the equal of the same-named feature within Windows 10.

While express feature has arguably received more attention in Windows 10 - Microsoft has publicized this new operating system's feature several times a day - this is not identical to what's in Windows 7.

Shots when you, Windows 10's express can distribute both updates as well as the twice-annual feature upgrades, which tip the scales at a number of gigabytes. More ever, the differential update technology works in concert with WSUS (as does Windows 7's), adequate Windows Update and Windows Update for Business.