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Windows Updates

Watch Out For New Big Head Ransomware Pretending To Be A Windows Update!

Imagine you’re working away on your PC and see a Windows update prompt. Instead of ignoring it, you take action. But when you install what you think is a legitimate update, you’re infected with ransomware.

Cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways to infiltrate systems. They encrypt valuable data, leaving victims with difficult choices. One such variant that has emerged recently is the “Big Head” ransomware.

The Big Head Ransomware deception

Big Head ransomware presents victims with a convincing and fake Windows update alert. Attackers design this fake alert to trick users. They think that their computer is undergoing a legitimate Windows update.

The message may appear in a pop-up window or as a notification. The deception goes even further. The ransomware uses a forged Microsoft digital signature. The attack fools the victim into thinking it’s a legitimate Windows update.

They then unknowingly download and execute the ransomware onto their system. From there, the ransomware proceeds to encrypt the victim’s files.

Victims see a message demanding a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key.

Here are some strategies to safeguard yourself from ransomware attacks like Big Head:

Keep Software and Systems Updated: Big Head ransomware leverages the appearance of Windows updates. One way to be sure you’re installing a real update is to automate.

Verify the Authenticity of Update: Genuine Windows updates will come directly from Microsoft’s official website or through your IT service provider or Windows Update settings.

Backup Your Data Regularly: Back up your important files. Use an external storage device or a secure cloud backup service. Backups of your data can allow you to restore your files without paying a ransom.

Use Robust Security Software: Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on your computer.

Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about the latest ransomware threats and tactics. Educate yourself and your colleagues or family members.

Use Email Security Measures: Put in place robust email security measures. Be cautious about opening email attachments or clicking on links.

Enable Firewall and Network Security: Activate your computer’s firewall. Use network security solutions to prevent unauthorized access to your network and devices.

Disable Auto-Run Features: Configure your computer to disable auto-run functionality for external drives.

Be Wary of Pop-Up Alerts: Exercise caution when encountering pop-up alerts especially those that ask you to download or install software. Verify the legitimacy of such alerts before taking any action.

Keep an Eye on Your System: Keep an eye on your computer’s performance and any unusual activity. If you notice anything suspicious, investigate immediately.

Have a Response Plan: In the unfortunate event of a ransomware attack, have a response plan in place. Know how to disconnect from the network. Report the incident to your IT department or a cybersecurity professional.

Avoid paying the ransom. In most cases, it is against federal law to pay a ransom to hackers.

What Are The Most Helpful Features Of Windows 11?

One of the reasons that Windows 11 has been welcomed with open arms for both home and business computer upgrades is that it isn’t dramatically different from Windows 10. This upgrade is mainly focused on helping users do tasks faster and find things more easily.

If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to upgrade to Windows 11, we’ll go through several of the most helpful features below that might make you want to upgrade sooner rather than later.

And if you have already upgraded your machine to Windows 11 or purchased a new PC with the OS installed, you’ll want to look over these features to make sure you haven’t been missing out on some productivity enhancers.

Snap layouts

One challenge that tends to be universal across multiple users is the struggle of trying to work in more than one window at a time on your PC screen. You can end up spending time resizing the windows just right, then need to open a window to full size to reach a scroll bar and end up back at square one.

Many users will app-switch, meaning they switch between one app window that is fully open and another that isn’t. This is also time-consuming.

In a study of user productivity, it was found that 56% of app users said that switching between apps makes it difficult to get essential work done and costs them at least 30 minutes per day.

Enter… snap layouts in Windows 11.

This feature is designed to solve this problem by providing the user with several options for window arrangements that snap windows into place. The view is designed so you can reach all scroll bars and menu items in a particular app window.

This is one of the most time-saving features of the new operating system and it’s very intuitive and easy to use.

Texting & video calls from Teams on the desktop

If you’re one of those people that hates typing out texts on a tiny smartphone screen only to have it altered by a rogue auto-correction, then the new Teams integration in Windows 11 is going to be a welcome change.

Teams is now natively integrated on the taskbar, so there is no application you need to install. Setup only takes a few minutes and involves you putting in your name and a mobile phone number.

Using the Microsoft Teams icon from the desktop, you can instantly begin connecting to people via SMS or video/audio chat. You can even share a screen during your meetings.

The To Do widget

One of the new features in Windows 11 that doesn’t look fully finished is the widgets panel. This feed has a few basic applications in it at the moment, and more are expected to come, which will make it even more useful. You get to this panel through an icon on the taskbar, and the widget feed can be tailored with local weather, traffic, news, and more.

One of the helpful features you can use right now is the To Do widget. It allows you to quickly create a task list and check off those tasks without having to open another application.

The widget can be added in seconds to your panel and can be quite a time-saver because of the easy access right from your desktop.

Streamlined Start/Search Menu

If you’re still using your File Explorer to search for documents, you can save a lot of time by using the Start/Search Menu instead. Click the Windows icon on the taskbar (which has now been moved to the middle instead of far left) and type your search keyword at the top.

This is a master search that will bring up documents, settings, applications, and even web pages. Searching using the Start Menu is faster than trying to find a file in the Explorer.

The newly streamlined interface also reduces the clutter of the old Windows Start Menu making it easier to get where you need to go and find the programs you use every day.

Task view

Task view is the virtual desktop feature that had been introduced in Windows 10. This remains a very handy feature for separating the different areas of your work to stay focused.

You can use the task view icon on the taskbar to create a different virtual desktop with different open applications and documents. For example, you could keep your email open on one virtual desktop and then use another when you’re in a video call and sharing screens.

Microsoft Starts Forcing November 2019 Update On Users

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

The Windows 10 November 2019 update (also known as Version 1909) is live and many users have moved to Microsoft’s latest feature update.

As an IT professional here at Tech Experts, it seems like these feature updates happen one right after another.

Although this is not the case as Microsoft only releases feature updates twice a year, the issues we encounter during each feature update’s life cycle make it seem that way. The only notable updates between these feature updates are ones that may fix an issue, which may or may not have been caused by the last feature update.

So what are updates like for someone who is not one of the Tech Experts?

As a user, you may or may not notice updates a lot more frequently, but those are smaller updates and may not fix anything at all. There are regular security updates made during each cycle, updates to Microsoft applications, important system files, drivers, and numerous other things.

The larger ‘feature updates’, while not intending to do so, are the most likely to cause system issues. Many users who are more tech savvy avoid installing these until they are certain it is stable. In some cases, users will try to avoid installing them at all.

Many people live under the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. Minus security updates, I can see a strong case for this line of thinking.

For years, many users (myself included) could selectively manage their updates. I could avoid installing many updates and keep installing only security updates.

While there is still some ability to manage updates in Windows 10, it is also more limited. One way Windows 10 has made managing updates easier for everyday users is by having the option to pause updates altogether. There is even an option specifically allowing you to stop those feature updates, which is great if your system is running well and you don’t want to cause any issues.

There are also times where you may have a specific piece of software that is not compatible with the newest feature update and you need to avoid software incompatibility. That is when you are probably most grateful for the pause feature updates option.

Well, the time has come for Microsoft to go against your choices and decide that it knows what is best for you!

The November 2019 update is being pushed out to users, whether you want it or not. While it sounds deceitful, there is – as always with Microsoft – more to it.

Users who are currently on Version 1809, which is now two versions behind, are being pushed to the November update. There are new security updates for Version 1909, and they cannot be applied to 1809.

Microsoft is taking this precaution to make sure users stay protected. In the past, Microsoft typically reserved forced rollouts for Windows Home version, but these forced updates will also apply to all computers running Windows 10 Professional.

If you are on Version 1809 and want to avoid being updated to 1909, you may be able to delay the process by manually moving to Version 1903 instead. Just remember, Microsoft is prioritizing your security, not comfort.

Has Windows 10 Deleted Your Programs?

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.
With the litany of ongoing issues and quirks associated with Windows 10, we’ve come to expect hiccups but something is getting a lot of attention in the recent major upgrade patches.

Windows, silently and without notice, is deleting installed software.

While this can be infuriating, it is actually Microsoft attempting to look out for the average user. The belief is that the average user will not be able to deal with a program being non-functional, causing driver errors, or worse.

Although this makes sense, the issue isn’t the fact that you are being protected. It’s the lack of notification.

You upgrade to the latest version, go to use a program, and it’s gone. While someone who works in IT will likely know what happened, the average user is in the dark. The same people Microsoft are “protecting” are left scratching their heads with no explanation.

Let’s continue by acknowledging the fact that, even though these programs might have been uninstalled, the data associated with the program is likely safe.

Windows, during large feature updates, will create a Windows.old file. This will contain the previous version of Windows and the files associated with it.

The files that have seem to have vanished associated with your software? It’s tucked away in the Windows.old folder.

However, do not assume this is a safe place to leave the data. If you need to have the data, make sure to copy it from that folder. After a week or two, it will be gone.

So is the folder there just to catch the programs and files Windows decided to remove? Nope! The good news is the main purpose of this folder is to store the version of Windows from before the large feature update.

This will allow you to roll back to the previous installation and use your software again. Your associated files would be back as well.

What’s the catch? At some point, you are probably going to have to update. Windows is becoming increasingly strict about forcing updates to users at some point. The good news is that a lot of the incompatibility issues will already be resolved by the time you’re forced to update.

Granted, that’s not guaranteed, so if you have essential software that may not be compatible moving forward, you would want to investigate other options.

This shouldn’t be a problem for an average user. Normal everyday use programs like Microsoft Office will always be fixed when compatibility issues arise, assuming you are still using a supported version of the program as well. (Condolences to those of you still using Office 2007, but if it breaks, they aren’t going to fix it.)

There are options to delay updates by default, which could possibly save you from ever having to deal with this problem.

If you have to download programs to replace any outdated ones, be selective and make sure they’re from reputable sources.

At the end of the day, Microsoft isn’t trying to ruin your day, but some of these issues sure can do that, intentionally or not.

Give us a call if you have any questions about Windows 10 or application upgrades. We’re happy to help!

Windows 10 Feature Updates: Changes Going Forward

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.
Windows 10 and its updates have been an interesting ride to say the least. For IT professionals, like us at Tech Experts, Windows 10 updates have caused a myriad of problems in the last few years. You don’t have to be a Tech Expert to have experienced some of these problems.

Over the years it has not been abnormal for Windows Updates to cause issues for users. Third party software could potentially function different or not at all after updates. Your printer may stop working. You could lose a shortcut.

While inconvenient, it isn’t Microsoft intentionally causing you grief. To simplify it as much as possible, Microsoft makes changes they find necessary. Sometimes, those changes cause already installed software (and potentially any future installed software) to stop working.

These issues seem to be more prevalent in Windows 10 and there are more than a few I would classify as large scale issues. Microsoft attempts to fix issues that are reported, based on how impactful they are and how many users they affect. If a common sound driver isn’t working for 50% of Windows users, that would be a priority fix.

So where do these issues come from?
Windows has different types of updates. The large updates with major changes to the system are called Feature Updates. These updates have been rolling out twice a year and in the opinion of many, this is where the issues originate.

Twice a year, your system has a good chance of having something not work correctly for an unspecified amount of time. Not a great user experience. Feature updates are intended to create a better user experience, make needed changes, or improve functionality. The broken software, drivers, or even data loss are just free bonuses.

Additionally, Microsoft has two groups for how updates are sent out. If you are a Windows Insider, you get the upgrade first and act as a live tester to eliminate the worst of these issues. Then, once Microsoft determines they are ready to deploy to the second group of users, the feature updates push all of the changes all at once, for better or worse.

Good news ahead
I have been hard on the updates because of the level of frustration caused by them for consumers and professionals alike. Thankfully, Microsoft recently announced that next year it will start a new model for its update cycles. Instead of two major feature updates every year, there will be one major and one minor feature updates per year. The schedule will include major upgrades in the spring and minor upgrades in the fall.

There are more changes to the way updates work coming as well, and I believe they will help prevent many of the problems that the updates the last two years have caused.

There are changes to the deployment model coming as well. The Insiders will still receive the updates first, but the rest of the Windows users will catch a big break here.

Instead of the major feature update coming all at once, the feature changes and upgrades will be released slowly. As Microsoft’s John Wilcox notes, “we are using a controlled feature rollout (CFR) to gain better feedback on overall build quality, [so Slow Ring subscribers] may not see the new 19H2 features right away.”

These last two years haven’t been easy, but the new process will almost certainly save us a lot of time, alleviate a few headaches, and make for a better user experience.

Basically, what they were supposed to be doing all along.

Windows 10: New Issues Ahead Of The Spring Feature Update

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

Windows 10 isn’t as universally despised as Windows 8, but isn’t as loved as Windows 7. Windows 7 actually had reported growth for the number of users last month, despite being released 10 years ago.

Polarizing may be the way to describe Windows 10 as people often love it or hate it, not much in between. It is my belief that this is due to the numerous issues, such as data loss via Windows update, broken software, and totally failed systems. Going forward, I don’t think we’ll see another OS quite like Windows 10 in the eyes of its users.

From an IT standpoint, not being able to install Microsoft Office after updating Windows is both annoying and baffling. Two products made by the same company, causing issues with each other. It seems like Windows 10 has a revolving door of problems.

The latest issues are no exception.

Recently, users attempted (and failed) many times to push the new Windows 10 updates to their system. This was met with a generic error that Windows can’t communicate with the update server.

This seems minor in itself, but it’s telling of a larger failure on Microsoft’s part to do proper planning before implementing changes. While there has not been a clear report on what happened, Microsoft is ready to patch and fix its latest issue. There is, however, a work around if you can’t wait for the newest update.

If you change your DNS to Google DNS or another third party DNS provider, you will be able to update Windows. While it is not confirmed, the common belief is that Microsoft sent out a bad DNS record to ISP’s that caused this to occur. You can resolve it yourself, but Microsoft will be taking care of this broken update this week.

The other big news is the Spring update that is being prepared for deployment. Due to the previous feature updates causing many issues, you should delay your update as long as possible, if possible. If you don’t know how to do this on your own, reaching out to an IT professional like Tech Experts could be the way to go.

The new update will feature many changes, most of which are cosmetic. This does not curb my fears for issues relating to the update. Although these types of changes normally only affect what you see on the screen, being extra cautious is probably the way to go.

Cortana and the search feature will now be completely separate, allowing you to use the standard start menu or Cortana individually. There will also be the option to uninstall many applications that you could not previously.

These include Mail, Calendar, Groove Music, Sticky Notes, and more. There will be many new themes and a few quality of life adjustments. While there will surely be more news on the horizon for the new update, do what you can to let them work out all of the issues before they become your issues as well.

Back At It Again: Microsoft Suspends Windows Updates

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

Windows 10 was released in July 2015 and there were plenty of reasons to be excited. If you have been around for the last few versions of Windows dating back to Vista, you may have a love/hate relationship with Microsoft.

Windows Vista, for instance, was once known as the biggest failure Microsoft had experienced. That is, until Windows 8. Just using the adoption numbers, it’s clear that Windows 8 was the least successful OS that Microsoft has ever released.

So, Microsoft and their users had many reasons to be excited about Windows 10. Microsoft assured users that Windows 10 would be a return to the golden standard of Operating Systems: Windows 7.

As with all releases of a new operating system, there have been some issues. Some of these problems are indicative of a bigger problems while others are standalone issues.

With a myriad of different types of problems that have surfaced over the last couple of years, Windows 10 may be the most problematic OS of all-time.

Since launch, Windows 10 has had some very unusual problems. While it is almost expected for issues to arise with a new OS, the frequency and type of problems is what’s disturbing. The issues have ranged from broken drivers that leave devices nonfunctional to our latest and greatest issue: the deleted documents folder.

A few times a year, larger updates called “Feature Updates” are released. In April 2018, there was an update that would incorrectly create a duplicate of your documents folder. A lot of these folders were empty and had no real purpose.

At this point, Microsoft decided to implement a fix with their next feature update, due in October 2018. The “fix” would remove the duplicate folder.

There was one very large issue with this. The update did not check if the folder was actually empty before deleting it from your system. People all over began reporting the issue where, all of a sudden, their files were gone.

Once reported, Microsoft acted quickly to halt the update before further systems were affected. The update would still download but would not apply. It was necessary that the access to the update be stopped to save additional systems from data loss.

A strange side effect of the update being put on hold was the failure to apply the downloaded Windows updates.

This resulted in much longer shut down/restart times as the update would attempt to apply, then roll back once it failed. This also provided users with another reason to be frustrated.

The issues are now resolved. The fix has been implemented and there is no more possibility for further data loss.

For what it’s worth, Microsoft also asked for users who lost data to reach out, and they would try to recover it where possible.

It seems like the least they could do considering the issue was created due to poor planning, poor programming, or some combination of those.

When possible, look into deferred updates. Let the problems work themselves out before taking on the unnecessary problems.

Windows Fall Update 2018: How To Prepare & Avoid Downtime

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

Here it comes again. Windows is coming back with another large feature update for Windows 10, named Redstone 5. As always, Microsoft is attempting to give people more of what they want and better the user experience.

The upgrades and changes slated to hit this fall vary greatly, from a dark theme for File Explorer to the new Windows 10 smartphone integration feature.

While there may be a little something for everyone, what can you expect your experience to be? We can start by examining the numerous changes coming our way this fall.

The first new feature is Clipboard history and sync. By pressing the Windows key and V, you can open up Clipboard history. Allowing all of those copy and pastes you’ve been doing to be easily recalled. This feature will be great for some users and some will never utilize the functionality.

For an IT professional like myself, I spend a lot of time copying and pasting different things in, not limited to passwords. This brings up many questions, including, “How secure will the sync between devices be?” and “Will any personal information be safe to copy and paste this way, when there is an obvious trail left?” This remains to be seen, but the potential for usefulness, if secure, is exciting.

Another new feature I mentioned earlier is the Dark Theme for File Explorer. This feature allows the color of File Explorer to be changed from white to black. Eyes rejoice! Many people find browsing files and even reading easier to do with a black background and white font. If the brightness is just too much for you to look at day in and day out, then this feature is for you! There is no downside or issue I can see with this feature, as it is purely cosmetic.

Everyone, welcome SwiftKey to Windows 10! Back in 2016, Microsoft purchased the SwiftKey keyboard. SwiftKey is a touch screen keyboard that allows for swipe styling typing. Not impressive on its own, the SwiftKeyboard boasts that it has more accurate autocorrect and predictions by learning your writing style. SwiftKey is intriguing, but a feature that, in reality, doesn’t change much for most people.

The final big feature, the Windows 10 smart phone integration, is equal parts exciting and scary. Any new sync system has the potential to be attacked, depending on the security in place.

The integration brings you the instant access to your photos from your phone to your PC. There are also plans to add sync notifications in the future. There is also the “Continue on PC” option that will allow you to access a link from your computer, picking up where you left off on your phone.

While there are no earth-shattering changes, the biggest concern is how these updates and changes to Windows 10 will affect you in the long run. As with updates in the past, there is a possibility that any of these new system changes will cause issues with different existing applications and processes. 2017’s Fall Creator’s update was the culprit behind numerous applications failing, even people having to do full system restores for no real reason.

While the update will be available in early fall, I would suggest avoiding installing the update until you have to. Especially in a business setting. You can try it at home first, but unless you are running the same applications, there is no way of telling how the changes will affect your system until others discover potential issues.

Windows Fall Creator’s Update: Breaking More Than It’s Fixing

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

Microsoft dominates the world of operating systems. Windows has been a part of our lives for years and some of us can’t remember a world without it.

Each time Microsoft rolls out a new operating system, it is updated and patched for years for various reasons.

Over the lifespan of a Windows operating system, there are various security updates perhaps more than any other type of update.

There are fixes for issues, whether that’s problems with Windows itself or interaction with other hardware and software.

Then there are the outliers: Windows feature updates. These updates typically introduce new features or changes to the core function of the operating system. Feature updates can improve the user experience for many people.

Windows 10 launched in 2015 and, like all of its predecessors, did not launch with perfection. There have been numerous updates of all kinds since its launch. Those security patches, hotfixes, and even a handful of feature updates had rolled out by October of 2017.

That is when Microsoft released the Window’s Fall Creator update. This update was going to create a better user experience. Personal connections were going to be easier to make.

A new application allowing you to resume work or browsing started on a mobile device like a smartphone on your computer was introduced as well. There were a few security updates as well.

All in all, the Fall Creators Update was going to fix a few bugs and introduce some quality-of-life improvements.

In previous versions of Windows, the updates were able to be shut off and postponed.

Large scale feature updates are known to have some complications when rolled out.

That is why these updates are not “pushed” when initially launched, but available to download as an optional update at first.

Upon this introduction window, there were, as expected, reports of problems coming in. What was not expected was the range of issues and the severity of some.

The first issue arising from the release of Windows 1709, the Fall Creators Update, was the update failing to install.

Many people reported issues of an error when attempting to install the update. The initial portion would install, but the finalizing of the updates upon a restart would fail.

If that wasn’t frustrating enough, if the update did manage to install, it was reported that the applying updates portion could take two hours (and in some cases as many as ten hours).

Then, let’s assume you got that far. Maybe you want to use Microsoft Edge, the Microsoft browser of choice. With the 1709 update, many users found that Edge was essentially broken. It would crash repeatedly.

Then, bring in the numerous broken drivers. Imagine an update breaking your Ethernet adapter. It happened. Applications disappeared, began opening on their own, and in some cases just didn’t work. The problems continued to roll in.

Many of these issues were resolved in a timely fashion and some were not. In mid-January, Microsoft declared the Fall Creators Update ready for business. This means that the update would be pushed out to anyone that was not already using it.

After 3 months, many issues were still present and others would soon be discovered.

Many users of corporate software and other specialty software were surprised by software that no longer worked. In some cases, the suggested fix was to roll back the update, which will force itself to reinstall shortly after.

There have been some big patches to fix these issues since January and I’m hoping that in another three months Microsoft will have all of these issues resolved.

Meltdown and Spectre: Protect Yourself With Updates

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

As I am writing this, it has been about a month since news broke of Meltdown and Spectre, two separate vulnerabilities affecting nearly every smartphone and PC in use today. It affects all modern processors – which encompasses a whole lot of users.

Meltdown and Spectre are different fundamentally, but they use a similar vulnerability to do different things. So what are the differences?

Meltdown breaks the isolation between user applications and the operating system. This allows a program to access the memory and, therefore, the processes and data of the software, even when it is not authorized to do so. [Read more…] about Meltdown and Spectre: Protect Yourself With Updates