Friday, July 24, 2020
If you really want a smaller phone, try the tiny Jelly 2
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Microsoft acknowledges Windows 10 bug that causes internet connectivity problems
The May 2020 update is still causing issues for some users
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- Commenthat are certain in life: death, taxes, and Windows 10 updates that cause bugs. Once again, Microsoft has acknowledged a problem in the May 2020 update. The error affects the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) icon in the taskbar, showing a user to be offline even when there is a connection—and that can confuse some apps.
Things that are certain in life: death, taxes and Windows 10 May 2020 update was found on 7 percent of all PC's found at the start of the month. While it’s landing on computers at a faster rate than previous updates, it’s not without its problem. As reported by Windows latest, cumulative updates in June and July have helped, but some users still see a yellow triangle in the NCSI and the “no internet access” message.
Despite what Windows might say, those affected by the problem aren’t actually offline. It’s still possible to load up a browser and surf the web as normal, but apps that rely on Windows 10’s internet status to make a connection are unlikely to work. These include Cortana, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, the Microsoft Store, and Spotify.
Something nobody likes to see
It’s speculated that the problem could be related to VPN or proxy use. Microsoft acknowledges the issue in a TechNet forum post, confirming that the issue is being investigated but hasn’t yet been resolved. The NCSI error reportedly dates back to before the Windows 10 May 2020 update launched, affecting some testers in the Release Preview Ring.
The “No internet connection” bug can (possibly) be fixed by editing the Registry, which can have disastrous consequences if not done correctly. To correct the issue:
1. Type Registry Editor in the search box
2. Click on the app when it appears in the panel and allow it to run
3. Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet”
4. Highlight ‘EnableActiveProbing’ and change the value from 0 to 1
5. Click on “Okay”
6. Close the Registry
7. Restart the PC
Note that this solution hasn't worked for everyone, but it’s worth a shot until Microsoft release a fix, which will doubtlessly add new bugs.
Monday, July 20, 2020
The 8 Most Common Reasons Why Windows Gets Unresponsive
1. Insufficient Resources
One of the most common reasons that Windows becomes unresponsive is that it doesn’t have enough resources to run smoothly. The two components that most often bottleneck performance are your RAM (memory) and CPU.
Your computer stores all running programs in RAM. If those processes take up all your physical memory, your computer has to use the page file—a section of your storage disk that essentially acts as backup RAM.
Even if you have an SSD, using the page file is much slower than actual RAM meant for this purpose. As a result, you’ll feel the slowdown when your computer is relying on the page file.
Open the Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, switch to the Processes tab, and sort by the Memory header to see what’s using the most. Close programs at the top of the list if you don’t need them, and your system should recover.
It’s a similar story with high CPU usage. Taxing operations, such as encoding HD video, take a lot of CPU power. Your system may thus become unresponsive while your CPU is hard at work.
2. Hardware Incompatibility
If a piece of hardware isn’t fully compatible with your version of Windows, it could cause stability issues. Typically, hardware problems result in Windows crashing because the OS has no other option. However, these issues can also cause system freezes.
When this happens, think about whether you’ve recently connected some new hardware to your PC. Any printer, mouse, keyboard, USB drive, or another external device could be the source of the problem. If you use an outdated piece of hardware, replace it with a modern device and see if that helps.
With the aid of compatibility modes and some tweaks, it’s possible to get retired hardware working with newer versions of Windows. However, in many cases, this is a dead end. It’s usually easier to run old software on a modern PC than it is to use ancient hardware.
3. Driver Issues
Even if a specific piece of hardware doesn’t cause an unresponsive computer, its driver could. In case you didn’t know, a driver is a small piece of software that lets Windows interface with hardware correctly.
For basic devices like a mouse or keyboard, a generic Microsoft driver works just fine. Using all the features of a device requires its own driver, though. Problems can arise if your installed drivers are outdated, incompatible with your version of Windows, or are for the wrong device.
The general rule with drivers is that you shouldn’t touch them if everything is working properly. Third-party driver update utilities are usually shady and could screw up more than they fix.
4. Windows Registry Problems
The Registry is a database where Windows holds all sorts of detailed information about your system and its configuration. When you install or remove software, edit a setting, or make changes to the Registry yourself, Windows records it there.
Most of the time, the Registry works just fine without your intervention. We strongly recommend that you avoid using Registry cleaners, as they are useless at best and dangerous at worst. Even if there are old entries in the Registry, “cleaning” thousands of errors won’t provide any tangible performance benefits.
If your Registry is so messed up that it causes your system to become unresponsive, you’ll probably need to reinstall Windows. It shouldn’t ever get to that point unless you make a mistake while editing it, use a Registry cleaner, or get infected by malware.
5. A Malware of Any Kind
Malware, the catch-all term for viruses, spyware, worms, and other forms of infection, can wreak havoc on your system. Whether it’s adware injecting ads into your browser that cause it to freeze or rootkits that steal system resources, malware can take over your computer and degrade performance.
Run a scan with the free version of Malwarebytes to see if you have any malicious programs on your system. And in the future, make sure you know how to avoid getting a virus so it doesn’t happen again.
6. Running Multiple Antivirus Tools
Thankfully, Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender, which is a good enough antivirus solution for most people. However, if you choose to use something else, you should make sure that it doesn’t end up causing a performance problem.
Running multiple antivirus programs will often cause them to conflict with each other and cause slowdowns. If you want a second opinion, use an on-demand scanner like the aforementioned Malwarebytes every once in a while.
Alternatively, try using a free online virus scanner like VirusTotal. These let you scan a file with dozens of different antivirus apps at once, making sure that yours doesn’t miss anything.
Aside from this, make sure you use one of the best Windows antivirus suites. Avoid no-name apps, as they may not be well-optimized and thus cause slowdowns.
7. Application Bugs
Unfortunately, poorly written software is out of your control. Whether it’s an old app that hasn’t seen updates in years or a bad Chrome extension, you might notice that your unresponsive problem only occurs when using a certain program.
If you can pin down which app is an issue, make sure you have the latest updates installed for it. Sometimes new versions can solve these kinds of problems. If that’s not an option, check AlternativeTo for a replacement.
Should the problem occur in your browser, try disabling extensions one by one to see if that solves the problem.
8. User Tweaks
Once you eliminate all the above scenarios, it’s possible that your stability problem comes from some sort of tweak you’ve made to Windows.
Changes in the Control Panel or Settings app shouldn’t interfere with your system, but using third-party tools to customize Windows might break something unintentionally.
Think about the tools you’ve used for Windows 10 privacy, tweaking the Taskbar, or similar deep changes. Consider reversing those if you can’t find any other source of instability.
When Windows Is Unresponsive, You Know Why
Chances are that when your PC becomes unresponsive, the root lies in one of these causes. Most of them are in your control, so all it takes is a bit of troubleshooting to find out where the problem lies. Once you fix it, you can get back to using your computer without interruption.
If you don’t want to spend time on these fixes, it’s easy to reset Windows 10 to put the operating system back to its default state.
Friday, July 17, 2020
AMD vs Intel CPUs: Final thoughts
Intel CPUs are typically the favorite choice for performance and overclocking enthusiasts. While the overclocking range for the latest 8-core parts is limited (4.9-5.1GHz being the typical maximum without exotic cooling solutions), the 8th Gen parts hit similar overclocks but start at lower base clocks. Intel's top CPUs cost more than their AMD counterparts, especially once you add in a decent cooler, but they're often a bit faster in games. AMD meanwhile is able to trounce Intel when it comes to multithreaded applications. Intel has no real 'mainstream' answer to the 3900X, never mind the 3950X. You'll have to move to Intel's HEDT platform, but then AMD has up to 32-core solutions with Threadripper 3000 CPUs.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Some Awesome Windows 10 Desktop Tips and Tricks
Turn Your Desktop into a Meadow
If you’d like a fun desktop app to bring a slice of tranquility to your Windows 10 experience, try Desktop Meadow by Sam Chiet. It makes flowers grow on your app windows and taskbar, as friendly birds flutter around. You’ll even receive letters in a tiny desktop mailbox. It’s yours to download for free at itch.io.
Temporarily Hide or Unhide All Desktop Icons
If you like a clean Desktop uncluttered with icons, it’s easy to temporarily hide all of them without actually removing them. Simply right-click anywhere on your desktop, and in the pop-up menu, navigate to View > Show desktop icons. Once toggled off, your icons will be hidden, but you can just as easily bring them back by toggling this again in the right-click menu.
Create an Invisible Folder on Your Desktop
It’s a silly trick, but you can create an invisible folder on your desktop that hides in plain sight. It involves changing the icon of a folder into a “blank” (completely transparent) icon and renaming it to a non-displaying space character. It’s not technically private or secure, but it’s fun.
Quickly Change the Size of Your Desktop Icons
If you’d like to quickly adjust the size of your desktop icons, press Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel. If you scroll in one direction, the icons grow larger (probably larger than you’d expect!), but scroll in the other, and they’ll be tiny. Once you find the size you want, release Ctrl and the icons will remain that size.
Organize Your Desktop with Stardock Fences
If you like to organize files, folders, and shortcuts on your desktop, try Stardock Fences. This utility allows you to arrange icons in groups that you define. You can even let Fences automatically sort your Desktop files into stacks if you prefer.
Use Bing’s Daily Photos as Your Desktop Wallpaper
Bing features beautiful photos every day, and Microsoft makes it easy to automatically use them as your desktop wallpaper. Simply download and install the official Bing Wallpaper app, and you’re all set! You’ll have fresh, professional-quality wallpaper every day of the week.
Use Virtual Desktops
This doesn’t strictly pertain to the Desktop file space, but you can also use virtual desktops on Windows 10. These are alternate workspaces for your app windows you can switch between quickly.
Sadly, you can’t configure multiple pages of Desktop icons.
Fight off a Desktop Goose
Sam Chiet, the creator of Desktop Meadow (see above), also created an unofficial tribute to 2019’s hit, Untitled Goose Game, in the form of a small app called Desktop Goose. It puts a tiny, angry goose on your desktop that will chase your cursor and try to drag it. It also rearranges your windows and even writes you notes.
Use the Default Windows 10 Wallpapers
If you prefer Windows 10’s older, darker default desktop wallpaper, you can either copy it from an older PC or download it from Imgur.
You can find the Windows default wallpapers in the C:\Windows\Web folder.
Sync a Windows and Mac Desktop
Using symbolic links and a local area network, you can synchronize the files on your Mac and Windows desktops. Once you set it up, if you place a file on either desktop, it will automatically show up on the other.
It takes a bit of work to get it configured, but once you do, it works like magic!
Create a Show Desktop Icon on the Quick Launch Bar
In Windows 10, you can quickly see your desktop at any time if you click the tiny line at the far right of the taskbar. If you’re an old-school Windows fan, though, you can create and drag a Show Desktop icon to the Quick Launch area instead.
Then, next time you want to see your Desktop, just click the shortcut and voilà !
As a wise man once said, no two Desktops are exactly alike—and that’s a good thing!
Difference between 32 Bit & 64 Bit
What’s the Difference Between 32-Bit and 64-Bit?
What Are 32-Bit and 64-Bit?
32-Bit vs. 64-Bit: Which One is Right For You?
The Benefits of a 64-Bit Processor
Is My Computer 32- or 64-Bit? How to Find Out
How to Find Out if Your Windows 10 PC is 64-Bit
- Open the File Explorer window by pressing the Windows icon key + E.
- In the left sidebar of the File Explorer window, right-click on “This PC.”
- Choose Properties from the context menu.
- Find the “System type” information. This is where you will see what type of operating system and processor you have.
How to Find Out if Your Mac Computer is 64-Bit
- Open the Apple menu. You can do this by clicking the Apple-shaped button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
- Then select About This Mac.
- Click System Report. This is the button in the bottom-left of the window. If you don’t see this button, make sure you are in the Overview tab.
- Check under Processor Name in the right side of the window. If you do not see Processor Name in the right side of the window, make sure to click Hardware at the top of the left sidebar.
- Finally, compare your Processor Name with this table from Apple. In this example, the Processor Name was listed as a “Dual-Core Intel i5,” which is just listed as “Core i5 in the table below. So, this computer has a 64-bit processor.
Can I Install 32-Bit Software on a 64-Bit Computer?
Can I Upgrade from 32-Bit to 64-Bit?
What is CPU? Understanding the basic CPU
What Is A CPU?
What Does a CPU Do?
What CPU Do You Have?
How to Find Out What CPU You Have in Windows 10
- Open the Start Menu. You can do this by clicking the button in the bottom-left corner of your screen that is shaped like the Windows logo.
- Then click Settings. This is the gear-shaped icon just above the power icon.
- Next, click System.
- Scroll down to About in the left sidebar.
- You will see your CPU’s name next to “processor” under “Device specifications.”
How to Find Out What CPU You Have on a Mac
- Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Then click About This Mac.
- You will see your CPU’s name next to “Processor” in the Overview tab.
What Do Cores Do in a CPU?
How Many Cores Does Your CPU Have?
How to Find Out How Many Cores You Have in Windows 10
- Right-click on your taskbar. This is the bar on the bottom of your screen.
- Then click Task Manager.
- Go to the Performance tab. You will see this at the top of the window, to the right of the Processes tab.
- You will see how many cores you have next to Cores in the bottom-right corner. If you do not see this screen, make sure to hit the “More details” button in the bottom left corner of the window.
How to Find Out How Many Cores Your Have on a Mac
- Click on the Apple logo at the top left-hand side of the screen.
- Then click About This Mac.
- Next, click the System Report button at the bottom of the window.
- You will see how many cores you have in the pop-up window next to “Total Number of Cores.” If you don’t see this screen, make sure you are in the Hardware tab in the right sidebar.
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