Control Panel is Going Away?

The Windows 10 control panel is slowly being phased out, unfortunately.

In a recent Windows 10 update, Windows began purging the control panel. Why is that? As Microsoft is trying to make things easier on us by giving some of us something new to learn all over again, they are now becoming more and more familiar with the Windows Settings feature. This came about in the Windows 20211 built when people started getting redirected to the Apps & Features section when they try to open up Programs and Features (as it was in the Control Panel).

They’re dripping the updates on us slowly. The other main reason Microsoft says that they’re doing this is that, with the Settings feature, it’s more designed for users who can navigate it better with numerous types of mouse devices.

The Control Panel has been around since 1985 – that’s right; it was the heart of Windows 1.0.

Is the Change Necessary?

Losing the control panel isn’t all bad. Let’s take a look at the light at the end of the tunnel.

Many people do agree that change is necessary. Microsoft tried to offer a little more of this compatibility and navigation ease when they released the Category View to make things easier. The downside is that there were so many different windows and menus that you had to open and deal with. By putting everything literally into the Settings feature, you can have access to it all. If you have a question or are looking for something in the settings, in particular, you can always search for it as well. There are a lot of benefits to using this version of the control for your PC.

1. It’s a lot easier to navigate.
2. It takes up less CPU usage than all of the individual things that had to be opened.
3. It makes changing settings for the better much easier.
4. Finding information will end up being in one simple place.
5. The feature will make things more seamless and much more efficient.

The Bad Thing About This

With the control panel going the way of the dinosaurs, you’ll have to get familiar with the settings page.

Of course, with everything great, there are always pros and cons. However, the main negative side of this is that you’re going to have to get used to doing everything in the settings feature – which is something that not everyone likes to do. Some people like using the Control Panel, even in individual icon modes, so they can actually use what they’re looking for. For example, if they want to view programs and features to install or uninstall an app, they can open the control panel in icon mode and double click the icon.

If you want to look at system info, you can go to the System icon and open it. Some people think that these things look much more simple, because everything is all right there, rather than navigating to a certain part of the settings feature.

Will I Notice the Change?

Many of the Windows test users have already begun to notice the change, as Microsoft is starting to test this feature if you have an IT team that regularly comes in to update your computers or sets things up so that all of them up to date, you may not even notice the change.

Most users that noticed ended up being brought to the Apps & Features Settings panel when they tried to open the shortcut for programs and features in the Control panel. However, not everything is routed to settings yet – as Microsoft is still busy collecting data on everything. It’s said that you can expect this change to become permanent in upcoming Windows updates.

Why Again, Microsoft?

The latest Windows 10 patch is causing just as many problems as the latest Windows 10 update.

It’s perfectly understandable why Microsoft is doing this – many companies out there have been subject to installing or having outdated devices, not to mention a whole slew of security issues and exploit issues. However, the downside to this is that many of them often have little to no driver updates. Because of this problem, though, you may have issues updating Windows in the new 2004 patch.

You’ll receive an error that tells you that your operating system cannot verify the driver’s publisher and get a failed update.

Why is This So Bad?

A major reason why the Windows 10 update has failed users is that it is interfering with driver installations causing operating and security issues.

Some companies out there from off-label hardware makers have actually sold their items online to try and harm others, meaning that their drivers ended up being malicious. This has been a problem for years, though, and especially dangerous when ordering parts online. Therefore, Microsoft has ended up throwing this security red flag to protect not only your information but its operating system in this Windows 10 update.

The problem with this, though, is that Microsoft is triggered to block ALL unknown drivers… This means that you may have something old and outdated, like a NIC card – therefore, when the driver information won’t update, you are leaving your computer at risk. Other problems users have been having, though, is that this Windows 10 update is rendering things like their network cards, graphic cards, and more completely and utterly useless. This can be extremely dangerous for businesses where time is money, and all of the time requires network connections.

How Can I Fix This?

You can try rolling back the Windows 10 update to a previous version, but that may not do the trick.

You can fix this error is to roll back your update and any updated drivers to whatever they were before. This can hopefully fix the problem. If in the case that it doesn’t (some users reported that this doesn’t work), you can always manually uninstall the updates as well – something we’ve mentioned numerous times in previous posts regarding these topics.

Of course, if everything fails, you can try a Windows Restore point to a date before the Windows 10 update date. There is a little trick to this, though, since sometimes this has been known to uninstall and remove some programs and documents (even though it says that documents won’t be removed, it has still been known to happen for years).

Using cloud storage software is an excellent way to stay connected with colleagues, share documents, and create backups in case of a buggy Windows 10 update.

You can use a cloud backup solution through your local IT providing service if they have the options to – this way, you can back up any documents that you are worried about being lost before rolling back your drivers and systems. You can also do this to back up important data to an external drive or flash drive (so you can put it all back later).

The biggest problem that some people had (other than breaking their connectivity and loss of data or devices) is that they completely had to reset their operating system. When this happens, fortunately, you can choose the option to do an install of Windows from an older version of Windows 10 and then block those bad updates from happening.

What Can We Do Then?

When you have to do all of this tedious uninstalling, reinstalling, and driver fixing (or unfixing), you have to take time away from what’s important – work. Fortunately, with the right IT team in place, you don’t have to utilize the extra expense accounts to pay for things like payroll, insurance, and labor, and you can have someone come in and fix the problem in a completely transparent manner. That’s our goal – transparency, and efficiency – that way, you can make sure that you can do your jobs even in the background while Windows 10 update issues are resolved.

In the past, Internet Explorer junkies and those who, despite it alike, can tell you of all of the terrible security flaws in the browser, but nobody has ever complained that the browser just sort of “installed itself” and “wouldn’t let anyone close it.” That sounds like a problem to me!

How Do I Get the New Microsoft Edge?

The new Microsoft Edge doesn’t look half bad, and it has some cool features I didn’t expect to find, like the read-aloud feature you will find below.

If you have a recent Windows 10 system, getting the new version of Microsoft Edge is pretty straightforward. Run Windows Update and reboot your system. That being said, be prepared for a fun browser that can destroy itself. No, we’re serious. If you plan on closing it, don’t even bother unless you get it completely set up to your likings or unless you force it to stop with the Windows Task Manager.

What’s worse, you won’t even know it installs until you restart your system for a “super important Windows update.” When you restart, your computer will get bombarded with laggy speeds and a big splash screen telling you how you can try out and use the new Microsoft Edge browser. Wait, Didn’t Windows 10 already come with Microsoft Edge? Oh yeah, they updated it supposedly.

Problems with Taking Over

Microsoft Edge promises to keep your information private, but why is Microsoft forcing it on us by automatically making it our default browser?

Another important thing that people everywhere are complaining about – especially faithful Chrome and Firefox users – is that with this update, Microsoft also resets your default browser to use Edge instead of any others on your system. This alone is a humongous no-no. It is the exact reason why many people stop using their computers or operating systems altogether – directly because it controlled too much of their PC. Don’t believe us? Ask how many people have quit Windows because of the new version that doesn’t let you disable Windows Defender, and you may be surprised!

Unbeknownst Copying of Data

Microsoft Edge has been caught red-handed copying private data from its users. While it’s nothing new, and Google does it as well, we wish none of them did this.

Google has recently got into trouble by jumping the gun and automatically throwing your personal information online before. This eventually led them to make sure they ask your permission. Windows 10 went one step further – they share your data to the cloud with your Microsoft account, but they also copy your chrome data – bookmarks, history, cookies, and more) and throw it into its cache to help it “replace” your Google Chrome. Because of this hiccup, the app is almost a breach of security of privacy to many users.

Residual Waste

Once Microsoft Edge has dug its claws into your network, getting rid of it is a little tricky, and you’ll need to dig deep and pull it out by the roots.

While we mentioned that you could use the task manager to kill the app, you still didn’t get rid of it. Once you reset your default browser to the one you use, you need to find where the Edge browser resides, then find and delete the personal data of yours that it stole from your other browsers.

Final Thoughts

If you wish to stay up to date, then sure – leave the new Edge on your computer. It’s not an awful browser since it’s based on Chromium. It has way more security, stability, and performance than previous versions and that of IE. However, the fact of the matter is that anything installed silently, in the background, and then takes control of your PC’s settings that you worked hard getting just right yourself is simply something that doesn’t turn heads in a good direction for most users.

How can you avoid this from happening? Well, you can easily uninstall the update or the browser, but this can lead to problems. Otherwise, if you have an excellent technical support team that can help with all things IT, you may be able to eliminate this force-ware installation successfully.

Windows 10 Tip #1 Cleaning the Clutter

Over time, the temporary folders in Windows become cluttered and other areas of the computer. To make them speed up, older versions of Windows had an easy-to-find Disk Cleanup feature that would clear this clutter up, empty your recycle bin, and more.

This tool can still be accessed if you are running a small business or have a lot of data going back and forth, adding or removing, etc., regularly. Hit the Start button, and type Disk Cleanup. Then all you have to do is perform the cleanup and defragment of your hard drive as normal. It is highly suggested that if you run with SSD drives or defragment your computer fully (at least once a week), you do it at the end of the office day or have your IT team do it after hours.

Windows 10 Tip #2 Special Start Menu

You’ll see another Windows 10 tip in the left-hand corner, the special start menu.

Windows, of course, has a start menu when you hit the “Start” button on your keyboard, but many users don’t know that there are many things they can still access using a special start menu by pressing the letter X with the Windows key. It gives you an enhanced but slimline version of the Start menu that lets you access Apps and Features, Disk Management tools (including disk cleanup), Device Manager, Task Manager, PowerShell, and more.

Windows 10 Tip #3 Taskbar Hotkeys

These are not the shortcuts we are looking for, but if you hold down the Windows key and hit a number, you’ll be able to open up your taskbar programs, which is a pretty cool Windows 10 tip.

Aside from Alt+Tab, one of an IT professional’s best friends, you can also access different apps and windows on the taskbar according to the number they’re pulled up in. If you hold the Windows key and type the number of the window’s location on the taskbar, you can switch to it instantly. For example, if your browser is the fourth window on the taskbar, you’ll hold Windows & hit the number 4.

You can see all your open programs in one place by holding down the alt and tab keys simultaneously.

Windows 10 Tip #4 Shake it Down

If you have many different windows open, which is pretty standard in the workplace, you may need to do something such as access the desktop quickly or minimize multiple windows at once. To do this, you must click the top Status bar in your Windows app and then shake your mouse back and forth quickly. This will minimize all of that program’s windows so you can do what you must in other areas.

You can always restore the windows later by doing it again. However, you must have this setting enabled via the Windows Settings ->Multitasking area or the Group Policy Editor (something for the IT Pros out there).

Windows 10 Tip #5 The Powerful God Mode

Learning how to get into your computer’s God Mode folder is an invaluable Windows 10 tip.

This is something that many IT and managed service providers know about, but it is something they are keener on using compared to regular users. You can create a shortcut with every single setting for Windows in one convenient folder – including control panel shortcuts and more advanced features. To do this, you have to create a folder (you cannot create a shortcut to this anymore like you could with older versions of Windows) and name the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Once you do this and hit enter, the icon will change to a new symbol, and when you open it, you need to be extremely careful. You can jack up your computer if you don’t know what you’re doing in this advanced control panel.

Windows 10 Tip #6 Boot Your Systems Faster

If you follow this Windows 10 tip, you’ll be able to boot up your system faster.

One of the best options that you can find is the task manager’s Startup tab. It allows you to enable or disable startup items (not services) that slow down your bootup and loading process. If you want the most out of this, you can always open the Windows Run command prompt (using the Start Menu we mentioned), then type MSConfig into the box, and then hit enter. This will pull up advanced configurations. You probably want these settings at the least:

Normal startup

Boot Tab->Timeout 8 seconds

Services Tab -> Check to Hide All Microsoft Services
Turn off Any Program services that aren’t system or Antivirus (Google, Adobe Acrobat, etc.)

Hit OK, or Apply-> OK, then restart your computer to see how much faster Windows loads. Do note that if you have an Antivirus causing slower computer speeds (this is common), you may not see much difference.

What Other Windows 10 Tips Can I Get?

If you have a good managed service provider or VoIP service team member that’s a true professional in everything IT, then all you have to do is ask if there’s a shortcut that you can use. Numerous tools can be used to speed up productivity. We highly recommend using them, such as if you’re a writer who needs to operate quickly with word processing or have many windows up for processing data. Just ask, and they’ll let you know!

Have you ever lost your data because you accidentally deleted it from your hard drive? What if you needed to pull up an old document or a photo that you may have removed a while back?

I Thought Windows Came with a Recovery Solution

Many people fail to realize that there is a time limit to using Windows File Recovery, and they tend to find out after it’s too late, and their files are gone forever.

This puppy isn’t like your operating system repair and recovery. Instead of downloading special software, Microsoft aims to help you recover lost or deleted files. Of course, you can’t wait forever to recover your files. Otherwise, they may be gone entirely and overwritten to the block. But is this file recovery any good? Or is it better to have another file recovery tool or a professionally managed service provider do it for you? Let’s find out!

Limited Options

There are now file recovery options for everything technical and IoT, including phones, computers, camera systems, and even smart toasters.

File recovery programs are not only a dime a dozen, but so are their features. From mobile device recovery to PC or Mac recovery (even Linux has recovery apps), what you need in a file recovery system may vary, and you may not get the right one the first time. On top of that, you may have particular files that you need to recover, program files, installation files, and other pertinent data.

Microsoft’s tool recovers a lot, but it doesn’t recover everything. They’ve stuck their tool about so-so with much other mediocre software on the web – allowing you only to recover MP3s, MP4 vids, Documents (including text files, rich text files, and Office Documents), and JPEG images. If you want more recovery options, you may want to leave that to the pros or spend cash on another program.

Only for Certain Hard Drives

Depending on which hard drive you have installed may be the difference in Windows File Recovery retrieving your data or being lost forever.

Windows File Recovery can do an excellent job at retrieving the types of documents above on an NTFS file system, but it lags when extracting data from other hard drive signature types. This means that if you have a FAT32 or a ReFS file system, it may take much more time to retrieve less data than you would if you used an NTFS filesystem.

What does this mean for the average user? It means you can help recover lost files that are important to you if you accidentally wiped your hard drive or deleted something. Of course, Microsoft already put this into Windows 10 if you have File History turned on (you have to enable it manually).

Is It the Best Option for File Recovery?

Windows File recovery is probably not the best method of recovering your files, and you should look elsewhere if you can.

We’re going to answer that question with a loud and resounding no. Why do you ask? First, your limitations with Windows 10 make it even harder to recover files. There are also a bazillion other file formats than the ones that software applications create, and this file recovery tool can’t recover everything you may need. There is plenty of higher-end software, but as mentioned earlier, that may not be the best option for your business or personal needs.

Hidden Dangers of File Recovery

When attempting to use Windows File recovery or any file recovery, there is always a possibility that something may go wrong, so plan accordingly and be safe.

If you’ve noticed, since Windows ME and even Windows XP existed, file recovery and any recovery can be potentially dangerous. There are millions of viruses out there, and even though your virus protection (unless it’s a beast provided by your MSP) is working full force, it may not pick up on erased or super-compacted-and-encrypted data. In other words, Windows Recovery partitions and even the infamous System Restore has and always will be necessary for essential things but dangerous because they can harbor old removed viruses.

Therefore, it’s best not to do the work yourself if you can avoid it. Get ahold of your team of IT pros and let them get cranking – you’ll always have the insurance of knowing that you won’t harm your disk drives with their help!

With one of the recent Windows Updates, though, they installed a – WSL v2, which allows users even more flexibility and allows you to update your Linux kernel right and your Windows Updates. So, what does this mean for businesses?

What Does This Mean for IT and VoIP?

Some people prefer to have added security for their VoIP systems, and therefore, they prefer to install software like 3CX on a Linux kernel computer. Linux gives the PBX server more added protection since the file systems are different from those on a Windows computer, and they’re less likely to be attacked. The downside? Many users have to resort to additional software on their Windows PCs to connect to the PBX server to access certain features remotely. Well, what if you could do it all on one computer?

Using a console command line on a Windows workstation can allow installing and running the PBX server software that goes with your YeaLink phone.

It’s Also Lighter on the System

Another great benefit of using the Windows Subsystem for Linux is that many people have to install a virtual machine onto their computers to run Linux kernel apps and programs and even access a console solution. The downside is that doing this often takes up more space, but it also needs more customization and eats up system memory more.

By having a WSL server set up on your Windows 10 machine, you don’t need the VM, so you can do everything right from the command line of your Linux kernel installation without having to install third-party software.

What Microsoft Has to Say

Microsoft has been more than well known to have nothing but products you had to pay for when it came to professional services. Over the years, their prices have skyrocketed (unless you buy OEM keys for everything – such as Microsoft Office 2019). Still, they realize that there are a lot more benefits to open-source platforms on their actual software.

By packaging the Linux kernel in Windows 10, making Microsoft more developer-friendly.

For quite a while now, they’ve learned to release numerous Windows Apps on the GitHub platform for open source development. Releasing these apps allows them to get more development done and teach others how to program (it’s a win-win situation for Microsoft).

What About Graphical User Interfaces?

One of the coolest things about having the WSL is that with an X11 server running on your Windows machine, you can enable the ability to run the GUI components popular on Linux right on your Windows machine without a VM. Yes! You can seriously run Linux programs now on Windows (finally). The installation trick is to download a third-party Linux X11 display server such as X-Ming or even Cygwin/X.

Windows 10’s Linux kernel may make your computer run faster by freeing up much-needed RAM.

Once you have the Linux-X server installed and running, all you have to do is load up your WSL installation, then export the display (this sets your current monitor/display in your Linux installation), and you can run the programs. You won’t be able to do anything unless you do the display export, though. To do so, type the following in the console (or copy/paste the code below):

export:DISPLAY=:0

Once you hit enter, you’ll be able to run an X11 program. You can install some by typing:

sudo apt-get install x11-apps

This will install the basic X11 apps. Once you’ve done this, you can also choose the graphical Gnome desktop while you’re on WSL. Simply type:

sudo apt install gnome gnome-session

to install the Gnome desktop for Linux, and then once that’s done, you type:

sudo DISPLAY=:0 XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11 gnome-session

into your Linux kernel.

The Conclusion

In the past, you had to use the buggy transference software to run a Linux kernel desktop on your PC – such as the old version of Linux for Windows (which allowed you to log off of your Windows system to run the Linux installation you had). However, this caused many problems, and when it came to uninstalling the Linux installation (as many people didn’t like how buggy it was), it caused many broken computers.

Now you have the freedom, flexibility, and security you need for all of your development. You can even have your managed services solution help you to set up your VoIP server right there on a Windows machine, which is more secure by knowing you can have Linux kernel directly on your Windows 10 PC!

You, too, will be jumping for joy after your Windows 10 PC gets the Linux kernel!

Windows 10 Phone App

One of the coolest things you can do is use the Windows phone app that comes with the new Windows 10 version (it’s been around since v1809), but it is very picky. Some phones aren’t supported (some older smartphones aren’t compatible with the app), but if you have a newer one, you can synchronize your phone with Windows to operate on your Desktop, send and receive text messages, and even make phone calls.

This is an excellent tool for remote working! If you don’t have a Bluetooth headset (but have a PC headset or even a gaming headset), then you can use the Windows phone app to make phone calls from your PC using VoIP and your cellular service. As stated earlier, this is not entirely new technology, but you couldn’t do this on Windows without installing a third-party software program in the past.

You can pair your phone with Windows 10, whether it’s an iPhone or an Android. You can even pair your iPad!

Are There Any Third Party Programs That Do This Too?

There are numerous third-party apps out there that can help you share files, documents, and more to your PCs. Of course, these are often a little trickier because you usually have to have your PC and your phone connected by a USB cord, have USB debugging turned on, and in some cases, have to completely root and unlock your phone. One popular app that does many of these things without having to completely root your phone, though, is Airdroid, but it’s primarily for Android, and you do have to do some trickery to control your phone with your computer. However, you can do complete phone mirroring with it, which is pretty cool (though a bit laggy).

What Third-Party Apps Can’t Do

Most third-party software apps for phones are specific to the type of phone you have (Android, iOS, Windows 10 Mobile). And not only that, you can’t synchronize your phone with all of the numerous mobile apps with third-party software. Sure, you can share files, share connections, and more, but what about using things like Microsoft Office products? Sure, you can use the apps and share the files, but not sync them together!

Complete Windows Synchronization

In the past, you were able to only synchronize windows phones with Microsoft products. Still, now, if you have Microsoft 365, or a Microsoft account with OneDrive, you can easily do just about anything on a mobile device. Microsoft Office is available entirely for free on Android and iOS. You can save your documents in the cloud, then come back to your computer later. Not to mention Skype. With Skype, you can even use it to chat with clients and even make some video-conferencing and audio calls.

So How Do You Pair Your Phone With Windows 10?

First things first, to pair your phone with Windows 10, you should have an active working phone number that you can link to. Below we have demonstrated how to pair your device if it’s an Android. The steps to pair an iOS device are similar and shouldn’t cause you too much hassle.

Please follow the steps below to pair your phone with Windows 10:

1. On your Windows 10 PC, not your phone, click on the sprocket-looking icon, which will take you to your Settings.
2. Then click on the picture of the Phone.
3. Here comes the tricky part don’t be scared. You’ve got this. To pair your phone with Windows 10, you need to click where it says Add a phone. Also, make sure your PC and phone are connected to the internet. That wasn’t so bad, was it?
4. When the new window appears, you need to choose your country code and input your phone number. Then you need to click the Send button to receive a text message on your phone.
5. Lastly, you need to download the Android app called “Microsoft Apps” by clicking the SMS link that you just received. This step is crucial if you want to pair your phone with Windows 10. After you’ve done all these steps, you should be good to go, and you can celebrate! All you need to do now is to sign-into the Microsoft Launcher or Edge, and your device will magically appear in the Windows 10 Phone section on your PC.

The Downside

There is one downside to all of these fantastic features, though. It’s not a huge deal, but it is one worth mentioning. That’s simply the fact that it’s all done within Microsoft. Many people don’t like that Microsoft records a lot of data that its users submit, especially over the Cloud. Not only that, but if you want to make sure your Cloud is completely secure, then you’ll probably want to hire a managed service provider for extra security. But if you’re going to pair your phone with Windows 10, this what you need to do. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment or send us a message.

Why Have They Paused Updates?

Many people aren’t worried about the optional Windows 10 updates as much as they are the important ones. Therefore, users who have Windows 10 installed on their system won’t receive this issue. It’s also a well-known fact that optional updates are often the “root of all evil,” causing blue screens, boot failures, and forcing people to reset or refresh their PC (or, in some cases, do a system restore to fix the problem). During this time, they’ve seen a decline in sales for their customers. Gates’ team is going to continue working on bug security fixes and making Windows better. There are also rumors of a potential upgrade and overhaul to the OS altogether.

If you get the dreaded blue screen of death when performing optional Windows 10 updates, it is not the end of the world.

Will Regular Updates and Patches Still Happen, or are They Optional Windows 10 updates, too?

Microsoft has informed the public that they’re still going to be doing their regular Tuesday updates. These updates and patches help keep businesses and government computer systems up to date. These do not include any optional Windows 10 updates and are only patches. Some worry that users aren’t going to be as protected with the pause, but only time will honestly tell.

Rumors of a New Version

In recent months, there has been an idea floating around that you could have a Windows OS that is more lightweight – but they’ve done pretty well at remaining consistent with Windows 10 – and at one point have even stated that Windows 10 is the last OS they’re going to have.

However, rumors and constant hit drops have stated they’ve been working on a unified Windows operating system for a very long time. These will be more secure than Windows 10 and have updates that you won’t even notice (similar to hot patches). What’s even cooler is that the new Windows are to be “universal” – meaning you’re going to get the same version of Windows on your W-phones as you would on your PCs and tablets.

Did you know that you can pair your phone with Windows 10? No optional Windows 10 updates in sight!

Updates for Edge

Using the same Chromium engine that Google has made famous over the years, Microsoft has realized its potential. It can provide a little bit of information here and there to state that the days of Internet Explorer will be gone. There are still companies and even websites that rely on IE for their usage and security features. The lack of security – Internet Explorer is still one of the only browsers that allow ActiveX controls that will enable website users to open a program just by clicking a link.

Microsoft Credge looks super slick, and it is simple to download and install.

Don’t believe me? Open up Internet Explorer and click here to find out how you can open up a program (we promise, there are no virus threats – it’s against our policies, and we value your protection) by simply clicking a website’s button – keep in mind it won’t work on any other browser. These security risks are about to become obsolete, according to Microsoft. If Microsoft pulls this off, it would be a massive win for PC users worldwide!

Our Take on All of This

Today, there are numerous bug reports that people are continuing to have problems with in terms of the newest version release of Windows, so you may want to install 1909 and keep it there. If you are deadset on installing any of the optional Windows 10 updates, you can do so but at your own risk. We suggest you play it safe and keep what’s working until something proven arrives. Because sometimes being first isn’t best.

If you ever have any problems with your operating system updates, you can send your managed service team of IT professionals a message, and they’ll fix them for you.

Here are a few things that every company needs to be aware of when using Windows 10 or the newest version of Windows Server. It goes beyond vulnerabilities, though. Windows 10 has been the latest company to be continuously flagged as collecting data and violating numerous people’s privacy. We’re going to cover all of the things that every company needs to check and do when using this operating system on their workplace devices.

Microsoft Spyware

One of the first things that a person needs to check is whether or not the Microsoft keylogger is on. Yes, that’s right – Microsoft still has a keylogger in Windows that can record everything done on a computer and gets sent to Microsoft.

You can turn it off by going into the Settings, Security and Privacy->General, and turn off the “Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future” feature. Oh, but that’s not all. The spyware is STILL there. They’ve just broken it up into multiple processes now. You then have to click on the “Speech, inking and typing” section and click the Stop getting to know me. Any setting that sends “anonymous usage to Microsoft”… Believe it or not, Windows is full of these settings.

Microsoft even has a feedback tool and the infamous “Windows Error Reporting Tool” that collects and sends an undisclosed amount of data to Microsoft when a software program crashes. What’s worse? You can’t even shut down Windows Defender if you wanted to, and even IT has its settings that collect your data and sends them to Microsoft. Things like SmartScreen have to pass through their servers before it reaches the website you want to view, then back to you.

The Solution? Turn off EVERYTHING that Sends Data to Microsoft, INCLUDING Windows Defender’s ActiveScan. We can provide you with SentinelOne for your Full IT Security solution!

Microsoft Office Can Still Kill!

Microsoft has now released some warnings in Office, but it’s not enough. Users are opening documents that are downloaded online and are still not safe. It’s just as bad as Adobe PDFs that have viruses embedded into them, and there are numerous exploits, and as of last year, almost 75% of cyberattacks are using Office to do it.

Microsoft Office may not be all that secure, but is it still the best choice?

Think you’re safe? Think again! What’s even worse? Microsoft themselves have a bad habit of collecting data on their Office apps. (you can turn this feature off if you’re using Office Pro 2016, 2019, etc. – but you may still be susceptible to data collection if you’re using Office365. It is on Microsoft’s servers, after all).

Cortana

Cortana is Microsoft’s Assistant. No, really. If you’re used to using Google Assistant or a smart speaker, you already know that while your data is supposedly secure and safe, Cortana sends everything you search for using their assistant to Microsoft first and reports it.

Here’s a question, how can I make you more secure?

How Do I Make the OS Insecure and Turn Off These Privacy Policies?

First off, you can’t even use the old-fashioned gpedit.msc – you have to download it externally and install it into your system – more on that another time. Supposedly, it can’t be downloaded and installed for Windows 10 Home (oh, but it can!). The heck with it – you can download the batch file here (right-click, save target as)! All you have to do is run the batch file and watch the Command Prompt do its work to enable Group Editor again. Then hit Start->Run->enter “gpedit.msc” and you should be back to the Group Editor.

NOTE: Do not try to disable Windows Defender or Tamper with Microsoft system settings (like trying to take control of certain ones). Otherwise, Windows Security’s tamper protection (even if it’s turned off) will make you force close the application. Either way, the group editor can help you do things like take away users’ ability to run the task manager, access special control panel items, and much more.

Next Up, Turn Off Windows Crud!

Now for the fun stuff. You can’t turn off Windows Defender entirely in the new Windows 1903 and 1909 versions – but you can disable everything to do with it. Turn off the following windows features:

1. Switch to a local account instead of a Microsoft account. Save all of your work, go to Start->Settings->Accounts->Your Account Name, and click on “Sign in with local account instead.” Choose a new password, and click Sign out and finish. Voila!
2. Disable Cortana. You can always turn it off, or if you’re installing Windows for the first time, you can avoid placing this altogether.
3. Disable everything in settings that say “Run in Background” or “collects data.” You can find these two phrases throughout the Settings area. Look closely, and you’ll find them.
4. Turn off personalized ads and location. These settings will enable Microsoft to have the ability to track your computer. You’ll also receive customized ads based on your browsing habits. Facebook and Google already got in trouble for this, and now Microsoft’s doing it? Bad Gates!
5. Always make sure your system is secure and updated with the latest security updates.

Final Resolution

Of course, most companies don’t have the time to go through every one of their computers and do this kind of maintenance. It’s excruciating and time-consuming to do maintenance on one computer, let alone multiple PCs in business. That’s why you should hire a company that can give you a full-service solution to manage all of your business devices and VoIP systems together! They’re there to do the work you don’t have time to do!

We are aware that this post is a little late. Rest assured, we’ll be writing about the latest Windows update in a more timely manner. We hope you all are well and staying safe!

Windows Now Controls Everything

Well, if you’ve read our “Gamers and Developers Beware” post from Halloween on how Windows v1903 takes control of everything, including Windows Defender. Not only that, but even flipping the switch to turn to tamper controls off doesn’t let you disable Windows Defender when you need to. You may want to have an antivirus that doesn’t completely slow your computer down should you need to update software or install new programs. So, you’ll want to disable your antivirus for a few minutes. You can’t do this with Windows Defender.

What Defender Can Do for You Now

Windows does offer reliable protection these days, but it benefits the firewall. Windows has one of the most advanced and customizable firewalls out there. On top of that, they’ve finally brought in cloud protection and backups, thanks to OneDrive. It also has a USB scan functionality. As of a recent study in 2019, AV-Test.org performed a survey and found that Windows Defender had blocked all viruses from a controlled list. That means that it is incredibly secure. Of course, these things don’t come with downsides.

Defender Has Problems? No Way!

As with anything Microsoft makes, we have come to expect their software to be riddled with problems. From software insecurities, all the way to the fact that users can embed Trojan code into a Microsoft Word document or e-mail that can infect computers and skip some of Defender’s security and firewall are one problem. Another problem is that Windows has it set, so not only can you NOT turn Defender off – it still runs in the background. Eating up resources, even if you have real-time protection turned off. Windows Security scans EVERYTHING. Lack of resources makes installing new software and downloading it go excruciatingly slow.

On top of this, Windows Defender allows users to go ahead and run virus-infected items. If a user says to, Windows will continue to allow it to run indefinitely without quarantining it. They also don’t have a lot on their virus database to educate their users on what exactly viruses do. If you see their descriptions of many viruses, they are generic and full of typical responses. These responses don’t explain anything about what the virus is doing to your computer. It’s maddening, I tell you!!

You should not run Windows Defender on its own. If you are only using Windows Defender, you are leaving yourself wide-open for security issues.

So Defender is Not Good Enough by Itself It Seems

Fortunately, the title says it all. While Windows Firewall may be all you need on each PC in your business, you still need your network’s firewall in place to be safe. And then this means that due to vulnerabilities, you’re going to have to install a third-party antivirus solution like SentinelOne. On the plus side, you can count on an IT team that offers the best security possible. No matter if you’re just running business computers, or even if you have a VoIP system in place.

Meet the newest addition to your security arsenal, SentinelOne antivirus software. SentinelOne chews up Windows Defender and spits it out.

What We Think

According to the numerous tests out there, Windows Defender may be viable for home users. Still, businesses large and small have more security threats than ever (with the majority pointing to small companies). Businesses are going to get harassed and attacked more with DDoS attacks, cybersecurity threats, and even robocalls than home users. Therefore, you must choose the right antivirus, and SentinelOne can prevail above many others.