Microsoft Support & Discussions

Today, at CES 2016 Dell announced an expanded portfolio of award-winning Latitude commercial devices, the Dell Latitude 13 7000 Series Ultrabook and the Dell Latitude 12 7000 Series 2-in-1. These PCs ship with Windows 10 Pro and combine industry-leading security, manageability and reliability features business professionals need. Adapted from the company’s successful line of XPS devices, the new additions across the Latitude line represent the most comprehensive commercial products redesign in company history and demonstrate Dell’s commitment to delivering an unmatched experience to satisfy and impress today’s mobile business professional. “With the new Latitude …

On the heels of Monday’s announcement, where I shared there are more than 200 million monthly active devices around the world running Windows 10, it’s exciting to see the new devices at CES that are now launching or coming soon. In addition to the fantastic devices, including PCs, 2-in-1s, and mobile phones from our partners Samsung, HP, Lenovo, and Acer, there are a variety of devices building on Windows 10. A couple of devices unveiled today by ALCATEL ONETOUCH respond directly to the feedback we have received to expand carrier availability of Windows 10 to more phones and tablets. Earlier this week, ALCATEL ONETOUCH announced their first tablet running Window…

Today, at CES Samsung introduced the world to the Galaxy TabPro S, a 2-in-1 tablet built for Windows 10. The premium tablet offers the most popular features of laptops and tablets giving people access to full notebook PC functionality in a lightweight tablet. The sleek device is 6.3mm thin and weighs only 693g with a 12” display. The Galaxy TabPro S is designed to be easily carried around all day and comes with a full size keyboard at purchase. Samsung Galaxy TabPro S with Windows 10 “Galaxy TabPro S balances the best of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab with the wealth of features on the Windows 10 operating system for the most advanced tablet experience on the market,” …

Security researchers from Malwarebytes have come across a new PUP (Potentially Unsafe Program) named WebSearcher that secretly takes over the proxy server settings for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox, and blocks the user from changing them. WebSearcher is distributed via applications with generic names like Video Codex and Video Player, and works by using a (locally hosted) proxy server to analyze the user's Web traffic and then sneakily inserting ads on legitimate websites. What makes WebSearcher unique (and extremely annoying) is that this adware changes the proxy server settings inside browsers, using registry keys and other tricks, instead of the a…

When Microsoft talks about mobility, our interest is the mobility of the person, not of any single device. After all, people now want their technology experience to move with them, from place to place and device to device, at home, at work, and on the move. Nowhere is this more evident than in today’s connected cars. People expect their car’s computing power to match its horsepower. And automakers are leading the way, bringing mobility solutions to their cars to meet drivers’ changing expectations, as well as enhance safety. These automakers see their cars as technology platforms, and they are choosing Microsoft as their partner. They are choosing Microsoft because …

Ahead of CES this week, HP announced a new PC, the HP EliteBook Folio, featuring Windows 10 Pro and a sleek premium design. This new PC was built in collaboration with Microsoft and Skype for Business to deliver a first-class experience for users. It is the thinnest and lightest notebook HP has ever created, designed from the ground up to take advantage of the latest technology from Microsoft and Intel. It is 21 percent slimmer, at only 12.4 mm – as thin as a AA-battery – and up to 15 percent lighter, weighing just under 1 kg. The edge-to-edge glass display has an optional Ultra HD (UHD) 4K display, which provides a paper-like display with stunning detail, made pos…

Ahead of CES, Lenovo introduced their all new ThinkPad X1 Yoga as part of an expanded X1 family. This new Windows 10 PC offers users a unique combination of performance, connectivity and security. It was built tough to withstand the rigors of mobile working by passing more than two hundred Lenovo stress tests and comes with an active pen that is housed and charged inside the device. ThinkPad X1 Yoga multimode Lift and Lock Keyboard The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is incredibly thin at just 0.66 inches thick and light at only 2.8 pounds and features an optional 14-inch Samsung OLED display that reproduces beautifully rich colors and deeper blacks. With a patented Lift …

New ransomware discovered, currently undecryptable A new ransomware family has been discovered, dubbed CryptoJoker after the .crjoker string that it adds at the end of each encrypted file. CryptoJoker is relatively new on the malware market, and according to security researchers from MalwareHunterTeam and Bleeping Computer, it is not actively being distributed at this moment. The ransomware infects users via weaponized PDF files, so the most obvious infection scenarios would be via spam and spear phishing campaigns. CryptoJoker's modus operandi is quite similar to what we've seen from all modern ransomware families, infecting computers, encrypting files us…

Welcome to 2016! In the year ahead, we’re excited to bring you more Windows innovations, more incredible devices, and great new Windows apps and games that will deliver more productivity and entertainment experiences across the broadest range of devices. As we start the new year, I want to provide an update on Windows 10 and Windows 10 devices. We continue to be excited – and humbled – by the incredible response to Windows 10. First, a few updates on how we’re tracking toward our goal of seeing Windows 10 active on more than one billion devices. As of today, there are more than 200 million monthly active devices around the world running Windows 10. And Window…

Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV, Acer announced that they introduced the latest Intel RealSense short range camera to their top-of-the-line Aspire V Nitro “Black Edition”notebooks and a new Windows 10 Smartphone, the Liquid Jade Primo. With the latest Intel RealSense short range camera and Windows 10, users can login to their Aspire V Nitro notebook with Windows Hello and 3D scan objects for 3D printing. The new Liquid Jade Primo Smartphone, is a 5.5-inch premium smartphone running Windows 10 Mobile and allows users to take advantage of Windows 10 features like Continuum. Both are great devices for those seeking a blend of style and performan…

Now that 2015 has officially ended let's take a retrospective look over what happened during the past year when it comes to critical or highly critical security vulnerabilities. During the past 365 days, independent security researchers, cyber-security firms, and even the makers of various software themselves have reported security vulnerabilities, and when necessary, have asked for a CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifier. These CVE numbers are used to track security flaws across products and time, and if you hang around infosec circles long enough, you understand how crucial they can be to a security researcher's work. Apple - the company with th…

Last week we announced a new round of deals in the Windows Store called Countdown to 2016 for our Windows 10 fans. Over the past week, we’ve been offering deals up to 50% off on everything from purchasing blockbuster movies like Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, to 30% off 17 of The Beatles’ albums, to top apps and games, like KVAD Photo+ PRO and Minecraft: Story Mode. Today we’ve rounded up a list of the top 10 deals in the Windows Store that are a part of our Countdown to 2016 promotion. These offers are valid through tomorrow 12/31. MUSIC The Beatles – stream for free or purchase the albums at 30% off The Fab Four are here! You can now stream for fr…

Even if some malware families never get to cause worldwide damage, it's sometimes interesting to read about new techniques that certain malware authors employ to create their threats. One of the most recent cases is a malware family that targets Android devices in China, discovered by Symantec and named Android.Spywaller. The uniqueness of this threat is the fact that, during infection, the malware looks for Qihoo 360, a popular security app among Chinese Android users. Android.Spywaller uses a firewall to block Qihoo 360 internal communications The malware searches and registers on the device with the same UID (unique identifier) used by the Qihoo 360 app, an…

A new version of Radamant Ransomware Kit has been released after Fabian Wosar of Emsisoft released a decryptor for the previous two versions. The first version of Radamant encrypted data files with a RDM extension , the second version used a RRK extension, and rumors of a third version that we have not seen yet. For the first two releases, Fabian was able to create a decryptor that could recover a victim's files for free. Due to this, it appears that the developer of the Radamant ransomware is not too happy with Fabian and Emsisoft for interfering with their business. This displeasure is being shown in embedded strings in the ransomware malware executables and the…

Microsoft has been secretly saving hard-drive encryption keys to its servers for all new Windows devices. Fortunately, for people who like their privacy, there's a way around this issue. First of all, we need to distinguish between device encryption and BitLocker. Beginning with Windows 8, Microsoft started offering standard, free device encryption on all devices that were equipped with a tamper-resistant chip (TPM - Trusted Platform Module). If running Windows 8, 8.1, or 10 Home Edition, this is included by default. For Microsoft's other Windows versions, Pro and Enterprise, device encryption is also included, but so is BitLocker. Technically, there's no differe…

Emsisoft is spoiling ransomware victims this Christmas, as their researcher, Fabian Wosar, has released yet another tool capable of decrypting files locked by ransomware, this time by the Radamant Ransomware Kit (Radamant, in some cases referred to as Ramadant due to incorrect spelling). The tool, called DecryptRadamant, is available via EmsiSoft's website and works exactly like the tools Mr. Wosar released for victims that had their files encrypted by the DecryptorMax and the Gomasom ransomware families. Unlike previous decryption tools, the one for Radamant does not need to analyze and compare an encrypted file with an unencrypted version to extract the decryption…

It’s time for the Microsoft Casual Games team to build our next game. And while we are passionate about many game options, ultimately, we care most about what our players and fans want us to make. Over the past few weeks, we asked our Microsoft Casual Games players which of five game concepts they would like us to create next. We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for their favorite casual games. We tallied up the votes and it was *extremely* close but, in the end, the game that was voted for most, and the game we will build next is Microsoft Ultimate Word Games! If you are interested in contributing to the direction of Microsoft Ultimate Word…

Today we’ve got a momentous holiday surprise for music lovers around the world: The Beatles have arrived on Microsoft Groove, courtesy of Apple Corps and Universal Music Group! This marks a historical moment for the music industry, and digital music – this is the first time that The Beatles’ music has been made available for streaming and Microsoft is honored to be a part of it. Beginning on December 24 at 12:01 AM local time in your country, you will be able to stream 17 of The Beatles’ albums on Microsoft Groove with a Groove Music Pass, even purchase the albums if you wish from the Windows Store. And for a limited time you will be able to buy the albums for 30% of…

Users who had the misfortune of getting infected with the Gomasom ransomware can now start sending Christmas gifts to Fabian Wosar, security researcher at Emsisoft, who has managed to create a tool for decrypting files locked by this ransomware. Compared to other ransomware families, Gomasom is a relatively new face on the malware market, having reared its ugly head only in the last few weeks. Gomasom, named after "GOogle MAil ranSOM," works by infecting users and then encrypting files, leaving a Gmail address in each file's name, and adding the .crypt file extension at the end. Mr. Wosar created a tool that users can take advantage of to analyze encrypted files …

We’re counting down to 2016 with another round of deals in the Windows Store for our Windows 10 fans. Beginning this week through December 31, 2015 we’ll have Windows 10 deals up to 50% off in the Windows Store on everything from blockbuster movies, to top apps and games, including Minecraft: Story Mode, Lara Croft GO and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation*. Here’s a preview of some of the deals we’ll be offering: Games Minecraft: Story Mode – 25% off the Season Pass (Episodes 2-5) Laura Croft GO – on sale for just $1.99 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 50% off Movies & TV Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – 50% off The Lord…

Today I’m pleased to announce that Microsoft has acquired Metanautix, an innovative company that is helping solve one of the biggest challenges in the world of data analytics: How can a company bring all of its data together for analytics to gain powerful insights, discover new opportunities and drive growth through intelligent automation? Companies continue to generate enormous volumes of information and aspire to be more data-driven in their strategies and operations. But many struggle to bring together their various sources and siloes of data, and only analyze and use a fraction of all the available information. Metanautix’ technology breaks these boundaries to conn…

This week brought a little something for every reader, whether it was kids tracking Santa in all kinds of new old-fashioned ways from Bing to Cortana or Kinect-enhanced electro pop. Before we delve into what was a deeply important and meaningful week, may we take a moment to discuss politics? Wait! Please don’t leave! I wouldn’t bring it up if it weren’t important. After months of political back-and-forth it’s hard to believe there’s still nearly a year of campaigning ahead for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Bing is here to help by giving voters more information about candidates and the voting process through its comprehensive election experience. Now more than e…

Technology has become a big part of our lives; we love its convenience and we often take it for granted. This is why shopping for new devices — something most of us only do every few years — can often be a daunting task. Between complicated specs, endless reviews and technical jargon, finding the perfect laptop, tablet or 2-in-1 can sometimes be a full-time job. Whether you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift, a new laptop for work, or to update your family entertainment room, here is a simplified approach to help you find the right device. To get started, just answer a few simple questions: Who will be using the device, where, and for what? Students: Fast I…

We’ve rounded up a collection of Star Wars themed free apps, games like Angry Birds Star Wars, the entire Star Wars Digital Movie Collection and music from the movies to celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens today. You can even pre-order Star Wars: The Force Awakens + Bonus right now from the Windows Store! Movies Pre-order Star Wars: The Force Awakens + Bonus ($14.95) Pre-order Star Wars: The Force Awakens today and enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens “Legacy” Featurette instantly. Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection + Bonus ($89.99) Need to get caught up or have your memory refreshed before seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens?…