Category Archives: Cool Tools

Cool Tools, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Moving Windows 11 Main Display

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OK, then: now that my vision is limited thanks to cataract surgery last year, I’m adjusting what I can see without reading glasses. One of those things is relocating the notification area. Turns out it’s easier to see on the right-hand monitor in my dual-display setup. Moving Windows 11 main display — see the lead-in graphic for the source of this terminology — works through Settings > System > Display.

Moving Windows 11 Main Display, Step-by-Step

When you click into Settings > System > Display, your available monitors will appear in their positions as you’ve established them (or as Windows has done so on your behalf). The current “main display” (see greyed out first line under the Multiple displays heading) is highlighted in blue.

When I first entered that pane in Settings, Display 1 was highlighted. Here’s how I changed that to what you see in the lead-in graphic, step by step:

1. Click on monitor 2 at right (moves highlight from 1 to 2)
2. Click on the checkbox to the left of “Make this my main display” shown below unchecked

Once you’ve clicked that checkbox, your displays will pause for a second or two. They’ll also shrink for a moment. Next, Display 2 becomes main and that checkbox appears greyed-out. Done!

Accommodating Aging Eyeballs

I’m learning all kinds of tricks to make it easier for me to see what’s happening in Windows-World. The Zoom option in Outlook messages and Word documents, and the page Zoom functions in browsers like Chrome and so forth — all of which I blow up to 150% — are particularly useful. I can keep chunking along productively, as long as I can see what I’m doing. Learning how to make Windows work to those ends is helpful and lets me stay on the playing field.

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

ARM PC Throws Oh-My-Posh Curve

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There are lots of interesting wrinkles that distinguish ARM-based PCs running Windows 11 from their Intel- or AMD-based counterparts. Nothing huge or deal-breaking. Just interesting and sometimes, mildy vexing. In setting up Windows Terminal and PowerShell “the way I like it,” I encountered just such a wrinkle. Indeed, my new ASUS Zenbook A14 AMR throws oh-my-posh curve that took some research to work around. The lead-in graphic shows where I started out.

How ARM PC Throws Oh-My-Posh Curve Ball

I used the OneDrive connection through my common MSA (Microsoft Account) to inherit a lot of my local set-up and preferences. So it is with Windows Terminal and PowerShell, for which I like to use Jan DeDobbeleer’s excellent Oh My Posh (OMP) customization tool. Note the end of the prompt that shows up on the A14 in the preceding screencap: “CONFIG ERROR.” Not good!

In figuring out what causes this, I learned that the way ARM PCs handle some errors differs from AMD and Intel X64 CPUs. Indeed, the issue seems to come from a slight change in folder structures, where OMP expects x64 and doesn’t accommodate ARM automatically.

Fixing the CONFIG ERROR

Fixing CONFIG ERROR, in this case, is as easy as reassingning the folder from whence Oh-My-Posh reads its configuration file. This comes from changing where OMP gets its theme — namely:

oh-my-posh init pwsh --config "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\ohmyposh.cli_
28.0.0.0_arm64__96v55e8n804z4\themes\jandedobbeleer.omp.json" | Invoke-Expression

Note: I broke this command across multiple lines for improved rendering. Be sure to suck it into a text editor and remove the line-break in the middle before trying this yourself.

To make this change permanent, one must run notepad $PROFILE at the PowerShell prompt, and replace the current path specification for the startup-theme.  That means the path specification in the OMP invocation line must match the one shown in the preceding command string. Save the edited profielss and thereafter, when Windows Terminal boots into PowerShell, it will use the right version of the theme file to avoid CONFIG ERROR.

As you can see, after making that config change, I ran winfetch in a new PowerShell/Windows Terminal session (for something to see). OMP no longer throws a CONFIG ERROR. Problem solved!

 

wing

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Backup/Restore, Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Digging Into Lenovo Digital Download Recovery Service

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On Monday, I was finally able to interact with the Lenovo Digitial Download Recovery Service (DDRS). I used it, with the company’s USB Recovery Creator tool, to create a UFD to reinstall the factory image onto my munged ThinkPad T14s laptop (ARM-based). Having now used it with amazement and appreciation, I’m digging into DDRS to better understand what it is and how it works.

More about Lenovo Digital Download Recovery Service

About a year ago, I tried to use this tool and got nowhere. One must place a “digital work order” with Lenovo, based on the Serial Number for the affected unit, for it to build a corresponding image that then works with the USB Recovery Creator tool. Earlier, I couldn’t get this to work for some odd reason or another. This time, all went swimmingly.

I did have to boot into the UEFI to obtain the system’s serial number. With that string in hand, however, I was able to place my order. Then when I ran the tool, it created the recovery UFD I would use to rebuilt the T14s. That took about 40 minutes to complete. As you can see in the following screenshot (from WizTree) this stuff falls into a 32 GB (FAT32) partition, of which 18 GB is actually occupied

This FAT32 partition contains 18GB of files, mostly image stuff.
[Click screencap for full-sized view]

In the RECOVERY folder, you’ll find an image file named M11A16AUS.WIM (appears at left in preceding screencap). It’s the customized recovery image that the tool will use to reinstall a factory fresh Windows 11 on the laptop. Let’s call it the “factory image.”

But There’s More to Do: Before, During & After

The whole recovery process is built around a massive and complicated set of scripts (mostly PowerShell). Here’s a 10,000-ft view of what happens next, over about a 100 minute time span:

  • Download and build media: Lenovo USB Recovery Creator tool downloads around 20 GB of recovery files to a USB drive (I used a modestly speedy full-sized Mushkin 64GB USB 3.0 device).
  • Boot from USB: with recovery media inserted, Secure Boot disabled, and F12 run to choose the drive as the boot source, the laptop passes control to the UFD.
  • Launch Recovery Environment: system boots into the Lenovo customer recovery shell built around WinPE with a variety of Lenovo tools and utilities further at its disposal. At this stage, the user confirms recovery, which wipes existing C:/boot/system drive contents.
  • Reformat and Restore: Recovery tool repartitions the internal (C:) drive, then deploys the factory image, complete with Windows, Lenovo device drivers, and Lenovo apps (e.g. Vantage).
  • System Boot and OOBE: The system reboots six times during the previous activities, and shows itself running a complex and convoluted unattend.xml install. After the final reboot, the laptop goes into the out-of-box-experience typical of a clean Windows install, but one based (in this case) on the Lenovo custom image.

Where Windows Wound Up

At that point I installed pending WU items and found the machine running Windows 11 25H2 Build 26200.7171. This is actually one build newer (thanks to an intervening Patch Tuesday) than ran on this PC before my ill-fated attempt to upgrade to Insider Preview for the Dev Channel.

Interestingly, Secure Boot and BitLocker are both turned off for the running image. I believe that makes it safe for me to attempt another Insider Preview upgrade to Dev Channel. This time, I’m going to make sure I have a current image backup with working recovery media first. That’s much faster than using the Lenovo Recovery UFD.

Next week, I’ve asked for an interview with the Lenovo engineers who built the DDRS and the Recovery Tool. That should shed further light on this amazing environment and toolset. I’ll share that info in a future blog post. Stay tuned, and Happy Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate same).

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Backup/Restore, Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

VSS Delivers New Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore

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It’s been a long time coming, and long time gone. Back in the Windows 7 era (public release: July 2009) it included a Backup and Restore utility for image backups. Indeed, it persists to this day in Control Panel in both Windows 10 and 11 as Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Starting with Build 26220.7271, Windows 11 regains a built-in image-based backup. It is explicitly more granular, faster and light-weight, better integrated, more reliable, and fully automated than other Windows options. To say that VSS delivers new Windows 11 point-in-time restore implies those foregoing qualities. But it also means that MS offers a much more potent restore tool than the Windows Backup app.

Digging into VSS Delivers New Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore

Let’s explore the advantages of Point-in-Time restore vis-a-vis the old Windows 7 image backup utility and the Restore Point facility available through Control Panel > System Properties > System Protection:

  • Granularity
    • Windows 7 image backup: Restores the entire system image (.vhd) — all or nothing.
    • Classic restore points protect system files, registry settings, drivers and installed programs, does not back up personal files.
    • Point‑in‑time restore: Rolls back only system state, drivers, or updates to a chosen snapshot, leaving user files intact.
  • Speed & Convenience
    • Image backup required large storage space and long write times.
    • Classic restore points work more like a mini reinstall with multiple reboots with typical times of 10-30 minutes.
    • Point-in-time restore points are lightweight, created automatically before updates or app installs, and apply quickly (5-15 minutes).
  • Integration
    • Image backup was a standalone utility buried in Control Panel.
    • Restore points work through the Control Panel based System Restore utility.
    • Point‑in‑time restore is integrated with Windows Update, Recovery Settings, and System Restore, making it seamless for non‑technical users.
  • Reliability
    • Image backup often failed if the destination disk wasn’t large enough or if VSS writers conflicted.
    • Classic restore points may fail for lack of disk space or VSS writer conflicts.
    • Restore points use VSS snapshots but are optimized for consistency and modern storage stacks.
  • User Experience
    • Image backup required planning, external drives, and manual scheduling.
    • Using classic restore points is a manual process, requires identifying and selecting items.
    • Point‑in‑time restore happens automatically in the background, with minimal user intervention.

But Wait…There’s More!

Indeed, all four of my favorite (and free, except for Macrium) backup utilities also work atop a VSS foundation. That means Macrium Reflect (no longer free), EaseUS ToDo Backup, AOMEI Backupper and MiniTool ShadowMaker all use VSS to provide shadow copies that it may use itself (or use that very MS service) to operate on Winodws images for file and system backups.

I’m tickled to see this capability show up on my X380 Yoga for 26220.7271. If it’s still on gradual rollout, you may be tickled to see it show up on a test PC or VM, too. Enjoy!


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

			
New MCT Worth Downloading

		

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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!

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

			
DISM /Add-Packages Loses Windows 11 Mojo

		

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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.

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			Cool Tools, Recent Activity, Windows 11, Windows OS Musings
		

			
Windows 11 ARM Gets Working MCT Back

		

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Phew! For a while there, ARM PCs — like my ThinkPad T14s Snapdragon model — couldn’t build a UFD or ISO using the Media Creation Tool. That said, I just confirmed that after updating with KB5067036, that issue is fixed. It’s nice that Windows 11 ARM gets working MCT back. Why? Because users expect basic MS tools to work. So I’m glad it’s fixed. Now I can use it again if I need it.


Showing Windows 11 ARM Gets Working MCT Back


If you look at the lead-in graphic it shows output for two Powershell commands. The first reads the install Windows image file (a split WIM, or .swm file) to show information about the Windows 11 Pro version on the install UFD. The second shows the current running Windows 11 ARM version on the T14s — namely, Windows 11 (shows as 10, amusingly enough) but version 25H2 (an 11-only thing) and build 26200 (again, 11-only).


It’s always interesting to get Windows to provide information about itself. For compatibility reasons, Windows 11 remains a “special kind” of Windows 10. But otherwise, it’s definitely its own thing. Here in Windows-World, it’s important to remember these quirks and oddities. Too bad there are so many of them: my head hurts sometimes…

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

			
PowerToys Fixes Random Light Switch Toggle

		

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Just over a week ago, the PowerToys dev team dropped v.0.95.0. Highly touted amidst its new features: a Light Switch toy, which defines the default key combo Winkey-Ctrl-Shift-D to toggle Windows desktops from light to dark mode, or vice-versa. It’s also turned on by default. As I couldn’t help but notice after that, my PC(s) started toggling between light and dark mode with no help from me. Yesterday, the team dropped a new version: 0.95.1. It’s really worth installing because in that release, PowerToys fixes random Light Switch toggle behavior. I’m glad!


Why PowerToys Fixes Random Light Switch Toggle


PowerToys are supposed to work according to the user’s direction, not on their own recognizance. It’s a little disconcerting to be plugging away on one’s desktop and have the mode change whenever it feels like it. The timing was interesting, too: sometimes, it might happen once or twice a day. Sometimes, it would switch back and forth every 30 to 90 seconds. Disconcerting!


It’s easy enough to switch back if this happens to you. Fortunately, the key combo is quick: it’s close together and easy to enter. But better to avoid spontaneous mode switching if at all possible. That’s why I’m delighted to see an update that addresses such behavior sooner rather than later.


What the Release Notes Say…


The first Highlights entry is ALL about Light Switch. It lists 6 different fixes including: turning off enabled by default, not allowing sunset calculations to over-ride Manual time schedule, and renaming “Manual” to “Fixed Hours” mode. There’s even a new off mode that disables the switchover schedule but keeps the key combo working. Here is the new control pane for Light Switch:


I’ve already turned scheduling off because I don’t switch modes by time of day. If you use PowerToys you’ll want to update to v0.95.1. I’m glad to see this fix so soon, because it was a little disturbing.


But hey! “A little disturbing” describes a pretty familiar feeling — for me, at least — here in Windows-World. How ’bout you?

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

			
Windows Store Auto-Update Policy Change

		

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Once upon a time — and until pretty recently — Windows users could defer Windows Store updates indefinitely. No more. Starting with version 22309.1401.x which began rolling out in early September 2025, users can only pause updates for a period of 1 to 5 weeks. By the end of that month, this change had reached most Windows users. Why this Windows Store Auto-Update Policy change? Good question! Answers follow, but first check out the lead-in graphic. It shows the Pause updates control in Store Settings, and the permissible intervals (though the 5 week option is obscured, it’s there, I promise).


Why Make a Windows Store Auto-Update Policy Change?


According to Copilot MS instituted this change for 3 primary reasons (my paraphrasis follows):


    

  • To lower security risks outdated apps can pose.
    • 

  • To synch up Store update behavior with the WU pause model that’s long been in effect.
    • 

  • To keep users from skipping critical app patches or updates.
    • 



Note: enterprise-managed Windows devices (e.g via GPOs or Intune) aren’t affected by this change. Their app update policies work differently, and they continue to exercise full control.


There’s even an MS Support Note to cover this change. It’s entitled Keep apps and games up to date with the Microsoft Store (last updated 9/4/2025). For more details and administrivia, check it out.


Here in Windows World you can duck updates for a while, but you can’t avoid them completely — at least, not without using third-party tools like those mentioned in this WindowsClub roundup story. But that’s a topic for another post, should I find the “round tuit” necessary to bring it up!

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Turbotax Tribulation and Triumph 2025

		

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Yesterday was October 15th. Among other milestones, it’s the last day one can submit 2024 taxes upon obtaining an extension for filing. I’d planned to do them over the weekend, but a huge project blew into my life instead. So I ended up having to wait until the very last day to file. So yesterday, I experienced Turbotax tribulation and triumph: let me explain…


Surviving Turbotax Tribulation and Triumph 2025


I’ve been using TurboTax since before Intuit bought them in 1993. In fact, I think my accountant used them on my taxes even before then. And when she retired in the 1990s, she told me “you can do them on your own, if you stick with Turbotax.” She was right. And the program just keeps getting better at dealing with nearly all aspects of tax preparation and filing.


What amazes me most, right now, about this program is the connectors it offers into the accounts from whence most financial data flows anyway. I have a lot of activity from my brokerage account because I’m drawing on retirement accounts. Turbotax logs into the brokerage, sucks over all of my 1099s, and populates all the relevant fields for me. Same with bank accounts and such, too. Ditto for social security.


Because I’m self-employed, I get numerous 1099s from the companies I write for. Last year that included TechTarget, AskWoody, IDG (ComputerWorld), and others. Because I’ve been working for all of them for a while, Turbotax already knows their names, EINs and so forth. All I have to do is plug in the income numbers for 2024.


Shoot! My son’s in college and uses money from a 529(c) his grand-dad left him to cover tuition. Turbotax makes that easy, too.


Same as It Ever Was, But Better…


I remember watching my Dad shuffle mountains of paper to file his taxes when I was still living with my parents until 1970 or thereabouts. It used to take him a full day to work all the way through those papers and fill out all the necessary forms. But because Turbotax remembers what I did last year and automatically carries over refunds left over to cover the current year, I can usually get through the whole shebang in under 4 hours. That’s a big improvement.


Here in Windows-World data sources and sinks are increasingly connected. This can pose security headaches, but gosh: it makes working through complex data analysis exercises easier. Even the data-driven member of the eternal duo: Death and Taxes! Done for another year, hooray…

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