Yesterday, I blogged about a real, but apparently small, performance boost for ReFS volumes vis-a-vis NTFS ones. While I was undertaking that testing, I switched a USB4 NVMe from NTFS to ReFS to keep everything else the same. I’m pretty sure that’s the best way to isolate file system differences because port, cable, enclosure and drive all remained the same. Along the way, I found myself uncovering “Create Dev Drive” gotcha. Let me explain.

Uncovering Create Dev Drive Gotcha:
Two Create Dev Drive Buttons

If you attach an unallocated drive to a Windows PC, then navigate to System > Storage > Disks & Volumes, you’ll not only see the “Create Dev Drive button” at the top of that UI pane as shown in the lead-in graphic. Should you scroll down to said unallocated drive, you can evoke a different Create Dev Drive button by clicking on the down-caret for “Create volume” like so:

Here’s the gotcha: if you use the upper Create Dev Drive button, everything works as it should. But if you use the lower one, the create operation fails every time, and reports it fails because the drive is read-only. Here’s what the Settings UI looks like after that error:

Something odd and interesting apparently happens when you use this button instead. I’m reporting this to Feedback Hub. Here’s that link, if you’d care to upvote: Create a dev drive button doesn’t work.

Clean-Up and Fix

Once you do this to yourself, you need to clean things up before you can set things up correctly using (only) the upper “Create Dev Drive” button. You must open Disk Management and delete the RAW volume you’ll now see there (right-click, and select Delete Volume… from the pop-up menu). Then you can return to Settings > System > Storage >Disks & volumes and do it right this time. Enjoy!

One more thing: the Dev Home app is a great place to get started when creating an ReFS volume. It does the Settings navigation for you and drops you right where you want to be. Just remember: it only works when you select the upper, general “Create Dev Drive” button, NOT the lower, device-specific “Create Dev Drive” button. I have no idea why this is so, but that’s the way it seems to work at present. Mysteries like these are what keep me forever fascinated with the wrinkles in Windows-World.

I should have known. I put the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Gen 1 hybrid tablet back into service yesterday. Indeed, I had a ThinkPad Universal Thunderbolt 4 Dock sitting right next to  the device. “No problem,” I thought to myself “I’ll hook up to one of these USB-C ports and I won’t need to rustle up its 65W brick.” Wrong! Just as it’s essential to choose USB-C ports for their bandwidth ratings when attaching storage devices, ditto for choosing USB power ports properly when seeking a charge. Let me explain…

Why Choosing USB Power Ports Properly Matters

I show the rear view of the TB4 dock in the lead-in graphic. Turns out that only the TB4-rated ports (the leftmost block of two is to the right of the DC power input connected) deliver more than 10W via USB-C. The others are rated 10 Gbps too, while TB4 gets the coveted 40 Gbps rating.

I knew things were off when the BIOS told me that the PSU wasn’t delivering an acceptable amount of power as the X12 started booting up. “Doh!” I reflected, “it’s important to read the fine print on the USB-C connectors to make sure they have the power lightning bolt and plug into those.” And sure enough,  if I zoom in on the detail on the two left-most USB-C ports on the back, the lightning bolt is pretty visible on each one.

Left: lightning bolt above; right: below. 100W available from each one, as per specs.

It pays to check before plugging into USB-C. If you can’t see or don’t know, it never hurts to RTM. As soon as I figured out what I was doing, in fact, it all made sense. Just another perfect day in Windows-World, right? Cheers!

In tech news over the past 2-3 weeks, there’s been some serious CPU stuff revealed. As updated in this recent Windows Central item, PCs with Intel’s 13th and 14th generation CPUs (Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh, respectively) are prey to a microcode bug. Units with a TDP of 65W or greater can run excessive voltage under some conditions. This can cause crashes and BSODs. On July 26, in fact, Tom’s Hardware reported a scary observation. It said “13th Generation Raptor Lake processors have a return rate [4X] higher than … the previous generation”  (copy abbreviated). There’s the basis for my claim to see Intel 13th-14th Gen CPU issues unfolding.

What Intel 13-14 Gen CPU Issues Unfolding Means

If you’ve got PCs or laptops with such CPUs inside, you’ll need to keep an eye on them. Intel plans to issue a microcode fix sometime soon. When it’s available, you’ll want to schedule that update sooner rather than later. I’d also recommend that owners think about  underclocking as a form of insurance against possible problems that normal voltage level operations might otherwise cause.

Indeed, for those with 13th Gen Raptor Lake devices, you’ve been dodging trouble for some time now. The already-cited Tom’s Hardware story, mentions that “the first sporadic reports of CPU crashing errors surfaced in December 2022 and grew to a crescendo by the end of 2023.” You’ve been warned!

For more info on underclocking, this wikiHow Tech story “Underclock Your Computer Hardware: 2 Easy Ways” looks like a good place to start.

No Raptor Lake Exposure Here…

I have to chuckle as I report that the PCs and Laptops at Chez Tittel aren’t subject to this reported exposure. Because its worst-case consequences could require replacing a CPU, that’s a very, very good thing. I was concerned about my workhorse test PC, a well-equipped Lenovo P16 Mobile Workstation Gen 1. But a quick trip to CPU-Z (which you can use on your PCs to suss out relevant details) showed it running an Alder Lake 12th Gen Intel CPU. I was totally relieved to see that this morning (see lead-in graphic).

I have a kind of love-hate relationship with mice. Because I work on a desktop PC by choice, I’m more or less forced to use a USB-attached pointing device. I’ve switched back and forth between wired and wireless models because their weaknesses sometimes vex me. For the wired meese, the wire tends to snarl up with other cables on my desk. For wireless models, what frosts my jowls is intermittent or imprecise cursor stuttering or movement. I started to experience that on my current mouse this morning: a usually unflappable (and wireless) Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000. Then I noticed a dimly pulsating red indicator light atop the device. Oho! This intermittent mouse needs new battery to work properly.

Why My Intermittent Mouse Needs New Battery

According this MS Community thread, the light is a battery life or status indicator. When you plug a new battery in, it shows green for 5 seconds, then turns itself off. Ditto when you power the mouse back on. When the battery is starting to fail, it shows red for the same interval upon power-up. And when battery levels are going critical — that is, it’s about to die — the dim red pulsations begin. Good to know!

We shop at Costco, so we always have lots of batteries around. As soon as I swapped out the old AA for a new one, I got the green glow for 5 seconds. Now it’s dark again. And presto! The mouse is no longer stuttering, and it’s tracking exactly where I want it to go. Yay!

The Best Issues Get Quick, Easy Fixes

Working with PCs in Windows-World means there’s always something in need of fixing or figuring out. Once you identify an issue, the troubleshooting process begins. Over my decades working with this stuff, I’ve learned to appreciate problems that are easy to recognize, diagnose and fix. Today’s successful battery swap definitely falls in that category, even if another one bits the dust as a result.