Category Archives: WED Blog

Backup/Restore, Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog

PowerChute Software Steps Functionality Back

July 8, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

I find myself wondering why, why, why Schneider Electric (parent company of APC, maker of my brand-new uninterruptible power supply, or UPS) switched to forced registration and login for its latest generation of software. Seems like that’s a step backward, not forward, as its PowerChute software steps functionality back. I ended up visiting MajorGeeks to download the old version (3.1.0) which I’m using quite happily right now. It serves as the lead-in graphic above, in fact.

Why Say: PowerChute Software Steps Functionality Back?

The key to the new PowerChute Serial Shutdown (PCSS) software is registering the UPS device and setting up an online account. In turn that requires scanning and uploading or manually entering a device ID and a product key value from a preprinted label attached to the device. You can’t access the software without going through that process.

My problem is there’s no such label on my device. I’m not quite sure how I got one without that data, but that’s my situation. I’ve contacted Schneider’s online support forums to see if somebody can help. But in the meantime I can’t log into PCSS without a valid account, and I can’t validate my account without registering my device.

Frankly, I don’t understand why PCSS won’t work at all without that validation step. The old sofware — as you can see above — works just fine without it. That’s the basis for my assertion that this software steps functionality back. I can understand why Schneider wants to keep tabs on its customers and keep track of their devices. As I said, I can’t imagine why the software won’t work at all without jumping through such hoops.

Go figure! Sometimes, things in Windows-World make little or no sense. Ditto for access management decisions from some equipment makers. Good thing the old software still works (it’s scheduled to retire in January 2026). Hopefully, I’ll get things straightened out a lot sooner that that.

Successful, But Protracted Support Call Fixes Things

I got on the phone with Schneider tech support. Turns out they’ve got another version of the software that doesn’t require registration to let PCSS run. It took a while for the tech support person’s email client to figure out how to get me that file. We ended up having to use a link on Google Drive because my HTML email client was apparently bollixing their ZIP file (I could tell she was using a Salesforce environment, because the link resolved somewhere in Salesforce-land).

This time, when I started to install PCSS, it welcomed me and asked for configuration settings right away. No login or validation required. Why do I think this means this isn’t the first time the support folks have been down this road? It’s working now as it should be, but I must confess: I do like the old software version better. It told me more, in a more approachable form. Indeed, I prefer a native Windows app to a web-based interface for this stuff. But hey: that’s progress!

Along the way, I figured out I’d plugged my devices into the wrong outlets on the UPS (hence, the foregoing zero values). They’re in surge protected but not battery backed up outlets. I’ll switch that soon. Cheers!

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

Will BlueScreenView Go Black?

July 7, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

In upcoming versions of Windows 11, says Microsoft, the long-standing “Blue Screen of Death” will go black. That is, it will change color and appearance from its deep-blue, graphics- and text-laden format. It will transform to something sleeker and simpler, in pure black-and-white colors. According to Windows Latest, this change should appear in Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 and “may not be backported to Windows 11 23H2.” All this given, I’m asking this question: “Will BlueScreenView go black?” Let me explain…

Unpacking the query: Will BlueScreenView Go Black?

To begin, let me identify BlueScreenView as a NirSoft tool, from Israeli programming dynamo Nir Sofer. It’s been around for over 15 years, and provides simple decodes for Windows mini-dump and crash dump files. It’s darned handy, in fact, if a BSOD (of either the black or blue variety) gets past you, and you didn’t record the STOP CODE error that provoked the crash, it will show it to you.

The afore-linked Windows Latest story works itself into something of a lather by observing that (a) the new black BSOD looks a lot like a post-GUI Windows Update screen (it does), and (b) that some Windows users may mistakenly see it as such and miss the STOP CODE for that reason. Here again, BlueScrenView should come in handy to help find and expand on those pesky codes.

What I want to know, however, is if Mr. Sofer will issue a new version of his program, and call it BlackScreenView instead. I’m guessing maybe yes, maybe no, depending on how much weight he puts on that change.

These are the kinds of things I wonder about as I putter around happily in Windows-World. Let’s see what happens, shall we?

AI, Copilot+ PCs, Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i Intake

July 4, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

Wow! It’s not terribly often that I get a second review unit to intake in a week. Last Friday, I reported intake on a dynabook X40M2; today, I cover the stunning Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i intake. Inside Lenovo Vantage the model number is 32ILL10, but it only says Yoga AIO on the outside of the enormous box inside which it arrived. Its most notable features are a huge, brilliant 32″ (31.5″ 3840×2160, actually) disply, a built in 6 GB GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, Copilot+ capability, and a snazzy paper clip design between base and display. You can see that last in the lead-in graphic.

Working Thru Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i Intake

The great thing about all-in-one (AIO) PCs is that set-up is a breeze. Hook up the power, turn it on, and you’re (mostly) good to go. Lenovo ships the unit with a wireless mouse and keyboard combination. It uses a USB transceiver stored inside the mouse to connect to the base. Took me a minute to figure out how to get those items working (there’s a moderately cryptic one-page instruction set that I puzzled my way through, partly by trial and error). Other than that, it was a total no-brainer to get the unit set up and running.

Then came the fun parts. I use Patch My PC Home Updater to add a list of typical apps to the default mix (in alph order: 7-Zip, Advanced IP Scanner, CPUID CPU-Z, CrystalDiskInfo, CrystalDiskMark, voidtools Everything, GadgetPack, Chrome, HWiNFO, IrfanView, Notepad++, PowerShell 7-x64, PowerToys, Speccy and WizTree). Then I get PowerShell and WinTerm set up the way I want them. Then I check for and apply updates, using WU and WinGet. It all went well: both quick and smooth, with no hiccups of any kind. Cool!

AIO 32i Speeds and Feeds

The Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i model I’m using is the first Copilot+ AIO that I’ve seen on the market. Here’s what came inside (and outside) that unit, which has an MSRP of ~US$2810 at the Lenovo Store:

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (4 LPE cores, 4 P cores)
OS: Windows 11 Home (!)
Graphics: Intel Arc 140V, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 (6GB)
RAM: 32 GB LPDDRX5-8533 (Memory on package/soldered)
SSD: SK Hynix HFS001TEM9X169N 1TB (PCIe x4 Gen 4) 1 TB
Display: 31.5″ UHD 3840×2160 UPS, Glare, non-touch, 3-side borderless display panel
Input: Wiress USB mouse, keyboard and transceiver included
Wi-Fi: Intel Wi-Fi7 BE201 320MHz
Rear ports: USB-C (10 Gbps), USB-C (40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4), 2xUSB-A (10 Gbps), HDMI 2.1, RCA mini-audio jack
PSU: 300 W power brick

When it comes to this equipage, I like the snap and feel of the CPU and the graphics. It compares favorably with Snapdragon and other Intel Copilot+ PCs I’ve reviewed. There are some things about this configuration that I don’t much care for though — namely:

Windows 11 Home won’t do Remote Desktop, so I had to upgrade it to a higher-grade version.
Memory is in package and soldered, so there’s no upgrade capability there.
Rear-mounted ports require turning the base to access from a normal forward-pointing arrangement. Mildly vexing, but tolerable.
With only one high-speed port (USB4/Thunderbolt 4) available the unit would be best paired with a US$200+ dock to take advantage of its capabilities. Odd, for a pricey AIO.

AIO 32i Pros and Cons

I like the way the unit runs and works. Setup was dead easy and the display is the first I’ve used that’s bigger and better than my trusty Dell 27″ UltraSharp models (2017 and 2022 builds, here at Chez Tittel). Overall, this is a capable and approachable PC, and would be well-suited for college students in a dorm room, or office workers at their workstations. It’s also quite nice looking and fun to use. And it’s got all the Copilot+ PC stuff, which promises to keep improving with time (right now it’s limited to Recall, Click to Do, and a few AI-based extensions for various MS apps, tools and Office 365).

I don’t like the location of the ports at the rear of the base. You can’t see or use them unless you turn the base so you can lay hands and eyes where the ports are. I’d prefer a touch screen to the non-touch model, recognizing that the glossy finish would become a fingerprint magnet. I don’t like the inability to upgrade RAM (though I understand it’s a limitation of the package design).

I’d like to see the second USB-C port made TB4/USB4 capable. I’d also wish for Lenovo to integrate the mouse/keyboard transceiver so you don’t have to give up one of two USB-A ports to get the unit working. That, or they could include a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard combo instead, to keep that USB-A port free for other uses.

Initial Net-Net: Nice But Pricey

Overall, I’m having a blast working with the Yoga AIO 32i. It’s fast, responsive, great looking and the display is bright and legible, even to these old eyeballs of mine. I do think it’s pretty costly (nearly US$3K, though Lenovo usually discounts heavily, especially for holidays and promotions or for academics (students and teachers alike). I’m starting to dig into it capabilities and behavior in more detail and will report on those soon. But so far, it’s pretty peachy as you’d hope from the price tag.

Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Troubleshooting, WED Blog

UPS Goes Dark Means Replacement Time

July 3, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

I’m not sure if it was connected, but right after the local grid took a power hit last night, my CyberPower 1500 died. It’s actually not dead-dead (in the sense of dark and non-responsive). It’s showing a red battery indicator, which means I could fix it by ordering in and replacing the battery. But because that would be its 3rd battery, this time UPS goes dark means replacement time. So I’ve got Amazon open.

Order In: UPS Goes Dark Means Replacement Time

Over the years I’ve used both APC and CyberPower units for UPS coverage on my production PC. I plug in the tower, the monitors and my desk lamp for an estimated power draw of 1200 watts max. Actually my Seasonic Power Angel says the whole shebang usually comes in at or under 600W. So 1500 W is a good, conservative number for this situation.

This time around, I’m opting for the APC UPS 1500VA backup and surge protector. It goes for a not-painful but not-nugatory price of US$200 or so (tax included). But because I’m an Amazon Prime member, they can deliver it today. And with more thunderstorms in the forecast, that’s just what I want.

The unit is intended not just to give me enough time to ride out most short power glitches (most of our local events last 10 minutes or less, and the UPS is good for about a half-hour of power). It’s also intended to provide serious surge protection, so my primary desktop won’t get fried if something hits local lines. They’re underground in this neighborhood so that’s not highly likely, but better safe than crispy.

It’s Always Something, Right?

Keeping the fleet running here at Chez Tittel means I’ve learned to keep spares around for most routine replacements. But that doesn’t include UPS devices. I’m just grateful I can get another today. Here in Windows-World, there’s always something to fix, replace or re-jigger to get it working as it should be. Kind of makes me wonder: What’s next? I’ll be finding out. If it’s moderately interesting count on me to share it here.

Insider stuff, PowerShell, Recent Activity, WED Blog

Another WinGet Version Mismatch

July 2, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

I think I’m starting to be able to see them as they happen. I run the built-in Windows Package Manager (WinGet, aka Microsoft.AppInstaller) daily, so I get to see it act up pretty often. Yesterday, I found myself updating Python.Launcher repeatedly and endlessly. I had to wonder: could this be another WinGet version mismatch. Sure enough, that’s exactly what it was. Let me explain…

How I Identified Another WinGet Version Mismatch

As I was noodling about with the unending sequence of Python Launder updates, I thought to myself “Why not try the old uninstall/reinstall manuever?” This is actually a valid nostrum for many WinGet gotchas and hiccups, so it wasn’t a bad thought. If you look at the lead-in graphic, you can see what happened when I tried that very thing, which produced a major clue. It reads (in red text):

Multiple versions of this package are installed. Either refine the search, pass the ‘–version’ argument to select one, or pass the ‘–all-versions’ flag to uninstall all of them.

OK, then: there’s proof there is a version mismatch. And indeed the output from WinGet list Python.Launcher reads:

Name   Id                       Version  Source
-----------------------------------------------
Python Launcher Python.Launcher 3.13.5   winget
Python Launcher Python.Launcher < 3.13.5 winget

Notice the mismatch in the two version strings. The lower one has a leading “< ” at the head, which I have to bet is an outright mistake.

Targeted Uninstall Does the Trick!

Looking at the two versions, I have to believe they’re the same, and that one of them has an error in the Version string data. Thus, I targeted that one in a WinGet uninstall directive, to wit:

WinGet uninstall Python.Launcher –version “< 3.13.5”

And, sure enough, that appears to fix the issue. When I run WinGet upgrade … again after that, it comes up with nothing to upgrade, and stays mum on the subject of Python.Launcher. Problem solved. Next!

One More Thing…

Please note that the responsibility for a version mismatch falls on the package developer. They’re the ones who enter the information that goes into the package repository, and define the version strings for what’s known and what’s current. So it’s on them to fix things when this sort of hiccup happens.

That said, I’m going to urge the WinGet developers to write some string checking code for version strings before they’re allowed to be checked into the repository. Two weeks ago a parenthetical phrase in a Visual Studio update also caused the same behaviors. Seems to me that a little “string policing” effort might help head such things off at the pass. Just sayin…

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

Dev Channel Gets 25H2

July 1, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

I started seeing some news about this last Friday — most notably at Eleven Forum. The specific item was labeled “Get ready for Windows 11 25H2.” Shoot! I’ve been ready for months. What I needed to do was figure out how to get in on that act. Turns out it’s just an enablement package for Insiders in the Dev Channel. That’s how I got mine on Saturday, once I understood what was what. You can see, in fact, that Dev Channel gets 25H2 in the lead-in screencap.

After Dev Channel Gets 25H2, Then What?

Thanks to the afore-linked Eleven Forum post, I also learned that while I couldn’t see the enablement package in Update History directly, I could see it another way. By clicking through Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, I saw “Feature Enablement for Dev Channel Preview Update (KB5054156)” as you, too, can see here (at bottom):

Given that it’s an enablement package, not a full-blown OS install it’s also speedy to download and run. The whole thing took less than three minutes on the brand-new dynabook X40M2 laptop I ran it on.

I expect this release to get banged on and patched for the next three-four months. That takes us to September or October, which is when it’s highly likely that 25H2 will make it into more widespread distribution — barring unforeseen hurdles or noxious gotchas.

But hey, this is Windows-World. While we THINK we know what may happen, anything and everything remains possible. Let’s just wait and see what unfolds next. In the meantime, I’ll be exploring the newest avatar for Windows 11 — 25H2, Build 26200.5670. Cheers!

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

Windows 11 Smart App Control

June 30, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

I’m always learning something new or surprising about Windows. In this case, I’m talking about Windows 11 since 22H2 came along in September 2022. That’s nearly 3 years ago, so to discover something mostly missing in new-ish (and brand-new) eval PCs from OEMs such as Lenovo, dynabook, and Panasonic is my surprise of the day. I’m talking about a feature in Windows Security — namely Windows 11 Smart App Control — about which I’ve been mostly oblivious until today.

This morning, I re-read a piece from Paul Thurrot from last Thursday (June 26) entitled You Use Windows. Be Resilient (it’s Premium content, so you’ll need to sign up for a membership to read this: sorry). Under the heading of app protection, it off-handedly mentioned Smart App Control as follows:

Windows 11 has a feature called Smart App Control that’s in a weird state of flux and may or may not be configurable on your PC. Open Windows Security and navigate to App & browser control > Smart App Control, and see whether you can enable it. If you can, do so.

“Hmmm” I thought to myself, I don’t recognize this. “I’ll go look.” On the vast majority of new machines (all issued in 2023 or later) I found that — as you can see in the lead-in graphic– Smart App Control was turned off. And right below that status: a can of interesting worms. Gotcha!

A Gotcha in Windows 11 Smart App Control

That can of worms is, of course, the explanation beneath the “Off” toggle that reads “If Smart App Control is off it can’t be turned on without reinstalling Windows.” Really?!?!

That’s right. Apparently, enough people have noticed this distressing detail that MS has put together a FAQ around this very topic. It’s the one that’s accessible from the link at the bottom of the lead graphic that says Learn more about why Smart App Control is off.

TLDR: Smart App Control hooks into the OS at a deep enough level that if it’s not there when the OS gets laid down, a new, clean install is necessary to put it there from inception to make sure it works like it should. In other words, if your install of Windows 11 predates 22H2 — as so many of mine do — or the OEM doesn’t enable this feature as part of their initial Windows 11 image install — you can’t have it without an OS do-over.

What’s in My Field of (New/ish) View?

With this item in mind I examined all of my newest PCs, only to find that just one of them supports Smart App Control (SAC), albeit in “Eval mode.” Here’s what that looks like:

Of all my relatively new PCs only the dynabook X40M2 supports SAC (in evaluation mode).

Here’s a list of those PCs, for the record:

The preceding graphic shows I’ve got it in “Evaluation” mode on the dynabook X40M2 laptop I received earlier this month.
It’s turned off on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (original Windows 11 install date November 2024)
It’s turned off on the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra (original Windows 11 install date November 2023)

I just got an eval from Lenovo for its new Copilot+ capable AIO (Model Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i last Friday. I haven’t unboxed it yet, so I can’ t yet say if it has it turned off or not. I’ll report back later.

Small Sample Size Warning & Wondering

The sample size is ludicrously small (3 machines so far, with a fourth on the way later this week). But it’s now a bit clearer to me why I haven’t run into Smart App Control before. It’s just not that widely dispersed in the field yet. And I bet a lot of other long-time Windows Pros like me don’t know they can’t have it on older PCs unless they bring it in via a clean Windows 11 install.

Very interesting! Let’s just hope the dynabook survives Evaluation mode with Smart App Control intact, so I can learn more about how it works, and what it really does. And isn’t that just the way things often work, here in Windows-World? You betcha!

Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows Update

Undoing Enterprise Version WU Defaults

June 26, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

This morning, I read a fascinating story from Mayank Parmar at WindowsLatest. It covers the one-year grant that MS plans to offer Windows 10 users to participate in the Extended Security Update (ESU) program at no charge. Given that around half of all Windows users still run version 10, that makes sense to me. But there’s a catch: apparently this offer extends to neither Enterprise nor Education versions of Windows 10. But first, that meant undoing Enterprise version WU defaults to figure this out. Let me explain…

Why Bother Undoing Enterprise Version WU Defaults?

I couldn’t opt into the “Get the latest updates…” option in WU unless and until I used gpedit.msc to explicitly disable a Group Policy setting. But I didn’t find it on my PC where MS Learn said it should reside, instead it was an additional level down, to wit:

Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Windows Components>Windows Update>Windows Update for Business

On Windows Home and Pro PCs (and probably Workstation as well) the hierarchy doesn’t automatically include WU for Business. On Education and Enterprise versions it does.

Long story short, I couldn’t see “Get ready for Windows 11…” or “Get the latest updates…” until I had explicitly disabled the policy named “Select the target Feature Update version.” As I think about it, that makes sense. MS is NOT giving ESU away to government, education and businesses; the grant only goes to SOHO and individual users. The others can — and many will — pay for their coverage plans. You don’t see the enroll info that Parmar shows in his story on my PC — and that’s because it’s running Enterprise.

And apparently, those running Enterprise and Education versions will not get the free ESU offer. I’m going to stand up a Pro version VM to double-check this, but I’m betting that’s right.

And boy howdy, isn’t that just the way things go in Windows-World. There’s always a wrinkle, and sometimes you have to dig and think, and think and dig to figure out how to understand and deal with things.

Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog

WinTerm Windows 10/11 Divergence

June 25, 2025 Ed Tittel Leave a comment

Here’s something interesting — and purely temporary. My Windows 11 PCs and VMs are getting updates to Windows Terminal, but my Windows 10 PCs aren’t (yet). As you can see in the lead-in screencap that means there’s some WinTerm Windows 10/11 divergence currently happening. To the left, Windows 11 shows version 1.22.11751.0; to the right, Windows 10 shows 1.22.11141.0. An upgrade attempt on WinTerm for 10 says “No newer packages are available from the configured source” (which happens to be WinGet itself). What’s up?

Why There’s WinTerm Windows 10/11 Divergence

Simply put. MS is pushing the Windows Terminal upgrade to 11 before it gets around to doing likewise for Windows 10. It could happen in the next hour, day, or week. But it surely won’t take much longer than that.

Here’s what Copilot says:

The version difference you’re seeing—v1.22.1141.0 on Windows 10 versus v1.22.11751.0 on Windows 11—likely comes down to staggered rollout timing and platform-specific servicing.

Microsoft often releases Windows Terminal updates in waves, and while both versions fall under the 1.22 stable branch, the build numbers reflect incremental servicing updates. These can include bug fixes, compatibility tweaks, or minor enhancements tailored to each OS version. For instance, Windows 11 might receive a slightly newer build first due to broader feature support or integration testing, while Windows 10 gets a more conservative rollout.

It’s nice to get a decent explanation, and it helps me appreciate one thing that Copilot really is good at: summarizing and stating the MS party line on what’s going on when interesting things happen.

Eye of the Beholder

Of course, I recognize that what’s interesting to me is not interesting to everyone. Perhaps it’s not even interesting to that many others. But hey, it’s definitely a feature of the way things happen in Wndows-World. And if you read this blog, you already know I care a fair amount about that kind of stuff. Hopefully, you feel likewise — or what else would lead you here?

Here’s a shout-out to Shawn Brink at Eleven Forum, whose X tweet alerted me to this situation. See also the related news item. Thanks!

Note Added 6/26 (One Day Later)

And as I check the running instance of Windows Terminal on Windows 10 right now, it’s been upgraded. My guess is that Windows Store caught it on its usual light-night/early-AM update cycle. And sure enough, here’s visual proof:

Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Troubleshooting, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

CHKDSK Follies Follow Drive Prep

June 24, 2025 Ed Tittel 6 Comments

Whoa! I’d forgotten how time-consuming and intricate the built-in Window disk checker can be. My pithy summation, as I prep the old drives on my soon-to-be-retired i7 Skylake PC is: CHKDSK follies follow drive prep. And with 9 disk drives to prep and clean up to make that move, that’s more than enough folly for anybody, including me. For the record, I’m using the CHKDSK /f /x command.

What CHKDSK Follies Follow Drive Prep Means

As the lead-in graphic illustrates — it shows 5.25 hours to grind the fix and clean operation to completion — it takes real time to make all this happen. I left it running when I left my desk last night, and the time info was waiting for me when I logged back in this morning. Only 8 drives left to go!

The 5 stages of CHKDSK run as follows:

1. Examining basic file system structure
2. Checking file name linkage
3. Examining security descriptors
4. Looking for bad clusters in user data file
5. Looking for bad, free clusters

Now that I’m on my second of 9 drives it looks like CHKDSK spends most of its time on the two final stages. It took 5.22 hours for Stage 4 on the first drive. The second, now underway, is estimating about the same amount of time for stage 5. I’ll follow up with more numbers later.

Isn’t that just the way things go in Windows-World sometimes? The job has to get done. Then the waiting begins. It can take a while, as these numbers already intimate (and may later show: I’ll keep track).

Total Times (Follow-Up 5 hrs later)

Looks like the CHKDSK stuff is actually all over the place. I had two drives take less than 1 second (!) to complete, most others came in at or around 1 minute (72 seconds, anyway). The first two drives I tried had trouble in need of repairing, and that skewed my impressions. Go figure! All cleaned up now, though.