Monthly Archives: March 2025

• Reviewing your licensing options

  Posted on March 31, 2025 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.13 • 2025-03-31

  TAME YOUR TECH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Can you get a license for that?

  With the upcoming end of life of Windows 10, I’m often asked why I’m not recommending that you look for and install the long-term servicing channel (LTSC) version of Windows 10 or Windows 11.

  LTSC is a version of Windows 10 that was designed for devices that require minimal changes over time. It is primarily used in environments where stability and consistency are crucial, such as medical devices or industrial machinery. It is not available to the public and can be purchased only through volume licensing. It’s a platform that is intentionally not bloated, and it comes with fewer pre-installed apps, such as Microsoft Store, Cortana, and Edge (until the 2021 version). While it gets regular security updates, it does not get feature releases.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.13.0, 2025-03-31).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Tame Your Tech Adobe, Autopilot, Business Software Alliance, Intune, Licensing, LTSC, Microsoft, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Software, Windows 11

• Apple has been analyzing your photos since September 2024

  Posted on March 31, 2025 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Apple silently turned on a feature in its new iPhone iOS 18, macOS 15, and other operating systems that sends a version of every photo in your collection to a central server for “evaluation” — with no publicity about the feature and without asking device users to opt into the process. It’s simply enabled.

  The Cupertino corporation released iOS 18 and macOS 15 (code-named Sequoia) on September 16, 2024. When I say the photo-analysis feature was “silently turned on,” I mean there’s no mention of Apple’s Enhanced Visual Search (EVS) in the company’s official What’s new in iOS 18 Web page. There’s a passing reference to using Apple Intelligence, the iPhone’s “smart assistant,” to search for photos in iOS 18.1 (released on October 28, 2024). But there’s been none of the promotional talk you’d expect for such an important change as EVS.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.13.0, 2025-03-31).

  Public Defender Apple, Enhanced Visual Search, iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, Newsletters

• What Windows 11 24H2 offers beyond bugs

  Posted on March 31, 2025 at 02:43 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  If you can get past the persistent glitches, the 2024 flavor of Windows 11 does have some interesting and helpful new features.

  I’d long resisted updating my main laptop to Windows 11 24H2. Though I’d been running this version on a couple of virtual machines, I didn’t want to put one of my core PCs through the ringer. And that’s because Windows 24H2 had been plagued by bugs almost since its official release last October.

  Most major Windows updates are beset with glitches here and there. Before an official rollout of a new version, Microsoft strives to find as many flaws as possible through internal reviews and beta testing. But with so many different Windows PCs and environments in the world, finding every single problem or conflict is difficult — if not impossible.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.13.0, 2025-03-31).

  Windows 11 Camera, File Explorer, Newsletters, Sudo for Windows, Voice Clarity, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 7, Windows 11, Windows 11 24H2, Windows Narrator, Windows Spotlight

• Making sense of Settings in Windows 11

  Posted on March 31, 2025 at 02:42 CDT by Simon Bisson • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Simon Bisson

  Settings is surely here to stay, but so are all Windows’ other settings tools.

  Each new build of Windows 11 moves more functionality into Settings. It’s a slow process, and one I’m sure most of us would like to be faster.

  When you consider the amount of legacy code in Windows and the ongoing need to ensure as much backward compatibility as possible, however, those delays make more sense. Changes are more seamless for users in the Insider Program, with new updates coming with every build.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.13.0, 2025-03-31).

  Windows 11 Control Panel, Newsletters, Settings, Windows 11 Settings

• Removing bypassnro

  Posted on March 28, 2025 at 15:00 CDT by Susan Bradley

  We’re removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.

  Today, Microsoft announced that the Windows 11 Insider Build (26200.5516) had been released to the Dev channel. The nugget quoted above is mentioned in that Windows Blog post.

  What’s it about? “Bypass” refers to the methods we’ve used in the past to avoid using a Microsoft account when installing Windows Home edition. It’s being removed.

  Does this bother you? If so, it’s time to get into that feedback hub and make your voice heard. Unfortunately, you may not be able to do so, at least for the moment. Use this link, which will prompt you to open the Feedback Hub app on your PC and sign in. Microsoft may tell you that “Your account doesn’t have access to this feedback.” That happened to me on a 23H2 PC, but I was able to get there on a PC running 24H2.

  Update: Click on the social media post by Will Dormann and the resulting responses. They removed the built in command file, they did not remove the ability to bypass it. You can just type in the commands by hand and still get around the mandate for a Microsoft account.

  Windows 11 Dev Channel, KB5054687, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11, Windows Insider Preview

• Where is Windows going?

  Posted on March 28, 2025 at 03:00 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  When Microsoft started down the road of continuous improvements, it resulted in constant change that can annoy everyone — from end users to IT administrators. When I’m asked, “What’s this,” I must see the desktop to know what the person is talking about. They’re obviously seeing it, but I may never have seen in on my PCs.

  Yesterday, in the Windows IT Pro blog, Microsoft announced its Windows Roadmap. It covers only Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2. It promises to show when something is in preview, whether it’s a slow rollout, or is in general release. It provides estimated dates.

  When that odd thing shows up, perhaps the Roadmap can help all of us figure out whether Windows was always like that, or the odd thing is new. I suppose we can hope.

  Windows 11 Microsoft, Patch Lady Posts, road map, Windows 11

• System Guard service error still won’t be fixed

  Posted on March 27, 2025 at 03:00 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  When the preview releases come out at the end of the month, they are a clue of nonsecurity fixes that will be included in the following month’s security patches. So, once again we turn to Windows 10 22H2’s preview update released on March 25 and find that in KB5053643, Microsoft is not prioritizing the fix for the event viewer problem — an error regarding SgrmBroker.exe. Stated reason: it’s a cosmetic issue.

  If you are seeing this error, you can safely ignore it. It is not a root cause for crashing PCs or blue screens of death. It’s one of many things one finds in the event viewer that are benign and can be ignored.

  This fix is clearly on a slow boat. Identified in January, not yet fixed, and no sign of it for April.

  Windows Security Event Viewer, Patch Lady Posts, Preview patches

• Third party add ins reminder

  Posted on March 26, 2025 at 06:00 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  One of the things that I plan to start adding as a reminder to my patching checklist/to-dos is to check your add-ins. From browser add ins to operating add-ins, all of these third-party tools mean you no longer have a bog-standard operating system and thus will always be needing to be a bit more careful before updating. Depending on what third party tool you are using make sure you check its version against whatever is the latest version on the site you originally downloaded it from.

  This is one of the reasons I stick with a limited number of add-ins and then get the ones that will check for updates. For example, I’m a fan of Fences that help you corral your icons on your desktop.

  Bottom line: don’t forget to update those first and THEN, update your operating system.

  Windows Patches/Security Patch Lady Posts

• MS-DEFCON 4: Mixed bag for March

  Posted on March 25, 2025 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.12.1 • 2025-03-25

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Although CISA has given businesses who follow its guidance until early April to install updates released in March, I’m urging you to do so now.

  Accordingly, I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4. You can find CISA’s deadlines in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.

  Note that my recommendations for businesses include some possible exceptions.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (22.12.1, 2025-03-25).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Chrome, Edge, Microsoft marketing, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, NVIDIA, OneDrive, Patch Lady Posts, RDP, Remote Desktop Connection, Windows 10 22H2, Windows Update

• Classic and Extended Control Panel — no need to say goodbye

  Posted on March 24, 2025 at 02:45 CDT by Deanna McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.12 • 2025-03-24

  FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

  

  By Deanna McElveen

  Microsoft is migrating applets out of the Windows 11 Control Panel and into the fancy Settings app in Windows 11, but not all of us are ready to give it up just yet.

  Whether Control Panel is retired quickly or slowly, its days are numbered.

  Peter Panisz created a program for Windows 10 and Windows 11 called Classic and Extended Control Panel, and it is just great. It retains the simple layout and feel of Windows Control Panel, launches the traditions applets, and does so much more.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.12.0, 2025-03-24).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Freeware Spotlight Classic and Extended Control Panel, Control Panel, Newsletters, TranslucentTB

• Things you can do in 2025 that you couldn’t do in 2024

  Posted on March 24, 2025 at 02:44 CDT by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  Rejoice! The new year brings a new batch of things that were once protected by copyright but are now public domain.

  Let’s review my copyright primer. Under current US law, a copyright comes into existence as soon as an original work of authorship is fixed in a tangible medium. Originality is not a very high bar — the work needs only to be something created by the author rather than copied.

  Tangible media include electronic storage, so websites qualify.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.12.0, 2025-03-24).

  Legal Brief Copyright Expiration, Copyrights, Fair Use, Legal, Newsletters, Public Domain

• Revisiting Windows 11’s File Explorer

  Posted on March 24, 2025 at 02:43 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Will Fastie

  Have there been any recent improvements?

  In a word, no. The new File Explorer is not getting any love and continues to suffer from major problems.

  This is highlighted by my ongoing study of macOS. I will eventually write about the two world views of file management, comparing Microsoft’s File Explorer with Apple’s Finder.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.12.0, 2025-03-24).

  Windows 11 File Explorer, Newsletters, OneDrive, Performance, Software Quality, User Interface
• « Older Entries