Tag: windows 11

Microsoft has announced Administrator protection for Windows 11. The new security feature aims to improve security on Windows 11 devices by changing certain actions that require elevation are carried out and handled.

For users, it means that they need to authorize elevated actions using Windows Hello. Depending on how that is set up, it may require entering the device PIN, using biometric authentication, or other means available on the device.

The core changes happen in the background. When a user signs in to Windows, that user is assigned what Microsoft calls a deprivileged user token. When admin privileges are needed, for instance when installing software, Windows will request authorization from the user using Windows Hello.

When the user does so, Windows “uses a hidden, system-generated, profile-separated user account to create an isolated admin token”. This token is “issued to the requesting process and is destroyed once the process ends”.

In other words, the admin privileges do not persist on the system, but end with the execution of the task that requested them.

The following illustration visualizes the process.

Microsoft lists the following benefits of Administrator protection:

• Improved security by requiring explicit authorization for “every administrative task”.
• Users may manage admin rights by granting or restricting “access granularly to individual apps”.
• Malware that is designed to acquire administrative privileges silently is blocked.

Managing Administrator protection

It appears that Administrator protection is disabled by default. Microsoft explains how administrators may enable the new protection.

It is located under Windows Security > Account protection. There, administrators may toggle Administrator protection to turn the feature on (or off). A restart of the device is required.

There is also a new policy under Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options.

• Double-click on User Account Control: Configure type of Admin Approval Mode.
• Change the Local Security Setting to “Admin Approval Mode with Administrator protection”. This enables the feature.

Closing Words

Administrator protection is an optional feature it appears. This means that it won’t be enabled on most home systems any time soon.

The feature improves security against certain types of malware, but it makes certain operations cumbersome. It remains to be seen how well the Windows 11 community will react to the feature.

Would you enable Administrator protection, if it would be available on your system? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Windows supports hundreds of different keyboard shortcuts. Some of them basic, like pressing the Windows-key to open the Start menu. Others more advanced, like pressing Ctrl-Shift-Esc to open the Task Manager.

Not all shortcuts are equally useful. While usefulness depends somewhat on how you use Windows, some shortcuts are certainly more useful than others.

The following shortcuts are the ones that I use most often. They save me a lot of time on my day to day work.

The timesavers

Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V

The shortcut pair copies and pastes your selections. This works in Explorer with files and folders, but also for text and anything else that you may select.

• Ctrl-C — Copies the selection to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl-V — Pastes the Clipboard entry into the active application.

Windows-I

The shortcut opens the Settings on Windows 10 or 11 machines directly.

Windows-X

The “secret” menu opens when you use the shortcut. It displays a number of links to admin tools such as the Device Manager, Network settings, and more.

Windows-[left or right]-arrow

The shortcut snaps the active window to the left or the right side of the screen. Useful to display two apps or windows side-by-side in a matter of seconds.

Ctrl-S

To quickly save content. Most programs that support save operations support this. You can use it in an image or text editor to quickly save content, and in many other apps as well.

Ctrl-P

To print a document, image, or other content quickly. The shortcut opens the print dialog right away.

The superfluous shortcuts

The next two shortcuts are not really that useful, as you can use quicker actions for the same effect.

Ctrl-Esc

The keyboard shortcut opens the Start menu on Windows. There is not really a need for this shortcut, as you can also press the Windows-key, which is faster.

Windows-S

This particular shortcut opens the search interface. It is not really needed either, as you can also search when you open the Start menu. So, pressing Windows and starting to type the search term should be sufficient for most users and most cases.

Now You: do you have shortcuts that you use regularly? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Microsoft introduced a new File Explorer context menu in Windows 11. This streamlined menu replaced the classic menu by default, but users can still open it from the new context menu or by holding down the Shift-key before they right-click.

Windows 11 has been around for a few years now, and some Windows 11 users may have noticed that the new context menu has grown in size since then. This is understandable to a degree. Third-party app developers learned how to add entries to the new menu so that links to their apps were shown directly to users.

Good to know:

Fixing OneDrive’s “Creating shareable link…” error loop that never ends

Microsoft did add a fair share of items to the context menu as well. You may notice a OneDrive folder, a Share with Skype option, an Edit with Notepad option for any file type and more there now.

Chance is, you may not need all of them. This guide explains how to remove the OneDrive entry.

Tip: you can remove the apps, if you do not use them, to get rid of the context menu items. If you do use them, you may follow the guide to remove them while leaving the apps untouched.

Remove OneDrive from Windows 11’s context menu

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type regedit.exe and press the Enter-key
3. Select Yes to continue.
4. Paste HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked into the Path at the top and press the Enter-key.
5. Right-click on Blocked.
6. Select New > String value.
7. Name it {1FA0E654-C9F2-4A1F-9800-B9A75D744B00}.
8. Double-click on the value.
9. Set its name to OneDrive.

The change takes effect on the next restart. You may also log off and then on again, or restart the explorer.exe process.

The OneDrive listing should no longer be visible in the context menu afterwards. Note that this does not impact any other OneDrive functionality on the device. Also note that this applies only to the user account under which the change was made.

Now You: how do you handle context menu entries that you do not need? Do you remove them to streamline the context menu or keep and ignore them? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Windows 11 and previous versions use the mouse feature Enhance Pointer Precision by default. This guide helps you understand what the feature does and why, in some cases, it may be better turned off.

What is Enhance Pointer Precision? Put simply, it is designed to improve the accuracy of slow mouse moves.

Maybe you have tried to target a very specific pixel on the screen. Say, a smaller than usual scrollbar, a button or link that is tiny, or anything else that needs precise movements.

Enhance Pointer Precision makes “the pointer work more accurately when you’re moving the mouse slowly” according to Microsoft.

While that may be useful in some cases, it can introduce problems in certain apps or games. Take first-person shooter games as an example. You need to be precise in them, but mouse movement is often rapid.

If you do not want Windows 11 to apply its pointer precision algorithm in those cases, you may turn it off.

Turning off Enhance Pointer Precision

You may toggle the mouse preference in the Settings app. Here is how that is done:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Launch the Settings app from it.
   • Tip: you may use the shortcut Windows-I to launch the Settings app.
3. Go to Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
4. Set Enhance Pointer Precision to Off to disable the feature.

Chance is, you may not see a difference right away. It depends on several factors, including the mouse and its movement.

Tip: you may want to test the change. If you ran into issues with the mouse in certain apps or games, launch those and start tests.

You can undo the change at any time by setting the preference to On again.

Registry offers more control

You may also modify the relevant settings in the Windows Registry. While most users may not need to do so, it is offering more options.

Here is an overview of the available keys:

• MouseThreshold1 — If mouse movement exceeds this value, cursor speed is doubled.
• MouseThreshold2 – If mouse movement exceeds this value, cursor speed is quadrupled.
• MouseSpeed — The speed of the mouse cursor.

The two threshold values need to be higher than the value of MouseSpeed.

Here is how you change those values

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type regedit.exe and press the Enter-key.
3. Confirm the security prompt by selecting Yes.
4. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse.
5. Double-click on MouseSpeed, MouseThreshold1, and MouseThreshold2 respectively to change the values.
6. To turn Enhance Pointer Precision off, set all values to 0.
   • To enable the feature again, set the values to 1, 6, and 10.

Tip: you can experiment with different values to see if the adjusted parameters work for your use cases.

News about BlueScreen crashes on Western Digital or Sandisk SSD systems broke shortly after Microsoft’s release of Windows 11, version 24H2.

Affected user systems crashed regularly after the upgrade to the new version of Windows 11. Users started to collect information about the issue and even suggested a fix that involved making an edit to the Registry.

Microsoft, in the meantime, added an upgrade block for systems with affected hardware. This block prevents the upgrade to Windows 11, version 24H2 via Windows Update.

The block did not help users who upgraded already. Some downgraded their systems to resolve the issue, others applied the Registry fix.

Firmware Update

Western Digital and SanDisk have released a firmware update for affected storage devices that resolves the issue.

A page on the official SanDisk support website provides the details.

Note: it is recommended to back up important data before you apply firmware updates to storage devices. A BlueScreen crash during the process could corrupt the device and make the data unreadable.

In a nutshell:

1. Download the Wester Digital Dashboard software using the provided links on the website.
2. Run the downloaded application.
3. Select the install button to install the application on the device.
4. Keep “launch dashboard” checked and activate the finish button.
5. Select the Tools section.
6. Click on Update Firmware and then on proceed.
7. Activate shutdown now at the end of the process.
8. Power the computer on again.

The new firmware is now installed on the device and the crashes should be a thing of the past.

Affected Western Digital and SanDisk devices

The following Solid State Drives are affected by the issue:

Name	Model Number Starting With	Updated Firmware Version
WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD 2TB	WDBBDL0020BNC, WDS200T3X0E	731130WD
WD_BLACK SN770M NVMe SSD 2TB	WDBDNH0020BBK, WDS200T3X0G	731130WD
WD Blue SN580 NVMe SSD 2TB	WDBWMY0020BBL, WDS200T3B0E	281050WD
WD Blue SN5000 NVMe SSD 2TB	WDBS3F0020BNC, WDS200T4B0E	291020WD
SanDisk Extreme M.2 NVMe SSD 2TB	SDSSDX3N-2T00

Microsoft confirmed three more issues that affect devices that are upgraded to Windows 11 version 24H2.

Probably the most severe of the lot is the issue that may cause a BlueScreen error during the upgrade from earlier versions of Windows 11.

Here are the details:

• Some Asus devices, including 415KA and X515KA models, are affected.
• The upgrade does not complete and may result in a BlueScreen error.
• The issue is linked to “certain hardware components” used in affected models.

Microsoft is blocking (some?) Asus devices from upgrading to Windows 11, version 24H2 using a compatibility hold. This feature blocks the upgrade on the devices, but only when Windows Update is used.

Microsoft recommends that device administrators do not attempt to install the update manually, for instance by using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or Installation media.

Two additional issues confirmed

Microsoft confirmed two additional issues. These are:

• Voicemeter app may close unexpectedly and throw a BlueScreen error that may highlight a memory management error. Link
• Camera use may cause some apps to become unresponsive. This may happen if object or face detection features are enabled. Link

A compatibility hold is now in effect for both issues. While it is easy enough to identify devices with Voicemeter, Microsoft does not reveal which devices are affected by the camera issue.

Administrators are asked not to upgrade to Windows 11, version 24H2 using any other method while Microsoft is investigating and creating patches to address the issues.

Closing Words

Microsoft confirmed several issues affecting Windows 11, version 24H2 already. It is possible that some of these will get resolved when the optional update for the operating system gets released later this month.

On a personal note, I did not experience any issues on a test system that I upgraded to Windows 11, version 24H2.

What about you? Did you upgrade a device to the latest Windows 11 version already? How did it go? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Microsoft released the 2024 feature update for Windows 11 a few days ago. This update is rolling out to all users and the main way to install it on non-managed devices is through Windows Update.

But what if the feature update is not shown to you? When you follow Microsoft’s instructions, but it is not offered?

In any event, I recommend that you create a backup of the system before you install a major update. A tool like Paragon Backup & Recovery does the trick. It is free and I have used it for years for backups.

To summarize the official step-by-step instructions:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Load Settings.
3. Navigate to Windows Update.
4. Check “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available”.
5. Activate the “check for updates” button.

Note: I recommend that you disable the “get the latest..” option after installation of the update again. You may end up with optional updates installed regularly otherwise.

There are multiple reasons why the feature update is not returned after you hit the button:

• Microsoft is rolling out the update, pushing it to PCs first that it considers the most likely to install it without issues.
• If a PC is affected by a known issue, it won’t get the update.
• Driver or application compatibility issues may also block the update via Windows Update.

Thankfully, several other options exist to install the feature update.

Option 1: the Windows 11 Installation Assistant

What is it? The Windows 11 Installation Assistant is a free Microsoft program to upgrade the operating system to a new version.

• Download the Windows 11 Installation Assistant from the Microsoft website.
• Run the downloaded Windows11InstallationAssistant.exe file.
• Select “yes” when the security prompt (UAC) is displyed.
• Accept the terms.
• The new version of Windows is downloaded.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade the system.

Option 2: Using the latest Windows 11 ISO

What is it? A disk image holds the installation files for the operating system.

1. Open the Microsoft Windows 11 download website.
2. Scroll down to “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices”.
3. Select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO for x64 devices) from the menu.
4. Activate the “Download Now” button.
5. Select the desired language of the installation (you can change it later, if you make an error).
6. Click on the 64-bit Download button.
7. Use the save file dialog to save the ISO image to the local system.
8. Right-click on the downloaded ISO image and select Mount from the context menu.
9. Accept the request prompt to open the image on the device.
10. Double-click on the setup.exe file to start the upgrade.

Note: the download link is valid for 24 hours. You also need to make sure that you choose to keep files and installed apps during installation.

There are other options, but not all are recommended for all users. You could download the Windows 11 ISO from another source, for example. This is only recommended if you trust the source.

Another option is provided by the open source tool Rufus. You may use it to download the latest Windows 11 ISO, mount it and run the installer. You may also burn the ISO to disc or copy it to a USB Flash drive instead.

Do you plan to install the new feature update, or have done so already? Feel free to write a comment down below.

Microsoft has confirmed a reboot issue that is affecting Windows 11 version 23H2. The company says that it is investigating issues that are causing multiple restarts or blue / green screens after installation of the latest update for Windows 11.

The update in question is KB5043145, which Microsoft released as an optional update for the operating system some says ago.

Affected devices reboot the system multiple times. Some may trigger automatic repair in an effort to repair the issue that is preventing the start of the Windows 11 operating system.

In other cases, users may get into the BitLocker recovery screen where they may need to enter the key to proceed.

Good to know: Microsoft plans to encrypt drives automatically with BitLocker.

Not the first time

If you follow Windows 11 news, you may remember that Microsoft confirmed a very similar issue back in July.

Back then, Microsoft confirmed that devices might boot into BitLocker recovery after installation of the — then — latest update for Windows 11.

Microsoft resolved the issue in August 2024. It is unclear if the issue is identical or related to the September 2024 issue that Microsoft confirmed this week.

Closing Words

The bulk of Windows 11 users are not affected by the new issue, as it is triggered by the optional update that Microsoft released in September 2024 for the operating system.

Microsoft has about two weeks left to address and fix the issue before the next cumulative update gets released. If Microsoft fails to to so, it will impact more users.

The next Patch Tuesday updates will be released on October 9, 2024 for Windows 11 version 23H2 and other supported systems.

The issue highlights again why most users may want to ignore the optional — beta — updates that Microsoft releases at the end of each month. These may introduce issues and bugs. If you do not want beta updates, do not install them and wait for the inclusion less than three weeks later as part of the cumulative security updates.

What is your take on optional updates? Do you install them or skip them? Feel free to leave a comment down below.