Newsletter Archives

• How to fix problems with Microsoft’s Phone Link app

  Posted on February 17, 2025 at 02:45 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.07 • 2025-02-17

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Phone Link pairs your iPhone or Android phone with Windows, but it doesn’t always cooperate. Here’s how to fix technical troubles that may pop up in the process.

  I often use Microsoft’s Phone Link to sync my iPhone and Android phone with Windows so I can access mobile calls, messages, contacts, and photos from my phone directly on my PC. I especially like to write and answer texts using my desktop keyboard and mouse rather than my phone’s tiny virtual keys. But Phone Link can sometimes misbehave.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.07.0, 2025-02-17).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Android, Bluetooth, iPhone, Newsletters, Phone Link, Settings, Troubleshooting

• Mastering the art of screenshots

  Posted on July 22, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.30 • 2024-07-22

  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.

  Microsoft 365 Android, Apple, Newsletters, Screen capture, Screenshots, Windows

• Do you need antivirus for your phone?

  Posted on May 13, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.20 • 2024-05-13

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  For many years, I thought it silly to consider adding an antivirus program or other security software to our phones.

  Phones were seen as gated communities the bad guys couldn’t enter. Windows was the Wild West, where anything could be downloaded, and we found ourselves with malicious software installed on our systems.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.20.0, 2024-05-13).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security Android, Antivirus, App Dashboard, App Privacy, Apple Store, CleanTalk, iPhone, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Private Relay, Smartphones, VirusTotal, VPN

• MS-DEFCON 2: May updates are right around the corner

  Posted on May 9, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.19.1 • 2024-05-09

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Patch Tuesday is only a few days away. As usual, caution is in order.

  I’ve therefore raised the MS-DEFCON level to 2. Make sure your system is backed up and you have deferred updates.

  In addition, I urge you to take stock of the other software that is installed on your system. Often, it’s this third-party software that may result in side effects.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (21.19.1, 2024-05-09).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Android, Android Phone, InControl, iPhone, KB5036979, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, NTLM, VPN

• How to get photos and videos from your phone to your PC

  Posted on March 11, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Your mobile phone may be home to thousands of photos and videos. Now’s the time to back up and sync them to your Windows computer.

  I have some 12,250 photos and videos stored on my iPhone. And if something dire happened to my phone, all those photos and videos could be lost. That’s why I copy and sync them all between my phone and my Windows PC. If you’re in the same boat, there is a host of ways you can transfer and back up your precious photographic memories to your computer.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.11.0, 2024-03-11).

  Windows 11 Android, iCloud, iCloud Photos, iPhone, Newsletters, OneDrive, Personal Media, Phone Link, Photos, Photos App, Photos Legacy, Videos

• How to link your smartphone with Windows 11

  Posted on February 12, 2024 at 02:44 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Connecting your iPhone or Android phone to Windows 11 lets you make phone calls, send texts, and view notifications directly from your PC.

  As an iPhone owner and Windows user, I’d like to be able to access my phone from my computer at times. Maybe I want to make or answer a call, or send or view a text message, but my phone isn’t handy. Or maybe speaking or chatting with someone feels easier when I’m already using my PC for other tasks. Whatever the scenario, this is a capability I often need. And it’s all doable with the right tools.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.07.0, 2024-02-12).

  Windows 11 Android, Bluetooth, iPhone, Newsletters, Pairing Phone, Phone Link, Photos, Texting

• Keeping your devices up to date

  Posted on November 13, 2023 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Are you monitoring your devices?

  Just the other day, I tried to update an app on my dad’s iPad. That didn’t work, instead messaging that the device itself needed to be upgraded first. Apparently, the iPad had not been left on continuously long enough for it to get the word from Apple that an update was needed.

  A simple solution is to connect to power and leave it on for an extended period, such as 24 hours. That should be enough time for the device to be notified about updates. It’s not different from Windows PCs in this respect — keep them offline long enough, and they will miss the notification, too.

  Of course, you can be proactive and check the device every so often to see whether the O/S is current. That’s my recommendation.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.46.0, 2023-11-13).

  Patch Watch Android, Apple, Backup, iCloud, Jamf, MaaS360, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, updates

• Understanding Windows Subsystem for Android

  Posted on September 4, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Simon Bisson • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Simon Bisson

  Fill the “app gap” by running Android applications on your PC.

  PC software is disappearing. Where there used to be full-featured desktop applications, there are now mobile apps and the Web. That’s a problem, especially when it comes to working with smart homes and financial services. We don’t always want to use a browser for devices such as doorbells and security cameras, and reaching for a phone to respond to an alert quickly takes you out of your flow.

  That all adds up to a growing app gap, with the PC rapidly left behind.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.36.0, 2023-09-04).

  Windows 11 Amazon Appstore, Android, Android Apps, Microsoft Store, Newsletters, Windows Subsystem for Android
• « Older Entries