embarrassing Archives - Shapiro Consultants

Windows 11 gets a fix for one of Microsoft’s most embarrassing bugs ever

July 11, 2023
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Windows 11 has finally got a fix for an annoying bug that has been hanging around since March, with Microsoft previously pushing out a resolution for the glitch that failed to work.

This time, though, we’re told the issue has definitely been resolved.

To briefly recap, this bug appeared with the March 2023 cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2, causing an error to pop up telling the user that Local Security Authority (LSA) protection was switched off (and that their device may be vulnerable as a result).

In actual fact, LSA isn’t turned off, the bug simply produces the error message (which, ironically, is the error in itself).

The problem being that this warning keeps on appearing, and it sounds like a nasty deficiency in the defenses of Windows 11, meaning folks were unnecessarily worried about it.

As mentioned, a fix was rolled out in May which didn’t work, and actually caused some weird driver-related problems (messing with some PC games). So Microsoft ended up pulling that patch (KB5007651) and went back to the drawing board to work on a new solution.

Well, that rejigged version of KB5007651 has now arrived, as Windows Latest spotted. You can grab it by checking for updates under Windows Update, as per usual.

Microsoft let us know on its release health dashboard that: “This issue was resolved in an update for Windows Security platform antimalware platform KB5007651 (Version 1.0.2306.10002).”

Analysis: An episode Microsoft will want to forget

Hopefully this fix will do the trick (considering that, as noted, the previous patch failed to do so). From what we can see, there are no early reports that something is amiss this time – and a few positive comments that the gremlin has been dealt with. Of course, you’d hope Microsoft would take extreme care over this second attempt at KB5007651.

All in all, this has been one of the more embarrassing episodes in the history of Windows 11 bugs (and there’s some competition on that front).

The bug presenting panic inducing messages about vulnerability, complete with yellow triangle warnings – and doing so repeatedly – was obviously a far from ideal situation. Less tech-savvy users in particular were likely concerned that their PC was broken in some truly worrying way.

Microsoft told us that the error messages could be safely ignored, but that’s easier said than done, and them popping up repeatedly was doubtless pretty annoying if nothing else. Not everyone will have seen Microsoft’s advice on this bug, either.

At least we finally have a resolution now, and a solid one that works properly, by the looks of it.

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May 19, 2023
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Windows 11 has run into further problems with a security-related bug that’s scaring users and was supposed to have been fixed recently – but Microsoft has admitted that its cure failed to work, and it has been pulled.

This one has a bit of a lengthy backstory, as it were, so buckle up and bear with us as we take you through it to give some context as to what’s happened here.

Okay, so the bug in question first appeared when Microsoft pushed out the March 2023 cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2, causing Local Security Authority (LSA) protection to tell users that it was turned off. In actual fact, it had stayed on, the glitch being the error message, rather than LSA itself actually going wrong.

Still, some Windows 11 users being told that their device ‘may be vulnerable’ due to the lack of LSA protection, complete with a big yellow warning triangle adorned with an exclamation mark, was obviously going to provoke some concerns.

What really didn’t help is that the error persisted continually, even after reboots.

Microsoft gave us a workaround at the time – if you can call it that, we were simply told to dismiss the (repeated) error messages, and assured everything was fine with LSA. But a welcome sight was an official fix for this problem arriving at the end of April.

That cure for the LSA error blues arrived in the form of an update for Microsoft Defender, but sadly, this brought forth some new bugs – yes, argh – namely driver conflicts, hitting some PC games with crashes (due to anti-cheat software).

And now, as Neowin observes – while pointing out reports from its own readers of the LSA bug still being present – Microsoft has updated its health dashboard for Windows 11 to admit that the Microsoft Defender fix caused these unwanted side effects, and it has now been pulled.

Microsoft tells us: “This known issue was previously resolved with an update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus antimalware platform KB5007651 (Version 1.0.2303.27001) but issues were found, and that update is no longer being offered to devices.”

Analysis: Fix with one hand, break with the other

So what’s the upshot? The LSA problem remains, and Microsoft is working on a new fix, with the old one stuffed firmly in the bin. Those who have already got the old fix applied (KB5007651), mind you, are kind of stuck with it.

Microsoft advises those who are already running KB5007651 (Version 1.0.2303.27001) that they will need to disable Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection.

The software giant provides instructions as follows: “To do this, select the Start button, type Windows Security and select it, select Device Security then select Core Isolation then disable Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection.”

We’re not exactly sure that’s an ideal situation on the security front, though. But hey, if it’s Microsoft’s official advice, then it should be fine.

Meanwhile, for those still affected by the LSA bug, Microsoft instructs them to go back to that fabulous workaround mentioned previously. Yes, just ignore it, and while it will irritate you by continually popping up, there’s actually nothing wrong with LSA (in distinct contrast to the yanked-down fix which definitely did cause driver-related havoc).

This has been a very messy episode for Microsoft, and not one that will especially give Windows 11 users faith that the QA department has a particularly good handle on what’s going on with the OS. Hopefully, a solution that doesn’t break a bunch of other stuff will be forthcoming soon.

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April 12, 2022
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Google has revealed a selection of tweaks and upgrades for Meet as it looks to help users improve their video conferencing experience.

The company has announced a centralized location for the controls used by hosts to manage a call, rather than splitting out various tools across the window, in a bid to simplify hosting duties.

Alongside this, Google Meet has also received a slightly sad-looking tool aimed at helping you leave a meeting if you're the only person present.

Google Meet empty calls

The new “leave empty call reminder” prompts users to leave a meeting if they're the only one to join a call, hopefully meaning an end to any awkward loitering if your co-workers have forgotten to join.

“Are you still there?” the prompt asks. “You've been waiting a long time. Do you want to keep waiting to join?”

Google Meet still joining call — (Image credit: Google Workspace)

“Now, when you’re the only person in a meeting for five minutes, you’ll receive a prompt asking whether you want to stay or leave the meeting,” the official Google Workspace update blog for the feature noted. “If you don’t respond after two minutes, you will automatically leave the meeting.”

Google says that it also hopes the feature will help prevent situations where your audio or video is unintentionally shared, so no-one should be able to eavesdrop on you just in case you do start up a call accidentally.

The feature is available for Google Meet on desktop and iOS devices to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers and users with personal Google accounts now, with an Android launch also scheduled “soon”.

> Google Meet aims to tear down the language barrier

> Google Calendar update will stop meetings clogging up your day

> Massive Google Workspace update dials up the fight for hybrid working supremacy

The Host management menu updates are available for all Google Workspace users now, and can now be found under the “Host Controls” button located in the bottom bar in a Google Meet call.

The update is only for desktop versions of Google Meet, where the company says host and co-host controls are currently spread across multiple locations.

“We hope this change makes it easier to manage your meeting settings by reducing the need to switch between various menus,” the company said.

Make sure your team hits your deadlines with the best project management software around

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April 12, 2022
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Google has revealed a selection of tweaks and upgrades for Meet as it looks to help users improve their video conferencing experience.

The company has announced a centralized location for the controls used by hosts to manage a call, rather than splitting out various tools across the window, in a bid to simplify hosting duties.

Alongside this, Google Meet has also received a slightly sad-looking tool aimed at helping you leave a meeting if you're the only person present.

Google Meet empty calls

“Are you still there?” the prompt asks. “You've been waiting a long time. Do you want to keep waiting to join?”

> Google Meet aims to tear down the language barrier

> Google Calendar update will stop meetings clogging up your day

> Massive Google Workspace update dials up the fight for hybrid working supremacy

The Host management menu updates are available for all Google Workspace users now, and can now be found under the “Host Controls” button located in the bottom bar in a Google Meet call.

The update is only for desktop versions of Google Meet, where the company says host and co-host controls are currently spread across multiple locations.

“We hope this change makes it easier to manage your meeting settings by reducing the need to switch between various menus,” the company said.

Make sure your team hits your deadlines with the best project management software around

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

April 1, 2022
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Embarrassing spelling and grammar mistakes will soon be a thing of the past in Microsoft Edge as Microsoft is now rolling out a built-in grammar editor for its browser.

Microsoft Editor is the software giant’s Grammarly competitor and while it’s normally accessed via a browser extension, the company has now decided to directly integrate it into Edge.

Just like with other writing software, Microsoft Editor provides users with both grammar and punctuation corrections and suggestions as they write. In Edge, Editor will be available in over 20 languages but the writing tool will only provide feedback on the main language used in the browser.

In addition to its existing features, Microsoft has said that it will soon begin rolling out text predictions in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese in Editor in order to help users not only write better but also faster.

Web Select

Besides its new Microsoft Editor integration, Microsoft is also bringing another new feature to Edge called web select though it was initially known as smart copy when it was first announced two years ago.

Web select makes it easier to select formatted content like tables, images and text on the web. The feature allows users to quickly select entire paragraphs in their original formatting or copy only the cells they want to in a table. From here, you can then paste content with its original formatting into a Word document or into OneNote to reference later.

> Microsoft's Grammarly rival is coming to Word for Mac

> Google Docs will now practically write your documents for you

> This Microsoft Edge update is a dream for all you clumsy typists

While web select will likely be a useful feature for Edge users, it has certainly taken quite a while to arrive in Microsoft’s browser. The company first began testing the feature all the way back in November of 2020.

It’s worth noting that web select isn’t the same as web capture which allows users to take screenshots of webpages and annotate them before sharing or saving them.

In order to try out Microsoft Editor and web select in Microsoft Edge, you first need to make sure you're running the latest version of Microsoft’s browser. To check if you are, you can click on the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the browser and choose Help & feedback and then About Microsoft Edge.

Looking for alternatives? These are the best browsers on the market right now

Via XDA

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January 27, 2022
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Zoom has unveiled a series of new features for its video conferencing software, one of which could prevent users from making a serious workplace faux pas.

As explained in a blog post, Zoom administrators can now configure virtual backgrounds to reset to a chosen default after each meeting.

Strangely, the official rationale is that the feature will help avoid situations whereby sensitive data is exposed in a virtual background, which feels like a fringe scenario. More beneficial will be the peace of mind afforded to people who regularly use the virtual background feature for non-work purposes.

New Zoom features

Since the transition to remote working, the number of Zoom customers has expanded dramatically and the software is now used for all manner of purposes, both professional and personal.

Zoom became the go-to platform for quizzes, yoga classes, virtual parties and more during Covid lockdowns. And while many people are returning to in-person events as societies open up, online collaboration services like Zoom still play a larger role in the private sphere than they ever did before.

With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which someone forgets to remove an inappropriate background before the end of a personal video call, leading to an embarrassing situation on a Monday morning. But with the latest Zoom update, this need no longer be a concern.

> We're all far more dependent on Zoom than we want to believe

> LinkedIn is taking on Zoom with a virtual events platform

> Zoom update delivers quick productivity hack for meetings

The option to automatically reset virtual backgrounds is just one of a number of changes bundled with the latest Zoom update.

The company has also rolled out a feature that allows meeting hosts to add a video to the virtual waiting room, which will play while participants wait to be allowed into the call, and admins can also now enable and disable the watermark feature in the middle of a meeting.

Lastly, Zoom has doubled down on its feature set for international collaboration. The language used in the Zoom client will now be dictated by the language applied in the user’s browser, and meeting hosts can now enable the language interpretation feature by default when scheduling a meeting.

Complete your setup with the best business webcams around and best headsets for conference calls

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January 1, 2022
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Having music or other audio playing during a video call can be distracting for attendees and embarrassing for users which is why Microsoft added a noise suppression feature to its video conferencing software earlier this year.

This feature is now enabled by default for most users and as a result, any background noise is automatically removed during meetings in Microsoft Teams.

While you may want music and other background noise to be removed from your speeches and presentations, this isn't always the case which is why Microsoft also created a high-fidelity music mode. When enabled, this mode streams the sound from your laptop or PC including all background sounds in high quality.

Enabling high-fidelity mode

According to a new post in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, the software giant has developed a new machine learning-based music detector that can let users know whenever music is detected.

Once this feature rolls out in January of 2022, Teams users will see a notification at the bottom of their screen which reads “Music is detected and may be suppressed. Enable High fidelity mode to make sure everyone clearly hears your music” alongside a button to enable high fidelity mode as well as another button to dismiss the notification altogether.

While you still may not want background music to be heard during important business meetings, this feature could be useful for those giving music or even dance lessons over Teams.

Also check out our roundups of the best business webcams, best video conferencing software and best headsets for conference calls

Via MSPoweruser

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