New Microsoft tools added to report spam Windows Store reviews

There are always plenty of reviews when you are browsing the Windows Store, but many of them are spam or irrelevant reviews that are distracting and do not add to the conversation. Microsoft has now decided to try and resolve this issue and make life easier for developers to report these problematic reviews.

WinBeta reported that developers can now report dubious reviews to the Windows Store support team. Any offending reviews can then be removed if they are in violation of store policies. There is also new anti-spam tech in place that will “detect and remove a large majority of the spam reviews.”

In addition, developers can now reply to reviewer’s comments directly, which is a feature that Microsoft added in 2014, WinBeta also noted.

If the two measures are implemented properly, it should make a huge difference when it comes to controlling Windows Store spam, meaning that reviews will be more useful for users who actually want to figure out whether an app is worth buying or downloading.

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No more Microsoft support for Windows 7

Microsoft has now stopped its mainstream support for the popular Windows 7 operating system. As from 13^th January, this withdrawal of this service came into play nine months after they did the same with Office 2003 and Windows XP.

The move also comes ahead of support termination for its Windows Server 2003 operating system which is still very much widely used across the globe.

There will be no further improvements to the Windows 7 but Microsoft will continue to deliver security patches when needed, until 14 January 2020.

It is estimated that worldwide, 55 per cent of PCs are still running Windows 7, with Windows 8 accounting for just 12 per cent.

Poor sales of laptop and desktop computers has been blamed for poor sales of Windows 8 - Intel and Microsoft hope that Windows 10, which will go back to the original feel of Windows, like version 7, will be more popular.

Critics did comment that Windows 8 was an attempt to catch the touchscreen / tablet audience and traditional PC users is the real reason that it did not sell in the numbers that Microsoft had hoped for. In fact, the Metro interface alongside a desktop interface just confused many users.

In the meantime, Microsoft are still advising users to install to Windows 7 or Windows 8 even though they have withdrawn their mainstream support – and many business have continued using Windows XP despite the lack of support, especially in the public sector.

After all, changing systems is a costly affair – are we paying the price for Microsoft’s marketing mistakes? What do you think? Why not let us know @AceComputerSup and follow us on Facebook to join in the conversation!

Microsoft Windows Update Glitch

Across the world, thousands of Windows customers have had problems with their latest Windows Update.

The error accuses the user of having a pirated version of Windows on their computer instead of the legitimate one. Users have then experienced problems when logging on, with demands to activate Windows – these requests have also been occurring when the computer is in general use.

As well as Windows Activation requests, the glitch also caused plug-in problems and stopped the Windows Defender firewall from installing. Some users experienced problems with the AMD Catalyst Omega driver and Security Essentials anti-virus was also stopped from installing.

In addition, it made it impossible for further Windows Updates from being installed.

There is little to report about the actual cause of the problem in the Windows Update KB 3004394, given Microsoft’s lack of information. However, the problematic Update was replaced by a new Windows Update patch, KB 3024777 - Microsoft is advising that users install it to correct the problem.

In an article on the subject, Microsoft advised users;

"The ability to remove Windows Updates through Control Panel may no longer function on some Windows 7 SP1-based and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1-based computers after KB 3004394 is installed."

Although Microsoft withdrew the patch a couple of days after its release, many are still reporting problems. Windows Activation Technologies was originally established in 2009 to tighten Windows 7 anti-piracy measures; however, hackers have been known to remove it.

Are you having problems with any of your updates? Are any plug-ins driving you to distraction? If so, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team on 01902 375304 or contact us – ACE Computer Solutions provide reliable and cost-effective computer repairs and are here to help.