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July 24, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you aren’t normally in the habit of installing updates when companies release them, you’ll probably want to make an exception for KB4484439. It is a non-security update for Windows Installer editions of Office 2013 and 2016 products. If you use Office 2016, and frequently edit Word documents that feature custom XML values, these will […]
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July 23, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Do you use Microsoft Office 365? Do you also use Zoom? If so, be advised that there’s a new phishing campaign designed with you specifically in mind, the goal of which is to ultimately make off with your Office 365 login credentials. Since the start of the global pandemic, Zoom and other video conferencing solutions […]
July 21, 2020 by Vertical Axion
All things end eventually, and in the years since Microsoft’s Windows has existed, the OS has undergone a great many changes. Most for the better, but some that have met with unexpected backlash. Last year, millions of users nearly revolted at the notion that MS Paint would be retired. As image editing software goes, Paint […]
July 14, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Recently, Microsoft announced a small but important improvement to one of its signature products, Microsoft Word. The company is planning to roll out a plagiarism checking tool bundled with a virtual writing assistant powered by the company’s increasingly powerful AI/Machine Learning code. If you’re interested in trying it out, it’s currently available to customers using […]
July 6, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Eleven years ago, Microsoft embarked on a bold experiment to emulate Apple. They opened a number of brick and mortar retail stores. Unfortunately, their stores never caught on quite the same way that the Apple Store did, and the rise of the global pandemic only made matters worse for the tech giant. In light of […]
June 29, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft hasn’t had great luck with its Windows 10 updates in recent months. Often, in their quest to improve the OS in one area, they inadvertently break something else. The company’s June 9th update is a classic case in point. On installing the update, a small number of Windows 10 users began experiencing issues with […]
June 18, 2020 by Vertical Axion
When was the last time you applied a Windows 10 security patch? If you haven’t patched since March 10th, it would be an excellent idea to do so as quickly as possible. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a dire warning concerning a newly discovered security flaw. The flaw […]
June 17, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft has been talking for months about their new Edge browser based on Chromium technology. Users will finally be able to see it in action as of the KB4559309 Windows 10 update, which will replace the legacy Edge browser with the company’s latest offering. It should be noted that previous Windows 10 releases did include […]
June 15, 2020 by Vertical Axion
For more than 20 years, “Disk Cleanup” has been a feature in every Windows Build. It’s a quick, easy way to free up hard disk space by getting rid of unneeded system and temporary files. In the October 2018 release of Windows 10, Microsoft added a checkbox that allowed users to also delete the contents […]
June 4, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Great news for the legions of Windows 10 users around the world. Version 2004 comes with a significant WiFi update that includes Wi-Fi6 and WPA3 support, which will give users better wireless performance and increased security. That’s great news, but of course, there’s a catch. In order to make use of WiFi 6, you’ll need […]
May 29, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Be advised that Microsoft has announced it will begin phasing out support of the 32-bit version of Windows 10, beginning with OEM’s. The change is effective as of the May 2020 release. Microsoft had this to say about the recent change: “Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required […]
May 23, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Some Windows 10 updates are big. Most of them range in size from 200-500MB, but some are even larger. This month’s, for example (May 2020), is more than 2GB in size, which is big enough that downloading and installing it can hog all the bandwidth you’ve got. That can easily bring your system to a […]
May 22, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Family safety features have been a part of the Windows 10 experience since its release, and those tools were made available on the Xbox in tandem with the release of Windows 10. You may, in fact, already be using them on your home computer and your Xbox. Unfortunately, similar protections were simply unavailable from Microsoft […]
May 13, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft is working hard to improve its Edge browser, and the latest beta build (Dev version 84.0.495.2) has a lot to be excited about. Most of the benefits are aimed at security and remote employees. There are three new updates, and they involve a security improvement, ease with profile switching, and a few miscellaneous improvements. […]
May 6, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft recently re-reinvented its web browser. After finally giving up on bug-plagued Internet Explorer, the company introduced Microsoft Edge, which it hoped would take the internet community by storm. When that didn’t happen, they re-introduced Edge, this time as a Chromium-based browser, which essentially made it a Google Chrome clone. The company is clearly not […]
May 4, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft Teams (which is the company’s Enterprise chat app) isn’t all business. Like most other chat apps, it allows those who use it to send amusing animated Gif images. Unfortunately, that proved to be problematic. Recently, researchers from CyberArk discovered a serious security issue with Teams that allowed hackers to exploit the Gif function to […]
April 23, 2020 by Vertical Axion
If you’re a veteran Windows user, you’ve almost certainly made frequent use of the “Disk Cleanup” feature, which has been a standard part of the OS for what feels like forever. Recently though, Microsoft has given the utility a bit of a facelift and an upgrade. Lurking under the hood of Windows 10, in the […]
April 10, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Recently, Netflix announced that it was scaling back its streaming speeds to better handle the increased load brought on by millions of people around the world sitting at home due to the threat of the Corona Virus. Netflix isn’t the only company making such moves. Recently, Microsoft announced a raft of new and temporary changes […]
April 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Windows 10 is on a lot of devices around the world. In part, that’s because it’s a significantly better and more modern operating system than its predecessors. In addition, it’s partly because Microsoft has been aggressively pushing people to upgrade to Windows 10. While it took the company a bit longer to reach the magic […]
March 18, 2020 by Vertical Axion
It’s notoriously difficult to get reliable statistics on web browser usage. While there are sites that purport to track such things such as StatCounter and NetMarketShare, the numbers coming from these sources have proved to be problematic and unreliable. Enter the US Government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP, for short). While it doesn’t reveal anything about […]
March 5, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft Edge has been changed and improved many times. It is now Chromium-based, and is one important step closer to widespread release. At present, the new browser is available to Windows 10 Insiders in the “Release Preview” ring. It will remain there for at least a few weeks for testing. Assuming no major problems are […]
March 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
In November of 2019, Microsoft made an announcement and gave users an early look at a new unified Office app designed specifically for Android and iOS devices. The purpose, of course, was to provide the essential functionality of Office in a faster, leaner, and lighter package that was better suited for use on mobile devices. […]