Q: I read in your column that PC users with Windows 7 need to upgrade to Windows 10 by January (see tinyurl.com/y29u24sa). I have a MacBook Pro rather than a PC, but I use VMware software to run Windows as a secondary operating system. (I prefer the Windows versions of some financial programs.) How can I upgrade my Mac to Windows 10?

Marc Sabin, Colorado Springs

 

A: You need two things to run Windows 10 as a secondary operating system on your Mac: Nearly any Mac computer purchased since 2011, and an up-to-date copy of the VMware Fusion software for Mac.

For the benefit of other readers, VMware makes “virtual machine” software that enables a computer to run more than one operating system. It also lets the user switch from one OS to the other. (To be precise, the secondary OS runs as an app within the primary OS.)

In this case, the VMware Fusion program does two things for your MacBook Pro: It enables the Mac to run Windows as a secondary operating system, and handles upgrading the Mac to newer versions of Windows (see tinyurl.com/y4pggdrg). Because of the way virtual software works, Mac users can’t upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 the same way that a PC user would.

There is only one catch. Beginning with the new version of Windows 10 that Microsoft released in May, Mac users discovered that older versions of VMware Fusion couldn’t handle the Windows upgrade. They had to upgrade to Fusion version 11.1 to get that capability. (VMware now offers an even newer upgrade to Fusion, version 11.5, for $50. See tinyurl.com/y6nzaaa8). The website also lists the Mac requirements for using Fusion 11.5, which include using macOS 10.13 (High Sierra), 10.14 (Mojave) or 10.15 (Catalina).

 

Q: I’m having what I believe is a common problem with Outlook 365, the online version of Microsoft’s e-mail program. There are continuous pop-up notifications to verify my e-mail password, and Microsoft’s tech support hasn’t been able to stop them. The problem isn’t with my computer, because I’ve seen the same thing on three different PCs. What can I do?

Paul Jacobson, Findlay, Ohio

 

A: Others have reported the same problem. Outlook 365 constantly asks for your password, and if you cancel the request you get an error message: “The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable. Outlook must be online or connected to complete this action.”

The solution depends on whether Outlook 365 is your only copy of the program, or whether you also have a PC-based copy of Outlook.

If you have only the online Outlook 365, a settings change solves the problem. Use the Control Panel to open the Mail settings, and change the “logon network security” setting to “anonymous authentication.” (For step-by-step directions, see tinyurl.com/y66qnl2y).

But if you use Outlook 365 online and also have a previously installed copy of PC-based Outlook, you may need to run a free Microsoft diagnostic program — called “Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant” — to find the source of the problem. (Go to tinyurl.com/y3zudfhl to start an automatic download. Then open the downloaded file and install it.)

 

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com. Include name, city and telephone number.