Bo Elam
Ed Tittel
Kari Finn
Toni Fasth
Settings MIA in Windows 10 Release Preview
March 27, 2020, 0 Comments
Happily it turns out that Settings MIA in Windows 10 Release Preview has an easy fix: restart Windows Explorer.
Hyper-V
Exporting and importing Hyper-V virtual machines
March 25, 2020, 2 Comments
Exporting and importing Hyper-V virtual machines is extremely easy. However, today I lost an important, activated Windows 10 VM when importing it back to my laptop, only because of a newbie mistake I made. Because of that, I thought it might be a good idea to share some tips about Hyper-V export and import, so
1903
Starting May WU Offers Security Updates Only
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In recognition of “the public health” situation, MS will pause publishing its optional non-security releases starting in May. This is discussed in an item dated March 24, entitled “Timing for upcoming optional C and D releases” at the Windows Message Center (MS DOCs). The optional C and D releases represent classifications for updates that fix
19H2
Spring-Clean Your PC In 3 Steps
March 23, 2020, 0 Comments
At least once a year, it’s a good idea to clean up your PC to get rid of unused or unwanted programs, and make sure everything’s up-to-date. Here’s how that process worked for me.
Editorial
Amanda Langowski is the new Windows Insider team lead
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Only a few weeks ago, I wrote about Windows Insider program still being without a team leader, five months after Dona Sarkar was removed from that post. But today, the wait is over: Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer at Microsoft announced today that Amanda Langowski will be the new Insider team lead: Very pumped to
Editorial
Covid-19 – Can it accelerate tech reseach?
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There’s nothing positive to be said about the Covid-19 (Corona virus) pandemic. Having said that, I must say that I was quite surprised when I heard a discussion on Finnish breakfast TV yesterday morning. There, I heard from Ilkka Halava (his website in English). a “futurologist” as Bing translates his title. He boldly asserted that,
19H2
Surprising Success at MVP Summit 2020
March 20, 2020, 0 Comments
Upon the conclusion of the Microsoft MVP Summit 2020, I find myself surprisingly gratified and enriched by my first-ever all-virtual professional conference experience. Stay tuned for all kinds of interesting news to follow, as soon as MS says “Go!”
Hyper-V
Hyper-V – Create shortcut for virtual machine
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It’s easy and convenient to start and stop a Hyper-V virtual machine from a PowerShell script. Only three command lines are required: start the VM, launch Virtual Machine Connection window, and when the VM Connection is closed, shut down the VM. It is one of the shortest PS scripts I use. Thus, for example, the
19H2
Reflections on Virtual MVP Summit 2020
March 18, 2020, 0 Comments
For the past three mornings, I’ve been sitting at my desk, headset on, staring at my left-hand 27″ monitor. That’s where I’ve got Teams running, and where the Windows 10 related sessions at this year’s MVP Summit run their courses. I blogged about Teams itself as part of this experience yesterday. Today, my thoughts are
19H2
Scaling Up Microsoft Teams for WFH
March 17, 2020, 0 Comments
As I attend the Microsoft MVP Summit 2020, we’re all using Teams to conduct a pretty major conference. Everybody’s learning a LOT more about how Teams works, and where the gotchas are, too.
Kari's Blog
War Stories – The Blogger’s Block
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This story is as much trivial as it is personal. It has little or nothing to do with IT or Windows. I recommend pressing the browser back button now. As I have posted here earlier, I was quite sick for some time after the holiday season. To start writing again, I felt pressure; Ed had
19H2
Windows 10 Hits 1B Monthly Active Devices
March 16, 2020, 4 Comments
At long last, as I’m listening into the online version of the MVP Summit 2020, MS announces 1B monthly active Windows 10 devices. Loud say: “Hurrah!”
Insider
Use PowerShell to update and upgrade Windows 10
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There’s basically nothing wrong in using Windows Settings app for Windows Update, but in my opinion it lacks some update management features. I have used for a few years already a PowerShell module PSWindowsUpdate instead, to manage Windows Update. In this article, I will show how to use PowerShell instead of Windows Settings to manage
20H1
Windows 10 2004 Adds DISM ReservedStorage Commands
March 13, 2020, 0 Comments
Oho! Sometimes, it’s nice to be proved correct, even if it takes a while. Last October, I posted at Win10.Guru about a “PortableBaseLayer” partition. At that time, I reported that “one theory about this partition is tied to Reserved Storage for Windows Update.” On February 26, an MS DOCS item appeared that illuminates the whole
Admin Tools
PowerShell – Change file and folder timestamps
March 11, 2020, 0 Comments
All files and folders in Windows have three different timestamps: Date Created, Date Accessed, and Date Modified. Timestamps are stored in variables named CreationTime, LastAccessTime and LastWriteTime. As variables, they can be edited and changed. I copied a few files and folders to a folder named Demo to show how to do this. Let’s first
19H2
PowerToys Goes to v0.15.2 No Resize (Yet)
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When I hear about a new PowerToys release (v0.15.2) I grab a copy from GitHub. I’m disappointed when the promised Image Resizer tool fails to make its debut. Coming soon, I guess…
19H2
Working with WinRE in Windows 10
March 9, 2020, 1 Comment
Working with WinRE in Windows 10, I learn that recovery media is a snapshotting mechanism that will restore your system to its state when the snapshot was made. I can do better than that, with Macrium Reflect.
Deployment
Clean reinstall Windows – How I am doing it
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A few weeks ago, I wrote some short and simple instructions to prepare for a clean Windows 10 reinstall. Now it’s time to follow my own advice, I really must reinstall Windows on my laptop to get rid of unwanted files and folders, free up storage space, and make the system work without glitches. I’ve
20H1
VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1
March 6, 2020, 0 Comments
The VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1 has been available since end of January. It is the first VMWare version which can run alongside Microsoft Hyper-V. Until now, if a user wanted to run both Hyper-V and VMWare virtual machines on the same computer, the Hypervisor must have been turned on and off, depending on if
19H2
Put PowerShell 7 Onto WinKey+X Menu
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You can alter the WinKey+X pop-up menu in Windows 10 to let you call PowerShell 7 instead of version 5.6. Here’s how.
19H2
PowerShell 7 Hits General Availability (GA Release)
March 4, 2020, 0 Comments
Today, lead developer Joey Aiello announced general availability of PowerShell 7 in the PowerShell DevBlogs. This is good news: grab a copy, pronto!
Insider
Insider team still without leader
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Dona Sarkar, the former Windows Insider team lead moved to a new position five months ago. Here’s some commentary from Eran Megiddo, Corporate Vice President, Windows and Education, on the Insider blog (October 7, 2019) about this personnel change: Currently, we are conducting a search for a new leader of the Windows Insider Program. In
19H2
MVP Summit Transformed Into “Virtual-Only” Event
March 3, 2020, 0 Comments
Given that Seattle is turning into a hotbed of news and corona virus case reporting, I was saddened but not shocked to get the news from MS that the MVP Summit will be virtual-only this year (2020).
1903
KB4497165 Intel Microcode Updates Cover Mixed Bag
March 2, 2020, 1 Comment
If you’ve got a PC with a Sandy Bridge (mobile, E, or EP), Denverton, Valley View, or Whiskey Lake U CPU, you’ll want to install KB4497165. Oh, and you must be running Windows 10 1903 or 1909, too. Doesn’t work with Insider Preview versions.
Kari's Blog
Notice Anything Missing Lately?
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I thought it might be a good idea to tell you geeks why I have been so quiet lately, and not writing much of anything.The reason is simple: the health issues of a middle-aged man. I suffer from Ménière’s disease: Ménière’s disease (MD) is a disorder of the inner ear that is characterized by episodes
19H2
SMB1: The Zombie Protocol That WILL NOT DIE
February 26, 2020, 0 Comments
SMB, or server message block, is a simple and easy-to-implement networking protocol. The first version, SMB1, has been around since 1983. It’s now outdated, insecure, and unsuited for modern network use. But it just keeps chuggin’ along anway.
19H2
Many Win10 PCs Still Use Old-Fangled Boot Disk Layout
February 24, 2020, 4 Comments
Even new Windows 10 versions may use the old-fashioned 5-partition disk layout because that’s how the Win10 installer did things until 1909 came along.
20H1
UWP App Icons Join Fluent Design Line-up (Build 19569)
February 21, 2020, 0 Comments
With Build 19569 UWP apps get the “Fluent Design” treatment. The result is a snazzier and more visually appealing Start Menu and desktop. Good oh!
19H2
Remote Desktop App Worth Checking Out
February 19, 2020, 0 Comments
The Microsoft Remote Desktop app makes a useful, speedy and intuitive replacement for the older Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) application. Check it out!
19H2
Hyper-V Server Unlimited Eval
February 18, 2020, 0 Comments
The latest version of Hyper-V Server (2019) is now available as an unlimited eval. That means you can use it forever, for free. Good stuff!
Admin Tools
Important News for Win7 Extended Security Update Subscribers
February 14, 2020, 0 Comments
MS has started pushing patches to those who signed up and paid for Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 7. One small thing went unannounced, though: those buyers must apply KB4538483 manually to receive such updates (and Office updates, too).