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Upgrade to Windows 11 or take the risk: Microsoft warns about Windows 10’s end-of-life date once again
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Windows 10 might hold a share of around 70% of the overall Windows user base, but that’s not making Microsoft flinch when it comes to its plans to deprecate the fan-favorite operating system. The date when Windows 10 is going to stop receiving support and new updates has been set (it’s October 14, 2025), and current Windows 10 users are being reminded again. 

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has prodded users to upgrade to Windows 11 – far from it. Previously the company has shown full-screen multi-page reminders, and now, Microsoft has added an official web page detailing the inevitable.

The new ‘End of support’ page offers Microsoft’s advice and recommendations for transitioning to Windows 11 if you’re running Windows 10 (or an older Windows version than that like Windows 8.1 or Windows 7). 

Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 have already been ditched and haven’t been receiving updates for a long time, and Windows 10 will join them next year. The official page goes into detail about what will happen when support ends and what users can expect. 

The Windows 10-specific page has a prominent banner urging users to upgrade to Windows 11 for free if their PC is eligible. Microsoft also explains that Windows 10 users will no longer receive security or technical updates after October 2025. Their PCs will continue to work, but they won't get security updates and will be left open to potential security exploits, and so Microsoft recommends that they move on to Windows 11 (if their hardware allows the upgrade).

The dedicated transition page also has other linked pages detailing Windows 11’s features and how they’re an apparent improvement on Windows 10, as well as a straightforward comparison page between the two operating systems. There’s a page that even takes you through the process of how to shop for a new laptop, should you wish to upgrade to Windows 11 on a new device, and how you can back up your data on OneDrive to make sure you don’t lose it when you transition to a new machine. 

Microsoft is pretty insistent that you will need to get a device capable of running Windows 11, preferably a new one and, if you really want to make Microsoft happy, you can go for one of its brand new next-gen Copilot+ PCs. 

Microsoft presenting Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

So, what's next for Windows 10 users?

Windows 10 users who don’t want to migrate to Windows 11 will be faced with a difficult choice – switch to an alternative OS entirely (like Linux), or stick with Windows 10 and open up their PC to possible malware and security holes that don’t get resolved by updates after October 2025. These users will also not see any new features for their system or apps introduced through updates.

The other choice is to continue receiving critical security updates for Windows 10 by opting in for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for the operating system. It's intended to be a permanent fix, and its purpose is to offer a temporary solution. This is mainly for organizations and businesses while they transition to a newer operating system.

The pricing plans for individual users opting for the ESU program haven’t been revealed yet, but Windows Latest has learned that Microsoft will share this information later in the year. Businesses will pay $ 61 per device for year one (and that price will increase every year).

Many people just prefer Windows 10 to Windows 11, but there are also folks whose devices don’t meet the hardware requirements to run Microsoft’s newest OS. While there are workarounds for some PCs to fudge an installation of Windows 11, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend that course of action (and neither is it suitable for the less tech-savvy out there).

Microsoft might be eager for people to move on to its shiny new AI-driven Copilot+ PCs, but many people can’t afford a new computer right now, and, for the time being, Windows 10 works perfectly well. A lot of people aren’t that keen on Windows 11 either, due to some of its performance issues, perceived flaws in the operating system’s design, and Microsoft’s persistent effort to integrate AI features into multiple parts of the OS. 

I don’t know if Microsoft will be successful in converting more users to Windows 11 and its new line-up of PCs, but Windows 10 fans are reluctant to move on just yet. As to whether that will change next year, we’ll just have to see, but Windows 11 adoption appears to have stalled recently, so it’s not looking great for Microsoft. That said, Windows is still the most widely used desktop operating system in the world, and there’s no threat to its dominance that will mean Microsoft feels the heat in any meaningful way – for now.

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iOS 17.5 is reportedly resurfacing once deleted photos for some users
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Reports from iOS owners have recently surfaced claiming their device is bringing back old deleted content out of nowhere after updating to iOS 17.5. A Reddit user on the iOS subreddit said they saw pictures taken in 2021 reappear even though the images were “permanently deleted.” 

The same thing happened to a former iPad owner who sold the tablet to a friend who then called them after vacation photos from September 2024 returned.

And it’s not just first-party software that’s being affected. User ssmithdev on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) posted an image of their iPhone XR showing 26 voicemail notifications on WhatsApp even though he had already deleted them a long time ago. 

People are understandably freaked out. You'll see comments in Reddit posts of users experiencing the same thing – old deleted photos from as far back as 2010 coming back. What’s worse is that some of the content at the heart of this problem is highly sensitive. 

New bug, old problem

At the time of writing, this problem doesn’t seem to be widespread. Reports currently originate from social media platforms only. However, if it is affecting a lot of people, Apple will certainly need to address it with a fix.

No one knows exactly why this is happening, but iPhone owners are pointing the finger at iOS 17.5. Each of these reports states that the deleted images started to reemerge after installing the latest update. It’s also worth mentioning this bug has been known for some time. Over on the iOSBeta subreddit, you’ll find posts from testers saying the same thing – previously deleted content is returning without direct input. This issue goes as far back as nine months, so it’s not a new problem. 

Theorycrafting

Similarly, no one knows exactly how this is happening, although there are theories.

TheVerge states that the returning files could be originating from an iPhone’s on-device storage. They mention how “computer data is never actually deleted.” Also, “[Operating] systems simply cut off references to it,” so they may continue to exist in some dark corner on your phone. iPhones may keep these files tucked away and this bug is making them resurface. 

Other people think that there's an “obscure photo library corruption issue. MacRumors believes this is the result of Apple attempting to fix a photo syncing bug in iOS 17.3. But instead of properly patching it, the company just made another problem. A few think it’s less severe, blaming improper deletion. Perhaps these users didn’t fully wipe their devices clean, and iCloud brought everything back.

There is a lot of speculation going on, but unfortunately, no one has an official answer. We reached out to Apple, asking if they’re aware of this issue and if they would like to comment on it. At the time of this writing, they have yet to respond, but we’ll update this story if we hear back.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best photo storage and sharing sites of 2024.

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Google could allow Android users to download up to five apps at once
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Google is reportedly giving Parallel Downloading another shot after the feature reemerged in a recent Play Store update.

If you’re not familiar with it, parallel downloading would give Android users the ability to install multiple apps at the same time. The tech first appeared about four years ago when a Reddit user noticed they were able to download Chrome, Google Photos, and YouTube onto their mobile device simultaneously. Since then, it seemingly faded into obscurity until it was discovered by industry expert Assemble Debug after diving into the files of Google Play version 40.0.13. 

Parallel Downloading on Google Play Store

(Image credit: Assemble Debug/TheSpAndroid)

Current limitations

He was surprised to see that it was fully functioning. Screenshots on TheSpAndroid blog reveal Assemble Debug could download Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Acrobat without issue. At a glance, the process works similarly to single-app installations. The time it’ll take to get a piece of software on your phone depends on its file size.

As he investigated further, Assemble Debug found the feature was held back by a few limitations. First, parallel downloading does not work for updates. If you want to download patches for multiple apps, you’ll have to do it individually. Nothing is changing on that front. 

Second, Google is restricting the amount of simultaneous installations to just two apps. Assemble Debug points out that the restriction is controlled by an internal flag. He deactivated the flag and was able to increase the download limit to “five apps at once.” 

It's possible Google may alter the maximum amount of installs at any time, but they’re keeping things small for now. There could be an increase in a future testing period.

Joining the early test

For those interested, it is possible to activate parallel downloading on your device by grabbing the latest Play Store patch; however, the process is tricky. TheSpAndroid states you’ll need a rooted Android smartphone. Rooting isn’t super difficult to do, but it does take a while to accomplish and you run the risk of totally bricking the hardware. If you want to learn how to do this, we have a guide with step-by-step instructions on how to root your Android phone.

Once that’s all done, you’ll have to enable a certain flag via the GMS Flags app which you can find over on GitHub. Details on how to do this can be found in TheSpAndroid’s report.

It’s unknown when this feature will officially launch. Considering the company is experimenting with Parallel Downloads again after so long, it could be hinting at an imminent release. Hopefully, this is the case. Being able to install apps in bulk is a nice quality-of-life upgrade. It can help new phone owners save a lot of time when setting up their devices.

Speaking of which, check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024 if you're looking to upgrade.

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Microsoft delays Office 365 price rise once again
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Microsoft has once again delayed its planned price increase of both its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 office software suites.

The price increase was first announced by corporate VP for Microsoft 365, Jared Spataro last August in a blog post and was set to come into effect at the beginning of this month. Now though, the software giant has pushed back the change until March 15.

Right when the price increase was set to go into effect, Microsoft announced a set of temporary discounts for cloud service providers (CSPs) that sell Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions. CSPs currently have until 5pm PDT on March 14 or 12am UTC on March 15 to submit transactions and have them invoiced at the company's February 2022 pricing. 

These temporary discounts are designed to allow CSPs “to clear the backlog of orders for these SKUs due to high demand in advance of the March 1 price increases” according to a Microsoft support document.

First substantive price increase

For those unfamiliar with Microsoft's pricing changes for both Office 365 and Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Business Basic will increase from $ 5 to $ 6 per user per year, Microsoft 365 Business Premium will go from $ 20 to $ 22, Office 365 E1 will go from $ 8 to $ 10, Office 365 E3 will go from $ 20 to $ 23, Office 365 E5 will go from $ 35 to $ 38 and Microsoft 365 E3 will go from $ 32 to $ 36.  

Thankfully though, these pricing changes do not apply to the company's consumer or education products.

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Back in August of last year, Spataro pointed to the fact that these pricing changes were the “first substantive pricing update” to Office 365 since its launch just over a decade ago. He also highlighted how the company has added 24 apps including Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, Stream, Planner, Visio, OneDrive, Yammer, and Whiteboard to the software suite and released 1,400 new features and capabilities across three key areas: communication and collaboration, security and compliance and AI and automation.

According to The Register, Microsoft's revenues grew by a fifth to $ 51.7bn during the second fiscal quarter of this year while operating income increased by 24 percent from $ 17.89bn to $ 22.2bn. However, the company's Microsoft Azure cloud services and its server products have been the main drivers of its higher revenue recently. As such, Microsoft's Productivity and Business Processes segment, which includes Office 365, will need to bring in additional revenue to keep up with the company's other divisions.

Via The Register

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Microsoft Edge will let you embrace multiple identities at once
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Using multiple profiles across Microsoft Edge should soon become a lot smoother thanks to an update coming to the service.

Microsoft has revealed it is working on a new feature for its web browser that will allow users to create a selection of websites where they can switch between user profiles.

The tool could prove useful for Edge users that use the software for work, and need to switch between personal and workplace accounts frequently, or for those sharing a laptop or other device with family members.

Multi-profile in Microsoft Edge

“Users can personalize their multi-profile experience with the ability to create a customized list of sites for automatic profile switching in Microsoft Edge,” the entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap reads.

Although Edge initially unveiled profile support back in 2019, users have had to stick with one profile until now, with the new tool meaning users have less need to use anonymous browsers, but can rely instead on speedy switching.

The feature will be arriving in Microsoft Edge v.98, which is set to begin rolling out within the next few weeks. The company says that the multi-profile preferences tool should launch by the end of the month at the latest, with users around the world able to access the feature.

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It's the latest addition to Microsoft Edge v.98 as the company looks to tempt users away from browser rivals such as Google Chrome.

The company recently announced that Microsoft Edge v.98 is getting a significant security upgrade thanks to a “boosted browsing experience” that puts safety and security at the forefront. 

This includes allowing administrators to apply group policies to end-user desktops across not just Windows devices, but also those running macOS and Linux, giving extra protection against zero-day threats, as well as what Microsoft says is “an extra layer of protection when browsing the web.”

  • Also check out our list of the best VPN services around

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Once you upgrade to Windows 11, you only have 10 days to revert to Windows 10
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Windows 11 only offers you a 10-day timeframe to change your mind about the upgrade and revert to Windows 10.

This isn’t a new revelation, of course, but with more folks now moving to Windows 11 – given that Microsoft opened the upgrade floodgates a fortnight ago – we figured it was worth a reminder that you’re on a pretty tight deadline for making a decision about whether you want to stick with Windows 11.

The situation differs notably and substantially from Windows 10, whereby those upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.1 got 30 days grace to play around with the operating system, and move back to the old version if they decided it wasn’t for them.

In other words, Microsoft has reduced the rollback grace period from 30 days with Windows 10, to just 10 days with Windows 11.

After that time has expired, when you head over to the ‘Recovery’ options screen (search for it under Settings), the option to ‘Go Back’ – meaning to revert to the previous OS, Windows 10 – is greyed out. The only way to get back to Windows 10 at that point is to fully reinstall the OS on the PC, which is obviously quite a task compared to just clicking a button.

Analysis: Grabbing a disk image is worthwhile for this

The obvious problem here is that by narrowing down the reversion period, people who upgrade to Windows 11 and don’t hit any immediate hitches, but subsequently discover a nasty issue after a few weeks, no longer have the option to make a no-fuss switch back to Windows 10. They’re stuck.

And this is particularly galling seeing as the opportunity to revert remained open for a full month when folks were upgrading to Windows 10.

So, if you’re nervous about migrating to Windows 11 and that stingy trial time frame, as it were, then one thing you can do is make a backup image of your Windows 10 installation before you upgrade.

This can be achieved using software like Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect (or another of the best disk cloning tools around), and with an image in place, if at any time you want to revert to that snapshot of your old OS, you can do so.

The key is to be prepared as this is something that must be done ahead of upgrading to Windows 11, obviously enough. In our book, it’s a worthwhile precaution for sure, particularly now Microsoft has whittled down the rollback period to an absolute minimum for reasons best known to the software giant.

Via ZDNet

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Salesforce now has two co-CEOs once again
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Salesforce has adopted a new co-CEO leadership model. Almost two years after co-founder and current CEO Marc Benioff took sole leadership, he will soon be joined by Bret Taylor, the company announced.

The decision is effective immediately, with Taylor, who has been the company’s COO and president since 2019, also promoted to vice chairman of the Board.

However according to The Information, an internal Slack message from Benioff to employees noted that Taylor will still report to the company's co-founder.

“Bret is a phenomenal industry leader who has been instrumental in creating incredible success for our customers and driving innovation throughout our company. He has been my trusted friend for years, and I couldn't be happier to welcome him as Co-CEO,” Benioff said. 

“We're in a new world and Salesforce has never been more relevant or strategic for our customers. Together, Bret and I will lead Salesforce through our next chapter, while living our shared values of trust, customer success, innovation and equality for all.”

Back to co-CEOs

Having two CEOs is nothing new for the CRM giant, as until late February 2020, Benioff was sharing the position with Keith Block, who joined the company from Oracle as President and Vice Chairman back in 2013. 

Block became operating chief in 2016, and was promoted to co-CEO in August 2018. After leaving the position in 2020, he remained as an advisor for a year. 

Discussing the modus operandi in 2019, Benioff told CNBC that Block helped him create a “divide and conquer” strategy, as well as free up some of his time. CNBC reminds that after elevating Block, Benioff took two weeks to focus on Proposition C, a legislation that aimed to solve the problem of homelessness in San Francisco. 

Salesforce also published its financial results for the third quarter of the year, beating analyst estimates. Benioff said the company is aiming for $ 50 billion in revenue, in FY26.

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $ 1.27, beating analyst estimates of $ 0.92 per share. Q3 revenue was $ 6.86 billion, representing a 27% increase compared to the same period last year, while analysts expected $ 6.8 billion.

The company’s Board of Directors also has two new members: Laura Alber (President and CEO of Williams-Sonoma), and Oscar Munoz, former United Airlines Chairman and CEO.

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It’s not too late to grab a fantastic Xbox One deal this weekend as prices drop once more
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We've been surprised by some fantastic Xbox One deals this week, and those Xbox One S and Xbox One X bundles are sticking around for the weekend as well. We've been used to seeing these prices over Black Friday and during the seasonal sales, but a sudden price drop back to $ 149 on the All Digital Edition and $ 349 on the Xbox One X are very welcome indeed. 

That's right, those looking to take advantage of the current Game Pass roster or who simply want the cheapest Xbox One deal possible can pick up an All Digital Edition on sale for just $ 149. That low price is courtesy of the fact that this console does not have a disc drive. If you're looking to save on pre-owned physical games or to build up a case collection you'll want to check out the full Xbox One S bundle for $ 63.99 more.  

The $ 212 Xbox One S bundle comes with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order included. Looking for the 4K upgrade? You can also bag an Xbox One X deal with the latest Star Wars title for just $ 349 as sales return to Black Friday level discounts this week. 

These Xbox One deals have been sorely missed over the last few weeks as prices have been rising back to their usual retail positions for the New Year. It's never too late to save on a brand new console, however, so these sales could have come at just the right time for a January mood booster. 

Not in the US? Scroll down for the latest Xbox One deals in your area. 

Today's best Xbox One deals

If these cheap Xbox One sales aren't taking your fancy, why not check out our full collection of Xbox bundles. Or, while you're stocking up on Microsoft goodies, you'll want to take a look at these Xbox controller deals and Game Pass prices. 

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