Items tagged with Windows
Microsoft teased the next version of DirectStorage technology back in mid-October, saying that it was "coming soon." Well, the developers weren't kidding around, because it's barely three weeks later and DirectStorage 1.1 is now available and ready to use.
Despite the small version number increment, DirectStorage 1.1...
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If you run Windows, do you use third-party cleaner apps like CCleaner and PrivaZer? These apps are of dubious utility for most users, but they do have legitimately-useful functions, like clearing out temporary folders and removing leftover update data. Microsoft would apparently prefer that you use its own software...
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DirectStorage is one of those technologies that perpetually seems to be just on the horizon. Except, Microsoft actually launched DirectStorage back in March of this year. You haven't heard much about it because it simply hasn't seen adoption in any game titles yet. That will probably change with the latest update...
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Valve's Steam Deck is a killer little machine, for what it is and for what it costs. $399 gets you a quad-core Zen 2 PC with 16 GB of memory and a surprisingly-fast little integrated Radeon. The machine ships with the Linux-based SteamOS installed, but it's a fully-capable PC, and you can install Windows on it if you...
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The mouse and graphical user interface are still arguably two of the greatest innovations in computing. They make computers easy to use, but that does not always mean slinging a cursor around is the best use of time. The keyboard still reigns supreme for many Windows tasks, so it is worthwhile to learn how to use it...
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If working in IT has taught me anything, it is that many computer issues truly can be resolved with a reboot. If I’ve learned two things, though, it is that a myriad of remaining Windows issues can be resolved with a simple command. The Windows system file checker is such an effective general fix-all that I believe...
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The latest iteration of the Parallels Desktop application, Parallels Desktop 18, has a massive change log that includes better support for Apple Silicon and Windows 11. That better support also includes an easier install process, and even a better Linux install experience through some automatic downloads and...
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If you're not a gamer and not particularly technical, you may feel slightly let down by your new NVMe SSD. After all, the newest game consoles from Microsoft and Sony came along with big promises as to the potential benefits of their solid-state storage subsystems. Integrating the same type of storage technology for...
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Following its latest earnings report, shares of Microsoft stock jumped by as much as 5 percent in pre-market trading leading up to today's opening bell. This despite Microsoft attributing a negative impact on Windows OEM revenue, which fell 2 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, to what it deemed a...
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Somewhere in a parallel universe, Windows 10 is still the most recent version of Windows, with Microsoft holding true to its original plan to continually uddate the OS until the end of time. But in this universe, Microsoft ended up changing direction and ultimately released another version, Windows 11. That's not...
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Were you around for the heyday of Windows 98? PC gamers were slow to adopt Windows 95 because the conventional game design paradigm of talking directly to the hardware was a big no-no in the new operating system. However, in the not-quite-three years between the release of Windows 95 and Windows 98, both PC hardware...
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Game streaming services are gaining steam as viable alternatives to spending big money on decked out PCs and dedicated gaming consoles, and they've come a long way in a relatively short time. One of the benefits is they're mostly platform agnostic. Or they should be—there are multiple reports that Microsoft's Xbox...
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If you have a Windows 10 or 11 machine with an Intel Core CPU from the 8th-through-11th generations, you definitely want to read this post. As it happens, Windows Defender's real-time protection on these machines is sapping even more performance than normal. The bug was found by Kevin Glynn, also known as "Uncle...
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It's been a little over 8 months since Microsoft released Windows 11 (on October 5, 2021). When it hit the market it came with a slew of new features. Things like a significantly upgraded UI, more cloud based functionality, and even cleaner interfaces were all packaged into the new (at the time) release.
Windows 11...
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Just over nine years ago, Microsoft provided a first look at Windows 8.1. And almost to this day nine years earlier, it rolled out a preview, timed with the start of its Build conference. If you ended up upgrading and never looked back (or forward), brace yourself for nag screens imploring you once again to upgrade...
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Shortly after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, many tech companies announced that they would be suspending sales to the country. Among the companies that made these announcements were AMD, Intel, TSMC, NVIDIA, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, IBM, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Since this initial flurry of...
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A few months ago Microsoft teased that it was putting tabs into Windows File Explorer in an upcoming insider preview for Windows 11. Unfortunately the inclusion was pushed back in favor of a few other items. Annoying for window management afficionados, though likely a good move for those who occasionally experience...
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As we all know Windows can be a great operating system. However, for many users it may feel like Microsoft just forgot some things. That's where Windows PowerToys comes in—it tries to fill in the gaps, mainly for power users (as its name suggests).
PowerToys adds in enhanced functionality to Windows, like making...
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Another week, another malware attack vector has become increasingly popular amongst malicious software distributors. The vector has existed since late 2021, but it is potentially bad for Linux enthusiasts who use Windows.
Said attack vector that has gained in popularity is a utilization of the Windows Subsystem for...
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When Windows 11 started its roll out, Microsoft announced that it would incorporate the ability to run Android mobile apps in a future update. It did not take long for Redmond to roll out the feature to Windows Insiders, though, and the Android Subsystem for Windows was born.
Well, the next major update is almost...
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Many are aware by now, second Tuesday of every month is Patch Tuesday for Microsoft Windows. This is when Microsoft rolls out major and critical updates to its ubiquitous operating system, Windows. Much like many Patch Tuesdays before, there are problems with the latest one.
Specifically, the patch has problems...
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There has been an ever-increasing number of vulnerabilities and malware rearing their ugly heads lately. One of the most common things these malware will attempt to do is gain elevated permissions to allow execution of its code without user interaction. Recently, a new vulnerability was found in the popular archival...
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