Cleaning up your printer
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/cleaning-up-your-printer/
ISSUE 21.17 • 2024-04-22 HARDWARE By Susan Bradley You’re probably thinking this article is about cleaning paper dust from a printer or fixing a stuck pick-up wheel. We all deal with that sort of thing. This is about something you probably don’t think about before heading to your local e-cycler with that old printer — […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/cleaning-up-your-printer/
ISSUE 21.17 • 2024-04-22 HARDWARE By Susan Bradley You’re probably thinking this article is about cleaning paper dust from a printer or fixing a stuck pick-up wheel. We all deal with that sort of thing. This is about something you probably don’t think about before heading to your local e-cycler with that old printer — […]
MS-DEFCON 4: Safe — for now
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-4-safe-for-now/
ISSUE 21.17.1 • 2024-04-23 By Susan Bradley The April updates have been relatively quiet, with some exceptions. That’s why I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4. Most of my concerns lie not with this month’s patches but rather with the timing of future mandates. In addition, Microsoft finally acknowledged an “oopsie” with Edge. Anyone can […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-4-safe-for-now/
ISSUE 21.17.1 • 2024-04-23 By Susan Bradley The April updates have been relatively quiet, with some exceptions. That’s why I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4. Most of my concerns lie not with this month’s patches but rather with the timing of future mandates. In addition, Microsoft finally acknowledged an “oopsie” with Edge. Anyone can […]
Setting up vulnerability
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/setting-up-vulnerability/
So my main television died this week. We got a replacement one and then spent several hours and getting it set up just the way we wanted it. As I was setting it up, I was thinking through my head …. I’m setting up a not a television, but a mini computer that at some […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/setting-up-vulnerability/
So my main television died this week. We got a replacement one and then spent several hours and getting it set up just the way we wanted it. As I was setting it up, I was thinking through my head …. I’m setting up a not a television, but a mini computer that at some […]
Time for 23H2
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/time-for-23h2/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley The Professional and Home editions of Windows 11 22H2 reach end of life on October 14, 2024. Between now and then, those of you on Windows 11 22H2 should begin the process of moving to 23H2. For users with Windows 11 Education and Enterprise editions, their demise arrives a year […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/time-for-23h2/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley The Professional and Home editions of Windows 11 22H2 reach end of life on October 14, 2024. Between now and then, those of you on Windows 11 22H2 should begin the process of moving to 23H2. For users with Windows 11 Education and Enterprise editions, their demise arrives a year […]
SmartContextMenu — Computing for lazy people like me
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/smartcontextmenu-computing-for-lazy-people-like-me/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen If you want me to use your fancy new feature in Windows, it better be fewer than three clicks away. Two is better. It’s not that I’m being difficult. I’m just very conscious of how many clicks I’m using. SmartContextMenu is an enhanced version of author Alexander Illarionov’s other popular […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/smartcontextmenu-computing-for-lazy-people-like-me/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen If you want me to use your fancy new feature in Windows, it better be fewer than three clicks away. Two is better. It’s not that I’m being difficult. I’m just very conscious of how many clicks I’m using. SmartContextMenu is an enhanced version of author Alexander Illarionov’s other popular […]
Understanding Office document formats
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/understanding-office-document-formats/
OFFICE By Mary Branscombe Inside every Office file is a hierarchy of formats and XML markup. If you understand these structures, you can use that knowledge to extract information directly from most Office app files. When Word, Excel, and PowerPoint first came out, they stored documents in proprietary binary file formats, with text, styles, page […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/understanding-office-document-formats/
OFFICE By Mary Branscombe Inside every Office file is a hierarchy of formats and XML markup. If you understand these structures, you can use that knowledge to extract information directly from most Office app files. When Word, Excel, and PowerPoint first came out, they stored documents in proprietary binary file formats, with text, styles, page […]
Did hackers buy Roku devices — using your credit card?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/did-hackers-buy-roku-devices-using-your-credit-card/
ISSUE 21.18 • 2024-04-29 PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston In a pair of serious security breaches in the past two months, hackers tried username-password combinations found on the Dark Web. They attempted to log on to more than half a million accounts at Roku. Hundreds of users who had unwisely stored their full credit-card numbers […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/did-hackers-buy-roku-devices-using-your-credit-card/
ISSUE 21.18 • 2024-04-29 PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston In a pair of serious security breaches in the past two months, hackers tried username-password combinations found on the Dark Web. They attempted to log on to more than half a million accounts at Roku. Hundreds of users who had unwisely stored their full credit-card numbers […]
Microsoft is not fixing its mess
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/microsoft-is-not-fixing-its-mess/
ISSUE 21.18.1 • 2024-05-03 By Susan Bradley Microsoft has now made it official. It does not plan to fix the mess it made with KB5034441. As you may recall, I was not pleased with how Microsoft handled this vulnerability. It took a sledgehammer to a problem that should have been handled with a precision tool. […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/microsoft-is-not-fixing-its-mess/
ISSUE 21.18.1 • 2024-05-03 By Susan Bradley Microsoft has now made it official. It does not plan to fix the mess it made with KB5034441. As you may recall, I was not pleased with how Microsoft handled this vulnerability. It took a sledgehammer to a problem that should have been handled with a precision tool. […]
The Windows 11 disconnect
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-windows-11-disconnect/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley Despite my being a CPA, earnings calls are not usually a part of my technology coverage for Patch Watch. I’m making an exception. I read the transcript of the Microsoft Fiscal Year 2024 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call and found myself concerned with CEO Satya Nadella’s remarks. In the call, […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-windows-11-disconnect/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley Despite my being a CPA, earnings calls are not usually a part of my technology coverage for Patch Watch. I’m making an exception. I read the transcript of the Microsoft Fiscal Year 2024 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call and found myself concerned with CEO Satya Nadella’s remarks. In the call, […]
DesktopOK — No more screaming when your icons get scrambled
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/desktopok-no-more-screaming-when-your-icons-get-scrambled/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen I have two large monitors and a lot of icons filling those screens. It may look like utter chaos, but my brain knows exactly where each icon is located. So when some poorly crafted software leaves my icons all neatly stacked to the left side of my main monitor, I […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/desktopok-no-more-screaming-when-your-icons-get-scrambled/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen I have two large monitors and a lot of icons filling those screens. It may look like utter chaos, but my brain knows exactly where each icon is located. So when some poorly crafted software leaves my icons all neatly stacked to the left side of my main monitor, I […]
Settings
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/settings/
WINDOWS 11 By Ed Tittel The Settings app in Windows 11 remains endlessly under development, with the transition from Control Panel and Microsoft Management consoles far from complete. With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft began a slow and deliberate changeover in how setup, configuration, and related settings are handled. In this first of a […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/settings/
WINDOWS 11 By Ed Tittel The Settings app in Windows 11 remains endlessly under development, with the transition from Control Panel and Microsoft Management consoles far from complete. With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft began a slow and deliberate changeover in how setup, configuration, and related settings are handled. In this first of a […]
Ethics and computing
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ethics-and-computing/
ISSUE 21.19 • 2024-05-06 COMMENTARY By Michael A. Covington Computer ethics and AI ethics are easier than you think, for one big reason. That reason is simple: if it’s wrong to do something without a computer, it’s still wrong to do it with a computer. See how much puzzlement that principle clears away. Consider, for […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ethics-and-computing/
ISSUE 21.19 • 2024-05-06 COMMENTARY By Michael A. Covington Computer ethics and AI ethics are easier than you think, for one big reason. That reason is simple: if it’s wrong to do something without a computer, it’s still wrong to do it with a computer. See how much puzzlement that principle clears away. Consider, for […]
May 2024 Office non-Security Updates have been released
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/may-2024-office-non-security-updates-have-been-released/
Office non-Security updates have been released Tuesday, May 7, 2024. They are not included in the DEFCON-4 approval for the April 2024 patches. Unless you have a specific need to install them, you should wait until Susan Bradley (Patch Lady) approves them and any problems have been reported. Remember, Susan’s patching sequence and recommendations are […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/may-2024-office-non-security-updates-have-been-released/
Office non-Security updates have been released Tuesday, May 7, 2024. They are not included in the DEFCON-4 approval for the April 2024 patches. Unless you have a specific need to install them, you should wait until Susan Bradley (Patch Lady) approves them and any problems have been reported. Remember, Susan’s patching sequence and recommendations are […]
MS-DEFCON 2: May updates are right around the corner
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-2-may-updates-are-right-around-the-corner/
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 […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-2-may-updates-are-right-around-the-corner/
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 […]
Are you into Widgets?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/are-you-into-widgets/
Coming up in the May updates are more widgets on the lock screen. Apologies for the slightly blurry photo but I took it from an iphone as I couldn’t grab a screen shot. Personally, I have the computer turn the monitor off when it sits longer than a few moments, so this “lock screen widgets” […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/are-you-into-widgets/
Coming up in the May updates are more widgets on the lock screen. Apologies for the slightly blurry photo but I took it from an iphone as I couldn’t grab a screen shot. Personally, I have the computer turn the monitor off when it sits longer than a few moments, so this “lock screen widgets” […]
Artificial minds
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/artificial-minds/
COMMENTARY By Michael A. Covington Artificial intelligence changes the ethics and computing scene. In my previous article, Ethics and computing, I discussed how the rise of personal computing created a break in our natural understanding of ethics. Now, the rise of AI adds further complications. Let’s delve into that a bit. Read the full story […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/artificial-minds/
COMMENTARY By Michael A. Covington Artificial intelligence changes the ethics and computing scene. In my previous article, Ethics and computing, I discussed how the rise of personal computing created a break in our natural understanding of ethics. Now, the rise of AI adds further complications. Let’s delve into that a bit. Read the full story […]
How to get through Microsoft’s sneaky Windows setup
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/how-to-get-through-microsofts-sneaky-windows-setup/
WINDOWS By Lance Whitney Trying to set up Windows 10 or 11? Microsoft steers you toward certain features and settings that will benefit itself more than you. Here’s how to make the right choices. In my job as a technology writer, I often must run through the Windows 10 or 11 setup to test and […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/how-to-get-through-microsofts-sneaky-windows-setup/
WINDOWS By Lance Whitney Trying to set up Windows 10 or 11? Microsoft steers you toward certain features and settings that will benefit itself more than you. Here’s how to make the right choices. In my job as a technology writer, I often must run through the Windows 10 or 11 setup to test and […]
Quantum computing is coming to you soon
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/quantum-computing-is-coming-to-you-soon/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston A breakthrough by researchers at Oxford University makes it likely that you’ll be able to access the power of a quantum computing center — remotely from your home or office — sooner than experts previously thought. “Quantum computing” is an entirely different animal from “digital computing.” A quantum server harnesses […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/quantum-computing-is-coming-to-you-soon/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston A breakthrough by researchers at Oxford University makes it likely that you’ll be able to access the power of a quantum computing center — remotely from your home or office — sooner than experts previously thought. “Quantum computing” is an entirely different animal from “digital computing.” A quantum server harnesses […]
Do you need antivirus for your phone?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/do-you-need-antivirus-for-your-phone/
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 […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/do-you-need-antivirus-for-your-phone/
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 […]
May updates for Apple and Microsoft
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/may-updates-for-apple-and-microsoft/
Yesterday Apple released several updates for Safari, iOS 17.5, iOS 16.7.8, Sonoma 14.5. Ventura 13.6.7, Monterey 12.7.5, WatchOS 10.5, tvOS17.5. On May 8, they also released iTunes 12.13.2 for Windows. Apple has backported a fix for CVE-2024-23296, a critical security flaw in the RTKit real-time operating system, to older iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions. The #vulnerability […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/may-updates-for-apple-and-microsoft/
Yesterday Apple released several updates for Safari, iOS 17.5, iOS 16.7.8, Sonoma 14.5. Ventura 13.6.7, Monterey 12.7.5, WatchOS 10.5, tvOS17.5. On May 8, they also released iTunes 12.13.2 for Windows. Apple has backported a fix for CVE-2024-23296, a critical security flaw in the RTKit real-time operating system, to older iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions. The #vulnerability […]
Patch List for May 14, 2024
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/patch-list-for-may-14-2024/
We’re still in testing mode for this month’s updates. So far there has been an acknowledged deployment issue whereby Windows Server 2019/KB5037765 may fail with error code 0x800f0982 when you have multi-language packs installed and do not have en-us language pack support installed. Microsoft is investigating. Microsoft is rolling out the lock screen ‘widgets’ on […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/patch-list-for-may-14-2024/
We’re still in testing mode for this month’s updates. So far there has been an acknowledged deployment issue whereby Windows Server 2019/KB5037765 may fail with error code 0x800f0982 when you have multi-language packs installed and do not have en-us language pack support installed. Microsoft is investigating. Microsoft is rolling out the lock screen ‘widgets’ on […]