It turns that the January 2019 cumulative update for Windows 7 has nothing to do with the activation issues experienced on some computers.

If the KB971003 update is installed on Windows 7 machine, it may receive an error notification that says “Windows is not genuine”. Microsoft acknowledged the issue and stated that they made a change to the ‘Microsoft Activation and Validation server’ which broke the activation.

“Some users may receive the Windows Activation or “Windows is not genuine” notifications starting at or after 10:00 UTC, January 8, 2019. On January 9, 2019, we reverted a change that was made to Microsoft Activation and Validation servers,” Microsoft explains.

The Windows 7 editions including the Professional and Enterprise license that supports volume-licensing activation might be affected due to this bug.

According to the support document, Microsoft has reverted the changes and the activation bug has already been fixed, which means the issue should no longer be experienced. However, if you’re still seeing the activation error, you’re recommended to remove the KB971033 update from the affected PC.

As outlined in Microsoft’s support document, you may need to manually remove the package and reactivate the device if you still experience the activation problems.

The post Microsoft reveals how Windows 7 KMS activation issues happened appeared first on Windows Latest

Now according to multiple reports, two new issues have been discovered in Windows 10 version 1809. The users are reporting issues with invalidation of built-in administrator and FLAC implementation in Windows 10.

Invalidation of built-in administrator

The built-in administrator will be invalidated if the following two conditions are reported:

• The built-in administrator account is valid
• The other accounts that have the administrator permission

“We fixed an issue resulting in FLAC metadata being cut short in File Explorer and other locations, the company writes in a blog post.

The post New issues reportedly discovered in Windows 10 October 2018 Update appeared first on Windows Latest

Once in the ’90s, Microsoft had the dominance in browser market share with their famous Internet Explorer. But those days are gone with the release of Chromium-based Google Chrome browser and the increasing dominance of Google in the field of web.

An alleged Microsoft’s engineering team intern, Joshua, who reportedly worked in the Edge browser development team, has recently revealed the reason that convinced Microsoft to give up on EdgeHTML rendering engine for Chromium solutions.

In a post on the Ycombinator forum, Joshua Bakita, who says he was an intern on the Microsoft Edge team, shared why Microsoft decided to switch Edge from its original engine to Chromium. He mentioned that Google’s changes to its websites, like YouTube, often broke Edge, and Microsoft struggled to keep up.

For example, Google added something invisible on YouTube that messed up Edge, but Microsoft fixed it later.

Google’s websites and changes were a big reason people stopped using Edge. Bakita noted that Edge used to be great at playing videos without draining the battery, but then YouTube changed, and suddenly Chrome seemed better. He thinks it wasn’t because Chrome was smarter but because of the YouTube issue.

When Microsoft asked YouTube to remove the invisible thing causing problems, YouTube said no and didn’t say why. Bakita isn’t sure if Google did this on purpose to make Edge look bad, but some of his teammates think so because they looked into it.

The report claims that Google made all of these changes intentionally to prove that Edge’s performance is not as good as Chrome. Even when Edge team asked for more information about the changes they made, Google simply refused to provide that.

Now using open source Chromium-based browsing engine for default Windows browser may end the browsers war between Microsoft and Google.

This is not the first time Google is accused of using the market monopoly to stop their competitors. Previously they were fined by EU Court for the illegal restrictions to stop OEMs using third-party services on Android-based smartphones.

The post Microsoft allegedly switched Edge to Chromium because Google created issues appeared first on Windows Latest

Currently, the Task Manager shows the ‘Processes’ tab at first place by default. Then comes Performance, App history, Start-up, Users etc, one after one. But after the Windows 10 19H1 update, the new Task Manager will give users the freedom to choose the default tab as their choice.

This will be much more helpful as different users have different needs in Task Manager. Choosing the default tab will help users to check the tabs of their interests much faster.

This updated Task Manager is already out for testing with the release of the latest Windows insider preview build 18298.

Recently, Microsoft faced some criticism because of the issues with quality controls as the final release had some issues with Task Manager. Microsoft was informed about the bugs in the preview version, but unfortunately, because of some unexpected reason it was not fixed and shipped to the final release.

Windows 10 19H1 launches next year

The 19H1 update of Windows 10 is expected to release in March or April of 2019. So, Microsoft has plenty of time to get everything working in the right way before the final release.

The upcoming 19H1 update will bring great features to Windows Shell, Search and Cortana, Settings and other areas.

The new features are Light Theme which turns Start, Task Bar, Action Centre etc into white, New Emoji panel with new Emojis, New Lock Screen with acrylic Blur Effect, Focus Assist update, Brightness Slider in Action Centre, Snipping Tools update, File Manager UI update, new Game Bar improvements and more.

The updated Settings app to come with redesigned Windows Hello page, new Storage Setting UI, a new Troubleshooting system, ability to fix scaling of Legacy apps, Intelligent Active Hour setting, new Windows Update page layout, ability to uninstall several pre-installed Microsoft apps and more.

Beside this, there are many more under the hood changes to improve the user experience of Windows 10.

The post Task Manager to get a new feature with Windows 10 19H1 update appeared first on Windows Latest

The development of Windows 10 Mobile was stopped in 2017 but the OS is getting quality improvements and security patches every month on second Tuesday. A new cumulative update for Windows 10 Mobile is now rolling out.

This new update is called KB4478936. It includes quality improvements and no new OS features have been addressed. Windows 10 Mobile Build number has been increased to 15254.544 after this update.

The main improvements of this update are:

• Microsoft is providing security patches to various parts of the OS Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows App Platform, Windows Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Content, Windows Graphics, Microsoft Edge, Windows Kernel, Windows Storage and Filesystem, Windows Authentication and Windows Wireless Networking.

The new December 2018 cumulative update for Windows 10 Mobile should be downloaded automatically or users can manually start the update process by opening the Settings page.

It’s worth noting that the mainstream support of Windows 10 Mobile OS will end in December of 2019. Microsoft will keep providing the essential quality updates and security patches to the platform until December 10, 2019.

In related news, the users with Windows Phone 8.1 handset are experiencing issues while downloading apps and games from the Windows Store. The Windows Phone 8.1 handsets are no longer receiving cumulative updates and the company recently announced that it will stop accepting updates for the Windows Phone 8.1 apps next year.

The post December 2018 cumulative update is now available for Windows 10 Mobile appeared first on Windows Latest

At the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit in Maui, Qualcomm has announced Snapdragon 8cx for ‘Always Connected PCs’. Their previous ARM-based PC processors are just the upgraded versions of flagship smartphone processors. This time they have made this 8cx chipset with 7-nanometre fabrication process from the ground up especially for PCs.

According to the chip-maker 8cx is their ‘most extreme’ product till date. It has Kryo 495 processing cores, Adreno 680 GPU, multi-gigabit LTE with Snapdragon X24 modem, quick charge 4+, up to 25 hours of battery life and most importantly it supports two 4K HDR monitors.

In the promotional video of Snapdragon 8cx, Qualcomm has shown a glimpse of dual-screen PC running Windows 10’s tablet mode. It appears to be a mockup but it does suggest that Qualcomm is also interested in dual-screen devices concept.

Microsoft is said to be working Windows Core OS which is a lightweight and modern version of Windows 10 for Always Connected PCs with native ARM support and better tablet experience.

Qualcomm has mentioned that this chipset can deliver 2X faster graphical performance with Adreno 680 GPU and it is also 60% more efficient than their previous ARM-based PC processor Snapdragon 850.

The processor has 2X more transistors, 2X more memory bandwidth, total 10mb of L2 and L3 cache. Latest DirectX 12 support is also added. This is going to deliver much optimised and smooth performance on all form factors including dual-screen monitors. The graphics-intensive productivity tasks will be handled in a much better way.

Another big challenge for the dual-screen device is battery life as it would be running two screens at the same time. But this is a 7nm processor with 7W TDP and Kryo 495 processing cores. The Adreno 680 GPU is also very much energy efficient. The new heat dissipation system will keep the system cooler than previous models and Qualcomm’s solution might address the battery concerns as well.

The post Qualcomm teases a dual-screen Windows 10 device in Snapdragon 8cx launch video appeared first on Windows Latest

As a result, we have seen that Microsoft is working on different types of devices in search of new usage scenarios for PCs to grab all the possible markets. Andromeda is an open secret now. But in recent leaks, a new device code-name is floating around- ‘Centaurus’.

Unlike the pocketable Andromeda, this is a more tablet-like dual-screen device which may run on Windows Core OS, a lightweight, easy to use, flexible version of Windows operating system. This operating system is being made to compete with Chrome OS like lightweight operating systems.

As the dual screen foldable computers are very expensive to produce, it will be a bit risky for the market. That’s why Microsoft is trying to make the technology less expensive and perfect to find an appropriate place for the new PC form factor by experimenting with different type of devices at once.

Currently, Microsoft is very successful with touch, pen and e-ink enabled computing devices. Microsoft apps (like OneNote, Office apps etc) which support such technologies are very successful even in education sectors.

This Centaurus code-named device is a combination of all successful items from Microsoft in one new device. This will show their OEMs a clear way to make the future PCs. Though the new Centaurus device is not going to replace the desktops or smartphones.

Another report has confirmed the rumours and added that this new device will be very similar to the cancelled Courier tablet.

Panos Panay, the Surface Chief, is very passionate about a foldable Surface-branded device but the company did not release anything like that yet. The rumour suggests that if everything goes right Microsoft may launch the Centaurus device next year.

The post Microsoft’s Centaurus is reportedly a Courier like Windows Core OS device appeared first on Windows Latest

The traditional Windows OS is based on the x86 platform but the ARM system on chip (SoC) is different. This is why Microsoft introduced an emulator which emulates x86 based parts of OS and applications to the ARM on Always Connected PCs. This emulation does not always go very well. As a result, the performance of 1st generation Windows 10 ARM devices was not so great.

The main drawback is the number of apps that natively support ARM. There are apps in the Microsoft store which supports ARM but there are many popular titles which do not support ARM64 natively.

The emulator can run x86 based software but the interface is slow and buggy which results poor user experience.

Google Chrome does not support any of Microsoft’s modern projects and there are no Google apps in Microsoft store. The browser is not available on Windows 10 ARM but this is going to change as the big rival tech giants are reportedly working together to allow Chrome to run natively on Always Connected ARM PCs.

Recently Qualcomm confirmed that Google is bringing Chrome browser to Windows 10 on ARM. The latest report today detailed a Chromium commit which shows that Microsoft and Google are working together to make this a reality.

The launch date of Chrome for Windows 10 ARM is not available yet but it could be a big win for Microsoft as they are targeting light PC users with Always Connected PCs and there are many PC users who prefer Google Chrome over other browsers.

It’s important to note that Google won’t be able to publish Chrome in the Microsoft Store as the Windows 10’s marketplace does not allow third-party browser engines.

Microsoft is already working with Qualcomm to improve the performance of Always Connected PCs and it may soon work as good as traditional desktops. According to rumours, Qualcomm is working on next-gen Snapdragon processors for Windows 10 and it could be announced later this year.

The post Google Chrome is reportedly coming to Windows 10 on ARM soon appeared first on Windows Latest

Computing devices with singular or dual microphone system cannot achieve this. Microsoft’s patent claims that the hinged device will have microphones in precisely spaced locations and it will have that computing power that can capture one or more face characteristics for customizing the binaural audio stream for a user. This device also can capture ambient noise of nature or a city in 3D audio system.

The patent is titled “HINGED COMPUTING DEVICE FOR BINAURAL RECORDING” and it was published by USPTO on November 15.

Overview of the Patent

The hinged tablet-like computing device will have a pair of microphones positioned in such a way that approximates the user’s ear-to-ear spacing by putting two device modules such as- a first device component with the first microphone and a second device component with a second microphone. These two device modules are pivotally connected to each other to make a binaural computing processing module.

The binaural processing system will collect the sound data from the first microphone within the first device component and then from the second microphone within the second device component for doing the rest of processing.

This method consists of creating an angle between two pivoting device components. The recording of this device’s environment may be conditioned and reproduced as a binaural stereo audio feed for playback.

“Conventional stereo audio recordings do not factor in natural ear spacing or “head shadow” of a user’s head and ears. Head shadow occurs naturally as the user listens to his or her surroundings, which generates ITDs (interaural time differences) and ILDs (interaural level differences). The hinged computing devices disclosed herein incorporate a pair of microphones that approximate the user’s ear-to-ear spacing and orientation, as well as a physical structure that approximates the user’s head shadow. A resulting recording of the computing device’s environment may be conditioned and reproduced as a binaural stereo audio feed for selective playback to the user or other users,” Microsoft explains.

What do you think about such a device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Microsoft patents a dual screen computing device with advanced audio system appeared first on Windows Latest

Back in July, we reported that Microsoft is showing ads inside the ‘Mail app’ of Windows 10. The ads were appearing at the top of the ‘other’ section of Outlook mail when the ‘focused mailbox’ is turned on.

Though the Mail app is still a very good first party app for Windows 10 and it is still great to use, the ads inside it have made the whole experience slightly bad. There is a badge ‘Get premium Outlook features’ showing inside the mail app to remind users to buy the Office 365 subscription for removing ads.

There is a support document from Microsoft which acknowledges this behaviour and as expected, Microsoft tested the ads on some Insider machines.

“Consistent with consumer email apps and services like Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail, advertising allows us to provide, support, and improve some of our products. We’re always experimenting with new features and experiences. Currently, we have a pilot running in Brazil, Canada, Australia, and India to get user feedback on ads in Mail,” Microsoft explains.

According to the support document, the ads may have appeared in Windows 10 Home and Pro editions but not in Edu and Enterprise edition.

“Outlook.com users with Focused Inbox turned on will see ads in the ‘Other’ view of your inbox. If Focused Inbox is turned off or you are using a third party email account like Gmail, you will see ads at the top of your inbox,” the company explains.

Microsoft is turning off the ads

After the outrage, Microsoft today confirmed that the company only tested the ads on a limited number of devices and it is being turned off.

“This was an experimental feature that was never intended to be tested broadly and it is being turned off”, Microsoft confirmed.

This was an experimental feature that was never intended to be tested broadly and it is being turned off.

— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) November 16, 2018

Office 365 and Windows 10

The apps like Microsoft Photos also requires Office 365 subscription for getting all the features for Story Remix’. Office Mobile, an easy to use set of Office apps from Microsoft Store, needs Office 365 subscription for editing different office documents.

The OneDrive are limited to only 5GB of cloud usage for those who don’t use Office 365 subscription.

There is no need to freak out as this was an A/B testing and it’s not coming. What do you think about this? Is it a good idea to put ads in a built-in Windows 10 Mail app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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