In April 2020, Microsoft launched Microsoft 365, the successor to its popular Office 365. But it’s not a mere name change. The tech giant is also introducing improvements to its productivity software that will enhance how your business deals with cyberthreats every day.

Name change

Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to their products and services in the name of development. Their Windows 10 operating system (OS), for instance, is a far cry from its predecessor Windows 8. Microsoft made the jump from what they thought would be a revolutionary tile-based design in Windows 8 to a classic, ergonomically designed Windows 10.

The tech giant has once again made drastic changes, this time to their award-winning line of productivity apps Microsoft Office 365. O365, as it was lovingly referred to for nearly a decade, is now the sleeker, more powerful, Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Business is available to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on three different subscription plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.

Available plans

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes with many standard features, including web and mobile app access, full email and calendaring tools, secure file storage, collaboration tools, and support. Rest easy knowing that you have a powerful enterprise-grade software for a fraction of the cost such as:

• Web and mobile app versions of Office apps
• Real-time coauthoring
• Email hosting with 50 GB capacity
• 1 TB of OneDrive storage
• Automatic syncs regardless of work platform choice (between OneDrive and SharePoint).
• Teleconferencing and unified communications via Microsoft Teams for up to 250 users
• Automatic threat defense via Exchange Online Protection
• A complete array of cybersecurity tools and protocols, such as automated password policy tools

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you’ll get everything Business Basic offers plus:

• Desktop versions of Office apps for up to five PCs or Macs per user
• Easy and smart appointments management with Microsoft Bookings
• Real-time mileage tracking and reporting with MileIQ

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the brand’s flagship plan, a great tool for businesses ready to take their operations to the next level. It comes with everything Business Standard offers plus:

• Advanced security tools to protect from zero-day threats and ransomware, via Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
• Remote wiping tools for stolen or lost devices, via Selective Wipe from Intune
• Restricted copying or saving options for unauthorized apps and locations
• Complete control of company data, via Information Rights Management
• Pre-breach threat resistance policy options, via Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Malware protection, via Windows Defender
• Unlimited cloud archiving of emails, via Exchange Online Archiving
• Setup wizards for Windows 10, iOS, and Android
• Total security policy deployment — even for mobile apps — via Mobile Device Management from Intune

Microsoft 365 Business will change the way your staff powers your business. Contact us today to discuss how you can avail of a subscription.

Last week, Microsoft unveiled the May 2020 Update, which is the latest version of Windows 10. While some users are able to update their systems, some PCs are prevented from installing it. Here’s what’s causing the update block, and how you can bypass it.

Known issues

The update block is present on devices such as the Surface Pro X and 7, Surface Laptop 3, and Surface Book 3, according to a test by The Verge. The block is also present on other devices with the following configurations:

1. PCs with games using GameInput Redistributable. Installing the Windows 10 May 2020 Update on these systems may result in mouse input loss.
2. Always On, Always Connected PCs. Devices with more than one Always On, Always Connected network adapter may experience unexpected restarts.
3. PCs with integrated Intel graphics. Systems may encounter substandard variable refresh rates after installing the update.
4. Systems with Conexant or Synaptics audio drivers. PCs may display a blue screen of death (BSOD) error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
5. PCs with older drivers for Nvidia display adapters. Devices with GPU drivers with a version below 358.00 may encounter some performance issues.
6. Devices using Thunderbolt docks. PCs may display a BSOD error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
7. PCs with certain Realtek drivers. These Windows 10 devices may be unable to connect to more than one Bluetooth device.

Microsoft has also identified issues with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) service and Input Method Editors (IME) with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

If your PC has not yet received any update notification, or if you’ve checked for updates on Windows Update without any luck, it’s likely that your device is encountering issues with the May 2020 Update. As a result, Microsoft is only offering the update to compatible devices and currently resolving issues on other PCs.

How to bypass the update block

If your device is currently blocked but you still want to install the May 2020 Update, you can get it through the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Windows 10 download page.
2. Under the header “Windows 10 May 2020 Update,” click on the Update now button and wait for a file to download.
3. Open the file. This will bring up the Windows 10 Update Assistant program.
4. The program will check for updates. Click on the Update now button once done.
5. The tool will check if your system meets the update requirements. Click Next.
6. Wait for the program to download and install the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

You can also download Windows 10 through Microsoft’s Media Creation tool to use on another PC, burn to a DVD, or save to an external hard disk or thumb drive. We advise you take extra precautions, however, especially if Windows found potential compatibility problems with your system.

If you want to learn more about the latest Windows 10 update and how to deploy it on your business PCs, give us a call today.

Some PC users are being blocked by Microsoft from updating their systems to the latest version of Windows 10, the May 2020 Update. The company has acknowledged the presence of some known issues preventing the update from being installed on some PCs. Here’s what you need to know.

Known issues

The update block is present on devices such as the Surface Pro X and 7, Surface Laptop 3, and Surface Book 3, according to a test by The Verge. The block is also present on other devices with the following configurations:

1. PCs with games using GameInput Redistributable. Installing the Windows 10 May 2020 Update on these systems may result in mouse input loss.
2. Always On, Always Connected PCs. Devices with more than one Always On, Always Connected network adapter may experience unexpected restarts.
3. PCs with integrated Intel graphics. Systems may encounter substandard variable refresh rates after installing the update.
4. Systems with Conexant or Synaptics audio drivers. PCs may display a blue screen of death (BSOD) error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
5. PCs with older drivers for Nvidia display adapters. Devices with GPU drivers with a version below 358.00 may encounter some performance issues.
6. Devices using Thunderbolt docks. PCs may display a BSOD error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
7. PCs with certain Realtek drivers. These Windows 10 devices may be unable to connect to more than one Bluetooth device.

Microsoft has also identified issues with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) service and Input Method Editors (IME) with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

If your PC has not yet received any update notification, or if you’ve checked for updates on Windows Update without any luck, it’s likely that your device is encountering issues with the May 2020 Update. As a result, Microsoft is only offering the update to compatible devices and currently resolving issues on other PCs.

How to bypass the update block

If your device is currently blocked but you still want to install the May 2020 Update, you can get it through the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Windows 10 download page.
2. Under the header “Windows 10 May 2020 Update,” click on the Update now button and wait for a file to download.
3. Open the file. This will bring up the Windows 10 Update Assistant program.
4. The program will check for updates. Click on the Update now button once done.
5. The tool will check if your system meets the update requirements. Click Next.
6. Wait for the program to download and install the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

You can also download Windows 10 through Microsoft’s Media Creation tool to use on another PC, burn to a DVD, or save to an external hard disk or thumb drive. We advise you take extra precautions, however, especially if Windows found potential compatibility problems with your system.

If you want to learn more about the latest Windows 10 update and how to deploy it on your business PCs, give us a call today.

May 2020 Update, the newest iteration of Windows 10, has been released to the public. However, some systems were found to be having some issues with the latest version, prompting Microsoft to block its installation on some devices. If your PCs are affected, here’s what you need to do.

Known issues

The update block is present on devices such as the Surface Pro X and 7, Surface Laptop 3, and Surface Book 3, according to a test by The Verge. The block is also present on other devices with the following configurations:

1. PCs with games using GameInput Redistributable. Installing the Windows 10 May 2020 Update on these systems may result in mouse input loss.
2. Always On, Always Connected PCs. Devices with more than one Always On, Always Connected network adapter may experience unexpected restarts.
3. PCs with integrated Intel graphics. Systems may encounter substandard variable refresh rates after installing the update.
4. Systems with Conexant or Synaptics audio drivers. PCs may display a blue screen of death (BSOD) error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
5. PCs with older drivers for Nvidia display adapters. Devices with GPU drivers with a version below 358.00 may encounter some performance issues.
6. Devices using Thunderbolt docks. PCs may display a BSOD error message if the May 2020 Update is installed.
7. PCs with certain Realtek drivers. These Windows 10 devices may be unable to connect to more than one Bluetooth device.

Microsoft has also identified issues with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) service and Input Method Editors (IME) with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

If your PC has not yet received any update notification, or if you’ve checked for updates on Windows Update without any luck, it’s likely that your device is encountering issues with the May 2020 Update. As a result, Microsoft is only offering the update to compatible devices and currently resolving issues on other PCs.

How to bypass the update block

If your device is currently blocked but you still want to install the May 2020 Update, you can get it through the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Windows 10 download page.
2. Under the header “Windows 10 May 2020 Update,” click on the Update now button and wait for a file to download.
3. Open the file. This will bring up the Windows 10 Update Assistant program.
4. The program will check for updates. Click on the Update now button once done.
5. The tool will check if your system meets the update requirements. Click Next.
6. Wait for the program to download and install the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

You can also download Windows 10 through Microsoft’s Media Creation tool to use on another PC, burn to a DVD, or save to an external hard disk or thumb drive. We advise you take extra precautions, however, especially if Windows found potential compatibility problems with your system.

If you want to learn more about the latest Windows 10 update and how to deploy it on your business PCs, give us a call today.

Microsoft keeps to its commitment to innovation, function, and form with its latest iteration of Windows 10, coming out in the last week of May 2020. Security patches and critical system updates come as standard, but users can also expect quite a few more changes to the operating system.
The Windows 10 update will roll out on May 26–28, 2020 and will bring about a fresher look for the world’s most popular operating system. Aside from updates to Windows 10’s interface, here are some functionality improvements you can expect.

The update — named Windows 10 20H1/Windows 10 version 2004 — will feature some performance-enhancing upgrades and an initial rollout of new designs. These are aimed to unify Windows applications with those used on mobile devices and the like.

Fluent Design

Fluent Design is an open-source, cross-platform design system that developers can use to craft multiple-device software and applications. Basically, it helps developers keep their application designs unified across several platforms while enhancing overall aesthetic and user experience.

In the upcoming OS update, users will experience some of the first native releases of Fluent Design-optimized applications, specifically Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Store, Paint, and more. Expect to see refreshed icons and interfaces of your favorite Microsoft apps. Users will also notice that the new designs will stay uniform from platform to platform, whether they use it on a PC, Mac, or other operating systems.

Cortana migration

Users will also notice changes to the Start Menu — Cortana will no longer be docked to the start button, and the new design will feature new ways to interact with Microsoft’s digital assistant. Text-based chat interaction will now be available as well.

Microsoft is in the process of making Cortana into a personal productivity assistant for Microsoft 365 applications, so most of its new processing powers will revolve around improving the 365 experience for users. The update also brings about improved smart prompts that let the virtual assistant type out and send emails, adjust computer settings, open apps, and schedule events via voice commands.

Windows Search

Microsoft is constantly finding ways to improve its Search tool for Windows 10. In this update, users will experience improved indexing and search speeds, as well as a smart indexing feature that limits activity to off-peak hours so that it doesn’t disrupt daily use. This will result in faster performance for laptops of all levels, especially those that still utilize HDD storage.

Where to download

Users can download the feature update via Windows Update, a built-in tool in existing Windows 10 systems. You can access this by clicking Start > Settings > Windows Update. You can also type Windows Update on the search bar (beside the Windows button on the lower-left corner of the screen) and follow the easy instructions.

If you opted for automatic updates, all you’ll have to do is sit back and wait. For manual updates, you’ll need to click on Check for Updates. Users can also get it through the Windows Insider Program. Simply go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and click on Get Started.

Call us today for all your Office 365 needs. We’ll help you get set up in no time.

Microsoft will roll out the latest Windows 10 update for free before the end of May 2020. Expect improvements to the operating system’s overall look and feel, thanks to some design refreshes and functionality enhancements.
The Windows 10 update will roll out on May 26–28, 2020 and will bring about a fresher look for the world’s most popular operating system. Aside from updates to Windows 10’s interface, here are some functionality improvements you can expect.

The update — named Windows 10 20H1/Windows 10 version 2004 — will feature some performance-enhancing upgrades and an initial rollout of new designs. These are aimed to unify Windows applications with those used on mobile devices and the like.

Fluent Design

Fluent Design is an open-source, cross-platform design system that developers can use to craft multiple-device software and applications. Basically, it helps developers keep their application designs unified across several platforms while enhancing overall aesthetic and user experience.

In the upcoming OS update, users will experience some of the first native releases of Fluent Design-optimized applications, specifically Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Store, Paint, and more. Expect to see refreshed icons and interfaces of your favorite Microsoft apps. Users will also notice that the new designs will stay uniform from platform to platform, whether they use it on a PC, Mac, or other operating systems.

Cortana migration

Users will also notice changes to the Start Menu — Cortana will no longer be docked to the start button, and the new design will feature new ways to interact with Microsoft’s digital assistant. Text-based chat interaction will now be available as well.

Microsoft is in the process of making Cortana into a personal productivity assistant for Microsoft 365 applications, so most of its new processing powers will revolve around improving the 365 experience for users. The update also brings about improved smart prompts that let the virtual assistant type out and send emails, adjust computer settings, open apps, and schedule events via voice commands.

Windows Search

Microsoft is constantly finding ways to improve its Search tool for Windows 10. In this update, users will experience improved indexing and search speeds, as well as a smart indexing feature that limits activity to off-peak hours so that it doesn’t disrupt daily use. This will result in faster performance for laptops of all levels, especially those that still utilize HDD storage.

Where to download

Users can download the feature update via Windows Update, a built-in tool in existing Windows 10 systems. You can access this by clicking Start > Settings > Windows Update. You can also type Windows Update on the search bar (beside the Windows button on the lower-left corner of the screen) and follow the easy instructions.

If you opted for automatic updates, all you’ll have to do is sit back and wait. For manual updates, you’ll need to click on Check for Updates. Users can also get it through the Windows Insider Program. Simply go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and click on Get Started.

Call us today for all your Office 365 needs. We’ll help you get set up in no time.

The Windows 10 update will roll out on May 26–28, 2020 and will bring about a fresher look for the world’s most popular operating system. Aside from updates to Windows 10’s interface, here are some functionality improvements you can expect.

The update — named Windows 10 20H1/Windows 10 version 2004 — will feature some performance-enhancing upgrades and an initial rollout of new designs. These are aimed to unify Windows applications with those used on mobile devices and the like.

Fluent Design

Fluent Design is an open-source, cross-platform design system that developers can use to craft multiple-device software and applications. Basically, it helps developers keep their application designs unified across several platforms while enhancing overall aesthetic and user experience.

In the upcoming OS update, users will experience some of the first native releases of Fluent Design-optimized applications, specifically Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Store, Paint, and more. Expect to see refreshed icons and interfaces of your favorite Microsoft apps. Users will also notice that the new designs will stay uniform from platform to platform, whether they use it on a PC, Mac, or other operating systems.

Cortana migration

Users will also notice changes to the Start Menu — Cortana will no longer be docked to the start button, and the new design will feature new ways to interact with Microsoft’s digital assistant. Text-based chat interaction will now be available as well.

Microsoft is in the process of making Cortana into a personal productivity assistant for Microsoft 365 applications, so most of its new processing powers will revolve around improving the 365 experience for users. The update also brings about improved smart prompts that let the virtual assistant type out and send emails, adjust computer settings, open apps, and schedule events via voice commands.

Windows Search

Microsoft is constantly finding ways to improve its Search tool for Windows 10. In this update, users will experience improved indexing and search speeds, as well as a smart indexing feature that limits activity to off-peak hours so that it doesn’t disrupt daily use. This will result in faster performance for laptops of all levels, especially those that still utilize HDD storage.

Where to download

Users can download the feature update via Windows Update, a built-in tool in existing Windows 10 systems. You can access this by clicking Start > Settings > Windows Update. You can also type Windows Update on the search bar (beside the Windows button on the lower-left corner of the screen) and follow the easy instructions.

If you opted for automatic updates, all you’ll have to do is sit back and wait. For manual updates, you’ll need to click on Check for Updates. Users can also get it through the Windows Insider Program. Simply go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and click on Get Started.

Call us today for all your Office 365 needs. We’ll help you get set up in no time.

Click Materials, a Vancouver-based developer of “smart glass” has inked a major partnership with one fo the largest manufacturers of windows for the home, Cardinal Glass, as it looks to challenge the billion dollar-backed View Inc.

Founded in 2016 by a University of British Columbia professor, Curtis Berlinguette, Click Materials has raised only a few hundred thousand dollars in seed funding. But the technology that Berlinguette’s company is developing could provide a lower-cost more flexible option to traditional photochromatic deposition — which can be applied to plastic as well as glass.

Smart glass gets its name from the coatings that are applied to transparent surfaces (typically glass) that allow users to customize the tint of the surface between clear and dark states. The result is more control over heat and light levels in an environment. It turns out that exposure to sunlight has implications for mental health and can enable dramatic cost savings in heating and cooling for any built environment.

Click Materials claims that its windows can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to fifty percent and that it can achieve those reductions while slashing manufacturing costs by as much as sixty percent.

Through the partnership with Cardinal Glass, Click will be building out a pilot plant that could give the upstart company manufacturing capacity to reach nearly $25 million in annual revenue, according to founder and chief executive, Curtis Berlinguette.

A typical plant of that size could cost at least $10 million, according to industry experts, but Click’s process — leveraging automation and existing manufacturing lines — means that a pilot can be built for a fraction of that cost, according to industry insiders.

“The first pilot plant is to prove out the product and get it refined,” says Berlinguette. And the company has other potential partnerships lined up to take its smart window products into commercial real estate and even auto manufacturing, Berlinguette said.  

The company has scaled from one employee as recently as a year ago to a staff of ten now with plans to add another 15 employees by the end of the year.

Image courgesy of Click Materials

While smart glass may seem like an odd investment thesis, the technology has received attention from a diverse array of investors. SoftBank’s Vision Fund is a major investor in the market through View Inc., which has raised roughly $1.8 billion in funding, according to Crunchbase. Another big player in the world of smart glass technologies is the multi-billion dollar French industrial conglomerate Saint-Gobain, which bought Sage Electrochromics back in 2012.

“Both of those companies have cleared a path for us because they’ve educated the market,” said Berlinguette. “The way they make their products — even with economies of scale you won’t be able to bring the cost of making those windows down to a level that’s accessible for the residential market. Those products are two to three times too expensive for the residential sector.”

Cardinal, a longtime leader in residential glass manufacturing and construction, was impressed with the new process that Click had developed, according to a statement from the company.

“Click Material’s proprietary deposition method enables uniform, optically-pure coatings that can be sprayed at ambient conditions and has the potential to disrupt the electrochromic window industry in the residential market and beyond,” said Keith Burrows, Technology Scouting & IP Manager at Cardinal Glass.

The potential to revolutionize design using smart glass extend far beyond the residential market, according to Berlinguette. Indeed, one of the areas where the company’s technology could have a significant impact is in the design of electric vehicles.

Heating and cooling can significantly reduce the range of electric vehicles, and the use of smart glass can, conceivably, increase efficiency significantly, Berlinguette said.

“As consumer appetite to bring smart technologies into the home grows, Click is delivering innovative advancements to window technology that will truly transform the way we experience our connected homes in the future,” said Berlinguette, in a statement. “The opportunities here are immense; heating, cooling and lighting account for 35% of home energy consumption, half of which can be lost through windows. Studies have also shown that greater control over lighting can dramatically improve energy, mood and personal well-being. Our partnership with Cardinal Glass is a massive leap towards bringing the future of windows into the present, with just one Click.”

With Windows 10X, Microsoft introduced a new version of its flagship operating system last October that was specifically designed for dual-screen devices. The original plan was to launch the first set of Windows 10X dual-screen devices before the 2020 holidays and in February of this year, it announced a slew of tools to help developers get ready for this new form factor. Today, it announced that it is pivoting Windows 10X away from dual-screen devices for the time being. And that means we likely won’t see any dual-screen Windows devices anytime soon.

In a blog post today, Microsoft’s Windows and devices chief Panos Panay said that the company has made this decision because at this time, it wants to focus on what it’s customers need right now and to “focus on meeting customers where they are now.” While Panay doesn’t quite spell it out in his blog post, the idea here is clearly that given the unprecedented environment during the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft doesn’t want to emphasize new form factors but put its efforts behind improving its existing tools and services.

“With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the power of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways,” Panay writes. “These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

A single-screen Windows 10X device sounds a lot like a regular laptop, 2-in-1 or tablet. Microsoft declined to define what these first Windows 10X devices will look like and only told us that there’s “more to come.” We’ll be here when that happens.

In his post today, Panay also stressed that the company wants to accelerate innovation in Windows 10 “to ensure that Windows devices are the best way to work, learn and play.” He didn’t share any further details of what exactly that means.

What Panay did say, though, is that Microsoft users now spend 4 trillion minutes a month on Windows 10. That’s an increase of 75 percent year-over-year.

Microsoft’s operating system is one of the best on the market, but it does have flaws. Software updates have been a regular problem for Windows 10 and the April 2020 update is a little worse than usual. Here’s what you should know to minimize possible disruptions.

What are the issues?

The April Windows 10 update has a few problems. First, it is causing an abnormally high number of computers to crash and display the “Blue Screen of Death.” Although those issues are unfortunately common among Microsoft’s operating system updates, they’re worse this time around.

In rarer cases, users are reporting that the update is deleting images, videos, and documents from their hard drives. There are also stories of the update causing computers to continually restart themselves or display the message “No operating system could be found.”

How you can prevent a faulty update

There are only a couple of options for avoiding this update and it’s crucial to understand that those options come with cybersecurity risks. As with most Windows 10 updates, April’s included several fixes for security vulnerabilities, and postponing the installation means avoiding important patches.

Contact our team about data backups and network security before following these steps:

1. Click the magnifying glass icon on your Windows taskbar.
2. Type and then select “View your Update history.”
3. Click Uninstall updates.
4. Scroll to the Microsoft Windows segment at the bottom of the list.

If one of the updates is KB4549951…

The problematic update has already been installed on your computer. You can select it and click Uninstall to remove the update. However, if more than 10 days have passed, you cannot uninstall the update.

If KB4549951 has not been installed yet…

Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar and type “Windows Update settings.” Then, you should see the option to Pause updates for 7 days. Alternatively, you can delay updates until a specific day (as long as it’s no longer than 35 days from today) from the Advanced options window.

When in doubt, ask the experts

Software updates should be installed as quickly as possible to prevent a data breach at your organization. If you’re concerned that installing a software update may slow down your computers or result in data loss, give us a call immediately. Our technicians can keep your data safe and your employees productive.

It’s the update season for Windows 10 users. Although it’s normal for us to experience an uptick in support requests during these periods, things are looking worse than normal this time around. That’s because Microsoft’s most recent operating system update has caused data loss for some users. Let’s discuss how you can prevent this from happening.

What are the issues?

The April Windows 10 update has a few problems. First, it is causing an abnormally high number of computers to crash and display the “Blue Screen of Death.” Although those issues are unfortunately common among Microsoft’s operating system updates, they’re worse this time around.

In rarer cases, users are reporting that the update is deleting images, videos, and documents from their hard drives. There are also stories of the update causing computers to continually restart themselves or display the message “No operating system could be found.”

How you can prevent a faulty update

There are only a couple of options for avoiding this update and it’s crucial to understand that those options come with cybersecurity risks. As with most Windows 10 updates, April’s included several fixes for security vulnerabilities, and postponing the installation means avoiding important patches.

Contact our team about data backups and network security before following these steps:

1. Click the magnifying glass icon on your Windows taskbar.
2. Type and then select “View your Update history.”
3. Click Uninstall updates.
4. Scroll to the Microsoft Windows segment at the bottom of the list.

If one of the updates is KB4549951…

The problematic update has already been installed on your computer. You can select it and click Uninstall to remove the update. However, if more than 10 days have passed, you cannot uninstall the update.

If KB4549951 has not been installed yet…

Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar and type “Windows Update settings.” Then, you should see the option to Pause updates for 7 days. Alternatively, you can delay updates until a specific day (as long as it’s no longer than 35 days from today) from the Advanced options window.

When in doubt, ask the experts

Software updates should be installed as quickly as possible to prevent a data breach at your organization. If you’re concerned that installing a software update may slow down your computers or result in data loss, give us a call immediately. Our technicians can keep your data safe and your employees productive.

One of the most consistent issues with Windows 10 has been how updates are rolled out to users. Usually, the biggest problem is that updates slow computers’ performance to a crawl. Sometimes they cause computers to crash. But this time, updates are causing files to disappear.

What are the issues?

The April Windows 10 update has a few problems. First, it is causing an abnormally high number of computers to crash and display the “Blue Screen of Death.” Although those issues are unfortunately common among Microsoft’s operating system updates, they’re worse this time around.

In rarer cases, users are reporting that the update is deleting images, videos, and documents from their hard drives. There are also stories of the update causing computers to continually restart themselves or display the message “No operating system could be found.”

How you can prevent a faulty update

There are only a couple of options for avoiding this update and it’s crucial to understand that those options come with cybersecurity risks. As with most Windows 10 updates, April’s included several fixes for security vulnerabilities, and postponing the installation means avoiding important patches.

Contact our team about data backups and network security before following these steps:

1. Click the magnifying glass icon on your Windows taskbar.
2. Type and then select “View your Update history.”
3. Click Uninstall updates.
4. Scroll to the Microsoft Windows segment at the bottom of the list.

If one of the updates is KB4549951…

The problematic update has already been installed on your computer. You can select it and click Uninstall to remove the update. However, if more than 10 days have passed, you cannot uninstall the update.

If KB4549951 has not been installed yet…

Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar and type “Windows Update settings.” Then, you should see the option to Pause updates for 7 days. Alternatively, you can delay updates until a specific day (as long as it’s no longer than 35 days from today) from the Advanced options window.

When in doubt, ask the experts

Software updates should be installed as quickly as possible to prevent a data breach at your organization. If you’re concerned that installing a software update may slow down your computers or result in data loss, give us a call immediately. Our technicians can keep your data safe and your employees productive.