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MS-DEFCON 2:
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Blog Archives
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Office tools: Something old, something new
Posted on June 15th, 2020 at 01:15 Comment on the AskWoody Lounge
SMALL BUSINESS COMPUTING
By Amy Babinchak
Most of us begin our workday with a heavy sigh and a click of our email app.
So many messages to review, so many meetings to accept and schedule … so little time. For all of you who toil in Outlook, there are many tools for making the task of managing email and meetings a bit easier. Two of my favorites are Outlook’s built-in Quick Steps and the newly enhanced Microsoft 365 app called Bookings. Here’s why and how I use them every day.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.23.0 (2020-06-15).
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Unexpected shutdowns suddenly plague Win10 laptop
Posted on June 15th, 2020 at 01:10 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeLANGALIST
By Fred Langa
A PC’s owner suspected overheating as the cause of unwanted shutdowns, but they continued even after excellent troubleshooting and maintenance — including a full fan and air-duct cleaning!
Here’s how to track down and correct even stubborn, subtle, or indirect causes of potentially damaging, heat-related crashes.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.23.0 (2020-06-15).
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Windows 10 2004 is slowly rolling off the assembly line
Posted on June 15th, 2020 at 01:05 Comment on the AskWoody LoungePATCH WATCH
By Susan Bradley
The Win10 May Update is coming to a PC near you — sooner or later. Best to make it later.
The other news for June is vulnerabilities — lots of them. On June 9, Microsoft started sending out updates with an astounding 129 security fixes ranging from remote-code-execution threats to privilege escalations.
And yet the number of actual patches is virtually unchanged from previous months.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.23.0 (2020-06-15).
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Freeware Spotlight — Spydish
Posted on June 15th, 2020 at 01:00 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeBEST UTILITIES
By Deanna McElveen
Remember a time when we could install Windows without needing to immediately go through settings and turn on “features” that impacted our privacy?
Fast-forward to Windows 10, and managing privacy settings has become only more complicated. And looking for them can be time-consuming. To make that process easier, developer Belim from mirinsoft.com created Spydish — a small and light tool that’s easy to use, uncomplicated, and — of course — portable. You can also use it to debloat Windows 10.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.23.0 (2020-06-15).
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Coming to a PC near you: Win10 2004, the ‘May 2020 Update’
Posted on June 8th, 2020 at 01:15 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeWOODY’S WINDOWS WATCH
By Woody Leonhard
Two weeks ago, Microsoft started rolling out the latest Windows 10 feature update — to little enthusiasm from customers.
Yawn another Win10 release?
If you’re running Win10, you may have already seen an offer to “Download and install” version 2004. Or you might’ve seen a notice that your machine isn’t yet ready. As usual, the situation’s a bit complex — unnecessarily so.
But as with every new release of Windows, you’re well advised to avoid Version 2004 for now on any production or personal system.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.22.0 (2020-06-08).
UPDATE: Tero Alhonen reports on Twitter that a Surface Pro 4 is getting Win10 version 2004 through Windows Update.
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Is Windows’ ReadyBoost worthwhile in Win10?
Posted on June 8th, 2020 at 01:10 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeLANGALIST
By Fred Langa
ReadyBoost is a storage technology that can enhance PC performance by using USB flash drives for fast caching.
Debuting in Vista, it was once cutting-edge technology. But does it still make sense with today’s PCs?
Plus: Safely preserving XP, Win7, and other old setups inside Win10.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.22.0 (2020-06-08).
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Determining what’s blocking Windows 10 2004
Posted on June 8th, 2020 at 01:05 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeUPGRADING WINDOWS
By Susan Bradley
Whenever Microsoft releases a new version of Windows 10, days, weeks, and even months can pass before the upgrade successfully installs on individual PCs.
Why? Why does Microsoft take so long to fully roll out a new feature release?
So I wondered: Are there are ways to determine why a machine isn’t qualified for a Windows feature upgrade? The answer in short: There are, but they’re not easy.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.22.0 (2020-06-08).
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Helpful items for working during the pandemic
Posted on June 8th, 2020 at 01:00 Comment on the AskWoody LoungeBEST HARDWARE
By Michael Lasky
In one way or another, we’ve all been touched by the COVID-19 event. This crisis has truly transformed how we work, play, travel, and shop.
All things considered, it’s not surprising that hardware and software vendors see the pandemic as a huge opportunity for selling us work-at-home merchandise that will purportedly enhance our safety and productivity. Some of those items are actually useful!
Here are three such products that I put to the test. Not only did they accomplish their professed raison d’être, each will remain part of my post-COVID-19 life.
Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.22.0 (2020-06-08).
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