The website "Have I Been Pwned", or HIBP, was created by Microsoft Regional Director Troy Hunt as a free resource for the public to check if their personal data had been compromised by a breach on the internet. You can visit HaveIBeenPwned.com and enter your email address or account password to see if either had been involved in a data breach. The way Troy has built the site ensures visitors can enter their passwords safely and securely.
Doug has a problem after updating Windows 10 to version 20H2. Ever since the update, his wireless mouse jumps all around. Doug decided to update the drivers on his wireless mouse as well and it's still producing the same problem. Somewhat ironic, the mouse is proprietary hardware from Microsoft.
Phil updated his Windows 10, but it installed the enterprise version instead. Now he's getting a wrong serial number error. Leo says he could buy it, but that isn't cheap. The easiest thing to do is download the Windows Media Creation Tool and reinstall the consumer version that came with the computer. If he is going to go with Windows Pro, he can just go into the settings under System => Change Product Key and input the pro serial number after the upgrade.
Al recently bought a laptop from Walmart. He likes to dual boot with Linux, and Al is concerned if he messes it up and has to reinstall Windows 10, how can he find the activation code to reinstall Windows 10? Is there a software that can read the registry? Leo says you don't have to worry about that anymore. Windows 10 will recognize your laptop and will automatically authorize it. It's called an "entitlement," and it applies to the hardware, not the owner. But if you still want it, check out Belarc Advisor.
Mark wants to know how good the business version of Google Docs is. Leo says that the business version, Google Workspace (formerly called G Suite) is what they use on TWiT to run their daily operations. It's simple and easy, and very affordable. Microsoft Office with One Drive is another option if you want to stay in the Microsoft Universe. It's called SharePoint. That's probably what Mark wants.
If users go to Microsoft's Windows Update Page, they will be rewarded with the latest updates, rather than having to wait. That's because Microsoft now considers you a "seeker." The most recent update is 20H2. But you'll have to update to the 2004 update before you can do it, otherwise the update could be corrupted and your system damaged. Which Leo says is annoying because 2004 is a minor "feature" update.
This week, Microsoft announced that employees can opt to work at home permanently now. They will give up their office space, but Leo says who needs it? Leo also believes the Covid19 outbreak will be a seed change, prompting more work from home options, keeping cars off the road. And that's a good thing.
If you've been infected with malware, wipe your drive and start over. Reinstall Windows. If it's a rogue employee of a company you were calling, contact the company and let them know. Any general-purpose operating system is vulnerable to these kinds of malware attacks. If you positively need to use Windows at home, you sort of should become a guru of PC security to protect yourself. Windows shouldn't be your default OS pick anymore.
If you still insist on using your Windows 7 computer and are scared of using it thanks to Microsoft's lack of continued support, it is still okay to use it offline. If you don't take it on the internet, you significantly lower your risks to catch anything harmful for the PC. Plus, most of your permanent applications will still work as long as there is electricity to power the computer! However, you should still be sure to back up important files onto an external hard drive, as staying offline means no access to cloud backup services.
Leo got the Microsoft Surface Duo Android device this week, the first Android phone that Microsoft has ever produced. The oversized "phablet," has dual screens and opens up like a paperback book. Both screens can work in concert or independently, and Leo says with the Kindle App, it's the best digital reading experience he's ever had. It has also given him all-day battery life, so it's quite usable.
But the Duo has its buggy issues. It can crash and freeze up, forcing one to reboot. Microsoft has pushed out an update, but it hasn't really helped. It also has a terrible camera.
