Microsoft has put its foot inside it (yet) again with a Windows 10 update, even though this time the update wasn't bugged - rather it was delivered to the wrong machines.

The update under consideration is KB4523786 that was pushed out alongside an optional cumulative update for Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and implements "quality improvements to Windows Autopilot configured devices".

Now, Windows Autopilot can be used to setup devices in a business environment, so that as Microsoft observes in the patch notes: "Windows Autopilot update is not placed on Windows 10 Pro or a later version when the system is not registered or configured for Windows Autopilot deployment. Windows Autopilot update is never offered to Windows 10 Home."

Except in this case, the KB4523786 update was pushed to Windows 10 Home PCs, and indeed Windows 10 Pro machines which aren't registered for Autopilot deployment.

So as Windows Latest observes, if you do happen to begin to see the 'Cumulative update for Autopilot in Windows 10 version 1903: October 22, 2019' displayed under Windows Update on your Windows 10 Home or Pro machine, don't do the installation.

However, Microsoft has now pulled the update, which means you shouldn't see it any more anyway.

No harm done

A member of Microsoft's InTune support team posted on Twitter to explain the situation as follows:

2/2 Once we became aware of the issue, we stopped distribution from the update. For those who have already installed the update, it will not affect you. If not, there's further action required. Hope this helps! #IntuneSuppTeam ^MSOctober 25, 2019

So even if you had previously installed this update, the good thing is it won't actually do anything bad for your PC (except find a little bit of drive space, and add a little extra clutter to the system, obviously).

A good number of everyone has uninstalled it, though, going by reports over the net, and haven't encountered any issues by doing this. That said, we haven't tried this, and you're obviously removing it at your own risk!

It's quite possible that Microsoft will push out an additional update to clear and remove the mistakenly issued KB4523786 itself, soon, for individuals who may not have even realized they've installed a pointless update.

Welcome to our guide on how to stop a Windows 10 update. Updating your PC is an important part of maintaining its overall health and wellbeing. Windows 10 updates often contain fixes for critical problems, and setting them up can keep your PC running efficiently.

But there are times when you might not wish to install an update. A frequently used program of yours might not be suitable for the most recent update; in that case, you might want to defer the update until you will find an appropriate alternative.

So how do you stop a Windows 10 update? While you can't stop it installing forever, there are ways to delay it for a while. In this guide, we'll show you how it's done.

1. Pause automatic updates

Click the Start menu, then the Settings cog. Now visit 'Update & Security', click 'Windows Update' on the left-hand side, then click 'Advanced options'. Under 'Pause Updates', toggle the switch to 'On'. This will pause Windows updates for 35 days, but you'll need to download the most recent updates once the period is over if you want to pause further updates.

You may also choose to defer feature updates by as much as 365 days and quality updates (that have important security fixes) by up to Thirty days. Once these periods are up, you'll need to download updates before you can defer them again.

2. Meter your network connection

This is another simple aspect to try. Click Start, then click the Settings cog. From here, click 'Network & Internet', then click 'Wi-Fi' within the left-hand column, then the name of the Wi-Fi connection. Scroll down to the 'Metered connection' section and toggle the 'Set as metered connection' switch to 'On'.

This tells Windows 10 that you're on a limited data plan, with the result that it won't automatically push updates to you (even though you can continue to manually install them). However, if you're with an Ethernet connection this method won't work, so you'll need to try one of the other methods in this guide.

3. Prevent a downloaded update from installing

Once an update has begun installing, you shouldn't stop it ¡§C doing so could be very damaging for the PC. However, if Windows 10 has downloaded an update but hasn't started setting it up yet, you may still stop it.

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Security and Maintenance', then click on the first result to bring up the control panel window. Click the 'Maintenance' title to grow it, then scroll to the 'Automatic Maintenance' section. Click 'Stop maintenance' to halt the update.

If you change your mind and want to restart the update, just click 'Start maintenance'.

4. Disable the Windows Update startup service

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Services'. Right-click the top result and choose 'Run as administrator'. Scroll on the list until you reach the Windows Update entry. If the 'Status' column says "Running", right-click the Windows Update entry and click 'Stop'.

Now, right-click it again and click 'Properties'. Within the resulting menu, under 'Startup type', choose 'Disabled', then click 'OK'.

This can prevent Windows Update from automatically installing updates. If you still want to prevent automatic updates but want to have the chance to install updates manually, select 'Manual' in the drop-down menu instead.

5. Disable updates using Group Policy

This involves a getting your hands just a little dirty, but is easy enough. Type 'gpedit.msc' in to the Windows 10 search bar and click on the very first result. Now navigate to the following path while using left-hand pane: 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.' Within the right-hand window, double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'.

This can open a brand new window. Within the top-left corner, click 'Disabled', then click 'Apply' and 'OK'. This can prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing updates, even though you can continue to manually look for updates by opening Windows Update.

6. Limit updates using Group Policy

Alternatively, you are able to choose to limit Windows updates rather than disabling them. As in step five, open gpedit.msc, navigate to 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update' and double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'. This time around, rather than 'Disabled', click 'Enabled'.

Within the 'Options' box around the left-hand side, click the top drop-down box and select in one from the following four options:

Notify for download and auto install
Auto download and notify for install
Auto download and schedule the install
Allow local admin to choose setting

The 'Notify for download and auto install' option is the nearest to disabling automatic downloads.

7. Disable updates while using Registry

Before dabbling within the Registry, create a backup of anything important, as making a mistake may cause trouble for your computer.

Now, type 'regedit' into the Windows 10 search bar and click the top result. Navigate to the following path in the left-hand column: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows'.

Right-click around the Windows folder and click on 'New > Key'. Name it 'WindowsUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Right-click within this and click 'New > Key', then name this entry AU and press 'Enter'. Around the right-hand side of the entry, right-click and click 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value)'. Name this entry 'NoAutoUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Once you've created this, double-click the new entry and change the 0 to some 1 within the 'Value data' box. Click 'OK' and restart your computer.

8. Limit updates using the Registry

You are able to limit Windows updates instead of disabling them within the Registry. To do so, follow step six above up to the stage where you've created the AU entry.

Right-click the blank space on the right and click on 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value'. This time around, name the entry AUOptions (rather than NoAutoUpdate) and press 'Enter'.

Double-click the entry; within the "Value data" box, delete the 0 and replace it with either 2, 3, Four to five.

These match the numbers in step five, meaning you'll get the following results:

2 - Notify for download and auto install
3 - Auto download and notify for install
4 - Auto download and schedule the install
5 - Allow local admin to select settin

Included in the Vibranium (20H1) development, Microsoft has become rolling out Windows 10 build 19028 for devices enrolled in the short ring of the Windows Insider Program. This is actually the preview number 43, and it's a small update without new features.

Windows 10 build 19028, based on the software giant, fixes problems that might cause the Settings app and Action center to crash. In addition, it fixes Storage as well as Windows Update settings, and addresses a crashing problem with the Photos app when interacting with HEVC images.

Remember, the 20H1 development is almost complete, as such it's unlikely that we'll see additional features and significant changes, and moving forward, new builds is only going to ship fixes and minor improvements to make sure the update is reliable when it becomes generally available.

Microsoft is listing the entire group of improvements, fixes, and known issues for Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19028 in the Windows Blog.

Download Windows 10 build 19028

Although there are no ISO files for Windows 10 build 19028, the update is available immediately through the Fast ring. This preview build will upload automatically on your device, but you can always force the update from Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, and clicking the Check for updates button.

Excel 2016 added a good new feature: One-click forecasting to help you understand current trends and predict future ones. Here's how it operates.

First you will need a table containing a number of dates or times and values associated with those dates. For instance, weekly stock values or monthly sales data. Excel will use these values to create a new worksheet with a forecast chart.

Select any cell in one of the series. Excel will automatically choose the rest of the data for you in the next step.
Go to the Data tab and click Forecast Sheet.
(Optional) Adjust the forecast end date in the forecast worksheet preview.
(Optional) Click the Options menu and adjust the forecasting options.
Click Create.

In some moments, you'll find a new sheet in your workbook containing the forecast chart based on your historical data. In that sheet, Excel will even produce a tablet containing the historical and predicted values, which you'll modify if you'd like to adjust the forecast.

Funnel charts in many cases are used in sales, marketing, along with other departments to exhibit data through different stages in a process, for example prospects moving with the sales pipeline. A current update to Office 2016 makes it dead simple to produce a funnel chart in Excel.

This new feature is available for Office 365 subscribers.

1. Select your data in Excel. It ought to have a row for each stage of the process and a column for that values.

2. Click the Insert tab.

3. Click Insert Waterfall or Stock Chart > Funnel.

Excel will insert the funnel chart for you. Double-click within the chart to format the bars along with other elements of design from the funnel chart, or go to the Design and Format tabs to quickly customize the chart's appearance.

When it comes to Web browsing on your Windows 8 tablet, chances are you've already picked your favorite browser to do the job. However, you may be really missing out. The best browsers can increase your surfing experience with fast speeds, comprehensive standards support and intuitive navigation. We place the three leading browsers for Windows 8's "Metro" mode -- Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer -- towards the test to determine what one will last best.

Round 1: Interface (30 points)

From button placement to changing tabs, your browser's layout is prime to how quickly and comfortably you are able to surf the net.

Chrome for Windows 8's Metro mode simulates a Chrome OS desktop, with the familiar browser layout open like a window accompanied by app icons for Gmail, Google search, Docs and YouTube in a taskbar at the bottom. In addition to the surrounding desktop, Google's browser for Metro mode isn't any not the same as its desktop version, with navigation icons and the URL bar positioned at the top.

Both Internet Explorer and Firefox in Metro mode place the navigation panel at the end for easier access with your thumbs. Internet Explorer's navigation panel is sort of cluttered, with buttons for Back, Refresh, Tabs, Favorites and Settings sitting along a URL and check bar. Firefox employs a cleaner approach, with only Back, Favorites, Pin and Options buttons next to its Awesome Bar (URL and check field).

These bottom panels both in Firefox and Internet Explorer auto-hide so that you can enjoy full-screen viewing. However, Firefox goes a step further to make things easier and prettier by overlaying translucent Back and New Tab buttons on the right and left of the screen which means you do not have to leave a complete screen simply to open a new tab.

All three browsers support swiping left and right to move through back and forward through visited pages.

Ie and Firefox both helpfully suggest sites you might be looking for while you enter a URL or keyword within the address bar, which answers are tiled just above the field so you can easily tap them. But when you are looking at scrolling through the tabs you have open, Internet Explorer has the edge, displaying them just over the address bar whenever you hit Tabs while Firefox docks them at the top of the screen.

Each time you open a new tab, Firefox displays a pretty speed dial of the recent, favorite pages as well as your most frequented bookmarks which means you do not have to spend your time typing URLs. Ie suggests frequent sites, only within a black panel above the keyboard, which affords it less space.

When it comes to switching between Desktop and Metro modes, Firefox provides the most seamless transition. It is simple to re-launch the browser inside your preferred format by tapping the Options button near the Awesome Bar, as well as your open tabs are preserved if you switch. Chrome provides easy access to the re-launch tool, nevertheless its tiny interface makes the option hard to find, nor browser maintains your open tabs. Internet Explorer maintains two different and unrelated browsers simultaneously, one for desktop and something for Metro.

Winner: Firefox. We like the straightforward navigation panel, the helpful new tab page and the seamless switching between desktop and Metro modes.

Round 2: Speed (30 points)

Though the performance of your Net connection and your CPU do more to determine your overall surfing speed, your browser also has a role to experience.

While using Numion website loading stopwatch tool, we measured just how long it took each browser to load NYTimes.com and Laptopmag.com. In between each round of tests, carried out on the same Windows 8.1 tablet (Acer Iconia W4) within the same Wi-Fi connection, we cleared the cache for every browser.

Across all of the different pages, Firefox consistently emerged as the speediest browser. It fully loaded NYTimes.com and Laptopmag.com within an average of 3.21 seconds and 4.85 seconds, respectively. Internet Explorer came in second overall, pushing the same sites through in an average of 4.17 seconds and 5.41 seconds. Chrome brought up the trunk, displaying NYTimes.com and Laptopmag.com in five.06 seconds and 6.94 seconds.

Firefox also proved fastest within the SunSpider JavaScript speed test. Scoring 573.6 milliseconds on average, the open-source browser just beat Internet Explorer (576.8 ms average) and Chrome (598.6 ms average).

Chrome took charge in HTML5 loading speeds, however, beating others on Peacekeeper using its score of 1,156. Firefox followed with 879, while Internet Explorer delivered a poorer 672.

On more taxing tasks, such as rendering an intricate WebGL (Web Graphics Language) environment, Firefox lost its result in Chrome. While Firefox maintained 45 fps with 50 fish and 41 fps with 100 fish within the tank simulation (Chrome got 40 / 39 fps), Google's browser pulled ahead when 250 fish were added too this mixture, providing 37 fps against Firefox's 32 fps. Internet Explorer delivered a poorer 43 fps at 50 fish, 39 fps at 100 fps along with a weak 29 fps with 250 fish.

While Chrome delivered better Peacekeeper scores, the app's performance was unfortunately clunky and glitchy during our testing. This means that while HTML5-heavy pages may load faster on Chrome, you'll spend a lot time attempting to open tabs since the overall experience is frustratingly slow.

Winner: Firefox. Blazing page loading speeds and overall faster performance makes this app the Flash from the browser world.

Round 3: Special Features (20 points)

Since Chrome for Windows 8 is actually the desktop form of the browser bundled with Google's OS, you get access to a world of a lot more than 30,000 apps, extensions and add-ons which make your browser more feature-rich. There is also tab indicators to show you, instantly, which of your pages is making noise or playing a video.

Because of the mobile environment, though, the usefulness of those features is questionable. Each Chrome tab is tiny with an 8-inch tablet's screen, and the indicator symbols become minuscule and difficult to see. (The knowledge on larger screens is more comfortable.) You're also less likely to utilize a Chrome Web app for example Pixlr Photo Editor when you are able use Photoshop Express along with other full-fledged programs in your device.

Both Ie and Firefox offer useful special features, such as Don't Track to signal to servers not to record your presence. While all three browsers may be used in Windows 8.1's split screen mode, only Internet Explorer could be docked alongside with another window of itself. This is particularly useful for instances when you want to compare two different cinema listings, for example. You can't do that with Chrome or Firefox.

Ie, not surprisingly, boasts comprehensive native integration. You can pin specific sites to your Start screen like a Live Tile to obtain notifications once the Web site is updated, split the display between as much as four windows for side-by-side browsing and simply call numbers on websites with Skype Click to Call. A built-in Reading List app lets you save pages and browse them when you have time later. Microsoft's browser also has a Flip ahead feature that lets you scroll through parts of a multi-page article by swiping from the right side from the screen to go to the following page.

Ie 11 includes Flash installed out-of-the-box which means you don't have to feel the troublesome procedure for loading the plug-in for yourself. The browser may also detect your gyroscope so you can use websites that make utilisation of the hardware just like an application. However, few sites actually make use of this feature.

Winner: Ie. It's no wonder that the default browser comes packed with excellent device integration, and we especially like being able to view two websites side by side.

Round 4: Standards Support (15 points)

The extent that a browser supports various Web standards can greatly impact just how much you enjoy your preferred sites. A good browser will be able to interpret and display most Web languages or plug-ins such as HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript to be able to notice a page the way a developer intended.

We put all three browsers via a series of tests to determine how good they supported common Web standards.

Chrome separated itself when it came to HTML5 support, scoring 505 out of 555 on the HTML5test.com benchmark. This test checks to see if your browser is capable of displaying common HTML5 features, such as drag-and-drop, graphics rendering, geolocation and device orientation.

Firefox arrived second with 458, while Internet Explorer delivered only 372. Internet Explorer also met just five of seven HTML5 capabilities around the Peacekeeper test where Firefox and Chrome both met all seven.

Chrome also did well on CSS3 support, scoring 60 percent around the CSS3 make sure beating Firefox (58 percent) and Internet Explorer (53 percent).

Thanks to its support of the Lazyload tag, Internet Explorer 11 may also let developers lower the priority of the item, keeping unwanted items like ads from blocking up bandwidth while you load a site.

Winner: Chrome. Google's browser better supports common Web standards, with Firefox arriving a detailed second.

Round 5: Syncability (15 points)

Often, you want to move from your mobile device for your desktop for a fuller reading experience, but transferring your many open tabs could be troublesome. Thankfully, all three browsers allow you to sync your articles across devices so you won't have to manually search for the specific site you were reading. Some browsers do this better, bookmarking your last position on the page so that you can pick up exactly where you left off.

With Chrome, simply sign into your Google account to pull your open tabs across various linked devices. You can decide to open pages by clicking Recent Tabs underneath the Options button, which saves not only pages which are open on connected systems but additionally a full browsing good reputation for the past 4 months. You may also search this log, arranged in chronological order, so looking for that certain page you visited that one time a good obscure topic is easy.

Firefox Sync's setup process is sort of tedious. You'll have to sign in for your Firefox account through the browser within the desktop environment. The browser generates three sets of short codes, which you'll want to have to enter the unit you want to connect to your account. Dealing with the page to input these codes takes a number of steps, which is troublesome.

Once you've went through setup process, Firefox lets you sync your add-ons, bookmarks, history, tabs and preferences, and save passwords. It is a nifty feature since you do not possess to retype passwords into pages you've already signed into - Firefox Sync remembers and fills those fields in for you. Unfortunately, you won't have the ability to sync your open tabs. The feature also fails properly if you have beta and production versions of Firefox installed on the same device.

You are able to only sync content on Internet Explorer across Windows 8.1 devices, which limits the usefulness of this feature. It is also tedious to setup; you'll need to enable Web Browser synchronized Settings in each of your Windows 8.1 devices after you have signed into them. We'd prefer having the ability to sign into and pull open tabs and preferences from Internet Explorer itself instead of having to dig into the pits of Microsoft's settings.

Once your devices are set up, though, the interface for IE is rather simple. Just click the drop-down arrow alongside Tabs whenever you open a new tab and you may open any page out of your connected devices.

Winner: Chrome. An easy sign-in process without the need to create a separate account should you already are a user of Google's other services gives Chrome the edge. A comprehensive backlog of visited pages is another plus.

Verdict

Speedy loading time, a clear interface and good support for standards make Firefox our top browser for Windows 8.1's Modern environment. While Chrome has better support for Web standards and much easier syncing capabilities, it desperately needs a touch-optimized interface. Also, throughout our testing, Chrome was undoubtedly the glitchiest browser, often crashing or refusing to join up our touch.

Like Firefox, Internet Explorer includes a touch-friendly interface also it adds the benefit of having the ability to launch more than one Metro window, but slower speeds, worse standards support along with a completely separate desktop browser hold it back. Bottom line: You can't go wrong with Mozilla's browser for the Windows 8.1 device.

The nation's Security Agency (NSA) wants users to update their Windows 7 or Windows XP computers because of a critical security vulnerability able to inflicting devastating damage.

The vulnerability, called BlueKeep, was discovered a couple weeks ago in older versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2008.

The flaw is really serious that Microsoft was quickly released patches for Windows XP, an operating system the software giant stopped supporting five years ago, as well as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (Vista got nothing, however.)

In the event that wasn't alarming enough, Microsoft released not one but two statements comparing BlueKeep to the WannaCry attacks, and warning that this new flaw is "wormable," and could spread from one machine to the next.

Yesterday (June 4), the NSA released an advisory strongly urging Windows users and administrators to update their older systems using the Microsoft patch.

"Recent warnings by Microsoft stressed the significance of installing patches to address a protocol vulnerability in older versions of Windows," the NSA wrote. "We have seen devastating computer worms inflict damage on unpatched systems with wide-ranging impact, and therefore are seeking to motivate increased protections from this flaw."

In the end posess zero firm number how many systems have been affected, the NSA says "potentially millions" of Windows PCs are vulnerable. When Microsoft published its second statement on May 30, it was in response to an independent security researcher's finding that nearly a million computers attached to the internet were still defenseless against an attack.

The NSA is anxious that malicious attackers can use the vulnerability to create malware that could spread ransomware or other exploits.

"This is the type of vulnerability that malicious cyber actors frequently exploit by using software code that specifically targets the vulnerability," the NSA advisory reads. "For example, the vulnerability could be exploited to conduct denial-of-service attacks. It is likely only a few time before remote exploitation tools are accessible with this vulnerability."

While systems running Windows 8 and later are safe from BlueKeep, many companies and organizations continue to use old software that supports legacy programs. The systems they use may potentially house sensitive information that may be used against them with a bad actor.

We strongly encourage everyone utilizing an older version of Windows to update their PCs with one of these patches as quickly as possible.

Windows 10's Hello feature provides a wide selection of methods to log in for your laptop, from passwords to PIN numbers, fingerprint scans and even facial recognition. That latter requires an infrared or Intel RealSense camera. So far, that's been limited to select computers, like Microsoft's own Surface Book and HP's EliteBook Folio G1. You can also buy some external webcams that will provide this functionality.

It is cool, and it works really well. If you have the right hardware, here's how you can setup Windows Hello's face login:

1. Open Settings and choose Accounts.

2. Click "Sign-in options" on the sidebar and scroll right down to Windows Hello. Click "Set up" under Face.

Without having a PIN, you'll need to set that up first. That's located directly above Windows Hello.

3. Click Get Started.

4. Enter your PIN.

5. Stare into the webcam while Windows Hello scans the face. This process will be quick.

6. Click Improve Recognition for additional scans, or close the setup process. If you wear glasses or perhaps a hat, we recommend that you scan the face with and without one on.

The next time you sign in to Windows, the camera will be hunting the face.

Windows 10 has a Maps app that allows you to search for locations, get turn-by-turn directions, and see points of interest anywhere you go. Knowing you won't have an internet connection on your pc, you may still begin using these features by downloading offline maps.

When you download these regional maps, you'll be able to get directions and search for places like restaurants and coffeeshops even when you're not connected to the internet. The fastest way to download maps is through the machine settings. Here's how.

1. Select Settings from the beginning menu.

2. Click System.

3. Select Offline maps.

4. Click the + button alongside "Download maps".

5. Choose the continent where your required country is situated. (Sorry, adventurers, Antarctica isn't supported.)

6. Choose the region you want to download. With respect to the area, you can download a whole country or you will need to drill right down to a smaller region (for example, with Canada and the USA).

7. Repeat for just about any additional regions you need to have as offline maps. You can download more maps while other maps are presently downloading.

Tips:

The whole U.S.A: If you want to download all the maps for that USA, you are able to choose "All regions." It will require up over 4GB of space on your hard disk, however.
Multiple countries at the same time: If you wish to choose several country or region at any given time, click the multiple-option button at the base bar

After which check the regions you need to download en masse.

You can also do that in the settings menu from the Maps app itself, but it's an extra step and also the downloads won't start until you close the Maps app. Therefore it is just simpler to do it from the system Settings app.

After downloading the offline maps, you can use them in the Maps app even if you're in a location without internet. Some features, like the 3D view, aren't effective within the offline downloaded maps, but for just making your way around when you are traveling, Windows 10's offline maps can be quite helpful. The offline maps will also be automatically updated when your system is connected to Wi-Fi and connected.

Should you no longer need the downloaded map and you'd like to release some hard disk space, return to the Offline maps settings and select the maps to delete.

Microsoft's Cortana AI is great for helping you find news when you're searching for a read, but did you know additionally, it may send you notifications concerning the stories that matter probably the most for you? The Windows 10 form of the digital assistant will gain this feature within the Anniversary update going to be out this summer, but Windows Insiders around the Fast and Slow rings already have it.

1. Click the Cortana field from the Taskbar.

2. Click on the Notebook icon.

3. Under "News topics you're tracking" click "+ Add a topic."

4. Enter a topic in to the prompt.

5. Select a result.

6. Click Add.

You've now set up Cortana to transmit news notifications. Notifications appear briefly in the bottom right corner and then move to the Action Center feed.