Daily Archives: December 27, 2021

• Roll back Windows 11 after more than 60 days

  Posted on December 27, 2021 at 02:45 CST by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.50 • 2021-12-27

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  I wrote “Win11 isn’t a must-have upgrade yet” in my October 18, 2021, AskWoody column. However, for true experimenters, I explained a single Registry line that enables you to install Win11 on what Microsoft calls “unsupported” CPU and TPM chips, in case you really need one of four new Win11 features.

  Since that time, it turns out you can fix one of Microsoft’s most restrictive new policies. To the frustration of many, Win11 can’t be rolled back to Win10 a mere ten days following an upgrade. Fortunately, you can end that limitation by using a couple of very simple steps.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.50.0 (2021-12-27).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.50.F (2021-12-27).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender, Windows 10, Windows 10 rollback, Windows 11

• Hard drives – still pretty S.M.A.R.T.

  Posted on December 27, 2021 at 02:44 CST by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  In my last article, Breaking and entering with Linux: What you see (AskWoody 2021-09-27), I said that there were issues with the S.M.A.R.T. system built into the firmware of both old-time spinning hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs).

  S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, hereinafter referred to simply as “SMART”) provides real-time recordkeeping about the health of your hard drive. It is all about system reliability, of which drives are a major element and a significant point of failure.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.50.0 (2021-12-27).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hard-disk health, hardware, HDD diagnostics, SMART

• Reflecting on 2021

  Posted on December 27, 2021 at 02:43 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  EDITORIAL

  

  By Will Fastie

  We’re still alive.

  Don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not talking about the pandemic or my age. I’m talking about this venerable newsletter. Lest there be any doubt, I knew we’d make it this far. In fact, we have a future.

  I’d like to share some of my thoughts about this first year of AskWoody under its new management. As I mention these things, I’d like you to reflect on this year and let us know how you think we’re doing.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.50.0 (2021-12-27).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Editorial AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Editorial

• Staying safe this holiday season

  Posted on December 27, 2021 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  This is the season of bright lights and holiday scams. Not a day goes by when I don’t receive notice that a credit card has an alert, a FedEx package has been delayed, or my bank account is overdrawn.

  I’ve seen bogus links to websites that want my credentials, that want to inject malware into my machine, that basically want to steal money from me. While most of the time these scams are very obvious, there are times when they make me stop and do additional checking — just to make sure that I’ve not been scammed. As we close the year, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of various tips and best practices to keep ourselves protected.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.50.0 (2021-12-27).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Lady Posts, Patch Watch