Category Archives: Insider stuff

Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

New MCT Worth Downloading

Leave a comment

There’s been a new Media Creation Tool (MCT) available from MS since October 14. According to NeoWin, that tool is now better equipped to build USB-based Windows 11 bootable installers than it has been in the past. So I visited the Windows 11 Download page to grab it and give it a try. If my experience is any guide, it’s a new MCT worth downloading for speed and convenience alone.

What Makes New MCT Worth Downloading?

The latest version — as shown  at the bottom of the lead-in screencap — is 10.0.26100.7019. Interestingly, MS continues to refer to Windows 11 versions with a 10 prefix, even though 10 is retired (past its EOS date, anyway).

In the same screencap, you can see Index 6 inside the ~5.6GB file I downloaded. It shows up, somewhat generically, as “windows.iso.” When I save one, I usually append the number and version, so I saved it as “Windows1125H2.iso” to be more informative. You can see the version info for Windows 11 Pro from inside that ISO, mounted, thanks to the DISM command. It shows Build 26200.7171, which matches the current Windows 11 I’m running right now, so it’s completely up-to-date.

Whether or not you have an older MCT at your disposal, this one’s worth downloading. It’s fast, apparently more reliable and less buggy, and will bring you whatever version of Windows 11 MS is offering through the Download Windows page. Right now, it even happens to be completely current. That’s about as good as such things get, here in Windows-World!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Camera Hello Makes Alternate Logins Interesting

Leave a comment

Don’t get me wrong. I *like* Windows Hello, especially the kind where I sit down in front of a PC (laptops mostly) and the camera logs me in via facial recognition. But the new ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 laptop is too fast at this job. Thus, I have trouble logging into another account after I’ve logged into one with facial recognition turned on. By default, the previous account comes up automatically — and darned fast — on subsequent logins. Indeed, camera Hello makes alternate logins interesting because I’ve had to learn new ways to switch over to a different account.

Why Camera Hello Makes Alternate Logins Interesting

Basically, the IR camera that drives facial recognition and the software that does the work and authenticates login is now way fast. It all gets crunched and handled in less than a second. That gives me almost no time at all to click a different account icon in the lower left corner, so I can login to a different account. In fact, I’m too slow to beat the camera when trying to pick something else.

Of course, there are ways around this. I have come to prefer the old three-fingered-salute method. That’s right — CTRL+ALT+DEL turns off the normal Windows display and UI and lets you make big changes, including “Switch user.” That’s what I want to do by the time Hello speeds me into the default login, and it works like a champ.


By mousing down to the second entry in the list (Switch user), striking the Enter key, and selecting the account I want I can get where I need to go. Here in Windows-World, it’s sometimes the case that where entering via the front door — that is, normal login — won’t cooperate, there’s another path that leads to the desired goal. In this case, I’m glad the fix is easy, straight-forward, and not too time-consuming. Would that all gotchas were this easy to work around!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Insider stuff, Recent Activity, USB devices, WED Blog, Windows 11

USB Type A Gen 1 vs 2 Tradeoffs

Leave a comment

Laptop makers — like Lenovo, whose ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 I’m currently testing –must juggle many factors to build usable laptops. That includes managing cost, size, complexity and capability to hit specific price points. For this particular laptop, I’m currently pondering USB Type A Gen 1 vs 2 tradeoffs. The X13 includes 2 USB-C ports at 40 Gbps (with both USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 support). It also includes a single 5 Gbps (Gen 1) USB-A port as well.

Observing USB Type A Gen 1 vs 2 Tradeoffs

It’s pretty clear that USB-C ports cost more than their USB-A counterparts. The lead-in graphic shows that comes as a function of more leads and corresponding pin-outs. When comparing Gen 1 to Gen 2 for the same USB-A port, the cost differential is lower. Indeed, Copilot suggests it’s in the US$2.50 to 5.00 range per port.

Given such a relatively small difference I was interested to observe the performance difference between USB-A and USB-C. I used a fast UFD on the X13. I’m talking about the Kingston Data Traveler Max. It delivers full UASP speeds (up to ~1Gbps) if connected to USB-A Gen 2 or USB-C ports (10 Gbps or higher). The Kingston device includes a male USB-A port.  I was able to hook into USB-C thanks to a USB A-to-C adapter I purchased from Amazon  (current price ~US$4).

Comparing USB-A Gen 1 to Gen 2 Speeds

You can see the speed difference courtesy of CrystalDiskMark in the following dual screencap:

The USB-C hookup (right) is two times faster for the bulk transfers (top two rows), and random reads/writes (bottom two rows) run somewhat faster, too. Clearly, I’d rather have Lenovo use faster USB-A ports, if possible, and plug the Kingston Data Traveler straight in, instead of using an adapter.

But gosh, that’s the only way to get the best performance from that device, given the speed difference between the two ports involved. If you like, you could look at this as confirmation that a Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 dock for this laptop may indeed make a worthwhile accessory.  FWIW, Copilot reports the average price for such a device at “between US$210 and US$300” citing to devices from Startech, Walmart, Acasis and Dell as examples. It’s a hefty premium, but definitely delivers more (and faster) ports.

Choosing Gen 1 vs Gen 2

As I look at other Lenovo laptops here at Chez Tittel, I see the company often chooses Gen 1 ports for USB-A. The Snapdragon X T14S Gen 6 has two USB-A ports, both Gen 1 (Vintage: 2024). Ditto for the P16 Gen 1 Mobile Workstation (Vintage: 2022). OTOH, the P3 Ultra Gen 2 ThinkStation (not a laptop, but rather, an SFF PC) has 5 USB-A ports: all of them are Gen 2.

If I ran the zoo, I’d need a compelling reason to opt for slower Gen 1 over faster Gen 2 USB-A ports. I’m probably missing something important, because Lenovo still picks Gen 1 for many/most of its laptops. But murky mysteries are all part of the charm for those of us who labor in Windows-World. If I keep at it, maybe I’ll figure it out.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

26H1 Comes Via Canary Channel

Leave a comment

Allrighty then. MS pushed a new Canary Channel version of Windows 11 out the door last Friday. I got it up and running over the weekend. It took a while to download and install, too — over an hour, though I didn’t exactly time it. As you can see from the lead-in graphic, Windows 11 version 26H1 comes via Canary Channel to Windows Insiders, courtesy of Build 28000.1.

What’s Driving 26H1 Comes Via Canary Channel?

The afore-linked announcement explains what’s really going on here. MS makes some interesting statements about the MS decision to break its three-years-and-running “H2-only” Window 11 update cadence (all bullets quoted verbatim):

  • 26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2…
  • 25H2 remains the primary place for new features…
  • …new experiences will continue to land first in the Dev and Beta channels, with Canary primarily focused on platform changes

What’s the real reason for the off-cycle 26H1 update? Qualcomm is readying its X2 family of Snapdragon CPUs for release. MS is going to accommodate new platform capabilities in this Canary channel release, along with other new stuff TBD.

Canary Breaks Away from Dev and Beta

Copilot sez (and my memory confirms, FWIW) that Build 28000 is the “first time a full version branch (26H1) has launched exclusively in Canary [channel], making the divergence more formal and strategic.” Hopefully that means there will be fun and interesting things to learn from Canary, different from things one might learn from Beta and Dev channel releases.

I’m currently not running a Dev release here at Chez Tittel, either on a physical PC or in a VM. Looks like I’ll have to do something about that. But things are always changing in Windows-World, and Insiders need to keep changing along with them. Tally-ho!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 First Look

2 Comments

Although it showed up two weeks ago, yesterday was the first day I had open enough to unbox and bring up a brand-new ThinkPad. It’s a svelte (thin-and-light, in fact) 13″ laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255U CPU, 16 GB RAM, Hello-capable IR camera and fingerprint reader, WUXGA (1920×1200) IPS 13″ display, and 512 GB PCIe x4 NVMe SSD. As configured, the Lenovo Store price for this unit is $1,269.33 this morning. As the ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 first look gets underway, I’m looking for answers to these questions:

1. Is this a Copilot+ PC?
2. What kinds of users is the X13 best suited for?
3. How does the unit perform on basic tasks? more demanding ones?

Digging in For a ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 First Look

Let’s answer those questions:

Copilot+ PC Status

The Intel Core Ultra 7 255U does have an NPU but it delivers only 12 TOPS. Copilot+ requirements call for 40 TOPS. So no, the X13 Gen 6 is NOT a Copilot+ capable PC. That’s not shocking — right now only about 1 in 50 laptops sold globally is Copilot+ capable (Copilot says it’s 1.9% of global PC sales, and 2.3% of Windows PC sales).

Who’s the Target Audience?

Based on the unit’s size, weight and configuration it’s an entry to mid-level laptop, designed for portability over power and capability. With a smallish 13″ screen, overall dimensions of 29.93 x 20.7 x 0.99-1.78cm / 11.78 x 8.15 x 0.39-0.7″, and a weight of merely 2.03 lbs (0.92 kg) it’s clearly a grab-and-go unit from start to finish. To me, that aims it squarely at an audience that needs computing mostly on the go, but not a whole lot of it.

IMO, that means this laptop aims at students, mobile office workers, and SOHO workers who need to pick up and carry it around rather than sitting always at the same desk. OTOH, this makes it an excellent “road machine” for users who want to carry something light and compact when they travel, but who may not use this laptop as their primary work PC.

Task Performance

Given its relatively modest processing, storage and memory endowments, the X13 Gen 6 configuration I examined — and the whole product line, in fact — aims to support users who want to surf the web, read e-mail, and handle routine productivity, media, and entertainment workloads. I wouldn’t recommend it to those who need to run large or demanding workloads including serious programming, local AI models or other big datasets, or heavy-duty 3-D graphics (which knocks it out of consideration for media, gaming, CAD/CAM, and so forth). If you want more performance nuts-n-bolts see this July 2025 review at Gigazine.

The built-in NVMe is a Lenovo model RPETJ512MMW1MDQ (M.2 22380 with Gen3/Gen4 level performance. It’s reasonably quick, but nowhere near state of the art. The unit relies on a built-in Intel graphic processor in the Xe-LPG family. It’s designed to run on par with entry-level discrete GPUs, and thus, to handle light gaming, media editing and AI workloads. Squares entirely with my subjective impression in watching YouTube, installing and using apps, and bringing the PC current with WU.

Initial Impressions: Nifty, Not Gnarly

The unit itself is incredibly light, but feels sturdy and looks good. I didn’t feel much flex in the keyboard or monitor decks as I picked it up and moved it around. The Windows Hello capable IR camera and fingerprint reader are both fast and easy to set up. Amusingly, I found it difficult to switch from my primary MSA to other accounts at login after I’d set the camera up, because it would log me in faster than I could click the lower-left icon for an alternate account at startup.

I couldn’t log into my ASUS AX-6000 802.11ax router on the 5GHz channel for some reason or another. The unit’s Wi-Fi6E Intel worked just fine with the 2.4 GHz channel, and performed well as I downloaded and installed a raft of updates and software apps.

The X13 has 2 USB-C ports, one of which goes to power unless you dock it up and get power that way. Both are USB4/Thunderbolt 4 capable. It also has 2 USB A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports as well, along with HDMI 2.1 and 3.5mm audio (mini-RCA jack). It’s not overly endowed with ports, but they are sufficient for ordinary users’ needs.

First Look Takeaways…

Overall, this is an eminently portable and usable light-duty laptop. I’d buy one for my about-to-graduate college offspring, except I opted to spend $450 less to buy him the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7X Copilot+ laptop in May. It lacks USB-A and headphone jack, but offers longer battery life and better AI capabilities.

 

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Update

DISM /Add-Packages Loses Windows 11 Mojo

Leave a comment

This week, I’ve been updating a story for ComputerWorld. Along the way, I learned a little about .msu files for the Microsoft Update Standalone Installer. They differ widely between Windows 10 and 11. TLDR version: it’s pretty easy to extract a usable .cab file from Windows 10 .msu from Microsoft Catalog downloads. For Windows 11 .msu, it’s not. That’s why I observe that DISM /Add-Packages loses Windows 11 mojo. Let me now explain…

Why Say: DISM /Add-Packages Loses Windows 11 Mojo

The contents of .msu files for Windows 10 versus 11 updates reveals some stark differences. For recent such updates  I chose KB5066791 for Windows 10, and KB5067036 for 11.

Turns out you can open .msu files in 7-Zip to examine their contents. The two files couldn’t be more different internally. The latest 10 update includes 5 files and is just over 700MB in size. The latest 11 update includes over 100K files and comes in at just under 3.5 GB.

The really big difference is that DISM /Add-package /online (the incarnation of that command that permits working on a running Windows image) REQUIRES a .cab file to do its job. Simply put: Windows 10 makes that easy to find, extract, and use; Windows 11 makes it pretty much impossible.

Where the Mojo Went…

That means you can use DISM /Add-Package on Windows 10 to apply updates to a running image, when Windows Update isn’t working or something goes sideways with some particular update. But if you want to use DISM to add a package to a running Windows 11 image, you must take that image offline, apply the update, then bring the image back online.

The net effect is that a quick and handy alternate update technique that works fine for Windows 10, turns into a slow and cumbersome slog for Windows 11. Better to try something else, instead. I’m sorry to lose a helpful tool from my Windows fixes and workarounds toolbox, but that’s the way progress sometimes works in Windows-World.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Backup/Restore, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Troubleshooting, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

Update Gotcha Highlights BitLocker Key Backup

1 Comment

Recent updates have triggered news and warnings that some PCs will request a BitLocker key upon restart. Reports from Windows Latest and Neowin confirm that KB5066835 (Win11) and KB5066791 (Win10) trigger such behavior for Windows Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Business editions. Apparently, as Copilot says of this issue “Intel-based PCs with Modern Standby are most susceptible.” But this update gotcha highlights BitLocker key backup and recovery techniques for all Windows users. Let me tell you about that…

New Update Gotcha Highlights BitLocker
Key Backup and Recovery

The easiest way to backup and use a BitLocker recovery key is to type Bitlocker into Settings, then select the resulting “Manage BitLocker” item that pops up. This takes you to the Control Panel pane for BitLocker Drive Encryption shown above, where you can click the entry labeled “Back up your recovery key.”

Resulting options read:

  • Save to your Microsoft account
  • Save to a USB flash drive
  • Save to a file
  • Print the recovery key

As something of a belt-and-suspenders guy, I usually save to a file named <machine-name>blrk.txt AND I print a copy that I stick in a folder in my filing cabinet labeled “PC Recovery Stuff.” Saving to a file means loss of access to its drives and backups could stymie recovery in some circumstances, so I like to have the hard copy as a fallback.

Of course, you can also register your PCs into your MSA (Microsoft Account) and get it online as well. The URL for that specific purpose is https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. I’ve pretty much got that memorized because I do use it multiple times a year, every year, like clockwork.

Here in Windows-World, if you use BitLocker it’s wise to ensure you can access the recovery key when and as you need it. The techniques I’ve described will get you where you need to go, should that need arise. Cheers!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

ThinkStation P3 Ultra SFF G2 Intake

Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, the nice folks at Lenovo Reviews contacted me by email. “How would you like to try out the newest ThinkStation P3?” they asked. I already had the first generation model in house, so I boxed it up and sent it back. A few days later the new model arrived, and I got going on ThinkStation P3 Ultra SFF G2 intake. Here’s what I’ve learned so far…

Working Thru ThinkStation P3 Ultra SFF G2 Intake

At first glance, there’s no obvious difference between the Gen1 and Gen 2 models in this series. But I show the back of the unit because it’s immediately obvious that Lenovo made some substantial changes there. Let me list them out:

  • Went from side-by-side 2.5 GbE & 1 GbE RJ-45 ports to a single 1 GbE port
  • Switched from 8 mini-DP ports for video to 3 full-size + 4 mini DP ports
  • Changed the interior layout so it’s even simpler to switch out SSDs and RAM modules without using (too many, or any) tools

Of course, as you’d expect the innards got a bit of a facelift in climbing the generational ladder. That said, this compact workstation, while powerful, is NOT a Copilot+ PC. Here’s a list of key components:

  • Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (Arrow Lake, 8 P & 16 E cores: 24 total)
  • 64 GB (2×32) DDR5-5600 RAM
  • Graphics: Intel Arc Xe-LPG & RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation NVIDIA GPU (20 GB RAM)
  • Single 1 TB Samsung OEM SSD, to which I added a Samsung 950 EVO 4TB SSD (Higher speed options, including 10 GbE, available)
  • Wi-Fi: Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 2×2 BE vPro & Bluetooth 5.4
  • Ports: 2x USB-C/USB4/TB4 (front), 1x rear (top left, next to Wi-Fi antenna port), 2x USB 2 Type-A (mouse & keyboard), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-A
  • Power goes to a 300W external brick (far right, top row)

As configured, the unit comes with an MSRP of $3,915. As per typical ongoing Lenovo discounts, it will cost you $3,054 at the Lenovo store. The unit is new enough that third-party resellers — and different prices — are not yet widely available.

Doing the Intake Thing

It was absurdly easy to remove the 2nd SSD from the old Gen 1 instance and install it into the Gen2. Took less than 2 minutes all told. I’ve not yet tried my 96 GB memory kit on the machine, though (Gen 2, like Gen 1, maxes out at 128 GB RAM). Getting the machine up to snuff has been a pleasure: it’s every bit as fast and powerful as its predecessor. So far, I’m loving working this beast, just as I enjoyed the older model.

Make no mistake: even though this PC is not Copilot+ capable, it’s still a powerful albeit compact (SFF means “small form factor” after all) PC. It can drive lots of monitors, handle lots of intense demanding work, and do those jobs with ease and panache. A worthy successor to the Gen 1, the Gen 2 is a kick-butt little workstation.

 

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Device drivers, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Troubleshooting, WED Blog, Windows 11, Windows Update

Driver Upgrade Fixes 0xC1900101 Errors

Leave a comment

I’ve seen it  before, and I’ll probably see it again. When I first ran the Beta Channel upgrade to Build 26220.7051 on Friday, it failed during the post-GUI install (aka SECOND_BOOT) phase . Basically, it hung at 10% complete for half an hour or longer, and I force-rebooted the X380 Yoga. When the rollback process completed, WU/Update History showed me an error in the 0xC1900101 range. From long experience I recognized this as some kind of device driver issue. Fortunately, a driver upgrade fixes 0xc1900101 errors. Let me tell you more…

Why Say Driver Upgrade Fixes 0xC1900101 Errors?

Alas, I didn’t record the exact error code string yesterday. I simply grabbed the latest version of Snappy SDIO from PatchMyPC Home Updater, and used it to upgrade the drivers on the X380. (TMI: That’s version R817, as far as I can tell.) This took about half an hour, give or take 5 minutes, and replaced 17 drivers.

The next go-round on the update process took quite  a while to complete (probably a bit over an hour). But it went all the way through, and resulted in a successful installation. The table you see in the lead-in graphic here comes from Copilot after I asked it to tell me about 0XC19001… Windows 11 install errors. It’s pretty informative, so I figured I’d share it.

Here in Windows-World, when a Windows 11 install goes wonky, it’s nice when prior experience retains its relevance for current troubleshooting. Again: I’m glad the tried-and-true technique for this kind of error code still works.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog, Windows 11

WinGet Chaos Presages Changes

Leave a comment

Just yesterday, I was catching up over at ElevenForum.com, and read a thread entitled “Winget errors…” It talked about issues accessing the WinGet source error. It reads "Failed in attempting to update the source: winget." I’ve seen this before myself. It occurs mostly when issues involved with accessing the MS WinGet servers come up. Then it happened to me soon thereafter, for updates and for an attempted export/import operation. This kind of WinGet chaos presages changes, as it shows a shakier Internet infrastructure than normal. Let me explain…

WinGet Chaos Presages Changes in Server Access/Reliability

In working with any cloud based service — including WinGet — the presumption is that the service is “always available.” Bad things, or nothing, happens when it’s unavailable. Ditto for issues when attempting to access the Internet infrastructure and cloud that leads to said service. Things don’t work like they’re supposed to — that’s where the “Chaos” part comes in — until the service returns to normal, expected behavior.

Recently, I’ve seen reports of outages or DNS attacks that have taken AWS, Google, Microsoft and others offline. Sometimes it’s just minutes, sometimes it’s hours; rarely, it’s half a day or longer. But chaos follows in the wake of such outages when things stop working, or don’t work as they should. Perhaps the strangest recent manifestion occurred when Internet-connected beds (human sleeping platforms) got wonky during an AWS outage.

Closer to my desk, yesterday’s WinGet weirdnesses reflect the same chaos that ensues when expected information sources and handling in the cloud go away. It seems to be happening more often. I’m inclined to look for ways to fall back on local information rather than simply failing when cloud information isn’t available.

In small things, and small ways, little bits of Chaos remain unavoiodable. Chaos is seldom desirable, especially in big doses. Let’s hope the wizards who make Windows-World such a big thing feel the same way, and help us work toward failover or workarounds to keep the Chaos at bay.

Note Added 4+ Hours Later: Azure Outage

As I’m reading Windows related news this afternoon, I see ample coverage of a major Azure outage yesterday afternoon. For example, Neowin  Microsoft Azure hit by massive outage… Whaddya bet the WinGet stuff falls under that umbrella. Seems to be working fine today, though.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin