Monthly Archives: January 2020

Database Misconfiguration, Microsoft Says – What This Means

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Yesterday, Ann Johnson, the Corporate Vice President of the Cybersecurity Solutions Group and Eric Doerr, the General Manager of the Microsoft Security Response Center shared a rather serious data breach on the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

The database misconfiguration occurred between December 5th and December 31st, 2019, the blog post states. It also covered about 250 million conversational records between Microsoft support and customers from 2005 to 2019.

“Our investigation has determined that a change made to the database’s network security group on December 5, 2019 contained misconfigured security rules that enabled exposure of the data. Upon notification of the issue, engineers remediated the configuration on December 31, 2019 to restrict the database and prevent unauthorized access. This issue was specific to an internal database used for support case analytics and does not represent an exposure of our commercial cloud services.”

What does this mean for customers?

There was no shown malicious intent in this data breech. However, the Microsoft Security Response Center is taking every precaution necessary to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

If you are needing assistance with any Microsoft issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Arlington Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Arlington, TX please call the local office at (817) 756-6008.

Windows 10 and Android are Cross-Pairing

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If you’re an Android AND a Windows 10 user, Microsoft has some good news for you. Since its departure with the Windows 10 phones, Microsoft has been working to refine the Android and iOS apps. Their main app, Your Phone app allows Android users to make phone calls on their PC, along with some other useful cross-device features.

According to Windows Latest, the newest feature they’re working on will permit “you to transfer files such as documents or even other contents from your Android device to Windows 10 or vice versa.”

There’s no release date for it just yet, but its believed that it’ll be out sooner rather than later. To download the Your Phone app, head over to the Microsoft Store and install it on your Android. Then link your phone to your PC.

For help updating, restoring or dealing with any Windows 10 issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

WordPad Getting Office Web App Feature

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Microsoft WordPad has been around since Windows 95. They haven’t done much in the realm of updating this particular app, considering its straightforward usage. WordPad was created to make easy text documents with little-to-no complexities.

However, according to Rafael Rivera on Twitter, “Microsoft WordPad is getting a new feature! An ad for Office web apps!” When you normally hear “feature”, you think of something new and exciting. This was quite the letdown.

The ad appears above the ruler, encouraging users to try Office, along with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free online. And while some may not see the ad as being an issue, others find it rather annoying. It’s just another way that Microsoft is trying to get their users to buy more of their products. Smart marketing? Maybe. But it goes to show that free doesn’t always mean free. There’s always a cost.

Source: Rafael Rivera Twitter

If you have any Windows 10 issues, or have any questions, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Lakewood Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Lakewood, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Windows Calculator Getting an Upgrade

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Yesterday, Microsoft began the Windows 10 build 19546 for the Fast ring Insiders. This update will be correcting a handful of known issues, such as Task View and Outlook Search problems. But they’re also launching a beta version of an Indexer Diagnostics app. This app was designed, “to help enhance your understanding of the capabilities of search, as well as increase the troubleshooting ability and support for general Windows Search issues,” according to the Windows Blog. The big deal in this Windows 10 build, though, is the upgraded calculator.

Back in August of 2019, Windows updated their calculator by giving it the capability of allowing it to switch it to “Always on Top” mode. Now, build 19546 is showing Fast ring Insiders the new graphing feature.

“Today, we’re updating Windows Calculator for Insiders with a preview of our new graphing mode. Adding support for graphing is one of our top feature requests in Feedback Hub, and we’re excited to bring this feature to our users. Graphing capabilities are also essential for students who are beginning to explore linear algebra. With this feature, we hope to empower students to learn mathematics by improving their conceptual understanding and attitudes towards math.”

Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Insider Program

Note for Windows Insiders: The preview may carry bugs that can affect your device. To become part of the Windows Insiders Program and try out upcoming features before anyone else, sign up here!

If you are needing help with Microsoft issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Plano Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Plano, TX please call the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Microsoft Released Their New Edge Browser

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What’s another browser, right?

Windows 10 normally comes with Edge. However, this new re-vamped, chromium-based Edge browser comes with a plethora of features and will replace the old Edge if downloaded now. In a few months, the new Windows 10 update will automatically replace it.

This particular browser includes enhanced security features, such as the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. This will protect your browsing from any malicious schemes. It also features Tracking Prevention and InPrivate mode that give you options that you prefer. It comes in three choices: basic, balanced and strict.

There are also upcoming features that will integrate with Office 365.

To install it, head over to the Microsoft website and click Download for Windows 10. You can also download it if you still have Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.

The new Edge Browser is officially available on multiple versions, like macOS and Windows, along with mobile availability for iOS and Android.

For help with Windows 10 issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.

CISA Urges Mozilla Users to Update Browser

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The status shows critical

If you are a Mozilla user, be sure to make sure your browser is updated. The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a warning post on January 8th. This warning is not to be taken lightly. On their website, they state the following:

Mozilla has released security updates to address a vulnerability in Firefox, Firefox ESR, and Thunderbird. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to take control of an affected system. This vulnerability was detected in exploits in the wild.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) encourages users and administrators to review the Mozilla Security Advisories for Firefox 72.0.1 and Firefox ESR 68.4.1 and Thunderbird 68.4.1 and apply the necessary updates.

Mozilla knows about this recent attack, and is also encouraging users to update their browser, claiming the impact to be critical. According to Mozilla, critical means, ” Vulnerability can be used to run attacker code and install software, requiring no user interaction beyond normal browsing.”

On a Mac, simply launch Firefox and click About, then Firefox and click Restart to update Firefox.

On a PC, launch Firefox and go under either Options, then Firefox Updates.

For help updating, restoring or dealing with computer issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Windows 7 Support Ends Tomorrow

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For those Microsoft users who still use Windows 7, tomorrow marks the end of support. It was announced on their blog back in March of 2019, and in an updated post, they stated this:

Microsoft made a commitment to provide 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released on October 22, 2009. When this 10-year period ends, Microsoft will discontinue Windows 7 support so that we can focus our investment on supporting newer technologies and great new experiences. The specific end of support day for Windows 7 will be January 14, 2020. After that, technical assistance and software updates from Windows Update that help protect your PC will no longer be available for the product.

Source: Windows Blog

If you’re running an activated copy of Windows 7 or newer, and need Windows 10, head over to the Download Windows 10 website. From there, you’ll click on the Download tool now and Run, shown under the Create Windows 10 installation media header. Simply follow the directions. Once the upgrade is finished, you can go to Settings Update & Security – Activation. You should be able to see a Windows 10 digital license.

Microsoft urges users that in order to have the safest experience, to keep your computer updated to the newest operating system.

For help with any Windows 10 issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.