Category: Software

Windows 11 Settings Homepage

How to hide the Windows 11 Settings Home page

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft introduced the Settings app in 2015 as a replacement for the Control Panel. The Control Panel is still available, but Microsoft moved some of its features to Settings in the years that followed.

A recent addition is the Settings Home page. It is the new start page of the Settings app and lists a number of custom information and options to the user.

Apart from the name of the device and the Internet connection status, it also lists Windows Update information, recommended settings, personalization options and options linked to a Microsoft account.

Not all users need the homepage. Those who prefer to use the Settings app without it can hide in using two different methods. This restores the classic Windows 11 Settings startpage, which is System.

The first makes the change in the Group Policy Editor. Please note that this tool is only available in Pro, Education, Enterprise and Workstation editions of Windows 11. In other words, in all Windows 11 editions except for Windows 11 Home.

Microsoft launched Windows 11 version 23H2 and the Moment 4 update for Windows 11 recently.

Hide the Settings Home page in Windows 11 using the Group Policy Editor

Hie the Settings home page in Windows 11

The Group Policy Editor is a widely used tool to configure the operating system for specific or all users. It includes a policy to hide pages in Settings.

Note: it is recommended to back up the PC before you edit the Registry. You should not run into any issues if you follow the guide exactly, but backups are a good precaution nevertheless.

Here is a step-by-step guide to hide the homepage in Settings:

  1. Open the Start Menu, type gpedit.msc and select Edit Group Policy from the search results. This opens the Group Policy Editor.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel.
  3. Double-click on Settings Page Visibility to display the configuration window for that policy.
  4. Set the status to Enabled.
  5. Type hide:home in the Settings Page Visibility box.
  6. Select OK to apply the change.
  7. Restart the PC.

The home link is no longer visible in Settings after the restart. Windows 11 opens the System page in Settings from now on.

Remove the Home page in Settings using the Registry

Windows 11 Registry hack to hide home

Every Group Policy setting is matched in the Registry. Home administrators may make the same configuration change in the Registry to hide the Settings home page.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type Regedit and select the Registry Editor result.
  2. Confirm the UAC security prompt.
  3. Paste the following URL into the address field in Registry Editor: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  4. Right-click on Explorer (left sidebar) and select New > String Value.
  5. Name it SettingsPageVisibility.
  6. Double-click on the new entry and type hide:home.
  7. Select OK to apply the change.
  8. Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC.

Closing Words

Windows 11 users who prefer the classic experience may use the instructions above to restore it. Those who don’t mind or prefer the new Settings home don’t have to do anything, as this is the new default experience.

Now You: home or not, what is your take on the new homepage?

Update installation

Control Optional Windows Updates with Group Policy

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Optional Windows Updates fly under the radar on many Home systems. They come as different types. The most common is the monthly non-security preview update for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

There are other optional updates, e.g., bug fixes, other non-security updates and also improvements.

Up until recently, administrators had to search for optional updates manually on Windows to install them. This changed with the introduction of a new setting in Windows Updates.

Administrators who open Settings > Windows Update on Windows 11 see the “Get updates as soon as they’re available” option there. The same option is also available on Windows 10.

Windows Update Settings about optional updates

Microsoft explains on this Help page that the setting allows users to get “the latest non-security and feature updates as soon as they become available”. The caveat; Microsoft says that this only applies if the update becomes available for the device.

In other words: while it ensures that the update is installed when it becomes available, it still leaves it to Microsoft when that happens.

The following happens when the functionality is enabled in Settings. The device “will be among the first to get the latest non-security updates, fixes, improvements, and enhancements” says Microsoft. The setting does not affect security updates, which will still be pushed to devices, even if set to Off.

The “check for updates” button of Windows Updates also downloads and installs the most recent updates for the device.

The Group Policy gives administrators more control over the functionality.

Optional Windows Updates Group Policy configuration

Optional Windows Updates

Administrators may use the Enable Optional Updates policy to control the installation of these updates on managed devices.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type gpedit.msc and select the Edit Group Policy from the results. This launches the program.
  2. Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates >B Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update > Enable optional updates.
  3. Set the policy to Enabled to configure the delivery of optional options. Set it to Disabled to turn off the optional updates delivery on the device.

A menu lists the three configuration options when Enabled is selected.

  • Automatically receive optional updates (including CFRs) — This installs the latest optional updates on the device. It includes Controlled Feature Rollouts and optional cumulative updates.
  • Automatically receive optional updates — Same as above, but without Controlled Feature Rollouts.
  • User scan select which optional updates to receive — The user is in control via Windows Updates in Settings.

Notes on optional updates and their delivery

At least some optional updates need to be considered beta. This is true for the optional non-security updates that Microsoft releases about two weeks before their inclusion in the regular cumulative updates for the operating system.

Most Windows users may want to skip the installation of optional updates, especially on production machines.

It is also a good idea to create backups regularly, not Windows Backup though, as it doesn’t include all data. Windows includes some restoration functionality, but it has failed for some users in the past.

Closing Words

Administrators may want to disable Optional Windows Updates on most managed devices to limit potential issues that could arise from the installation. Home users may also want to block these for the most part. There is still the option to activate the “check for updates” button, if you read about a new update that you want to install.

Now You: how do you handle optional updates?

Microsoft confirms that the new Outlook may be transferring third-party logins

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The new Outlook app by Microsoft will replace the apps Mail and Calendar on Windows, and the classic Outlook desktop app in the future. This app may transfer email login information to Microsoft Cloud servers, if users use IMAP or SMTP accounts. This happens only if the sync feature is enabled according to Microsoft.

Put plainly; email account logins and passwords are transferred to Microsoft if users set up third-party email accounts via SMTP or IMAP in Outlook and if syncing is enabled.

Microsoft’s statement

Microsoft explained in a statement to Heise Online that the synchronization of emails delivers a consistent user experience for all accounts added in Microsoft Outlook. One such feature is the ability to mark emails as read or unread.

Users of Outlook are informed about the features in a support article. What Microsoft fails to mention to Heise and also in the support article is that it is transferring and storing login information when sync is enabled.

Microsoft confirmed that it is storing access data of IMAP providers that use the BasicAuth method in encrypted form in the user’s mailbox. Basic Authentication is a method that HTTP user agents use to provide username and password when requests are made. It is considered insecure, but still widely used.

This means, nevertheless, that Microsoft is storing the login information using encryption for these type of accounts.

Email providers that use newer standards, OAuth for instance, are handled different. Login information of providers like Gmail or Yahoo Mail are not stored by Microsoft. Microsoft has no access to the password of the account according to the statement.

The OAuth token used for authentication is only accessible by the user and the Microsoft service that communicates with the target servers.

While Microsoft may not have access to the account password, it still owns the infrastructure that has access to the OAuth token. Heise comes to the same conclusion. Microsoft has access to authentication data that it can use, and uses, to access email accounts.

Microsoft’s Syncing notification

Microsoft informs users of Outlook about the synchronization functionality, but the notification does not reveal that access data is transferred when sync is enabled and certain email accounts are added.

Outlook users need to enable the synchronization before it becomes available. Each third-party account added in the Outlook app can be synchronized or not. Microsoft says that users need to accept the syncing with the Microsoft Cloud each time a third-party account is added.

Still, there is no clear information that account data is transferred to Microsoft when users enable the synchronization.

Microsoft states furthermore that it stores the account data for as long as the email client is used actively by the user. The Account Lifecycle Process determines when inactive account data is deleted.

Outlook users may delete the data when they delete their account and select the option to remove the data from all devices.

Closing Words

The new Outlook app is a work in progress and most users may want to stay away from it at least for now. It needs to mature and the fact that Microsoft is gaining access to account access data, at least in theory, is the icing on the cake.

Alternatives like the open source Thunderbird email client respect user data and are without doubt the better option, at least for now.

Microsoft released the Moment 4 update for Windows 11 again?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft released security updates for all supported client versions of Windows yesterday. Only three non-Enterprise versions are supported right now: Windows 10 version 22H2, Windows 11 version 22H2 and the new Windows 11 version 23H2.

A quick check of KB5032190, the update for both Windows 11 versions, reveals, that it includes the Moment 4 features. Microsoft lists Copilot, Windows Spotlight, security and graphics changes on the support page.

If you follow releases of Microsoft updates, you may wonder why Microsoft highlights the update again here. Did not Microsoft release the Moment 4 update already in October 2023?

The chronology of the Moment 4 update for Windows 11

Microsoft announced in September 2023 that it would launch the Moment 4 update for Windows 11 on September 26, 2023. This was the first release of the update for the operating system.

At the time, it was part of the September 2023 preview update for Windows 11. Only users who installed the update manually or configured their devices to install optional updates automatically received it at the time.

Then came the October 2023 Patch Day update. Microsoft used the cumulative update for Windows 11 to deliver the Moment 4 update to Windows 11 devices.

The release of the preview update of the November 2023 security update included the Moment 4 update again.

Yesterday’s release of the November 2023 update for Windows 11 listed the features of the Moment 4 update again on the release notes page.

One has to wonder why the update is highlighted this often by Microsoft.

An explanation attempt

Microsoft did not post a news article or comment on this specifically. Clearly, most would have expected two announcements about the Moment 4 update integration in Windows 11.

First about the integration of the update in the preview update for the operating system, and second about the full integration for all users.

The repeat performance is puzzling. Martin Geuß over at the German site Dr. Windows suggests that it has something to do with Microsoft’s staged rollout approach to updates.

Many features are not enabled for all users at the same time. Microsoft controls features on the server side. It is an explanation that makes sense. Microsoft did not enable Moment 4 on all devices when it released the update in October 2023.

We don’t even know if the November 2023 announcement is the final one for the update.

This topic may not be of interest to average users of Windows. They don’t follow Microsoft announcements or have an interest in updates most of the time, unless they go wrong.

Users and admins interested in new features and when these features are introduced on their devices are, however. Many want to play around with features early or know exactly when something becomes available.

Microsoft’s recent approach to staged rollouts of features makes this nearly impossible.

Now You: what is your take on this development?

Windows 11’s Archive extraction and creation feature is useful, but slow

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft added support for creating and extracting ZIP archives into its Windows operating system. The Moment 4 update and the Windows 11 version 23H2 update introduced support for extracting additional formats, including RAR, TAR and 7Z.

The archive functionality is certainly a useful feature. Right-click on an archive and select the extract option to decompress it right away. Third-party tools are no longer required.

You may also right-click on files to create ZIP archives out of the selection. It is a handy feature, especially for users who encounter ZIP only occasionally.

Experienced users may have noticed that the implementation is basic. It lacks support for advanced features, especially on the creation side. You can’t create password protected archives, change the compression level or add comments to archives. All of this continues to require dedicated archive apps such as WinRAR, 7-Zip or PeaZip.

A comparison of the time that it takes to extract archives shows, furthermore, that the built-in feature is slower in most cases.

Windows 11: native archive extraction tests

I ran several benchmarking tests to find out if Windows 11’s native archive extraction feature is slower than that of third-party apps.

I ran all extraction jobs 5 times and used the average for the comparison. The first file was an 18.6 gigabyte ZIP archive with 1205 files.

It took Windows 11’s native feature an average of 6.28 minutes to extract the contents of the file on a 2019 idle PC.

WinRAR, which focuses primarily on its own format RAR, extracted the archive on average in 3.51 minutes, which is is more than a third faster.

The open source tool 7-Zip extracted the archive’s content on average in 3.15 minutes, which is almost half the time it took Windows 11’s native implementation to extract the archive.

What about the extraction of RAR archives? I used WinRAR to create a RAR archive out of the extracted ZIP archive and ran the same test again to see how the performance is. The RAR archive had a size of 18.8 GB and the same number of included files.

It took Windows 11’s native RAR extraction feature an average of 5.39 minutes to extract the archive to the system.

WinRAR extracted the same RAR archive in 2.54 minutes on average. 7-Zip was just a few seconds slower, as it took an average of 3.05 minutes to decompress the RAR archive.

Windows 11: compressing ZIP archives comparison

Current stable versions of Windows 11 support the creation of ZIP archives only. This changes in the future.

This time, I picked a a folder with 5307 files and a total size of 2.41 gigabytes . The native ZIP creation feature of Windows 11 created the ZIP archive in 2.29 minutes on average. WinRAR managed to create the archive in 1.28 minutes. 7-Zip flew through the creation of the archive. It took an average of 45 seconds to create it. Both apps have a different native format.

Closing Words

The native integration of support for extracting archive formats and creating some archives is a useful addition to Windows. While that is the case, it is clear that the implementation is not up-to-par with dedicated software.

Users who extract or create archives regularly may want to use third-party solutions for that. It is likely that most of them are faster than the native implementation.

Now You: do you use third-party software to create and extract archives?

O&O AppBuster: uninstall locked Windows apps

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

O&O AppBuster is a free application by O&O Software GMBH. The program enables Windows 10 and 11 users to uninstall apps that Microsoft does not want users to remove from the system.

While some apps are critical components of Windows, the same can’t be said for all locked apps. Apps like Photos, Phone Link, Game Bar or Tips can’t be uninstalled from the Settings app.

PowerShell has long been the primary option to remove locked apps on Windows 10 and 11. It is a great option for system administrators and experienced users. You may check out my guide on uninstall the Photos app on Windows 11 as an example.

Regular Windows users may not feel comfortable enough running commands from PowerShell.

O&O AppBuster comes to the rescue. It has an easy-to-use interface to remove locked apps. Other features include mass removal of apps, including third-party apps, and more.

Tip: check out our review of O&O ShutUp10++ as well. This free program may improve your privacy.

O&O AppBuster: an overview

O&O AppBuster interface

You can run the application right after the download. An installation is not required. The application has a clean interface that lists all installed apps and programs immediately.

The program lists all applications with their name and publisher, installation date, status, storage and also the number of users it is available for. A click on a column header at the top allows users to sort the list accordingly.

This is a handy option to sort by installation date or storage.

The Desktop and Windows tabs at the top lead to filtered listings:

  • Desktop lists all user-installed programs.
  • Windows lists all native apps and Store-installed apps.

A search allows users to find specific apps next to these. The search matches the name and publisher, which is an excellent option to quickly find multiple apps.

Using the program to remove Windows apps

Remove Windows 10 and 11 apps

One of the main applications of O&O AppBuster is the removal of native Windows apps. While Microsoft is making progress in this regard, by unlocking more apps for removal, it continues to lock some.

It is a welcome change of course, but slow-paced and not complete. O&O AppBuster supports other features that make it a good choice. First, by supporting mass uninstalls. Second, through an optional safety feature that relies on System Restore.

Here are the required steps to remove native Windows apps:

  1. Select Actions > Create a System Restore point to create a restore option.
  2. Pick “yes” when asked whether you want to create a system restore point.
  3. Switch to the Windows tab in the program interface.
  4. Check any of the apps that you want to remove.
  5. Activate the “Remove” button once done.
  6. O&O AppBuster displays a prompt immediately afterwards with three options:
    • Current user — removes the app(s) only for the logged in user
    • All users — removes the app(s) for all users that exist consequently.
    • Computer — removes the apps from the entire machine.
  7. Select yes after you have made the selection.
  8. At this instant, O&O may display a prompt to create a system restore point. This happens only if you have not created one previously.
  9. Select Close to complete the removal.

Other features of O&O AppBuster

The program supports a number of other features furthermore. While the main focus is on the removal of Windows apps, it may also be used for other purposes.

You can use it to uninstall Win32 programs. This works a bit differently as the default uninstaller is spawned each time.

You need to be careful here, as some installers may prompt for a reboot.

Mass removal of apps and programs is a useful feature of the program. Just select all of them and hit the remove action afterwards.

Closing Words

O&O AppBuster is a useful program for Windows. It offers an elegant option to remove system apps from Windows as well as regular desktop programs.

Integration of System Restore ensures that you can go back to a previous state. Mass uninstalls is another useful feature, as it speeds up the process significantly.

Now You: do you keep or remove native Windows apps on your devices?

You may soon create 7-zip and Tar archives in Windows 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft is working on adding support for creating 7-zip and Tar archives in Windows 11. The feature is in testing in the latest Canary build of Windows 11.

Microsoft expanded support for different archive types in its Windows 11 operating system in 2023. Previously, Windows users could only extract ZIP archives or compress files using Zip.

An update added extract support for formats such as Rar, Tar or 7z, but not support for creating archives other than Zip. The Moment 4 update for Windows 11 version 22H2 added several features, including Windows Copilot.

All features were included in the 2023 feature update for Windows 11, Windows 11 version 23H2.

Compressing and unpacking files in Windows 11

It is actually pretty easy to use the functionality. Right-click on a supported archive and you get the option to extract its contents on the device.

A right-click on any file displays the “compress to Zip file” option currently, even if the selection is already an archive.

As is the case with many native Windows features and tools, they are somewhat limited. While you can create archives, you don’t get options to configure advanced options.

There is no option to password protect files, change dictionary sizes, create recovery files or change the compression level. Similarly, extracting files is limited to selecting a target location.

Another issue that users of third-party archivers may have noticed when using the native extraction and compression functionality is that the performance is slower. It takes longer to extract files and also longer to compress them.

This may not be a problem for many Windows 11 users. If you use the functionality once or twice a week, you may not have a problem with its performance.

It is convenient after all that the functionality is baked in.

Creating Tar and 7z archives

compress to in Windows 11

The latest Windows 11 Canary build introduces support for creating Tar and 7z archives. Microsoft revealed the new functionality in the official release notes:

[ADDED] We’ve added support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives in addition to ZIP.

Microsoft changed the “Compress to Zip file” in File Explorer to “Compress to”. Selecting this option displays all supported formats: Zip file, 7z file and Tar file.

These work identical. Select the desired format and then wait for Windows to create the archive in the same directory.

Rar support is missing, notably, from the list of supported formats. Microsoft did not mention why it did not add support for the format.

Microsoft uses the open source libarchive for the functionality. This library does not support rar writes, which may explain the absence.

Closing Words

Microsoft is making the handling of archive formats comfortable on Windows 11. Users may now extract lots of formats without installing third-party software. Support for compressing files to 7z and Tar is also a welcome addition.

The functionality won’t keep advanced users from installing and using third-party apps. These offer better functionality and performance. Also, support for formats is still limited in comparison.

Is security a problem? More users may find the option to extract archives, which may tempt malicious actors to spread malware using archive formats.

It is a possibility and it will be interesting to see how Microsoft will react to potential threats.

Now You: native or third-party, how do you like your compression software?

BleachBit Review: free up disk space by deleting temp files

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

BleachBit is a free program for Microsoft Windows and Linux devices that helps users delete temporary files to free up disk space. Often compared to CCleaner, BleachBit has not gone down the route of commercialization.

The program is free and does not contain locked tools that need to be unlocked with a purchase. Users on Windows may download and run a portable version, if they prefer that.

BleachBit serves several purposes: from freeing up disk space to removing traces of files for privacy.

This review looks at the features and functionality, but also how the software compares to CCleaner, which is still the most popular cleaner on Windows.

BleachBit: the interface

BleachBit interface

BleachBit’s interface is streamlined. The app may take a moment to load. Once loaded, it displays supported cleaning locations in a sidebar on the left. This includes, usually, one or more web browsers, the operating system and some other apps.

A click on an entry expands the selection. You can select any category or entry to get a description; useful, in case you are unsure if you should delete found data.

Selecting an entire category may sometimes include sensitive or important information. When you select a browser, BleachBit informs you that passwords may also be removed. The option to ignore certain data types is provided.

One useful feature of BleachBit is its preview option. Select preview to check the selected locations for temporary files without running any cleanup operations. BleachBit returns the number of files and the disk space that it will free when you run it for real.

All files are listed by the app, which can be intimidating at first. A click on clean deletes the selected files and frees up the disk space.

BleachBit features

BleachBit Review: preferences

BleachBit’s main focus is web browsers, the operating system, and several core apps, e.g., Windows Defender or Explorer on Windows.

Before you run the program, you may want to open the Settings with a click on the BleachBit icon and the selection of preferences. There, you find several interesting options:

  • Enable overwriting file contents to prevent recovery.
  • Disable confirmations before deleting.
  • Disable Dark Mode.
  • Download and use community cleaners using winapp2.ini. Note that you need to restart the application to include the extra cleaners.
  • Add custom cleanup files or folders.
  • Whitelist files or folders to avoid deletions.

It is highly recommended to enable the winapp2.ini option, as it extends BleachBit significantly.

A click on the BleachBit icon displays additional options. These include options to delete files or folders permanently, wipe free disk space, and to display system information.

Comparison to CCleaner

BleachBit lacks many of the extra tools that Avast added to CCleaner. While some users may miss those options, others may like the program’s focus on cleaning. With winapp2.ini loaded, BleachBit does not have to hide behind CCleaner when it comes to the cleaning part.

Free users especially may like the approach, as they won’t run into “please upgrade to use this tool” messages when they use the application.

To sum it up, if you are just interested in the cleaning bits, then you may prefer BleachBit because of its lack of fluff.

Closing Words

BleachBit is a useful tool to delete temporary files on supported operating systems. Its effectiveness increases with the addition of additional cleaners, but it does get more complex at the same time.

Still, if you want to delete temp files quickly, BleachBit is an excellent option for that job.

Now You: do you use a cleaner?

RSS Guard: open source RSS Reader review

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

RSS Guard is may RSS reader of choice. I have used quite a few RSS readers in the past decades: from Google Reader and FeedDemon to QuiteRSS, to name just a few major ones.

I like QuiteRSS, but development has more or less ceased. RSS Guard is an open source RSS reader that comes with an impressive list of features and options. The program does have a few quirks, but it is probably only a matter of time before these are sorted out by the developer.

You may download RSS Guard from the project’s GitHub repository. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux devices.

Initial Setup

RSS Guard

You can import a list of RSS feeds into RSS Guard. It is a straightforward process. The program separates Accounts from Feeds.

  • Accounts — RSS feeds are supported as well as other types, including Feedly, Nextcloud News or Tiny Tiny RSS.
  • Feeds — individual RSS feeds, can also be podcasts and any other type of service that uses RSS / RDF / ATOM / JSON.

To get started, it is necessary to create an Account first. Select RSS when prompted. From there, you may add RSS feeds manually or by importing them.

RSS Guard supports multiple accounts, which you may utilize to separate feeds from one another.

The application displays feeds sorted by accounts and folders in a sidebar on the left side. You can drag & drop feeds around, and create folders to separate content. Apart from

Each feed is listed with its name and the number of unread items. A click on a feed or folder displays all feeds on the right side.

The feeds listing displays article titles, read status, author, date of publication and other information. Right-click on a column to get the list of supported data columns. Note that it depends on the feed if these are supported.

Settings

Select Tools > Settings to open the preference You find quite a few options of interest there. Here is a short selection of settings that I find useful:

  • User Interface — switch between dark and light mode, different icon themes and styles.
  • Notifications — enable or disable them, or modify their location and style.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts — check all existing shortcuts and add new mappings, e.g. for adding new feeds or categories.
  • Feeds & Articles — set feed fetching and automatic feed checking intervals, modify the appearance of the feed and articles list.

Other options include changing the size of fonts or configuring external web browsers for opening content.

Using RSS Guard

Usage is very simple once you have set up everything. My instance checks for updates automatically when I start it. Unread articles are highlighted in the interface and it is easy enough to browse them to check what is new.

Articles that you select are marked read. You may use the integrated labels feature to mark certain articles.

Left-clicking on an item opens it in the internal viewer. You may switch to the external viewer by right-clicking on items and selecting the option. An option to always open hyperlinks in an external browser is available in the options. A double-click may, for example, launch the article in the default system browser automatically.

There is also a Newspaper View, which displays new articles chronologically.

RSS Guard quirks

While I like RSS Guard for the most part, it does have a few issues. You may notice, for instance, that you can’t manage RSS feeds when the program checks for updates.

A click on the stop button breaks the process, so that you may add, edit or remove feeds.

Another issue is that updating feeds may be slow. It depends largely on the processor. Either, updates blaze through in a matter of seconds, or, it seemingly takes minutes to check all feeds for updates.

Another option that is missing is the ability to save searches. A search, say for Windows 11 or Steam, would return all matching feed items.

Last but not least, syncing is not as straightforward as it could be. While select online services are supported, there is no direct option to sync feeds across devices.

Verdict

RSS Guard is a mighty open source RSS Reader. It is a useful tool to stay up to date almost effortlessly. It feels a bit clunky here and there, and it has some quirks.

Still, it is an excellent program that helps me stay up to date throughout the day without having to visit hundreds of sites manually to do so.

Now You: which RSS feed reader do you use?

About Samsung’s Temporary Cloud Backup

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Temporary Cloud Backup is a new service by Samsung. It is rolling out to Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets with One UI 6 or later.

The backup solution looks like many other cloud-based backup services on first glance. Samsung users may use it to back up data on cloud servers. What makes this different is that the storage is temporary.

The data is stored for up to 30 days in the cloud. Samsung claims that there are not any storage size restrictions. The only limitation, in fact, is that individual files may not be larger than 100 Gigabytes, which most users should not run into.

All the backing up and transferring happens on the user’s device. A second device, for instance a PC, is not required.

The backup feature is ideal for securing data before handing devices over to others, for instance for repairs.

The idea behind the feature

Samsung explains that the service is ideal for securing data before replacements or repairs. Devices that need to be repaired are often inaccessible for a period of time.

If they need to be send in, there is a slim but existing chance that the package gets lost during transit.

Temporary Cloud Backup is integrated into Maintenance Mode. Samsung introduced Maintenance Mode in the Samsung Galaxy S22. It protects personal data and information when activated.

When users activate the mode, a separate user account is created that others may access when repairing Samsung devices. Samsung users find the mode under Settings > Battery and Device Care > Maintenance Mode.

Samsung explains:

Maintenance mode protects your privacy while someone else is using your phone, such as when you’re sending it for repairs.

Personal data, including a user’s photos, documents and messages, is restricted in Maintenance Mode. User-installed apps become unavailable as well. While apps may be downloaded and installed in the mode, they are removed from the device along with any “data or accounts” when the owner of the device exits Maintenance Mode.

Temporary Cloud Backup complements Maintenance Mode. It pushes a backup of the user’s personal data to the Samsung cloud. From there, it can be retrieved at any time during the 30-day period.

Temporary Cloud Backup

Temporary Cloud Backup by Samsung

The new backup feature serves several purposes. Repair and maintenance are two of the main applications, but it is also helpful for new devices.

The integrated Setup Wizard of Samsung devices includes an option to restore data backed up at Samsung’s Cloud using the temporary backup feature. Users may use it to move their files between devices.

The feature is attached to Maintenance Mode and the device’s Reset function.

The backup app displays the available options. These include backing up apps, calls and contacts, messages, secure folder data, settings and more.

The process requires an active wireless connection. Samsung’s device displays the transfer progress during the operation.

Samsung informs owners of the data before the 30-day limit is reached. This should give them enough time to restore the data before it is deleted automatically.

Closing Words

The full rollout is starting this fall for all Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets with One UI 6. The first devices will be the Galaxy S and Z series in Korea.

Temporary Cloud Backup and Maintenance Mode are two useful features. Maintenance Mode blocks access to personal data during repairs and maintenance operations. Cloud backup saves the data so that it can be restored at a later point; this is also useful when sending in devices.

Now You: how do you handle data on your devices during repairs?