Lance Whitney

Microsoft's latest update patches six zero-days and two critical flaws - but is it another buggy mess? This month's update not only squashes several bugs but continues to refresh Secure Boot certificates to protect you against bootkit malware.

Microsoft's February Patch Tuesday update fixes a host of bugs and glitches in Windows. And hopefully it's more stable than the messy January update. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

You can now tell Google Search to remove your personal IDs and explicit images - but there's a catch Google will remove your passport, driver's license, or Social Security number if you ask. But you have to add those details to your request first. Is that safe?

You can now ask Google to remove any personal ID numbers and explicit images of you from its search results. Here's how. zdnet.com/article/goog... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Missing emails? Exchange Online is tagging legitimate messages as spam - here's what to do Some Microsoft Exchange Online customers have been unable to send and receive email. A fix is underway, and here's what to do in the meantime.

Microsoft Exchange Online is falsely flagging legitimate emails as spam. Here's what to do if you're affected. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Forget Passwords, This Windows Feature Lets You Log in Using Just Your Face Sick of always forgetting your login credentials? Windows Hello is a security feature that lets you ditch passwords and pins for facial or fingerprint recognition.

Have trouble remembering your Windows password or PIN? You can sign in to your PC using your face or fingerprint. Here's how. pcmag.com/how-to/windo...

Yes, You Can Upgrade Your PC to Windows 11, Even If It's Incompatible. Here's How Procrastinating on an OS upgrade? Here are a few ways to switch to Windows 11 for free.

Still running Windows 10? You can always jump to Windows 11 if you wish, even if your PC isn't strictly compatible. pcmag.com/how-to/yes-y...

Need to Update Your Wi-Fi Router Settings? Here's What to Do Here's how to sign into your router to change the network's name, password, security options, and various other wireless settings.

Need to change your Wi-Fi password or other settings on your home network? Here's how. pcmag.com/how-to/how-t...

Thanks. Glad you tried it. Yes, I didn't see a big difference in performance but I still think it's worth running, especially on a system that's bogged down with lots of junk files and startup apps.

Use Microsoft Copilot? 7 Settings I Changed Right Away to Protect My Privacy Intrigued by AI but concerned about giving it too much of your personal data? Here's how to tweak Copilot's memory, opt out of model training, and more.

Worried that Microsoft Copilot may know too much about you? Here are seven settings I change to protect my privacy. pcmag.com/how-to/use-m...

Hate the Windows 11 Start Menu? 6 Ways to Change It (and 2 Alternatives) Change can be hard. If the Windows 11 aesthetic has you pining for the glory days of Windows 10, fear not. You can tweak Microsoft's new Start menu or install a third-party tool as a replacement.

Don't like the Windows 11 Start menu? Here's how to tweak it or replace it completely. pcmag.com/how-to/custo...

Google's $8 AI Plus plan is here - should you switch from the $20 Pro? Want more Gemini without paying for Pro? Google AI Plus might be for you. Here's what it includes.

Google's new AI Plus plan costs $8 a month. Should you upgrade from a free plan or downgrade from a $20 AI Pro plan? Here are the details to help you decide. zdnet.com/article/goog... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Use Microsoft Office? Hackers can infect your PC with a malicious document - patch it ASAP This emergency zero-day patch blocks attackers from slipping past built-in protections and compromising your system.

Do you use Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365? If so, you'll want to grab this emergency patch to protect you from yet another serious security vulnerability. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Your BitLocker-secured Windows PC isn't so secure after all - unless you do this Microsoft says it may give your encryption key to law enforcement upon a valid request. Here's how to protect your privacy.

BitLocker encrypts your hard drive to secure your files from unauthorized access if your PC is ever lost or stolen. But Microsoft may share the encryption key with law enforcement if it feels the request is valid. Here's how to protect your privacy. www.zdnet.com/article/wind...

The first big Windows update of 2026 is a glitchy mess - here's the full list of bugs and fixes Some bugs are fixed, but plenty are still frustrating Windows users.

2026 is off to a rough start for Microsoft and Windows users with a slew of bugs cropping up in January, many caused by Microsoft's own Windows updates. zdnet.com/article/wind... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Microsoft issues second emergency patch for Windows this month - update your PC today Shipping an update that fixes some bugs but creates new ones is raising serious questions about Microsoft's quality control, or lack thereof.

Microsoft has issued its second emergency patch of the month, which Windows users should install. But a new bug has popped up that is yet to be fixed. Here are the gory details. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

No, the IRS didn't text or email you - 3 ways to protect yourself from scams Messages claiming you're due a tax refund are sent by scammers spoofing the IRS and other tax agencies. The FTC has some advice for making it safely through tax season.

Those emails, texts, and calls that claim to be from the IRS or another tax agency are scams. Here's how to avoid being a victim. zdnet.com/article/text... via @zdnet.bsky.social

I tried this free Microsoft cleanup tool to see if it'd speed up my Windows PC - here's the result Microsoft's PC Manager is supposed to make your Windows PC run like new again. So I put it to the test.

Microsoft's free PC Manager tool promses to clean and speed up your Windows PC. Here's what happened when I tried it. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Windows 11 hit by bevy of bugs to kick off 2026 - here's the roundup Some of the bugs have been resolved, but others continue to plague Windows users.

Bugs continue to plague Windows 11 and its users. Here are the latest ones from January alone. zdnet.com/article/wind... via @zdnet.bsky.social

I asked six popular AIs the same trick questions, and every one of them hallucinated Everyone knows AI chatbots can get things wrong, so I tested the leading ones to see which are the worst offenders.

AIs can hallucinate, which means they make stuff up. I tested six of the leading AIs with some trick questions to see which ones fared the best and the worst. Here's what happened. zdnet.com/article/ai-h... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Adobe's AI can edit your PDFs and spin them into presentations in minutes now - here's how Static PDFs are so yesterday. With Adobe's new AI tools, they can transform into something far more useful in just a few clicks.

New AI from Adobe can create presentations and podcasts out of your PDFs and other files. zdnet.com/article/adob... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Carrier outage? How to use Wi-Fi calling when your phone network goes down You can still make and receive audio and video calls without a cellular connection. Here's how to do it on your iPhone and Android.

Can't make or receive phone calls because your carrier is down? If you can connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can turn to Wi-Fi Calling on iPhones and Android phones. Here's how. zdnet.com/article/how-... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Microsoft issues emergency patch for latest Windows bugs - grab it ASAP The out-of-band patch fixes a couple of annoying bugs added to Windows 11 and 10 by Microsoft's January update.

Microsoft has pushed out an emergency patch to fix a couple of bugs added to Windows by the January update. Here's what you need to know. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

My Spotify Library Was Boring, So I Asked ChatGPT to Create New Playlists With its new third-party app integration feature, OpenAI’s AI chatbot can suggest music from Apple Music and Spotify, then create new playlists for you. Here's how it works.

You can now call on Apple Music and Spotify directly in ChatGPT to find music and create playlists. Here's how this works. pcmag.com/how-to/my-sp...

How to easily add a backup carrier to your phone - for free or cheap Stranded during the Verizon outage? Set up a backup carrier on your iPhone or Android to avoid losing service again.

Were you impacted by last week's Verizon outage? Here's how to set up a backup carrier in case that happens again. zdnet.com/home-and-off... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Worried AI will take your remote job? You're safe for now, this study shows Researchers tested AI on remote freelance projects across fields like game development, data analysis, and video animation. It didn't go well.

Worried that AI could replace your job? You're probably safe, at least for now. Here's what a new study found. zdnet.com/article/ai-f... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Your Windows PC needs this patch to ward off nasty bootkit malware - update now The January Patch Tuesday updates for Windows refresh the expiring certificates for Secure Boot, which protects your computer against bootkit malware.

You'll need to install the latest Windows update to stay protected against malware that tries to infect your PC during bootup. Here's why. zdnet.com/article/wind... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Your phone is sharing data without your knowledge - how to stop it ASAP Even when it's idle, your smartphone is transmitting certain information to the device manufacturer, says NordVPN. Here's why you might want to limit some of this data.

Your phone may be idle but it's still sending certain data to the device maker and other parties. Here's how to limit what gets shared. zdnet.com/article/smar... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Confused by a contract? Docusign's AI will explain it now - but don't skip the fact-check Docusign's new AI tool can summarize and answer questions about a legal document. But can you trust AI to get the information right?

Ever have trouble understanding the legalese in a contract or other document sent to you via Docusign? A new AI promises to explain it to you and answer any questions you pose. Here's how. zdnet.com/article/docu... via
@zdnet.bsky.social

Want a Microsoft Lens alternative? 5 scanning apps you can try today With Microsoft Lens retiring, you can still scan and save documents on your phone using one of these alternative apps.

Microsoft is retiring its Lens document scanning app. But here are five alternative programs you can use to scan documents via your mobile device. zdnet.com/article/micr... via @zdnet.bsky.social

Avoiding the iOS 26 update? 4 reasons iPhone users should do it - ASAP Many iPhone owners may be resisting iOS 26. But this latest version does carry with it important security updates that will keep your phone protected.

Haven't updated your iPhone to iOS 26 yet? Here's why you should, especially to protect your phone from security threats. zdnet.com/article/ios2... via
@zdnet.bsky.social

Want Microsoft 365? Just don't choose Premium - here's why Deciding between Microsoft 365 Basic, Personal, Family, and Premium? Here's how to avoid overspending.

Looking to subscribe to Microsoft 365 for the various Office applications, OneDrive, and Copilot AI? Here's a look at all four editions and which ones I recommend. zdnet.com/article/how-... via @zdnet.bsky.social