Category: Systems and procedures

Windows 10 SDK preview build 19041 now out for developers

Anew Windows 10 SDK preview became available this week. Developers can grab SDK preview build 19041 through the Windows Insider website. This SDK build is quite a few builds away from the most recent Fast Ring build of 19536.

The release notes for 19028 are mostly the same as they have been for several previous builds we’ve seen. Here’s a quick recap.

Tools updates

Message Compiler (mc.exe)

Now detects the Unicode byte order mark (BOM) in .mc files. If the If the .mc file starts with a UTF-8 BOM, it will be read as a UTF-8 file. Otherwise, if it starts with a UTF-16LE BOM, it will be read as a UTF-16LE file. If the -u parameter was specified, it will be read as a UTF-16LE file. Otherwise, it will be read using the current code page (CP_ACP).

Now avoids one-definition-rule (ODR) problems in MC-generated C/C++ ETW helpers caused by conflicting configuration macros (e.g. when two .cpp files with conflicting definitions of MCGEN_EVENTWRITETRANSFER are linked into the same binary, the MC-generated ETW helpers will now respect the definition of MCGEN_EVENTWRITETRANSFER in each .cpp file instead of arbitrarily picking one or the other).

Windows Trace Preprocessor (tracewpp.exe)

Now supports Unicode input (.ini, .tpl, and source code) files. Input files starting with a UTF-8 or UTF-16 byte order mark (BOM) will be read as Unicode. Input files that do not start with a BOM will be read using the current code page (CP_ACP). For backwards-compatibility, if the -UnicodeIgnore command-line parameter is specified, files starting with a UTF-16 BOM will be treated as empty.

Now supports Unicode output (.tmh) files. By default, output files will be encoded using the current code page (CP_ACP). Use command-line parameters -cp:UTF-8 or -cp:UTF-16 to generate Unicode output files.

Behavior change: tracewpp now converts all input text to Unicode, performs processing in Unicode, and converts output text to the specified output encoding. Earlier versions of tracewpp avoided Unicode conversions and performed text processing assuming a single-byte character set. This may lead to behavior changes in cases where the input files do not conform to the current code page. In cases where this is a problem, consider converting the input files to UTF-8 (with BOM) and/or using the -cp:UTF-8 command-line parameter to avoid encoding ambiguity.

TraceLoggingProvider.h

Now avoids one-definition-rule (ODR) problems caused by conflicting configuration macros (e.g. when two .cpp files with conflicting definitions of TLG_EVENT_WRITE_TRANSFER are linked into the same binary, the TraceLoggingProvider.h helpers will now respect the definition of TLG_EVENT_WRITE_TRANSFER in each .cpp file instead of arbitrarily picking one or the other).

In C++ code, the TraceLoggingWrite macro has been updated to enable better code sharing between similar events using variadic templates.

Signing your apps with Device Guard Signing

We are making it easier for you to sign your app. Device Guard signing is a Device Guard feature that is available in Microsoft Store for Business and Education. Signing allows enterprises to guarantee every app comes from a trusted source. Our goal is to make signing your MSIX package easier.

Breaking changes

Removal of api-ms-win-net-isolation-l1-1-0.lib: In this release api-ms-win-net-isolation-l1-1-0.lib has been removed from the Windows SDK. Apps that were linking against api-ms-win-net-isolation-l1-1-0.lib can switch to OneCoreUAP.lib as a replacement.

Removal of IRPROPS.LIB: In this release irprops.lib has been removed from the Windows SDK. Apps that were linking against irprops.lib can switch to bthprops.lib as a drop-in replacement.

Removal of WUAPICommon.H and WUAPICommon.IDL In this release we have moved ENUM tagServerSelection from WUAPICommon.H to wupai.h and removed the header. If you would like to use the ENUM tagServerSelection, you will need to include wuapi.h or wuapi.idl.

In addition to updating the build number, this release includes several API updates and tweaks. You can check out the full release notes on Microsoft’s blog post. Developers should note that this release can also be installed alongside previous SDK versions in Visual Studio.

Apple releases first developer beta of iOS 13.3.1, likely with Screen Time bug fix

Apple today is releasing the first developer beta of iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1. This comes after the general release of iOS 13.3 last week, which included several new features for iPhone, iPad, and HomePod. iOS 13.3.1 focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.

It’s likely that one of the most notable bugs fixed in iOS 13.3.1 is related to Screen Time. Apple confirmed last week that it was working on a fix for an iOS bug that lets kids easily bypass Screen Time Communication Limits.

If contacts are not stored in iCloud, the Communications Limit feature doesn’t work as it should. If an unknown number texts a child’s phone, the Messages app gives the child the option to add that phone number to their contacts. Once that number is added, the child can call, FaceTime, or text the person.

What is meant to happen is that when a child tries to add a new contact, they should be presented with a passcode prompt for the parent. This is to stop children from communicating with people who aren’t in their contacts.

Microsoft is overhauling the Windows Insider Program – here’s the deal

The Windows Insider Program isn’t the same as it was a year ago. A lot has changed, from leadership to the way that builds are delivered.

It started back in February, when we were all still testing out Windows 10 version 1903. Microsoft had opened up the Skip Ahead subset of the Fast ring, which we all assumed was for version 1909, but it wasn’t. Microsoft went ahead and put Skip Ahead on 20H1; for the first time, Insiders were testing a version of Windows 10 that was slated for release a full year from then. In April, everyone was equally surprised with the regular Fast ring also skipped 19H2 in favor of 20H1. 19H2 ended up being reserved for the Slow ring.

In early October, Windows Insider Program chief Dona Sarkar announced her departure from the program, moving to the Power Platform. A replacement still hasn’t been named, but I’m told that Microsoft is still looking.

More changes were to come. During Ignite in early November, Microsoft announced that it’s killing off the Skip Ahead subset of the Fast ring. The move made sense, with the Fast ring testing out updates so far in advance now.

What is perhaps the biggest change was announced yesterday. The Fast ring is no longer tied to a specific Windows 10 release. Typically, the Fast ring gets builds from the rs_prerelease branch and then transitions to _release when the update is close to being done. That’s not going to happen anymore. Instead, the Fast ring will always get builds from rs_prerelease, and then it will be spun off into the Slow ring to prep for release.

There are several reasons for these changes. One is that the rings don’t make sense anymore. Fast and Slow imply how often builds are going to be released, but they’re not accurate. With the old way of doing things, the Slow ring would be barren for months on end, and then get builds as often as the Fast ring as an update was close to being finalized. If the Fast ring is perpetually testing rs_prerelease builds and the Slow ring is testing a feature update every six months, the rings are more useful.

Microsoft also doesn’t want to tie features to specific releases. The company has run into trouble with this in the past, promising things and then not delivering on time. Now, we’ll be testing features in the Fast ring, and Microsoft will decide at some point if it wants to include them in the builds that are spun off into the Slow ring.

Another factor here is Windows 10X, and 20H2. From what I’ve heard from sources, 20H2 will be the same type of update as 19H2, being delivered as a cumulative update and an enablement package. But it’s not for the same reason. 19H2 was delivered that way so Microsoft could focus on 20H1 and align Windows 10 development with Azure.

20H2, on the other hand, is being delivered in a similar way, but because Microsoft is focusing on Windows 10X. An issue with testing the new OS is that there are no devices that run it yet, so Microsoft can’t exactly run a Windows 10X Insider Program. One of the first devices will be the Surface Neo, and that’s not coming until later on next year.

What you’re going to see is a bunch of features coming to the Fast ring that are meant for Windows 10X, and will probably show up in Windows 10 proper in 21H1. And yes, the timeframe here is a bit strange. The Surface Neo is due out in the 20H2 timeframe, and yet 20H2 is going to be a cumulative update/enablement package. Microsoft will have a broader story to tell here, but the way I understand it is that Windows 10X will have a different build number than Windows 10 proper.

The most recent 20H1 Insider Preview build is 19041, so let’s assume for a moment that that’s the RTM build (it very well may be). Windows 10 for PCs 20H2 would be something like 19042, with Microsoft bumping the build number by one like it did for 19H2. Windows 10X would end up being something in the 19600 range, while Windows 10 21H1 and Windows 10X 21H1 would be aligned at some higher number like 20000 or so, but now we’re just making up numbers.

Yes, it’s all a bit confusing. All you really need to know for now is that the Fast ring is in perpetual prerelease status. That also means that there’s no more “magic window”, which is that timeframe where the Insider builds line up with the RTM and you can jump off of the Insider train. Naturally, you’ll be able to move to the Slow ring and then stop receiving builds at some point, or at least do a factory reset.

Declutter Your Menu Bar With This Mac App

As you install more and more software on your Mac, your menu bar might start to get cluttered with extraneous icons. This not only looks messy, but it can make it a bit of a chore to access settings for your various apps.

Normally, the only way to cut down those various menus is to go through your apps and hunt for an option that allows you to remove them from your menu bar, if you’re lucky. A tiny MacOS application from the indie development firm Dwarves Foundation can also help you achieve a clean, minimalist desktop in a few clicks. Check out this example GIF from the app’s official GitHub page to see what we mean:

How to use Hidden on MacOS

Download the app from GitHub. Follow the installation instructions on the page’s readme section.

After Hidden is installed and opened, you’ll see two new icons in your Mac’s menu bar: “|” and “>.”

To organize and hide your menu bar, press Command, and then click and drag the “|” and “>” icons to their desired locations.

Any menu items to the left of the “|” icon will be hidden when you click the “>” icon.

That’s it! Hopefully, this will help make your desktop a little more pleasing to the eye. 

Microsoft is making significant changes to how it tests Windows 10 with Insiders

Big changes are coming to the way Microsoft develops and tests Windows 10 with participants in the Windows Insider Program. Starting with today’s build, Microsoft will no longer designate preview builds that roll out to the Fast ring as part of a specific release of Windows 10. This means that from now on, builds released to the Fast ring can includes features that might not show up in the immediate next public release of the OS.

Microsoft is essentially turning the Fast ring into a perpetual beta ring for Windows 10, with features coming in and out all the time that aren’t necessarily tied to the next version of the OS. This is similar to how the Edge Canary and Dev branches work, in that features will show up, but aren’t always guaranteed to ship with the next stable release of the browser. Sometimes those features can remain in the Canary or Dev branches for months before they make their way to a Stable release.

Today’s fast ring build is 19536, and Microsoft says these builds aren’t part of the next version of Windows 10 for desktop, codenamed 20H2. Some features that show up in the Fast ring may make their way into a 20H2 release, but I’m told that 20H2 for Windows 10 desktop will be just like 19H2, and not a full-blown release like 20H1.

As I understand it, Microsoft will be using the Slow and Release Preview rings to test builds that are part of a specific release going forward. After a certain amount of time in the Fast ring, Microsoft will take a snapshot of all the features and changes currently in testing, fork them into a release branch, and begin rolling those builds out to the Slow and Release Preview rings, before eventually rolling out the public a few months later.

This is a big deal, as it means Microsoft now has more room to breathe when it comes to building and testing new features for both Windows 10 and Windows 10X. Just because a feature shows up in the Fast ring, doesn’t mean it needs to be done in time for the next version of Windows 10. It can stay in there for as long as Microsoft needs.

Insider baseball

According to sources, many of the changes coming into play also tie into Windows 10X. Since Windows 10X will only be available on new devices, Microsoft can’t test it with Insiders. What it can do, however, is test specific features built for Windows 10X on desktop builds. Now that the Fast ring isn’t tied to any particular release, Microsoft can essentially use it as an experimental ring for features that aren’t intended to ever ship on desktop.

Since Windows 10X is shipping in the fall of 2020, the “shipping version” of that OS will technically be 20H2, but since 20H2 on desktop is a smaller 19H2-style update, these 195XX builds will be the 20H2 release (also codenamed Manganese) for Windows 10X. This means that there will be some divergence in codebase between the shipping versions of Windows 10 and Windows 10X at launch, but that will likely realign in 2021.

The 195XX builds for desktop will never actually ship as a public release. So once an “RTM” build is declared for Windows 10X internally, the equivalent build for Windows 10 desktop won’t ever ship to the public, and those in the Fast ring will continue testing newer builds like normal. If we’re using Microsoft’s internal codenames, the 195XX builds are part of the Manganese release, which is for Windows 10X only. The release coming after, codenamed Iron (or 21H1,) should be for both Windows 10 and Windows 10X.

Microsoft Pushes Windows 10 Autopilot Update by Mistake, How to Remove

Microsoft mistakenly installed the Windows 10 update for Autopilot on consumer versions of Windows. After learning of their mistake, Microsoft pulled the update from being offered incorrectly, but by that point, the update was already mistakenly installed on user’s devices.

Windows 10 Autopilot is a Microsoft technology that allows enterprise administrators to pre-configure new Windows 10 devices and easily deploy and manage them on their network.

On December 10th, during the December 2019 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft mistakenly released and installed the Windows 10 KB4532441 Autopilot Cumulative Update on users running consumer versions of Windows 10.

While this update had no harmful effect, it is not necessary, and in my opinion, the less unnecessary updates you have installed in Windows, the better.

As explained by Microsoft in the update’s support bulletin, after learning of the mistake the update was pulled from being distributed.

This update was available through Windows Update. However, we have removed it because it was being offered incorrectly. When an organization registers or configures a device for Windows Autopilot deployment, the device setup automatically updates Windows Autopilot to the latest version.

Note There is no effect on Windows Autopilot being offered to Windows 10 devices. If you were offered this update and do not use Autopilot, installing this update will not affect you. Windows Autopilot update should not be offered to Windows 10 Home.

For many users, though, the update was already installed.

How to uninstall the Windows 10 KB4532441 Autopilot update

While this update should not cause any issues for consumer versions of Windows, it is better to remove it if it is not needed.

To uninstall the KB4532441 update from Windows 10, you can use the following steps:

Open Control Panel, go to Programs > Programs and Features, and click on View installed updates in the left sidebar.

Next, right-click on the KB4532441 entry in the list and confirm when asked if “Are you sure you want to uninstall this update?”. Next, you’ll have to click ‘Yes’ when asked and then restart your device.

Once the update is uninstalled, you will be required to reboot your computer.

WhatsApp update: Three new features that will change your life

WhatsApp users’ lives are about to get better thanks to a new update that includes three brilliant new features.

The features include the ability to set reminders. In addition, users can now be notified if someone is trying to call them while they are on the phone to someone else, and choose who can invite them to unwanted group chats.

The app, used by more than 1.5 billion people every month, announced the changes in the past few weeks.

WhatsApp reminders

Users wanting to set up reminders will need to download a separate app called Any.do after WhatsApp announced a partnership with them.

Once the two apps are linked, users can create and receive reminders within the messaging platform.

Sending texts like “remind me to pick up food on my way home” will prompt a response confirming the reminder.

Once the time comes, Any.do will send the user a Whatsapp message to remind them.

Any.do said: “Introducing Any.do’s WhatsApp Reminders integration. A fast and easy way to create tasks & reminders straight from your ongoing conversations!

“Easily create tasks and get reminders in WhatsApp on any supported device. Create a task by sending a direct message to Any.do or forward a message to Any.do from any of your contacts.

“Be reminded as soon as tasks are due, straight through WhatsApp. It’s easy, simple and effective!”

To access the feature, users must download a premium account costing about £5 a month.

WhatsApp call waiting

If you use WhatsApp to make a ton of phone calls, you’ve probably been in the situation where you’re on the phone with someone and another contact tries to call you.

Previously, WhatsApp wouldn’t alert you if someone else was trying to reach you at the same time – instead, you’d have to wait until you got off the phone to see you’d missed a call.

That’s all changed. In a recent WhatsApp update for iPhone and Android call waiting has been added. That means if you’re on the phone with a contact and someone else tries to call you a notification will appear at the top of your device.

This will allow you to decline the second caller or end your current call and accept the newest one.

WhatsApp group chat invites

Thirdly, users will be able to decide who adds the to WhatsApp groups. The new update will give them the options of “everyone”, “my contacts” or “my contacts except” where they can choose individual contacts to block group chat invites from.

As the naming conventions suggest, choosing the “my contacts” option will prevent anyone immediately flinging you into a group chat and the “my contacts except…” toggle will let you choose individual contacts you don’t want having such power.

Anyone that’s not able to immediately add you to a group chat can send you an invite to a group chat. This can be accepted or denied free of any awkwardness.

Activating the new feature is simple. Head to WhatsApp’s settings menu then press Account > Privacy > Groups.

The feature can be turned on in WhatsApp’s settings.

Chrome 79 will continuously scan your passwords against public data breaches

Google’s password checking feature has slowly been spreading across the Google ecosystem this past year. It started as the “Password Checkup” extension for desktop versions of Chrome, which would audit individual passwords when you entered them, and several months later it was integrated into every Google account as an on-demand audit you can run on all your saved passwords. Now, instead of a Chrome extension, Password Checkup is being integrated into the desktop and mobile versions of Chrome 79.

All of these Password Checkup features work for people who have their username and password combos saved in Chrome and have them synced to Google’s servers. Google figures that since it has a big (encrypted) database of all your passwords, it might as well compare them against a 4-billion-strong public list of compromised usernames and passwords that have been exposed in innumerable security breaches over the years. Any time Google hits a match, it notifies you that a specific set of credentials is public and unsafe and that you should probably change the password.

The whole point of this is security, so Google is doing all of this by comparing your encrypted credentials with an encrypted list of compromised credentials. Chrome first sends an encrypted, 3-byte hash of your username to Google, where it is compared to Google’s list of compromised usernames. If there’s a match, your local computer is sent a database of every potentially matching username and password in the bad credentials list, encrypted with a key from Google. You then get a copy of your passwords encrypted with two keys—one is your usual private key, and the other is the same key used for Google’s bad credentials list. On your local computer, Password Checkup removes the only key it is able to decrypt, your private key, leaving your Google-key-encrypted username and password, which can be compared to the Google-key-encrypted database of bad credentials. Google says this technique, called “private set intersection,” means you don’t get to see Google’s list of bad credentials, and Google doesn’t get to learn your credentials, but the two can be compared for matches.

Building Password Checkup into Chrome should make password auditing more mainstream. Only the most security-conscious people would seek out and install the Chrome extension or perform the full password audit at passwords.google.com, and these people probably have better password hygiene to begin with. Building the feature into Chrome will put it in front of more mainstream users who don’t usually consider password security, which are exactly the kind of people who need this sort of thing. This is also the first time password checkup has been available on mobile, since mobile Chrome still doesn’t support extensions (Google plz).

Google says, “For now, we’re gradually rolling this out for everyone signed in to Chrome as a part of our Safe Browsing protections.” Users can control the feature in the “Sync and Google Services” section of Chrome Settings, and if you’re not signed into Chrome, and not syncing your data with Google’s servers, the feature won’t work.

With Password Checkup being integrated into Chrome, the extension is not really useful anymore. The Web version is still great as a full password audit for all your passwords stored by Google, and now the version built into Chrome will continually check your passwords as you enter them.

Apple working on fix for iOS bug that lets kids easily bypass Screen Time Communication Limits

Apple this week released iOS 13.3 to the public, which includes a new Communication Limits feature for Screen Time. A new report from CNBC, however, explains that the feature doesn’t exactly work as it’s designed to.

By design, Communication Limits in Screen Time are meant to let parents control who their kids can talk to and when they can talk to them. In its most basic form, Communication Limits block children from communicating with people who aren’t in their contacts, without parental approval.

Today’s report explains that if contacts are not stored in iCloud, the Communications Limit feature doesn’t work as it should. If an unknown number texts a child’s phone, the Messages app gives the child the option to add that phone number to their contacts. Once that number is added, the child can call, FaceTime, or text the person.

What is meant to happen is that when a child tries to add a new contact, they should be presented with a passcode prompt for the parent. Another flaw discovered by CNBC: a child can ask Siri on the iPhone or Apple Watch to call or text any number, regardless of Screen Time limitations.

If Downtime is enabled, which blocks kids from using certain apps between certain hours of the day, there is no option to add a number to the address book. Thus, the features all work as designed.

In a statement, Apple acknowledged this bug, but said that it only occurs in a “non-standard configuration.” Nonetheless, an upcoming software update will fix the problem:

“This issue only occurs on devices set up with a non-standard configuration, and a workaround is available. We’re working on a complete fix and will release it in an upcoming software update.”

That workaround mentioned by Apple is to force contacts to sync with iCloud. To do this, open the Settings app, scroll down to “Contacts,” choose “Default Account” and change it to iCloud.

There’s no word on when Apple plans to roll out a fix for this problem, but it seems likely to come at some point in the form of iOS 13.3.1.

Microsoft reveals new Windows logo design and 100 modern app icons

Microsoft is tweaking its Windows logo and the icons for many of the operating system’s apps. We’ve known for a year that the software maker has been planning an icon overhaul, and the company’s new Office icons were only the start. Microsoft is now redesigning more than 100 icons across the company with new colors, materials, and finishes.

It’s part of a bigger push to modernize Microsoft’s software and services under the Fluent Design set of principles. “With the newest wave of icon redesigns, we faced two major creative challenges,” explains Jon Friedman, corporate vice president of design and research at Microsoft. “We needed to signal innovation and change while maintaining familiarity for customers. We also had to develop a flexible and open design system to span a range of contexts while still being true to Microsoft.”

Most of the icon changes aren’t major overhauls, but subtle tweaks that make them look far more consistent when you look at tens of them together at once. Microsoft appears to be focusing part of its design efforts on cleaning up its Windows icon problem. Windows 10 has lots of inconsistent icons appearing in settings and apps, with some old icons dating back decades.

Windows 10X appears to be part of the answer to this problem. The software maker revealed a slightly tweaked Windows logo as part of its Windows 10X announcement earlier this year. Windows 10X is designed for dual-screen devices, and it even has a new Start menu and no more Live Tiles.

The existing Windows logo, used in both Windows 8 and Windows 10, is a flat color, while the new logo looks more like a gradient of blue with each quarter representing a different color. Microsoft is also tweaking other areas of Windows 10X, including how you can quickly access the settings panels, the notification center, and more.

Microsoft’s icon work and Fluent Design has been a gradual process, and this will continue throughout 2020. The company’s Edge browser now has a new icon, and even Office itself has a more modern logo. There’s still much to be done, and Microsoft is even trying to tackle mobile design.

Microsoft designers are now working collaboratively internally in what’s described as an “open source” way. Read our full Microsoft design feature from earlier this year to find out how the company has learned from its mistakes to redesign its future.