Topic: Windows 11 Update 24H2 – Again
Don Trauger – Kennett
Back in the December 2024 issue of the Guide & Digest I railed against Microsoft issuing an update that was, to put it mildly, flawed. With nearly a dozen bugs that affected different Windows 11 computers in different ways, it was impossible for users to make corrections or mitigate the issues.
Now Microsoft is slowly distributing the update again for better or worse. This started around January 20, 2025. At present they have listed 13 issues with only one resolved. Unless my mind has seriously deteriorated since December, I find that the number of issues listed are equal or possibly higher than in December. Way to go Microsoft!
To be honest some of the issues reflect compatibility problems. Before Windows Update will install this update, it will perform a compatibility check. If you have a certain brand or model of a computer that may be negatively affected by this update, you will not receive the update. Well, I guess that’s an improvement. A number of the issues are only involved in situations where it may affect only 1 in 100 computers. I hope it isn’t yours.
Is there anything you can do? Yes, there is. In Settings go to Windows Update and click Pause Updates for as long a period as you can. The ideal time to do this is just before the second Tuesday of the month. On the second Tuesday Microsoft issues a new batch of updates with potential for more problems. The more time you can buy, the better the reliability will be regarding this update.
I don’t think there is anything compelling with this update although it will offer some new features. It will take at least an hour to install this update as it is composed of a complete system software swap. You will not lose any of your programs or data. Make sure your laptop is plugged into its battery charger. If you receive a notification that Windows has updates to install, save your data in any open programs and shut them down but leave your computer powered on and on the Desktop screen. You can then proceed to commence the updates
Good luck!
Topic: Facebook Ads
By Don Trauger – Kennett
You probably know that you shouldn’t trust everything you see on the Internet and that includes
Facebook. Remember that this advice extends to the advertising as well.
Ads on Facebook have been used by hackers to spread fake Bitwarden password manager
extensions for Chrome, which are infected with dangerous phishing tools.
That’s according to Bitdefender, a reputable anti-virus company, which details its investigation
in a new blog post. According to the researchers, ads on Facebook pretended to offer Bitwarden,
one of the most popular password managers on the market. The advertising indicates, falsely,
that the viewer is “using an outdated version of Bitwarden” and that they must update it now to
stay protected from “cyber threats.”
The ad was detected recently on November 3, 2024, specifically targeting users in Europe.
Once users click on the ad, they’re redirected to a phony page that imitates the Chrome Web
Store and the legitimate Bitwarden extension download page. But instead of the rather smooth
process for installing officially supported Chrome extensions, they’re sent to a Google Drive
page with a ZIP file to download. The page then guides the user through installing the fake
Bitwarden in Chrome’s Developer Mode, an elevated privilege state that’s similar to an admin
account in Windows. The user is then instructed to load up the fake extension manually.
From there, the fake Bitwarden spies on the user’s activity and gathers their cookies, IP address,
and pretty much everything associated with their Facebook account, including user ID and
password, personal info, and payment info. It’s everything the hackers need for identity theft —
and depending on how much activity the user has on Facebook, a possible avenue to more direct
attacks on financial accounts.
Using a legitimate ad network to spread malware is nothing new, nor is imitating security
software to prey on internet users’ fears. From the above information you can observe that a
hacker will go to any length to steal your personal information in ways you never thought
possible.
By Don Trauger – Kennett
This article is meant for those residents that are more aggressive with additional control of their
PC’s. Namely, Techies. It concerns a specific area of the computer called Windows Update.
Available since October 1, 2024, Windows 11 Update 24H2 is the next major update. It’s not
just a normal update, it consists of a complete operating system swap. It’s a huge update and it
has major problems.
Defining the characters of update 24H2, 24 means the year and H2 means the second half of
year.
It’s been available for automatic download since October 1, 2024. During that time, it has
accrued at least 7 major faults starting with blue screens and failures to install. To check to see if
you have it: Select Start, Select Settings, Select Windows Update, Select Update history. The
23H2 update precedes it and works fine as it is also updated automatically.
If you find you have 24H2 installed and your computer is working normally, leave it alone.
Don’t uninstall it. That can lead to additional problems. If your computer is acting up with 24H2
installed and the problems are minor, don’t uninstall it. Live with the minor problems and hope
that Microsoft will correct the issues quickly. If you don’t have 24H2, one thing that may help to
delay the download and installation of 24H2 is to turn Off, “Get the latest updates as soon as
they are available” This will delay the download and installation of update 24H2. In fact, for
normal updates the delay may only be a few days but for feature updates, like 24H2, it may be
several weeks or longer.
You can increase the delay even further for all updates by selecting Pause updates. It’s best to
set this up a few days before the 2nd Tuesday of the month. That is when Microsoft starts its next
round of updates. Choose a period typically 4-5 weeks in advance of the next 2nd Tuesday. Don’t
let your delay extend past the next 2nd Tuesday of the month. In my opinion it’s more important
to delay updates and protect yourself from Microsoft’s mistakes like 24H2 than it is to protect
yourself from threats from the Internet. Your maximum delay is restricted to about a month but it
gives Microsoft the time to issue fixes.
Topic – Microsoft Store Ads On-Off
By Don Trauger – Kennett
This article describes how to turn off the Microsoft Store ads in Windows 11 that can appear
when you click the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen. The ads will cover the
program icons. Microsoft is pushing ads in front of the Start Menu which I think is sacred
territory. The ads may show apps or services that are available from the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft has recognized this is a sensitive area. To relieve the frustration, they have given you a
way to turn off the ads. Click the Start button, Click the Settings icon, click Personalization on
the left, then scroll down to Start then click it. Look for a setting labeled Show
recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more. Click the little icon on the right so
it switches from ON to OFF. That’s it.
Don Trauger – Kennett
You may not even know you have a problem. You receive your email and browsing the Web is fine. Every so often your phone or computer disconnects from the Internet. Annoying, yes, but it reconnects after a few tries. That is a sign of a weak Wi-Fi signal. Check your Wi-Fi icon. On your PC computer, it can be found in the group of icons in the lower right corner of your screen on the Task bar. It may also be hidden. Click the little up arrow (caret) that is usually just to the left of the icons. This arrow hides even more program icons. The Wi-Fi icon is fan shaped. It represents the Wi-Fi signal starting from a very narrow shaped source (the bottom of the icon) spreading out at the top. It consists of 3-4 arcs from bottom to top. Count the arcs. 3-4 arcs mean good to excellent signal strength. You should have no problems. 1-2 arcs mean a very weak to a moderately weak Wi-fi signal. Cell phones usually don’t have the wireless sensitivity of a laptop. At my home, my cell phone shows 33% less download speed even though I’m connected on both devices to the modern 5G signal from the Verizon router. A design feature in all Wi-Fi devices is an automatic speed control to lower the download speed to maintain a stable connection to the Internet. No matter how old or how new your device is, they all have a built-in speed control. One of the negatives with Wi-Fi signal strength is that increases in download speed also increase connection and stability issues. Fortunately, speed control works well in maintaining download speed and connection reliability – to a point. It comes down to a balancing act of speed vs. connection stability. Connection stability always gets priority over download speed.
As you move further away from the Wi-Fi signal source (your router or wireless access point), you will encounter a variation of the above issue. Again, the speed will drop off to maintain the prioritized connection. Speed control will try to maintain a connection until it no longer can function and your device will no longer connect to the internet.
What can you do to remedy this situation? The answer is, purchase a Wi-Fi signal extender. This unique device works by capturing your router or wireless access point signal, then rebroadcasting it to extend the coverage area. For best coverage and reliable operation, the extender should be placed no less than 1 bar of signal strength away from the router or access point. This is a rough estimate so you may have to get closer to the router or access point to maintain a reliable connection. In any case, follow the instructions that come with the extender. As I write this Tech Tip, this TP-Link extender is available at Amazon. Here’s the link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wifi-Extender-Booster-Wireless-Repeater-dp-B08RHD97QY/dp/B08RHD97QY/ref=dp_ob_title_ce?th=1
This TP-Link extender, model AC1200, is currently discounted for a limited time by 54% from $49.99 to $22.99. It has a 4.2 Amazon review rating and plugs directly into an existing wall outlet.
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