Recent Discussions
Windows 11 upgrade from windows 10 fails
Hi. I am trying to upgrade from windows 10 to windows 11. I was using the windows 11 installation assistant. everything was going smoothly with the installation assistant, (it downloaded and installed ok) until the reboot. it rebooted and started doing update things, then it changed to saying undoing changes made to your computer for a bit. it then rebooted again and it booted back into windows 11. weird thing is there wasn't any popup saying that the installation failed or even any error code. it just booted up the way it always has. I've tried to do it two other times and it still hasn't worked. any ideas? Windows 10 version is windows 10 home version 22H2 OS build 19045.6456 I have 35.1 GB free on the C drive.
How to get 24h2 iso?
I have a lab full of 23h2 installs that I need to update to 24h2. Manually running the updater for some reason does not update the machines. It acts like it's updating them but then pops back into 23h2 at the last reboot. So I need the 24h2 iso. I can't get the 24h2 iso because the only offered iso is 25h2. I can't install 25h2 because we use DeepFreeze which does not work with 25h2 yet (and probably won't until next year). So where do I get the ISO without going out to Internet Archive or some other shady place? UUPDump isn't downloading half the things it needs so I'm pretty sure that will fail.
Finding reliable data recovery tools for Windows
Hello everyone, I want to find at least 2 reliable data recovery tools for Windows to recover all files in the disk image (excluding the Windows File Recovery from Microsoft), then hopefully you can compare the effectiveness of the tools and the ease of use. Thank you very much.Windows 11 Week numbers to taskbar and calendar
Hey microsoft! I like to see week numbers! Please add this feature. I don't want to browse internet for simple things. I found out that you can add dddd or ddd to see week day on taskbar without clicking calendar, but nothing for week number. PS. Add :ss to short time! I wanna see seconds on my taskbar clock!Windows 12 Bootloader – Why I Propose a Change
What Was Great About the Windows 8 Bootloader: Startup Speed: Windows 8 could boot in 2–3 seconds on SSD thanks to its hybrid shutdown mode (Fast Startup), which combined kernel hibernation with a clean shutdown. Minimalist UEFI Boot Sequence: The bootloader () was clean, fast, and direct — no cloud layers, no AI runtime, no Defender overhead. Lean Service Initialization: Only essential components were loaded during startup. Everything else was deferred until after the system was ready. Why Windows 10/11 Lost That Speed: • More Complex Bootloader – due to Secure Boot, TPM, BitLocker, and Copilot+ layers. • Pre-initialization of AI and Cloud Services – the system boots as a “bundle,” not a “beam.” • Heavy Runtime Layers – Defender, telemetry, sync services all activate immediately. My Proposal: Hybrid Kernel Startup – inspired by Windows 8, but compatible with Copilot+ and AI runtime. • Modular Initialization – runtime layers load dynamically, not all at once. • Simplified UEFI Boot Logic – rewrite of and BCD for faster execution. • Developer Mode Toggle – optional switch to disable non-essential layers during testing. • Deferred Protection Activation – security shields initialize post-kernel, allowing faster boot sequencing. Final Message to the Community: Windows 8 proved that startup can be instant. Windows 12 has the power to activate that again. I propose a new bootloader that launches like a beam — not a bundle. Speed, modularity, protection. — Kikerro
Kikero’s Windows 12 Proposal Series – Modular Runtime, Vulkan API, Developer Strategy
I'm an Insider Tester and System Strategist. I've published a series of suggestions for upgrading to Windows 12 on the Feedback Hub. I'm sharing them here for the wider community. Part 1: Modernizing the Core and Application Ecosystem & Developer Strategy Continuation https://aka.ms/AAya0if https://aka.ms/AAy9l7o Part 2: Optional Graphics API Layer – DirectX/Vulkan Switch & Extended Implementation https://aka.ms/AAya0ih https://aka.ms/AAy9l7p https://aka.ms/AAya0ik Challenge: If you like the suggestions, support them by voting in the Feedback Hub. Your feedback can influence the future of the system.
Robocopy wildcard ignores leading period
Hello, I came across this as I was making a custom procedure to sync our roaming folders (yes we still need them!), as this feature has been a bit shaky in W11. In the root of a user home, there's a few NTUSER-related files, NTUSER.DAT ntuser.dat.LOG1 ntuser.dat.LOG2 NTUSER.DAT{... and so on. Even though I think that it's best to leave all these files alone, while playing around with wildcards I noticed that it was impossible(?) to get /XF "ntuser.dat.*" to match only ntuser.dat.LOG1 and ntuser.dat.LOG2, it swallowed NTUSER.DAT as well. Only if I matched on /XF "ntuser.dat.L* did it leave NTUSER.DAT alone. Surely this is not intended behavior? Or does the dot have an undocumented function in relation to wildcards? Best regards AlexanderUninstalled junk apps keep coming back
I just upgraded this computer a few days ago from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and immediately went to work cleaning it up and streamlining it to make it work faster and to not have it take up too much room on my SSD drive, which is 238GB. One of the first things I did was begin deleting a bunch of apps that are in the start menu. I noticed that it freed up about 6 gigabytes of space. Today, I was looking at my apps list again to see if there were any others I could get rid of, and I noticed that all of the apps I got rid of before are reinstalled again. What is going on here, and how can I prevent it from happening again? I hate to think that Microsoft is telling me that I have to put up with whatever they put on my computer and that I have no say in the matter. That's what it feels like right now.
Windows 11 update error 0x8024a203. We couldn't install this update
Hello, My PC keeps running into Windows Update error 0x8024a203 when trying to install an update on my Windows 11 PC. The message I receive is "We couldn't install this update, but you can try again (0x8024a203)." I would greatly appreciate any tip from this community! System Information: Operating System: Windows 11 Home Current OS Build/Version: Windows 11 24H2 Dell XPS 13
Mandatory Microsoft Account on Dell AIO?
I'm experiencing an issue with my Dell all-in-one PC where it requires me to sign in with a Microsoft Account to access certain features or perform basic tasks. This mandatory Microsoft Account login seems to limit my control over the device and privacy, and I want to find out if there is a way to use the PC with a local account instead of being forced to sign in with a Microsoft Account.Windows 11, can you use your mobile phone with your fingerprint to log in to Windows?
I would like to have this option too. If I forget my Windows password, I can connect my mobile via USB and have it recognize me by reading my fingerprint. Is it possible? This is so that I don't have to buy a separate fingerprint reader. I'm talking about Windows 11 Home 24H2. Thank you!
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Recent Blogs
- This blog post helps provide IT admins a clear view on which endpoint is right for them with Windows 365 Cloud PCs.Oct 27, 2025
- Manage preinstalled Microsoft Store apps on Windows 11 Enterprise and Education, version 25H2 with a new policy.Oct 24, 2025
