Monthly Archives: April 2023

• Can you STILL do a Windows 11?

  Posted on April 29, 2023 at 22:18 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  Can you still do a Windows 11 without a Microsoft account with Windows 11 22H2?

  

  Yes. Absolutely.  When you get to the spot where it wants you to have a Microsoft account just put in no@thankyou.com and any password.  It then says “oops” and will let you set up an account even without a password if you like.

  

  The trick STILL works.

  Windows 11 Patch Lady Posts

• Windows 10 22H2 – the stable version

  Posted on April 27, 2023 at 13:08 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  Well Microsoft has made it official, 22H2 will be the last feature release for Windows 10.

  This is a good thing. 10 is now entering into the “most stable” version mode of it’s lifecycle.

  And Jason, dahling, sweetie, honey. While you’ve once again stated that October of 2025 is the drop dead date of support for Windows 10 and we should be migrating to Windows 11, the reality is that businesses and consumers will both need an extended support period because the hardware “tax” you’ve imposed means that it will take time and budget to get all hardware to the point that it will support Windows 11.

  Someone the other day said “isn’t there a Windows 12 announced” to which I said… well Microsoft hasn’t really announced anything and tech writers are speculating.  I always hate that part of the tech news churn.  Don’t give me what you are guessing at, give me facts. Right now the facts are 10 is fully supported until 2025 and is still the dominant operating system.

  Windows 10 Patch Lady Posts

• MS-DEFCON 4: Major April issue, but not from updates

  Posted on April 25, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.17.1 • 2023-04-25

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I’m ready to approve the April updates.

  Accordingly, I’ve lowered the MS-DEFCON level to 4. This is not to say there are not a few oddities out there, but they will not affect many users.

  Most of the unusual behavior in updates this month is due to slow changes that will lead to future enforcement changes.

  Microsoft has also pushed off the implementation of the mandatory, number-based, multifactor authentication for Microsoft 365 applications.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.17.1, 2023-04-25).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Active Directory, Alerts, Domain Controllers, Games, gaming, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, Patch Lady Posts

• The problem with local administrator accounts

  Posted on April 24, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.17 • 2023-04-24

  Look for our BONUS issue on Monday, May 1, 2023!

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Microsoft doesn’t want you to use a local administrator account, whether in a consumer or a business edition of Windows.

  But depending upon which sort of user you are, the company is taking two different approaches to “encourage” you to stop using local accounts.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.17.0, 2023-04-24).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security Administrator account, LAPS, local account, Local administrator account, Microsoft Account, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts

• Windows 11 screws up Print Screen — here’s how to fix it

  Posted on April 24, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  The behavior of the reliable old Print Screen button on your keyboard, affectionately known as PrtScr or PrtScn, has been radically changed in a preview build of Windows 11, which is almost certain to become the version we will all eventually have to live with.

  Microsoft released to members of its Windows Insider program this month a new version of the OS. At this writing, it’s known as Preview Build 22624.1546 of Windows 11 22H2.

  If and when this is rolled out to all users in the world as an update, the Print Screen key by default will no longer place a copy of your screen onto the Clipboard. Instead, the key will launch a version of Redmond’s Snipping Tool, which has several new controls to learn.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.17.0, 2023-04-24).

  Public Defender Newsletters, Print Screen, PrtScn, Snipping Tool, Windows 11

• My favorite OneNote tricks

  Posted on April 24, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  ONENOTE

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  Once you get all your useful information into OneNote, there are some ways to make things go faster.

  For a long time, one of the most common feature requests for OneNote was already in the product — being able to have more than one window open at once. It just wasn’t easy to find. There are useful tricks like that in OneNote. Here are my favorites.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.17.0, 2023-04-24).

  OneNote Newsletters, OneNote, tips, Tricks, Usability

• RoboMirror — robocopy’s fancy cousin

  Posted on April 24, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  The ability to mirror two folders has been a Windows feature for about 26 years, using the robocopy command at a command prompt.

  Now, you can use robocopy with a graphical user interface (GUI), thanks to Martin Kinkelin’s open-source project, RoboMirror.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.17.0, 2023-04-24).

  Freeware Spotlight backup, Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, Newsletters, robocopy

• Getting rid of that pesky bing icon

  Posted on April 22, 2023 at 22:33 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  If you are a user of Edge, but not necessarily of Bing, nor a fan of the menu bar on the right side, be aware that you can now disable these in the GUI without needing a registry key edit.

  Open Edge’s Settings page.  Click on sidebar. Then select Discover. Click on the “Show Discover” on or off, depending on your preference.

  

  Then on the main sidebar setting,

  

  Turn off always show sidebar.

  I’m working on a “all those annoying things I turn off” document which will be in a future newsletter. Stay tuned for more!

  Windows Edge, Patch Lady Posts

• Windows 11 erases Windows 10 digital-signature fix

  Posted on April 17, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.16 • 2023-04-17

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  A Registry tweak recommended by Microsoft to guard against malware in digitally signed files is wiped out in Windows 10 if you upgrade to Windows 11. As if that weren’t bad enough, at least one major software company has distributed to 600,000 customers worldwide a Trojan horse hidden in an executable file that’s certified by Microsoft’s very own digital signature.

  The fact that malware can be inserted into an executable file — without invalidating the file’s digital signature — casts doubt on the whole idea that you can trust digitally signed files.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.16.0, 2023-04-17).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Public Defender Digital signatures, Newsletters, Trojan, Windows 10, Windows 11

• How to manage your browser cookies

  Posted on April 17, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  INTERNET

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Browser cookies can be helpful or harmful, depending on how and why they’re used in your browser. The key lies in taking control of them.

  You probably already know that Web browsers use cookies to save certain information. Over the years, cookies have developed a bad rep because many websites and advertisers use them to track your online activities for the purpose of sending you ads and other targeted content.

  But cookies can also help you by storing key details at websites that you frequently use. The trick here is knowing which cookies are good and which are bad, and how to manage them in general.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.16.0, 2023-04-17).

  Internet Android, Chrome, Cookies, Edge, Firefox, iOS, Newsletters, privacy, Safari, security, Web Browsers, Windows

• When OneDrive isn’t OneDrive

  Posted on April 17, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  ONEDRIVE

  

  By Will Fastie

  You think you know what you’re talking about, and then reality hits you smack on the nose.

  You may recall that I have two OneDrive instances — one belonging to me, my personal Microsoft 365 account, and one belonging to the 365 Business plan we use to run this operation.

  I thought they were identical in every respect.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.16.0, 2023-04-17).

  OneDrive Microsoft 365, Mobile apps, Newsletters, Office Online, storage, Windows

• Apple and Microsoft fix April zero days

  Posted on April 17, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Tomorrow is the tax-filing deadline in the US. It’s not the time to be installing updates, especially since we’re still at MS-DEFCON 2.

  In other words, we’re still in deferral mode despite several newsworthy patching headlines and despite my not having noticed any significant side effects. As usual, I suggest patience until we know more.

  The majority of the items of concern relate to businesses, not consumers. Here are some highlights.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.16.0, 2023-04-17).

  Patch Watch Active Directory, Certificate padding, Juice Jacking, LAPS, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Zero Day
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