Getting Windows 11 Pro OEM embedded key to upgrade to Enterprise via E5 license.
I am having problems getting Windows 11 Pro 24H2 to upgrade to Enterprise edition using the E5 license method. I have review all the step propose by Microsoft with regards to deploying Windows Enterprise License. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/deploy-enterprise-licenses?pivots=windows-11 The machine is Entra Hybrid Join and shows up in Azure. The login user has a license for E5 assigned to him/her and is signed into their Work and School account. The Device State of Microsoft Entra Join shows Yes for AzureAdJoined. Under Activation shows "window is activated with a digital License", but within activation setting it shows windows 11 Pro instead of Enterprise along with system information and via command prompt Winevr. Schedule task for licenseacquisition Subscription show it has run successfully. I am not sure what else I should looked for in term of why Our laptop are not switching to Enterprise with E5 License, perhaps someone with some tips or come across something like this let me know.Save the date: Windows Office Hours - February 19, 2026
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Windows 11 Random Restarts During Installation and OOBE. Stable in Linux and Windows Desktop
System Specs Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F (BIOS P10.43 Beta, AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F) CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 RAM: 2x 16GB (tested and verified stable, no errors) Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB NVMe OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Problem This PC previously ran Windows without issues for 5-6 years. I recently decided to do a fresh Windows 11 install, and my system randomly restarts during Windows 11 (and Windows 10) installation at various stages. Sometimes at 15%, sometimes at 48%, sometimes during the OOBE setup when clicking "Next." There is no BSOD, no error message. The screen just goes black and the system reboots. The system is completely stable when idle at OOBE screens (it can sit for hours without issue), and it is fully stable once Windows is actually running on the desktop. Linux (Zorin OS) runs perfectly stable in every scenario: live USB, installation, and normal use. No crashes whatsoever. What I've Tested and Ruled Out Hardware RAM: Ran memory diagnostics, no errors found. Also tried using each stick individually (1 stick at a time), same issue with both. SSD: SMART health check shows no issues Multiple GPUs tested: Tried a different GPU, same random restarts during installation Multiple USB drives: Tried different USB drives for installation media, same result CMOS battery: Considered but system clock is accurate and BIOS settings persist BIOS Updated BIOS from P7.40 to P8.01 to P10.43 Beta (latest available with AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F and updated fTPM) Disabled fTPM (Advanced > CPU Configuration > AMD fTPM Switch > Disabled), no change Tested multiple BIOS versions, restarts occur on all of them Software Tried both Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation, both experience the same random restarts Tried different Windows 11 ISOs, same behavior Linux is completely stable. Zorin OS runs without any issues, which rules out fundamental hardware failure Workaround That Got Windows Installed Since the Windows installer (Windows PE) kept crashing, I bypassed it entirely by applying the Windows image directly from Linux using wimlib: Booted Zorin OS live USB Partitioned the NVMe drive (GPT: 512MB EFI, 16MB MSR, 930GB NTFS) Used wimapply to apply install.wim (Index 6, Pro) directly to the NTFS partition Copied the EFI bootloader files manually Created BCD store from a Windows PE command prompt using bcdboot Windows booted successfully, but OOBE still caused random restarts when progressing through setup. I used Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter Audit Mode, installed GPU and chipset drivers, and created a local user account manually via command line. Current State Windows 11 Pro is installed and the desktop is functional, but I'm stuck in Audit Mode with broken UWP/AppX app provisioning: Start Menu opens but taskbar icon clicks don't work Windows Search doesn't work Notification panel doesn't open Built-in apps like Notepad don't launch Creating a new user profile doesn't fix it (system-level issue) sfc /scannow finds no integrity violations DISM /RestoreHealth fails with error 0x800f0915 even with the ISO as source (version mismatch, Windows Update patched the system past the base ISO build) Re-registering AppX packages produces errors about missing paths Cannot run in-place repair upgrade because setup.exe refuses to run in Audit Mode Cannot fully exit Audit Mode. Registry values are set correctly but Windows keeps booting into Audit Mode (ImageState was IMAGE_STATE_SPECIALIZE_RESEAL_TO_AUDIT, changed to IMAGE_STATE_COMPLETE but Audit Mode persists) Sysprep /oobe /reboot triggers OOBE which crashes again with random restarts No unattend.xml files found on the system Key Observation The random restarts happen exclusively in: Windows PE (the installer environment) Windows OOBE (first-time setup screens, specifically when advancing through steps) The system is completely stable in: Linux (any distribution, any scenario) Windows desktop (Audit Mode, normal use) Windows OOBE when idle (sitting on a screen without clicking) This pattern suggests a driver or ACPI compatibility issue specific to the Windows pre-boot/setup environment on the B450 + Ryzen 5500 combination, not a hardware defect. Questions Has anyone experienced similar random restarts specifically during Windows installation/OOBE on B450 boards with Ryzen 5000 series CPUs? Is there a known incompatibility between Windows PE/OOBE and certain B450 + Zen 3 configurations? Is there a way to force Windows out of Audit Mode when all registry approaches have failed and OOBE causes crashes?Azure PostgreSQL Lesson #15: Private DNS in Another Subscription Causing Server Deployment Failures
Co‑authored with angesalsaa Case Overview A customer attempted to deploy Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server using private networking (VNet injection + Private DNS). The deployment failed with a generic “Internal error”, offering no clear indication of what was wrong. At first glance, networking looked correct: VNet was properly peered Subnet delegation was in place Private DNS zone existed Permissions appeared sufficient Yet, the deployment consistently failed. Root Cause (What We Found) The Virtual Network and Private DNS zone were hosted in a different subscription than the PostgreSQL server. While the PostgreSQL subscription had Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL registered, the subscription hosting the VNet / Private DNS zone did NOT. Azure requires the Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL resource provider to be registered in every subscription involved not just where the PostgreSQL server lives. This applies to: VNets used for VNet injection Private DNS zones linked to those VNets If the provider is missing, the deployment fails silently with an internal error. Key Insight Cross‑subscription networking for Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server is not passive. Azure actively validates resource providers in all referenced subscriptions. Resolution Once Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL was registered in the network/DNS subscription, the deployment completed successfully without any other changes. Troubleshooting & Validation Steps STEP 1 – Identify Cross‑Subscription Dependencies Check whether: VNet is in a different subscription Private DNS zone is in a different subscription STEP 2 – Validate Resource Provider Registration In every involved subscription, ensure: Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL is registered. Azure Portal path: Subscription → Resource Providers → Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL → Register Azure resource providers and types - Azure Resource Manager | Microsoft Learn STEP 3 – Retry Deployment After registration: Re-run PostgreSQL Flexible Server deployment Internal error should no longer occur Best Practices (Avoid This in Future) Always register Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL in: PostgreSQL subscription VNet subscription Private DNS subscription Validate provider registration before private deployments Document cross‑subscription prerequisites in landing zones Include this check in IaC / ARM / Bicep pipelines References Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server Networking overview with private access (virtual network) | Microsoft Learn Takeaway If your PostgreSQL Flexible Server deployment fails with an Internal error in a private network setup check resource provider registration across subscriptions before touching networking.
Remote Desktop on Win11 Pro toggle unable to turn on
Hello all, I noticed that the feature of "Remote Desktop" in Settings on Windows 11 Pro edition (version 23H2), is not staying in the "ON" position after trying to toggle it. It displays a message I can confirm it and it switches back to the "OFF" position. Troubleshooting steps done: Reset the NIC (which is not the issue) Taken the workstation off the domain to confirm if it was a domain restriction but will not turn on even as a local admin account (which is not the issue) I have disabled third-party AV (which is not the issue) I have disabled the Windows firewall (which is not the issue) I have allowed the port 3389 (which is not the issue) And last, there is no GPO policy It was working before and three days ago unable to RDP to my workstation. Anybody has run into this issue before and fixed it? Thanks
What should I do about severe lag after updating to Windows 11?
After a system update, severe lag occurs: programs start slowly and frequently become unresponsive. Conventional cleanup methods have been tried but are ineffective, and rolling back the version is not possible. How should this be resolved?
How to simplify Windows 11 computer settings for my grandmother
My grandmother uses an HP 24-cr0114 computer mainly for playing simple old-fashioned games, logging into her local bank's website, and browsing the web. She accidentally activated BitLocker encryption again (the recovery key has been found) and often forgets her login password (causing her bank account to be frequently reset). I hope to set up the computer as follows: Auto-login after startup without entering a password. Completely disable BitLocker encryption to avoid accidental activation and lockout. Keep the overall operation as simple and intuitive as possible, similar to her usage habits from many years ago. I am looking for specific, secure configuration steps and suggestions.
