ARCHIVED NEWS
This page contains the remainder of the front page news items posted this calendar month.
The full list of all archived news items since the site began can be viewed Here
For site-related information and opinions go to Site Updates & Editorials
To view the latest news go to the Front Page
CCleaner 5.63
16 October 2019
A new Version 5.63.7540 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This version is an important security update.
Update: Launching the installer may raise a Windows Smartscreen warning. This should be safe to ignore by clicking 'More info' then 'Run anyway'. To verify your CCleaner download, see the MD5 & SHA256 hashes listed for the ccsetup563.exe file here, and use something like OnlineMD5 to generate a hash from your own downloaded installer, and it should match.
Acrobat Reader DC 19
16 October 2019
Adobe has released a new Version 2019.021.20047 of its free software for viewing PDF documents, now known as Acrobat Reader DC. This update provides new features, as well as security and bug fixes. The full changelist and offline installers can be found here.
MS Office 2010 End of Life
15 October 2019
Microsoft is reminding users of the Office 2010 suite that extended support - which includes security patches - will end in almost exactly one year's time, on 13 October 2020. I discuss this further in the Site Updates section.
Windows 10 November Update
11 October 2019
Microsoft has announced that the next Feature Update for Windows 10, which will bring it up to Version 1909, will be known as the November 2019 Update and will have a build number of 18363.418. The update will provide a few New Features but is not a major change. It will be delivered like a Cumulative Update, as opposed to previous feature updates that were like a full reinstall of Windows, which should result in fewer problems. No release date is given but the name indicates it will be publicly released within the next 6 weeks.
Firefox 69.0.3
11 October 2019
Mozilla has released Version 69.0.3 of the Firefox browser. This update provides fixes for issues with Parental Controls and Yahoo mail.
Chrome 77.0
11 October 2019
Google has released Version 77.0.3865.120 of the Chrome browser. This update provides security and bug fixes.
Flash Player 32.0
10 October 2019
Adobe has released Version 32.0.0.270 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers. To download the full offline installer, use these links depending upon your browser: Internet Explorer or Firefox or Opera. Use Windows Update to update the built-in Flash Player in IE11 under Windows 8 and 10, and Edge under Windows 10. Update to the latest version of Chrome to update its built-in Flash Player.
Intel Wireless Drivers 21.40
9 October 2019
Intel has released new drivers for its wireless adapters, which are included in a range of products. The latest drivers include Wi-Fi Drivers Version 21.40.2 and Bluetooth Drivers Version 21.40.0.
Microsoft Security Updates
9 October 2019
Microsoft is releasing its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can view here, and obtain via Windows Update as they become available today. This includes the latest Windows 7 Rollup and Windows 8.1 Rollup updates, as well as Windows 10 Cumulative Updates.
GPU-Z 2.26.0
9 October 2019
GPU-Z, a free graphics card information utility, has reached Version 2.26.0. Changes in this version include support for new chipsets and bug fixes.
Intel Rapid Storage Technology 17.7
9 October 2019
Intel has released Version 17.7.0.1006 of the Rapid Storage Technology driver for optimal RAID and AHCI drive performance on Intel chipset-based motherboards.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.10.1
8 October 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.10.1 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver provides support for the RX 5500 and 5500M GPUs, as well as GRID, along with a range of bug fixes.
Windows 10 Update Issues
6 October 2019
There are various issues being reported with the latest Windows 10 update, and indeed, virtually every update now sees a range of reports of problems. I personally can't confirm or deny any issues with the latest version of Windows 10, but I do note that the official Windows 10 Version 1903 Status Page currently lists only two unresolved issues: a Surface Book 2 dGPU problem, and an 'Updates failed' issue. If you are having an issue, the best approach is to report it to MS via the Feedback Hub app.
CCleaner 5.62
4 October 2019
A new Version 5.62.7538 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This update adds cleaning for recent searches in Outlook, as well as installer improvements and a preview of the next version of Easy Clean for some users.
Firefox 69.0.2
4 October 2019
Mozilla has released Version 69.0.2 of the Firefox browser. This update fixes several issues.
Windows Updates
4 October 2019
Microsoft has released Cumulative Updates for all versions of Windows 10, as well as a Windows 7 Rollup Update and a Windows 8 Rollup Update to address security issues as well as providing fixes for Print Spooler and Features On Demand related errors.
Nvidia GeForce 436.51 Hotfix
3 October 2019
Nvidia has released the 436.51 Hotfix graphics driver. This driver is for the GeForce 600 series and above under Windows 10. It addresses crashes to desktop in FIFA 19, FIFA 20 and Star Wars: Battlefront II, and fixes random flickering in Apex Legends.
Windows 10 Local Accounts
3 October 2019
There are reports on several sites (e.g., here and here) that a clean install of Windows 10 Version 1903 Home will result in essentially being forced to create a Microsoft Account before you can finalise installation. This type of OS behaviour began six years ago in Windows 8.1, as I noted in this article, but it now appears to be impossible to avoid creating an MS Account unless you manually disconnect from the Internet during installation.
Update: One reader has already said this isn't correct based on their own installation experience. I can't confirm it myself, but at the very least, there is a clear (and successful) attempt at trying to deceive users to choose a Microsoft Account if it can fool the experienced authors at the two sites I linked to.
Update 2: Thanks for the feedback on this, but please, no more emails that it's not true, or workarounds, etc. I made the mistake of putting up a news item based on "confirmed reports" on other sites, without confirming it myself. Even though the sites I linked to are reputable, in future, I will only report on issues with numerous confirmations and typically which I have also confirmed. Again, the key take-away from this news item should be that, at the very least, MS is being highly deceptive, given it's fooled people who are experienced tech enthusiasts/website authors.
Site Update
3 October 2019
A new Site Update giving my thoughts on the new Microsoft Surface Duo mobile device and what it may mean for Windows.
Creative SoundBlaster Z Drivers
3 October 2019
Creative has released new Drivers for the SoundBlaster Z series of sound cards under Windows 7, 8 and 10.
Office Updates
2 October 2019
Microsoft has released its latest Updates for the Office Suite.
Nvidia GeForce 436.48 WHQL
1 October 2019
Nvidia has released the 436.48 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 600 and higher graphics cards under Windows 7, 8 and 10. It is the recommended driver for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Asgard's Wrath. It also adds support for the HTC VIVE Cosmos VR HMD, and provides bug fixes.
Update: The driver still isn't up on GeForce.com for all cards; download it from the main Nvidia Drivers page instead.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.9.3
1 October 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.9.3 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver adds support for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint, extends Radeon Image Sharpening to the Radeon VII, Radeon RX Vega 56, 64, & Vega Frontier Edition series GPUs under DX12 and Vulkan, and provides bug fixes.
To view the latest news go to the Front Page
News From Previous Months
2019 Archived News from September 2019 Archived News from August 2019 Archived News from July 2019 Archived News from June 2019 Archived News from May 2019 Archived News from April 2019 Archived News from March 2019 Archived News from February 2019 Archived News from January 2019 |
2018 Archived News from December 2018 Archived News from November 2018 Archived News from October 2018 Archived News from September 2018 Archived News from August 2018 Archived News from July 2018 Archived News from June 2018 Archived News from May 2018 Archived News from April 2018 Archived News from March 2018 Archived News from February 2018 Archived News from January 2018 |
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