Category Archives: WED Blog

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

Weird Win10 Insider Mismatch

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When I report a Windows puzzle, I usually like to provide a solution. But I just noticed something odd I may not have time to solve today. It looks to me like a weird Win10 Insider mismatch. Let me explain: my production PC is signed up for the Beta Channel, as you can see in the lead-in graphic. But a quick Winver run shows that PC running version 19045.5371 (see below). Alas, the current Beta Channel Insider Preview Build is 19045.5194. And there’s the mismatch in plain sight!

The Build number on this supposed Beta Channel PC corresponds to the current public/production release.

Fixing Weird Win10 Insider Mismatch

Upon closer examination, the Beta build is lower than the current production build. Looks like I want to switch to the Release Preview channel at Build 19045.5435 instead. Let me try that… No joy.

So then, I do some more poking around online, turns out I need to re-select the Beta Channel item (see lead-in graphic) and open its subsidiary window. That lets me switch to the Release Preview channel. Then when I pop back up two levels to re-run an update check, I get what I want:

Turns out my problem is an error in understanding how to switch from Beta to Insider Preview channel: problem solved!

Looks like the download and install are working. I’ll be rebooting soon: installing has reached 100% but not yet flipped over to “Restart pending…” Now it’s installing again … 20% … taking much longer … 45% … 73% … 88% … done. Restarting now… AAAAND winver now shows 19045.5435.

Turns out it wasn’t a channel mismatch: I was on the wrong channel FWIW, Copilot tells me that MS is shutting down Beta Channel, but is continuing to release into the RP (Release Preview) Channel. Hence, my need to change channels to get to the right build level. Apparently, I missed that memo. All fixed now!

As always here in Windows-World, fixing things is easy when one knows what to do. This time, it took me a while — and some new info — to figure out what that was. Go figure!

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

Overcoming KB5050009 Update Errors

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I’ve seen it before. And I’m grimly resigned to seeing it again. Every now and then, a Windows PC has issues with some Windows Update (WU) item. Mostly, though, I’ve seen this with Cumulative Updates (CUs) rather than security, MSRT, or servicing stack items. Indeed, this very situation popped up on a brand-new review unit from Lenovo following Patch Tuesday this week which brought KB5050009 to Windows 11 24H2. On all four of my other production level 24H2 PCs, no problem. On the ThinkCentre M90a (see yesterday’s intake review) however, I spent some time overcoming KB5050009 update errors. Let me explain…

Escalating Steps When Overcoming KB5050009 Update Errors

I’ve been through this kind of thing often enough that I’ve got a series of steps I follow when a WU update fails and throws an error. Here it is:

1. Write down the error string ( 0X800F081F in this case)
2. Run the WU update again (helpfully, it offers a “Retry” button)
3. If it fails, note the error message. Record only if different from 1.
4. Download and run the batch file from Eleven Forums Reset Windows Update tutorial (Batch file named Reset_Reregister_ Windows_Update_Components_for_Windows11 .zip).
5. Try again. It it fails. note the error message if different from 1.
6. Download the self-installing update file (.msu) from the Microsoft Update Catalog, then install.
7. If it fails, note the error message. Record only if different from 1.
8. Visit UUPdump.net. Create an ISO file for the target Build (26100.2894, as per KB5050009 support note).
9. Perform an in-place upgrade repair install on the affected PC. This applies the already-integrated CU as part of that process.
10. If that fails, perform a clean Windows install using the UUPdump ISO.

I’ve only had to beyond step 5 in a small number of instances in the 30-plus years I’ve been using Windows. This was one of those cases. To my surprise the catalog download failed the the same error message as before. Next, it took an hour and half to download and build the 26100.2894 ISO, and another 50 minutes or so to install that image on the ThinkCentre. Ouch!

One Step Short of Clean Install Works

But when the PC rebooted, it came up with no errors. Interestingly, the Update History does not show KB5050009, even though it must be present for the build number to reach 26100.2894. You can see this in the lead-in graphic, which shows that very build number, but not the CU entry for KB5050009. That’s because it was part of the install image when the upgrade repair install occurred, not added separately via WU.

But it does go to show that here in Windows-World, when WU won’t work, there may sometimes be a way to work around its failings. This is such a tale…

PostScript: About the 0X800F081F Message

Here’s what Copilot says about this error message, thanks to info from answers.microsoft.com:

The error code 0x800F081F typically occurs when the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool is unable to find the necessary source files to repair the Windows image. This can happen during Windows updates or when running the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command.

To me that indicates there was some WU issue with the files included in the update package that got downloaded from the WU servers. Curiously it also seems to have affected the Catalog item. I’ve never had that happen to me before. Go figure!

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

Strange But Lovable Lenovo AIO

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An AIO is an “all-in-one” — namely, a monitor with a mini-PC slung on its back, usually built from laptop parts. It’s got everything you need to compute except mouse and keyboard (and Lenovo sent those, too, along with the unit and power cord). I’ve owned and enjoyed numerous AIOs over the years. Thus, I was intrigued to learn more about what Lenovo might offer me in that line. They sent me the ThinkCentre M90a Gen 5 in December, but I’m only now writing about this strange but lovable Lenovo AIO .

Digging Into a Strange But Lovable Lenovo AlO

Let me tell you more about this beast: it combines numerous odd or even anachronistic features with a capable CPU, lots of ports, and a surprisingly vibrant and good-looking screen. Here’s a list of what was present on the review unit Lenovo sent me:

CPU: Core i7-14700 (8 P cores, 12 E cores, 28 threads total)
RAM: 2x DDR5-5600 16 GB (32 GB total)
Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770
Disk: 1x 1 TB SK Hynix HFS001TEJ9X164N NVMe SSD Gen4
Display: 23.8″ color calibrated touch display (1920×1080 HD)
Networking: Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E and RJ-45 for GbE
Ports: 3x 10 Gbps USB-A, 3x 5 Gbps USB-A, 1x 10 Gbps USB-C
Camera: 5 MP RGBIR (Windows Hello ready) [accessory]
OS: Windows 11 Pro 24H2
Mouse & Keyboard included (very basic house brand)

As configured, this unit goes for US$2,133.00 at the Lenovo Store. Prices go up and down there, and at resellers, so use this as a guidepost rather than a “must-pay” number. If you shop around you may find a better price.

Strange (Anachronistic) vs. Lovable

What makes the M90s strange — IMO anyway — is its inclusion of an optical (DVD only, not Blu-ray) drive, no add-in GPU support, and only USB 3.2 5 and 10 Gbps ports (no USB4 or TB4 ports at all). The unit refused to recognize a USB4 NVMe enclosure when I plugged it in (across all ports). That’s strange, and a bit frustrating, on a business-oriented (says Lenovo) AIO. The unit does support a second SSD slot (M.2 2080 module replaces the DVD drive). One could also insert a SATA SSD into the currently unoccupied hard disk slot inside the case.

What makes this unit lovable is its bitchin’ fast performance (the i7-14700 is wicked fast) and its eminently viewable display. I plugged an Acer 38″ monitor into DisplayPort on the back and easily drove the built-in 23.8″ (1920×1080) and the external 38″ (3840×2160) for an enormous desktop. Great fun!

There are plenty of ports available (albeit slower ones) and I was able to accommodate SSDs (mSATA and NVMe) and various hard disks in their respective enclosures. The internal SSD topped out at ~5 GiB read and 4+GiB write speeds (via CrystalDiskMark 8.0.6 x64 version). Because of port speed limits, 500 Mbps is about as fast as external media will run (on par with a SATA SSD, in fact).

Intended and Possible Uses for M90a Gen 5

Personally, I see this kind of PC as an ideal choice for a dorm room PC, or for office workers in typical productivity jobs (not developers or creatives, but most everybody else). It offers good value for the money if you let Lenovo emplace the parts. That value jumps if you buy minimally configured units and upgrade them yourself (e.g. RAM and storage, including a 2nd internal SSD and a SATA SSD in the HD slot). It’s a pretty solid workhorse if somewhat long in the tooth…

 

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

Dead CMOS Mungs Boot Behavior

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It’s one thing to know something in the abstract. It’s entirely another to have it hit you in the face. Today, I went to log in to my son’s PC to update the BIOS to wake on LAN (WoL). No dice. I couldn’t get anything to get me into UEFI, not System > Recovery > Advanced Startup; not the Asrock Restart to UEFI utility, not even shutdown /r /fw /t 00. Then it hit me: could the CMOS battery be dead? Sure enough, a new CR2032 lithium coin battery fixed the problem. And I was forcibly reminded that a dead CMOS mungs boot behavior.

New Battery Fixes Dead CMOS Mungs Boot Behavior

I happened to have 7 of the 10 (now 6) CR2032s I bought via Amazon in 2023 still on hand. With an expiration date in the 2nd half of 2027, I felt comfortable swapping in this newer battery in place of the dead one. As soon as I’d done that, then recabled everything — alas I had to unseat the GPU to reach the battery receptacle — the system resumed proper, normal boot behavior.

Take this lesson from me: if you ever find yourself unable to get to UEFI, WinRE, or other boot menus and displays, check the CMOS battery. If you’re as lucky as I was today, replacing same will fix your issue(s) as it did mine. Cheers!

And ain’t that just the way things go sometimes, here in Windows-World? You betcha… There is an upside though: with the BIOS/UEFI change I was finally able to make, I can now remote into the upstairs Ryzen PC thanks to Wake on LAN (WoL). All’s well that ends the same way.

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Cool Tools, PowerShell, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

OhMyPosh Auto Update Hangover Fixed

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Here’s an interesting one. Indeed one can configure or enable the excellent OhMyPosh prompt tweaking tool  (aka OMP) to update itself. But there’s a trick involved in getting WinGet to recognize an update has occurred. I call it an “update hangover.” Apparently the local copy of the WinGet source list itself needs a reset before it catches up with what’s happened. (That list provides the basis from which it decides what’s fresh and what needs updating.) Let me explain — and show — how I got this OhMyPosh auto update hangover fixed.

Getting OhMyPosh Auto Update Hangover Fixed

Take a look at the screencap in the lead-in graphic. Before this sequence occurred, OMP told me as the PowerShell session started up that it was updating itself to version 24.18.1. You’ll notice that selfsame “Available” version according to WinGet upgrade output right at the head of that PowerShell command sequence.

Keep reading. Note that the output for oh-my-posh –version also reads 24.18.1. Thus, OMP is already upgraded and already current. But after I complete the valid remaining upgrade manually (for Microsoft.WindowsADK), another simple upgrade check shows that WinGet thinks OMP still needs that upgrade.

What to do? I try basic winget source reset — which attempts a reset for the winget and msstore sources — but the command output tells me the directive requires the –force option to work. So that’s what I try next:

winget source reset –name winget –force

As you can see when I do the next upgrade check after that, WinGet now reports “No installed package found matching input criteria.” That means it no longer sees OMP as a legit update target. Fixed!

Now, I wonder if Jan DeDobbeleer can figure out a way to reset the local list of packages for comparison to the WinGet source as part of his auto-update function. Probably not: knowing his thorough and deliberate approach to this package, he’d have done it already were that possible.

 

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Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, WED Blog, Windows 11

Copilot+ PCs Lack Fast I/O

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So I’ve been doing some homework. I’ve checked on the MS Copilot+ PC hardware requirements. I’ve also looked at related announcements from Qualcomm, Intel and AMD regarding reference designs for such PCs. So far, nobody’s talking about Thunderbolt 5/USB 5 (aka USB4 v2) support on such PCs. That’s kind of a shame, because supporting gear is becoming available for purchase right now (see last week’s post First TB5 NVMe Enclosures Drop for more info). Be that as it may, so far Copilot+ PCs lack fast I/O support via USB-C attached devices. That’s a shame!

If Copilot+ PCs Lack Fast I/O, Then What?

To be fair, USB4 with some degree of TB4 support is baked into the existing specfiications and reference architectures. And, FWIW, the Qualcomm SoC implementation is pretty darn good — not quite as fast as Intel’s but entirely acceptable. That tells me support for TB5/USB5 is probably coming “real soon now” (to resurrect Jerry Pournelle’s famous phrase from his Chaos Manor column).

My best guess is we’ll see a revision to Copilot+ PC specifications some time later this year (the original set emerged in May 2024). I’m thinking sometime around or shortly after the first anniversary seems pretty likely.

In the meantime, Copilot+ PC users will have to live with 3-3,500 Mbps read/write speeds typical of USB4/TB4 device chains for NVMe storage devices. The new spec should double those numbers, and make those who use external NVMe storage for videos, backups and other high-volume, high-traffic I/O applications happy.

You’ll Pay for That Pleasure, Though

If what I’m seeing for NVMe enclosure costs is any indication  — namely US$200 and up — users who buy into faster I/O sooner rather than later will pay a premium for those speeds. The Acasis 40 Gbps enclosures run US$90 (fanless) or US$110 (with fan). The same vendor’s TB5 model has an MSRP of US$299 (and is available on sale at Newegg right now for US$239). Yikes!

Note, Intel unveiled its specs and controllers for Barlow Ridge TB5 on January 9 (last Thursday) so it’s no wonder that PCs with such circuitry built in are hard to find right now. Go figure! Hopefully, licensees will ante up soon. I’m curious to see if once again Qualcomm will reverse engineer this stuff… The comparison slide vis-a-vis TB4, USB4 and USB3/DP from Intel’s Jan 9 announcement serves as the lead-in graphic for this very blog post, in fact.

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Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Troubleshooting, WED Blog, Windows OS Musings

Assessing Generic WU Error Fixes

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Here’s an interesting situation. Right now, my Windows 10 production PC (22H2 Build 19045.5247) has been showing a “perfect” Reliability index since December 21 (21 days). That said, this same device threw a “Failed Windows Update” error 4 times in the period from December 30 through January 6. In researching the error it shows mostly gobbledygook: error 0x80073D02: 9P6PMZTM93LR-Microsoft.6365217CE6EB4. Furthermore, it has me assessing generic WU error fixes, because I can find no definite prescription to fix this recurring item.

Why I’m Assessing Generic WU Errror Fixes

Take a look at the reliability monitor output in the lead-in graphic. It shows a Windows 10 PC that’s working as well as it can for an extended period of time (3 weeks). It also shows 4 instances of the same gobblydygook error string reproduced in the preceding paragaph that occurred about every other day over an 8-day period.

To begin with, the 10 reliability index convinces me that whatever is wrong isn’t really serious. Next, conventional wisdom when troubleshooting WU errors is to “try a bunch of stuff, and hope something works.” Indeed, here’s what Copilot — affirmed by other reliable sources including TenForums.com — recommends for this error:

  1. Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter: Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, and find the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter.
  2. Reset Microsoft Store Cache: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog, type WSReset.exe, and press Enter.
  3. Uninstall/resinstall Windows Store (Winget does this nicely with Microsoft.WindowsStore as the targeting ID.
  4. Re-register Windows Store: Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following commands:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$ ($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml”}

  1. Check System Files for Corruption: Run the SFC and DISM commands to check and repair potential corruption.

The problem with this kind of approach is that it involves “try everything, and hope something works.” Mostly, the Store is working well enough to avoid uninstall/reinstall (Item 3 above) and also unregistering then re-registering all Store contents (item 4) above.

So I tried items 1, 2 and 5, which took under 7 minutes to complete. None said they fixed anything, either. So far, no repeat errors in the past four days. Is the problem fixed? As with most mysterious Windows weirdnesses, only time will tell.

If It Ain’t Broke…

One thing I’ve learned in tinkering with Windows versions since 3.1 and forever afterward (3.11. 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, 7, 8, 10 and 11) is that fixing problems that aren’t really problems only makes things worse. Here I took the approach of “do the easy stuff, save the hard risky stuff if it comes back later.” So now, fingers crossed, I’m watching to see what happens next. Hoping for that to be “little or nothing.”

 

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Benchmarking, Cool Tools, Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, USB devices, WED Blog

First TB5 NVMe SSD Enclosures Drop

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OK then, I knew it was coming. The Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) and USB5 (aka USB4V2.0) specs got released in September 2023. We’d been expecting 80Gbps devices (including docks, SSD enclosures, dongles, and  so forth) to hit the market by late 2024. Now it looks like that crop is starting to come in. I see an NVMe enclosure model available from Acasis at Newegg (MSRP: $279, limited time deal for $239 — it provides the lead-in graphic image above). I also see a Trebleet model available at Amazon ($199). So as these first TB5 NVMe SSD enclosures drop, I find myself asking: “When will I get a test PC with an 80 Gbps USB-C port?” Good question!

Impact When First TB5 NVMe SSD Enclosures Drop

According to the device info a Newegg and Amazon, these new enclosures offer double the maximum read/write speeds from external NVMe connections. But remember, the whole chain — that is, port to cable to enclosure to embedded SSD — must be ready to accommodate those blistering speeds. Right now, it seems that cables (which usually ship with high end enclosures), enclosures and NVMes (which should ideally be PCIe Gen 4×4 or better) are becoming available.

There’s a bit of a problem on the port side of the chain right now, though. At the moment, only the very newest laptops incorporate USB5/TB5 80Gbps capable USB-C ports. Basically, you’ll have to go out and buy something new to take this I/O chain into your Windows processing stable. And indeed, Qualcomm has not yet incorporated USB5/TB5 controllers into its chipsets, so such a laptop will not come from that branch of the Copilot+ PC family tree, either. Indeed, Copilot tells me the same is true for Intel and AMD based Copilot+ PC hardware right now, too.

Does anybody else see a possible mismatch emerging? I can’t help but believe that leading-edge AI capable PCs should also accommodate the fastest USB-C ports and related I/O chains. It could be that the PC market is about to get more interesting than Microsoft and OEMs want it to be… Who wants to choose between AI-capable and blistering fast I/O: buyers want both!!!

Stay tuned: I’ll keep digging!

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Final thoughts: ThinkBook Plus 5G Android Connection

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Now that I’ve had — and used — the hybrid ThinkBook Plus 5G (TB5G) for 8 weeks or so, I’m ready to close out my eval and send it back to Lenovo. That said, my final thoughts are: the ThinkBook Plus 5G Android connection is what makes (or breaks) a buying decision. Those with Android phones they’d like to integrate will find that link-up much more convivial and useful than those with iPhone devices. Alas, I’m a member of the latter club, so I’m coming down on the “won’t buy” side of the equation. I like the PC, but not enough to buy this particular dream.

The ThinkBook Plus 5G Android Connection Is Vital

As is often true for hybrid devices, I also found the TB5G configuration somewhat brittle. I ran into initial difficulties upgrading the device from 23H2 (as shipped) to 24H2 (once WU started offering that version). It did succeed on a later try, so MS obviously took steps to accommodate its hybrid storage. It creates a shared “exchange zone” between the Android tablet/display and the Wintel Core Ultra 7 155H-based keyboard deck. Obviously, it also requires special handling during Windows install and upgrade.

This also went by the wayside when, as an experiment, I let Snappy SDIO loose on the device’s drivers with a doomed across-the-board upgrade. That experiment goes in the “major fail” column, as it left the PC without working cursor, keyboard or touch display upon completion. That fail was severe enough, in fact, that I had to use the “reboot three times” method to get into WinRE and reset the PC from the cloud to restore it to working condition. After that, in fact, it took an upgrade to “Hybrid Center” to bring the Hybrid Folder (A:) back to the desktop…

A Large But Likable Beast

Overall, the unit behaved well, and did what I asked it to do during the eval process. It’s heavier than most ThinkPads, though, and I found it harder to lug than most other Lenovos I’ve tried out in the past 4-5 years (3.9lbs/1.77kg: 2.14lbs/0.97kg base; 1.73lbs/.80kb tablet-display). If I have the price right (my 32 GB, 1 TB SSD, 155H configuration appears to cost around US$2K) it’s a bit pricey, but offers good performance and interesting capabilities.

In the end, it comes down to whether or not you’ve bought into Android or iPhone telephony. It integrated well with my aging Motorola Razr Android phone. With my iPhone 12, not much differentiated it from other Windows laptops. That’s why I’m making the Android call on “who’s most interested” where this device is concerned.

For my money, the lack of Copilot+ PC capability outweighs the “ooh” factor in a laptop with a detachable, independently usable display. I’m ordinarily a sucker for such devices — and have owned models from Dell, Fujitsu, Microsoft, and Lenovo in this category. But lacking the right NPU configuration, this device doesn’t make that grade. Back it goes…

 

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

New OhMyPosh Version Highlights Auto-Update

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As the world returned to a more normal work rhythm yesterday, I found myself fielding various new software updates. Among them, a bump to OhMyPosh version 24.18.0. It wouldn’t work via WinGet because — as you can see in the lead-in graphic — it introduces a “newer version” for its “install technology.” Thus, this new OhMyPosh version highlights auto-update gotcha. I’d already used the oh-my-posh enable upgrade command to automate that process. A new install wipes out that directive.

If New OhMyPosh Version Highlights Auto-Update, Then What?

This got me looking at ways to embed the same information in the omp.json file that drives OhMyPosh configurations. Turns out when a reinstall happens, default configurations are rewritten from scratch. Thus, adding commands to

“auto_upgrade”: true,
“disable_notice”: true,

likewise got wiped from my chosen JanDeDobbelleer.omp.json config file as well. (Add them to the end of that file and you’ll need to drop the second comma, in fact.) What to do?

Turns out a custom config file is left alone when you have to shift from an older install technology to a newer one. Renaming the default config file, adding customizations, and referencing that new name in the invocation for OMP will do the trick. Way to learn, I guess!

Best Gets Better, After Sussing Out the Wrinkles

My fervent thanks to Jan DeDobbelleer, the OMP developer and chief steward. There’s seldom anything that goes off with OMP that isn’t addressed in his copious documentation and online interactions with other users. It sometimes takes a little while — about half an hour for this set-to, for example — but I have always been able to figure out and fix whatever gets hinky with OMP. That’s quite a testament to the tool and its builder. Thanks again for everything, Jan!

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