Newsletter Archives

• Microsoft 365 changes, and Copilot

  Posted on February 24, 2025 at 02:43 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Microsoft has made huge changes to its 365 consumer plans, including the intrusive addition of Copilot into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

  It’s the biggest transformation of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family (Home) plans for over a decade. Worse, it’s led to inevitable misinformation and screwy advice on social media.

  These are changes that all Microsoft 365 customers need to understand.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.08.0, 2025-02-24).

  Microsoft 365 Copilot, Excel, Microsoft 365 Family, Microsoft 365 Personal, Newsletters, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word

• Previews are previews

  Posted on January 30, 2025 at 03:01 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  If you have set your machine to Get the latest updates when they are available in the Windows update settings, congratulations on being a beta tester. These updates are the preview updates of the nonsecurity changes that Microsoft releases in the “D” week, better known as the fourth week of the month. They will be included in the security releases installed next month.

  Given my reluctance to be on the cutting/bleeding edge when it comes to my production machines, and not be an unpaid beta tester, I do not recommend this setting unless you like being a beta tester.

  Microsoft has released the preview update for Windows 10 (KB5050081) and it includes “​​​​​​​New! You now have the new Outlook for Windows app. A new app icon appears in the Apps section on the Start menu, near classic Outlook. There are no changes to any settings or defaults. If you are an IT admin, learn how to manage this update at Control the installation and use of new Outlook.​​​​​​​”

  For Windows 11, KB5050094 has been released including some gradual rollout items and some regular rollout items.

  I do not recommend preview updates on machines unless you are in a beta-testing frame of mind.

  Windows Patches/Security KB5050081, KB5050094, Outlook, Patch Lady Posts

• Understanding CVE

  Posted on January 27, 2025 at 02:21 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Vendors track issues using the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database.

  Maintenance of the database is handled by the MITRE Corporation under the sponsorship of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the US Department of Homeland Security. It has been operating since 1999. In 2021, MITRE launched a new website with the domain cve.org and with new features and capabilities.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.04.0, 2025-01-27).

  Patch Watch CISA, CVE, CVE-2025-21309, Documentation, Newsletters, Outlook, Outlook (classic), Outlook (new), Patch Lady Posts, Windows Mail

• Stopping the migration to Outlook (new)

  Posted on December 16, 2024 at 02:45 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.51 • 2024-12-16

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  And other annoyances.

  Microsoft is trying to get people to switch over to Outlook (new) sooner, but there’s no need to do as Redmond wants. Here’s how the move from Outlook (classic) really works, how to stop a forced migration to the new Outlook until you’re ready, and why the switchover isn’t the end of the older Outlook.

  The immediate issue is that the Windows Mail and Calendar apps are being discontinued on December 31. That should not affect many Microsoft 365 or Office users, who are presumably using Outlook (classic) or some other email software.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.51.0, 2024-12-16).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Microsoft 365 Microsoft Office, Newsletters, Outlook, Outlook (classic), Outlook (new)

• Closing the books on a buggy year

  Posted on December 16, 2024 at 02:41 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  We’re closing the patching year with an AI-related bug that — fortunately — is not related to Copilot, Recall, or any other AI-related product released by Microsoft in the last few months.

  In fact, you may not have heard of it at all. Called Microsoft Muzic, it’s a research project in understanding music via deep learning and artificial intelligence. It also introduced a vulnerability into your computer if you installed it.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.51.0, 2024-12-16).

  Patch Watch CVE-2024-49063, CVE-2024-49112, CVE-2024-49117, CVE-2024-49138, Exchange, Google Workspace, Hyper-V, KB5002652, Newsletters, Outlook, Patch Lady Posts, TPM, Windows 11 24H2

• Outlook (new) for Windows

  Posted on December 2, 2024 at 02:43 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  It’s been a big year for the new Outlook for Windows. Microsoft has removed the “preview” tag and is pushing it hard. But is Outlook (new) really ready for the public?

  A lot has changed since I gave Five reasons not to use the new Outlook; alas, not enough has changed in those key areas.

  Two major Outlook for Windows versions are now available, but they are very different.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.49.0, 2024-12-02).

  Microsoft 365 Classic Outlook, Microsoft, Newsletters, Outlook, Outlook (classic), Outlook (new)

• Microsoft 365 vs. Office 2024 — which to buy?

  Posted on November 4, 2024 at 02:45 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.45 • 2024-11-04

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Comparing Microsoft 365’s subscription/rental to the single-purchase, perpetual-license Office 2024 “boxed” product is not quite the same as comparing apples to oranges, but it’s certainly not easy.

  I’ll try to present the facts and burst some myths so you can make your own decision based on your situation. I’ll also give my recommendation with reasons and concerns. See Is Office 2024 worth getting excited about? (AskWoody, October 14, 2024) for my overview of the latest perpetual-license Office.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.45.0, 2024-11-04).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Microsoft 365 Excel, Newsletters, Office, Office 2024, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word

• Why Proton means privacy

  Posted on October 7, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  If you want privacy in your email, cloud storage, and other parts of your digital life, then go to Proton’s suite of very secure but easy-to-use services.

  Proton is a Swiss company with a suite of familiar services – email, cloud storage, VPN – but with an important difference: Proton is serious about privacy. Others, such as OneDrive and Dropbox, talk about privacy but aren’t so great in delivering it.

  In this article, I’ll focus on the three important offerings of Proton and its free plans for private encrypted email, secure cloud storage, and properly private VPN.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.41.0, 2024-10-07).

  Microsoft 365 Cloud storage, Email, Email security, Newsletters, Outlook, Outlook (new), Privacy, Proton, Secure Email, Security, VPN
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