BRUCEB NEWS
Security Tip: Use Authy For Two-Factor Authentication
I want to talk to you about two-factor authentication and why you should use Authy to generate codes on your phone. Oh, come on! Don’t give me that look. I know you don’t want to think about this stuff. It’s roughly like having an insurance salesperson look you in the…
How To Get Rid Of The “Microsoft Account Problem” Notification
If you get a notification that you have a “Microsoft account problem,” you don’t have a problem and you don’t have to fix anything. You haven’t been hacked and you don’t have a virus. Microsoft is testing your patience. (Update 09/2020: Try the tips in this article…
Google, Antitrust, And Zero-Click Searches
When you search for the phone number for Bruceb Consulting, Google shows the phone number. Does that seem obvious? It’s a relatively recent change. Google only began serious efforts to provide One True Answer to search queries a few years ago. It completely changes…
Windows 10 Tip: Dress Up Your Desktop With A Theme
Microsoft has gorgeous collections of photos that you can use for free as your Windows wallpaper. A typical theme rotates through ten or fifteen photos; when you get bored, it’s easy to switch to another theme with new pictures. I’ll tell you where to get the…
Acronyms You Should Know: TL;DR
Too Long. Didn’t Read. You’ve seen it in Bruceb News articles. If you’re over 35, you probably thought it was a mistake. Au contrariwise! I don’t make mistakes. Sometimes, though, I slip into dope slang lingo because I’m so damn hip. Wikipedia’s definition: “Too long;…
How To Stop Microsoft Teams From Starting Automatically
Last month Microsoft rolled out an update to some Office 365 business subscriptions that for the first time includes the app for Microsoft Teams. Some of you are seeing the Teams startup screen every time the computer starts. If you don’t use Teams, the unwanted…
Your Office 365 Mailbox Is Not Backed Up (But It’s . . . Wait, Is That Okay?)
If your small or midsize business uses Office 365, there is probably no backup of your mailboxes. A backup – long-term retention of a copy of your mailbox in a separate place – requires a third-party service at startling expense. It’s starting to be a problem that…
Your Backup Program Is Not Backing Up OneDrive Files (But It’s Okay!)
Backups are hard. I have a story to tell you about why your backup program is not backing up OneDrive files – but don’t panic! This is just a public service announcement that may help you someday if you understand what’s going on behind the scenes. If you have files…
Save Screenshots With Snip & Sketch
The latest update to Windows 10 version 1903 includes Snip & Sketch, an update to the venerable Snipping Tool that has been part of Windows since Vista in 2007. The new app makes me smile because it’s the quintessential Microsoft experience: it has unnecessary…
Best Practices To Secure Office 365 Global Admin Accounts
Business Office 365 accounts have at least one global administrator with godlike power over everyone’s business accounts and mailboxes. In our dangerous world, businesses have to protect that account fiercely. I could make a good argument that online security is more…