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Ed Tittel

@EdTittel

Writer, content creator, researcher; Windows MVP (2018-27). Creator of Exam Cram, author of 100+ tech books, regular blogger, gadfly, occasional expert witness.

 Round Rock, TX
edtittel.com
Joined July 2011
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Hmmmm...interesting: after Patch Tuesday, Production 26H2 versions of #Windows11 carry Secure Boot component values different from Insider (25H2) versions. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/secure-boo…
Secure Boot Values Vary By Version - Ed Tittel

Secure Boot Values Vary By Version - Ed Tittel

The most recent Patch Tuesday brought an interesting Secure Boot wrinkle to my Windows 11 test fleet. Production and Insider Preview systems now report different component versions, even though both...

edtittel.com
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With multiple deadlines looming and Copilot MIA, I took the plunge into Ollama and AnythingLLM to work things locally. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/when-copil…
When Copilot Goes Bye-Bye, Local LLM Takes Over - Ed Tittel

When Copilot Goes Bye-Bye, Local LLM Takes Over - Ed Tittel

When Copilot goes bye-bye thanks to a cloud failure, I turn to local LLM tools Ollama and AnythingLLM to keep on writing. Worked!

edtittel.com
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Copilot's down for the count, so I've installed Ollama and AnythingLLM on a workstation, and am building my own &*^@#! AI-driven writing environment. Let's see what happens... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
Downdetector shows a spike just after noon today. I can' t get Copilot to do anything right now. Sigh.

ALT Downdetector shows a spike just after noon today. I can' t get Copilot to do anything right now. Sigh.

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Gosh, yesterday WU dispended one PowerShell update. then WinGet proffered another. Things got interesting... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/dueling-po…
Dueling PowerShell Updates: WU vs. WinGet - Ed Tittel

Dueling PowerShell Updates: WU vs. WinGet - Ed Tittel

First, Windows Update brings me PowerShell 7.6.10. Next, WinGet brings 7.7.0. Holy Moly! Could this be dueling PowerShell versions?

edtittel.com
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I re-learned the value of keeping extra peripherals at hand yesterday: sitting at RyzenOfc the "." (period) and (backspace) keys quit working. Whip out the extra keyboard & keep going! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
The Incase Comfort desktop 5050 is available at Staples, with mouse, for a very reasonable US$54 or so. https://www.staples.com/incase-comfort-desktop-5050-wireless-ergonomic-keyboard-and-laser-mouse-combo-black-pp4-00001/product_24614100

ALT The Incase Comfort desktop 5050 is available at Staples, with mouse, for a very reasonable US$54 or so. https://www.staples.com/incase-comfort-desktop-5050-wireless-ergonomic-keyboard-and-laser-mouse-combo-black-pp4-00001/product_24614100

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Patch Tuesday November '26 drops MSRT, Defender, Security (KB5132061) and .NET (KB5135243) updates, at a minimum. For Insider Previews, seems like mostly MSRT. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
Image from Ed Tittel (@EdTittel)
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Got a chuckle from this Tom's story about a "new" caching HDD into which you install your own separate SSD. What was once old is new again! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz tomshardware.com/pc-componen…
Seagate resurrects hybrid storage: Hands-on with the FireCuda Forge – 8 or 20TB external hard drive...

Seagate resurrects hybrid storage: Hands-on with the FireCuda Forge – 8 or 20TB external hard drive...

Seagate wants you to side-load an SSD in its latest external hard drive.

tomshardware.com
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Ouch! When 2FA codes via SMS messages cease arriving on my iPhone, I REALLY need that fixed. But the fun is just beginning... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/iphone-sms…
Iphone SMS Failure 2FA Cascade - Ed Tittel

Iphone SMS Failure 2FA Cascade - Ed Tittel

When incoming SMS messages stop coming in, I find myself stuck in an iPhone SMS failure 2FA cascade. I'll explain...

edtittel.com
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Amused & disconcerted to learn that Aomei Backupper doesn't get bootable rescue media right, either. Sigh. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz pcworld.com/article/394774/a…
Tested: Aomei's Backupper Pro could have won me over with a little more polish

Tested: Aomei's Backupper Pro could have won me over with a little more polish

As of version 8.5, Aomei Backupper Professional rivals Acronis True Image in terms of specs and features, with both online storage and ransomware protection. It's also a solid performer — albeit with...

pcworld.com
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When I realize I can RDP into RyzenOfc with a local account, but not my usual MSA, I start hunting trouble. The culprit: account needs local login after repair install. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/repair-ins…
Repair Install Requires Local Logins for Working RDP - Ed Tittel

Repair Install Requires Local Logins for Working RDP - Ed Tittel

Because it does not preserve encrypted authentications, a repair install requires local logins for working RDP.

edtittel.com
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Downloading and installing the first new Insider Preview releases I've seen in a while: 26320.9876 on RyzenOfc; 26340.9882 on AsusSnap). Fingers crossed! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
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Both installs completed with no issues. Glad to see that. Onto a new generation. Wonder why Beta gets no watermark, but low-level Experimental does not. Go figure! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
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Wi-Fi profile cleanup gets fast'n'easy with a quick Copilot-generated PowerShell script. Here 'tis... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/quick-wlan…
Quick WLAN Profile Cleanup - Ed Tittel

Quick WLAN Profile Cleanup - Ed Tittel

I’ve known for a long, long time that the netsh wlan show profiles command lists known Wi-Fi networks on suitably equipped Windows PCs. Until now, I’ve periodically used that command to check how...

edtittel.com
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Discord Update LIES!!! It says it's installing 1.0.9267 but 1.0.9266 keeps running, no matter what I try. Fascinating deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/more-disco…

More Discord Follies: Unactivated Download - Ed Tittel

Sometimes an update problem gets more interesting after the obvious fix succeeds. That just happened to me with Discord on Windows. WinGet insisted version 1.0.9267 was available, while my PC...

edtittel.com
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New NVIDIA app (11.0.9.485); new driver (621.14). Installed the 1st; installing the 2nd. SFF workstation gets 597.30. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
New graphics, PhysX, and HD Audio drivers. A round for the house!

ALT New graphics, PhysX, and HD Audio drivers. A round for the house!

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When I ask Copilot for some PowerShell to check if a specific KB item is installed I learn two ways to pose that query. Only one of them works: Get-HotFix. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/checking-h…
Checking Hotfix Can Beat Package Check - Ed Tittel

Checking Hotfix Can Beat Package Check - Ed Tittel

If you're trying to figure out if a spcific KB item is installed on a Windows PC, checking hotfix can beat package check. Works for me!

edtittel.com
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After three tries to "fix" secure boot on P16, I investigate. It's already fixed! Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/breaks-sec…
Revoking P16 CA-2011 Breaks Secure Boot Stalemate - Ed Tittel

Revoking P16 CA-2011 Breaks Secure Boot Stalemate - Ed Tittel

It looks like revoking P16 CA-2011 breaks Secure Boot stalemate. P16 doesn't pass a final Garlin check, but it can't and never will. Done!

edtittel.com
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When I saw the price of a Walmart Ryzen 7 9800X3D with 5070Ti this morning, I did a double-take. Then I ran the numbers. How did they DO that? #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/benefits-o…
Benefits of Inventory Timing - Ed Tittel

Benefits of Inventory Timing - Ed Tittel

At an eye-popping price of US$2,430 a Skytech prebuild PC at Walmart probably shows the sometimes surprising benefits of inventory timing.

edtittel.com
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I spent an interesting if excruciating half-day getting a Macrium Rescue Disk to boot up on a modern, Secure Boot protected laptop. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz edtittel.com/blog/steps-to-a…
Steps to an Ecology of Boot - Ed Tittel

Steps to an Ecology of Boot - Ed Tittel

On Windows 11 with Secure Boot enabled, steps to an ecology of boot involves the right media, the right contents, and testing rescue disks.

edtittel.com
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After HOURS (~4) of messing about with UFDs, I got a repaired one (using my script) to boot Windows 11 PC into the Macrium Recovery environment. It does the trick!!! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz
Screencap of Macrium Reflect's WinPE environment for image restore (source: Macrium Software https://reflect.macrium.com/help/v5/how_to/rescue/rescue_a_system_with_the_windows_pe_environment.htm)

ALT Screencap of Macrium Reflect's WinPE environment for image restore (source: Macrium Software https://reflect.macrium.com/help/v5/how_to/rescue/rescue_a_system_with_the_windows_pe_environment.htm)

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