All posts tagged: disable

Windows Sandbox gets much safer once you disable the conveniences Microsoft leaves on

Windows Sandbox gets much safer once you disable the conveniences Microsoft leaves on

Published by skeptic

There’s this Windows Sandbox habit that I’m not so proud of: when I run an executable, or anything else I don’t completely trust, I basically sit and watch. The fact that it’s open in Sandbox makes me feel like I don’t have to worry about it; it’s Sandbox, so whatever danger is there is contained. However, very recently I got a rude awakening when I actually paid attention rather than just opening the installer and forgetting about it. For the first time, I noticed that Sandbox had some default access that I would have preferred locked down. Related Security Settings in Windows You’re Not Using (and Hackers Hope You Don’t Find) Uncover the hidden Windows security gems that hackers dread you’ll discover. Windows Sandbox already picks two things for you I didn’t touch a setting, and it was already online and pasteable Afam Onyimadu / MUO t I opened a fresh Windows Sandbox for an executable file that I didn’t trust. Then it struck me that even before clicking anything in this Sandbox, it already …

Police get powers to order banks, telcos to share info, disable scam accounts after new law passed

Police get powers to order banks, telcos to share info, disable scam accounts after new law passed

Published by Sam Flores

Pointing out the difficulties her residents faced when not being able to access or open a bank account, MP Diana Pang (PAP-Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) stressed that “stronger powers” must come with “practical safeguards”.  In his response, Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming said that “no one wants to inadvertently affect or inconvenience” those who may not have been involved in scam activity. At the same time, disrupting scams quickly and decisively is essential, he added. “The orders enable us to constrict the supply of scam enablers and disable them before they can be used, and this is ultimately to protect our citizens,” said Mr Goh. “Our task here is to intervene early, while ensuring adequate safeguards against innocent accounts being affected by these orders.” MP Jackson Lam (PAP-Nee Soon) said there needs to be a fast review process for genuine cases where an account has been wrongly disabled. While the Bill provides an appeal mechanism, there must be a “clear channel” for affected persons to provide evidence quickly and have their accounts …

How to Disable Gemini in Gmail and Google Docs

How to Disable Gemini in Gmail and Google Docs

Published by skeptic

Have you noticed how desperate tech companies are to get you to use their artificial intelligence features, even if you don’t want to use them? They’re adding buttons to user interfaces and using pop-up tool tips to implore you to click them and become a dedicated user of their AI creations. Google Docs, for example, is rolling out a giant Gemini bar at the bottom of the screen for some users. I first noticed this feature back in April, when it showed up in the Google Docs account I use to collaborate with editors. Apparently I was part of the pool of users chosen to test the feature. I know people who have never seen this box, and I’ve seen reports of it showing up for people in the last few weeks. So it varies. If you’re one of the users who sees this feature and you don’t want it on your screen, good news: The giant bar is easy enough to hide. Click Gemini in the menu bar, then hover over Bottom bar preferences …

I disable 6 Windows green settings on every laptop, and I never get any weird hardware glitches

I disable 6 Windows green settings on every laptop, and I never get any weird hardware glitches

Published by skeptic

When I set up a new laptop, I now go through Windows’ power-saving settings one by one. This is a habit that people generally skip. The power-saving settings reduce power consumption, but disabling some options can improve latency and stability. Related I disabled one hidden Windows setting and freed up CPU performance instantly If you’ve got a good CPU and don’t mind some warmth, give this a try. USB Selective Suspend The tiny power-saving feature behind my random disconnects Afam Onyimadu / MUO Sometimes, mid-meeting, my webcam freezes, then reappears after just a few seconds. It appeared to be a cable issue, but replacing it didn’t resolve the issue. When I investigated further, I realized the trigger was a setting called USB Selective Suspend. When USB devices are idle or appear idle, Windows suspends them, and for some devices, resuming isn’t always smooth. Some devices never exhibit this problem. This feature mainly affects docks, hubs, webcams, audio interfaces, and external SSDs, but it rarely affects low-bandwidth devices like wired keyboards and mice. When you turn …

How to Disable Music Videos in Spotify

How to Disable Music Videos in Spotify

Published by skeptic

Spotify, it’s fair to say, has made some weird user-experience choices. There are a number of panels in the app, and the layout is confusing. The service constantly tracks your activity. The app also seems to have an odd hostility to playing actual albums. This all works to create a general feeling that Spotify’s designers are trying to push you into using the service in a particular way. It’s understandable, then, that some people are annoyed with the way music videos have been added to the platform. For the most part, they would start to play by default, in the background, whenever an artist had uploaded a video for the song. Some music videos have very different audio from the original tracks, particularly if they include sketches or sound effects, which can prove distracting if you prefer the album version of the song. And even if you enjoy music videos (which I do), the decision to have videos play by default—using up bandwidth and battery power—upset a lot of people. There are a few other …

5 Windows background services you can safely disable right now

5 Windows background services you can safely disable right now

Published by skeptic

Windows runs hundreds of background services by default, and many of them continue to run even if you don’t use the features they’re tied to. Of course, some of these are important for keeping the OS stable. But then there are also others that simply waste memory, storage, bandwidth, and CPU resources without benefiting you in a meaningful way. The good thing is Windows lets you disable the services that you don’t want. For that, simply open the Windows Services app, double-click the service, and set the Startup type to Disabled. Then, hit Apply and you’re done. Related Windows was throttling my internet until I found these 5 settings Your internet might already be fast, Windows just isn’t letting it feel that way. Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Stop Microsoft from collecting data Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required It’s no secret that Microsoft loves collecting user data. That’s why one of the first things you should do after setting up your PC is review important privacy settings and turn off anything you …

How to Disable Google’s Gemini in Chrome

How to Disable Google’s Gemini in Chrome

Published by skeptic

If you use Google’s Chrome browser for desktop, there’s probably a Gemini Nano AI model running on your computer right now and taking up about 4 GB of space. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you didn’t know about it and don’t want it, there’s a way to turn it off. The file started auto-downloading for Chrome users in 2024 after Google built Gemini Nano into the browser. But a report by That Privacy Guy this week and the ensuing reception it received highlighted how unaware many users were—perhaps a result of a flood of AI services and features across the tech industry that have been difficult for users to keep up with. To uninstall the Gemini Nano file, open Chrome on your computer, in the top right corner click the “More” menu represented by three vertical dots, then go to Settings, System, and then toggle “On-device AI” to be off. The Privacy Guy article noted that if you directly uninstall the Gemini Nano file in the directory, Chrome will silently, automatically redownload …

People who use public WiFi told to disable key setting now | Personal Finance | Finance

People who use public WiFi told to disable key setting now | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

People have been warned (Image: Getty) People have been warned that when in public and using a Wi-Fi network that is not theirs, they need to be extra careful. And there’s a feature that many people may want to disable to stay safe. According to experts at Which?, when you use a public Wi-Fi, some devices automatically reconnect to networks you’ve used before. However, this can be risky if a network isn’t secure. The consumer champions urge people to review their current settings as soon as possible and if you need to change them, to follow these steps below. If you have an iPhone: Go to Settings > wi-fi and select the I icon next to the network. Disable Auto-Join. From the wi-fi screen, you can also select Ask to Join Networks > Ask. If no known networks are available, you will be asked before joining a new one. If you have an Android: Head to Settings > Network and Internet > Internet. Select the Cog icon next to the wi-fi network, then toggle Auto-connect. …

Your router’s most convenient features are quietly killing your network performance — here’s what to disable

Your router’s most convenient features are quietly killing your network performance — here’s what to disable

Published by skeptic

Modern Wi-Fi routers place a lot of emphasis on convenience and performance, rightfully so, given that user demand for both is at an all-time high. Even affordable models from TP-Link and NETGEAR include convenience-focused features for accessing, maintaining, and controlling wireless networks. The problem? Several of these features often have an undesired impact on network performance, speed, and reliability, especially on routers with limited processing power. Fortunately, disabling some of these features solves the problem for the most part. Related These 8 router tweaks instantly make your internet more reliable Say goodbye to lag, buffering, and connection drops with these tips. Band steering isn’t always that smart It often leads to stability issues Band steering, also called Smart Connect, essentially combines the 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs of your dual-band Wi-Fi router into a single network name (SSID). The router then chooses the appropriate band whenever you connect a device. On paper, this feature sounds great: you don’t have to worry about connecting to the right Wi-Fi network. The real-life experience with band steering is far …

Windows 11 still runs dinosaur services like Fax at boot — here’s what you should disable

Windows 11 still runs dinosaur services like Fax at boot — here’s what you should disable

Published by skeptic

Windows 11 comes with dozens of background services that start automatically when you turn on your PC. Most are essential, handling networking, audio, and security. But a few are relics from a different era of computing, services like Fax and Distributed Link Tracking that made sense in the Windows 2000 days but serve no purpose on a modern personal computer. After I finally disabled some of these Windows services, I realized most of them had been quietly running for years without doing anything useful for me. To be fair, many of the riskier services already come disabled by default or need a manual trigger to activate. So, this isn’t about performance gains or freeing up system resources, because these services use a negligible amount of both, but about not running things you genuinely don’t need. Distributed Link Tracking Client A shortcut repair tool from the Windows 2000 era The Distributed Link Tracking Client is one of those services that sounds important until you learn what it actually does. Its job is to maintain links between …