The A-Z Cybersecurity Developer Bundle ten different cybersecurity courses. Several of the courses prep you for certification exams, others teach you cybersecurity skills.

Here is the full list of included courses:

1. Ethical Hacking (v10)
   • Access 239 lectures & 33 hours of content
   • Covers ethical hacking of networks and system penetration testing + all of the exam objectives for the EC-council ECC 312-50 version 10 exam
2. CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001)
   • Access 217 lectures & 26 hours of content
   • A broad-range of real-world examples used by penetration testers & red teams
3. CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501)
   • Access 81 lectures & 21 hours of content
   • Covers many vendor neutral topics including different types of threats and attacks, networking technologies and tools, secure design and architecture, identity and access management, risk assessment and management, and finishes up with Cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure
4. CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
   • Access 67 lectures & 18 hours of content
   • Knowledge & skills to configure and use threat-detection tools, perform data analysis, interpret results, and secure an organization's applications and systems
5. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
   • Access 298 lectures & 12.5 hours of content
   • Trains students for a position in Risk Management, Security Auditor, Compliance Officer or an executive management position as a CSO, CTO or CIO
6. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
   • Access 74 lectures & 13 hours of content
   • Knowledge, skills, experience and credibility to leverage standards, manage vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, offer solutions, institute controls and deliver value to the enterprise
7. Certified Information Systems Security Pro (CISSP)
   • Access 44 lectures & 20.5 hours of content
   • Deep technical and managerial competence, skills, experience, and credibility to design, engineer, implement, and manage their overall information security program to protect organizations from growing sophisticated attacks
8. Forensic Investigator in Computer Hacking
   • Access 133 lectures & 19 hours of content
   • Fortifies the application knowledge of law enforcement personnel, system administrators, security officers, defense and military personnel, legal professionals, bankers, security professionals, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure
9. Data Security Compliance
   • Access 32 lectures & 2 hours of content
   • Topics include how to prevent data breaches, safeguard, protecting your personal information, and different types of breaches
10. Cybersecurity Awareness & Prevention
    • Access 39 lectures & 7 hours of content
    • How to keep your network safe, how to stay safe on the internet, how to keep your email safe, how to use anti-virus software and much more

That's over 170 hours of content. Access is set to lifetime, and the entire package is available for just $39.99 currently.

Click here to open the deal on Ghacks Deals

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Fine print: make sure that you check out the specs and terms of the deal. Check out the privacy policy and Terms of Service here.

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Microsoft released Windows 11 build 25151 this week. The development build includes some features that may be integrated in the 2023 feature update for Windows 11.

One of the changes in the new version affects the operating system's open with dialog. The prompt is displayed when users select it from the right-click context menu. It gives you options to launch a file with a different application, e.g., an image in an image editor instead of a viewer.

The current version of Windows 11 lists several applications when open with is selected from the right-click context menu. The option to "choose another app" displays the open with prompt with additional applications and an option to pick another program from the local system.

The new dialog changes things around. It has a new style that supports dark and light modes, but the there are several key differences to the current dialog. The "other options" listing of the current dialog, which lists all available apps that Windows 11 picked for the file extension, is split into a "suggested apps" and a "more options" section.

It is unclear how apps are selected for inclusion in either of the sections. It is possible that use may play a role, but Microsoft may also use it to promote (some of its) apps or system defaults over third-party apps.

Two options are listed at the bottom of the interface. The first opens the Microsoft Store and apps capable of opening the file type. The second gives you the option to pick an executable from the local system. Options to switch the default application for the file type or to use the selected application once to open it are provided.

The new feature is not available universally yet, but only on select machines. You may enable it with the help of Vivetool. Just run ./vivetool /enable /id:36302090 from a PowerShell prompt to enable it. (thanks Deskmodder)

Closing Words

The redesigned open with dialog is a step in the right direction. Besides adjusting the style for dark and light modes, it is giving users more options, including one to make a new app the default application using it.

Now You: what is your take on the new open with dialog?

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Users in the Developer Channel can now update to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151. This version is another bug fix release, which is not surprising as Microsoft appears to be focusing its efforts on the 22H2 feature update that is said to debut this fall.

What's new in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151

The latest version of the preview build fixes a crash due that was caused by the Windows Security app. The Exclusions page in the Security app will no longer truncate the space for the file paths. Deleting ports using printui /s should no longer make the computer crash. A bug that was introduced in the previous 2 builds was preventing Print in UWP apps from working, this issue has been patched.

The context menu should be dismissed properly, when you right-click on a tab, and then click somewhere else in File Explorer. The release notes for the build say that a scaling issue that could result in File Explorer Tabs being unexpectedly large has been resolved.

The previous build, Windows 11 25145, fixed an issue that was making PCs reboot when the Shut Down option in the Start Menu was clicked. This issue has been removed from the list of known issues.

Known Issues in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151

The known issues related to Widgets, Live Captions, Easy Cheat, Mica material and Acrylic blur effect, that we reported about in recent builds still haven't been fixed in the latest build.

There is one new issue that has made the list in Build 25151. Some people who upgraded to the previous build may experience a green screen issue caused by the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED bugcheck. Users have reported that they are running into the error, and it seems to be caused by NetAdapterCx.sys when using an Ethernet connection. This error does not occur when a Wi-Fi network is used. Even though the company has acknowledged the problem, a Microsoft representative said that a fix for this issue may not be available in the next flight.

Refer to the official announcement for more details about the changes in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151.

File Explorer tabs are still not available for all users, despite the feature rolling out to some users in the Beta Channel. If you can't wait to try it, you can use ViVeTool to enable tabs and the new navigation pane manually. Speaking of which, a new version of ViVeTool was released a few days ago, with improved boot persistence (refer to the /store command in the example below). It changes the command syntax completely, the addconfig and delconfig commands have been replaced with /enable and /disable.

e.g. The command to enable File Explorer Tabs in the old version was vivetool addconfig 37634385 2.

The new syntax is as follows.

vivetool /enable /id:37634385 /store:both

vivetool /enable /id:36354489 /store:both

The first one is for enabling tabs, while the 2nd option enables the new navigation pane.

Don't like the feature? Just replace the word enable with disable in the commands to turn it off. You can use the /query command to view the full list of features that you can enable using the tool.

Note: Windows Terminal and Powershell users should add a .\ before the command.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25151 fixes some crash issues, printing from UWP apps appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

WhyNotWin11 is a third-party program that enables you to find out if your Windows device is compatible with Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system. The latest version includes updated processor lists that ready it for Windows 10 version 22H2.

Before Microsoft released its Windows 11 operating system, it announced that it made several changes to the operating system's requirements. The company released its own tool, PC Health Check, so that users could check whether their devices could run the new operating system. Microsoft pulled the program shortly after release, and third-party programs were created to fill the gap.

While PC Health Check is available again, it is not the best tool when it comes to compatibility checks.

Tip: you may check a Registry key to find out if your Windows PC is compatible with Windows 11 version 22H2.

WhyNotWin11 is an open source program that checks all system requirements of Windows 11 to return whether the device is compatible with the operating system.

Usage could not be simpler: download the program from the project's GitHub website and run it. The program runs the checks and returns its findings to you in a matter of seconds. The new version does not display a warning anymore if run on Windows 11, as users may want to check if their device is compatible with the next feature update.

While that should be a given, as Microsoft has not announced any changes to the system requirements, some may want to run tests anyway. Doing so may also be interesting to users who bypassed system requirement checks initially, but replaced some hardware in the meantime.

The device is compatible if all checks are passed; this is indicated by the color green. While it is possible to bypass some system requirement checks during installation of Windows 11, doing so may lead to issues later on, including the blocking of future updates.

Note: Windows may throw a SmartScreen error when you run the application; this does not mean that the program is malicious, only that it is new and unknown to SmartScreen.

Hover over the "i"-icon in the interface next to a test to find out more about it. You find a couple of useful resource links in the Settings, e.g., on enabling TPM or Secure Boot, as these may be disabled by default on some devices.

WhyNotWin11 is a useful tool, especially for users who run older versions of Windows, as it provides direct compatibility information.

Now You: are your devices compatible with Windows 11? (via Deskmodder)

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Mozilla launched Firefox 102 this week, and with it came support for the new query parameter stripping functionality to boost user privacy.

Many sites and services add parameters to the web address for tracking purposes. These parameters do not change the destination of the webpage, but they provide the sites and services with information that they may use for tracking purposes.

Firefox 102 protects users against these trackers by removing them. Problem is, the browser is configured to do so only in private browsing mode or when the strict Tracking Protection mode is enabled.

The default tracking protection mode ignores the parameters, which means that users continue to be tracked by them.

Thankfully though, there is an easy option to enable the removal of tracking parameters when using Firefox.

The following video demonstrates the removal of the tracking parameter by Firefox in normal tracking protection mode.

You may run tests in your browsers of choice by loading http://ghacks.net/?fbclid=1. The tracking parameter, fbclid=1, is used by Facebook. Browsers that have it in their removal list should load the site without the parameter, and those which do not support the functionality, keep the parameter when the site loads.

There are other use cases, and you may use Brave Browser's testing page to test several of them.

Do the following to enable the removal in Firefox with default tracking protection enabled:

1. Load about:config in the Firefox address bar.
2. Confirm that you will be careful. You may want to remove the checkmark to skip the intermediary page the next time.
3. Search for privacy.query_stripping.enabled.
4. Activate the button on the right to set the preference to TRUE.

Tip: you may want to set privacy.query_stripping.enabled.pbmode to TRUE as well, in case it is not. Setting the preference to TRUE enables the query stripping functionality in Firefox's private browsing mode.

True means, query stripping is enabled in Firefox. You may run the test mentioned above and should notice that the tracking parameter is removed.

The built-in feature in Firefox and Brave uses a list of known trackers; this means, that trackers that are not on the list are not removed. Still, the feature removes tracking parameters by major sites and companies, such as Google, Facebook or Microsoft.

Firefox users may want to enable the feature to remove many known tracking parameters from website addresses in all browsing modes.

Now You: what is your take on this privacy feature?

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Firefox: remove known tracking parameters from URLs in all modes appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Foxit Software released Foxit PDF Reader 12.0 and Foxit PDF Editor 12.0, new major versions of two of the company's PDF flagship products.

Foxit PDF Reader 12.0 is a free program to read and print PDF documents. It comes with limited support for additional functionality, such as the signing of PDF documents.

Our first review of Foxit Reader dates back to 2006, when Foxit Reader 2.0 was released. The then lightweight program was a popular alternative to Adobe's heavier Adobe Reader application.

Over the years, Foxit Software tried several monetization options, including shipping the free product with toolbars, and the launching of new paid applications.

Foxit PDF Reader 12.0

Foxit PDF Reader 12.0 is still available for free, but it comes as  a hefty 160 Megabyte installation package that users need to download. The application itself requires more than 500 Megabytes of free disk space. The installer includes everything that is needed to run a Foxit PDF Editor trial, which may explain the size.

As a comparison, Foxit Reader 9.0 had an installer size of 51 Megabytes.

Some may prefer to view PDF documents in a web browser or true lightweight applications, such as Sumatra.

Foxit PDF Reader opens quickly, which is quite good. Version 12.0 of the PDF reader introduces several changes, including several security and stability issues according to the release notes.

As far as changes in the new version are concerned, there are a couple that users may like. One of the changes introduces support for viewing two PDF documents side-by-side in the same Foxit window, which improves comparisons and reviews. Another feature introduces support for reverting PDF files to previously saved versions.

Commenting and reviewing supports several new features. Comments may be exported as FDF or XFDF files, and there is an option to import XDFD comments. Other commenting options include filtering and sorting comments by color, and the ability to edit and reply to comments from the Comments panel.

Preferences include a search field now for quickly finding options without having to click through the various subsections.

Foxit notes that it has improved the user interface in the new version:

Offer improved user interface for better usability with new fonts, distinct colors for icons and backgrounds, and more, and better software accessibility for users using keyboard controls and screen readers.

The program's EUTL certificate verification provides the qualified information of EUTL certificates in the new version.

Foxit PDF Editor 12.0 changes

Foxit PDF Editor 12.0 includes major changes, some of which are shared with the free version. Highlights include:

• Integration of a calculator " to do calculations and add electronic calculator tapes to PDFs as annotations".
• Page management improvements, including inserting web pages into a PDF or customing PDF page sizes.
• Use the logged in user's username in watermarks.
• Option to edit images outside of Foxit PDF Editor using other applications.
• Enhanced ECM integration.
• PDF optimization improvements.

You can check out the full change history here.

Now You: which PDF reader do you use?

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Earlier this year, Google revealed a new Gmail design. The email service is now rolling out the new interface for users as the default option.

New Gmail design

The new Gmail design has a sidebar that allows you to switch between Mail, Chat, Spaces and Meet. When you switch to the new interface, you may notice that Gmail's side panel has disappeared. Don't worry, it's still there. Mouse over the Mail icon, and it will display the classic menu which has the shortcuts for the Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Bin, and all your labels.

It might be a little cumbersome to move the mouse over to the left every time you want to access one of the options. The solution for this is simple, just click on the hamburger button above the menu, to pin the sidebar permanently. Similarly, you can collapse the menu for a minimal experience whenever you want.

The new Gmail View displays the hover preview for other services regardless of whether the menu is collapsed or open. If you have Gmail open, and want to quickly access Chat, just mouse over it to view a list of your conversations, without leaving the Mail view. The icons on the sidebar support unread badges to indicate that something needs your attention. When a new message arrives, you will see a notification  in the corresponding service. The accent color of some visual elements have been updated.

That is pretty much all that has changed in the Gmail experience. The rest of the interface is the same, including the side panel on the right edge of the screen, with shortcuts for Calendar, Keep, Tasks, Contacts, etc.

A support page on Google says that users will be able to choose the apps that are listed on the sidebar, by clicking on Settings > Apps in Gmail > Customize. This should allow users to remove Chat, Spaces and Meet from the side panel, but I don't see the option for this.

Image credit: Google

How to enable the new Gmail design manually

1. Access the Quick Settings panel from the top right corner of the page.

2. Click on the "Try out the new Gmail view" button.

3. The website will prompt you to reload the page to switch to the new Gmail design. Click the reload button to refresh it.

The new Gmail view should be enabled for you.

Note: The option to switch to the new Gmail design may not be available for all users just yet. It didn't appear for me in Firefox, but when I accessed it via a Chromium-based browser (Edge), it appeared. So, if you don't have the new view, you may want to try that, but YMMW.

The important thing here is that the new Gmail interface is an opt-out experience, i.e., it will be enabled by default. If you wish to restore the classic Gmail design, you can do so from the Settings menu.

If you don't see that option in the menu, there is another way to get the old GUI back. Click on the cog wheel, and select "see all settings". The first set of options, under the General section, allow you to switch between the new and original views. Hit the save button at the bottom of the page to apply the changes. This option was originally meant to be removed by the end of Q2 2022, but since the new design is just beginning to roll out, we can expect it to stick around for a few more months, before Google pulls the plug on it.

Do you like the new Gmail design?

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Google begins rolling out the new Gmail design to users as the default option appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Google Hangouts will shut down in November 2022. The instant messaging service, which debuted in 2013, will be replaced by Google Chat.

This isn't unexpected, we reported about it in 2019. Last year, the company clarified its intention to migrate to Chat, and now we have an actual timeline when Hangouts is going away for good.

Hangouts is redirecting users to Google Chat

The Hangouts app on mobile will display an in-app screen prompting them to migrate to the Chat app or Chat in Gmail. Users who have the Hangouts Chrome extension will also be asked to switch to Chat on the web or install the web app. Here's what the message looks like.

Google will upgrade Hangouts in Gmail to Chat in July. Hangouts on the web, i.e. the official site, will continue to work until later this year. The company will display a notice to users at least a month before the web version is shut down, that should start appearing in October, and will redirect users to Google Chat on the web.

The Hangouts browser extension and mobile app are still available on the Chrome web store and the Play Store respectively, though this could change in the coming weeks or months.

You don't need to wait for Google to prompt you to make the switch, you can move to Chat right now and your conversations will be migrated to it automatically. I use it sparingly, and it has all my old messages, even from a decade ago (GTalk chats).

Users who want to retain their Hangouts data can take a backup of the chats by downloading it using Google Takeout. You have a limited timeframe to save the data, you will need to do it before November 2022, after which it will no longer be possible to obtain the chat history.

Google Chat to get new features in the future

Google shuttering Hangouts is just part of the problem, the main issue is that Google Chat isn't completely ready. It lacks some features that are present in Hangouts, including calling, and video calls.

An article on the official blog says that Google Chat will get support for direct calling, in-line threading in Spaces and the ability to share and view multiple images.

Chat isn't bad, it works quite well in its current state. And if you have the Gmail app on your phone, you don't need to download the standalone app to chat with your friends. You may have to enable it in the app, to do so, got to the Gmail app's Settings > tap on your account name, and tap the option that says "Show the Chat and Spaces tab".

The Mountain View company has released several such apps in the past including GTalk, Hangouts, Google+ Messenger, Allo. All of them had their ups and downs. The current lineup includes Messages (for SMS texting), Duo, Meet, and Chat. Google really needs to learn to stick with an instant messaging app instead of trying to split it or replace it with a new one down the line. Let's hope Google Chat fares better.

Are you a Hangouts user? Will you be switching to Google Chat?

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Thunderbird 102 is out now. The new version of the popular desktop email client is a major new release that introduces several new features and improves others.

You may want to check out our review of the Thunderbird 102 beta features here, but expect a new look, new address book, improved account setup and migration, link preview cards support, support for multiple spell checking dictionaries, and a redesigned message header among other new features.

Thunderbird 102: the major changes

Thunderbird is a major new release. It moves the email client to a new foundation. The client has a new look, with fresh icons, colored folders and several other layout and design improvements.

Tip: if you notice display issues, these may be caused by the selected theme. You may want to switch to another theme to see if it resolves these. Select Tools > Addons and Themes to do so.

When you launch Thunderbird 102 for the first time, you will notice some of these changes immediately. The Spaces toolbar, located on the left side of the email client, is one of these changes. It offers quick jumps to core tools, such as the address book or tasks.

Keyboard users may use Alt-1 to Alt-5 to launch these directly without moving the mouse or the finger near the bar. In fact, you may hide the Spaces toolbar and still use the shortcuts to launch the tools.

• Alt-F1 -- Mail
• Alt-F2 -- Address Book
• Alt-F3 -- Calendar
• Alt-F4 -- Tasks
• Alt-F5 -- Chat

Message Headers

Message headers have received a serious makeover in the new Thunderbird release. You may switch between normal and full headers, but the real beauty comes in form of a settings dialog that gives you more control over headers.

Select the More button when viewing a message and then Customize to display the options. There you find options to make the subject larger, make Thunderbird display the full email address all the time, show the sender's profile picture, if available, and to hide the label column.

Other changes in Thunderbird 102

• Thunderbird 102 ships with a redesigned address book. The address book is fully compatible with vCard, which means that you can import vCards from any application that supports it into Thunderbird. The address book has a new look and feel, and supports new information fields among other improvements.
• Folder colors and new icons. To better distinguish between folders, new icons and colors are used. Even better, you may assign colors to folders just by right-clicking on the folder, selecting properties, and picking a new color.
• Improved exporting and importing. The import tool has been improved, making it easier than ever to import data from other Thunderbird installations, Outlook or SeaMonkey. Also, support for importing SQLite address books and CSV addressbooks with semi-colon delimited files.
• Multiple Dictionaries support. If you write in multiple languages, you will benefit from this, as you no longer have to switch the email language whenever you write in another language to get spell checking to work.
• Support for the Matrix chat protocol. Still labeled beta at this point.
• OpenPGP improvements. Too many to list, but highlights include option to permanently decrypt OpenPGP messsages, the caching of public keys, an option to refresh key properties from a key server, and that the Key Assistant is enabled by default.

You may want to check out the full changelog -- it is huge! -- on the official site.

How to upgrade to Thunderbird 102

Thunderbird 102 is available as a direct upgrade for Thunderbird 91.x installations, but the update is not installed automatically on all devices right after release. The release will roll out gradually to the entire population, and it may take weeks before the automatic update kicks in.

If you like to get your hands on Thunderbird 102, then you have the following options to install it from scratch or upgrade an existing Thunderbird installation:

• Force an upgrade to Thunderbird 102 in the client
• Download Thunderbird 102 and install/upgrade using it.

The easier option, probably, is to run a manual check for updates in Thunderbird. Just select Help > About Thunderbird to do that. If you don't see the menu bar, press the Alt-key on the keyboard to display it. Thunderbird runs a check and should pick up the new version of the email client automatically.

If that does not work, or if you prefer to download the installer, you may do so on the official download page. Go there, find the right interface language and click on one of the download options to download the installer.

Now You: have you upgraded to Thunderbird 102? What is your impression?

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Collections, a way to save content in Edge, is one of the features that distinguishes Microsoft Edge from Google Chrome, its main competitor. Collections work similarly to bookmarks, as the feature's main purpose is the saving of content in the browser.

Similarities do not end there: Edge users may create multiple collections to better organize saved content. Unlike bookmarks, collections support the saving of media. Another difference between the two is that Microsoft integrated Collections deeply into Edge and continues to add features to Collections. Bookmarks, on the other hand, have not seen improvements in a long time.

Recently, Microsoft started to evolve Collections by adding features that are unrelated to the saving of content; this includes options to follow creators or run visual image searches.

Microsoft Edge displays the Collections icon in its main toolbar. A click opens the sidebar interface with options to create a new collection or browse existing ones. Options to save images and videos to "Saved Images" and "Saved Videos" collections are also provided.

The individual listings display all saved items vertically. It lacks customization options, such as the ability to change the format or size of thumbnails.

Microsoft announced a list of new features that it plans to roll out over the coming months to extend Collections further. The option to save images and videos is improved, as it is now possible to save these to any collection, and not just the designated image or video collection.

Another new feature is the inspiration feed that is being integrated. Microsoft displays related content in the Collections window. When you browse images of PC games, you may see related PC game images in the inspiration feed.

There is also Visual Search, which allows you to search using images. Launched on Bing years ago, it is now rolling out in Edge to all users.

Another new feature adds options to follow content creators using Collections. The initial version of the feature limits it to content creators on YouTube, TikTok and Bilibili, but Microsoft revealed that more sites will be added in the future.

How useful is the Collections feature?

Collections is an Edge-exclusive feature. Much of it can be replicated using bookmarks, but some features are not available using bookmarks. The Collections feature shines when it comes to media, as it displays the saved media directly. Upcoming features, like the ability to run image searches or follow content creators extend the functionality of Collections. Other browsers and tools may support the functionality as well. Vivaldi, for example, may be used to follow YouTube channels.

Long time RSS and bookmarks users may find Collections unsuitable for some of their purposes. One of the main issues is the lack of display options. There is no option to display items in a compact view to display more items without scrolling.

If you save a hundred items in a Collection, you have to scroll quite a bit to go through all of the saved items. An option to search or filter individual collections is also missing from the interface.

Last but not least, there is no option to migrate Collections to another browser. Bookmarks can be migrated, but Collections is an exclusive feature of Edge.

Who is it for then?

Collections, in its current stage, may be useful for use as light web archives that focus on media. The feature is unsuitable for archiving larger number of items, as it lacks filtering options and different views that would improve usability.

Now You: are you using Collections?

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Kevin Glynn, the developer of popular tools like ThrottleStop and RealTemp has discovered a bug in Windows Defender that was causing it to consume more system resources than was required. He has also released a new app that fixes this problem.

Windows Defender consumes more resources on Intel CPUs

Antivirus programs are constantly scanning your system for unusual activity to prevent malware from impacting your system. That's normal, and Windows Defender is no exception to this.

But there's more to it than meets the eye. A screenshot shared by Techpowerup shows that Defender used about 4% of the CPU while CineBench was running, and some benchmark comparisons resulted in a 6% loss because the antivirus was using excessive resources. It uses these for the Real-time Protection notifications.

Computer processors have special registers called hardware performance counters. Techpowerup's report mentions that Windows Defender uses all possible hardware performance counters, including the fixed function counters in Intel processors.

These counters can run in one of 4 possible modes:

• Disabled
• OS (ring-0)
• User (ring >0)
• All-Ring levels

Windows Defender sets these counters to mode 2 at random intervals for an unspecified amount of time. This can happen anytime, at start up or during normal usage. The problem is that this starts chewing up CPU usage, which leaves fewer resources for other programs.

Interestingly, AMD CPUs are not affected by this issue.

The value of these performance counters are set to mode 3 or All-Ring levels, when you run system monitoring tools such as including ThrottleStop, HWinfo to name a few. When Windows Defender detects a change in the counter, it will not reset it, which also ensures your computer runs at maximum efficiency.

Now, you can't have system tools running all the time. So, how do we fix this issue?

Counter Control and ThrottleStop 9.5

Say hello to a new app called Counter Control. This application, also made by Glynn, fixes the performance impact of Windows Defender. How does it do that? It  monitors and logs the IA32_FIXED_CTR_CTRL register located at MSR 0x38D. It not only reports whether Defender is impacting your system's performance, but also provides a way to set the counter to mode 3. The best part is that this does not affect the antivirus capabilities of Windows Defender, so your computer's security is not comprosmised.

How can I check if my Intel computer is affected?

Download Counter Control and run it, it's a portable software. The utility supports most Intel CPUs that have been released since 2008.

If you see the code 0x222 in the app's GUI, it means that Windows Defender is using up CPU cycles needlessly to gain control of the counter. Here is a screenshot that I took that highlights the status.

Click the Reset Counters button in the app, and the code will change to 0x330, which indicates that everything is normal. That's it.

Do I need to run Counter Control every time I start my computer? Yes, you will need to run it and click on Reset Counters when your PC restarts. This is necessary since Windows Defender randomly starts using up the counters.

Alternatively, you can use ThrottleStop 9.5 for fixing the performance issue. The latest update for the popular undervolting app, introduces a new feature called Windows Defender Boost. Enable this option, and run the app when you start the computer. This is essentially the same as using Counter Control, but if you're already using ThrottleStop to undervolt your laptop, then this saves you an additional click.

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The Learn to Code Full Stack Developer Certification Bundle includes nine different eLearning courses that teach you programming languages and skills, such as C#, .NET Core, Microsoft SQL Server, HTML and PHP programming, Pythin, and Angular.

Here is the full list of included courses:

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Firefox 102 and Firefox 102 ESR will be released later today. The new version of Mozilla's Firefox web browser improves security, picture-in-picture mode, and is the new base for the Extended Support Release channel.

All Firefox development channels receive updates on the same day. Firefox Beta and Firefox Developer editions move to version 103 and Firefox Nightly moves to version 104. Firefox for Android follows the version of the stable channel, which means that it is moved to version 102 as well.

Executive Summary

• Firefox 102 ESR is the new base. Firefox 91.x ESR will remain available for the next couple of releases before it is retired on September 20, 2022.
• Audio decoding is moved to its own process with stricter sandboxing.
• Firefox mitigates URL query parameters used for tracking in strict Tracking Protection mode.

Firefox 102 download and update

Firefox 102 and all other versions released today are delivered via the browser's automatic update feature to most devices. The update may not yet be available, if you are reading this on the day of release.

Direct downloads are also available, follow the links below to Mozilla's download website, to download the new version of the browser.

• Firefox Stable download
• Firefox Beta download
• Nightly download
• Firefox ESR download
• Firefox for Android on Google Play

Firefox 102.0 new features and improvements

Query Parameter Stripping

Firefox removes parameters from URLs automatically when these may be used to identify and track users. The removal should not impact the loading of the target address.

Starting in Firefox 102, a blocklist is used to strip known tracking parameters from top-level URLs.

The feature is enabled in the browser's private browsing mode and when Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection feature is set to strict.

Do the following to enable strict Tracking Protection:

1. Load about:preferences#privacy in the Firefox address bar.
2. Switch Enhanced Tracking Protection from Standard to Strict.

Hide the download panel

Firefox displays the download panel whenever a new download starts. Some may dislike this, and these users may now disable the automatic opening of the download panel.

To do that, right-click on the download icon and select "Show Panel when Download Begins" to toggle the functionality. If you see no checkmark in front of it, Firefox won't display the download panel.

Other changes

• Picture-in-Picture mode supports subtitles and captions on HBO Max, Funimation, Dailymotion, Tubi, Disney+ Hotstar, and SonyLIV.
• Pressing Enter while using a Screen Reader on Windows no longer activates the wrong element and/or another window.

Developer

• The update media feature is now enabled by default.
• The property Window.sidebar is controlled by a preference, as it will be removed in a future version.
• The interfaces IDBMutableFile, IDBFileHandle, IDBFileRequest and the method IDBDatabase.createMutableFile() have been disabled by default in preparation for removal in a future version.
• Transform streams are supported by Firefox.
• Readable byte streams are supported.
• Add-on developers may use the scripting API, "which provides features to execute script, insert and remove CSS, and manage the registration of content scripts", in Manifest V2 extensions.
• Manifest V3 extensions need to specify the wasm-unsafe-eval to use WebAssembly.  Firefox supports Content-Security-Policy integration with WebAssembly.
• The nonPersistentCookie option of the privacy.websites cookieConfig property is deprecated.

Enterprise changes

Two new policies added:

• UseSystemPrintDialog commands Firefox to use the system's print dialog. It has the same effect as setting the preference print.prefer_system_dialog to true.
• ExemptDomainFileTypePairsFromFileTypeDownloadWarnings defines file types for which warnings are removed when they are downloaded.

Mozilla fixed an issue that caused a bug in Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection policies. Locking the policies did not disable the about:preferences user interface.

Known Issues

none listed.

Security updates / fixes

Security updates are revealed after the official release of the web browser. You find the information published here after release.

Outlook

Firefox 103 will be released on August 23, 2022.

Firefox extension reviews and news

• FastForward: skip tracker and intermediary URLs automatically

Recent Firefox news and tips

• Firefox 102: Query Parameter Stripping improves privacy
• Firefox 101.0.1 fixes issues in Mac, Windows and Linux versions

Additional information / sources

• Firefox 101 release notes
• Firefox 102 for Developers
• Firefox for Enterprise 102 - release notes
• Firefox Security Advisories
• Firefox Release Schedule

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A new streaming service is launched every other month it seems. With more and more streaming services competing for customers, it is not only the customers that need to adjust to the new landscape, but also the streaming services.

Content is scattered and customers find themselves in the unattractive position to either subscribe to multiple services to access all content at the same time, to hop between services regularly, or to ignore certain content.

Streaming companies have to rely on original content, which is the most expensive type of content. One of the recent streaming trends is the introduction of ad-supported tiers. Netflix and Disney+ plan to launch cheaper subscription plans that are ad-supported later this year. While neither service has revealed specifics, including the actual price of the plans or other limitations, it is clear that Netflix and Disney have high hopes when it comes to these.

The idea is to attract new subscribers who may not mind ads if they save a few bucks every month in return.

Most subscribers would pick an ad-free experience if asked, and those options are not going away. However, there is a growing number of people who find the price of subscription too high. Considering that it may now be necessary to subscribe to multiple services to watch everything of interest, subscription costs can exceed the price of Cable TV subscriptions in many regions.

Seasons of the same TV show may be split across services, and it happens regularly that TV shows and movies move from one service to another.

Streaming companies hope to get people interested in their services by introducing a lower priced tier that is partially financed through advertisement.

Some streaming companies have ad-supported tiers already. Hulu, which is owned by Disney, charges $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year for its ad-support tier. The no-ads subscription is available for $12.99, which is nearly double the price of the ad-supported version.

HBO Max's ad-support subscription is $5 cheaper than the regular subscription, and Peacock charges $4.99 for an ad-support version and $9.99 for an ad-free version.

The cheapest Netflix subscription is available for $9.99 per month in the United States. It is limited to one stream and does not support HD or Ultra HD. An ad-supported plan may match what the basic plan is offering. Netflix could offer it for $6.99 per month or even less than that, but it seems unlikely that it will go much lower than that. Ad-support standard and premium plan options seem unlikely.

Good development, but specifics are needed

Netflix confirmed that all current plans remain as they are; this means that nothing is going to change for existing subscribers. New subscribers and existing subscribers get an additional option: subscribe for less but watch content with ads.

The attractiveness of the option depends largely on the price of the ad-supported plan and the advertisement specifics. How many ads are shown? For how long will these ads run? When are these ads shown? Many subscribers will draw a line in the sand when it comes to ads that interrupt shows or movies. Most may find pre- and post-advertisements acceptable, on the other hand.

Now You: what is your take on ad-support tiers?

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Opinion: Cheaper Media Streaming tiers support by advertisement is a good development appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Alex Kontos, the developer of Waterfox, has announced that the browser is being migrated to Firefox ESR 102. The current version of the popular application, Waterfox G4, is based on Firefox ESR 91.

According to the Firefox Release Calendar, Mozilla will release Firefox ESR 102 on June 27th, 2022, i.e. today. For reference, the Extended Support Release for Firefox 91, was rolled out August 9, 2021. The last version of ESR 91 will be available on August 22, after which ESR 102 will be the only version that will be maintained by the organization.

Waterfox G5 will be delivered as an auto-update

The next version will be called Waterfox G5. The developer also mentioned that existing installations of the browser will be upgraded from G4 to G5 automatically when the update becomes available.

Users who prefer to remain on the old version will need to change an option to avoid the auto-update. Go to the Settings page's General Section, scroll down to Waterfox updates, and select the option that says "Check for updates but let you choose to install them".

Optionally, you may choose to disable automatic updates completely by switching to the following options: "Never check for updates." This is not recommended as you may not get security updates for the browser.

There is no word yet as to when Waterfox G5 will be released. Hopefully, we will see a beta version of the upcoming version soon.

What does this mean for Waterfox G4?

All remaining updates for Waterfox G4 will focus on security fixes and critical bug fixes only. In other words, no new features will be added to G4. This sounds similar to how Waterfox Classic, which was introduced as a separate branch last year, is being maintained.

Waterfox G4.1.3.1 update

Waterfox was updated to version G4.1.3.1 a few days ago for Windows, macOS and Linux. It fixes an issue that was introduced in G4.1.3 (also released last week). A bug related to BootstrapLoader was preventing the installation of legacy add-ons such as TabMixPlus, this has been resolved. The latest build also includes some fixes for the stability, functionality and the security of the browser.

Waterfox Sync sign-in error

There seems to be a bug with Waterfox, I noticed that I couldn't sign in to my Firefox Sync account on my Mac. The login form gets stuck on "working", after entering the username and clicking the continue button.

When I tried to sign in through the browser on my Windows machine in the previous build, it failed to work too. So, this problem is clearly not related to the update. Perhaps something has changed in the way how Mozilla's server handles the authentication process. A few users have reported about a similar issue, and the developer has said that he will investigate the problem, and provide a fix for it.

Some users have claimed they had issues with the auto-update failing to patch the program to G4.1.3.1, and that they had to update to the new version manually. I can't confirm this, as the auto-updater worked for me.

Will you switch to Waterfox G5 or stick with G4 as long as possible?

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The rise of two-factor authentication added a new layer of security to the authentication process on the Internet. Attacks designed to steal user credentials are still common, but many fall short because access to user accounts is not granted without the second verification step.

Users need to enter a code, use a hardware device or an application to complete the authentication request. Different forms of two-factor authentications exist. In the beginning, codes sent via email or SMS were common, but this method has the disadvantage that the information is submitted via plain text.

New authentication methods, including the use of applications and security devices, have risen to prominence to improve security. Passwordless sign-ins, those using secondary devices alone, are becoming more common as they remove the password from the authentication equation. Microsoft customers, for instance, may make their Microsoft Accounts passwordless.

Attackers devised new attacks to overcome two-factor authentications. Security researcher mr.dox developed a new attack that uses Microsoft Edge WebView2 functionality to steal account credentials, bypass two-factor authentication and exfiltrate cookies. While it is necessary that the application is executed on the victim's system, it is giving attackers lots of flexibility and options, especially in regards to sign-ins to online services.

To better understand the attack, it is necessary to take a closer look at Microsoft Edge WebView2. At its core, WebView2 enables developers to embed web content into their Windows desktop applications. Microsoft Edge is used to render the web content in the native applications. Developers may embed HTML, CSS and JavaScript code in the custom-built application. It is possible to load sites using WebView, similarly to how web browsers communicate with websites.

Designed to enrich native desktop applications, WebView2's rich functionality makes it an attractive option for malicious developers. An attacker could load any login page, including those found on Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or Facebook, using WebView.

The WebView2 phishing attack

One of the main features of WebView2 is the ability to use JavaScript. A built-in function enables web developers to inject JavaScript into websites. It is this function that mr.dox used to inject malicious JavaScript code into legitimate websites loaded in an application that uses WebView2.

To demonstrate this, mr.dox created a demo WebView2 application that loads the Microsoft Office website and has a JavaScript keylogger embedded in its code.

Since it is a legitimate site that is loaded, it is not blocked by security software or two-factor authentication protections. Users won't see any differences between the loaded site and the site loaded in a web browser. Phishing sites may look different than the original website; this may happen during development, but also when changes are made to the legitimate site.

The GitHub project page demonstrates how a custom-built WebView2 application is used to steal all user input with the help of an injected keylogger. Since this happens in the background, most users should be unaware that every key they activate is logged and sent to the attacker.

While that may lead to successful account compromisations on its one, it does not provide access to accounts that are protected using two-factor authentication systems.

The attack does not stop at this point, however. WebView2 comes with built-in functionality to extract cookies. The attacker may steal authentication cookies, and it is simply a matter of waiting for the login to complete. Cookies are provided in base64 format, but it is trivial to decode the data to reveal the cookies.

If that was not bad enough, WebView may be used to steal all cookies from the active user. One of WebView2's capabilities is to launch with "an existing User Data Folder" instead of creating a new one. Using this feature, attackers could steal user data from Chrome or other installed browsers.

Tested in Chrome, the developer was able to steal passwords, session data, bookmarks and other information. All it took was to start WebView2 using the profile location of Chrome to extract all Chrome cookies and transfer them to a remote server on the Internet.

Using the information, the attacker can access web applications, provided that the session is still active and that there are not any other defensive systems in place that may prevent access from new devices. Most of the extracted cookies remain valid until the session expires.

The caveat

The main drawback of this WebView2-based attack is that users need to run the malicious application on the user device. Sign-in to legitimate web services is required to steal the data, but the cookie and session stealing may happen without it.

Other malicious programs may provide attackers with other means to gain access to a user device and its data. The execution of any malicious program leads to disaster from a user's point of view, and many users are still careless when it comes to the execution of programs and the launching of attachments on their devices.

Why go through the length of using the WebView2 attack, when other attacks may be easier to carry out? Mr.dox suggests that the WebView2 attack may provide attackers with additional options, such as running JavaScript code on target sites directly.

Defensive systems, such as antivirus applications, may prevent the launching of malicious Webview2 applications. The demo app, which is available on the researcher's GitHub project site, was not blocked by Microsoft Defender. It includes a keylogger that protocols any key input by the user. A SmartScreen warning was displayed, but it was not prevented from being launched.

Protection against WebView2-based attacks

It all boils down to decade-old security practices when it comes to protection against this type of attack. Not launching applications that come from unknown sources or are not trustworthy is probably the main defensive option. Email attachments and web downloads need to be mentioned specifically here, as it is still common that computer users run these without consideration of the consequences.

Other options include scanning the file with up-to-date antivirus engines, or a service such as Virustotal. Virustotal scans files using dozens of antivirus engines and returns its findings in a matter of seconds to the user.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post New Windows Phishing Method gives attackers access to cookies and more appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

Rufus is an open source application that allows you to create bootable USB media. It is widely used to create bootable Windows 11 or Linux media for installation.

The latest version of Rufus, Rufus 3.19 Beta, supports several new features that improve the setup process of the Windows 11 operating system. In particular, it allows you to skip the mandatory Windows 11 account requirement during first start of the system and to set answers to "don't allow / refuse" when Windows asks for user input regarding privacy.

Rufus supports additional options that make the life of Windows administrators easier. It includes options to download the latest ISO images released by Microsoft, skip Windows 11's hardware requirements, and to skip the requirements during Windows inplace upgrades.

Rufus 3.19 Beta is available for download on the project's GitHub website. The program is portable and may be run directly after its download.

The main interface of the application has not changed significantly. You may still use it to download the latest Windows ISO image from Microsoft or select an ISO that is already available on the system.

For Windows 11, users have several options to customize the installation.

• Remove requirement for Secure Boot and TPM 2.0
• Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM and 64GB+ disk.
• Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions) -- The privacy questions are skipped and processed automatically using the least invasive answer.

The options may be checked individually in the interface after activation of the Start button. The option to skip the Microsoft Account on Home and Pro versions of Windows 11 is not displayed, but it becomes active automatically, if the network connection is disabled during that stage of setup.

Tip: several other methods exist to create local Windows accounts during setup.

Closing Words

Rufus is a useful program that Windows users may use to bypass several of the restrictions or annoyances that Microsoft put in place when installing Windows 11. The option to bypass hardware requirements, automatically deny the privacy questions, and to skip the Microsoft Account requirement make things easier for some users. While there are other means to deal with these issues, Rufus is a one-stop shop for all of them.

Rufus 3.19 is released as a beta version right now. Some users may want to wait until the final version is released before they start using it.

Now You: Do you use Rufus?

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PicPick is one of my favorite screen capturing tools for Windows. It is a professional application that is free for non-commercial use. The program lacked screen recording support, which was my biggest criticism back when I reviewed it.

PicPick 6.20, the latest version of the application, includes a Screen Recorder. Using it, PicPick users may save records of the desktop or regions as mp4 or animated GIF files.

The new version of PicPick is available for download on the developer website. The free version does not support automatic updates, which means that free version users need to download the installer or the portable version from the developer site to run the update manually. One of the benefits of the Pro version is that updates can be automated.

Screen Recorder is available as an option from Home and the application icon in the Windows system tray area. A hotkey is not mapped by default, but you may go to Program Options > Hotkeys to assign one to the Screen Recorder to open it using the selected keyboard shortcut.

While we are at it: the recording options may be worth a visit before you start your first recordings.

Set the output folder for the recordings, the file type (default mp4), and several quality related preferences such as frames per second, overall quality, or the quality of the audio recording.

The program hides its own window automatically in fullscreen mode and records the mouse cursor by default. Both options can be turned off in the preferences. There is also a handy restore defaults button to reset all preferences to their defaults.

The recording interface displays a small floating toolbar and a rectangular recording area by default.

The toolbar has icons to switch the regional mode to fullscreen mode, disable the recording of audio and the cursor, and options to switch the recording file format from mp4 to gif.

Activation of the rec button starts the recording, another click on the button stops it again.

Recordings are saved automatically to the selected directory. The initial version comes without editing options, which means that another program is required if you want to edit recordings. There is a good chance that support for video edits is coming in a future version.

Closing Words

Screen Recording functionality adds a missing feature to PicPick, which most users will welcome. It adds a new option to PicPick and may convince some users who require it to give it a try. An excellent tool just got better.

Pricing has changed recently. Previously, you could buy a Pro version as a single user for $29.99 and use it on 2 machines. Now, users have to pay $50 for a lifetime license or subscribe for $2.50 per month. Home users do not need the Pro version, on the other hand.

Now You: which screen capturing software do you prefer?

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YouTube Shorts brings short-form videos to YouTube. The integrated service resembles what other short-form video services, such as TikTok, bring to the table: time-limted videos in portrait mode.

Google's been late to the party, as it launched YouTube Shorts globally in mid-2021. YouTube Shorts is accessible via YouTube's main menu on desktop and mobile platforms. While the vertical video format may make sense on mobile devices, Google decided to use the same format on the desktop.

The mobile format offers limited controls when it comes to playing videos on the YouTube website. It has a pause and mute buttons, options to share, like or dislike, and to read and write comments, but that is about it.

Compared to the standard desktop player on YouTube, the Shorts video player is lacking options to change the quality of the video, the video format, or playback speed. There is no option to play videos in fullscreen mode or to change the volume of sound, other than muting sound altogether.

Youtube-shorts block is a browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome that changes that. The extension is compatible with other browsers based on Firefox and Chromium.

The main thing that it adds to YouTube is the ability to play YouTube shorts in the main video player. Users get all controls of the main video player when they watch short videos on YouTube.

The extension works directly after installation. A click on its icon displays a toggle to turn the redirection to YouTube's main video player off.  Additional options, to hide the Shorts tab and videos, are displayed when you click on the three-dots in the extension interface.

The only downside to using the extension is that you can't browse the Shorts section anymore on YouTube. When you click on Shorts, the first video is loaded automatically by the extension.

Closing Words

The extension is designed for YouTube users who watch Shorts, but want more control over the playback. Users who never watch Shorts may have little use for the extension, other than hiding the Shorts links on YouTube.

All in all, Youtube-shorts block is a useful extension for desktop users who watch Shorts on YouTube and prefer more control.

Now You: what is your take on shorts and TikTok-style videos in general?

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Play YouTube Shorts like normal YouTube videos appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

If you always wanted to know when the next National Prime Rib Day or Earth Day is, then you may be looking forward to the introduction of Search Highlights on Windows 11. Everyone else may be looking for a way to disable Search Highlights instead.

Microsoft introduced Search Highlights in Insider Builds of Windows 11 and ported the feature to Stable versions of Windows 10 next. In the coming weeks and months, Search Highlights will roll out to all Windows 11 devices.

Most Windows users come into contact with Search Highlights by accident. They notice a new icon on the taskbar, depicting the special event that Microsoft picked for the day. National Prime Rib Day, one of your favorites, is depicted with meat and knife icons, earth day, with an icon of earth surrounded by pink hearts.

Search Highlights is actually a dual feature. For home systems, it offers "a look at interesting moments in time and a convenient way to discover content". For work devices, it may help users "discover and search for content across Microsoft 365". While the latter may indeed be useful, most Windows users would probably agree that the home variant of Search Highlights is not useful.

Microsoft notes that Search Highlights will roll out over the coming months on Windows 11 devices.

Windows 11 users may turn off the feature, similarly to how Windows 10 users may disable it. Yo may check out our guide on disabling Search Highlights on Windows 10 here.

Turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11

1. Open the Start Menu and select Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. Select Search permissions on the page that opens.
4. Toggle "Show search highlights" on the Search permissions page to turn the feature off.

You may undo the change at any time by changing the state of the preference to On again.

Windows 11 won't change icons on the taskbar of the operating system anymore once you make the change. The search interface does not display information related to Search Highlights anymore when you open it either.

Use the Group Policy Editor to turn off Search Highlights

Note: the Group Policy Editor is only available in professional versions of Windows 11. In other words: it is not available in Windows 11 Home. Check the Registry option below if you use a device with a Home edition.

1. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
2. Type gpedit.msc and hit the Enter-key to launch the Group Policy Editor.
3. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
4. Locate and double-click on "Allow Search Highlights".
5. Change the state of the policy to "Disabled" and select Apply to save the change.

You may undo the change at any time by switching the state of the policy to "not configured" or "enabled".

Use the Windows Registry to turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11

The Registry edit option is available for all editions of Windows 11.

1. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
2. Type regedit.exe and hit the Enter-key to launch the Registry Editor.
3. Confirm the UAC prompt by selecting "Yes".
4. Use the address bar at the top to load the following Registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
   1. Note: if part of the path is not available, right-click on the previous folder and select New > Key. Name the key accordingly to create the full path.
5. Check if EnableDynamicContentInWSB is available under Windows Search.
   1. If it is, double-click on the preference and set its Value to 0 to turn off Search Highlights.
   2. It it does not exist. right-click on Windows Search and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
      1. Name it EnableDynamicContentInWSB.
      2. It should have a value of 0 by default, but if that is not the case, double-click on it and set its value to 0.
6. Restart the Pc.

Now You: will you keep Search Highlights turned on, or will you disable it?

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