Daily Archives: April 28, 2025

• Steps to take before updating to 24H2

  Posted on April 28, 2025 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.17 • 2025-04-28

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It’s all about prepping your computer.

  This column is specific to the process of upgrading from Windows 11 23H2 to 24H2. Many of the concepts, however, are valid for any sort of computer update process.

  I’m going to discuss the steps that I recommend before any patch or upgrade is attempted, and then I’ll go into more detail about the specific steps for 24H2.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.17.0, 2025-04-28).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Patch Watch Drivers, InControl, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 Installation Wizard

• Which Web browser is the most secure for 2025?

  Posted on April 28, 2025 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  With all the malware threats we face on the Internet these days, running an antivirus program is a must. But your browser can help, too, warning you about shady websites and preventing your browsing history from being tracked by corporations or governments.

  I most recently wrote about protecting yourself while Web surfing in my AskWoody column titled Browsers with the best security and privacy in 2021.

  Much has changed since that time. We need to question whatever our old choice of browsers may have been and update our knowledge with the latest ratings by security experts.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.17.0, 2025-04-28).

  Public Defender Brave, Chrome, Edge, Epic, FreeNet, Newsletters, Opera, Puffin, Safari, Security, TOR, Vivaldi, Waterfox, Web Browsers

• Replacing Skype

  Posted on April 28, 2025 at 02:43 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  In late February, Microsoft announced that Skype would be retired on May 5, 2025. What can you use instead? It’s a lot more complicated than Microsoft makes out.

  Originally developed by Skype Technologies and released in 2003, Skype went through several owners before being acquired in 2011 by Microsoft. Among other things, Redmond replaced Windows Live Messenger (aka MSN Messenger) with Skype and created a new tier, Skype for Business.

  The seemingly firm date is only partially true. If you’re using Skype as a stand-alone, you’ve got just over a month left. Microsoft 365 users have a bit more time for making phone calls — until March 2026.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.17.0, 2025-04-28).

  Microsoft 365 Facetime, Google Voice, Newsletters, Rebtel, Signal, Skype, Teams, Viber, Vonage, WhatsApp, Yolla, Zoom, Zoom Phone

• FileOptimizer — Over 90 tools working together to squish your files

  Posted on April 28, 2025 at 02:42 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  There are many reasons to make your files smaller, from compressing images for a website so they load faster to sending dog pics to your cousin Brody who uses dial-up Internet in the swamp.

  FileOptimizer by Spanish developer Javier Gutiérrez Chamorro is a collection of over 90 free and/or open-source programs that all work together to do one thing: squish your files down to their smallest size without messing them up. So if you’re just too cheap to spend more than $2.95 on a flash drive, this program is for you!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.17.0, 2025-04-28).

  Freeware Spotlight Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, File compression, FileOptimizer, Newsletters, Tetrimone, Tetris