Windows 10 Article Categories

Traditional IT deployment of Windows PCs requires the creation of a customized image for every device model, and then additional configuration with things called task sequences found in products such as System Center Configuration Manager.  Once this is completed, the PC can finally be built a number of ways but it requires something to typically be done to the machine to kick off the build.  This may be as simple as installing an SCCM client on it or sticking in a USB boot drive to kick off the build.  But there are many problems associated with this process.

How many times throughout the day are you interrupted by notifications that impact your focus and concentration? Windows 10 has become very chatty over the past few years with notifications from email, apps, Cortana and more popping up at inconvenient moments. Earlier versions of Windows 10 included a feature called Quiet Hours that would mute these notifications.  In the latest update to Windows 10, the feature has been rebranded as Focus Assist and enhanced for more control.

In just about every version of Windows, the amount of time it takes to get to the desktop continues to decrease.  This is due in part to better hardware but also Windows has become more intelligent with what it loads and precisely when it does it. This has resulted in the desktop loading faster after login, but your PC may be extremely slow right after the desktop displays as the start of many apps and utilities were simply deferred. 

Attention security professionals and penetration testers, believe it or not, but Kali Linux is now available in the Microsoft App store for Windows 10.  The suite of security assessment and penetration tools can natively run on Windows 10 thanks to the work of the Windows system for Linux, also known as WSL. While there are some limitations, Kali Linux brings a lot of new command line utilities that will be very helpful to the right professional. In addition, it is possible to leverage the XFCE desktop manager for a more "native" Kali Linux experience. 

If you are a Windows Insider you may have noticed that on the latest Windows 10 fast preview build number 17112 that your Windows Store icon is completely missing.  Not only is the icon missing, but the entire app is broken for many users prompting Microsoft to post a special fix.