MS-DEFCON 3: Secure Boot triggers recovery keys

By Susan Bradley

It’s time to check whether your boot drive is encrypted.

As I predicted, Microsoft’s July 2024 security update may trigger a request for recovery keys among those who enabled BitLocker or drive encryption. That’s because the update included a change to Secure Boot.

This is problematic enough that I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to just 3, rather than the more common level 4 I usually suggest at the end of the month. I think you should install updates, but don’t install and then review. Instead, understand this problem ahead of time, prepare as needed, and then update.

Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (21.31.1, 2024-07-31.

Lessons learned from CrowdStrike

ON SECURITY

By Susan Bradley

It’s been over a week since the technology meltdown that impacted airlines, some banks, and even my sister’s Starbucks order through Uber Eats on Friday morning.

Despite the carnage, only a very small segment of computer systems was impacted. In the Official Microsoft Blog, the post Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage pointed out that less than one percent of all Windows machines were affected.

So why was this so impactful? More important, what lessons have we learned from this event? Is there anything we can do better next time?

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

What cheeses me off: Microsoft Office edition

MICROSOFT 365

By Peter Deegan

Having endured and written about Microsoft Office for more than two decades, I offer my list of annoyances and timewasters in Microsoft Office, especially Word.

I came up with my top ten annoyances without breaking a sweat. Some are deliberate choices made by Microsoft to advance its own agenda or save money. Others have appeared over time as Microsoft has ignored the changing reality for its customers.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).

Microsoft PowerToys aren’t just for power users

WINDOWS 11

By Mary Branscombe

Microsoft keeps adding useful tools to the free PowerToys set and improving what’s already there.

Back in the Windows 95 days, system tweaking and cleaning utilities were so common — and so likely to change system settings that stopped Windows features from working properly — that the Windows shell and kernel teams came out with their own tools, known as PowerToys.

These were refreshed for Windows XP. A few other Microsoft teams joined in. Engineers on the OneNote development team created multiple power toys, including one that eventually became the Onetastic add-on.

There were so many changes in Windows Vista and Windows 7 that many PowerToys stopped working. Microsoft didn’t update them. And some just turned into Windows features. It wasn’t until 2019 that PowerToys returned for Windows 10, and with a slightly different approach.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).

DefenderUI — Windows Defender is great, when turned on fully

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen

Microsoft’s first attempt at antivirus software was Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), released in 2009 to Windows XP and later to Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Then it was replaced by Windows Defender.

MSE was not great. It updated just three times a day. Although its 2009 certification from AV-TEST was a big win for Microsoft, the certification was lost in 2012. That’s probably because it tagged Google Chrome as a virus in 2011, a memorable day at our computer shop. To make things even worse, in 2013 it received the lowest score possible for an antivirus product. It wasn’t until 2018 that MSE was able to win a top score, with an 80% detection rate from AV-TEST.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).

Want to watch the Olympic coverage from other countries?

This is when your VPN use comes in handy. Want to watch bbc coverage?  Choose a UK based VPN and you can watch it here. Want to watch it direct from the hosting country of France? Change your VPN to France and watch it here.

So far the early reviews for the Opening ceremony was that it was … well…. weird.

I’m trying out the BBC coverage tonight because I find the folks on American shows just talk over everything and are slightly annoying.

What about you? Are you streaming the Olympics this year?

Mastering the art of screenshots

MICROSOFT 365

By Peter Deegan

We should all know how to capture screen images from our devices.

The ability to capture such images — screenshots — is built into nearly every computer, regardless of brand, size, or type. Screenshots are especially useful in support situations, in which one image of a problem or of a system’s error message is more helpful than a verbal description or a written explanation.

A picture is, quite literally, worth a thousand words.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

Powerful humanoid robots will take all blue-collar jobs

PUBLIC DEFENDER

By Brian Livingston

The day when robots in human-like forms take over most unskilled jobs has arrived sooner than you may have thought possible.

Robotics experts are agog over new artificial beings that appear to move about by themselves, learn skills by imitating humans, and are cheaper to employ than human workers by an order of magnitude.

A company based in Shenzhen, China — Astribot Inc. — has sparked awe and wonder through the release of a video that shows a remarkable new mechanical servant. Known as the S1 robot, it demonstrates skills beyond the capabilities of most human beings you probably know.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).