Tag Archives: Windows

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows Update May Not Work On Some Dual Boot Macs

Windows 10 version 1903 is out. However, if you’re a Mac user running Windows 10, you may not be able to get the latest from Microsoft.  According to Microsoft’s official statement on the matter:

“Macs introduced before 2012 or newer Mac devices with older versions of Apple Boot Camp or Windows Support Software drivers installed will not be able to install the May 2019 Windows 10 Feature Update.”

Those users who try to install it will get a message that reads: “Mac HAL Driver – machaldriver.sys:  Your PC has a driver or service that isn’t ready for this version of Windows 10.”

The company is currently working to resolve the issue, and will make the update available to impacted users as soon as possible. No firm ETA has been given at this point.  Microsoft did offer one bit of advice that may serve as a workaround for some users.

If you open the Apple Menu, go to the App Store and install all available updates. That may be enough to allow you to proceed with the latest Windows 10 installation.  Apple has also chimed in on the matter and has a second possible workaround available on their support site. The workaround provides instructions on installing Windows Support Software manually.

If you’re not in a great rush for the latest version, you can skip both of those options and simply wait for Microsoft to resolve the issues and push the revised version out to you. Although, there are risks associated with doing so, as you’ll be lacking the latest security fixes for a time.

Sadly, this is but the latest in an ongoing series of problematic Windows 10 releases. In this case however, it has only impacted a small number of users.  Even so, if you’re one of them, that’s small consolation.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows Phone App Updates Are Ending Soon

Microsoft initially had grand ambitions where smartphones were concerned.

The company invested billions in their quest to create a phone that ran on Windows 8 (and later, Windows 8.1). That was all in a bid to carve a niche for itself in a market dominated by iOS and Android.

That plan never bore much fruit.

Although the company sold some Windows-based smartphones, they were never able to penetrate the market deeply enough to establish a strong foothold.  After a few years of trying, the company quietly retreated from the market.

That’s bad news for anyone who owns a Windows 8 or 8.1 smartphone. Recently, the news got a little worse.  Microsoft has announced that there will be no further app updates from the Windows store for those devices.

This is sad news, but hardly a surprise.  The company formally announced the end of support for Windows-based smart phones back in July of 2017.  Since then, the owners of those devices haven’t received any security updates or other fixes.  This then, is a natural extension of a policy already well on its way to being fully executed.

As for the owners of the phones, they don’t have any recourse except to retire the phone and buy something new in the Android or iOS ecosystem.  Even if you own a Windows 8 phone that’s capable of running Windows 10, your device will still be on borrowed time, so it may not even be worth the effort to upgrade.  Microsoft has already announced that Windows 10 support for mobile devices will be coming to an end.

All that to say, the clock is ticking, and app developers have seen the writing on the wall.  Many of them have already called a halt to further development of Windows-based apps.  The time to upgrade is now.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Sudden Bluetooth Issues Could Be Due To Microsoft Update

Be advised, according to a recently published Microsoft support document, certain Bluetooth devices may experience pairing and connectivity issues after installing the latest Windows 10 update.

The bulletin reads in part, as follows:

“These security updates address a security vulnerability by intentionally preventing connections from Windows to unsecure Bluetooth devices.  Any device using well-known keys to encrypt connections may be affected, including certain security fobs.”

The reference to security fobs in the bulletin refers to Google’s BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Titan Security Keys with a T1 or T2 code and to the Feitian Multipass CTAP1/U2F Security Key.  These were recalled last month when it was discovered that “an attacker who is physically close to you at the moment you use your security key – (within approximately 30 feet) – to a) communicate with your security key or b) communicate with the device to which your key is paired.”

Microsoft has blocked the pairing of these Bluetooth Low Energy keys with the pairing misconfiguration. If you experience a connectivity issue, check your Event Log to confirm that your device is affected.  If it is, you’ll find the following message:

“Your Bluetooth device attempted to establish a debug connection.  The Windows Bluetooth stack does not allow debug connection while it is not in the debug mode.”

The following updatees could lead to pairing and connectivity issues for some Bluetooth devices:

  • KB4503293 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1903
  • KB4503327 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019
  • KB4503286 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1803
  • KB4503284 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1709
  • KB4503279 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1703
  • KB4503267 or LCU for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
  • KB4503291 or later LCU for Windows 10, version 1507
  • KB4503276 or later Monthly Rollup for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
  • KB4503285 or later Monthly Rollup for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard
  • KB4503290 for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
  • KB4503263 for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard.
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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Apple iCloud App Now Available On Windows 10

Great news for inter-operability.  Apple has brought their new iCloud app to the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 devices. Even better, the app is designed such that it’s deeply integrated with Windows 10, even allowing you to access iCloud files from inside other Windows apps.

The version available on the Microsoft Store is identical to the desktop version available online, but it offers a new iCloud experience on Windows 10. It allows Apple users to store and access their files across both Microsoft and Apple devices seamlessly.

When you install the app, you’ll be asked what types of content you’d like to integrate with the Windows OS.  Configuration is a snap, and once you’ve got the app up and running, you can access its various features simply by clicking on the Taskbar icon which will bring up a menu of your available options.

Key features of the new iCloud app for Windows 10 include:

  • The ability to share any file from File Explorer and collaborate with others with any and all edits being synced across all of your devices.
  • Store all your files in the iCloud Drive and access from your Apple device or other iCloud apps
  • Choose the files and folders you want to keep on your PC

Microsoft announced that the new iCloud Drive experience utilizes the same technology as OneDrive’s Files On-Demand feature, which means that iCloud users can temporarily download and use files from Apple’s online storage system.

If you work from a homogenous set of devices, this change won’t impact you in the least. If you have a constellation of devices that utilize both Apple and Windows technology, this is absolutely huge.  It represents a big leap forward and makes it orders of magnitude easier to manage your data across both platforms and devices.  Kudos to both Apple and Microsoft!

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Old Drivers Could Cause WiFi Issues After Windows 10 Update

Does your computer contain a Qualcomm wireless network adapter?  If so, be aware that Microsoft is warning you that your system may suffer a sporadic loss of Wi-Fi connectivity after installing the Windows 10 update.

The update was released in May 2019, stemming from an issue with out-of-date network drivers.

If you haven’t yet installed the May 2019 update and you want to, you’ll need to jump through an extra hoop by going to device’s manufacturer and downloading the latest Wi-Fi driver. Note that you will not be able to install the May 2019 Windows 10 update without taking this step.

According to the official Microsoft bulletin on the matter: “To safeguard your upgrade experience, we have applied a hold on devices with this Qualcomm driver from being offered Windows 10, 1903, until the updated driver is installed.”

Here’s another thing to bear in mind about the May 2019 Windows 10 update.  Once it is installed, you will start seeing alerts in the form of pop-up boxes any time you connect to Wi-Fi networks that are secured with TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) or WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).  These are older protocols with several known, serious security flaws.

According to Microsoft, “In a future release, any connection to a Wi-Fi network using these old ciphers will be disallowed. Wi-Fi routers should be updated to use AES ciphers, available with WPA2 or WPA3.”

In other words, the end is nigh for any technology that uses TKIP or WEP protocols for Wi-Fi connections.  If that’s what you’ve got, it’s time to upgrade your equipment.

Overall, most technology experts regard this as a good move.  Sure, it comes across as a bit heavy handed, but as past experience has shown, if Microsoft didn’t take a rather aggressive step like this, nothing would change.  Kudos to Microsoft!

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