firmware update

Winsage
November 29, 2024
Microsoft has unveiled a preview of its Windows Recall feature, designed to capture screenshots of active windows using on-device AI and store them in an SQLite database. The feature will be opt-in and requires users to enable BitLocker full-disk encryption, activate Secure Boot, and enroll in Windows Hello. Recall aims to avoid capturing sensitive information and allows users to delete snapshots or exclude specific applications. Microsoft has implemented safeguards to protect against brute-force attacks, and the data collected remains encrypted locally. The preview is currently available to participants in the Windows Insider Program for Developers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that nearly 90% of smart device manufacturers lack clear update policies, with 161 out of 184 products reviewed not disclosing software update durations. This lack of transparency may violate the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the FTC Act. Ping Li, a Florida IT professional, was sentenced to four years in prison for acting as an agent for China's Ministry of State Security, providing sensitive information since at least 2012. He pleaded guilty and was fined ,000. Operation "Serengeti" led to the arrest of over 1,000 individuals suspected of cybercrime across 19 African countries, resulting in nearly million in financial losses and the confiscation of around million in stolen funds. The U.S. Department of Justice indicted nine individuals linked to a multi-state money laundering scheme associated with internet fraud, allegedly laundering over million since 2016. NVIDIA released a critical firmware update to address a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2024-0130) that could allow attackers to steal data and compromise systems. Cybersecurity firm McAfee discovered "spyloan" Android apps on the Google Play Store that aim to steal users' personal data, targeting users in Mexico, Colombia, and Indonesia. An international law enforcement operation dismantled a pirate streaming network serving over 22 million users and generating approximately million monthly, resulting in 102 arrests. Nicholas Michael Kloster, a 31-year-old from Kansas City, was indicted for allegedly hacking into computer networks to promote his cybersecurity services, facing multiple charges with a potential 15-year prison sentence. HDFC Life Insurance in India is investigating a potential data breach involving the sharing of certain data fields with malicious intent.
Winsage
October 31, 2024
Microsoft has postponed the rollout of its Windows 11 24H2 update due to incompatibility issues. Users are advised not to force the update as it may lead to bugs, crashes, performance degradation, freezes, and blue screens of death (BSOD). Safeguard holds have been implemented to prevent affected devices from receiving the update. Known issues include: - Asus X415KA and X515KA laptops experiencing blue screens, with updates paused until Asus releases a fix. - Voicemeeter audio management application causing blue screens; users can remove it or wait for an update. - Older versions of the Safe Exam browser are affected but can be fixed with a straightforward update. - Easy Anti-Cheat may cause blue screens for users with Intel Alder Lake processors and outdated drivers; updating is recommended. - Fingerprint sensors on certain devices may become unresponsive after being locked, with a firmware update expected to resolve the issue. - Wallpaper customization apps may lead to missing wallpapers and crashes; users should update these apps. - Intel Smart Sound Technology driver issues can cause blue screens, but only older versions are affected; updating is advised. - Asphalt 8 (Airborne) may freeze with the update; users can uninstall it to proceed or wait for a fix. - New Z890 motherboards are experiencing conflicts with the update, causing crashes and reboots due to issues between dedicated and integrated GPUs; users may need to disable integrated graphics in BIOS as a workaround. The situation raises questions about accountability and affects the reputation of Windows 11, with hopes for improvements by 2025.
Winsage
October 28, 2024
Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 24H2, but users are facing hardware and software challenges during installation due to stringent prerequisites. To address potential issues, Microsoft has implemented 'compatibility holds' that prevent the update until systems meet the necessary criteria. Certain ASUS laptop models, specifically the X415KA and X515KA, are experiencing significant problems, including blue screen errors, prompting Microsoft to halt the update for these devices until users install a firmware update from ASUS. Various applications are also causing complications, leading to the rollout pause. Notable problematic applications include Voicemeeter, Safe Exam Browser (version 3.7 and earlier), custom wallpaper applications, Asphalt 8, and Easy Anti-Cheat software, particularly on devices with Intel Alder Lake+ processors and Intel vPro technology. Users are advised to update their drivers and applications for a smoother transition. Issues with facial recognition features and camera functionalities have been reported, with built-in cameras and fingerprint sensors potentially ceasing to function post-update. Microsoft has paused updates related to these functionalities, and firmware updates may be necessary. Devices using Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) are encountering blue screen errors linked to specific driver versions (10.29.0.5152 and 10.30.0.5152), with a recommended update to driver versions 10.30.00.5714, 10.29.00.5714, or later to resolve these issues.
Winsage
October 28, 2024
Windows 11 24H2 is currently inaccessible to many users due to compatibility holds by Microsoft aimed at preventing crashes and performance issues. Affected devices include ASUS X415KA and X515KA models, which face blue screen errors, leading to a paused update until ASUS releases a firmware update. Users of the Voicemeeter application may experience MEMORY MANAGEMENT errors, prompting Microsoft to suspend the update until a fix is provided. Integrated cameras may malfunction post-upgrade, affecting various applications, resulting in a hold on the update for impacted devices. The Safe Exam Browser versions 3.7 or lower encounter operational issues after the update, leading to restrictions for those devices. Devices using Easy Anti-Cheat may crash due to outdated drivers, causing Microsoft to pause the update until users update their drivers. Fingerprint sensors may cause devices to become unresponsive after locking, prompting a hold until a firmware update is available. Wallpaper customization apps can lead to issues post-update, resulting in a compatibility hold until users update these applications. Intel Smart Sound Technology devices may face blue screen errors with specific driver versions, and users are advised to update their drivers to resolve the issue. The presence of Asphalt 8 (Airborne) can also block the update due to a bug causing gameplay freezes, leading to a hold on affected devices. Microsoft recommends users check for updates to software or drivers instead of forcing the upgrade, as this could cause significant issues.
Winsage
October 17, 2024
Western Digital has resolved the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue affecting its HMB-equipped SSDs, and users are advised to update their SSD firmware. The problem was linked to a misconfigured Host Memory Buffer (HMB) allocation and firmware issues in specific models, particularly WD and SanDisk NVMe drives. The following models require immediate firmware updates: - WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD 2TB (Model Numbers: WDBBDL0020BNC, WDS200T3X0E; Updated Firmware Version: 731130WD) - WD_BLACK SN770M NVMe SSD 2TB (Model Numbers: WDBDNH0020BBK, WDS200T3X0G; Updated Firmware Version: 731130WD) - WD Blue SN580 NVMe SSD 2TB (Model Numbers: WDBWMY0020BBL, WDS200T3B0E; Updated Firmware Version: 281050WD) - WD Blue SN5000 NVMe SSD 2TB (Model Numbers: WDBS3F0020BNC, WDS200T4B0E; Updated Firmware Version: 291020WD) - SanDisk Extreme M.2 NVMe SSD 2TB (Model Number: SDSSDX3N-2T00; Updated Firmware Version: 731130WD)
Winsage
October 15, 2024
Users of Western Digital's SN770 and SN580 SSDs are experiencing crashes and Blue Screens of Death (BSODs) after the 24H2 Windows update. The issue is linked to the Host Memory Buffer (HMB), as these DRAM-less SSDs store their mapping in system memory, and the update attempts to increase the HMB size from 64 MB to 200 MB, which is incompatible with the SSD firmware. Users have suggested workarounds, including modifying the Windows registry to disable the HMB or rolling back to the previous 23H2 version of Windows. Other SSD models with a 64 MB HMB have not reported similar issues, raising concerns about Microsoft's communication with SSD manufacturers regarding the update. Users are advised to wait for a firmware fix from Western Digital.
Winsage
September 23, 2024
AMD unveiled the Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors, promising a 16% increase in instructions per clock (IPC). However, third-party reviews indicated that performance gains were not consistent, with AMD acknowledging potential bugs related to Windows Account privileges. Essential branch prediction optimizations were missing in Windows 11, affecting performance compared to Linux. A Microsoft patch improved performance by about 10% in gaming scenarios, but results varied between installations. AMD also released firmware increasing the thermal design power (TDP) from 65 watts to 105 watts, potentially boosting performance by up to 13%. Additionally, AMD addressed latency issues with the Zen 5 architecture through the AGESA PI 1.2.0.1A firmware update. Tests by Phoronix showed improved performance of the Ryzen 9950X with the updated BIOS on Linux, although overall performance remained stable across 385 benchmarks.
Winsage
August 21, 2024
Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 build, 26120.1542, for Windows Insider Program participants in the Dev Channel, identified under KB5041872. The update enhances the Widgets feature on the taskbar, introduces a new position for the Widgets entry-point, and adds taskbar navigation enhancements. It also includes bug fixes such as improvements to text suggestions for hardware keyboards, a fix for the emoji panel, and corrections in the Registry Editor. General fixes address issues with adding languages, driver vulnerability updates, Group Policy Preferences, DNS security, PowerShell and VBScript limitations, and BitLocker firmware update failures. Known issues include a repair version notice for certain users and potential crashes in Task Manager.
BetaBeacon
July 2, 2024
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset will feature an improved Adreno 830 GPU with support for frame interpolation technology, allowing for smoother gameplay in graphic-intense games. The chip can run Genshin Impact at 1080p resolution and 120fps frame rate. Frame interpolation technology inserts frames between existing frames to make graphics look smoother, although it may cause input lag and visual artifacts. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be unveiled in October and is rumored to be up to 30% more expensive than its predecessor. A firmware update may bring AI upscaling to older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 devices.
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