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How to change Windows 10 update settings

Windows 10 updates have been great to help protect end user data from common security risks.  There are many changes happens when your computer gets updated, I have been looking around since Windows 10 was launched, it has come a long way.  Microsoft has been changing categories around and also sometimes it resetting user custom settings.  You do have some control over how often you want to get updates and when you want to get it.  If your computer is part of a network, you can even send and receive updates within your network instead of downloading directly from Microsoft to save Internet bandwidth.  Here are some settings you can change around to fit your needs

When you click on the Settings, this is how it looks like on Windows 10 version 1709

Windows updates had two options in 1607 It used to be called:
Current Branch
Current Branch in Business

Now in 1703 and 1709, it’s called:
Semi-Annual  (Targeted)
Semi-Annual Channel

On version 1709
Settings>Updates and Security

When you click on the Advanced options, you get the options to pause updates or choose when you want to get updates, also if you want to get other Microsoft products updates.

When you click on the Delivery Optimization, you get more options on how you want to get the updates, from the local network or directly from Microsoft, if you have any computer within your local network, it’s best to turn on the Allow downloads from other PCs, and make sure to select the “PCs on my local network” to save the Internet bandwidth.

When you click Advanced options, you get even more control over how much of your local downloading/uploading within your network you want to do.  If you have slower PC you can turn off or have it do very little, and if you have faster PC’s (these day most newer PC’s are almost like a server), you can set higher.

If you are still running Windows 10 1607 version, I would recommend that you do the updates, to keep your computer safe.  Here are a couple of screenshots of 1607 version, it looks little different, had little less control.

Settings>Windows Updates>Advanced options

Hope this helps some people out there, who are looking to make changes to Windows 10 updates settings.  I am sure in future updates Microsoft will do more changes to make Windows 10 more secure, and also to note, some of the GUI (Graphical User Interfaces) are getting limited, if you know the commands or PowerShell you can still get access to it.


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How to secure against Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities?

This is one of the big security vulnerabilities that are affecting many systems because it’s the flaw in the processor, so the Operating system could be Windows’s, Linux’s, Mac’s, Android, etc… Devices could be Desktop computer, Laptops, Tablet’s, smartphone’s, TV’s, including your car software needs to be patched.

Dell: has released the patch for their devices, please go to this link and check it out, to make sure you are protected: www.dell.com/support/meltdown-spectre

HP: A vulnerability has been disclosed with modern CPU architecture referred to as side-channel analysis or speculative execution. Researchers have nicknamed the vulnerabilities “Spectre” and “Meltdown”. The result of exploits could potentially lead to the loss of sensitive information
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05869091 

Lenovo:  is aware of vulnerabilities regarding certain processors nicknamed “Spectre” and “Meltdown” by their discoverers. Both are “side channel” exploits, meaning they do not access protected data directly, but rather induce the processor to operate in a specific way and observe execution timing or other externally visible characteristics to infer the protected data.
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/len-18282

You can read how to protect your Windows devices, Microsoft has released a security patch.  Here is a link to Microsoft where it list who is affected and what you need to do.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4073757/protect-your-windows-devices-against-spectre-meltdown

This is what I did for my computer using Lenovo, note each vendor has their own patch, some are still working on it and some have released.  It’s best to look up your model/bios version and make sure it’s up to date.

To see if your computer is protected, you can run PowerShell script that Microsoft has published

This is what it looks like before I applied the patch:

This is what it looked like after the updates:

You will also need to do Bios update from the manufacturing and may want to check other updates that you may need.

Note: when doing bios updates, some computer takes a little bit time and may look like a black screen doing nothing, but it’s finishing up a firmware update.  Do NOT shut down by force, otherwise, you will have a dead device.


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How to delete old wireless profile

How to delete an old wireless profile, which may have an old wireless password, which may be causing issues connecting to your Wi-Fi.  Sometimes, Wi-Fi security settings changed on the router, then your Wi-Fi connection keeps trying to connect to your Wi-Fi, but the information which is saved does not match, so you will have to delete or change.  Here is how to delete and re-enter correct info to fix your wireless issues.

  1. Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center
  2. In the tasks pane, click Manage wireless networks.
  3. Right-click the connection you want to delete, and then clickRemove network.
  4. In theManage Wireless Networks – Warning dialog box, click OK.

The connection is removed from the list of wireless connections that you can view or modify.  If you still have issues, you may want to try disabling your Wi-Fi adapter and re-enabling.  Hope this helps some of the users out there.  Will post some other ways later on too.


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How to upgrade to Windows 10

Upgrading Windows 10, is very easy and most likely you will love it, especially if you are tired of tiles using windows 8 and 8.1.  Windows 10 has remove the big tiles and put smaller with star menu, but you can choose to close it, if you don’t like or add, those of who likes it.  There are many features you will like and some you don’t like, but reality is this is the way of technology going, so get up to date.  Privacy is major to end users, but truth is if you are going to use the technology there is no ways to hide it.  If you want to hide it then don’t use internet, which is simplest way to put it.  Think about it, everyone who uses a internet, is somehow connected to another device, and that device have to know what you are looking for and where you are located, in order to give you the info back, which you are requesting.  Yes, there are many ways to hide it, using software/hardware devices, but why would you want to do that?  Anyways, there is how to upgrade to Windows 10, and if you don’t like after upgrading you will have 1 month to go back to which ever Windows you were using.  I would recommend that you backup your data, just in case, even though everything should stay the same as far as data, application should also be upgraded.  There may be a case older application might not run.

To get started, Click on Window Icon on bottom right Conner near clock

update: If you don’t find the Windows Icon you can download the tool from Microsoft from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Then click on “OK, let’s continue”

Then it goes through a quick check of your hardware and software:

 

If everything goes well you will get the policy, read it and click Accept to continue

Then you will see Preparing for the upgrade message

 

You will get an option after to choose to schedule it for later or Start the upgrade now

It will take some time to upgrade, it all depends on things like, how fast your hardware and how big data size, etc.…

Once it reaches 100% it will automatically restart your computer.

Then you will see the new Windows 10 screen finishing up the updates, it may restart several times.

 

That’s it, now if for some reason you don’t like it, you will have up to one month before going back to whichever Windows you were running before the upgrade.  Here is how to, on the search type settings then click on Recovery then click on “Go back to Windows” yours might say Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 click on Get started to start the process.