Neowin News Feed for: Blocked

Microsoft blocking a Windows 11 & Server 2025 automatic installation feature

Sayan Sen — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:44:02 +0000

Microsoft is blocking a method to deploy and automate Windows 11 and Server 2025 installations. The company has explained why. Read more...

Rufus blames Microsoft for allegedly blocking latest Windows 11 ISO downloads

Sayan Sen — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:06:01 +0000

Microsoft has seemingly blocked Windows 11 ISO downloads for certain users as it may be trying to get them to only use the official way. Read more...

ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store

Usama Jawad — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:24:01 +0000

Following pressure from the U.S. government, Apple has decided to remove the ICEBlock app from the App Store. Read more...

Windows 11 blocks Google Chrome due to a Microsoft safety feature, fix out

Sayan Sen — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 15:56:01 +0000

Windows 11 systems are automatically breaking and blocking Google Chrome as it is triggering a Microsoft safety feature. Read more...

Microsoft blocks free Windows 11 24H2 system requirements bypass app as potential malware

Sayan Sen — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:24:01 +0000

Microsoft's Defender has flagged the free Flyby11 system requirements bypass utility as potential malware. Read more...

Single-command Windows 11 system requirements bypass trick for unsupported PCs blocked

Sayan Sen — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 21:02:02 +0000

There are many ways to bypass the Windows 11 system requirements on unsupported systems and one of them involves the help of a single command. However, that trick no longer works on the latest build. Read more...

VideoLAN claims that its VLC media player is being blocked in India

Usama Jawad — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:50:02 +0000

VideoLAN's president and lead developer has claimed that Indian internet service providers are restricting customers from downloading VLC media player from the official website for unknown reasons. Read more...

You can no longer download Windows 11, 10 ISOs via Rufus as Microsoft blocks Fido [Update]

Sayan Sen — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 08:28:01 +0000

If you wished to download Windows ISOs via Rufus, you can no longer do it. That's because Microsoft has seemingly blocked such downloads which were made possible using the Fido script. Read more...

You can no longer download Windows 11 and Windows 10 in Russia

Sayan Sen — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 19:58:02 +0000

Since yesterday, downloads for Microsoft's Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems are being blocked in Russia. Thankfully, though, there is a way to bypass this sudden apparent blockade. Read more...

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update is now blocked for some Intel PCs due to faulty drivers

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:22:01 +0000

Microsoft has blocked the Windows 10 October 2018 Update for some Intel PCs due to problems caused by Intel's accidental release of display drivers which "turned on unsupported features in Windows". Read more...

Microsoft is working with Apple to fix iCloud issues on Windows 10 October 2018 Update

Usama Jawad — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:08:01 +0000

A bug has been discovered in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, which prevents the installation of iCloud. While Microsoft and Apple resolve the issue, the update will not be offered to select users. Read more...

Unregistered mobile devices to be blocked after October 20 in Pakistan

Usama Jawad — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 06:54:01 +0000

Mobile devices that have not been approved by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority will be blocked from using cellular services after October 20, unless their IMEI number is verified before then. Read more...

Broadcom takeover of Qualcomm blocked by Donald Trump

Dreyer Smit — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 08:22:01 +0000

In a rare move by a sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump blocked the takeover of Qualcomm by Broadcom after expressing concerns over the national security of the country. Read more...

Wikipedia blocked in Turkey, complete with approved court order

Florin Bodnarescu — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 21:02:01 +0000

By all accounts, it seems as though Wikipedia has been blocked by authorities in Turkey. The site is inaccessible from the country's ISPs, regardless of which language version you use. Read more...

South Carolina wants to block porn on all new computers, charge punters a $20 'unblock fee'

Michael Firth — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 19:52:01 +0000

South Carolina lawmakers have tabled a draft amendment that would see new computers blocked from accessing pornography. But there's a caveat; you'll be able pay $20 to unblock the whole filthy web. Read more...

Wikileaks gets blocked in Turkey following AKP email leak

Paul Hill — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:08:01 +0000

Wikileaks has been blocked in Turkey following the publication of thousands of emails belonging to Turkey's ruling AKP party. The emails were published less than a week after a coup attempt in Turkey. Read more...

iBooks Store and iTunes Movies reportedly banned in China

Matt Blowes — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 07:10:01 +0000

A week after mysteriously going offline in the country, a new report says Apple's iTunes Movies and iBooks stores were banned by Chinese authorities in a bid to prop-up local competitors. Read more...

Github, Sourceforge, Vimeo, and more blocked in India in antiterror advisory [UPDATE]

Adrian Potoroaca — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:50:01 +0000

In an order issued by the Indian government to ISPs, the Department of Telecom is demanding them to block access to 32 websites, including large sites like Sourceforge, Vimeo. Read more...

China blocks Instagram to stop spread of pro-democracy protest images

Jett Goldsmith — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 21:30:01 +0000

Mainland China has placed a nationwide block on popular photo sharing service Instagram, likely to prevent the spread of photos from Hong Kong's ongoing pro-Democracy protests. Read more...

Google confirms Turkey blocking public DNS servers

Mik McLean — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 21:19:16 +0000

The Turkish Government made news earlier this week by blocking the IP addresses of twitter, preventing its citizens from accessing the site. Now going one step further they have blocked Google's DNS. Read more...

U.K. ISPs ordered to block 21 pirate sites, including top torrent destinations

Andy Weir — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 17:41:40 +0000

In another victory for copyright owners, U.K. ISPs have been ordered to block 21 sites linked to illegal content sharing - including popular torrent sites such as Monova and Torrentz - by October 30. Read more...

Google web site and services blocked in China

John Callaham — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:00:12 +0000

Google's main web site, along with other services such as its online map and email divisions, are currently blocked from being accessed by people living in China. Read more...

Updated: Google fully blocked in China

Owen Williams — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:11:07 +0000

Reuters reports that Google is entirely blocked in China today, with only a very small percentage of users able to access the web service. As a result, Google shares have plummeted by 1.4 percent, and... Read more...

Scroogle no longer scraping your Google search data

Tzvi Friedman — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:04:01 +0000

Scroogle is a popular search tool that takes your Google search, runs it through a system that that delivers Google results without revealing your IP address, setting a cookie, or any other kind of data... Read more...

Microsoft Patches Blocked for Some Admins

Steven Parker — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:13:47 +0000

Microsoft on Monday said it is working on a patch to correct an issue that has rendered some administrators using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 unable to download and install last week's security updates.... Read more...

Study: Cox, Comcast Internet subscribers blocked

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:37:32 +0000

Cox Communications appears to be interfering with file-sharing by its Internet subscribers in the same manner that has landed Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) in hot water with regulators, according to research obtained by The Associated Press.... Read more...

Microsoft Investigates Blocked Patch Updates in XP

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:55:21 +0000

Microsoft officials say they are investigating reports that files installed by stealthy updates deployed by the software giant in July and August prevent Windows XP users who utilize the repair function from installing as many... Read more...

California's Violent Game Law Gets Blocked

Christopher Vendemio — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:30:10 +0000

A federal judge ruled on Monday a California law to label violent video games and bar their sale to minors was unconstitutional, prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to say he would appeal the ruling. California passed... Read more...

Theater Owners Want Cell Phones Blocked

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:16:23 +0000

The National Association of Theater Owners wants the Federal Communications Commission to allow the blocking of cell phone signals in theaters. John Fithian, the president of the trade organization, told the Los Angeles Times theater... Read more...

AMD Blocked From Intel Documents in Antitrust Case

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 03:44:06 +0000

A federal judge has refused a request by chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. to order its larger rival Intel Corp. to turn over company documents to the European Commission. The commission, a regulatory board... Read more...

US snooping plan blocked

Fri, 18 Jul 2003 15:56:32 +0000

A controversial computer surveillance project that would comb through the personal records of Americans in the search for suspected terrorists has suffered a severe setback. The US Senate has voted to cut... Read more...

Windows Server 2003 leaked VLK blocked from updates

Steven Parker — Wed, 23 Apr 2003 10:00:52 +0000

Thanks sweetpete for this submission. He noted that while testing Windows Server 2003 Enterprise using the readily available Volume License Keys (VLK) and media (for educational reasons alone we suspect) he ran into the following... Read more...

Spam blocked by US court

Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:09:25 +0000

Washington State's anti-spam law has been successfully used by a free-speech group, Peacefire.org. The King County District Court in Washington State granted Peacefire webmaster Bennett Haselton $1,000 in damages against spammers Red Moss... Read more...