While Windows constantly makes changes to old apps and games, there are certain things they cannot change as it would cause a chain reaction, and most apps would break. This article will look at some components of Windows XP that you can still see in Windows 11.

Command Prompt

Windows was first built to run on DOS. The earlier versions would accept commands via the command prompt. It later changed how its system functioned, and this removed the need for a DOS-based system. The first operating systems based on the new version were Windows NT and Windows XP.

Just like Windows XP, Windows 11 also has a command prompt. It is used for running batch scripts or command line utilities. Microsoft has recently tried to merge the command prompt, PowerShell, and command line shells into one terminal.

Control Panel

Although your latest Windows OS uses settings to take care of all your apps, the control panel is still home to various other settings. This is similar to the way it was in XP.

One of the similarities includes the file explorer box. Although Microsoft has changed over the years, the layout and settings are almost identical.

Run Dialog Box

Most people use the run dialog box and have been using this for decades. While the look of the dialog box may have changed over the years, the functionality has remained the same, including the shortcut (Windows+R).

Character Map

This simple tool shows how each character looks in all fonts. It also gives you the shortcut for these characters, so you don't have to copy and paste them. Although the look has changed over the years, the overall functionality has not changed.

System Information

There are different ways to check your hardware and software data. You can use the settings app, the task manager, or the device manager. However, apart from these, the system information app has stayed constant over the years. This app has all the information for your system and has remained constant over the last two decades.

Disk Cleanup

Most people would be aware of the disk cleanup function. It is one of the best ways to clear the system files and cache. This utility has been present since the days of Windows XP.

ODBC Data Source Administrator

Windows also has a utility called the ODBC Data Source Administrator. This setting is useful for computers in enterprise deployments or work settings. For Windows XP, you could access this from the control panel under the administrative tools. You can access this on Windows 11 by looking for ODBC.

Winver

Winver is a simple app available in Windows 11 and XP. This is a panel that displays the current OS logo and the build number, along with the copyright information. Although the text information has changed over the years, not a lot is different.

Same Same but Different

Microsoft has made various changes over the years. There are different components to each of their operating systems; however, the basics have remained constant. This has allowed them to maintain a familiar feel over the years and keep their fanbase loyal.

8 Places Windows XP Is Hiding in Windows 11

Please note that the feature is available in Firefox Nightly only at this point. There is a good chance, however, that it will be included in Firefox Stable soon. For now, Firefox Nightly is required to use the functionality.

Mozilla ran a campaign back in November 2022 to get feedback from Firefox users who used the automated cookie banner handling of the browser. The page is still up and it provides some information on the feature, including how to enable it in Firefox.

Enable Firefox's automatic handling of cookie banners

1. Load about:config in the Firefox address bar.
2. Confirm that you will be careful if a warning page is displayed.
3. Search for cookiebanners.service.mode.
4. Double-click on the preference and set its value to 2.
5. If you want to have the same functionality in private browsing mode, search for cookiebanners.service.mode.privateBrowsing and set its value to 2 as well.

Instructions for Firefox Focus and Firefox for Android are provided as well. These are similar, but require that the preference cookiebanners.bannerClicking.enabled is set to True as well on about:config.

The effect of the change

Firefox handles most cookie banners that websites display automatically from that moment on; this worked considerably well during tests, but not on all sites. One issue that some users may have with the feature is that it is configured to accept cookies if there is no "reject" option available.

Some Firefox users may prefer that the browser is not acting at all in that case. While that would return cookie banners on sites that do not display reject all options, it would give users the option to deal with these cookies, including leaving the site without allowing cookies to be placed by it.

Firefox users had to use browser extensions such as Auto Cookie Optout or Never-Consent in the past to deal with cookie notices automatically.

Mozilla is not the only browser developer that is working on rejecting cookie banners automatically. Brave is working on such a feature as well, and you may already enable it in the browser. Vivaldi introduced the feature back in April of 2021 in the company's browser.

Now You: how do you handle cookie banners?

Configure Firefox to reject cookie banners automatically

Major sites such as Fiverr or eBay use the feature. Its main purpose is to speed up the registration of an account on the site by using information provided through the Google account; this may result in more sign-ups and more business for the site.

While some users may like the idea, as it requires less interaction to get started, others find it annoying or even creepy.

DuckDuckGo launched a new protective feature against Google sign-in prompts recently in its apps and extensions. The company suggests that accepting them gives Google consent for tracking.

Not every Internet user wants to use DuckDuckGo apps or extensions, and there are ways to get rid of the Google sign-in prompts on sites without using products made by the company.

The following paragraphs highlight options that users have to deal with Google sign in pop-ups on third-party sites.

First, the basics. If you have never signed-in to a Google account in the browser, then you won't see the popups. The popups are displayed in all major browsers, not just when Google Chrome is used.

Option 1: sign-out of Google

The first option is simple: sign-out of the active Google session in the browser that you are using, and you should not see the Google sign in popups anymore.

1. Google Chrome:  Activate the profile icon in the top right corner of the browser and select Sign out.
2. Other browsers: Load https://www.google.com/, click on the profile icon in the top right-corner of the page, and select sign out.

Option 2: use private browsing mode or a Guest account

The second option requires more work, as you need to use a second profile for browsing or use private browsing / Incognito mode instead for that. The main idea behind this is to separate the profile with the Google account from the browsing activity.

It may be better to use different browsers for different purposes, e.g., one browser for all Google activity, and another browser for all other activity.

Still, select Menu and then the available private browsing option to start such a session.

Option 3: Disable Google Account sign-in prompts in the Google Account settings

Google added a setting to the Account settings to disable the functionality. Here is how you block the feature:

1. Load https://myaccount.google.com/u/0/permissions?pli=1 in the browser of choice.
2. Scroll down to the "Signing in with Google" section.
3. Toggle "Google Account sign-in prompts" to off.

Sites won't display popups anymore after you have made the change.

Option 4: block the popup with content blockers

Another option that you have is to block the popup with content blockers. Most include options to add custom filter rules.

Users of uBlock Origin, for example, may add the following line to the custom filter list to block the popup:

||accounts.google.com/gsi/iframe/select$subdocument

Now You: how do you deal with these popups?

How to block sign in with Google popups on sites

The change applies to the default search engine of the browser only and only if searches are started from the browser's address bar. The visit of a search engine and the entering of search terms on the search engine's page shows the correct address in the address bar of the browser.

Mozilla has been working on persistent search terms in the Firefox address bar for a while. The change of the default behavior in Firefox Nightly was made to get "early feedback" on the implementation.

The feature is turned on by default in Firefox Nightly, but there is a new Search related setting to restore the classic behavior.

Restore the classic search experience in Firefox

Here is a step-by-step guide to restore the classic search behavior in Firefox:

1. Load about:preferences#search in the Firefox address bar.
2. Locate the Search Bar group of settings at the top.
3. Remove the checkmark from "Show search terms instead of URL on default search engine results page".

Firefox should display the URL of the default search engine again when searches are run from the browser's address bar.

Firefox users may also set the preference browser.urlbar.showSearchTerms.enabled to FALSE on about:config; this turns off the displaying of search terms in the browser's address bar as well.

It is unclear if the change will be implemented in Firefox Stable, considering that Mozilla is trying to get feedback with the enabling in Firefox Nightly.

Closing Words

Why is Mozilla considering the change? The meta bug does not tell and the linked Mozilla Hub page is not accessible publicly. I do not see any gain in the change, especially since the search term is displayed on the search engine's website prominently. The display of the search term instead of the address of the search engine has at least two negative aspects: users can't verify the address anymore using the address bar, as it is no longer displayed. Additionally, it is no longer possible to copy the address or edit it.

Now You: what is your take on this development?

Firefox may soon display the search term instead of the Search Engine's address

Windows Store Problems

Although the Windows store offers many useful apps, it hasn't started offering desktop apps just yet. Apart from your downloads getting stuck, you may face a few other issues with the Windows store.

• If your system clock is incorrect, your apps will not sync with your computer.
• Disable any third-party antivirus software, as this may disrupt app updates.
• Third-party firewalls can also disrupt the Windows Store functionality. You may need to create an exception for the Windows store with third-party firewalls.

If your app updates are still getting disrupted, here are a few things you could try.

Windows Store Cache

Windows allows you to delete the Store's local cache. For this, you need to open the command prompt. This can be done by right-clicking on the start menu and opening the command prompt as admin. You can also press the Windows key + X.

In the command prompt, type the below code and then press enter.

wsreset.exe

This will take about 30 seconds, and the Windows Store will open when done. You can check if your updates are working.

Windows Store Troubleshooter

You can also try out the Store troubleshooter. Although this troubleshooter is not built-in, you can download it for free from Microsoft. This is available in Windows 8 and 10 versions.

Install and run the troubleshooter when downloaded. It will scan for any issues and will let you know if the problem was fixed. You can then open Windows Store again and see if your app update is downloading.

Re-Register With PowerShell

If the above steps don't work, you can re-register the Windows Store. You will need PowerShell for this. It is a scripting language that is built into your system. This is slightly different from the Command Prompt; however, not that tough to figure out.

You will need to run PowerShell with admin rights. If you're on Windows 10, copy and paste the below code in PowerShell and hit enter.

"& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

In case of Windows 8, you will need to type in the following code and hit enter.

Add-AppxPackage-DisableDevelopmentMode-Register$Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.XML

Enjoy Your Updates

We hope these steps will help you get your Windows Store up and running in no time. These are methods that work 99% of the time. If you're still having trouble, you can contact Windows customer care, and they will be glad to help.

How to Fix a Stuck Download in the Windows Store?

Excel charts contain a lot of data, and reading a chart at one glance can be challenging. Using data labels is a great way to point out important information. A data label can be used as part of a column or bar diagram. It can even be used as callouts when you create a pie chart.

Adding Data Labels

To show how to add data labels, we will take the example of a pie chart. While most people use a legend to show what's in a pie chart, a data label is much more efficient.

To add a data label, create your pie chart. Open it and then click on the tab that says Chart Design. Under that, click on the 'Add Chart Element' dropdown. You will see various options - you need to hover your mouse over data labels. Once done, you must pick a position to place your data label. A pie chart will have various options, including center, outside, inside, callout, and best fit. These positions may differ depending on which chart type you're using.

You can also add data labels using another method. Next to the pie chart, you will see a '+' sign. This is the chart elements option. You will again see data labels as one of the options. Click the position you want, and you're done. You can try and experiment using different positions when placing your data label.

Adjusting Data Label Details

Once you add your data label, you can customize it depending on which values you want to show. Click on the chart and click the 'Add Chart Element' dropdown again. Under the data labels section, you will see 'more data label options.' Click on it, and your data label sidebar will open. You can mark which details you want to display and also the separator type.

In addition, you can even change their appearances, such as changing the colour of the line and border, adding effects to the data label, and changing the size and properties.

Data Labels Take Your Chart to the Next Level

With data labels, you can make your presentation attractive and readable at one glance. As mentioned, there are endless possibilities with Excel. Watch this space for more updates on Microsoft Office.

How to Add and Customize Data Labels in Microsoft Excel Charts?

Google explains that this change is meant to address major bugs or issues that are discovered in the Early Stable release such that the bug does not impact a wider user base. This makes a lot of sense as Chrome has the biggest market share.

On its Chrome Developers website, it writes:

We are making a change to the release schedule for Chrome. From Chrome 110, the initial release date to stable will be one week earlier. This early stable version will be released to a small percentage of users, with the majority of people getting the release a week later at the normal scheduled date, this will also be the date the new version is available from the Chrome download page.

The release schedule has also been outlined:

For Chrome 110 the key dates will be:

• Beta: January 12, 2023

• Early Stable: February 1, 2023

• Stable: February 7, 2023

Source: Google

Google hopes to make Chrome less buggy with new "Early Stable" version

How To Disable the OneDrive Prompt?

There are two ways you can disable the Microsoft OneDrive prompt.

Simple Option

The simple method is disabling OneDrive from your startup. This is the most common reason for this pop-up on most computers. To disable OneDrive from your startup, right-click on your taskbar and open task manager. You can also do this by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.

When the task manager opens, you will see more details at the bottom. Click it and move to the startup tab. You will see the line item for OneDrive. Click it and hit the disable button. This will take care of it forever.

Uninstalling

The other option is to uninstall OneDrive if you're never going to use it. To do this, open settings and click on the apps option on the left of the screen. Look for Microsoft OneDrive when you see the apps & features section. Once you find it, click on it and then click on uninstall.

Onedrive Is Not All That Bad

Now that you know how to disable the annoying Microsoft OneDrive pop-up, maybe you can try using it before removing it altogether. Millions are using OneDrive and find it helpful. The next time you see the pop-up, try creating an account and see if it is useful.

Get Rid of the Annoying Microsoft OneDrive Sign-In Pop-Up

If one were to guess, it seems like the entire AMD GPU would be active instead of just the media engine block and the display processing block, when running these tasks. Or perhaps there are some issue with the P-states.

AMD has fixed one of those issues today with its latest WHQL driver version 22.12.2. While video playback has been somewhat fixed, the power bug with the multi-monitor still probably remains. AMD notes issues with high refresh rate monitors as well.

The fixed issues in this release are:

• Corruption may be encountered when using Virtual Super Resolution with multi-display configurations.
• A system crash may be observed when changing display modes with 4 display configurations.
• While loading Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales™ an app crash or driver timeout may occur after enabling ray tracing settings.
• Improvements to power usage during hardware accelerated video playback. Further power efficiency improvements are planned for future releases.

Meanwhile, the known issues are as follows:

• High idle power has situationally been observed when using select high resolution and high refresh rate displays.
• Intermittent app crashes or driver timeout may occur when using Radeon Super
• Resolution with some extended display configurations.
• Video stuttering or performance drop may be observed during gameplay plus video playback with some extended display configurations.
• Stuttering may be observed in UNCHARTED™ 4: A Thief’s End during the opening game sequence.
• While playing Valheim™ an app crash or driver timeout may occur using Vulkan® API. Any users who may be experiencing these issues should select DirectX® API as a temporary workaround.
• Some virtual reality games or apps may experience lower than expected performance.

You can download the new 22.12.2 driver from AMD's website.

AMD fixes high power draw bug on Windows systems for new RX 7900 XTX with driver 22.12.2

Frontpaged:   AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition 22.12.2

What is new in Intel Wi-Fi driver 22.190.0?

Here are the key Wi-Fi-related bugs Intel Wi-Fi 22.190.0 fixes:

• Windows 11: On some systems, video glitches may be observed while using wireless display to screen projecting on 802.11ax mode.
• Windows 11 and 10: Some systems might experience degraded downlink throughput performance on 160 MHz channels.
• Windows 11 and 10: There may be other minor issues addressed which will impact performance, stability, or vendor specific functionality not listed above. Users should update to the latest version.

Intel Wi-Fi driver 22.190.0 is available for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. The company no longer releases drivers for Windows 7, 8.1, and 32-bit Windows 10. The latter only receives updates to address security vulnerabilities.

You can download the latest Intel Wi-Fi driver from the official website. Full release notes are available here (PDF).

What is new in Intel Bluetooth driver 22.190.0?

• In some systems, with a simultaneous Bluetooth® connection and streaming with Wi-Fi, a BSOD may be rarely observed after a system restart.
• Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® 22.190.0 driver has been updated to include functional updates. Users should update to the latest version.

Intel Bluetooth driver 22.190.0 is available for download from the official website. You can find full release notes here (PDF).

New Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers fix BSOD and streaming glitches on Windows 11 and 10

Those looking to upgrade should first use Timeshift to make a snapshot of their operating system to restore if anything goes wrong. Timeshift is found in the application menu, just follow the instructions inside the program and configure it how you’d like. The important thing to keep in mind with Timeshift is that its primary focus is not your personal files - although you can back these up -, but the system files. An upgrade will change underlying system files and if anything goes wrong during the process, Timeshift will be able to reverse the changes.

Now that you’ve go a backup, the Mint team suggests disabling your screensaver and updating any Cinnamon Spices such as applets, desklets, extensions, or themes through System Settings. By disabling the screensaver, your computer is less likely to go to sleep or hibernate and interrupt the upgrade process.

With those prerequisites out of the way, you can begin the upgrade. From Update Manager, hit the refresh button and install all available updates. Once this is done, press Edit > Upgrade to Linux Mint 21.1 Vera in the Update Manager. An upgrade window will open – if you’re asked to replace or keep any configuration files, choose to replace them.

Once you’ve done this, restart your computer to ensure all changes are applied after the upgrade. When your machine starts up, open up the Welcome program from the applications menu and choose the theme settings that you like. Linux Mint 21.1 comes with a big overhaul to the interface but you can customize this through the Welcome program.

When you perform the upgrade, ensure you have the steps open on a mobile device or another computer so that you don’t miss anything. Even if you don’t follow the steps word for word, this new version of Mint still uses the same base software as Linux Mint 21 so nothing major should break.

Linux Mint 21 to 21.1 upgrade path officially opens up for existing users

With the new flyout design, Microsoft is aiming to achieve better app engagement and discovery. Microsoft says it will help you "quickly launch apps that you have as well as discover new ones to help you complete your day-to-day tasks in Teams." The software giant, however, has not shared how exactly a new flyout design will help users achieve all this.

The "enhanced flyout design" in Teams will arrive in February next year for desktop users. That is what Microsoft is saying on its Roadmap page, but given its track record, you should not keep your hopes high. Remember how dark mode for Word for the web got delayed? The new flyout design in Teams may also meet the same fate.

On the brighter side of things, however, Microsoft has lots of Teams functionalities lined up for a release in the next few months. Some of the noteworthy features the company is currently working on include an AI-powered file-sharing experience, integration between Outlook and Teams, a welcome change for meetings in Teams, and so much more. Microsoft also added a plethora of new features last month.

Of all the upcoming Teams features, which ones do you think will be the most useful for you and your organizations? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft working on 'enhanced visual layout' for Teams

Starting with Excel for the web, we have Formula Suggestions where SUM, MAX, MIN, AVERAGE, COUNT, and COUNTA functions might be recommended to you after you type in the "=" symbol. These suggestions will be based on Excel's contextual awareness of your data. Similarly, the Formula Fill functionality will ensure that if you're performing a repetitive task for each cell in a range, a formula to automate the filling of the remaining cells will be suggested. New locations will also be suggested if Excel determines that the cloud link in your workbook is broken. Moreover, you can now find queries through a search bar and insert images as a part of the worksheet using the IMAGE function.

Moving over to Excel for Windows, users can look forward to the same IMAGE function capabilities along with the Alt + F12 shortcut to launch the Power Query editor. Meanwhile, Insiders can nest Power Query data types and leverage Dynamic Arrays as a data source for transformation and loading when using the "Get Data" functionality.

Finally, Excel for Mac customers only have a couple of new capabilities to take advantage of this month. The first is the same IMAGE function described for Excel for the web while the other is the Option + F12 shortcut to launch the Power Query editor.

Here are all the new features Microsoft added to Excel in December 2022

You may be a bit surprised by this announcement as Nvidia had already ended driver support for Kepler. However, this is not the general Game Ready driver which brings support for new graphics cards or optimizations for new game titles. Instead, this is a security update driver meant to patch some of the security issues that have come up. Nvidia had earlier stated that it would provide security updates for Kepler through September 2024, and it looks like the company is keeping true to its word.

As such, the driver changelog does not list any fixed bugs or known issues. The release note only says:

NVIDIA has released a software security update for NVIDIA GPU Display Driver. This update addresses issues that may lead to code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, information disclosure, or data tampering.

The links to download the new security drivers are provided below:

Download:

• Windows 10 64-bit/ Windows 11: Standard / DCH (474.14) [US versions]
• Windows 7/8/8.1 64-bit: 474.11 [US version]

The driver mitigates the following security vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2022-34670
• CVE-2022-34671
• CVE-2022-34672
• CVE-2022-34673
• CVE-2022-34674
• CVE-2022-34675
• CVE-2022-34676
• CVE-2022-34677
• CVE-2022-34678
• CVE-2022-34679
• CVE-2022-34680
• CVE-2022-34681
• CVE-2022-34682
• CVE-2022-34683
• CVE-2022-34684
• CVE-2022-42254
• CVE-2022-42255
• CVE-2022-42256
• CVE-2022-42257
• CVE-2022-42258
• CVE-2022-42259
• CVE-2022-42260
• CVE-2022-42261
• CVE-2022-42262
• CVE-2022-42263
• CVE-2022-42264
• CVE-2022-42265
• CVE-2022-42266
• CVE-2022-42267

You can find more details on these vulnerabilities on Nvidia's security bulletin page here.

Nvidia outs Windows security driver 474.14 for GTX 700/600 Kepler GPUs

The update is already available. Existing Thunderbird users may select Menu > Help > About Thunderbird to run a check for updates. The email client should pick up the update and install it automatically at that point. The new version should be 102.6.1 after the update.

The new Thunderbird 102.6.1 is also available as a standalone download for all supported operating systems and languages. Just load the official download website for the email client to download the right version to the local system. You may run the installer then to upgrade or install Thunderbird as a new program on the device.

The official release notes list three non-security changes and confirm that Thunderbird 102.6.1 is a security update. The official Security Advisory website has not been updated yet with information on the release; this means, that the number and severity of vulnerabilities fixed in the new version is unknown at this point. We will update the article once the information is published by the Thunderbird team.

Cautious users and admins may want to wait with the installation of the update until the information becomes available.

As far as the non-security fixes are concerned, one addresses an issue with remote content not being loaded in user-defined signatures by the email client. The second issue addresses an issue that affected add-ons that added action buttons to Thunderbird. Updates for these add-ons were not shown by Thunderbird. The only way to update affected extensions was to uninstall them and reinstall them after the removal; this installed the latest version of the add-on in Thunderbird.

Thunderbird 102.6.1 includes stability improvements as well, according to the release notes. The last Thunderbird release, Thunderbird 102.6, resolved several security issues in the email client as well. Thunderbird 102.6.1 may be the last release of the year 2022, unless another security issue or critical bug needs the attention of the team.

Now You: which Thunderbird version do you run, if any?

Thunderbird 102.6.1 is a security update

Frontpaged:   Mozilla Thunderbird 102.6.1

The second-most popular Linux distribution, according to DistroWatch, has got a new update today. EndeavourOS 22.12 ‘Cassini’ is here and ready for installation, it includes updated software such as Linux kernel 6.0.12 and brings official support for the Pinebook Pro – a Linux-first laptop from Pine64. For those unaware, EndeavourOS is based on Arch Linux and uses a rolling release model rather than point releases that we get for Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

Development of EndeavourOS began in 2019 following the discontinuation of Antergos – a distro aimed at making Arch easy to install and use. In a statement about Cassini, the EndeavourOS development team wrote:

“It took the development team on a longer journey than expected but we are proud to present you our latest Cassini release, named after the Nasa mission with the Cassini spacecraft carrying the Huygens probe.

Just like the Nasa mission that had its fair share of nail-biting moments, this release had some nail-biting test runs because getting here required a major overhaul in how we build our ISO. The last time we presented such a major overhaul was our ISO-Next release back in August 2021.”

Some of the major package updates in this release include Calamares 3.3.0-alpha3, Firefox 108.0.1-1, Linux kernel 6.0.12.arch1-1, Mesa 22.3.1-1, Xorg-Server 21.1.5-1, nvidia-dkms 525.60.11-1, and Grub 2:2.06.r403.g7259d55ff-1. Apparently, the Calamares installer features a lot of “cleanup work” that could improve the setup process. Another interesting note is that with Cassini, you can choose from different bootloaders to install or not install any at all – the team said this gives users a lot of control from step one.

If you’re already running EndeavourOS, there’s no need to re-install it, apply the available updates and you be upgraded to Cassini. If you want to download and try out EndeavourOS, you can find the ISO on the downloads page along with checksum files to verify your download.

Arch-based EndeavourOS gets 22.12 ‘Cassini' release bringing official Pinebook Pro support

World's fist DirectStorage SSD

Earlier this year in May, AMD stated that the existing drives in people's systems, even if they were based on NVMe, were probably not good enough for SmartAccess Storage. The SmartAcces Storage technology builds on top of Microsoft's DirectStorage API and following that revelation from AMD, storage products manufacturer released the world's first SSD designed specifically for DirectStorage, in the form of the Sabrent Rocket Plus G. Sabrent has already confirmed that this new "G" variant, which stands for Gaming, is different from the regular Rocket Plus models thanks to the new "O2 GO" as well as underlying hardware changes.

For those unaware, Microsoft announced DirectStorage API two years ago in 2020 for the Windows PC. It was based on Xbox's Velocity architecture and aims to maximize the gaming performance and throughput that can be extracted from modern storage interfaces like those based on PCIe Gen4/5 and NVMe.

The Rocket Plus G was put to the test by TweakTown and the texture streaming benchmark showed extremely promising numbers as it came on top of the chart. The only other product that came close was the Intel Optane P5800X. The numbers suggest that AMD may have been right.

Today, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus G was once again benchmarked, this time by YouTube channel Compusemble. Compared to the last test, this one is meant to test the GPU decompression capabilities of the drive. This technology was introduced with the recent DirectStorage 1.1 update.

As expected, the SSD showed very impressive figures compared to a WD_Black SN850X PCIe Gen 4 drive. In the first instance, with GPU decompression off, the performance was close though the Sabrent Rocket Plus G was faster when it came to the write speeds.

Moving over to the second test with GPU decompression enabled, the Rocket Plus G put on very impressive scores as it was more than twice as fast as an ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro model as can be seen in the image below. While the former had a throughput of 18.09GB/s, the latter was at 8.06GB/s.

Expectedly, thanks to GPU decompression, the CPU usage has been greatly reduced in the test with GPU decompression on.

Source: Compusemble (YouTube) via Wccftech

Testing shows Microsoft DirectStorage can be a game-changer for Windows 11 gaming

Microsoft explains:

ISSUE

After user selects multiple calendars in the Calendar pane, they may notice the incorrect timeslot/meeting is selected when they click on a meeting while viewing multiple Calendars. Calendars where the user has Full Access (which are not automapped) may display incorrectly.

Potential causes include:

• Low screen DPI, or Outlook is not maximized and the window is relatively small in size.
• A calendar was added or selected in Calendar pane.
• Both non-working hours and working hours are shown in the same view.

The issue has been fixed in the latest Microsoft 365 current channel release for December 13th:

STATUS: FIXED

This issue is fixed in Current Channel Version 2211, Build 16.0.15831.20208. It was released to Production on December 13th, 2022.

You may find more information on the official support document here. Aside from this bug fix, the release also addresses several security vulnerabilities on OneNote, Visio, and Office Suite. The list of security flaws on Office Suite is especially big.

Microsoft fixes Windows Outlook bug that messed up meeting timeslots, Calendar selections

Will Cathcart, head of Meta and WhatsApp, took to Twitter to announce that WhatsApp users can now undo 'Delete for Me' when they accidentally hit that button. It has happened to many of us that we intend to hit the 'Delete for Everyone' button but end up tapping the 'Delete For Me.' This can be frustrating, and understandably so. Until today, you could not make the message disappear from the recipients' chats once you hit the 'Delete for Me,' as the message is gone forever from your chat.

The option to undo 'Delete for Me' will give you another chance to choose the right option. Once you undo the delete, you will again see three options: 'Delete for Everyone,' 'Delete for Me,' and 'Cancel.' You should be alert to the possibility of committing the same mistake even after undoing 'Delete for Me.' Be careful!

WhatsApp says it has added the 'Undo' option to chat messenger, but do not be surprised if you have not seen it yet on your phone. A years-old practice of WhatsApp is claiming that new features are rolling out even when they are not. That said, Android and iOS users should get the 'Undo' option in the next couple of weeks, which is not a big deal.

Accidentally hit 'Delete for Me' on WhatsApp? Meta now has a solution

At the start of the month, Neowin wrote that Linux Mint 21.1 Beta was available with a new theme and that the final release would come out around Christmas. Living up to that promise, the Mint team has now released the final stable version of Linux Mint 21.1 ‘Vera’ in Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions. Those running the Beta can just apply updates to get to the final version while those on Linux Mint 21 will be able to upgrade soon.

If you want to see the new theme and mouse cursor, check out the coverage from the Beta release. Those are not the only new features in this update, however. With this update, the Driver Manager has been made more friendly. You no longer need to type your password to launch it and it will display dedicated screens if you’re in offline mode or if it detects installation media. The Driver Manager now also lists dummy packages with “exotic dependencies” and test mode to help developers troubleshoot issues.

If you’ve used Linux Mint, you should know about Update Manager, a centralized utility for applying updates. With Linux Mint 21.1, Flatpak support was added to the Update Manager allowing you to update these packages just like the rest of your programs. When installing programs through the Software Manager, you’ll be able to choose the Flatpak or system package edition from a new Details tab, if applicable. The Flatpaks available on Flathub will be updated within Software Manager on a daily basis so you have access to the newest software.

Finally, this update brings improved verification and image writing tools. With the ISO Verification Tool, accessible by right-clicking an ISO and selecting ‘Verify’, you can bring up the file’s checksum for verification purposes. If you’re testing an Ubuntu or Linux Mint ISO, the tool will allow you to verify the checksum against files online to confirm their authenticity.

In the USB Image Writer App, the ‘Verify’ button is available to launch the verification tool and if you attempt to write a Windows ISO, the job will no longer fail, instead, you’ll be directed to more helpful documentation so you can write your Windows ISO to a USB stick.

To get started with Linux Mint 21.1, head over to the official downloads page and grab the edition you’d like to install.

Linux Mint 21.1 out now with a theme overhaul and more

Frontpaged:   Linux Mint 21.1

With the new Persistent Storage update, you no longer have to restart after creating a Persistent Storage space or when you activate a new feature. You can change your Persistent Storage password with the updated application, and you can choose to create a Persistent Storage space from the Welcome Screen if one isn’t yet set up.

Another change in Tails 5.8 is the deprecation of X.Org and the use of Wayland instead. Tails users won’t really notice a difference but Wayland is more secure and helps prevent compromised programs from affecting other programs. With Tails 4.8, the Unsafe Browser was disabled by default due to a security vulnerability that could de-anonymize you; Wayland fixes this issue so the Unsafe Browser has been re-enabled.

You shouldn’t use the Unsafe Browser when you can avoid it but sometimes it is necessary if you’re on public Wi-Fi and have to jump through some hoops to get connected to the network. With the introduction of Wayland, other features are now available in Unsafe Browser that were not available before including sound, uploads and downloads, alternative input methods for Chinese and other non-Latin languages, and accessibility features like the screen reader and virtual keyboard.

Finally, Tails 5.8 allows you to scan QR codes containing Tor bridges. Tor bridges help to obfuscate the fact that you’re connecting to the Tor network, this is helpful in repressive countries that frown on the usage of Tor. To get a QR code, you can send an empty e-mail to bridges@torproject.org from a Gmail or Riseup e-mail address, or by visiting the Tor Bridges website and printing a QR code onto paper.

Automatic updates to Tails 5.8 are available from Tails 5.0 or later. If you cannot do an upgrade, you can try a manual upgrade or a clean install.

Tails 5.8 now available with much improved Persistent Storage

Inserting Page Numbers

You can add page numbers to your document in a simple way. You must go to the insert tab and click on page number under the header and footer sections. You will get a dropdown menu showing various options for the page number. For example, you can have it at the top or bottom of the page. You can also format your page numbers or remove already inserted page numbers.

When you select any of the first four options, you will get a pop-up showing how your page number will look in the position you selected. Click the option you like, and Word will insert page numbers into the document.

Custom Page Numbers

If you want page numbers to not appear on specific pages of your document, there's a simple way to do that as well. For example, you may want a different header/footer for the opening of your document. In this case, click inside the header or footer section of the page on which you want to make changes. This will open up a design tab. You will then see different options, like a different first page or odd and even pages. 

This option only applies to the section where your cursor is. If you select a different first page, the header and footer from your first page will disappear. You can type any information you want where the header and footer used to be. This gives you a different first page.

Odd & Even

You can also have different odd and even pages. For this, you need to enable the different odd and even pages under the design section. This will align the page numbers differently. The even pages will have page numbers on the left side, and for odd pages, they will be on the right side.

Adding Different Numbers and Formats

Some Word documents use Arabic numerals, while some use Roman numerals. You can set up how you want your page numbers to be displayed in Word. To do this, you must create different Word document sections. For example, if you want your introduction and synopsis to have different page numbers, you need to create a different section for these two parts.

To create a section, you need to place an insertion point at the beginning of the document. You then need to switch to the layout tab and click breaks. In the dropdown that comes up, you need to click next page. This will create a section break, and a new section begins. Once the section is created, you can change the page number format. 

Open the header and footer section under the design tab, and you will see 'link to previous.' This links the new section and the next section. Now that the two sections are linked, you can format page numbers the way you want in a few steps.

You must first open the header and footer of any page in your preliminary section. Right-click on the number and select format page numbers. In the pop-up, select the format you want and click ok.

Controlling the Page Numbers Using Fields

By default, Word will number all your pages. However, the numbers are hidden unless you decide to display them. You can do this by inserting a code field anywhere on the page. This tells Word to reveal the page number. You can also have control over your page numbers with this option. You can put page numbers anywhere you want, not just in the headers and footers.

To do this, place your cursor where you want to insert your page number and press CTRL+F9. This will insert pair field brackets. Type "PAGE" inside these brackets. You can also modify this command to give you control over the style of your page numbers. For example, you can type "PAGE \* Arabic" or "PAGE \* ROMAN" to get the desired page number format. When done, right-click between the brackets and click on update field.

Broken Page Numbers

If page numbers are broken, they will not appear in sequence and may not appear on all pages. To fix this, you first need to identify which sections are broken. To do this, head to the view section and click on draft. This draft view will show you where a section has broken and what kind of break it is.

Once you've seen the kind of break and where it is, head to the print layout view. You first need to ensure the header and footer sections are linked together. This has been explained in this article.

Page Numbers as Easy as 1.2.3.

There you have it. Everything you can do with page numbers in your Microsoft Word document. Try out a few of these and let us know if they helped. It's time to make your document stand out from the rest with simple formatting tricks.

How to Work with Page Numbers in Microsoft Word?

Microsoft is having a hard time picking the best search button for Windows 11 customers. Initially, the operating system featured a standard-looking search icon on the taskbar, then Microsoft swapped it with a pill-shaped button (fake search box), and then we received a proper search box in the Dev Channel. If you are not a fan of these shenanigans and want a simple, no-frills search button, here is how to restore the original variant and get peace of mind (see how the old button compares to the new one on the screenshot below).

Pro Tip: You can use the Win + S shortcut to trigger Windows Search (Microsoft now promotes the shortcut with ad-like banners) or just start typing when the Start menu is open. Those two methods let you hide whatever search button/box design Microsoft is currently testing and call it a day. Alternatively, go for the PowerToys Run search (download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, GitHub, and winget), an arguably better alternative to the default Windows Search.

Microsoft plans to let Windows 11 users switch between three Windows Search designs in the Settings app. The feature is currently available to Windows Insiders in the Dev channel. Meanwhile, those using stable Windows 11 can use the ViveTool app to enable the old Windows Search button.

Caution: Back up your data before proceeding. We also recommend creating a system restore point, which will help you effortlessly restore the operating system if something unexpected happens.

How to restore the old Search button in Windows 11?

1. Download the Vivetool app from GitHub. It is a third-party program we frequently use to enable or disable various features in Windows 11. Although we never had any problems with Vivetool (apart from the stability issues some unannounced features can cause), you should always mind the potential risks of using third-party software for tinkering with your computer.
2. Extract the downloaded archive into a convenient and easy-to-locate folder. You will have to navigate to the folder in Command Prompt, so pick a short and simple location.
3. Right-click the Start menu and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
4. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2 or selecting it from the drop-down menu on the tab strip.

    

   
5. Navigate to the folder containing the extracted ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, CD C:\Vive.
6. Type vivetool /disable /id:42038001 and press Enter.
7. Close Windows Terminal and restart your computer.
8. Enjoy your taskbar without weird-looking buttons and fake search boxes.

Do you like the pill-shaped Windows Search button, or do you prefer the traditional variant? Let us know in the comments.

How to restore the old Search button in Windows 11 22H2?

Creating an Organization

You first need to go to teams.microsoft.com and log in using your Microsoft account. You can create a free account if you don't have one. Once signed in, you should download the Windows app. This app is compatible with Windows, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Android devices. The app is important because the browser-based Teams app does not support meetings or calls. You should, however, note that the browser is faster than the app. If you don't want the app, you can click the option for using the web app.

Once signed in, you will need to sign up for teams for your organization. You will be taken to a new web page when you click sign up for teams. This page will give you the full features you will receive with the Microsoft Teams app and the cost for these features. You can use Teams for free if you're not using any other Microsoft 365 app.

If you're joining an organization already on Teams, you need to select that you're already using teams. You can see your organization's infrastructure once signed in. You can even begin chatting with others from the organization.

When you're signing up for your organization for the first time, you need to sign up and enter your email address. You then need to enter the first and last name of your organization. Once done, click on set up teams.

If your organization name isn't already taken (which it shouldn't be), your organization will be created. When you're logged in, you will be asked for your name and add a profile picture. Both these are optional.

Inviting People To Join Microsoft Teams

Now that you've set up your organization on Teams, you can start inviting your team members. You will receive a link via email. This is the team invite link. You can send this link to your team members and ask them to join. If you haven't received the link, you can always click the team icon on the left of the app menu and then click on invite people. On the next screen, you need to enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite. Although these email addresses do not have to be Microsoft accounts, users will be prompted to create their Microsoft accounts before logging in.

Your team members will receive the invitation link. Once they click join teams, they will be asked to download the mobile app (for their respective OS).

Collaboration Now Made Easy

Microsoft Teams has made collaboration and communication extremely simple. All you need to do is follow the steps mentioned here, and you're good to go.

How to Set Up Microsoft Teams?

Deleting a Page With Content

Before we get to showing you how to delete a blank page, here's how you can delete a page with content. First, you need to select the page you want to delete. You can do this by scrolling to the page and placing your cursor at the start of the page. You can also use the Go to function in Microsoft. For this, you need to press CTRL+G and enter the page number. If you're using a Mac, you need to press Option+Command+G.

Then you need to select all the content on the page. You can do this in two ways, depending on how much content you have on the page. If the page is filled, you can press CTRL+G, and in the box for the page number, type \page and press enter.

If your page is not filled with content, you will need to select the content manually using your mouse. Once done, press the delete button, and your page will disappear.

Deleting a Blank Page

If you've got annoying blank pages in your Microsoft Word document, you can delete them by following these steps. To do this, you need to open your navigation pane. You can activate the navigation pane from the view tab at the top of the screen.

In the navigation pane on the left, you can see headings, pages, and results. You need to select pages. It will show you all the blank pages in your document. Select the page you want to be removed, and then hit delete on your keyboard. The page will be gone.

No More Unprofessional Documents

No one likes a blank page, whether it is your CV or an essay you're submitting in class. It gives the reader the impression you don't know what you're doing. With the help of these steps, your blank pages will be gone.

How to Delete a Page in Microsoft Word?