Outlook signatures

MICROSOFT 365

By Peter Deegan

The Signature feature in Outlook is nice, but it has lots of gotchas at the moment.

It’s a mess. A lot depends on which Outlook software you’re using and what type of mailbox you have (i.e., Microsoft-hosted or not). This is hopefully a transitional situation, but it means that much of the online advice about Outlook signatures is either out of date, incomplete, or just plain wrong.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.25.0, 2024-06-17).

The fresh Paint in Windows 11

WINDOWS 11

By Mary Branscombe

The changes Microsoft made to Paint for Windows 11 make it better than the version I’ve used for 20 years.

The beauty of Microsoft Paint, especially in Windows 10, is how simple it is. It has all the basic tools for working with bitmaps, so if you need to crop or resize images; erase or blur a few pixels (such as personal information in a screenshot); or draw on the odd label, line, arrow, or box to create a diagram; Paint has everything you need.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.25.0, 2024-06-17).

Apple owns ‘AI’

APPLE

By Will Fastie

Its marketing skills are legend, but the Spaceship has taken it to a new galaxy.

Everything is about AI now. It’s getting to the point that a loaf of bread at the grocery will be marked “Baked in AI-enhanced ovens!”

We all know that “AI” is an abbreviation for “artificial intelligence.” But in the keynote address for Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference last week, presenters announced “Apple Intelligence.” No one specifically suggested that Apple would co-opt the abbreviation “AI” — just consider it a fait accompli. And also consider it a spectacularly brilliant marketing move.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.25.0, 2024-06-17).

Don’t patch while traveling

PATCH WATCH

By Susan Bradley

Recently, a Plus member asked whether they should patch before leaving for vacation or could patch while on vacation.

Then a coworker let me know about their own imminent multiweek vacation and wanted to know the same thing.

Both requests reminded me of my stance on updating machines right before, during, or just after travel. Don’t.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.25.0, 2024-06-17).

Patch List for June 11, 2024

We’re still in testing mode for this month’s updates.

In my early consumer testing I’m not seeing anything…. yet.

For business patchers I have some long term patching changes that I’ve listed on the Master Patch page.

As always, thank you all for supporting the cause! Remember we use the “name your price” model where you can choose how much you will pay for  a membership . Plus membership gives you access and if you donate $50 or more you’ll get a special code to enable text messages sent to your phone each time the Master Patch List gets updated and when I change the MS-DEFCON level.  More details in Monday’s newsletter.  You are missing out if you don’t sign up. All content is human made with our own blood, sweat, tears, fingers and brain power and 100% AI free.  Therefore, if I’ve fat fingered any KB numbers or if you have any questions, as always post in the forums and I’ll follow up!

June releases bring dribbles

June updates are out and Microsoft is once again dribbling out changes.  I’ve detailed many of the expected changes here. Meanwhile Apple announced Private Cloud Compute at the same time jumping on the AI bandwagon. Apple will be releasing their software later on this year.

In the meantime here is what is on deck from Microsoft:

KB5039211 for Windows 10 22H2 – adds new snipping tool feature.

KB5039212 for Windows 11 23H2 – fixes an issue introduced in the preview update that caused a glitchy taskbar

Dustin Childs breaks down the vulnerabilities here.

Side effects:

If you use authlite to provide two factor for active directory:

The just-released 2024-06 Cumulative Update will make Domain Controllers stop calling the AuthLite module, thus breaking the authentication of all AuthLite Users. Please hold off installing this update, or log in with a 1-factor break-glass/emergency account to roll it back.  We are urgently investigating what this update has changed to cause the issue, and so far suspect it is probably a mistake .  See the knowledge base section of our site for more information as we learn more.

Affected OS and KBs:

• Server 2022 (KB5039227) domain controllers only
• Server 2019 (KB5039217) domain controllers only
• Server 2016 (KB5039214) we are not sure yet if 2016 DCs are affected, but please assume so and hold off the update.

Update to a new version to fix the issue

Your ‘free’ VPN may actually be a malware bot

PUBLIC DEFENDER

By Brian Livingston

Law-enforcement authorities, coordinating the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and similar agencies in Germany, Singapore, and Thailand, have arrested the leaders of a worldwide botnet that relied on people downloading and installing software to create “free” virtual private networks (VPNs).

Before the arrests were announced on May 29, 2024, more than 19 million infected computers in some 190 countries were being used by hackers for credit-card fraud, Dark Web operations, and a lot else. Jailing the so-called 911 S5 organizers and shutting them down dismantled what FBI director Christopher Wray described as “likely the world’s largest botnet ever.”

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.24.0, 2024-06-10).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

Snagit for great screenshots

SOFTWARE

By Peter Deegan

Snagit is the Rolls-Royce of screen-capture tools.

If you take a lot of screen images for documents or presentations, then Snagit is the tool with the most options for both capturing an image/video and enhancing it.

There’s a lot in Snagit, and it would be foolish to even attempt to cover it all. I’ll focus on the parts of Snagit that I’ve used almost every workday for the last 20 years.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.24.0, 2024-06-10).