Microsoft blames PC makers for broken Windows 11 update – but I think that’s a copout

A recent Windows 11 update (which also came to Windows 10) has been causing some serious problems for some users – and it seems Microsoft is trying to pass the buck.

As Bleeping Computer reports, some people who installed the optional August 2023 updates for Windows 11 or Windows 10 were getting the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, where their PC stops responding, with the error being labelled as an ‘UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR’ issue.

In a statement posted on its ‘Release Health’ website, that tracks known issues, Microsoft states that the “’UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR’ error was not caused by issues in KB5029351 and is limited to a specific subset of processors.”

Microsoft claims it is “collaborating with device manufacturers (OEMs)” by pausing the update being offered to Windows devices that may be affected.

If the KB5029351 is already installed and causing an issue, it will automatically uninstall, which should fix the issue.

Whose fault is it anyway?

Microsoft is usually pretty good at being transparent about Windows 11 problems, so it’s interesting that with this one, it’s saying that the error isn’t being caused “by issues in KB5029351” and that you should “contact your device’s processor manufacturer” if the problem persists.

That seems to be washing its hands of the problem a bit. After all, this issue only affects the KB5029351 update – and presumably these unsupported processors work fine with other Windows 10 and Windows 11 updates.

You’d also think it would be easier for Microsoft to release an update that was supported by these processors, rather than have the processor makers build their chips to be compatible with all future Windows updates.

It all seems a bit odd, but there must be some reasoning behind Microsoft’s blame game. The good news, at least, is that this only affects an optional update, which means it’s not going to be forced on you, and the fix seems relatively easy to apply.

Whether or not device manufacturers will be happy with Microsoft pointing the finger at them over this latest Windows 11 problem, however, is another story.

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The most-ignored Gmail tool might not actually be as bad as we all think

Using Google Chat Spaces alongside your Gmail account may actually get to be useful fairly soon thanks to some new updates coming to the tool.

Introduced in 2021 as part of Google Workspace, the replacement for G Suite for Enterprise, Spaces is essentially group conversations for Google Chat users, bringing together groups of co-workers or friends in a single location.

However Spaces has not proved exactly popular so far due to a lack of features or flexibility – at least not until now.

Google Chat Spaces

“We're introducing several improvements for Spaces in Google Chat to help you better organize people, topics, and projects,” the company wrote in a blog post announcing the changes.

Among the new additions is the ability to add “Managers” to look after specific Spaces, acting as an admin over the entire chat. Given to the creator of the Space by default but able to be changed or edited, Managers will be able to oversee the conversations, adding and removing participants if needed.

Google is also offering Managers the ability to add descriptions to Spaces in order to set context or provide information on what will be discussed. Users will also be able to create guidelines so that “safe and effective communication environments” can be created.

“We hope this feature makes it easier to share the purpose and guidelines for a particular space, making it easier for your collaborators to navigate quickly to the appropriate space,” Google added, noting that the new features are rolling out to users now.

The company sees Spaces as a de facto replacement for its little-loved Google Currents tool, which it recently revealed will be gradually shut down over the course of 2022

Starting in 2023, Currents will be found down and its services moved over to Spaces, which Google says offers much better and tighter integration with other tools such as Gmail, Meet and Google Drive.

Via 9to5Google

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I used to think I was too old for TikTok, but now I’m using it for wedding ideas

This week (February 18) marks two years since I was engaged, and since then my devices have been full of apps containing ideas for every part of the wedding.

From the flowers to the colors of the tables at the Wedding Reception we had sorted out plans for everything – putting in a level of work would make you wish you eloped and dealt with the family fallout soon after they find out.

But we had been struggling with some music ideas – especially for when our guests are finding their seats, and unfortunately, my idea of a track from Metal Gear Solid was rejected.

This is where TikTok came to the rescue for me, where discovering artists with covers and their own spin on other tracks has made us both completely redo the Wedding playlist, both for the church and the Wedding reception.

A For You page of Wedding ideas

For those unaware, TikTok is an endless vertical scroll of videos, that its algorithm sources from its millions of users. It could be clips of TV shows from the 90s, or 'life hacks' of how to clean the grill in your oven to name just two of the countless examples of what you can find.

But if you're looking for something specific without the algorithm trying to find something for you, it's the Discover page that shines here.

Typing in 'covers' or 'mashup' brings you a bunch of results of songs that you didn't think would ever work, but they do. This particular track is something that my fiance and I are already planning on using for the day.

@veggibeats

♬ Only girl in september – veggibeats

It's content that I've never found on other social platforms. Facebook is less of a feed and more of photos and 'announcements' from those you've not spoken to in years, while Instagram is more about looking at Instagram Stories to pass the time, regardless of its efforts into short-form video as of late.

But TikTok scratches an itch I didn't know I had – where creators are giving me ideas to use for one of the most important days of my life. It's an app that, at the moment anyway, doesn't cause unnecessary discourse for certain topics, or shoehorns in paid options as I'm scrolling through Gayle and Notorious B.I.G. covers.

The app is already at the front of my iPhone home screen because of this, and once the wedding is accomplished – if there are more covers to as good as the above to find – it's not a stretch to think it may keep me around for a good while longer.

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