Windows 10 seems to have run out of Steam

Windows 10 has failed to gain any users in the last month according to the latest survey of Steam gamers – and indeed the OS has actually dropped very slightly in terms of market share.

The results of Steam's survey for September showed that while Windows 10 remained the most popular operating system – as it has been amongst gamers on Valve's service since spring rolled around – the 64-bit version only gained a minuscule 0.04% of the market, and the 32-bit incarnation actually shed 0.09%.

This meant that last month Windows 10 actually lost 0.05% market share, although that's a pretty negligible drop. However, it would seem that Microsoft's newest OS has effectively stalled going by Steam's metrics.

This is particularly interesting, because gamers have been amongst the keenest adopters of Windows 10, with the OS continually making impressive gains throughout this year. Even in the previous batch of figures from Steam, for August – which was after the free upgrade offer expired – the operating system still saw a big increase of 2.7%.

A lot of the growth in the gaming community has to do with the fact that DirectX 12 is exclusive to Windows 10, which is a big carrot – but this month's stalled numbers seem to indicate that we're starting to hit the limits in terms of gamers who refuse to shift from Windows 7 for whatever reason.

As we know, there are certainly plenty of users out there who have no real love for what Microsoft has done with Windows 10 in various respects (from compulsory automatic updates through to privacy issues).

Freebie finished

We could also be seeing the impact of the free upgrade offer ending, of course. It's possible that during August, Steam's stats caught a good number of last-minute upgraders – and perhaps further into the month, a further number of procrastinators who were still using the unofficial methods available to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

It would seem, though, with September that any such final rush through the gates is now over (even though rumor has it that those unofficial upgrade channels can still be used – old product keys are still working, at least the last we heard, and there was also the 'assistive technologies' route).

As ever, we can't draw too many conclusions from just one month's stats, and the real test will be how Windows 10 fares over the next few months as we head towards 2017. It's only then that we'll see if growth has truly stalled or not.

As for the other versions of Microsoft's desktop OS, Windows 7 slid this month as well, dropping by 0.26%, considerably more than Windows 10. Oddly, Windows 8/8.1 was the only flavor to move positively with a growth of 0.07%, but as with Windows 10's drop, that's a pretty negligible amount.

• But here's why if you want a new CPU in the future, you'll have to upgrade to Windows 10

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Updated: The best Windows 10 deals in October 2016

The deadline to get a free upgrade to Windows 10 has sadly now passed. Not to worry though as you can rely on Techradar to track down the best prices around for Microsoft's latest operating system. Windows 10 is generally seen as an improvement over Windows 8 - yes, the Start button is back!

So, if you're building a brand new system or want to upgrade to Windows 10 on an older device, you're going to need to buy a copy. Don't worry though, because we check the prices of Windows 10 every day to make sure you get the best deals. Deals below are for official copies of Windows 10 - no dodgy third party codes here!

Windows 10 Home deals

The perfect version of Windows for home users

Windows 10 Home is the version that most people will need. It's for home use and includes game streaming from Xbox One and other consumer features like Cortana, as well as Windows Hello for logging into your PC via a fingerprint scanner or your face. If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew again - it's just that they've bought some new clothes of which you really do approve.

Read more about Windows 10

Windows 10 Pro deals

Go Pro if you think it's worth paying more for the Pro features

Windows 10 Pro comes with security and management improvements over the Home version above. It includes Hyper-V for virtualisation, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode IE, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Network admins can also schedule updates so they don't happen at important times.

Read more about Windows 10

Windows 7 deals

Windows 7 - because we fear change

What's this? Windows 7 deals on a page that advertises Windows 10? We understand some of you really want to stick with Windows 7, maybe even on a new machine. Don't worry, we totally get it. Maybe it's because you have some hardware/software that works better on the old OS or it just feels better. Or maybe it's because you've no time for the ridiculousness of the tiles format. Windows 7, the classic choice of the PC connoisseur?

Read more about Windows 10

Try our new Google Chrome add-on and never pay more than the cheapest prices ever again!

Pricehawk is a Chrome extension that will automatically find you the cheapest deals for the tech and games items you're shopping for online. It'll also let you know if there are voucher codes you can use to save even more money!

Visit Pricehawk: in the Google Chrome Store

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Downloads: Download of the day: AOMEI Backupper Standard

Download of the day: AOMEI Backupper Standard

A virus infection, a drive crash, theft, a carelessly-placed cup of coffee – there are so many ways your valuable data can be lost or damaged, it's essential to have a backup routine in place.

Making backups can be a real chore, but AOMEI Backupper Standard is incredibly straightforward, and so well designed that even a complete novice will have their whole system and files safely saved in no time, with a regular schedule to make sure it's all kept up to date.

Why you need it

AOMEI Backupper Standard can back up your entire Windows system as an ISO file, or disc image, which you can burn to a bootable DVD or CD using a free app like ImgBurn. If you find that your system becomes unstable, or you can't load Windows, just boot from this disc to restore your system to a stable state. It's more reliable than Windows' own System Restore option, and you won't need to reinstall your operating system, settings and programs from scratch.

You can also use AOMEI Backupper to back up your files. There are three types of file backup available:

• Full, which makes a complete copy of all the selected data.
• Differential, which makes a copy of all the data that has been added or changed since the last full backup.
• Incremental, which makes a copy of the data that has been added or changed since the last backup – whether that backup was full or incremental.

To restore your files, you'll need the last full backup, as well as either the most recent differential backup, or all incremental backups.

With AOMEI Backupper Standard, you can schedule regular backups of your most commonly used files or directories, and save the backups in a location of your choice. Then, if disaster strikes, you can use the software to restore them all with just a couple of clicks. AOMEI Backupper can test the integrity of your backups once they're complete, and can shut down your PC automatically once it's finished.

There are many free backup tools around, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that's easier to use than AOMEI Backupper Standard. Just set it and forget it.

Key features

• ISO and file backups
• Easy set-and-forget configuration
• Automatic scheduled backups
• Event-triggered backups

Works on

Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

Price

AOMEI Backupper Standard – Free

AOMEI Backupper Professional – US$49.95 (about £40, AU$65)

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Updated: 10 mobile device management solutions to choose from

Introduction and MDM solutions 1 to 5

Note: Our best MDM solutions round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in June 2014.

As the rise of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) has become an unstoppable force across the business landscape, managing what can be a host of mobile devices is now critical to every enterprise.

With an expanding fleet of mobile devices, businesses need a platform that enables high levels of oversight and solid data protection. An MDM (Mobile Device Management) system is now vital.

Before you choose, take a look at our selections for the top ten leading MDM solutions, and the reasoning behind why we picked them.

• You may also want to read our feature on how to manage mobile devices across your business

1. VMware AirWatch

AirWatch has continued to gain market share and reputation as one of the top MDM systems available. This is an enterprise-level EMM (Enterprise Mobile Management) solution that can handle large numbers of devices with varying operating systems.

Gartner's Magic Quadrant 2016 places AirWatch as a leader in this sector pointing to its ease of setup and intuitive management interface. Once each device has its appropriate app installed it can then join the secure cloud of control that AirWatch can manage. The structured low-start pricing scheme is also highly attractive enabling organisations to scale MDM support as they grow.

2. BlackBerry Enterprise Service 12 (BES 12)

BlackBerry simply refuses to die in the face of the iPhone and Android onslaught. Still massively popular in specific sectors such as government, BlackBerries continue to demand the loyalty that only Apple can match.

With BES 12, Blackberry has understood that customers need to manage a mixed mobile device environment. Multi-platform support is now catered for, but of course the core features speak to BlackBerry stalwarts with rock-solid support continuing for its trusted network. BES may not have the bells and whistles of AirWatch for instance, but for BlackBerry-dominated businesses it is a must-have upgrade.

3. MaaS360

IBM stepped into the MDM market with the acquisition of Fiberlink Communications two years ago. Since then, IBM has been improving this product and with a low entry point for device deployment it has been gaining market share. Watch out, though, for the hike in price when some of the add-on features are enabled. Other MDM platforms have some of these as standard out of the box.

IBM's long history with enterprise security is clearly evident with MaaS360. If you are looking for a very low-cost offering on which to build your MDM platform, no one has ever got fired buying IBM.

4. MobileIron

A good MDM should not add another layer of complexity to a business. The fast and seamless addition of new devices should be at the core of its features – and MobileIron offers just this level of functionality.

The MobileIron Core is where application priorities can be set. MobileIron Sentry is where secure gateways can be implemented, including VPN connections. Security policies can be easily enforced, with any device that has been jailbroken rejected by the MDM system.

With multiple OS support and a growing ecosystem of third-party applications to extend the MDM's capabilities, MobileIron's Apps@Work, Docs@Work and Web@Work offer a dynamic system that any size of business can easily integrate into their operations.

5. Citrix XenMobile

XenMobile is another highlight in the Leaders Quadrant of the 2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Mobility Management Suites. The platform has low starting costs along with deep integration, even if this does require using the company's own Citrix Worx apps. This does, however, mean that businesses can gain a high level of security across their mobile applications.

If native apps tied to a particular OS are not a priority, the Citrix ecosystem coupled with its strong security-focused MDM could be a fast and easy purchase for businesses looking to solve any BYOD headache they currently have. And with a detailed and comprehensive management console, organisations can buy the vast experience with mobile connectivity Citrix has been developing for decades.

MDM solutions 6 to 10

6. SAP Afaria

This MDM is approaching 20 years old. Afaria has continued to evolve as mobile platforms and their operating systems have expanded. The ease with which a mixed OS environment can be managed has won it much praise. A fast deployment of updates to mobile apps, and a deep interrogation of devices that may be jailbroken, gives its users peace of mind where security is concerned.

Add on SAP Mobile App Protection by Mocana to manage high-level security for app development, and Afaria is more than simply an MDM solution, but a suite of services that can reach far beyond merely securing a BYOD workspace.

7. Mobile Device Manager Plus

ManageEngine offers a range of tools within its MDM suite. Owned by Zoho, users of its office applications will appreciate the simplicity on offer here. This MDM doesn't have the bells and whistles of AirWatch for instance, but if you need to manage a small group of mobile devices, it's a great entry-level MDM to try. Also the very low price per device makes Manager Plus a highly competitive and attractive package for micro-businesses that need to take more control of their digital security.

8. Microsoft Intune

Microsoft has embraced the unique capabilities of the cloud with its MDM – and Intune also offers comprehensive mobile application management. Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android are all fully supported. Microsoft also doesn't forget its heritage with support for desktop and mobile PCs via its System Centre Configuration Manager – you can further enhance your ability to manage PCs, Macs, and UNIX/Linux servers, as well as mobile devices, all from a single management console.

Intune is also a component of Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) consisting of Intune itself and Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium with Microsoft Azure Rights Management. If your business needs large-scale MDM with additional services, Intune is more than capable.

9. SOTI MobiControl

With a history that stretches back to 2004, the basis for this MDM was a Windows PC/CE management tool. Since then, the tool has evolved to its present form. Included in MobiControl are concepts that will be familiar to Windows IT specialists including group privileges and tight integration with the Windows ecosystem.

The features on offer are comprehensive. Express Enrolment allows devices to be preconfigured before deployment. Geo-awareness and geo-fencing capabilities are available, content being secured with SOTI Surf, Content Library and Hub.

10. SimplySecure

Beachhead Solutions has developed its SimplySecure MDM offering to be easy to set up and manage. Businesses of all sizes can include a range of devices within their MDM environment and ensure high levels of policy control, security and visibility, particularly of mobile devices (which can include portable storage devices as well as phones and tablets).

Completely OS agnostic, SimplySecure boasts a full set of features including admin and password management, encryption and remote data wiping. It's not the cheapest way to buy an MDM, but the modular approach to features does ensure this service can grow as your business expands.

• Also see why new privacy fears were recently raised concerning BYOD management

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Downloads: Download of the day: WriteMonkey

Download of the day: WriteMonkey

When you really need to get down to some work, distractions like social media alerts and email notifications make it all too easy to procrastinate. Even with the best will in the world, they can easily eat up hours of your valuable time.

That's why you need WriteMonkey – a simple but very effective text editor that blocks out everything except the page you're working on. Theres no unnecessary clutter like toolbars, and if you need to look something up online, you can do so with a quick keyboard shortcut and then close the small browser window immediately once you've finished.

Why you need it

Upon starting WriteMonkey, you'll be struck by its minimal design – it automatically opens in full-screen mode, so there are no tantalizing browser windows begging to be clicked, and there aren't even any toolbars or icons to distract your attention. There's just a blinking cursor and a blank page waiting for you to get cracking on that important document.

WriteMonkey isn't without its tricks though – all designed to help you work more efficiently. Clicking the word 'Scratch' at the bottom of the page opens a convenient notepad where you can jot down thoughts as you work, and you can save it as a separate document for future reference.

Right-clicking anywhere in WriteMonkey opens a menu of carefully curated tools, including one that enables you to select a word and quickly look it up on Google Images, Wikipedia, About.com or various other sites without the distraction that comes with accessing your regular web browser with its attention-sapping bookmarks and favorites.

You can also tag certain parts of your document for quick access later, set timers and track your progress so far. The timer is particularly useful in combination with the Pomodoro Technique, which helps you get more done by interspersing periods of intense work with regularly scheduled breaks.

Give WriteMonkey a try – you'll be amazed how much more productive you can be.

Key features

• Completely clutter-free full-screen text editor
• One-click word lookup tool
• Fully customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Timer and progress tracker

Works on

Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

Price

Free

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Here is the 'cloud OS' that Microsoft built to run on your servers

Introduction and strains on IT

Whether you want the servers we're all familiar with or a computing platform that looks more like the cloud, Windows Server 2016 can do that, Jeffrey Snover, the architect behind both Windows Server and the new hybrid cloud Azure Stack, told Techradar Pro.

When CEO Satya Nadella sent the Windows Server team out to talk to customers, they asked what users were worried about and the answers were very consistent, says Snover. "There were too many stories about getting hacked and not knowing about it for months. Security has become a CEO concern."

Hybrid cloud also came up frequently, as something businesses see as a strategic direction for the next one to three years. "Customers told us they want the benefits of public cloud in their own data centres; they want the speed and the agility of PaaS services," he told us.

A lot of that interest is driven by the tensions around technology that leads to shadow IT. "They want us to help them solve the problem of shadow IT. Developers and business leaders need to get things done – if IT can't help, they move around them and they set up problematic shadow IT."

Pulled in different directions

The problem isn't unhelpful IT departments so much as the way that IT is being pulled in two directions, Snover explains. "They have to provide secure IT resources so people can get their jobs done, and they've also got to support business agility and innovation; they want to figure out how to use IT to drive their business forward." He cites studies that say in 2017 more than half of the budget that used to go to IT will be spent outside of formal IT departments, going on public cloud and shadow IT.

Hybrid cloud like Azure Stack – based on Windows Server 2016 – lets them dip their toe in the water, building apps that can run there, or on Azure. "They want to be able to decide whether they're going to run a workload on-premise or in the cloud; they want the deployment flexibility to go where is right for them."

Snover also claims many customers who are asking for hybrid cloud using Windows Server have been trying alternatives and have been disappointed. "They want the right to get it wrong. People are feeling they're building the wrong things. When you find out you're on the wrong road, you need to turn around, no matter how much progress you've made – people have the sense that they're on the wrong road.

"We hear this a lot with OpenStack. Customers say to us, 'now we've got a bunch of people who are experts in GitHub and open source but how does this help us sell more cars? Is this really moving our business forward?'"

Servers, data centres and clouds

Hybrid cloud isn't the only thing you can use Windows Server 2016 for, Snover points out. "If you still need to have a server you can walk up to and manage directly, with Windows Server 2016 there will be a bunch of people that will still do that."

Over the years, Windows Server has evolved from a single server for the office to enterprise networks and data centres, and Snover says the new version is still a good solution for all of that. "If you want a server with the full desktop client experience on a single box [you can do that]. The server you walk up to has the full Windows client experience and we see this being used for very small customers and RDP scenarios.

"We've still invested in the enterprise era servers with improvements for Active Directory and data centres. Server Core is where you'll run your existing headless workloads. You can take your existing apps and they'll just get better because they're running on an operating system that's more secure than it used to be.

"Then you can take those apps and with a little bit of work you can adapt them to use new technologies like containers. But we've also spent a lot of time supporting cloud native applications. The new scenario we've lit up is cloud."

He continues: "Is everybody ready to move to cloud? The answer of course is no, only some are ready to move. But what we've seen is that each of these new eras of server didn't replace the previous eras – each time they started out a new market and that grew."

DevOps models

Containers are a way to move to the increasingly popular DevOps approach. "There are two DevOps models," Snover points out, "and the traditional model has nothing to do with containers. What containers do is enable a refinement of the DevOps model where a bunch of things that used to be done on the live system by the ops team after deployment is now being done by developers in the lab, so change happens further upstream and gets pushed out."

Snover also notes that you shouldn't judge containers by the performance in technical previews of Windows Server. "When we first did containers, the performance was terrible. But then the Windows engineering DNA kicked in and week after week we could see the numbers come down." A container will start in less than a second, he says, and Nano Server itself boots in about two and a half seconds (for comparison, a Windows Server 2012 R2 system can take around ten minutes).

Windows Server 2016 customers are getting the advantage of what Microsoft learned running Azure. Take the changes in Hyper-V: "It used to be that in each release we would match VMware," says Snover. "Now we're not so up on that because we're driven by Azure."

Microsoft also learned a lot by building the Cloud Platform System, pre-built hardware running Azure Pack for private cloud. "We learned how to make sure this runs with low maintenance and low friction. A rolling cluster upgrade was a very hard thing to do; now you can easily patch and upgrade the system and maintain service availability," Snover noted.

The server that cloud built

"Windows Server 2016 takes a lot of the innovation we got from running Azure and makes that cloud innovation mainstream," Snover says. "Today we see a lot of failure in cloud and the people who are successful are the high priests of technology. We're going to take that and mainstream that and do 'cloud for the masses'.

"If you want complete control over your environment, if you want to pick your hardware and run it however you want, if you need unique 'snowflake' servers, Windows Server 2016 is awesome for that too."

• We round up everything you need to know about Windows Server 2016

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Facebook tests Snapchat Stories clone for Messenger

Facebook is mimicking one of Snapchat's most popular features, Snapchat Stories, in its Messenger chat app. The new feature, called Messenger Day, launched exclusively in Poland today.

Snapchat Stories, for the unfamiliar, is a feature that lets users share photos, videos and drawings in a timeline that disappears after 24 hours. Messenger Day works almost exactly like Snapchat Stories, according to TechCrunch.

Where Messenger Day differs from Snapchat Stories and, for that matter, Instagram Stories, is how it prompts users to use the feature. At the top of the chat list are options to quickly share how you're feeling, what you're doing and more. This makes it easier to share something quickly with all of your friends instead of managing a curated friends list.

"We know that people come to Messenger to share everyday moments with friends and family," said a Facebook spokesperson speaking with TechCrunch. "In Poland we are running a small test of new ways for people to share those updates visually."

It's unclear whether Messenger Day will be available in other countries, though success in Poland may mean the feature could be released more widely.

This isn't the first time Facebook has copied Snapchat. The social network's photo sharing app, Instagram, aped Snapchat Stories by releasing Instagram Stories in August.

A smart strategy

According to TechCrunch, Facebook may have introduced Messenger Day to get users hooked on its Messenger app in hopes of preventing them from leaving to use Snapchat Stories. Facebook also has another chat app with 1 billion active users: WhatsApp. In order to keep people using its apps, Facebook has to bring popular features from competing platforms into its own.

It's also smart of Facebook to put a story feature in Messenger because its chat app is more intimate than its social network. By having Messenger Day inside a chat app, users don't have to worry about sharing the highest quality photos or videos on their Facebook wall.

Over the years, the social network has evolved into a place where users only share curated highlights about their lives instead of casually sharing thoughts and activities, something Snapchat excels at.

Facebook Messenger currently has over 1 billion active users, compared to Snapchat's 150 million. Using Messenger's immense reach, Messenger Day could prove to be a popular feature.

• Should you give Facebook the boot?

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