Microsoft updates Windows 7 just 2 weeks after support ended

Microsoft has backtracked and released a fresh update for Windows 7, just a fortnight after it ended support for the operating system.

It took the decision after users reported a problem with its final update (codenamed KB4534310), which was released on 14 January, the day support ended. Users complained on online forums that the update was causing their desktop wallpaper to appear black when the Stretch option was selected. This option forces the wallpaper to fill the whole PC screen.

At first, Microsoft said it would release the fix only to people and organisations that have paid for extended support. But the company quickly changed its mind following a fierce backlash from users, saying “all customers running Windows 7” will now get the update.

Microsoft said the problem can also be fixed by changing the wallpaper setting from Stretch to Fill, Fit, Tile or Centre. To do this, right-click your desktop and select Personalise. Next, click Desktop Background and choose an option other than Stretch (see screenshot).

Microsoft has previously released fixes for versions of Windows that have come to the end of their life, but they’ve normally been for problems with serious security repercussions.

In 2017, for example, it updated Windows XP to fix a file-sharing flaw that was being exploited by the devastating Wannacry ransomware. Two years later Microsoft released a further XP update to fix a flaw that it said hackers could have used to spread malware as destructive as Wannacry.

Windows 10 update unfreezes File Explorer

In another update, Microsoft has fixed problems in Windows 10 caused by last year’s November 2019 Update (version 1909). These include

File Explorer freezing when you typed in the search box, which Microsoft added to Windows to make it easier to find files on your computer.

The update (codenamed KB4532695) also brings back right-clicking to the search box, meaning you can copy and paste text – though you may have to left-click first to activate this function. This was available in previous versions of Windows 10. Its omission from the November 2019 Update had infuriated many users.

To download the update, open Settings (Windows key+i), then click ‘Update and Security’, followed by Windows Update on the left. On the next page you’ll either see a Download button to install new updates, or a message at the top saying you’re up to date.

Visit Microsoft’s ‘Windows support’ website for a full list of fixes: www.snipca. com/33962.