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UK wants all your digital data, court filing suggests

UK wants all your digital data, court filing suggests

Your freedom and privacy are at risk as the UK government continues its dangerous attempt to drive a great hole into data security, despite the vast weight of warnings that doing so will make all of us far less safe. In almost complete secrecy and without any mandate to do so, the UK has been demanding that Apple install a back door into encrypted data. We recently heard from the US that it had backed off in this attempt . This may not be true, warns the Financial Times , citing recent court filings from the top-secret Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) court in which Apple is opposing the UK demands. If that is indeed true, it will no doubt be seen in the US as fundamental dishonesty on the part of the current UK administration. Whose side are you on? The report also confirms that the UK wanted access to much more data than we thought — far more than the information protected by the Advanced Data Protection feature that Apple withdrew from offering in the UK as it grappled with the government’s overreach. According to the Financial Times , the UK is demanding access to all grades of iCloud storage, and these demands extend globally: “The obligations… are not limited to the UK or users of the service in the UK; they apply globally in respect of the relevant data categories of all iCloud users,” the IPT filing states. This hypothetically gives British law enforcement the right to access the data of Apple customers anywhere in the world, including the US. It means that UK intelligence agents will be able to get people’s data, emails, and passwords with little protection, transparency, or oversight, and that this authoritarian overreach extends to users no matter where they are from. There has been no real public debate around any of this. The back door everyone is searching for The UK is attempting to take this action against everybody’s interests in near-total secrecy, wielding a law it invented precisely to give it the power to do so. That law gives the UK Home Office the power to demand that Apple and others create dangerous back doors into encrypted data. Apple is appealing against the demand, but the case is not expected to reach court until next year. While that process continues, the understanding is that Apple may already have been forced to meet these demands, which basically means the UK has fired a starting pistol for an international hacker’s race to find and exploit that door. If Apple has been forced to take steps to comply with the law, then nation-states worldwide will be searching for that vulnerability, with highly resourced armies of hackers already searching for the UK-mandated dangerous data insecurity. It is only a matter of time until these designer vulnerabilities are identified, exploited, and abused . The UK’s actions will also give carte blanche to other repressive regimes to make similar demands. A recent Apple transparency report confirmed the extent to which the UK embraces surveillance, showing the nation to make more data requests per head of population than nearly every other nation. An act of digital self-harm In tandem with the decision to force UK internet users to share their personal details with little-regulated, foreign-owned authorization companies under the so-called Online Safety Act, and the equally stupid decision to force Apple to open up key components of its operating system to third parties , it seems clear that the UK is not committed to providing a secure online environment to do business online. But while it engages in this deluded act of digital hara-kiri, the nation is also imperiling data protection for users from every other nation by demanding dangerous back doors through data encryption that impact every nation. These back doors will make everyone less secure, to the detriment of both individual liberty and international economy. Step by step, the UK is becoming a less attractive place to do any form of digital business, and given the extent to which the current administration seems unable to listen to criticism of its decisions, it makes sense to think the UK is deliberately working to undermine the digital economy its feeble GDP growth relies upon. The repeated pattern of digital self-harm is so extensive that it must be deliberate, as it would take an effort of will to be so belligerently stupid. You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky , LinkedIn , and Mastodon .

Windows 11: A guide to the updates

Windows 11: A guide to the updates

A Windows launch isn’t the end a process — it’s really just the beginning. Microsoft continually works on improving Windows 11 by fixing bugs, releasing security patches , and occasionally adding new features. In this story we summarize what you need to know about each update released to the public for the most recent version of Windows 11 — currently version 24H2. For each build, we’ve included the date of its release and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it. The most recent updates appear first. The easiest way to install updates is via Windows Update. Not sure how? See “ How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates ” for full instructions. Note that Windows 11 version 24H2 is being released as a phased rollout and may not be available to you in Windows Update yet. If you’re still using Windows 10, see “ Windows 10: A guide to the updates .” And if you’re looking for information about Insider Program previews for upcoming feature releases of Windows 11, see “ Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build? ” Updates for Windows 11 24H2 KB5064081 (OS Build 26100.5074) Preview Release date: August 29, 2025 A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new personalized homepage in Windows Recall that displays your recent activity and top-used apps and websites (available only in Copilot+ PCs). Among the changes rolling out to all users is a new grid view for Search from the Windows taskbar that helps you more quickly and accurately identify the desired image within your search. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which some system recovery features did not work properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict. This affected certain device management tools and disrupted key functions on some devices. (Get more info about KB5064081 Preview .) KB5063878 (OS Build 26100.4946) Release date: August 12, 2025 This build fixes a bug that caused delays during sign-in on new devices. The delay was due to certain preinstalled packages. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5063878 .) KB5062660 (OS Build 26100.4770) Preview Release date: July 22, 2025 A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new agent in Copilot+ PCs that is designed to help you find and change settings on your PC. You can describe what you need help with, such as “how to control my PC by voice” or “my mouse pointer is too small,” and the agent will suggest steps to resolve the issue. The agent uses AI on your PC to understand your request and, with your permission, can automate and complete tasks for you. It is rolling out to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs now, with support for AMD and Intel PCs coming soon. Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which If you have an app pinned to your desktop and it updates, the app icon might not display correctly and instead show a white page. (Get more info about KB5062660 Preview .) KB5064489 (OS Build 26100.4656) Out-of-band Release date: July 13, 2025 This update fixes a bug that prevented some virtual machines (VMs) from starting when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) was enabled. It affected VMs using version 8.0 (a non-default version) where VBS was offered by the host. In Azure, this applies to standard (non–Trusted Launch) General Enterprise (GE) VMs running on older VM SKUs. The problem was caused by a secure kernel initialization issue. (Get more info about KB5064489 Out-of-band .) KB5062553 (OS Build 26100.4652) Release date: July 8, 2025 The build fixes several bugs, including one in which notification sounds didn’t play. Affected sounds included those for on-screen alerts, volume adjustments, and sign-in. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5062553 .) KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview Release date: June 26, 2025 A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including a new Settings home page that includes enterprise-specific device info cards for commercial customers on PCs managed by an IT administrator. The taskbar also now resizes icons to fit more apps when space runs low. Users in the European Economic Area will see several small changes related to default browsers, such as mapping additional file and link types to the default browser and pinning it to the taskbar and Start menu. A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one that prevented the automatic renewal of expiring certificates in Windows Hello for Business. There is one known issue in this build, in which blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text appears when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. (Get more info about KB5060829 Preview .) KB5063060 (OS Build 26100.4351) Out-of-band Release date: June 11, 2025 This out-of-band update replaces the KB5060842 Patch Tuesday release, fixing a bug in which Windows sometimes restarted unexpectedly when users opened games that use the Easy Anti-Cheat service. Easy Anti-Cheat automatically installs with certain games to enhance security and prevent cheating in multiplayer online PC games. Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering. (Get more info about KB5063060 Out-of-band .) KB5060842 (OS Build 26100.4349) Release date: June 10, 2025 After installing this update, Windows will retain system restore points for 60 days only. Restore points older than 60 days are not available. This 60-day limit will also apply to future versions of Windows 11, version 24H2. The build fixes a bug that prevented users from signing in with self-signed certificates when using Windows Hello for Business with the Key Trust model.​​​​​​​ It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2025 Security Updates . Note: In this build there are reports of blurry or unclear CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) text when displayed at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The issue is due to limited pixel density at 96 DPI, which can reduce the clarity and alignment of CJK characters. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering. What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5060842 .) KB5058499 (OS Build 26100.4202) Preview Release date: May 27, 2025 A wide variety of new features are being gradually rolled out in this build, including one in which Click to Do gets the new Ask Copilot action. When you highlight text or an image, Click to Do offers the Ask Copilot option. Selecting it opens Microsoft Copilot with your content in the prompt box. You can send the selected text or image directly to the Copilot app to complete your prompt. A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which devices with BitLocker on removable drives could encounter a blue screen error after resuming from sleep or hybrid-booting. (Get more info about KB5058499 Preview .) KB5061977 (OS Build 26100.4066) Release date: May 27, 2025 This out-of-band update fixes a bug in the direct send path for a guest physical address (GPA). This issue caused confidential virtual machines running on Hyper-V with Windows Server 2022 to intermittently stop responding or restart unexpectedly. As a result, service availability was affected, and manual intervention was required. This problem primarily impacted Azure confidential VMs . (Get more info about KB5061977 .) KB5058411 (OS Build 26100.4061) Release date: May 13, 2025 This update fixes two bugs, one in which your microphone might have muted unexpectedly, and the other in which the eye controller app didn’t launch. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5058411 .) KB5055627 (OS Build 26100.3915) Preview Release date: April 25, 2025 This build gradually rolls out several new features for Copilot+ PCs, including a preview of Windows Recall . When you opt in, Recall takes snapshots of your activity so you can quickly find and go back to what you have seen before on your PC. With it, you can use a timeline to find the content you remember seeing. Copilot+ PCs also get a new natural-language Windows search in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for. On Copilot+ PCs, you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer. All PCs get a number of new features, including speech recap, in which you can keep track of what Narrator has spoken and access it for quick reference. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said using keyboard shortcuts . A variety of bugs are being fixed, including one in which some devices experienced intermittent internet connections when resuming from sleep mode. Several AI components have also been updated. There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5055627 Preview .) KB5055523 (OS Build 26100.3775) Release date: April 8, 2025 This update includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5055523 .) KB5053656 (OS Build 26100.3624) Preview Release date: March 27, 2025 This build gradually rolls out several new features for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, including one in which you can search for anything on your PC without having to remember specific file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Just describe what you’re looking for. On Copilot+ PCs you can also more easily find photos stored and saved in the cloud by typing your own words (like “summer picnics”) in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer. In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs also will allow you to use natural-language processing in voice access, by using your own words rather than using rigid, predefined commands. In addition, the build includes a variety of bugs being immediately fixed, including one in which some third-party apps rendered the graphics settings page unresponsive. There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox from the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5053656 Preview .) KB5053598 (OS Build 26100.3476) Release date: March 11, 2025 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are two known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5053598 .) KB5052093 (OS Build 26100.3323) Preview Release date: February 25, 2025 In this build, a variety of new features are being rolled out gradually, including one that lets you snooze or turn off the “Start backup” reminder in the File Explorer address bar. This only applies if you are not already backing up your files and folder. To view this new option, right-click Start backup . A number of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which the address bar overlapped files in File Explorer when you used the F11 full-screen mode. A variety of bug fixes take immediate effect, including for a bug in which there were display rendering issues when you tried to connect to certain PCs. There are two known issues in this build, including one in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. In addition, devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411. (Get more info about KB5052093 Preview .) KB5051987 (OS Build 26100.3194) Release date: February 11, 2025 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are three known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5051987 .) KB5050094 (OS Build 26100.3037) Preview Release date: January 28, 2025 In this build, a variety of new features are being rolled out gradually, including one in which an icon will appear in the system tray when you use an app that supports Windows Studio Effects . This only occurs on a device that has a neural processing unit (NPU). Select the icon to open the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings. To view the app that is using the camera, hover over the icon for a tooltip. A number of bug fixes are being rolled out gradually, including one for a bug in which a search would sometimes repeat when you didn’t want it to. Other bug fixes are immediately available, including one in which the display of some games appears oversaturated when you use Auto HDR. There are three known issues in this build, including one in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. In addition, following the installation of the October 2024 security update, some customers report that the OpenSSH (Open Secure Shell) service fails to start, preventing SSH connections. And devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update (Get more info about KB5050094 Preview .) KB5050009 (OS Build 26100.2894) Release date: January 14, 2025 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2025 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are three known issues in this build, including one in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5050009 .) KB5048667 (OS Build 26100.2605) Release date: December 10, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There is one known issue in this build, in which players on Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5048667 .) KB5046740 (OS Build 26100.2454) Preview Release date: November 21, 2024 This build adds a number of interface features are being rolled out gradually. The system tray shows a shortened date and time, and there’s a new section for touchscreen edge gestures in Settings. When you right-click an app on the Start menu, a jump list will appear (if the app has a jump list). And if you hold Ctrl + Shift down when you click a jump list item, you open the item as an admin. A variety of bugs have been fixed in this build, including one in which the users page might have caused Task Manager to stop responding when you use the keyboard. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5046740 Preview .) KB5046617 (OS Build 26100.2314) Release date: November 12, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5046617 .) KB5044384 (OS Build 26100.2161) Preview Release date: October 24, 2024 In this build, you can now configure the Copilot key on the keyboard. On new devices, the key opens the Copilot app. If you sign in to your account using a Microsoft Entra ID, the key opens the M365 app. You can make the key open a different app or open Search. To do this, go to Settings > Personalization > Text input . In addition, a variety of features are being rolled out gradually, including one in which you can stop the suggestions to turn off notifications from certain apps. Select the ellipsis (…) in the notification and turn it off. You can also go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there. A variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which you were unable to view some parts of the UI when you run certain apps. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5044384 Preview .) Windows 11 24H2 KB5044284 (OS Build 26100.2033) Release date: October 8, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2024 Security Updates . This build also fixes one bug in which the Remote Desktop Gateway Service stopped responding when a service used remote procedure calls (RPC) over HTTP. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5044284 .) Windows 11, version 24H2 Release date: October 1, 2024 The Windows 11 24H2 update (also called Windows 11 2024 Update ) is now being gradually rolled out . It may take some months before it reaches everyone, so you may not have it yet. As with previous annual Windows updates, it’s not a major upgrade, but does include a variety of minor new features. Following are the highlights for end users: File Explorer gets several new features, including support for TAR and 7z compression and the ability to add metadata to PNG files, so you can add information to your images. New privacy settings for Wi-Fi networks give more control over which applications can access the list of nearby Wi-Fi networks. Limiting the applications that can access that list can make it more difficult for others to pinpoint your location. You can now join Wi-Fi networks by scanning QR codes, and create a QR code to allow others to share your mobile hotspot with others. A new Energy Saver mode reduces electric consumption on desktop PCs as well as laptops, helping you reduce your carbon footprint and improving laptop battery life. It reduces energy consumption from background tasks as well as those running in the foreground. Copilot now runs as a separate app, and is movable and resizable like any other app, rather than running in a sidebar panel. Copilot+ PCs get several new features, including Cocreator in Paint, which uses AI to generate images; enhancing video calls with AI-powered noise cancellation and improved lighting; and what Microsoft calls Auto Super Resolution, which gives games higher resolution and offers smoother gameplay. For IT admins , highlights include: Policy improvements and automatic account management for Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) Personal Data Encryption (PDE) for users’ Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders App Control for Business Windows protected print mode Local Security Authority (LSA) protection Support for Wi-Fi 7 SHA-3 support See this blog post from Microsoft’s Harjit Dhaliwal for more information. Prerelease updates for Windows 11 24H2 KB5043178 (OS Build 26100.1882) Preview Release date: September 30, 2024 This build for Windows 11 24H2 offers a variety of new features, some of which will show up immediately and some of which are being rolled out gradually. Among the features that will roll out gradually is a new energy recommendation to turn off high dynamic range (HDR). This helps to conserve energy on devices that have HDR displays. Go to Settings > Power & battery > Energy recommendations . Among the features available immediately is one that lets you manage your Copilot Pro subscription in Settings. Sign in to your Microsoft account and go to Settings > Accounts . Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which Task Manager stopped responding when you switched from a high-contrast theme to a normal theme. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5043178 Preview .) KB5043080 (OS Build 26100.1742) Release date: September 10, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2024 Security Updates . There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5043080 .) KB5041865 (OS Build 26100.1591) Preview Release date: August 27, 2024 This build for Windows 11 24H2 offers a variety of new features that are being rolled out gradually, including one in which you can share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which a deadlock occurred in the domain controller when it started up in the DNS client. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5041865 Preview .) KB5041571 (OS Build 26100.1457) Release date: August 13, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2024 Security Updates . It also fixes several bugs, including one in which the “Use my Windows user account” checkbox was not available on the lock screen to connect to Wi-Fi. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5041571 .) KB5040529 (OS Build 26100.1301) Preview Release date: July 30, 2024 This build for Windows 11 24H2 offers a variety of new features that are being rolled out gradually, including the new account manager being on the Start menu. When you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows, you will get a glance at your account benefits. This feature also makes it easy to manage your account settings. One feature is being rolled out immediately, in which Widgets icons on the taskbar are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. You also get a larger set of animated icons. Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which devices that use certain WLAN cards stopped responding. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5040529 Preview .) KB5040435 (OS Build 26100.1150) Release date: July 9, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2024 Security Updates . It also This update adds PCR 4 to PCR 7 and 11 for the default Secure Boot validation profile. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5040435 .) KB50439304 (OS Build 26100.1000) Preview Release date: June 28, 2024 This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) failed to verify the policies of some apps. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5041865 Preview .) KB5039239 (OS Build 26100.863) Release date: June 15, 2024 This build pins Copilot to the taskbar and makes it behave like a traditional app that can be resized and moved. The build also fixes several bugs, including one in which the volume of Bluetooth devices were automatically set to maximum when you connected to them. There is one known issue in this build, in which Arm devices are unable to download and play Roblox via the Microsoft Store on Windows. (Get more info about KB5039239 .) Updates to Windows 11 version 23H2 KB5043145 (OS Builds 22621.4249 and 22631.4249) Preview Release date: September 24, 2024 This build, for both Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, offers a variety of new features and bug fixes, some of which will show up immediately, and some of which are being rolled out gradually. Among the features that will roll out gradually is the ability to share local files directly from the search results that appear in the Search box on the taskbar. Among the bug fixes that roll out immediately are one that addresses an issue in which Task Manager stopped responding when you switched from a high contrast theme to a normal theme. (Get more info about KB5043145 Preview .) KB5043076 (OS Builds 22621.4169 and 22631.4169) Release date: September 10, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There is one known issue in this build, in which you might face issues with booting Linux if you have enabled the dual-boot setup for Windows and Linux in your device. Your device might fail to boot Linux and show the error message “Verifying shim SBAT data failed: Security Policy Violation. Something has gone seriously wrong: SBAT self-check failed: Security Policy Violation.” (Get more info about KB5043076 .) KB5041587 (OS Builds 22621.4112 and 22631.4112) Preview Release date: August 27, 2024 This build, for both Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, includes the ability to share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. To do it, must pair your Android device to your Windows PC and use the Link to Windows app on your Android device and Phone Link on your PC. In Voice Access, you can also now dictate the characters that you spell at a faster speed, and you have more editing options for the commands that select, delete, and move within text. The build also fixes several bugs, including one in which when you pressed Ctrl + F, sometimes the search did not start. The new features and bug fixes will roll out to users gradually. (Get more info about KB5041587 Preview .) KB5041585 (OS Builds 22621.4037 and 22631.4037) Release date: August 13, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and August 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5041585 .) KB5040527 (OS Builds 22621.3958 and 22631.3958) Preview Release date: July 25, 2024 This build, for both Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, offers a variety of new features and bug fixes, some of which will show up immediately and some of which are being rolled out gradually. Among the features that will roll out gradually is pinning apps to the taskbar by dragging them from the Pinned section of the Start menu, and right-clicking a tab in File Explorer to duplicate it. Among the bug fixes that will roll out gradually is a memory leak that occurred when you interacted with archive folders. Among the bugs fixed immediately is one in which in Group Policy Preferences you could not choose a group from the target domain for ILT or choose an account from Local Users and Groups. (Get more info about KB5040527 Preview .) KB5040442 (OS Builds 22621.3880 and 22631.3880) Release date: July 9, 2024 This update has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and July 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There is one known issue in this update, in which enterprise users may face issues while upgrading from Windows Pro to a valid Windows Enterprise subscription. OS upgrade operations may fail, and this might be shown in the LicenseAcquisition scheduled task in Task Scheduler > Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Subscription as ‘Access denied error (error code 0x80070005)’ under ‘Last Run Result.’ (Get more info about KB5040442 .) KB5039302 (OS Builds 22621.3810 and 22631.3810) Preview Release date: June 25, 2024 This build, for both Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, offers a variety of new features and bug fixes, some of which will show up immediately and some of which are being rolled out gradually. Among the bug fixes that will show up immediately is one that addresses an issue in which ejecting USB devices using the Safely Remove Hardware option failed when Task Manager was open. Among the features that will roll out gradually is a new account manager on the Start menu that makes it easier to manage your account settings and lets you see your account benefits. Also being rolled out gradually is support for Emoji 15.1 . (Get more info about KB5039302 Preview .) KB5039212 (OS Builds 22621.3737 and 22631.3737) Release date: June 11, 2024 This update fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the taskbar might briefly glitch, not respond, or disappear and reappear. In addition, it has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and June 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5039212 .) KB5037853 (OS Builds 22621.3672 and 22631.3672) Preview Release date: May 29, 2024 This build introduces a variety of minor feature updates, including one that lets you use your mouse to drag files between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer address bar and another that lets you create QR codes for webpage URLs and cloud files from the Windows share window. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after turning off edge swiping, and another in which handwriting panels and touch keyboards did not appear when you used a pen. (Get more info about KB5037853 Preview .) KB5037771 (OS Builds 22621.3593 and 22631.3593) Release date: May 14, 2024 This update fixes a bug that caused VPN connections to fail, and another in which Server Message Block (SMB) clients failed to make SMB Multichannel connections, making file transfers are slow. In addition, it has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and May 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5037771 .) KB506980 (OS Builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527) Preview Release date: April 23, 2024 In this build, the Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. In addition, widgets icons on the taskbar are no longer pixelated or fuzzy, and Windows widgets on the lockscreen are more reliable. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Windows Local Administrator Password Solution’s Post Authentication Actions (PAAs) did not occur at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occurred at restart. There is one known issue in this build, in which you might be unable to change your user account profile picture. (Get more info about KB5036980 Preview .) KB5036893 (OS Builds 22621.3447 and 22631.3447) Release date: April 9, 2024 This build offers a wide variety of minor new features, including dedicated mode for Windows 365 Boot . When you sign in on your company-owned device, you also are signed into to your Windows 365 Cloud PC. This uses passwordless authentication, like Windows Hello for Business. The update also adds suggestions to Snap Layouts. When you hover over the minimize or maximize button of an app to open the layout box, app icons will display various layout options. Use them to help you to choose the best layout option. In addition, the update changes the apps that appear in the Windows share window. The account you use to sign in affects the apps that are in “Share using.” For example, if you use a Microsoft account (MSA) to sign in, you will see Microsoft Teams (free). When you use a Microsoft Entra ID account (formerly Azure Active Directory) to sign in, your Microsoft Teams (work or school) contacts show instead. This build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and April 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5036893 .) Windows 11 KB5035942 (OS Builds 22621.3374 and 22631.3374) Preview Release date: March 26, 2024 In addition, in Windows Hello for Business admins can now use mobile device management to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do it, turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. There is one known issue in this build, in which Windows devices using more than one monitor might experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when attempting to use Copilot in Windows. (Get more info about KB5035942 Preview .) KB5035853 (OS Builds 22621.3296 and 22631.3296) Release date: March 12, 2024 This build fixes a bug that affected the February 2024 security and preview updates. They might not have installed, and your device might shave stopped responding at 96% with the error code “0x800F0922” and the error message, “Something did not go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on.” This build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and March 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5035853 .) KB5034848 (OS Builds 22621.3235 and 22631.3235) Preview Release date: February 29, 2024 In this build, you can now use the Snipping Tool on your PC to edit the most recent photos and screenshots from your Android device. You will get an instant notification on your PC when your Android device captures a new photo or screenshot. To turn this on, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices . Choose Manage devices and allow your PC to access your Android device. The build also adds support for the USB 80Gbps standard, the next generation of USB4 that has twice the bandwidth of USB 40Gbps. To use USB 80Gbps, you must have a compatible PC and USB4 or Thunderbolt peripheral. The build also fixes several bugs, including one in which the Windows Settings Home page randomly stopped responding when you went to the page, and another in which devices failed to make the automatic switch from cellular to Wi-Fi when they could use Wi-Fi. There is one known issue in this build, in which Windows 11 devices attempting to install the February 2024 security update, released February 13, 2024 (KB5034765), might face installation failures and the system might stop responding at 96%. (Get more info about KB5034848 Preview .) KB5034765 (OS Builds 22621.3155 and 22631.3155) Release date: February 13, 2023 In this build, the Copilot in Windows icon now appears on the right side of the system tray on the taskbar. Also, the display of “Show desktop” at the rightmost corner of the taskbar will be off by default. To turn it back on, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar . You can also right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings . These changes will be gradually rolled out. This build also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and February 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5034765 .) KB5034204 (OS Builds 22621.3085 and 22631.3085) Preview Release date: January 23, 2024 This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that stopped search from working on the Start menu for some users because of a deadlock, and another that that caused devices to intermittently stop responding after you installed a print support app. There is one known issue in this build, in which Windows devices using more than one monitor might experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when attempting to use Copilot in Windows (in preview). (Get more info about KB5034204 Preview .) KB5034123 (OS Builds 22621.3007 and 22631.3007) Release date: January 9, 2024 This build fixes several bugs, including one in which devices shut down after 60 seconds when you used a smart card to authenticate on a remote system, and another in which some Wi-Fi adapters could not connect to some networks, particularly those that use 802.1x to authenticate. It also has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and January 2024 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are three known issues in this build, including one affecting ID admins, in which using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. To mitigate the issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies to not configured. (Get more info about KB5034123 .) KB5033375 (OS Builds 22621.2861 and 22631.2861) Release date: December 12, 2023 This build has a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and December 2023 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are four known issues in this build, including one which affects ID admins, in which using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. To mitigate the issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies to not configured. (Get more info about KB5033375 .) KB5032288 (OS Builds 22621.2792 and 22631.2792) Preview Release date: December 4, 2023 In this update, Copilot in Windows (in preview) can be used across multiple displays, and it can be used with Alt+Tab. When you press Alt+Tab, the thumbnail preview for Copilot in Windows appears among other thumbnail previews of open windows. You can switch between them using the Tab keystroke. This is available to a small audience initially and will deploy more broadly in the months that follow. The update also fixes a wide range of bugs, including one in which the Copilot icon did not show as being as active when it’s open on the taskbar. There are four known issues in this update, one applicable to IT admins, in which using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. (Get more info about KB5032288 Preview .) KB5032190 (OS Builds 22621.2715 and 22631.2715) Release date: November 14, 2023 This build introduces a preview of the Copilot for Windows AI assistant and a File Explorer with a new interface that includes new files displayed as a carousel, and that recognizes local and cloud folders. It also introduces the Windows Backup app that can be used to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC. In addition, there are many other new features and interface changes throughout Windows, including for Settings, Windows Spotlight, security graphics, voice access, Narrator, and others. It also includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and November 2023 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. There are three known issues in this build, including one that affects ID admins in which using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in MDM apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. To mitigate the issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies to not configured. (Get more info about KB5032190 .) KB5031455 (OS Builds 22621.2506 and 22631.2506) Preview Release date : Oct. 31, 2023 This update introduces a preview of the Copilot for Windows AI assistant and File Explorer with a new interface that includes new files displayed as a carousel, and that recognizes local and cloud folders. It also includes minor interface changes to many parts of the operating system, including taskbar, system tray, security notifications, and more. There is one known issue, which applies to IT admins: using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. (Get more info about KB5031455 Preview .) KB5031455 (OS Build 22621.2506) Preview Release date : Oct. 26, 2023 This build introduces a preview of the Copilot for Windows AI assistant and a File Explorer with a new interface that includes new files displayed as a carousel, and that recognizes local and cloud folders. It also introduces the Windows Backup app that can be used to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC. There is one known issue in this build that applies to IT admins: using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. (Get more info about KB5031455 Preview .) KB5031354 (OS Build 22621.2428) Release date: October 10, 2023 This build includes a wide variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and October 2023 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5031354 .) KB5030310 (OS Build 22621.2361) Preview Release date: September 26, 2023 This update adds websites to the Recommended section of the Start menu. These websites come from your browsing history. You can remove any website URL from the Recommended section using the shortcut menu. To turn off the feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Start . It also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the search box tooltip did not appear in the correct position, and another in which the search button disappeared when you interacted with the search flyout box. In addition, if you want to use a variety of new features , such as the AI-driven Copilot for Windows and improvements to File Manager, Paint, and other apps, go to Settings > Windows Update , toggle on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,” and then restart your PC. For more details, see Microsoft’s blog post . (Get more info about KB5030310 Preview .) KB5030219 (OS Build 22621.2283) Release date: September 12, 2023 This build removes a blank menu item from the Sticky Keys menu and includes a variety of security updates. For details, see Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and September 2023 Security Updates . What IT needs to know: Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update. (Get more info about KB5030219 .)

8 fast fixes for common Google Drive problems

8 fast fixes for common Google Drive problems

Ah, the cloud. It sounds so light, so fluffy, so worry-free — doesn’t it? Here in the real world, though, cloud services aren’t always so simple. With Google Drive, specifically, whether you’re storing and managing multimedia assets or dealing with documents and spreadsheets, there’s a decent chance you’ll run into some manner of murkiness along the way. Drive does lots of things well, but it certainly has its share of, shall we say, quirks. I’ve heard it all over the years — and now, I’ve put together a collection of some of the most common Drive challenges I’ve encountered along with some fast ‘n’ simple solutions to overcome ’em. Read through these fixes, hang onto any that seem relevant for future reference, and get ready to watch your cloud-related worries float away. Google Drive problem #1: Difficult downloads For something that’s primarily a storage service, you’d think the basic act of, y’know, transferring files with Drive would be effortless. Unfortunately, though, Drive is somewhat notorious for making downloads a massive pain in the patootie — at least, when more than one file is involved. When you select multiple files on the Drive website and then try to download ’em all simultaneously, the site begins to package the files into a compressed zip archive — and then, all too often, takes an eternity to finish that process and start your actual download. It’s a frequently frustrating experience and the last thing you want to deal with when you’re just trying to save some stuff and move on. There’s not much you can do about the process itself, but you can avoid the website entirely and transfer files in a simpler, faster, and more reliable manner. You’ve got a few different options, all of which put the Drive website method to shame. First, if you’re using ChromeOS , the function you need is built right into your Chromebook: Just open up the system Files app, find the Google Drive section in the left-hand menu, and drag and drop any folders or files between there and your local storage. loading="lazy" width="400px"> The ChromeOS Files app has native Drive integration for easy file transfers. JR Raphael / Foundry On a Windows or Mac computer, grab Google’s official Google Drive desktop program . You can then choose either to mirror your entire Drive storage on the local device — meaning anything in Drive is always synced and available directly on the computer’s own storage, and any changes or additions made on the computer will instantly be reflected in Drive as well — or to “stream” files, as Google describes it, and make every file from Drive accessible on the computer but only actually synced and downloaded when you actively open it. Google’s official Drive desktop app has two easy options for moving files back and forth between Drive and a Windows or Mac computer. JR Raphael / Foundry Either way, you’ll end up with a folder on your computer that basically becomes a place to see and access everything in your Google Drive storage. Anything you save to it or drag to it will automatically get uploaded to Drive, and the local folder and the Drive folder will always be identical in what they show (whether the files are fully downloaded and available locally, with mirroring, or simply available on demand via the streaming approach). And finally, if you want to get really geeky, you can actually use an FTP program to sign into your Drive account and then drag and drop things directly between it and your computer without any annoying interfaces or unnecessary time-wasters. If that sounds too complicated or confusing for you, then it’s probably not something you need. But if you use FTP in other parts of your life and find the possibility alluring, the specific program you’ll want to grab to make it happen is a free and open-source FTP client called Cyberduck . It’s available for both Windows and Mac (and there’s really no need for it on ChromeOS, since the same basic capability is built directly into the system file manager on that platform). Once you’ve installed the program, click the Open Connection button, select “Google Drive” from the dropdown menu at the top of the connection box, then click Connect. A page will pop up in your browser prompting you to allow the app access to your Drive storage, after which you’ll be given a special code that you’ll need to copy and paste back into a prompt that’ll be waiting for you in the app. After you’ve done that, you’ll have a file-system-like view of your Drive storage right in front of you — and you can drag and drop anything from your computer into it or anything from it into a local computer folder. Cyberduck lets you access your entire Drive storage via FTP on your computer. JR Raphael / Foundry As an extra-geeky bonus, Cyberduck can do the same thing with Dropbox and OneDrive as well, in case you have any need to connect to either of those services. Google Drive problem #2: Office awfulness I don’t know about you, but I tend to get a whole lot of Word files sent my way. And since I long ago sent Microsoft’s Office apps a-packin’ and switched over to Google Docs for all of my own writing, I usually end up dragging those files into the Drive website to open ’em and do whatever’s needed within my preferred environment. For years, Drive relied on a Chrome-connected system called Office Compatibility Mode to make that possible. It’s a stripped-down interface where you can view and perform basic edits on Office files but where most advanced word processing features — including commenting — are missing in action. And quite honestly, it’s kind of irritating to use. There’s actually a much better option, though — one you’d probably never know existed if you’ve been using Drive for long enough to have that Compatibility Mode system in place. So here it is: Since mid-2019, Drive has supported native Microsoft Office file editing within the standard, fully featured Google Docs interface and without any conversions or stripped-down setups required. If you’re still seeing that old Compatibility Mode when dragging Office files into the Drive website, all you’ve gotta do is remove the Office Editing extension from your browser — by opening its Chrome Web Store page and clicking the Remove from Chrome button (which will be present if the extension is installed) — and then refresh the Drive website, if you already had it open. The next time you drag an Office file into the site, Drive will automatically open it in an editor that looks and works exactly like the regular Docs editor, only with a blue “.DOCX” chip next to the file’s name to let you know you’re using the Word format. (Just note that somewhat confusingly, you need to drag the file into the Drive website , not upload to the Docs website , for this to work.) Working with Office files in Drive is a delight — once you get everything set up correctly. JR Raphael / Foundry The file will remain in its original format throughout any edits you make. If you need to export it to send it back to someone after editing, you can always download or share it from Drive or directly from the Docs editing interface. (And while we’re been talking about documents specifically here, by the way, all of this same stuff applies to Excel and PowerPoint files as well.) Just one last thing to check: Drive has an option within its settings (which you can find by clicking the gear-shaped icon in the Drive site’s upper-right corner and then selecting — yep, you guessed it — “Settings”) that’ll automatically convert all uploaded documents into the Docs editing format. That typically isn’t enabled by default, but if you want to make sure any Word files remain in the Word format, as described above, you might want to take a quick peek and confirm that that option is indeed deactivated on your account. Google Drive problem #3: Conversion challenges Speaking of file formats, have you ever found yourself staring at a file in your Drive and wishing you had a way to turn it into some other type of file? Whether it’s a document you need to transform into a PDF, a PNG you need to morph into a JPG, or a WAV you want saved as an MP3, moving from one manner of file to another is a delicate and often difficult dance. It doesn’t have to be, though. First of all, if the conversion you need revolves around any manner of standard text file — PDF, RTF, DOCX, TXT, or even HTML or EPUB — you can actually handle your transformation directly within Docs. Just open the file into Docs (either by double-clicking it within Drive, if it already has the Docs icon next to it and is set to open there by default, or by right-clicking it and then selecting “Open with” followed by “Google Docs” if not). From there, if the file is a PDF, it’ll automatically get converted into a plain-text document on the spot. If it’s any other type of file, you can click “File” followed by “Download” to find options for saving it into an alternate format. You can convert documents into lots of other file types directly within the Google Docs editor. JR Raphael / Foundry But what if you’re dealing with something beyond a basic text file? The answer there lies within an ultra-handy Google Drive add-on called CloudConvert . Open up the add-on’s page within the Google Workspace Marketplace, click the button to install it, and follow the steps to add it into your account. You’ll see some warnings about the level of access you’ll be granting the service, but don’t fret: First of all, CloudConvert will have access only to the Drive files that you explicitly send to it or create with it, not to your entire Drive storage — and second, the company’s privacy policy makes it clear that it never reads or collects data from uploaded files or does anything shady with your info. (The company makes its money by selling subscriptions , but unless you anticipate doing more than 10 file conversions a day, you won’t have to pay to use it.) After you’ve got that added, you can right-click on any file within Drive and then select “Open with” followed by “CloudConvert” to select a new format and begin a conversion. The resulting file will be saved back into your Drive storage as soon as it’s finished. Google Drive problem #4: Short-term sharing struggles Sharing is caring, but when it comes to sensitive files, you might not always want everything you share to remain eternally available to its recipient. And traditionally, that means it’s up to you to remember to go back a few days or weeks later and revisit a file’s sharing status. If you’re in a paid Google Workspace arrangement, though — through your company or organization — there’s now a better way. First, right-click on a file and select the “Share” option on the Drive website (or use the Ctrl-Alt-A [or Cmd-Alt-A, on a Mac] keyboard shortcut to get to that same area). Then, type in the name or email address of the person with whom you want to share and click the box next to that — the one that probably says “Editor” by default. There, you should see an option to “Add expiration.” Click that, and you can then set a specific date and time at which the person’s access will automatically expire. Hoorah! File sharing, with built-in expiration — hey, we’ll take it. JR Raphael / Foundry You can select any date within the span of one year. The person you’re sharing with could always save the file themselves — outside of Drive — or capture screenshots, of course, but you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your actual direct share and the direct access in your storage won’t stick around forever. Google Drive problem #5: Mobile syncing The Drive syncing systems we talked about a minute ago are great on the desktop front — but when you’re using Drive from your phone, you’re much more limited in options. Sure, you can use the Drive app’s built-in “Make available offline” function — which you can find by tapping the three-dot menu icon alongside any individual file — if you need to keep specific Drive files accessible on your device even when you aren’t online. If you want to actually sync entire folders in either direction, though, or have any files available for use outside of Drive itself, the official app won’t be of any help. On Android, an app called Autosync for Google Drive will fill that void. It’s among my picks for the best Android file transfer tools around, in fact, and for good reason: The app makes it as easy as can be to create pairs of folders that are continuously synced between your Drive storage and your phone — in both directions, in just one direction, or even in an upload-and-then-delete sort of arrangement. You just pick out the local folder and the Drive folder you want to use, select the appropriate parameters, and then sit back and let the app do its work silently in the background over time. Autosync lets you keep folders synced between Drive and your Android device. JR Raphael / Foundry Autosync is free to use for a single folder pairing and with files that are 10MB or smaller. You can remove those restrictions and unlock other advanced features with a one-time $5 in-app payment. Google Drive problem #6: Suggestion overload Drive’s “Home” view — that welcome page that recently started showing up by default when you first open the site, with allegedly intelligent suggestions for which specific files and folders you might want to access — is supposed to make it faster for you to find what you need. If it feels more like an annoying intrusion than a helpful resource for you, though, take note: You can pretty easily avoid it. It’ll take you all of 10 seconds to do: Click the gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the Drive website, select “Settings,” then change the option for “Start page” from “Home” to “My Drive.” And that’s it: The next time you open up the Drive website, you’ll go straight to the standard view of all of your folders and files — no saucy suggestions showing up and stealing your time first. Google Drive problem #7: Density difficulty Looking at a long list of files and finding yourself miffed by the fact that you can’t see more stuff at once? Drive’s default desktop view isn’t exactly space-efficient — but, well, you guessed it: There’s a fast ‘n’ simple fix. First, change the file view from the “grid” option to the far more info-dense “list” setup by clicking the icon that looks like three horizontal lines in the Drive website’s upper-right corner — right next to the icon that looks like four small boxes in a grid. (You can also hit Alt-V and then L, if you’d rather go the keyboard shortcut route.) In the mobile app, you’ll tap a single icon with three horizontal lines in that same area, provided you’re still in the default grid view. If you want to see even more files yet, on the web, you can click the gear-shaped icon in Drive’s upper-right corner and select “Settings” — then change the option for “Density” from “Comfortable” to “Compact.” That’ll eliminate a bunch of the white space built into Drive by default and let you see much more info at a time on whatever size screen you’re using. Google Drive problem #8: The buried file blues We all have those perpetually important files — documents, images, and other resource-like items we pull up all the time. And always having to search for said VIP files to find ’em isn’t exactly fun or productive. Drive doesn’t have any way to pin files to the top of a list, but it does have some helpful tools for treating certain items as high priority and making ’em especially easy to find and access. First, you can star any file (or even an entire folder) by hovering your mouse over its line and clicking the star outline that appears along its rightmost edge, on the Drive website — or by using the Ctrl-Alt-S (or Cmd-Alt-S, on a Mac) keyboard shortcut. In the Drive mobile app, you’ll tap the three-dot menu icon alongside the item and then select the “Add to starred” option in the menu that pops up. However you go about doing it, that action will cause the item in question to appear in a special starred section that you can then get to by clicking the “Starred” option in the main left-of-screen menu or by bookmarking this direct link for the desktop — or by tapping the “Starred” tab within the main bottom-of-screen menu in the Drive mobile app. You can also create your own custom shortcuts for files or folders so that they effectively appear in multiple places — if, say, you have an important item that’s buried a few folders deep in your Drive and want it to be more easily accessible. By creating a shortcut for it, you could make it available from the main “My Drive” list while technically still leaving it in its properly organized home. Just right-click on any file or folder and select “Organize” and then “Add shortcut” to get started with that from a computer — or use the Ctrl-Alt-R (or Cmd-Alt-R, on a Mac) keyboard shortcut. You can tap that three-dot menu icon next to any item to find the same option on mobile. If you’re using Android, you can also add a direct shortcut to any file or folder right onto your phone’s home screen for one-touch access without even having to open the app. Tap the three-dot menu icon alongside the item you want, then scroll down and look for the “Add to Home screen” option to give it a whirl. Whew — that pesky ol’ cloud is sure starting to feel a heck of lot lighter, isn’t it? This article was originally published in December 2020 and most recently updated in August 2025.