Newsletter Archives

• When is a good time to replace?

  Posted on January 24, 2025 at 03:00 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  My sister has a guideline — never replace a device before you’ve paid it off. The phone companies will gladly let you trade in your phone for a new phone even if you haven’t fully paid off the old phone. But when should you replace a device?

  There are a few hard and fast rules:

  1. When the vendor stops supporting it or giving you updates, it’s time to seriously consider replacing it. Devices are app-driven and thus app vendors are bound by the restrictions the phone and device vendors put in place. Often older apps will no longer work. Not just unsupported, but flat out won’t work.
  2. When the device’s storage space is getting too full. If an iPhone’s free space gets too tight, updates won’t install. Patching devices that don’t have enough free space is a real hassle (ask me how I know).
  3. When the device can no longer hold a charge. For this you can opt for third-party solutions, available at local firms in the battery business.
  4. When it won’t support the application you are trying to download. This is typically related to number 1.

  For me, the most common reason is power. Batteries tend to go bad before the support for the operating system lapses.

  Apple Batteries, Patch Lady Posts, Phones, Support, updates

• Should you trust that tech info?

  Posted on June 10, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Microsoft’s lack of guidance introduces risk.

  Getting help with technology has always been a bit difficult. Lately, it’s becoming a bit dangerous.

  Once upon a time, vendor support was more obvious and easier to find, and it provided more documentation. I’d argue that Apple still has the best consumer support for its products. But when it comes to business support, neither Microsoft nor Apple provides its customers with appropriate, high-quality, and affordable support.

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

  Patch Watch KB5034441, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, SMB Signing, Support, updates, V

• UpdateHub — Safety in updates

  Posted on December 11, 2023 at 02:43 CST by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  Outdated software is one of the most common vulnerabilities that hackers use to gain a foothold in a computer system. Software authors fix their software by releasing updates when a vulnerability is discovered.

  Some software keeps itself updated even if you don’t use it. Most software prompts you for an update when you open it. But many programs don’t tell you about updates unless you click a “check for updates” button or something similar.

  If you think all the software on your computer is being kept updated automatically, you are probably wrong — unless you are using a software-updating program such as UpdateHub by the California-based company, Nexova Dev.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.50.0, 2023-12-11).

  Freeware Spotlight Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, Microsoft Store, Newsletters, Software, updates

• 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

• Longstanding feature requests, and their status

  Posted on May 29, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  ONENOTE

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  We’ve been waiting a long time for the OneNote features promised in 2019.

  I asked Microsoft to tell us what’s coming when.

  The very first time I heard about OneNote, at a press briefing for Office 2003, I saw how useful it would be — but there were also some things that I thought wouldn’t work. I went over to talk to Microsoft’s Chris Pratley and spent the next 20 minutes trapping him in a corner between the wall and the lunch table, making suggestions and asking for changes, before a PR person tactfully extracted him.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.22.0, 2023-05-29).

  OneNote Features, Newsletters, OneNote, Status, updates

• Being legal, supported, and secure

  Posted on February 27, 2023 at 02:43 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Who regulates your software decisions?

  As an operating system comes to the end of its life span, we users have to decide what to do with our technology. Do we continue using it as is, with no consideration of risks? Do we stop using the technology and look for alternatives? Or do some of us do a combination of both?

  With proprietary software, our decisions are often driven by what type of customer we are.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.09.0, 2023-02-27).

  On Security Licensing, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Risk, Software, updates

• Security isn’t just a Microsoft thing

  Posted on November 1, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Here at AskWoody, we concentrate on Microsoft patch days and security issues.

  But insecurity, privacy, and protection of your sensitive information aren’t just a Microsoft thing. Attackers go where there are people, and computers, to attack. Recently, an ad claiming that Chromebooks were immune to ransomware caught my eye. While makers of Chromebooks can state that they do not have the operating system targeted by ransomware, that’s not to say they are immune from all security risks. There should be a certain amount of paranoia on every platform.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.42.0 (2021-11-01).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, On Security, Patch Lady Posts, updates

• Is it safe to print again?

  Posted on August 16, 2021 at 02:41 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Is Print Nightmare finally fixed?

  The August updates are out and finally include a fix for the fix for the earlier fix for Print Spooler issues that allow attackers to take control of your system via rights elevation. While the good news is that we finally have a fix for the current Print Spooler issue, I’m seeing in various tweets that an issue still exists. If you want SYSTEM (beyond admin) rights on any supported version of Windows, there is a way to use a remote/cloud malicious print driver to get them.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.31.0 (2021-08-16).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Lady Posts, Printing, updates
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