Microsoft stoops to new low with ads in Windows 11, as PC Manager tool suggests your system needs ‘repairing’ if you don’t use Bing

As Windows 11 users are becoming accustomed to more ads in key places of the operating system, Microsoft is seemingly experimenting with adding yet another advert covertly presented as a recommendation. This time the software giant is trying out having PC Manager suggest that you 'repair' your system by reverting to Microsoft's default search engine, Bing.

PC Manager is a Microsoft utility available in some regions that enables you to get a handle on system storage management and file management, and it can help optimize your PC's performance. Generally speaking, it's considered a pretty good app, but as with a lot of its products, that's not enough for Microsoft – it's also increasingly in the business of turning various products and features into ad vehicles (especially if they’re free!). 

Windows 11 has already seen ads introduced in parts of the interface like File Explorer, the Settings app, and, most recently, the Start menu. That roster is being expanded, as Windows Latest discovered, to include PC Manager, which recently got the addition of a 'Repair Tips' section and a Files Cleanup feature (which can detect duplicate files and more besides).

Looking for potential repairs? Microsoft has a suggestion

The advert was discovered when Windows Latest checked out the new 'Repair Tips' section of the PC Manager app, which suggested that the PC be 'repaired' by switching the default search engine back to Bing (which is the Windows pre-installed default) from Google Search (or whatever other browser is set as default). 

People who use Windows have picked up on Microsoft's persistence when it comes to ads, for example the 'promoted' third-party ads beginning to show up in the Start menu's 'Recommended' section. The suggestion that switching back to Bing is a ‘repair’ is a new low, though, as it’s effectively implying that using another search engine is actually a fault with your PC, in a way. Switching to Bing search is not going to improve your PC’s performance, is it? Hardly.

As Windows Latest reports, the PC Manager app was developed by Microsoft engineers in China, and it’s possible that the company may drop odd manner to push Bing if the software is rolled out more broadly elsewhere – it may come to the US eventually.

Bing Search

(Image credit: Getting Images)

Letting Edge, Bing, and PC Manager stand on their own merits

From what we've seen so far, aside from this advertising push that's been witnessed across Windows 11 more broadly, PC Manager looks like a good app to help you better manage your PC's resources and files, and Windows Latest recommends it as a seemingly secure performance-boosting app. This makes sense as it's developed by Microsoft itself, which has an interest in ensuring that its apps are as secure as they can be. 

Microsoft Edge, the default browser pre-installed on Windows machines, and Bing Search aren't bad products by any means – they are solid alternatives to Google's own Chrome and Search. Edge has recently seen a whole host of new useful features like a sidebar, sleeping tabs, and an immersive reader. That said, there are parts of the browser that some people consider 'bloatware' and unnecessary clutter. For example, some folks don't currently see much purpose in using Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, which is integrated into Edge. 

Bing Search and Edge have enough of their own merits to be considered viable alternatives to the industry leaders, and I know personally that this kind of repeated prodding doesn't convince me to try them. If anything, it can push people away, and tech companies would do well to remember that what wins people's minds are products that work well. It’s as simple as that – let the product speak for itself, and the user base will grow.

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Want Windows 11’s old Task Manager back? It’s easy – here’s how

If you miss the older design of Task Manager in Windows 11, there’s good news – it’s still in the operating system and you can resurrect it – if you know where to look. The current design was introduced in the Windows 11 22H2 update. This Task Manager refresh was quite a big change to the interface, and not everyone was keen on it. 

Pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys or opening Task Manager from the Start Menu will bring up the new version of Task Manager. However, X user @thebookisclosed found that you can bring up the older version of Task Manager by accessing the Windows folder in your C: drive (most users’ main drive) and opening Task Manager via the app that’s located in the SysWOW64 folder. 

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There are two straightforward ways to do this:

Through File Explorer:

1. Open File Explorer from your Start menu.

2. Copy and paste “C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Taskmgr.exe” into File Explorer’s address bar.

A screenshot of locating the old Task Manager using File Explorer's address bar

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Through the Run app:

1. Open Run from the Start menu to open a dialog box.

2. Copy and paste “C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Taskmgr.exe” into the Run app’s dialog box.

3. Press Enter to launch it.

Either of these should launch the old version of Task Manager, which you can pin to your Taskbar as a shortcut, or create a desktop icon to access it more conveniently.

A screenshot of locating the old Task Manager by entering its file location into Run

(Image credit: Microsoft)

What to consider before firing the old version up

Windows Latest points out that you should make sure you choose one version or the other, as it’s not possible to run one while the other is already running, so close Task Manager if it’s already running before you try opening the old one. Nothing bad will happen, but it’ll just show the current version of Task Manager you’re currently using.

The newer Task Manager has a new menu sidebar that shows additional views, but apparently, some users find having this extra sidebar menu confusing. It has a new list of labels and icons, compounding some users’ confusion when trying to parse between various sections and processes, and trying to find a specific process. In the newer design, there’s a Settings options page in this sidebar menu as well.

A screenshot featuring the newer Task Manager design

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The older Task Manager is more minimalist, and only has the list of processes currently running, with the different sections and views laid out horizontally in tabs towards the top. It also only supports a light theme, whereas the new design of Task Manager can be used in light or dark mode. If you’re used to using dark mode like me, the older Task Manager will stand out.

A screenshot featuring the older design of Task Manager

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Another feature that the newer design features is Efficiency Mode, an option in the right-click menu of any task that allows users to manage resource consumption of the process. Efficiency Mode can be activated for third-party processes and this can free up CPU resources for other tasks, though this option isn’t available for Windows system processes.

The new Task Manager offers some very useful features, but it can seem complicated to some users, so if you want to revert to the older view, it’s good to know you can. I hope Microsoft doesn’t totally remove this option for users, or allow users to change to the older view by making the additional sidebar menu removable or at least collapsible. However, because the old Task Manager is pretty hidden away, it doesn’t seem like Microsoft is too keen on people using it – so we may have to get used to the new look.

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Google Chrome’s password manager is finally adding this must-have feature

The built-in password manager in Google Chrome is about to get even better as Google is preparing to add the ability to store notes alongside your passwords.

Besides storing your existing passwords, Chrome’s password manager also includes a password generator to help you create strong, unique and complex passwords for each of your online accounts.

While you can use a standalone password manager like LastPass or 1Password to store your passwords securely, Google Chrome and most other browsers now offer similar functionality. However, these paid solutions often come with extra features like secure cloud storage and password sharing in addition to letting you store notes about each of your passwords.

Now though, it appears that Chrome’s built-in password manager will be getting a big upgrade with the next major release of Google’s browser.

Adding notes to your passwords in Chrome

As reported by 9to5Google and first spotted by Leo Varela, the latest Chrome Canary release adds a new feature to Chrome’s built-in password manager that will allow you to store notes with your passwords.

Once this feature becomes generally available, you’ll see a new “Notes” field underneath the username and password fields in Chrome’s password manager. However, this option will only show up when adding a new password or when you go to edit an existing password. Varela also pointed out in his Reddit post that Google is working on adding the ability to securely send passwords to others as well.

Being able to add notes to each of your saved passwords can be quite useful for those with a lot of different online accounts. For instance, you can add a note to give context to the account, to differentiate between a work and personal account or even if you want to back up the answers to the security questions associated with a particular account.

Users running Chrome Canary can test out this feature now and Google has even added the #passwords-notes flag to make it easier to enable. As this feature is currently tied to the release of Chrome 101, it should arrive in the Stable channel around April or May but the timing of its arrival could change.

Via 9to5Google

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Bitdefender wants to take a bite out of the password manager market

Bitdefender has announced the launch of its new password manager which aims to simplify the creation and management of secure passwords across all of a user's online accounts on both desktop and mobile.

While the company is known for its antivirus software, its new Bitdefender Password Manager offering also includes a password generator to create and save unique, highly complex passwords for each online account. These passwords can then be accessed by using a single master password. Bitdefender Password Manager is also backed by strong end-to-end encryption along with simple set-up, easy installation and an intuitive user interface designed to be accessible to all.

According to the recent 2021 Bitdefender Global Report: Cybersecurity and Online Behaviors, half of the over 10,000 consumers surveyed use a single password for all of their online accounts while nearly one-third (32%) reuse just a few passwords across multiple online accounts. 

Vice president of Bitdefender's consumer solutions division, Ciprian Istrate explained why the company decided to create its new password manager in a press release, saying:

“Cybercriminals rely on weak passwords to compromise accounts, steal user identities and profit from selling credentials on the dark web. Despite understanding the importance of strong passwords as a security best practice, the ease of memorizing a few passwords and reusing them everywhere outweighs increased security risk for most. We built Bitdefender Password Manager with this in mind, delivering what we believe is one of the best-in-class password protection without sacrificing user convenience.”

Bitdefender Password Manager

In addition to allowing users to store their passwords, Bitdefender Password Manager can also be used to manage and auto-fill payment data. All of this data is encrypted and decrypted locally and the account holder alone has access to the master password so that no third party has access to their financial information.

While there are mobile apps available for Android and iOS, Bitdefender has also created browser extensions for Windows and macOS that support a wide range of browsers including Chrome, Firefox and Edge with support for Safari launching soon.

If you already use another password manager like 1Password or LastPass, Bitdefender Password Manager allows you to easily import data and passwords from other platforms including browsers like Chrome and Firefox which have their own built-in password managers.

An annual subscription to Bitdefender Password Manager costs $ 29.99 per year but the company is currently offering an introductory discount where new customers can save 33 percent and pay $ 19.99 for the year or as little as $ 1.66 per month.

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Incoming Windows 11 Task Manager update could finally tempt you to upgrade

Microsoft is planning to introduce some additional options into the current Task Manager, alongside other updates and new features planned for its Windows 11 operating system, at least according to a slew of leaks that have appeared in the last week.

A good batch of these can be credited to Twitter user Albacore, an established and typically reliable source for Windows leaks, who previously reported that 'Stickers' will be introduced for your desktop wallpaper, as well as changes rolling out to the current notification system. 

On top of this, it seems that the current Task Manager in Windows 11 will also get some additional features, including the ability to get dedicated information regarding “App health” and “Battery health”.  This information was discovered within the recent Dev Channel build 22543 by another well established Windows leaker, FireCubeStudios

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It seems that additional features could also be included when the update is released to the public. As Neowin points out in its own reporting, Microsoft developers have commented to state this isn't a final design, so we could also get options relating to Startup applications. 

This isn't the first time we heard that Microsoft may be looking to revamp the Task Manager from its previously dated state, with some alterations being introduced in build 22538, but with this being a work in progress, it could be a while until this is fully rolled out to the public.


Analysis: These tweaks are more important than ever

While they're nowhere near as important as actual performance-based improvements and patches being developed to fix ongoing issues, these planned updates to streamline the Windows 11 experience for everyday users shouldn't be overlooked. 

The vast majority of folks who use the Windows 11 operating system won't be experts or enthusiasts, so simplifying the more 'complex' areas of the OS will hopefully streamline the process of new users getting comfortable using it. This is especially so in the case of people who have avoided upgrading from Windows 10 despite having compatible hardware out of the fear of needing to relearn how to use their laptop or desktop PC.

There's still a lot to be resolved with the Windows 11 operating system before tech-savvy users are happy to make the upgrade, but with its new, modern look and general quality-of-life improvements, this is becoming a great choice for those with less experience using computers who don't want to be reliant on others to address issues they might face. 

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Classic File Manager from 1990 gets remade for Windows 11

The first iteration of managing your files and folders has been remade and released for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, giving you a useful alternative to Windows Explorer.

File Manager first appeared back in 1990 with Windows 3.0, where it was the only way to add, delete and manage your files and folders. But following the appearance of a graphical user interface and Windows Explorer with Windows 95, it was eventually retired in 1999.

But there were some users who loved the control that File Manager gave them, and that control is something that’s seemingly missing or hidden with Windows 11 in Explorer. 

With File Manager, almost every feature was discoverable either through an icon at the top of the window, or when you right-clicked a folder, but in Windows 11 currently, some features, such as Command Prompt and ‘Copy’, are displayed through a right-click menu or in an Options menu at the top of the Explorer window.

Thanks to the source code having been released back in 2018, this rewritten version has been headed up by Microsoft Azure Architect Craig Wittenberg, you can drag and drop files into the app, alongside a search function, and much more. You can download it from GitHub or directly from the Microsoft Store to use on your PC to manage your files like it’s 1990 all over again.


Analysis: what’s old is useful again

Using File Manager in 2022 through Windows 11 is, to pardon a phrase, like stepping through a window to 1990. While the appearance of this File Manager may be overwhelming to some users, who may be used to a more elegant appearance for a user interface, the features it offers are very helpful.

Whereas in recent years with Windows Explorer, you’d have to go to the Taskbar or a different app to reach some of the features that exist in a right-click menu in File Manager, such as ‘Run’, ‘Move’ or ‘Go to ‘Directory’. Every function is accessible in a few clicks, and thanks to the tree layout of your files and folders, you gain a better overview of where your content is, alongside how you can manage these files across multiple hard drives for example.

File Manager in Windows 11

(Image credit: Microsoft)

But it also shows how far interfaces and methods in computing have evolved in 30 years. It would be unimaginable now to start up Microsoft Edge through a command line, for instance, or use physical media such as Floppy Disks to play God of War in 8K.

Looking at Explorer in Windows 11, there’s plenty that could be influenced by File Manager. The inclusion of different view options to more clearly display folders and what they contain, alongside the facility to browse multiple windows in one Explorer window rather than separate ones, would be much more useful than what we have now.

With the next major update of Windows 11, Sun Valley 2 on its way, there’s always a chance that we could see further improvements to Windows Explorer that takes everything about what File Manager still does so well, and repackages it for a 2022 audience.

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Microsoft Edge’s half-baked password manager might now be worth a look

Microsoft is preparing to roll out a new version of the in-built password manager for its Edge web browser.

Currently under development, the new-look password management feature will allow users to add credentials to their roster manually for the first time.

At the moment, Microsoft Edge requires users to visit a website, log in and wait for a prompt from the browser. By introducing a manual option, Microsoft will minimize the friction associated with adding passwords en masse.

The ability to add account credentials manually first featured in an early-access build of Google Chrome, which is based on the same Chromium engine as Edge. Microsoft appears to have built upon this foundation to port the functionality over to its own service.

It’s unclear precisely when the feature will make its way into a full public build, but it is currently available to members of the Edge Canary channel under the Profile menu.

Microsoft Edge password manager

Microsoft first introduced password management functionality to its flagship browser in January last year, offering users a simple alternative to fully-featured services like LastPass and Dashlane, which cost in the region of $ 40/year.

The idea was to give users a cost-effective way to limit the risk of credential stuffing, brute force attacks and identity theft.

However, recent reports suggest it may still be ill-advised to store your account credentials in your web browser, as opposed to using a dedicated service.

According to security company AhnLab, info-stealing Redline malware is capable of both evading antivirus software and stealing passwords and other sensitive data from its victim’s browser.

In a recent incident, an infection resulted in the compromise of a corporate network, after VPN credentials were stolen from a remote employee’s web browser.

From a cybersecurity perspective, although storing unique passwords in Microsoft Edge is better than deploying an identical password across multiple accounts, it shouldn’t be considered the perfect solution.

Via WindowsLatest

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