Category Archives: 2020.01

2020.01

How to Delete Windows10Upgrade Folder and Free Space

If you have a Windows10Upgrade folder inside your C drive, adopt these measures to delete it and free up some disk space.

Have you ever installed or used Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant tool, it’ll automatically produce a new folder called Windows10Upgrade folder in the cause of the C drive. You can access it by visiting C:\Windows10Upgrade path. This folder contains all the files and folders related to the Upgrade Assistant program. Generally, the Windows10Upgrade folder will be around 20MB or so in size.

However, generally, the Upgrade Assistant folder is confused for that Windows.old folder. In that case or if you can’t stand this folder sitting in the main of your C drive then you can simply delete it.

Without ado, allow me to show the best way to delete the Windows10Upgrade folder in Windows 10.

Steps to Delete Windows10Upgrade Folder

Generally, since the folder is made through the Upgrade Assistant application, you shouldn’t delete the Windows10Upgrade folder directly. Should you choose try to delete it directly, it could throw Access Denied error or make the Upgrade Assistant application act unpredictably. So, that which you have to do is, uninstall the application after which delete the folder. Allow me to demonstrate how.

1. First, open the “PC Settings” app by pressing the Win + I keyboard shortcut. Within the app, go to the “Apps → Apps & Features” page.

2. On the right panel, scroll down till you find the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistance application. You can also utilize the search bar to make things easier.

3. Click on the Upgrade Assistant option and then click the “Uninstall” button.

4. Click the “Uninstall” button again within the pop-up.

5. Feel the wizard to complete the uninstallation procedure.

6. Now, open the File Explorer by pressing Win + E and go to the C drive.

7. Here, find out if you have the Windows10Upgrade folder. By default, the folder ought to be automatically deleted whenever you uninstall the Upgrade Assistant application. If not, simply select the folder and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

If you see any error messages while deleting the folder, reboot the system and try again. Sometimes, despite uninstalling the Upgrade Assistant application, the folder may still maintain use within the background. Rebooting will fix the problem.

2020.01

How to Disable Search Suggestions in Chromium Microsoft Edge

The brand new Chromium Microsoft Edge browser includes search suggestions, an element that’s designed to make searching a lot faster the way it provides a number of suggestions as you type.

Quite simply, when you begin typing the Microsoft Edge address bar, the letters that you simply type are automatically sent to google configured in the browser, so it may then generate suggestions that could or may not be useful.

At this time, Microsoft Edge includes four built-in search engines like google which users can configure from the settings screen, namely Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo. Looking suggestions use these search engines like google.

Enabling and disabling looking suggestions within the latest version of Microsoft Edge is fairly easy, as Microsoft has added a dedicated option in connection with this. You can find it in the following location:

Microsoft Edge > Settings > Privacy and services > Address bar

The choice you need to disable is called:

Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters

What you need to know is the fact that once you disable this feature, suggestions will still be offered, but only using data stored locally. In other words, information is no longer transmitted towards the search engine, and the suggestions derive from your favorites and also the browsing history.

Microsoft itself explains in the description from the feature:

“If you turn this off, you’ll only see suggestions from your favorites and history. Typed characters won’t be delivered to the search engine used in the address bar.”

Although some wish to disable search suggestions because they want such a feature, switching off such functionality may also help to improve the performance of the browser. After they begin typing, the applying must transmit information towards the search engine, based on which you are supplied with suggestions, so this whole process could slow down the computer, especially in the case of old hardware.

The new Microsoft Edge works not only on Windows 10, but also on Windows 7 and Windows 8, so there’s a chance that some of the devices running these OS versions might need a little performance boost.

However, if privacy is the main concern, there are many other options that you desire to disable, such as the ones that permits you to “Help improve Microsoft Edge.” If the options here are enabled, information about how you use the browser is sent to Microsoft.

Also, personalizing your internet experience requires some data, such as the web surfing history, to become processed by Microsoft, as the company itself explains in the settings screen.

“Improve your internet experience by permitting Microsoft to apply your browsing history from this account for personalizing advertising, search, news along with other Microsoft services,” this selection explains.

You’ll find the toggle to enable and disable this functionality here:

Microsoft Edge > Settings > Privacy & services > Personalize your web experience

Microsoft Edge continues to be in its beginning as a stable browser on Windows and Mac, so expect more privacy features to become added as new versions are freed. Microsoft maintains the browser as part of the same channels as Google Chrome, so that you can download Canary, Dev, Beta, and stable builds separately on both Windows and Mac.

The stable build is obviously the one suitable for probably the most refined experience, but when you need to preview additional features before they go live for production devices, the Canary build may be the one offering you early access towards the latest inclusions in the browser.

2020.01

How to Quickly Dismiss a Windows 10 Notification Without Touching a button

Toast notifications are an evolution from the traditional balloon tips which were utilized in Windows 7, as well as on Windows 10 they have a rectangular shape, using a slide-in and slide-out animation to show up in and then go away in the top right corner of the screen.

In Windows 10, toast notifications have grown to be a vital part of our daily desktop experience, and also the more we use notifications, greater it gets to work well on the computer without this feature.

Managing notifications, however, is sometimes considered an inconvenient, due to the fact interacting with them appears to be optimized for the mouse. In other words, if you want to dismiss a notification, the only method to do it is by using a mouse, which in some cases, such as when typing on the keyboard, isn’t necessarily very comfortable.

However, it is possible to dismiss notifications using the keyboard as well, and it’s all possible with a quite simple tricking that Microsoft engineer Jen Gentleman shared recently.

Whenever a notification turns up on screen, you will soon press Windows key + Shift + V to focus on the notification – you need to visit a white rectangle on the notification, meaning that the focus switched to it.

At that time, just press the delete button on the keyboard and then the notification should go away. Quite simply, this is exactly what you need to do:

When notification turns up:
Windows key + Shift + V / press Delete

Dismissing notifications using the keyboard works much like you’d do it with a mouse. Therefore if the app is set in order to save notifications within the Action Center, dismissing the toast notification turning up on screen won’t remove it from the Action Center. However, if there’s no implementation for that Action Center, then your notification is dismissed completely, so there’s no distinction between mouse and keyboard.

If you wish to try out this trick, you can do it by installing Notifications Vizualizer, a totally free app published within the Microsoft Store that permits you to simulate various notifications on the Windows 10 device.

What you ought to know, however, is the fact that notifications must be enabled on your Windows 10 computer. To determine the status of the notifications on Windows 10, take this road:

Windows 10 > Settings > System > Notifications & actions > Notifications > Get notifications from apps along with other senders

You can also configure the kind of notifications you need to receive, as well as the apps permitted to give back notifications.

“Want to determine some notifications first for action center? Tired of seeing others altogether? Press and hold (or right-click) a notification in the sender, then select Get this to group high priority to make it appear higher in your notification list. Or select Turn off notifications with this group to prevent seeing those notifications. To create other settings changes, select Visit notification settings,” Microsoft explains.

The methods described above operate in all versions of Windows 10, including both stable and Insider builds. I additionally tested it on the upcoming Windows 10 version 2004 (which is due in the spring of this year) and everything appears to be working correctly. Windows 10 version 2004 has already been finalized and it is currently in the last testing stage prior to the public launch takes place.

Users can download and install Windows 10 version 2004 by signing up for the Windows Insider program and joining the Fast ring, albeit everyone must bear in mind the builds available here aren’t 100 % polished and suitable for production devices.

2020.01

Microsoft Must Open Source Windows 7, Free Software Foundation Says

Windows 7 reached the end of support on January 14, so Microsoft will only release updates to paying customers, with home users recommended to upgrade to Windows 10 moving forward.

But according to the Free Software Foundation, or FSF, this doesn’t need to happen, as everyone is able to continue receiving updates if Microsoft open sources the operating system and permits the community to maintain it.

“Microsoft’s support of Windows 7 is over, nevertheless its life doesn’t have to end. We ask Microsoft to upcycle it instead,” FSF says in a petition.

FSF accuses Microsoft of too many wrongdoings with Windows 7.

“On January 14th, Windows 7 reached its official “end-of-life,” bringing a finish to the updates as well as its ten years of poisoning education, invading privacy, and threatening user security. The end of Windows 7’s lifecycle gives Microsoft an ideal opportunity to undo past wrongs, and to upcycle it instead,” the business says.

Microsoft unlikely to open-source Windows 7

The organization claims that by open-sourcing Windows 7, Microsoft makes it possible for the community to “study, modify, and share” code in the operating-system. This could also permit the company to “respect the freedom and privacy” of users, FSF continues.

“We ask these to release it as being free software, and give it towards the community to review and improve. As there is already a precedent for releasing some core Windows utilities as free software, Microsoft has nothing to get rid of by liberating a version of their operating system that they themselves say has ‘reached its end,'” the Free Software Foundation adds.

During the time of writing, the petition has nearly 5,000 supporters.

Of course, Microsoft hasn’t responded to the petition, but it goes without saying that you simply shouldn’t expect the organization to open-source Windows 7. There are many reasons the company won’t do that, such as the fact that Windows 7 shares much of the code with Windows 10, and open-sourcing this year’s OS would obviously expose its successors.

2020.01

The Future of Ie in Windows

There’s a new Microsoft browser in town, therefore it goes without saying the Redmond-based tech giant is attempting to push everyone to it, no matter if they’re running old Windows or new Windows.

The brand new Microsoft Edge browser is offered because the default browser on Windows 10, replacing the legacy version of Microsoft Edge once it’s installed.

However that Microsoft is pushing so difficult for Microsoft Edge, what’s going to happen using the good old Internet Explorer? The treatment depends around the Windows version that you’re running.

Windows 7

Internet Explorer 11 is the most recent form of the browser on Windows 7. However, Windows 7 no more receives security updates by January 14, which means that Internet Explorer itself is an abandoned application too.

This means that should you continue running Ie in your device (and use it as your daily driver), any vulnerabilities found in the browser remain unpatched, as no security fixes are planned moving forward.

Given Microsoft Edge is also available on Windows 7, Microsoft recommends users to set up this version – after they do this, the Chromium Microsoft Edge becomes the new default browser on the operating-system, replacing Ie.

This doesn’t mean IE11 would go away completely. The browser will continue to be there on the OS, that is good news for those running IE-optimized apps, but upgrading to a supported browser may be the solution continuing to move forward.

“If you’re running Windows 7, the latest version of Internet Explorer that you can install is Internet Explorer 11. However, Internet Explorer 11 is no longer supported on Windows 7. Instead, we recommend you put in the brand new Microsoft Edge. The new Microsoft Edge was created to bring you the very best of the web, with increased control and much more privacy as you browse,” Microsoft explains.

Windows 8.1

However, Windows 8.1 still receives security updates, and so does Internet Explorer. You can keep using IE as your default browser, however, you’re recommended to install the brand new Microsoft Edge anyway.

Windows 8.1 support is projected arrive at an end in 2023, so Internet Explorer can get security updates not less than two more years.

Should you choose decide to install Microsoft Edge, however, the browser is going to be updated with both new features and security improvements every six weeks, as per Microsoft’s updating policy for the stable channel.

Windows 10

On Windows 10, users are provided with three different browsers: Ie 11, Microsoft Edge legacy, and Microsoft Edge Chromium.

All three will continue to be around for some time, but users are suggested to make the change to the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge.

Much like on Windows 7, once Windows 10 users install the brand new Chromium version, it becomes the default browser on the operating system, replacing the legacy form of Microsoft Edge.

Ie remains for compatibility purposes, and thus is Microsoft Edge legacy, but Microsoft recommends against using them.

The new Edge is provided to Windows 10 devices either as an automatic update via Windows Update or manual download with the standalone links. Regardless of the method you select, Microsoft Edge will be updates through Windows Update every time a new version is released.

Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users can also install beta builds of Microsoft Edge and run it alongside using the stable version.

On Windows 10, Ie 11 will continue to receive security updates so long as the OS version is supported. Microsoft hasn’t yet shared plans to remove IE in the OS, although the debut from the new Edge could pave the way for the entire demise from the old browser at some stage in the future.

2020.01

Not so good news, Windows 10: Google Announces 8 Many years of Updates for Chromebooks

Security updates have grown to be one of the decisive factors when customers worldwide begin looking into new devices, and so far, Google’s Chromebooks convey more or less lagged behind its rivals due to limited support timeframes.

But because part of its resolve for Chrome OS and Chromebooks, Google has decided to introduce a number of major changes, including 8 many years of support for those new devices.

Quite simply, purchase a new Chromebook today and you’ll continue to receive updates until 2028, as Google itself promises.

The new Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet and Acer Chromebook 712 are the initial models to benefit from 8 years of updates, and much more will probably follow within the coming weeks and months as Google wants to make Chrome OS a far more powerful rival to Windows and macOS, especially in the education market.

“When we first launched Chromebooks, devices only received three years of automatic updates. Over the years, we’ve been able to increase that to in excess of six. Last fall, we extended AUE on many devices currently on the market, oftentimes adding an extra year or even more before they expire. This helps schools better select which devices to invest in and provide additional time to transition from older devices. And now, devices launching in 2020 and beyond will receive automatic updates for longer, ” Jim Deno, Program Manager, Chrome OS, explained.

The new update policy is only available for new devices, therefore the existing Chromebooks models won’t benefit from extended support.

Windows 10 support

Support for Microsoft’s Windows 10 depends on the operating system version that customers purchase. For instance, the most recent version, Windows 10 version 1909 (Windows 10 November 2019 Update) is supported for Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions until May 11, 2021. Enterprise and Education SKUs will continue to be serviced until May 10, 2022.

At the same time, however, Microsoft offers enterprises the LTSC/LTSB editions, which receive up to Ten years of updates. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019, for instance, which launched on November 13, 2018, will reach the mainstream support end date on January 9, 2024, but extended support will continue to be offered until January 9, 2029.

However, Google addressing this major drawback of Chrome OS is certainly bad news for Microsoft, because it helps make the platform a more sensible choice for the education and enterprise markets in the long term. Whether it will improve Chromebook adoption remains to be seen, but it’s very clear Google is pushing hard within this direction.

2020.01

4 Best QR Code Reader for Windows (Updated)

Locate a good QR code scanner for the Windows PC? Your search is over, here are some of the best QR code reader for Windows PC.

QR codes have grown to be ubiquitous nowadays. Actually, most camera applications, especially on mobile phones, can read QR codes without any problems. QR codes are used for payments, to talk about URLs, WiFi passwords, product information, and any other no-so-easy to talk about information.

An important feature about QR codes is that you can pack a lot information into a single QR code. Not to mention, it is extremely easy to create your own QR codes with just a few clicks. For example, I made a QR code guest WiFi setup and hung it within my home. When someone visits my home, all they need to do is scan the code to obtain access to the home WiFi.

If you want to read QR code on Windows, you need to use a unique QR code reader application. It is because there isn’t any built-in functionality in Windows to see QR codes. Thankfully, there is quite a lot of free QR code reader for Windows. So, without further ado, allow me to list a few of them for you personally.

Best QR Code Readers for Windows PC

1. IYIA QR Code Scanner

If you are on a Windows 10 system then IYIA QR Code Scanner is perfect for you. IYIA QR Code Scanner is a UWP app and could be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. This only denotes the installation and uninstallation is going to be clean and hassle-free. Most of all, the consumer interface is pretty minimal and simple.

When you want to scan a QR Code, simply open the applying and set the QR code in front of the webcam. The app will instantly scan the code and display the data on screen.

Moreover, the app is also able to keep a history of all QR code scans and generate custom QR codes for you. These functions are behind in-app purchases, though.

Just like the app is, the only bad thing is that it cannot read QR code images saved in your local drive. It must scan the QR code via webcam to see it.

2. Barcode See clearly!

If you are looking to have an all-in-one application that can read both QR codes and Barcodes then Barcode Read It is perfect for you. The best thing about this application is that it can scan QR and Bar codes either via a webcam, from your computer screen, or from the saved file inside your hard disk. Barcode Read It supports a wide range of QR Code types and even gives you relevant options based on the items in the QR code. For example, if a QR code contains a link, you’ll have the option to open it in a browser.

Obviously, as being a full-featured application, it even enables you to generate QR codes for your own needs. Once generated, you can share them directly from the app or download the QR code for offline or online uses. I adore that the application is totally free?

Just like the above application, Barcode Read It is another Microsoft Store application. Which means that it only supports Windows 10 and the installation and uninstallation is going to be clean.

Simply put, if you are searching for a full-featured QR code reader for Windows 10 PC this is the application you should attempt.

3. Patra QR Code Reader

If you are searching for a simple application that can scan a QR Code in your screen then Patra QR Code Reader is very good. The application is pretty tiny and lightweight. The application do you thing and just something. i.e, scan the on-screen QR code. In fact, there are no settings or configurations needed to run this application.

To read a QR code in your computer, simply open the QR code so that it is displayed on the screen after which open the application. You will notice a transparent black overlay over the screen. Select the part of the QR code together with your mouse and the application can have the contents of that QR code inside a pop-up window.

In the pop-up window, you can copy the information if you want to.

4. QRreader

QRreader is very much like IYIA QR Code Scanner in that it is mainly made to scan QR codes via a webcam. The only difference is that it is a good old win32 application and works on all Windows versions like 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. Also, the user interface is fairly familiar. It cannot scan QR codes on your pc screen or stored as an image file inside your hard drive.

To use the QRreader, simply download and launch the applying. You will see a little window with your webcam view. Put the QR code in front of the webcam and the app will automatically read and display the contents of the prospective QR code.

If you are searching for a free and traditional win32 application to read QR codes in Windows then QRreader is pretty good.

Wrapping Up – Listing of Best QR Code Readers for Windows

As you can see, though not many, the ones that can be found are very good at what they do. After all, since most people have cell phones, you will only ever need these applications in pretty rare situations. In those cases, these applications can do that job all right.

2020.01

This Free App Turns the Windows 10 Taskbar Transparency Bug into a Feature

In 2015 when Windows 10 was still being in its beginning, a picture driver bug generated a fully transparency effect for the taskbar, a thing that wasn’t actually possible within the new OS without third-party customizations.

Soon after everyone started scanning the net for ways to reproduce the bug on their own devices, all in an attempt to understand this stylish tweak on the taskbar, an experienced developer created TranslucentTB, a freeware app that did everything much easier.

Technically, whatever you needed to do was launch the app and enjoy the full transparency in your taskbar without resorting to a far more complex UI or features that you wouldn’t otherwise used anyway.

Now, Ashampoo launched a similar application called Taskbar Customizer, and also the idea behind it’s pretty much just like in the case of TranslucentTB.

Freeware license

Ashampoo Taskbar Customizer sets the taskbar to make use of full transparency, as well as an icon put into the machine tray provides access to a set of basic options, together with a custom taskbar color and a setting to run the app on system boot.

Of course, the app is totally free, albeit registration is still required – you only need an email to set up an account, after which you are supplied with a free license to activate the program.

Ashampoo Taskbar Customizer works correctly on all Windows 10 versions, also it appears to be fully compatible with the upcoming version 2004 due in the spring as well.

While this little app adds full transparency to your taskbar, you may even want to provide a try to FalconX, another super-useful tool whose purpose is to center the taskbar icons. Used together, TranslucentTB/Ashampoo Taskbar Customizer and FalconX provide a more contemporary feel and look towards the Windows desktop, bringing features that for whatever reason Microsoft still ignores despite the a lot of feedback it receives in connection with this.

2020.01

AMD Adds Support for Vulkan 1.2 – Get Radeon Adrenalin Edition 20.1.2

AMD has announced the supply of the latest version of its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition Graphics driver, namely the 20.1.2 (19.50.11.10) package, including support for the newly released Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and it is conformant using the Vulkan 1.2 specifications.

Moreover, the current update also removes an insect that affected some single-display Radeon RX 5700 system configurations (lead to reboots once the system was left idle on desktop) and makes sure UE4 based titles for example KovaaK 2.0: The Meta, Tetris Effect and Snooker 19 won’t fail to launch.

However, AMD’s update may still notice a few problems with Radeon Anti-Lag, Radeon Software Overlay hotkey notifications, Integer Scaling option, certain Vulkan gaming applications (when Image Sharpening is enabled), along with other problems just like described within the Release Notes below.

In terms of compatibility, besides a supported GPU, remember that your configuration must be managing a 64-bit variant of Microsoft’s Windows 7 or Windows 10 operating systems. There’s two files available, one for each platform.

Therefore, remove any previous version present on your pc, save and run the appropriate package for your system, wait for all files required to be produced available, and follow all instructions displayed on the screen for an entire upgrade.

With this in mind, if you consider applying this release, download AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition Graphics Driver 20.1.2, do the installation and execute a reboot once finished. Also, return with us to stay “updated about a minute ago.”

2020.01

Australian Government Spends Millions on Security Updates for Windows 7

The Australian government will pay nearly $9 million for custom Windows 7 security patches, as a number of devices in its fleet are still running the operating system that reached the end of support on January 14.

The Department of Defense and the Australian Taxation Office will expend $6,096,044 and $979,080, respectively, to help keep devices running Windows 7 secure until at least January 2021. In December, the Australian Taxation Office also paid another $1,582,955 for extended security updates for Windows Server 2008, that also reached the end of support on January 14.

The 2 organizations expect devices running Windows 7 to become migrated to Windows 10 within the coming months, albeit for the moment, a further extension from the custom security patch agreement isn’t ruled out.

Quite simply, if the migration to Windows 10 isn’t completed by January 2020, the government could extend its deal with Microsoft for a second year of custom security patches.

Increasing prices for Windows 7 patches

Prices for Windows security updates double every year after the end of support is reached, so keeping devices secure is getting more expensive the greater time passes after a practical system is retired.

The Dod completed in 2019 the migration well over 100,000 computers from Or windows 7 to Windows 10. Microsoft stopped releasing security updates for Or windows 7 in April 2014.

Windows 7 currently includes a market share of around 25 %, so it’s running on 1 in 4 PCs worldwide. Most likely, the forex market share will decline substantially within the coming months because the transition to Windows 10 is completed by more organizations and enterprises around the globe.

However, a significant quantity of products are likely to stay with Windows 7 for a little longer regardless of the obvious security risks, along with other security measures to become put in place, including limited network access and additional restrictions to reduce the probability of cyberattacks.