install Windows 11on unsupported PCs with Microsoft's assistance

Microsoft has published a new support webpage where they provide an official method to bypass the TPM 2.0 and CPU checks (TPM 1.2 is still required) and have Windows 11 installed on unsupported systems.

This is somewhat surprising considering the tech giant's unwavering stance concerning the minimum requirements for the new Windows version.

However, it looks like Microsoft couldn’t ignore the fact that bypassing TPM checks is fairly simple, so to avoid having people breaking their systems by using non-standardized third-party scripts, they decided to just give users an official way to do it.

Installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware comes with some pitfalls that users must be aware of, and in some cases, agree to before the operating system will install.

How to install Windows 11 on unsupported devices

Microsoft's official bypass is to add a Registry value named “AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU” and then install Windows 11 using bootable media.

The whole registry entry required can be seen below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup]

"AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU"=dword:00000001

The Windows 11 setup program will no longer check for a TPM 2.0 security processor or compatible CPUs when added.

However, you will still require a TPM 1.2 security processor, which many will not likely have. If you are missing a TPM 1.2 processor, you can bypass all TPM checks by using this script that deletes appraiser.dll during setup.

To use the new AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU bypass to install Windows 11 on devices, Microsoft instructs you to perform the following steps:

Please read all of these instructions before continuing.

Visit the Windows 11 software download page, select “Create tool now”, and follow the installation instructions to create a bootable media or download an ISO.

On Windows, click ‘Start’, type ‘Registry Editor’ and click on the icon to launch the tool.

Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup Registry key and create a new “REG_DWORD” value named “AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU” and set it to “1”.

Alternatively, you can download a premade Registry file that you can double-click on and merge it to create the above value for you.

Reboot your system

For more information & source

What you need to know about Omnatuor.com pop-up ads

 Omnatuor.com is a site that tries to trick you into subscribing to its browser notifications so that it can send notification spam directly to your desktop or phone.

Omnatuor.com is a malicious site that displays fake error messages to trick you into subscribing to its browser notifications. This is the fake error message that the Omnatuor.com site will display:

Omnatuor.com wants to Show notifications
Press Allow to watch the video

You should not click on the Allow button when you see such messages. If you click on the “Allow” button, you will start seeing spam pop-ups from Omnatuor.com on your computer or phone, even when the browser is closed. The Omnatuor.com spam notification ads are for adult sites, online web games, fake software updates, and unwanted programs.

This is how the Omnatuor.com pop-up ads will look on a Windows 10 computer:

You are seeing the Omnatuor.com advertisements because your computer is infected with a malicious program or a site that you have visited has redirected your browser to this page.

Less than reputable sites can display malicious ads that pop-up ads your browser to the Omnatuor.com pop-up ads to generate advertising revenue. If this happens, you can close the page and install a free browser extension like Adblock to block the malicious ads. However, if you continuously see pop-ups like the Omnatuor.com pop-up ads, then your computer might be infected with a malicious program, and you need to scan your device for adware and remove it.

source and further info: Malware Tips

Microsoft to raise prices for Office 365 and Microsoft 365 in March 2022

 

Microsoft has announced price increases for both Office 365 and Microsoft 365 services that will come into effect in March next year.  

The changes will apply to its commercial and business services, with consumer and education subscriptions remaining the same. 

The increase will also apply globally, with local market adjustments for certain regions, however only US pricing is available at present: Microsoft 365 Business Basic is going up from $5 to $6 per user and Microsoft 365 Business Premium will increase from $20 to $22. Office 365 E1 will rise from $8 to $10, Office 365 E3 will jump up from $20 to $23, Office 365 E5 will move from $35 to $38 and Microsoft 365 E3 changes from $32 to $36. 

These are the first "substantive" price increases to Office 365 since it was launched a decade ago, according to Microsoft, with only minor changes to the suites coming in over the last ten years. The reasoning for hiking them up now is partly to do with the higher demand for cloud-based services brought about by the pandemic, according to Jared Spataro, the corporate vice president for Microsoft 365.

more info & source: ITPro

What's the difference between HD, Full HD, 2K, 4K and 5K?

Display resolutions explained

HD/720p and Full HD/1080p

High Definition or HD: The most basic was 1,280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall, shortened to 720p. The lower-case "p" refers to “progressive scan”

'Full HD', a resolution which measures 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, often called 1080p

QHD/WQHD/1440p

QHD is four times the definition of standard 720p HD, meaning you can fit the same number of pixels as four HD displays into a QHD display of the same size, namely 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, or 1440p. QHD can also be referred to as WQHD (Wide Quad High Definition), it’s the same thing, but some manufacturers put a W in front of the QHD to show that it has a wide aspect ratio.

qHD

qHD is not to be confused with QHD. Despite having a very similar name, qHD stands for Quarter High Definition and is a display resolution of 960 x 540 pixels - one-quarter of 1080p Full HD.

4K and UHD/UHD-1

True 4K displays are used in professional production and digital cinemas and feature 4,096 x 2,160 pixels. 

UHD is different because it is a consumer display and broadcast standard with a resolution four times that of a Full 1080p HD resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. The difference comes down to slightly different aspect ratios between digital cinema and home displays. 

UHD is another 16:9 aspect ratio standard, which means screens are backward compatible with Full HD content.

5K and beyond

Not many manufacturers produce 5K panels. They can run at a resolution of 5,120 x 2,880. That's double the resolution of a QHD panel, which to the naked eye will still look razor sharp. 5K monitors are just in a league of their own. Of course with all those pixels, you'll need a multitude of graphics cards to consistently output over 60Hz.

read more and source: Expert Reviews

If you're a WhatsApp user, you'll have to share your personal data with Facebook's empire from next month – or stop using the chat app

 If you don't agree then, well, you'll just have to use the infinitely better Signal...

WhatsApp users must agree to share their personal information with Facebook and its wider empire if they want to continue using the messaging service from next month, according to its terms and conditions.

“As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, the other Facebook Companies,” its privacy policy, updated this week, states.

“We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings, including the Facebook Company Products.”

Said information includes your personal data. Thus, WhatsApp users who want to keep using the software must agree to allow their personal info to be shared with not only Facebook but also its subsidiaries as and when decided by the tech giant.

Users will be presented with the following choice in the app: accept this arrangement by February 8, or be blocked from using the end-to-end encrypted chat app.

source: The Register

Phishing email and fraudulent website

  Don't believe in such email as below; Don't just see the name of the sender, check the sender's email address:

If you fall for it and click the link will take you to:

IT LOOKS LIKE THE OFFICIAL CYPRUS POST OFFICE

Take a look the the URL  https: // cyprus- inc -cy. com/ user/ d8b6d

and DON'T FALL FOR IT

Windows 10 update kills Adobe Flash

We have issued an article related to Flash RIP back in May 2020

Microsoft has rolled out an optional update for Windows 10 that permanently removes Adobe Flash from the operating system and prevents it from being re-installed.

Ahead of the long-awaited end-of-life date for Adobe Flash, which will fall on 31 December 2020, Microsoft has released a tool for Windows 10 and Window Server that strips out all elements of the software.

The company has released the removal tool in advance of this cut-off point to help customers test and validate their environments for any impact that might occur by the removal of Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe decided in 2017 to retire its Flash Player due to the diminished usage of the technology, and the availability of better and more secure options including HTML5, WebAssembly and WebGL.

Flash Player updates and patches will continue to be rolled out between now and the end of 2020, although will cease once 31 December is reached. Disruption shouldn’t be too severe, however, given just 5% of websites were still using the environment as of 2018. 

source: ITPro