disk space Archives

Winsage

January 7, 2026

You Can Get Windows 11 Pro on Sale for A$14 Right Now

Windows 11 Pro is now available for a significantly reduced price of A, down from A7. This limited-time offer is facilitated through a trusted Microsoft partner and is compatible with a single PC that meets the minimum requirements of a 1GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of hard disk space. Key features of Windows 11 Pro include Windows Copilot, a redesigned user interface, productivity tools, remote desktop access, TPM 2.0, Smart App Control, biometric login, BitLocker device encryption, Azure AD, Hyper-V, and Windows Sandbox. No coupon is necessary to access this deal.

Winsage

January 5, 2026

New laptop? How to wipe your old Windows PC clean before getting rid of it

Many individuals and businesses upgrade their PCs as the new year approaches and face decisions about their old devices. Options include passing it down, reallocating it, donating, or selling. Essential steps for transitioning include migrating applications and files, securely erasing personal data, and resetting the operating system. To migrate apps and files, use the Windows Backup app to back up settings and installed apps, and transfer personal folders to OneDrive. For legacy software, ensure you have activation codes and installation files. Back up important files using cloud storage or create a full image backup to a removable hard drive. To wipe old data, enable BitLocker Disk Encryption on Windows 11 Pro or delete sensitive files and wipe disk space on Windows 11 Home using the command cipher /w:c:. To prepare the old PC for a new owner, options for installing a fresh copy of Windows 11 include resetting the PC, reinstalling a factory image, or performing a clean install using bootable media. Resetting involves navigating to Settings > System > Recovery and selecting "Remove everything." Reimaging uses a manufacturer-provided recovery image, while a clean install requires bootable media created with the Media Creation Tool.

Tech Optimizer

January 2, 2026

Fake AI chat results are spreading dangerous Mac malware

Cybercriminals are exploiting trust in AI chat tools to spread malware, specifically the Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS), by infiltrating Google search results with fake AI conversations. These conversations mislead Mac users into executing commands that install AMOS without triggering security alerts. Investigators have found that both ChatGPT and Grok have been manipulated in this scheme. Users searching for help with routine tasks may encounter polished AI chat results that appear legitimate, ultimately leading them to run harmful commands in the macOS Terminal. This tactic mirrors previous campaigns that used sponsored search results and SEO-poisoned links to direct users to counterfeit macOS software. The effectiveness of this attack lies in the combination of trust in AI responses and the credibility of search results. To stay safe, users should avoid pasting terminal commands from search results, treat AI instructions as suggestions, use password managers, keep software updated, employ strong antivirus solutions, be skeptical of sponsored results, avoid unknown cleanup guides, and question overly polished instructions.

Winsage

January 1, 2026

WinBoat is an open source tool that lets you seamlessly run Windows applications on Linux.

WinBoat is an open-source tool that enables users to run Windows applications natively on Linux systems through virtualization technology. It can be tested on an Ubuntu 24.04 Linux PC using Docker and FreeRDP. Users can download WinBoat as an AppImage, grant execution permissions, and follow installation steps that include specifying installation location, Windows version, language, and system resource allocation. Key features include a refined interface, automatic installation, universal application support, file system integration, USB pass-through support, future GPU support plans, and compatibility with Podman. As of December 2025, WinBoat is in beta and may have bugs. User feedback has been mixed, with some comparing it to a Windows virtual machine and noting issues like browser freezing and the need for a Windows license.

Winsage

January 1, 2026

I sped up my sluggish Windows 11 PC with these 6 free tricks

- Updating software can resolve bugs and improve performance. - Limiting startup programs can speed up boot times and overall responsiveness. - Regularly deleting unnecessary files and uninstalling unused programs can help the system run more smoothly. - Utilizing built-in tools to defragment the hard drive can improve data access speeds, especially on traditional HDDs. - Running a thorough scan for malware can eliminate unwanted programs that may consume resources. - Tweaking visual settings in Windows can free up system resources for more critical tasks.

Winsage

December 31, 2025

You Can Get Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro on Sale for A$60 Right Now

A bundle featuring Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office 2021 is available for a reduced price of A, down from A2. The Windows 11 Pro activation key upgrades one compatible PC with a minimum of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, offering a new user interface and productivity tools like Windows Copilot. The bundle includes eight Microsoft Office applications that can be installed on a computer with at least 1GB of RAM and 4GB of free hard disk space. Prices on StackSocial may change, so interested buyers should act quickly.

Winsage

December 29, 2025

Windows 11’s Point-in-Time Restore: A Quiet Safety Net for When Things Go Wrong

Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore is a recovery feature that captures snapshots of the system's state, including system files, applications, settings, and user data, allowing users to revert to a recent stable state when issues arise. It operates automatically once activated, using Volume Shadow Copy technology for comprehensive backups. The feature can quickly reverse changes made within the last 72 hours, addressing problems like faulty driver installations without requiring a complete reinstallation of Windows. However, it has limitations, such as storing restore points locally for a maximum of 72 hours, not recovering long-deleted files, and requiring significant storage space. To enable it, users must use ViveTool to unlock the feature, configure settings for snapshot frequency and retention, and access restore options through the Windows Recovery Environment if needed. It is particularly useful for casual users who frequently modify their systems but may not suffice for power users needing comprehensive backup solutions.

Winsage

December 23, 2025

Microsoft fixes Message Queuing issue in new update

Microsoft has released an out-of-band update to fix a Message Queuing (MSMQ) issue that arose after the December 2025 update. This patch is available for several Windows versions, including Windows 10 22H2 ESU, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, and Windows 10 LTSB 2016, as well as various Windows Server versions from 2008 to 2019. The issue primarily impacted enterprise environments, while users on Pro and Home editions were "very unlikely" to experience it. The root cause was a change requiring MSMQ to have write access to areas typically restricted, leading to message queuing disruptions and misleading error logs. Microsoft documented the known issue on December 12, 2025, after several days of recognition, during which administrators had to implement workarounds. The update addresses the problem but raises concerns about Microsoft's quality assurance practices, especially given MSMQ's importance in corporate infrastructures. Users expressed dissatisfaction due to service disruptions caused by the issue.

AppWizard

December 22, 2025

4 Ways To Use Android Apps On Your Mac Or PC

You can access Android apps on your PC or Mac through various methods. 1. Phone Link: Windows 11 allows you to sync your Android phone with your PC using the Phone Link app, enabling you to send texts, make calls, browse photos, and launch Android apps. To set it up, both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and you need to install the Link to Windows app on your Android device. 2. Google Play Games: This desktop application lets you play Android games on Windows. Minimum requirements include Windows 10, 10GB SSD storage, 8GB RAM, and Intel UHD Graphics 630. You can download it from the Google Play Games website. 3. MuMuPlayer: An Android emulator that recreates the Android OS environment on your computer. It requires Windows 7 or later, a quad-core i5-7500 CPU, 4GB RAM, and 2GB free disk space. You can download and install it, then access the Play Store to run Android apps. 4. ScrCpy: An open-source tool for mirroring and controlling your Android screen on your computer via a wired connection. You need to enable Developer options and USB debugging on your Android phone, then connect it to your computer and run ScrCpy to mirror the screen. Each method has specific requirements and setup instructions.

Tech Optimizer

December 22, 2025

Biscuit PostgreSQL Extension Accelerates LIKE Queries with Roaring Bitmaps

Biscuit is an open-source project developed by CrystallineCore, available on GitHub, that introduces a specialized index access method for PostgreSQL to enhance query speed for pattern matching in LIKE queries. It addresses limitations of traditional indexing methods like B-tree and GIN indexes, particularly in complex LIKE or ILIKE operations and multi-column searches. Biscuit uses in-memory bitmap structures to reduce query times by precomputing bitmap representations of string patterns, allowing for rapid filtering without scanning entire rows. The project has a vibrant community contributing to its optimization and performance improvements, especially for ARM architectures. Independent tests show that Biscuit can outperform PostgreSQL's pg_trgm by factors of 5-10x on wildcard-heavy workloads. Real-world applications include significant reductions in query latencies for e-commerce and log processing pipelines, with a reported 40% reduction in ETL job times for error pattern detection in server logs. Biscuit faces challenges such as the initial time required to build indexes on large tables and limited compatibility with older PostgreSQL versions, but the maintainers are actively addressing these issues. The design of Biscuit encourages integration with other open-source tools, and community feedback is shaping its future development.