Appears Micro$oft has changed their stance on M$ Edge being the "only default" web browser on Windows 11;
Microsoft Backtracks On Default Browser Settings

One Button Selection

Now the latest in-development test version of Windows 11 (Build 22509) contains a tweak to the menu. Although the separate settings still exist for each file type, there's also a single "Make default" button that automatically switches all the file types to default to the same browser. (Source: windowslatest.com)

Microsoft says the change is being tried out in its Windows Insider Program so it's not yet confirmed if and when it will roll out for all users. (Source: bleepingcomputer.com)

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Windows Offers Driver Update from 1968?

Microsoft has reassured Windows users that they don't have to worry about an update that appears to have been pending for more than 50 years. The confusing listing for Intel drivers is simply a workaround to make sure computers keep running.

Microsoft's Raymond Chen has posted a message to explain the quirk. It's all to do with the way computers have multiple sources for drivers. That's small pieces of software that help hardware components such as processors and external devices interact with an operating system such as Windows.

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Is this for real?...


Microsoft Says Windows May Need up to 8 Hours to Update
wrote:

And it's tracking your Update Connectivity...

You will be updated! Like it or not!!



IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Micro$oft is already tinkering with W/11...

Windows 11 New Features Revealed

Details of the first major update to Windows 11 are coming to light through testing programs. It's mainly about adding features that were expected but missing from the original release, some of which will be more welcome than others.

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M$ still can't do anything right!
Latest MS Security Tool Requires Windows Reinstall

For machines already running Windows 11, the feature is too much of an overhaul to install through a normal update. Instead, the user will have to reset the computer and carry out a clean installation of Windows 11. (Source: pcworld.com)

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One survey says Windows 11 adoption hasn't even surpassed Windows XP yet

A survey released by IT company Lansweeper this week paints a dismal picture for Windows 11 adoption among enterprise workstations. Among over 10 million devices surveyed, just 1.44% ran Windows 11. That's less than the 1.71% still using the 20-year-old Windows XP and the 4.7% using Windows 7. Windows 10 predictably dominates, detected on 80.34% of systems.

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This is all too silly not to post...

All is 'normal' in the 'alternative' worlds of Windows?


Microsoft forgot to renew the certificate for its Windows Insider subdomain
wrote:

Visitors to insider.windows.com met with safety warning - how reassuring...

Microsoft accidentally turned off hardware requirements for Windows 11
wrote:

Zero day? [Live exploit out in the wild doing wild things...] Yeah, [Sometime a long time later...] we'll get to it. Running Windows 11 on old CPUs? OMG WE MUST FIX THIS NOW!...

Zero-day vuln in Microsoft Office: 'Follina' will work even when macros are disabled
wrote:

Infosec researchers have idenitied a zero-day code execution vulnerability in Microsoft's ubiquitous Office software.

Dubbed "Follina", the vulnerability has been floating around for a while (cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont traced it back to a report made to Microsoft on April 12)...

... Worse, it will work in Microsoft Word even when macros are disabled...

... "Once you see the UI, it's too late. So it doesn't really matter." Then again, actually seeing the user interface is no sure thing. Beaumont told The Register: "The first in the wild sample I saw hides the UI."

Alternatively, security teams should warn users to be aware of attachments. However, an attacker using a Rich Text Format file coupled with Windows' Preview Pane, could theoretically skip the step of users having to click on the file at all...

... Interestingly, although Microsoft has yet to publicly acknowledge the issue...

... Updated to add on May 31, 2022: A Microsoft spokesperson has been in touch to say it is now treating the flaw as a security vulnerability...

How many broken/ineffective 'barn doors'?...

IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin


UI: User Interface, or even just a dialog box/pop-up.

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Further details on the presently being exploited "zero-day":


Microsoft won’t say if it will patch critical Windows vulnerability under exploit
wrote:

Slow to act on the code execution bug from the start, company is still in no hurry...

... The secret to Follina’s popularity: “low interaction RCE”

One reason for the keen interest is that Follina doesn't require the same level of victim interaction that typical malicious document attacks do. Normally, these attacks need the target to open the document and enable the use of macros. Follina, by contrast, doesn't require the target to open the document, and there's no macro to allow. The simple act of the document appearing in the preview window, even while protected view is turned on, is enough to execute malicious scripts...

... The enthusiasm threat actors and defenders have shown for Follina contrasts starkly with Microsoft's low profile. Microsoft was slow to act on the vulnerability from the start. An academic paper published in 2020 showed how to use ... to force a computer to download a malicious script and execute it.

Then in April, researchers from Shadow Chaser Group said on Twitter that they had reported to Microsoft that an ongoing malicious spam run was doing just that. Even though the researchers included the file used in the campaign, Microsoft rejected the report...

This vulnerability is known from 2020?!!!...


... IT is what we make it...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Got a new laptop coming within the next couple of days. It is a Win 11 Home rig. Several legitimate reasons for purchasing it.
With the numerous issues experienced with Win 10, do not want to log in using an M$ account so did some research.
What I found out is not "kosher" from M$.
M$ itself has locked a thread on its own forum regarding this very issue.
However, it provided a link to a workaround Windows Eleven Forum
Seeing that previous builds had been blocked from that workaround, did some more research.
Found several & bookmarked them ready for when needed.

While researching came across something that took me back to the days of TweakXP & TweakUI. :-)
For those who want total control This is Windows 11

Okay, laptop arrived (eventually).
1st workaround worked in that task manager opened, only problem was that Network Connection Flow was not available (I wonder why?)
However 2nd worked a charm.
Just entered e-mail addy & pulled Ethernet & hit next. Failed (as expected) so only had to hit next 3x & bingo, away we go.
Installed This is Windows 11, did some tweaks & rig is now doing the "usual" win updates, so off for a cuppa.

Spent most of Wed setting up & configuring laptop.Looking good, so download the latest version of Kodi & start adding files.
Oops, not seeing network shares, so exit the program & into settings.
Can;t find anything amiss, so try Kodi again. No joy, so off to M$ forums, see quite a few issues with Win 11 networking.
Sheesh.
Practically all those threads were locked pretty quickly with answers provided.
Think M$ are employing many who just do not understand that when giving an answer, provide complete details.
It's no good stating to turn on Network Discovery with file & printer sharing turned on, one has to ensure that files/folders/drives are shared correctly.
That involves not only sharing them & setting permissions, it also requires security permissions set on all shares.

Rechecked all mine, a.o.k.
Tried Jodi again, no joy, so head off to the Kodi forum.
Oops it looks like the latest release (19.4) has a lot of issues.Uninstalled & dropped down a version. Looking good.
Currently adding drive 4 of 10.
Win 11 beginning to grow on me.
Only problem is that it looks like it has the same network problem as Win 10.
Clicking on the icon for computer 1 (Win 7) in Network & Computer shows up all shares & accessible.
Doing the saame in the navigation pane, throws up failed access. :-(

This is an ongoing Windows ouch!...

No fix in sight for mile-wide loophole plaguing a key Windows defense for years
wrote:

... about a year ago, Lazarus, a hacking group backed by the North Korean government, exploited a mile-wide loophole last year that existed in Microsoft's driver signature enforcement (DSE) from the start. The malicious documents Lazarus was able to trick targets into opening were able to gain administrative control of the target's computer...

... "For the first time in the wild, the attackers were able to leverage CVE-2021-21551 for turning off the monitoring of all security solutions,"...

... Given the history, you might think that Microsoft would have created a viable defense to stop BYOVD attacks, but sadly there's no evidence that's the case...

... "Unfortunately, [blocking] signed [compromised exploited] drivers is [a] complicated problem since it's already trusted and [a] black/white listing approach will not work at such scale," Alex Matrosov, founder and CEO of security firm Binarly and an expert in BYOVD attacks wrote in a private chat. "MS [is] trying to create some runtime prevention over blocking known vulnerable or malicious drivers but it doesn't solve [the] industry-wide problem. You can block one, two or ten drivers but it's thousands of them which can be used in such a way."...

... Even if an enterprise with experienced admins gets driver blocking to work, ESET reports the protection may result in a performance hit of anywhere from 5 percent to 25 percent. For the time being, it would appear that BYOVD attacks are a fact of life for many Windows users...

Is that any way to run IT?...

All for what we allow it to be...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Hell continues to become ever more frozen over?...


Microsoft Promotes Its Open-Source Terminal To The Default For Windows 11 CLI Apps


Quite a move.

What next?


IT is what we make it...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)