Q: Right after the latest update to Windows 10, my iPhone 8 stopped syncing its calendar app with the Microsoft Outlook calendar on my PC (I use the online Microsoft 365 version of Outlook.) I can't even find the synced calendar in Outlook. What can I do?
PAUL MITTENDORFF, Plymouth
A: Your PC's Windows 10 update seems to have disrupted the link between the PC and your iPhone, which occurs through a Microsoft 365 server. Because your PC can still access Outlook, I'm guessing that the iPhone has been disconnected from the server.
The simplest way to fix that is to turn off the calendar syncing process on the iPhone, then restart it. To do that, go to Settings on the iPhone, select "calendar" and then choose "accounts." From there, select Outlook. You'll see a list of Outlook features, such as mail, contacts, calendars and notes, that are synced to the phone. Each has an on-off switch next to it (green is on.) Turn off "calendars," restart your phone, then turn on "calendars" again. This should cause the iPhone to reconnect to the Outlook server, which will enable your PC and phone calendars to sync again.
If this doesn't work, you may need to completely delete the Outlook calendar from your iPhone, then add it again. To do that, go to the same menu as before, and at the bottom of the Outlook feature list, click "delete account." Then add the account again, making sure that the iPhone's accounts, permissions and default settings, plus the iPhone's calendar settings, are properly configured for logging in to Outlook (see solutions 7 through 10 at tinyurl.com/kxpdnenc).
Q: I see that the Internet Explorer browser is being discontinued. I keep getting ads urging me to use the Microsoft Edge browser on my eight-year-old Windows 10 PC, but I've read that there are many problems with it. I also might lose my list of favorites. What should I do?
JANE HALL, Maple Plain
A: The consumer version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11 is being discontinued in June, 2022. But there are several other browsers that are better, and you can transfer your favorites (also called bookmarks) to any of them.
One recent rating of Web browsers put Mozilla Firefox at No. 1, Microsoft Edge at No. 2 and Google Chrome at No. 3 (see tinyurl.com/p5d27d7n).
But the ratings are a little deceptive. Chrome is actually the most widely used browser (it's used by about 65% of all personal computers, phones and tablets.) But it got a lower ranking because it can use up a lot of computing power, and so may not be the best choice for an older PC like yours. (See browser market share at tinyurl.com/khmuury8).
Apple's Safari browser, which the second most popular (used by between 14 and 18%), wasn't among the top-ranked browsers because it's aimed at Apple devices and has been discontinued for Windows PCs.
Edge (used by 3 to 5%) had a lot of technical problems when it was first introduced, but it has been redesigned by Microsoft to be faster and more trouble-free.
Mozilla Firefox (used by a little over 3%) is said to be a bit slower than the Chrome or Edge browsers, but is favored by some for its privacy protection.
I suggest you try the Edge browser (already on your PC as part of Windows 10) or Mozilla Firefox (download it at tinyurl.com/26pfwbkb).
