Microsoft has announced the removal of the Windows 10 1809 release following numerous complaints about user files being deleted. Here's what to do if you've already begun an install.

Microsoft's big October update for Windows 10 is here. If Microsoft hasn't rolled it out to your Windows machine yet, you can force a manual update by simply clicking on your Start button, typing in the word "check," and selecting the "check for updates" option. Click on the grey "Check for updates" box under Windows Update, and it should appear.

We are scratching our collective heads as to how the Windows 10 October Update ever made it past Microsoft’s QA teams. According to numerous reports, something about the update could delete the contents of your Windows 10 user folders — you know, your documents, photos, music, videos and so on.

Microsoft is rolling out the October 2018 Update to Windows 10 users now, and with it comes a ton of new features. Microsoft releases these updates twice a year, and they're packed with too many new features and changes in one place - especially when most of them probably won't be noticed by the majority of PC users.

So, here's a list of new Windows 10 features that might have the most impact for users on a day-to-day basis. And, hey, maybe you'll learn something new that you can incorporate into your daily routine. (Personally, I'll be making an effort to use Timeline and the new Cloud Clipboard more often.)

Microsoft's newest release for Windows 10 - version 1809 - sports a range of noteworthy improvements to the OS, including a dark theme for File Explorer, a clipboard you can synchronise between devices, a new-and-improved tab bar, a screenshot capturing tool and an updated Game Bar featuring an FPS counter.

However, the biggest improvement is arguably the introduction of Your Phone - a new baked-in app that links your PC and Android devices together. Among other things, this allows you to send text messages straight from your PC without even glancing at your phone. Here are the details.

You may have noticed that Microsoft began rolling out a new version of Microsoft Office early this week. That means that there are now three versions of Microsoft Office out in the wild — Office 2016, Office 365 and the brand-new Office 2019.

Since the late 1980s, when the mouse became the main way people invoked actions from the applications they use, the art of the keyboard shortcut has slowly disappeared. I started using a PC in the time when a pointing device was an expensive option on laptops. So, I became pretty adept at using keyboard shortcuts. But it turns out the creators of our software still include them even though we are more likely to use a touchpad, mouse or touchscreen these days. What are some of the lesser known keyboard shortcuts you can use with Windows?

Say what you will about Microsoft, it does a good job when it comes to system maintenance tools. Sure, apps like Check Disk and Defrag might be bare-bones, but they get the job done. Disk Cleanup is easily the best of bunch, reclaiming space even dedicated third-party programs can't. Now, Microsoft is putting DC out to pasture, in favour of something new.

Windows 10 is reportedly going to start warning users when installing a non-Edge browser. Beta testers are currently getting an early look at Microsoft’s upcoming October 2018 Windows Update, and some have noticed a rather annoying new inclusion.

There are so many Windows apps out there, that picking a list of the very best, most must-install software for your desktop or laptop feels daunting. We've pored over pages of recommendations, countless forum posts, and lots of comments to come up with this year's Lifehacker Pack for Windows, a list of software champions across four categories: productivity, internet/communications, music/photos/video and utilities.

So you're trying to choose between a Windows PC or an Apple Mac. Or, maybe, you're just curious to see what a Mac can do better than a Windows PC.

Perhaps receiving a kick in the pants from Apple with its new dark theme for macOS, Microsoft has added its own take for Windows 10's File Explorer, as part of a recent Insider build.

Nothing kills typos faster than predictive text. Just think of how often you go about your day, texting away, using your smartphone's built-in capabilities to predict the big words you're trying to type before you finish them. If you're good, you can compose a decent thought without ever hitting an actual letter. So, why can't you do this on your PC, too?

Not everyone needs the most powerful and feature-rich computer available. Sometimes, all that's needed is a basic, inexpensive system that fills a very specific need. And it turns out, there are lots of options on the market for under $500. Here are a few of the best deals around.

It's been a long, long time since we talked about the Windows app Sizer, recently rewritten to be more compatible with Windows 10 apps. It's almost embarrassing given the usefulness of this little utility. With the press of a few keyboard buttons, you can reconfigure the size of apps on your screen to any dimensions you want, giving you even more control over how your apps appear than Windows 10's default commands.

Windows: When Microsoft debuted its new “Timeline” feature in the Windows 10 April 2018 update, I was a bit bummed to find that this feature — which you can use to see what you were up to on any given day — isn’t very helpful unless you’re using the Edge browser.

With Windows 10, Microsoft has slowly been working towards a more streamlined way of sending updates to users (when it's not forcing them down your throat). To this end, by February 2019, "express" patches will be the dominant update method.

Microsoft's concept of universal apps that run seamlessly across computers, tablets, and phones are a hallmark of the company's newest operating system. The problem is most people don't know which apps they should be using. With the Windows App Store growing all the time, there are plenty of ways to try out the new feature. Here are the best Windows 10 universal apps that are actually worth installing on your desktop.

For some reason, Microsoft made it harder to track down Device Manager in Windows 10. Fortunately, you don't need to hunt through a bunch of menus to find it — Microsoft was nice enough to add other ways to access everyone's favourite (and former) Control Panel item.