Newsletter Archives

• How to upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11

  Posted on September 11, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.37 • 2023-09-11

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Can you switch your computer from Windows 10 to Windows 11 without any major hiccups? Here’s how the upgrade played out for me.

  I recently decided to move my Windows 10 Lenovo laptop to Windows 11. Lately, for both personal and professional reasons, I’ve been relying more on features that are exclusive to Windows 11 — including Phone Link support for the iPhone, the new Photos app, AI integration, support for Android apps, smarter voice dictation, and screen recording in the Snipping Tool.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.37.0, 2023-09-11).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Newsletters, upgrade, Windows 10, Windows 11

• Understanding Windows Subsystem for Android

  Posted on September 4, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Simon Bisson • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Simon Bisson

  Fill the “app gap” by running Android applications on your PC.

  PC software is disappearing. Where there used to be full-featured desktop applications, there are now mobile apps and the Web. That’s a problem, especially when it comes to working with smart homes and financial services. We don’t always want to use a browser for devices such as doorbells and security cameras, and reaching for a phone to respond to an alert quickly takes you out of your flow.

  That all adds up to a growing app gap, with the PC rapidly left behind.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.36.0, 2023-09-04).

  Windows 11 Amazon Appstore, Android, Android Apps, Microsoft Store, Newsletters, Windows Subsystem for Android

• SMB security changes in Windows 11 might affect your NAS, too

  Posted on August 28, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  By Mary Branscombe

  It’s going to get harder and harder to connect to your NAS as a guest with SMB. That’s a good thing for security, but it could be a problem if your hardware is older.

  The Server Message Block (SMB) network file-sharing protocol lets Windows applications read and write files stored on servers in your network, including Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems. SMB underpins a lot of Windows network technologies, such as Storage Spaces Direct and even network printing. The print spooler is essentially just a file, after all.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.35.0, 2023-08-28).

  Windows 11 Home Networks, NAS, Newsletters, SMB Signing, SMBv1, SMBv3

• Another AI you didn’t ask for: Windows Copilot

  Posted on July 24, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Josh Hendrickson • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.30 • 2023-07-24

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Josh Hendrickson

  Microsoft’s new AI for Windows has me asking the same question over and over: Who is this even for?

  I’ll get to why in a moment, but it’s not a good first impression for Copilot, the new AI Microsoft intends to build into Windows. It’s out in preview right now for anyone on the Windows Insider DEV build, and naturally I had to give it a go.

  First impressions are everything, and Copilot starts off … well, strange.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.30.0, 2023-07-24).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 AI, Bing AI, ChatGPT, Copilot, Newsletters, Windows

• What should you do about Windows 11?

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.27 • 2023-07-03

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Will Fastie

  Despite our warnings and hesitancy about moving to Windows 11, we’re at a point in time when more serious consideration is in order.

  To aid in setting the context, I prepared a timeline showing the lives of Windows 10 and 11. With that timeline in mind, I asked five of our regular contributors to offer their opinions.

  In this, our summer bonus issue, they hold forth. Opinions differ.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• Think security

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  My advice is to stick with Windows 10 — and turn on the same security features that are the best part of Windows 11.

  If your PC will run it, Microsoft would like you to switch to Windows 11. By now you’ve probably clicked through a full-screen prompt asking you at least once to upgrade. Now that Windows 10 isn’t getting any new features, you can expect to see that prompt more often.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• You have 11 options

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Brian Livingston

  The introduction of Windows 11 has been the most confusing rollout of Redmond’s operating system ever.

  First of all, it’s unclear to users whether they really need Windows 11. Additionally, Microsoft required a security chip called the Trusted Platform Module 2.0 — but then confirmed that TPM 2.0 isn’t really necessary. Finally, upgrading Win10 to Win11 may be hard or impossible to undo if you change your mind.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• It depends

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Randy McElveen

  Windows 10 or 11? My answer is different for individuals and businesses.

  If you are running a business, switch now.

  Individuals? Hang on to Windows 10 as long as you can.

  And if you go to Windows 11 and decide it’s a mistake, you can go back.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• Why not?

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:41 CDT by Simon Bisson • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Simon Bisson

  Every Windows update has been contentious, and I’ve seen a lot of them over the years.

  The question of whether to update always gets asked, and my answer has been much the same: “Yes, if your PC meets the requirements, go ahead and update.”

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• The devil you know

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:40 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Peter Deegan

  So, you have a Windows 10 computer that’s working fine and is enough for your needs. Why bother switching to Windows 11 on the same PC?

  Leaving aside Microsoft’s hype, it’s hard to see anything truly compelling in Windows 11 that’s not already in Windows 10.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 lifecycle, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows end of life

• Setting up Windows 11 — for businesses

  Posted on July 3, 2023 at 02:39 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Susan Bradley

  In April, I published setup guides for Windows 10 and 11 for consumers. Now it’s time to do the same for businesses.

  As with the consumer checklists, a significant aspect of setting up a new PC is migrating important materials from the old PC. This is even more important in the business environment, where loss of data may equate to loss of business. It’s worth taking the time to get it right.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.27.0, 2023-07-03).

  Windows 11 New PC setup, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Win10 setup, Win11 setup, Windows 10, Windows 11

• Can you STILL do a Windows 11?

  Posted on April 29, 2023 at 22:18 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  Can you still do a Windows 11 without a Microsoft account with Windows 11 22H2?

  

  Yes. Absolutely.  When you get to the spot where it wants you to have a Microsoft account just put in no@thankyou.com and any password.  It then says “oops” and will let you set up an account even without a password if you like.

  

  The trick STILL works.

  Windows 11 Patch Lady Posts
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