Here's a pretty comprehensive article about this:

HowToGeek

There's a couple of things that jump out at me. First as a musician there's a new Screenshot function. You can clip a part of the screen and save just that. This means you're looking for the chords to something and you find them on somebody's site. It's always only part of the page, at least half of it is ads or other irrelevant stuff. Now you can just capture what you want instead of swiping it with your mouse and pasting it into a document.

The second thing is a major change to Windows Defender and how it integrates into the also radically updated Edge browser. I've posted before about what I've learned from some IT pros. They say Windows Defender is very good and if you're concerned about online security you should be on Win 10 and using Edge as your browser.

Otherwise, there's all kinds of other interesting stuff here too.

Bob

Give us a break Microsoft, I'm fed up with these updates.

Can live with the monthly ones, but come on is it now two major updates a year?

All may seem interesting stuff until your computer doesn't update correctly.

https://www.av-comparatives.org/consumer/test-results/microsoft-windows/


Larry

Time to clone the system drive.

Paj
8^)

I've said this so many times now. If these updates were a serious problem affecting millions of users Microsoft's stock would tank badly. It ain't happening guys there is no problem with these updates unless you've completely messed with your system on your own.

There are lots of people who love to mess with edgy third party apps that they install using registry hacks and other crap. Those tend to be the ones who have these problems.

As far as those AV comparisons people need to realize those differences are very subtle and small. I've talked to enough IT pros and I'm told the new Defender is plenty good enough. They like it because it's integrated with Win 10, no third party software to worry about. This is serious stuff because with a business there's liability issues if they're found responsible for a breach of a customers data. It it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

Bob

Looks like a lot of pro's to me according to that link - thanks for sharing Bob

It appears there's a hiccup: October Win 10 Update pulled for deleting files

Bob

Woops!

I heard of the update deleting some files for users, that is a bit irritating indeed.

Sometimes bugs can develop in an update, but it is more rare these days. I think we have have become a little complacent, but overall Windows 10 is the best OS they have delivered.

The one thing they have fixed and I am super appreciative about, it will no longer kick you out of certain applications to do a mandatory system update.

No longer will you be working on a project, or in my case playing a game, only to interrupted by the blue screen of death and rebirth.

Damn, here's another bug:

Update may have broken your audio

I have an Intel chip and my updates are current with no issues but still...

Bob

Today I read only those who went to update on their own (rather than Microsoft pushing the update) had the problem of deleted files.

The audio reset is something else...

I look at two places after every update: power settings, and device drivers.

Microsoft will change my power scheme so that the processor throttles and USB hubs lose power. And the ever-present HD audio driver of my monitor (that I never want) is reactivated.

Ok, so that's another reason to just let MS do it automatically and not mess with it yourself.

Funny you mentioned the HD monitor driver because that's what I'm using for now. After moving into my house I still don't have my full studio set up yet so my interface is in it's box. I'm surprised how well the monitor driver works, Biab sounds fine with no glitches but of course I have no ability to plug in something and record live.

Bob

Every few updates or so M$FT has a tendency to install the crap audio drivers/mixer that came on the integrated audio of my Dell PC.

I just had to go in and uninstall it all again and reinstate my Focusrite as the main card. No biggie, just an occasional belly ache.

Been there-done that a number of times. I wish MS would leave my settings alone!

I would settle for a Save Windows Preferences to a File option. So simple.

Nice Matt! How about M$ save our settings for us before update then re-implement them after the patch? Hehe....

That makes too much sense, doesn't it? I think the problem still is us music producer types don't account for a big enough percentage of total Windows users to matter. We can squeak all we want but our wheels just ain't big enough...

As I've said many times, we have be nerdy enough to take care of these things ourselves.

Bob

Here's something that was mentioned in the first link in this thread and it's getting closer. Windows Sandbox:

https://www.howtogeek.com/399153/windows-10s-new-sandbox-feature-is-everything-weve-always-wanted/

This is really great. All of the people who love to mess around with 3rd party software that may or may not be dodgy can use the Sandbox instead of a VM to test it first. Way cool and I can't wait for it to be released.

Bob

OK, that's pretty cool. Looking forward to trying that out.

It does look really useful and safe. I particularly like that it needs few resources and uses your existing license for Windows. Note: will work for Windows 10 Pro only (not Home).

You can try it now if you want to be in the Windows Insider Program. I don’t do that anymore; too much havoc caused by some updates for early adopters.

I'm in the same boat. I no longer participate.

Right, not worth the aggravation.

Steve, when I was teaching as a computer science prof, people expected me to be on the cutting edge. I'm still on the edge, but less willing to be cut.

Haha, great line you should put that in your sig.

Bob

Well, a sandbox is already included with a premium 360 Total Security $ 11 yearly subscription, besides a patch up tool to install ONLY the important security related updates bypassing windows update. More stuff also like a firewall, but i prefer Privatefirewall. 360TS has also an anti ransom ware tool, and a nasty URL checker. ... I can wait LoL.

nice free sandbox for browsing,

Sandboxie.com

Just right click a browser to run sandboxed.

Here's the latest from How-to Geek, this one is about the next April update will allow Win 10 to work with Linux files:

https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/windows-10-will-finally-offer-easy-access-to-linux-files/

Bob

I used to get all the latest pre-release updates, but one day my system tanked. The only solution I came up with whilst retaining my sanity, was to sign up and pay for Microsoft support. I'm not up to editing registry settings etc. Life's too short. Microsoft always do a great job and sort me out. I've just automatically picked up another year of support on the old credit card. It hurts but at least I know they'll work on it all night to fix something and bump it up the chain if it's too hard for them. I got bumped up 3 or 4 times on the big crash. Somehow I've fallen off the latest updates track... Interestingly, they said I'd have to reinstall everything and it was all there when I woke up.

This is probably what caused my issue yesterday. I did a cold restart of my computer and once restarted, BIAB (64 and 32 bit) had partially crashed. All of my RealTracks show (NA) but they load and play. The ACW will load a song but the window will not open. The audio is popping and breaking up.

I spoke with online chat today and they referred me to Tech Support but only I can leave a message for a call back at this time.


I did a full factory reset but no change.


I recall there are two programs that can be deleted and that also forces a reset but a quick search through the forum has not turned up a result that names the two files. So I came to this thread to see if there are any other suggestions...


Thanks in advance.

intrface.bbw
mysetup.DK

in /BB/Preferences (assuming BIAB 2018 or 19)

Thanks Matt. I'll give it a try tonight. I have 2019 UltraPAK +.



EDIT: Resetting those two files restored BIAB 64 and 32 back to normal. I also had to rebuild the RealTracks for each version.

Thanks a lot.

Charlie, I’m glad it worked, but I’m also puzzled. Return to Factory Settings should have done the same deletions.

I don't know Matt except that it worked. It may be a situation that physically deleting these files have worked similarly in the past. I didn't find the old posts that would have explained the circumstances they were recommended to be deleted. I'm glad I recalled there were two files that could be deleted to force a reset and even more glad you knew the files I was thinking of.

Side Note: I made a small text file with the file names and saved to My Documents if I ever need to reference them in the future.

Charlie,

You deleted "ntrface.bbw" and "mysetup.DK" from the bb/preferences subfolder to force the Band-in-a-Box program to return to factory defaults.

After you deleted the files and opened the program did the program prompt you to enter the serial number to activate Band-in-a-Box?

<<< After you deleted the files and opened the program did the program prompt you to enter the serial number to activate Band-in-a-Box? >>>

No. It didn't for either version, 64 or 32. I only had to rebuild the RealTracks in the RT Picker for each version.

It shouldn’t ask. The activation info is stored in a different place. Deleting those two files, like Return to Factory Settings, has no effect on it.

True it shouldn't ask for activation. But there also is not supposed to be a difference between deleting the two files and using the return to factory settings command. In Charlie's case there was a difference so I was wondering if there were any other differences not mentioned.

Andrew commented on this several years ago. I don’t remember the subtleties of the answer.

Charlie, since you just managed to get everything back get ready for this:

https://www.howtogeek.com/402569/everything-new-in-windows-10s-april-2019-update/

The delayed April update is now ready to go. I still don't know if these updates are really the cause for some of these problems or not. All I can say is I use Biab regularly with never a problem. However, an update a few weeks ago may have caused the forum login issue for me. Or, it's those pesky UFO's the Navy has been chasing...

Bob

Bob,

While reviewing the link you so kindly posted concerning the May, 2019 update, I ran across this interesting tidbit:

Nice to know Microsoft is thinking about musicians as well as gamers!

Thanks. It's the first issue I've ever had and all I did was cold restart my computer.

Nice catch Jim, I didn't see that! That's very cool.

Bob