Tag Archives: featured

Hyper-V and VMs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows OS Musings

Win7/8 Key Loophole Closes

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On September 29, I reported that one couldn’t upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 to 10 or 11 any more.  But, one could still activate a clean install of 22H2 using their keys. As of yesterday, I can conclusively say: “No more!” I used an older key to get through install yesterday. But this morning, the desktop said Windows 10 needed activation. Thus, I’m now convinced the Win7/8 key loophole closes at long last.

More About Win7/8 Key Loophole Closes

Interestingly, the activation servers have to grind for quite some little while. It takes 25-35 seconds before they come back to disqualify older keys. If you hand them a newer one (I tried both retail and MAK keys for Windows 10 and 11) activation comes in 3-4 seconds. There’s obviously a lot of behind-the-scenes checking going on.

That said, the Windows 11 Pro VM I stood up last week using a Windows 7 Ultimate key is still running. In fact, it still shows “Active” as its current activation state. I’m speculating freely when I say this, but that tells me the loophole has been closed later, rather than sooner. We’re unlikely to get official commentary from MS on this one way or the other, so take my supposition for what it’s worth!

It’s Been a Long Time Coming…

Ever since the door officially closed on upgrades from and activations of older keys back in 2016 (7 years ago), we’ve all known this day was coming. Now it’s here. Gosh, it was terrific while it lasted, though, because I never had to worry about running out of keys for throwaway VMs and test installs. I guess we’ll all have to be more careful going forward. I’ll also make more frequent use of the various 90-day eval VMs that MS generally makes available as well.

 

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Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

New Windows 11 Settings Home

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With the latest Canary build (Windows 11 23H2 25967.1000) we see a new Home pane for the Settings app. This new Windows 11 Setting home is hugely different from Windows 10 (see below). But those keeping up with ongoing updates to production 11 won’t see much difference.

New Windows 11 Settings Home.win10home

Windows 10 Settings home is a simple icon table.

What About New Windows 11 Settings Home?

Compared to older production versions, there’s a little more graphics pop (certainly, it’s a lot more visually appealing than Windows 10, to be sure). But MS has been backing these changes into current 22H2 versions as they introduce them in Insider Previews labeled 23H2 as well. That makes it a little harder to tell exactly what’s what.

So I’ll turn to the Canary Channel 25967 release announcement for clarification. Here’s what it says:

We created interactive cards that represent various device and account related settings, grouped by commonly accessed functions. Each card is optimized to offer the most relevant information and controls at your fingertips. In this release, you’ll see up to seven cards, with more coming soon.

Here’s an overview of each card:

  1. Recommended settings: This card adapts to your specific usage patterns, providing timely and relevant settings options. It’s designed to streamline your settings management and save you time.
  2. Cloud storage: Gives you an overview of your cloud storage use and lets you know when you’re nearing capacity.
  3. Account recovery: Helps keep your Microsoft account more secure by helping you add additional recovery info so you never get locked out of your account, even if you forget your password.
  4. Personalization: Brings customization to the forefront by offering one-click access to update your background theme or change your color mode.
  5. Microsoft 365: Provides a quick glimpse of your subscription status and benefits, along with the ability to take some key actions right in Settings instead of going to the web.
  6. Xbox: Similar to the Microsoft 365 card, you’ll be able to view your subscription status and manage the subscription from the Settings app.
  7. Bluetooth Devices: To simplify your Bluetooth device management experience, we’ve brought this to the forefront so you can quickly access and connect to your favorite Bluetooth-enabled devices.

You can take swift actions directly from this page with just a click, making device and account management seamless and efficient. What sets the homepage apart even further is that it’s more than just a landing page—it evolves and learns with you.

Overall, I like the design and layout. It certainly shows and does more than the “icon directory” model for Windows 10. But with other Windows 11 versions either already in synch or catching up soon, it’s not as much of a surprise as I was expecting.

Who knows? Maybe that’s a good thing… I’ll be watching to see how Windows 11 learns from my behavior and usage to make changes. There may very well be some surprises — hopefully, good ones — in that mix. Stay tuned!

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Gaining New Windows Backup Experience

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As I prepare for an update to my Windows 10 and 11 Backup story for ComputerWorld, I’m working with a trio of free  image backup and restore tools. I’m unfamiliar with them so it’s as much about climbing the learning curve as anything else. As I’m gaining new Windows backup experience, I’m starting to appreciate Macrium Reflect (MR) even more than I already had. Let me explain…

Lessons from Gaining New Windows Backup Experience

Finding out where information resides and how to extract it is always an interesting proposition. For EaseUS ToDo, for example, the only way I’ve been able to get detailed completion times for backup jobs is to dig into the logs and File Explorer. My last image backup for C: took 9:40 to complete and created a ~75 GB image file.

It could be that I just don’t know where else to look for that data. But I can now tell you that MR reports it routinely at the conclusion of each backup job. I can also tell you that backing up the same PC, same target drive finishes in under 3 minutes using MR (more than 3 times as fast). That said, I do see that upgrading to the paid-for EaseUS ToDo version offers faster performance. But the ongoing stream of ToDo ads and upgrade nags is constant and, IMO, annoying.

More Experimentation, More Observation…

I’m setting up two more test PCs with AOMEI Backupper and MiniTool Shadowmaker. I’ll be doing likewise in the days ahead. My ComputerWorld story is due in just under a week, so I’m starting to get serious. Wish me luck!

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AI, Cool Tools, PowerShell, Recent Activity, WED Blog

Using Copilot Based PowerShell

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As an experiment, I’m using Copilot to generate PowerShell commands to complete specific tasks. It’s all centered around scripting to customize Windows Terminal to add fonts, applications, and settings for a specific configuration. Using Copilot based PowerShell isn’t just a “load and go” operation. I’m having to understand and alter code to make sure it runs on both Windows 10 and 11 PCs. So far, I can’t say it’s faster than hacking it out from scratch. But I can say “very educational.”

Using CoPilot Based PowerShell, Step by Step

I’m stepping through the PowerShell code that Copilot presents for handling my specified tasks line by line. In some cases, I’m simplifying by making more direct assignments to variables and manipulating them in the scripts. In other cases, I’m cleaning up minor syntax violations (quotes around string values where they’re not needed, and so forth). In still other instances, I’m figuring out how to complete commands “silently” (supressing user interaction).

But most of what I’m getting is pretty usable. As somebody who’s written plenty of “real code” (Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python and more) this is an interesting way to expand my PowerShell chops. If you’ve got some minor automation to handle — that’s how I’d characterize my current quest — you might find this helpful, too.

Fruits of This Labor…

I’m working on a story for TekkiGurus. I will probably finish up this week, but it takes two-three weeks to get through the editorial pipeline. Thus, you should see a story there from yours truly near month’s end (October 2023, that is). My working title is Creating and Sharing Windows Terminal Profiles Across PCs. Stay tuned, and I’ll plug a link in (and correct the wording, if need be) when it’s up.

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Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog

When Winget Upgrade Hits or Misses

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Here’s an interesting observation about winget upgrade. I’ve slowly but surely gleaned it from repeat experience over the past 19 or 20 months. As I’ve been using the tool daily, I’ve noticed that for some apps or applications, winget upgrade sometimes works, and sometimes fails. It has finally dawned on me this on-again, off-again behavior depends on if the app or application is running at the time. Thus, if winget upgrade hits or misses ties to whether or not it can run the upgrade without stepping on something that’s running.

When Winget Upgrade Hits or MIsses, It’s for a Reason

This hit me forcibly on Monday when I noticed that an upgrade attempt for Microsoft.Office failed on on PC, but not another. The only difference between the two situations was that Word and Outlook were running on one machine (failed). On the other machine no Office components whatsoever were running (succeeded).

As I think back on other situations where this has happened, it’s often been web browsers involved. At one time or another, Chrome, Edge and Firefox (the three browsers I typically use) have all either failed or simply refused a winget upgrade command. And indeed, all were either actively running or had running processes showing in Task Manager when this occurred.

Another Kind of Update Trap?

I wrote recently (September 28) about Windows Self-Update Traps. These can pop up when winget, PowerShell or Windows Terminal get updates. Winget is conservative and won’t change things that could cause problems or lead to uncertain outcomes. Thus, I’m coming around a specific idea: if you use winget and you notice an update for a running application, save work and close it for best results. Gosh, where have I seen that advice before? It’s received wisdom when applying updates anyway. Perhaps that’s why?

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Backup/Restore, Cool Tools, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog

Seeking Free Windows Backup Satisfaction

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As of December 31, 2023, Paramount Software — the maker of Macrium Reflect — will no longer update its freeware version. I’ve been a long-time fan of this software. It has bailed me out of countless jams, many self-inflicted or the results of experiments gone bad. But I feel compelled to recommend a free backup tool to users, thinking that not everybody can (or wants to) pay for Windows backup. That’s why I’ve been seeking free Windows backup satisfaction for most of 2023. So far, I’m not too thrilled with what I’m finding outside the Macrium umbrella.

Still Seeking Free Windows Backup Satisfaction

As I often do when I’m looking for good software in some category, I turned to Tim Fisher at LifeWire. His 32 Best Free Backup Tools story, last updated in September 2023, certainly covers a lot of options. But now that MS has thrown ReFS volumes into the mix with its inclusion in the Dev Home utility for Windows 11, the number of suitable options drops precipitously. (Macrium Reflect, for example, supports ReFS only in its Server versions, which are not free. Many other tools on Tim’s list likewise omit ReFS in free versions.)

Tim’s #1 ranked choice is EasUS ToDo Backup which indeed comes in a free version that includes ReFS support. I’ve been messing about with it and it does the job. But gosh! The free version is chock-full of constant, annoying and even intrusive ads, ads, ads. Honestly, I *hate* it. And FWIW, Susan Bradley at AskWoody recommends buying a license if you use this product anyway. I have to concur, if only to make the darn thing SHUT UP already.

The Slot Remains Open…

As I dig through Tim’s sizable collection of possible Macrium Reflect replacements, I’ve yet to find something obvious to fill its slot. Val Potter at ComputerWorld gave me the option of recommending a paid-for tool instead when I revise my story on Windows Backup sometime soon. I may stick with Reflect anyway just because I know from long and sometimes hairy experience that it works, works, works.

If you have any suggestions for a killer free Windows backup app that’s neither Macrium Reflect nor EasUS ToDo Backup, please use the contact form here to drop me a line. I’m open to suggestion!

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Hyper-V and VMs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

Upgrades Are Over, Activation Still Works

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I read yesterday at Thurrott.com that MS was no longer supporting free upgrades from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10 or 11. “Holy smokes,” I thought to myself, “That’s been a long time coming.” That offer supposedly expired in 2016 but had been working until recently. My next question was: “Does that mean you can’t activate a new Windows 11 install with a Windows 7 key any more?” Based on a hurry-up experiment I just finished, I’m bemused to report that if upgrades are over, activation still works. I’ll explain…

Though Windows 7 and 8.1 Upgrades Are Over, Activation Still Works

Here’s what I did. I downloaded a Windows 11 Pro ISO, I fired up Hyper-V Manager, and I created a new VM using that ISO. When the time came to provide a license key, I plugged in an entry from the list of Windows 7 Ultimate license keys I keep around for testing purposes. Guess what happened?

It worked! In fact, the screencap at the head of this blog post shows the newly stood-up VM with an Activation state of “Active” from that very Windows 7 Ultimate key (anybody else remember that edition?). Thus, though it may no longer be possible to upgrade from running Windows 7 or 8.1 instances, it seems like their keys will still suffice to crate a valid, activated instance of Windows 11 from scratch. Good to know!

Straight from the Source: MS

Mr. Thurrott cites a Microsoft Device Partner Center communication as the source of this information. That item is entitled Windows Ends Installation Path for Free Windows 7/8 Upgrade. It bears a publication date of September 20, 2023. For the moment, though the upgrade path may be closed, it looks like the keys still work for activation. I wonder if this loophole will remain open, or close sometime as well. Stay tuned: we’ll see!

Clarification Added September 30

Thanks to a more recent story from Sergey Tkachenko at WinAero, I now have a better idea of what’s going on. The 7/8 keys still work for versions of Windows 10 and 11 through 22H2. You can’t, however, use those keys to activate a new install of 23H2.  I tried only Windows 11 22H2, not a preview of 23H2 (AFAIK, it’s not out yet in any other form). NOW I get it…

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

Avoiding Windows Self-Update Traps

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Think about it. When a program needs an update, sometimes what’s doing the update and what’s getting the update may be related. This gets interesting. Windows itself is a pretty good example. This explains why reboots are required to install  an OS, and often when updating same. Simply put, the pieces being working on cannot also do the work on themselves in many cases. Applications, apps, and so forth can also fall prey to the same things (think about installing an installer). Thus, avoiding Windows self-update traps is something of a balancing act.

Example: Avoiding Windows Self-Update Traps

I saw a great example of an artful dodge around this problem yesterday, as I was using Winget to update Windows Terminal (WT). Take a look at the lead-in graphic. It shows the WT update progress. Note that the last instruction at the end of that process reads:

Restart the application to complete the upgrade.

That’s exactly the kind of maneuver that’s necessary. It allows the currently running code for a program (or OS) stop running. Then, the newly-updated or installed code for the same program (or OS) can take over and start doing its thing.

Counter-Example: PowerShell

Back in June, I wrote a blog post here entitled WinGet Upgrade PowerShell Shows Cancelled. It shows what can — and sometimes still does — happen when the tail end of the installation process fails to complete and exit cleanly. I know the PS team is working on this, but this shows that self-updates do pose occasionally tricky problems.

I’m glad to see the WT take the high road and suspend the final steps of install or upgrade until it’s safe to do so. I’ll be gladder still when the PS team eventually follows suit (as I’m sure they will). In the meantime, I did find a workaround: if you open a Command Prompt session and run the winget PS upgrade there, no “cancelled” (or other error messages) result. Good enough for me, for now!

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

22H2 Moment4 Brings Back ReFS

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For a long time, Windows desktop access to the Resilient File System (aka ReFS) was limited and iffy. Introduced in Windows Server 2012, facilities to create ReFS volumes were dropped from Windows 10 1709. (Exceptions: Enterprise and Pro for Workstation editions). In Windows 11, AFAICT, it’s been a thing only in Enterprise Insider Preview builds — until now. With this week’s Update Preview, 22H2 Moment4 brings back ReFS. The lead-in screencap comes from one of my Windows 11 Pro test PCs, in fact. Check it out!

How 22H2 Moment4 Brings Back ReFS

It does so in the context of the Dev Home utility in Windows 11. This app provides scaffolding to support a range of developer functions in the OS. These include widgets, access to GitHub projects, and — you guessed it — the ability to create a “Dev Drive” which can be formatted using ReFS. That’s what you see in the lead-in screencap.

One of the major options in Dev Home lets users create this so-called Dev Drive. It looks like this:

When you click the button, it puts you in into Settings → System → Storage → Disks & volumes. If you click Create Dev Drive again there, you’ll find various options. You can create a new VHD, resize an existing volume (to reclaim space for a new one) or possibly allocate unused disk space (only if available). In my testing, I elected to resize my existing volume boot/system volume.

MS Claims a Speed Advantage…

In its description of dev drives, MS claims to “improve performance for key developer workloads” (see this blog post for a chart of comparisons with NTFS). In my own experience, it was pretty remarkable. It took less than 2 seconds to copy a Windows 11 ISO (~4GB in size) from an external TB4 NVMe SSD to the new ReFS volume. Mighty quick!

I’m going to have to play around with this to really understand how it works and peforms, but so far it’s an interesting toy. And it’s also nice to see ReFS make a comeback into the broader reaches of Windows 11. Try it out for yourself!

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UUP Dump Shenanigans Ongoing

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Just over a month ago, I reported that UUPDump.net was going down on a more-or-less regular basis. I’m sorry to follow up and say that UUPDump.net is now completely off the air. It had been supplanted by UUPDump.ee. But that’s apparently off the air, too. Right now, there’s an apparent mirror or clone site up and running at www.uup.ee that keeps Windows images available. With these UUP Dump shenanigans ongoing, “How long?” is an open and valid question.

As an experiment, I ran the script for a Windows 11 Pro ISO for Build 22621.2338 (Insider Preview, Beta Channel). It completed, but I need to test it by performing an in-place repair install on the target PC. In the meantime, I’m left wondering about all this up-and-down and site-hopping activity. The lead-in graphic shows output from near the tail end of the ISO creation process.

What UUP Dump Shenanigans Ongoing Means

I have long admired the work and insight that goes into letting UUP Dump do its thing. It’s been an invaluable resource for me and the Windows community ever since I started working with Kari the Finn on Win10.Guru in 2018 or thereabouts.

But now, I’m growing increasingly reluctant to recommend this as a resource to others. It’s simply gotten a little too flaky to trust completely. It’s definitely become more of a “Use at your own risk” kind of thing, even as it continues to do what it has always done.

Wouldn’t it be great if MS took this over, or provided sponsorship funds for the UUP Dump crew’s obviously strained resources? Shoot! I’d be willing to pay US$25 to 50 a year to support their efforts. But I don’t see any way to do that, either. Sigh.

Note Added 4+ Hours Later

After posting a query to ElevenForum.com, uber-user @Bree responded with some great information. Seems that the UUP team is now focusing their efforts on the UUP Dump channel on Discord, and on an app named uupdump.7z. So I’m digging into that info, and will write about it in a future blog post. Looks like it takes the process local, instead of relying on a server to support it. Could be good!

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