Windows Enterprise Desktop
Recent Posts
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Driver Setting Explains Venue Pro Restart Fail
23 Jan 2019 -
Kari Script Builds Win10 Bootable Install UFD
22 Jan 2019 -
Windows 10 1809 versus 1901
18 Jan 2019
After a clean install shows the problem is software -- not BIOS -- related, changing an Intel Management Engine driver setting explains Venue Pro Restart fail.
When repeated attempts to upgrade to recent Insider Preview releases fail, I use Kari's script to build myself a Win10 bootable install UFD. A clean install does the trick!
When it comes to version naming, Windows 10 1809 versus 1901 refers to putative release in September (October) 2018 that's now turned into January 2019. Go figure!
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Windows 7 Inside Last Extended Support Year
16 Jan 2019 -
CU KB4480116 Hiccup Offers Easy Fix
15 Jan 2019 -
Win10 1809 Publicly Available
19 Dec 2018 -
OSUninstallWindow DISM Difficulties
17 Dec 2018 -
Late-Month WU Items Equal Update Previews
14 Dec 2018 -
Intel Win10 UWP Configuration Utility
12 Dec 2018 -
Out Darned Win10 Dollar Files!
10 Dec 2018
With Windows 7 inside last extended support year, lots of businesses and organizations need to plan to migrate to Windows 10 sooner rather than later. Here's why...
CU KB4480116 Hiccup Offers Easy Fix: if you apply the update and lose the Start Menu and/or UWP apps, a quick restart/reboot may set things right.
With Win10 1809 publicly available through Windows Update, admins should formulate a workable recovery strategy in case one or more such upgrades go sideways. Here's how.
Current versions of Windows 10 suffer from OSUninstallWindow DISM difficulties. Check yours to see if this affects your users (or you).
It's good to know that late-month WU items equal update previews. Those unwilling to deal with possibly shaky code should wait for Patch Tuesday and push updates instead.
When I try out a new Intel Win10 UWP Configuration Utility, I learn that it brings lots of useful, informative capability into a single app. Good stuff!
When an inspection of my C: drives reveals a bunch of hidden system folders, I figure out how to chase out darned Win10 dollar files!
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Win10 Servicing Stack Updates Support CUs
07 Dec 2018 -
Cumulative Update KB4469342 Weaves Tortuous Win10 Track
05 Dec 2018 -
Intel Windows 10 Modern Drivers
03 Dec 2018 -
iCloud Issue Hampers 1809 User Proffer
28 Nov 2018 -
False Bug ID Causes 1809 Re-Release
23 Nov 2018 -
Command-line Sequence Kills Resistant Windows.old Files
21 Nov 2018 -
Default Screen Res Kills Event Viewer Log Filtering
19 Nov 2018 -
Win10 1809 Is Re-released
14 Nov 2018 -
1809 Users Missing Critical Fixes
12 Nov 2018 -
MS Activation Server Issues Temporarily Negate Win10 Licenses
09 Nov 2018 -
New Win10 Zoom Controls Are Coming
07 Nov 2018 -
Handy Win10 USB Eject Tool
05 Nov 2018 -
Win10 Registry Backup Task Broken
02 Nov 2018 -
MS Posts New Win10 1809 Group Policy Reference
29 Oct 2018 -
Operator Error Makes Insider Preview Reflect Bug Persist
26 Oct 2018 -
Can WUMgr Replace WUMT?
22 Oct 2018 -
Build 17763.55 Fixes USB Issues
19 Oct 2018 -
Alternate Win10 1809 Source During Hold Period
08 Oct 2018 -
Check Those Win10 Installer UFDs
05 Oct 2018 -
Interesting 1809 Disk Layout Changes
03 Oct 2018 -
Marginal Power Mars Win10 USB Flash Drive Access
01 Oct 2018 -
Win10 WSUS Gets Smaller Downloads
28 Sep 2018 -
Hard Disk Warning Prompts Win10 Tool Search
26 Sep 2018 -
Logoff Disconnected Win10 Users Via Command Line
24 Sep 2018 -
Getting KB4458469 Installed When Windows Update Offer Absent
21 Sep 2018 -
8GadgetPack Remains Viable and Valuable
17 Sep 2018 -
Bye-Bye Disk Cleanup?
14 Sep 2018 -
Handling Intel Management Engine Exploits . . . or Not!
12 Sep 2018 -
Macrium Patches Skipahead Preview Reflect Win10 Bug
10 Sep 2018 -
A Win10 Post-Upgrade Checklist
07 Sep 2018 -
GPT vs MBR Disks
05 Sep 2018 -
Finding Another Path to Reliability Monitor
04 Sep 2018 -
KB 4093836 Summarizes August 2018 Spectre Microcode Updates
24 Aug 2018 -
Windows Defender Blocks PUAs
22 Aug 2018 -
Win10 Version 1809 Makes Official Debut
20 Aug 2018 -
Win10 Registry Includes AllowExperimentation Key
17 Aug 2018 -
Add Recovery Partition to Win10 Boot Menu
15 Aug 2018 -
About Logitech Driver Interface Drivers
13 Aug 2018 -
NoMo Snipping Tool Try Screen Sketch Instead
10 Aug 2018 -
Manual Download Works When WU Finds Nothing
08 Aug 2018 -
Fast Ring Win10 Builds 17728 and 17730 May Require Clean Install
06 Aug 2018 -
Latest GeForce Driver 398.82 Bluescreens PC
03 Aug 2018 -
Fixing Win10 Upgrade Stuck on Restart Issues
01 Aug 2018 -
Clean Install Fixes Long-Standing Win10 Restart Issue
30 Jul 2018 -
DISM Export-Image Grabs Selected Image Installer
25 Jul 2018 -
Win10 Migration Survey Reveals 2018 Challenges
20 Jul 2018 -
Dell Venue Pro 11 7130 Strange Upgrade Issues
19 Jul 2018 -
MS Smartens Update Downloads
11 Jul 2018 -
MS Win7 Cert Exams Expire July 31
06 Jul 2018 -
DISM Cleans Up After Windows Update
04 Jul 2018 -
WUMT Resolves Update Woes Yet Again
27 Jun 2018 -
MS Answers Offers 1803 Networking Resolution
25 Jun 2018 -
Win10 Hyper-V VMs Benefit from More VRAM
22 Jun 2018 -
Grab New DriverStore Explorer from GitHub
18 Jun 2018 -
AI Drives Win10 Update Access
15 Jun 2018 -
Fixing Win10 Restart PC to Finish Installing Drivers Issue
11 Jun 2018 -
Ctrl+Winkey+C Toggles Win10 Display to Grayscale Mode
08 Jun 2018 -
NirSoft NetBScanner Offers Win10 LAN Insights
06 Jun 2018 -
AdDuplex-based Win10 Uptake Projections Mostly Bogus
01 Jun 2018 -
HID Woes Cause Overkill Win10 Repair
25 May 2018 -
Win10 NetBIOS Names Get Weirder
23 May 2018 -
Bring Back PING in Win10 1803
21 May 2018 -
Why Windows Machine Names Are Case-Sensitive in RDP
18 May 2018 -
Win10 1803 Gets New Bluetooth Version
16 May 2018 -
Windows Command Line Reference Observations
14 May 2018 -
Win10 DCOM 10016 Errors Are Mostly Benign
11 May 2018 -
Bring Back Basic Win10 1803 Networking
09 May 2018 -
MS Publishes Big Free Command Line Reference
07 May 2018 -
1803 May Drop Spectre Patches on Some PCs
04 May 2018 -
Win10 1803 Sometimes Creates Phantom Recovery Drive
02 May 2018 -
Finding Windows Defender Security About Info
27 Apr 2018 -
Build 1803 Equals April Update
23 Apr 2018 -
God Mode Causes Win10 Office URL Insert Fail
20 Apr 2018 -
Windows Server 2019 RDSH is a go
- Editorial Director 17 Apr 2018 -
Fixing Recovery Drive Creation Problems
16 Apr 2018 -
When USB Hub Gets Weird Win-RAID Provides Fix
11 Apr 2018 -
MS Releases Open Source Win3.0 File Manager
09 Apr 2018 -
Intel Excludes Older CPUs from Spectre Updates
06 Apr 2018 -
MPP IT Support Track Offers Interesting Insights
04 Apr 2018 -
Myerson's Farewell Reveals Interesting Win10 Stats
02 Apr 2018 -
Microsoft Edge web browser has a long way to go against Chrome
- Editorial Director 28 Mar 2018 -
Macrium Reflect Upgrade Cancels Backup Schedules
28 Mar 2018 -
KB4089848 Poses Widely Reported Win10 Problems
26 Mar 2018 -
Logon times play key role in virtual desktop UX monitoring
- Site Editor 19 Mar 2018 -
Check Current Win10 for In-place Upgrade Repair
16 Mar 2018 -
MS Offers New Spectre Updates
14 Mar 2018 -
Post Build 17115 Driver Fix Routine Still Works
11 Mar 2018 -
MS Foils Coin Mining Compelling Telemetry Case
09 Mar 2018 -
MS Offers Spectre Meltdown Updates Via Catalog
02 Mar 2018 -
Firmware Update Proceeds at Glacial Pace
01 Mar 2018
Win10 Servicing Stack Updates Support CUs (Cumulative Updates) by pre-emptively addressing possible issues and problems with a CU's content and changes. That's why an SSU normally accompanies each ...
After four releases, each new one to unsnarl problems from its predecessors, Cumulative Update KB4469342 weaves tortuous Win10 track for the 1809 release.
As of November 2018, Intel Windows 10 Modern Drivers and an Intel Control Panel app represent the current and future direction for built-in Intel graphics chipsets.
Because of synchronization problems in the latest Windows 10 release, an iCloud issue hampers 1809 user proffer. Once a PC is updated to the latest iCloud, it's safe to upgrade to 1809.
When Windows Central reports that a false bug ID causes 1809 re-release, it turns out that the real data losses for 1809 looked enough like illusory ones in earlier releases to fool MS engineers.
When a specific set of folders defies normal clean-up techniques I learn a command-line sequence kills resistant Windows.old files and folders.
Although default Screen Res kills Event Viewer log filtering in Win10 versions 1803, 1809, and Insider Preview, it's easily worked around by temporarily resetting Scale and Layout to 100%.
After a 40-day hiatus, Win10 1809 is re-released. You can get the latest version through Windows Update, or use the Windows 10 Download page to force the upgrade or build installation media.
I was surprised to learn that 1809 users missing critical fixes must join the Insider Preview program to receive them. Fortunately, it's an easy fix.
When MS Activation Server issues temporarily negate Win10 licenses, consternation reigns for a few hours. A couple of simple fixes will set affected PCs straight, though. No biggie!
For the 19H1 release, new Win10 zoom controls are coming. They'll make it much easier to resize command windows (PowerShell, cmd.exe and WSL) and the text they contain.
When Windows 10 won't properly handle or report on ejecting USB devices, this handy Win10 USB Eject tool does the job quite nicely.
A Win10 Registry Backup task broken: it's named RegIdleBackup and it reports successful completion in Task Manager even though it writes no backup files.
When MS posts new Win10 1809 Group Policy Reference in Excel spreadsheet format it provides a rare (and fairly complete) snapshot of state-of-the-art management stuff. Grab your copy soon!
When operator error makes Insider Preview Reflect bug persist, my colleagues at TenForums guide me back to the solution I'd already tried, using the proper patch this time instead.
As I get to know David Xanatos Windows Update Manager tool, I find myself asking: Can WUMgr replace WUMT. At present, I'm leaning toward "Yes!" But only time will tell.
After the initial release of Windows 10 1809 demoted USB 3.0 devices to 2.1, Build 17763.55 fixes USB 3.0 issues. All drivers back to current levels.
Right now MS has withdrawn the October 2018 release from circulation. For those in (dire) need, I provide an alternate Win10 1809 source during hold period.
To be absolutely, positively sure what you're about to install, here's how to check those Win10 installer UFDs for version info.
After I perform the 1809 upgrade on numerous PCs, I observe interesting 1809 disk layout changes on some machines, because WinRE partition size increases for this release.
When using 500 GB and 1 TB mSATA SSDs, I discover that marginal power mars Win10 USB flash drive access, with drives dropping out or completely inaccessible. Easy fix, though.
Thanks to limiting update downloads to 64-bit only for commercial users of WSUS and SCCM, Win10 WSUS gets smaller downloads (as much as 40% smaller).
Casual use of a freebie tool means hard disk warning prompts Win10 tool search. Net net: new hard disk arriving next week by mail.
Saw an interesting question raised on TenForums.com this morning. The thread was entitled “Log off all but current user.” On a PC where multiple users share the same machine, but don’t always log ...
Getting KB4458469 installed when Windows Update offer absent requires manual update. A quick download from the Microsoft Update Catalog, and all is well.
Despite resting on technology introduced in Vista, and officially deprecated in Windows 7, 8GadgetPack remains viable and valuable today. Check it out!
When MS says the program is being deprecated, does that mean bye-bye Disk Cleanup? Storage Sense is upping capabilities in Version 1809, but it's too soon to say if Disk Cleanup will disappear.
Handling Intel Management Engine exploits can throw up some interesting and challenging obstacles, as I learn in attempting to deal with Intel advisory Intel-SA-00141. I may have a fix, but I'm ...
Macrium patches Skipahead Preview Reflect Win10 bug in under 24 hours (on a weekend, no less). This is first-rate customer service that goes way beyond the ordinary call of duty.
With a well-crafted Win10 Post-Upgrade checklist, you can streamline the process of cleaning up and tweaking a new Windows 10 desktop once the upgrade is complete. Here's a good start!
The distinction between GPT vs MBR disks in Windows 10 can be important for boot-up, and also determine the maximum number of partitions and disk sizes allowed.
When Start10 throws an unexpected launch error at me, I'm off, finding another path to Reliability Monitor. Turns out that "perfmon /rel" does the trick!
KB 4093836 summarizes August 2018 Spectre Microcode Updates, and points to patches for Windows 10 1803, 1709, 1703, 1607 and the long-term servicing versions.
Windows Defender offers numerous advanced security capabilities. Among them, Windows Defender Blocks PUAs (potentially unwanted applications). Here's how to put it to work!
A quick screen capture of winver.exe from Build 17741 shows that Win10 Version 1809 makes official debut as the upcoming next version name.
If it comes as a surprise that Win10 Registry includes AllowExperimentation key that's enabled by default, take cheer from an easy fix to disable it explicitly.
When recovery entry fails on my Lenovo T520, I re-learn how to add recovery partition to Win10 Boot Menu. Easily done thanks to EasyBCD and MTPW.
As I dig into and learn more about Logitech Driver Interface Drivers, I quickly realize that they're essentially no-ops (not needed, not loaded, and not used). 'Nuff said!
Starting with a feature upgrade sometime soon, the screencap motto will be "NoMo Snipping Tool Try Screen Sketch Instead!" I take a look at what's what with Skip Ahead Preview Build 18204.
After TenForums news alerts me to a new firmware update for my Surface Pro 3, a manual download works when WU finds nothing. The real secret is knowing where to look.
When numerous attempts with Windows Update, WUMT, and even an upgrade install from a mounted ISO all fail, I realize that Fast Ring Win10 Builds 17728 and 17730 may require clean install. To my ...
When the latest GeForce Driver 398.82 bluescreens PC this morning, I find myself on an unwanted nostalgia trip. Been here before, not eager to go back. Even so, I'm waiting to see if it happens one ...
When it comes to fixing Win10 Upgrade stuck on Restart, there are several techniques that can put things back to rights. I usually start with WUMT then move onto a full-blown WU reset maneuver. One ...
A clean install fixes long-standing Win10 Restart issue and thereby vindicates conventional wisdom that occasional or periodic clean Windows installs serve as a kind of OS maintenance technique or ...
When I observe that a multi-image ISO file results in an installer for Windows 10 Home, I learn that DISM Export-Image grabs selected image installer for Pro instead. This lets me update my ...
Jeremy Moskowitz's recent Win10 migration survey reveals 2018 challenges facing organizations of all kinds, based on 500-plus responses from 30 countries (80% US-based).
When Dell Venue Pro 11 7130 strange upgrade issues manifest for recent Insider Preview builds, my usual troubleshooting ritual sets things right. No clean install this time, as I'd feared might be ...
By downloading updates from smallest to largest in size in that order, and downloading updates in pairs, MS smartens Update downloads. Now, if I could only figure out what determines update ...
When S Win7 Cert Exams expire July 31 they signal that today's reigning Windows version is nearing the end of its lifecycle. With 900-plus million devices still running Win7, lots of change is at hand.
Because DISM cleans up after Windows Update adds new items to Win10, it's a good idea to use its AnalyzeComponentStore and CleanupComponentStore directives from time to time. Here's how!
When one of my laptops balks at completing the update check for a current cumulative update, WUMT resolves update woes yet again for Windows 10.
MS Answers offers 1803 networking resolution for those seeking to make nodes or network resources visible or available using File Explorer and other tools.
Depending on the workload and applications in use Win10 Hyper-V VMs benefit from more VRAM (virtual RAM), easily allocated using the Hyper-V manager.
Whether you're a first-time user or are running an older version, please take the time to grab new DriverStore Explorer from GitHub. It's worth using!
AI drives Win10 Update access, and uses telemetry and feedback data to target updates PCs likely to have a positive experience. Over time, MS extends updates to more PCs as the likelihood of ...
Evidence I compiled helped me with fixing Win10 Restart PC to Finish Installing Drivers issue by leading me to the device involved, and possible fixes.
For some people, learning that Ctrl+Winkey+C toggles Win10 display to grayscale mode comes as an unpleasant surprise. Fortunately, it's easy to reverse.
After the 1803 upgrade monkey with LAN visibility for some nodes, NirSoft NetBScanner offers Win10 LAN insights to help get things running again. Good stuff!
When I first saw the news, I was stunned. But on further analysis, AdDuplex-based Win10 uptake projections mostly bogus, reflecting an incomplete and off-kilter subset of the user base.
When HID woes cause overkill Win10 repair, it's because I try a software fix for what turns out to be a purely hardware problem. Sigh.
When I say Win10 NetBIOS names get weirder I mean two things: they are indeed case sensitive, and sometimes the actual defined case-correct name string won't resolve properly.
As I troubleshoot an inexplicable inability to remote into one of my office PCs, I figure out how to bring back PING in Win10 1803. In short, my recent spate of networking issues continue!
When the certificate warning shows up, I finally figure out why Windows machine names are case-sensitive in RDP. The machine name isn't case-sensitive, but the certificate name most certainly is!
Amidst a raft of other changes, enhancements and additons, Win10 1803 gets new Bluetooth version that leaves some users in the lurch, functionality-wise.
By checking which commands work in PowerShell and which have PowerShell aliases, I compile an interesting set of Windows Command Line Reference observations.
Finally! A Microsoft Support note explicitly confirms what I've long suspected: Win10 DCOM 10016 errors are mostly benign. They occur by deliberate design, in fact.
The demise of HomeGroup makes it necessary to bring back basic Win10 1803 networking for Workgroup based Windows networks. Here's how!
Last Friday, my partner in crime at Win10.Guru, Kari Finn, sent me a link to a very interesting document. It comes from the Microsoft Download Center and shows up with very little descriptive ...
According to some usually reliable observers and experts, Windows 10 Version 1803 may drop Spectre Patches on some PCs. Here's how to check if any of your PCs are affected.
Thanks to a minor but annoying error, Win10 1803 sometimes creates phantom Recovery Drive during the upgrade process. Here are two easy fixes to make it go away.
It turns out that finding Windows Defender Security About info is a little convoluted, but checking its Settings will point you in the right direction.
Based on the content of the Edge Welcome screen in Build 17134, it seems pretty safe to proclaim that Build 1803 Equals April Update.
If God Mode Causes Win10 Office URL Insert Fail and pasting URLs causes Word, Excel and so forth to crash, delete the God Mode parent folder to fix this problem.
After some confusing messaging about whether Remote Desktop Session Host would be in Windows Server 2019, Microsoft said the role will in fact be coming to the preview and official release.
Fixing recovery drive creation problems in Win10 turns out to involve running the utility twice: once with system files out, again with system files in.
When USB hub gets weird Win-RAID provides fix for MIA Asmedia device. It's got modded drivers for Intel, and most other USB hubs and controllers, too. Worth checking out!
In an interesting surprise move, MS Releases Open Source Win3.0 File Manager. Works like a champ on Windows 10, too!
Intel excludes older CPUs from Spectre updates. I summarize the charts to identify newly-added microcode updates, and CPUs for which updates will not be available.
For those interested in working in tech support, but also for those into understanding Microsoft, the MPP IT Support Track offers interesting insights.
Myerson's farewell reveals interesting Win10 stats -- specifically that the total number of Win10 users is closing in on 700M with 15M members in the Windows Insider program.
Recent updates to Chrome continue to increase its viability for business users, which could make it difficult for Microsoft's Edge web browser to take over shares of Google's in the enterprise.
As I follow my twice-monthly drive cleanup routine, I realize that Macrium Reflect upgrade cancels backup schedules. Can't have that!
With oodles and scads of users reporting issues, KB4089848 poses widely reported Win10 problems that occur often enough and with severity sufficient to make it advisable to block this update outright.
Overly long logon times for virtual desktops and applications can lead to major losses in user productivity that costs organizations real money. Learn how IT can improve VDI performance using ...
If you carefully check current Win10 for in-place upgrade repair, you'll be able to choose and download the proper ISO to attempt such repairs every time, without fail.
As MS offers new Spectre updates through the Microsoft Update Catalog, I realize that it's going to be a long slog to get those vulnerabilities patches on all my PCs.
Even post Build 17115 Driver Fix routine still works to fix most common driver issues and difficulties. Try this 3-step sequence and see!
Through clever and effective use of telemetry data, AI and machine learning, MS foils coin mining in a big way in Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Is is because OEM are taking too long to pony up that MS offers Spectre Meltdown updates via catalog downloads? I don't know, but I'm glad somebody's doing something!
Given that the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities created such a furor, one can only observe that the attendant firmware update Proceeds at glacial pace.