Up until very recently, setting up a Gmail account meant that you’d be stuck with the selected email address. Google did not offer any option to change the address. In fact, the only option available was to create an entirely new account to pick a new email address. This meant that you would lose access…
Author: Martin Brinkmann
How to fully back up Windows with free backup software
Microsoft’s Windows operating system comes with several features that enables users to restore the system. While the functionality helps at times, it falls short at other times. That’s why third-party backup software remains important. The main advantage is that it can be fully independent of the operating system, provided that it supports backup media that…
Microsoft 365 Premium: here is what the new plan is all about
Up until very recently, home users had two options when it came to Microsoft 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based Office and storage offering: get the personal plan, for a single user, or the family plan, which allowed up to six users to use the service. Personal, the cheaper option, gave users several benefits, including access to all…
Xbox Player losing access to 15-years worth of games after hack reportedly
If you needed another reason why going fully digitally is a bad idea, here it is. X-user Squirrel Mort posted a plea for help a few days ago on the site, stating that their Xbox account got hacked, the email address replaced, and that Microsoft Security stated that they could not restore account access. The…
Why I’m not buying digital games or media, and why it will become difficult going forward
Streaming has taken the world by storm and while the current path has diverged significantly from the glorious idea of paying for a single subscription to gain access to all content there is, it is still on the rise apparently, despite the fragmentation of content and rise of ads. However, the rise of digital media…
Featured Chrome extension with millions of users caught harvesting AI interactions
Several Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions, designed to protect users online, were discovered to include AI harvesting code that captured, among other things, every AI prompt and response made in the browser it was installed in. This is the second major discovery by security researchers at KOI. In July, the company discovered 18 malicious Chrome…
Remove Windows AI takes care of all AI features in Windows 11
Microsoft continues to increase the number of AI-related features in its Windows 11 operating system. The evolution into an agentic operating system has been announced, which means that the next feature update for Windows 11 will surely introduce more AI-related features. Not all Windows users welcome the change with open arms. While there are not…
Mozilla reassures Firefox users that AI will be completely optional and include a kill-switch feature
Many makers of web browsers are evolving the browsers that they develop into AI-based browsers. How and to what degree depends much on the company or organization that is involved. From integrating options to chat with AI and basic AI features, such as getting a summary of a webpage, to agentic browsers, like Perplexity, that…
Here is what is happening at ghacks.net
If you have been to Ghacks lately you may have noticed that something is amiss. In short: Ashwin and I are no longer authors at the site. The longer picture: Softonic decided to sell Ghacks to another company. We, the authors, have not been approached by the new owner and do not really know who…
Need old Microsoft downloads? There is an archive for that!
Microsoft has accumulated a wealth of downloads over the last four decades or so. From tools and drivers to Windows versions and standalone applications. While some may not be useful anymore at this day and age, other than for a nostalgic look back at how things were back in the good old days, others are…









