New high-end computer... but now what?
Hey there, guys! I recently purchased the parts for a new high-end computer, which are as follows: CPU: AMD Ryzen 9950X3D. RAM: Corsair Vengeance 64gb (2x32) RAM DDR5 6000 MT/s CL30. GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (ROG Astral). MOBO: ASUS ROG Strix X870-E Gaming WiFi. COOLING: Corsair iCUE Link Titan 420 RX RGB AIO. PSU: Corsair RM1200x Shift ATX 3.1 (1200W). CASE: Corsair 7000D Airflow. SSD'S: Crucial T705 2tb for main and Samsung 990 Pro 4tb for second. HDD's: none so far, waiting to see if prices drop a bit on the IronWolf Pro. I work with heavy datasets and these are the specs I thought were more than ideal. Now, while the components slowly arrive I'm suddenly kind of unsettled. I've been reading this subreddit (and others similar to this one) for years, and these past months while looking for info regarding our new computer I've come across lots of recommendations on what to do once the computer is built. For example, some people recommend connecting the MOBO to the Internet before adding any more components so the MOBO's drivers are updated before going on with the rest of the building process. What I don't know is if by then the CPU should be in already or not. Other things have to do with Windows installation. In my previous builds (2017 and 2019) I used a USB drive with a copy (an image?) of my Windowsm taken from my previous computer, and then I used a license so that I could use it, but I've been reading more and more about an easier way through GitHub or something like that? Also, I'm pretty up to date with the MOBO and CPU dramas, regarding high-end Ryzen CPU's, but it seems they aren't affecting this specific set I've chosen. And I also know about all the drama with the pins for the GPU, although I haven't seen many solutions for that other that trying to limit it or control it some other way. Any news regarding that? Maybe something to do with using a specific kind of cable. As you can see, right now I'm suffering from information paralysis, so any kind of tip or help whatsoever is very welcomed.
Automate Copilot in Excel
Hi, Is it possible to automate opening Copilot in Excel and send a prompt using VBA? Currently, Copilot in excel seems to work only through the UI, where we have to manually click the Copilot button in the ribbon section and paste the prompt. I want to automate this process so that, with a single click, Excel opens Copilot and enters the prompt automatically. If this is not possible, are there any alternative approaches to achieve similar automation?
Unable to upgrade from Windows 11 23H2 to later version
When I try and do the feature upgrade to 24H2 2026-05 on a Windows 10 era Dell PC (let's not get ahead of ourselves with 25H2!) the upgrade fails and rolls back. setupdiag points to Error: 0xc1900101-0x40017 SetupDiag reports rollback failure found. Last Phase = Post First Boot Last Operation = Ensure suspended services are stopped Error = 0xC1900101-0x40017 and googling suggests this is likely down to a driver. The PC in question has some realtek drivers which are seen as problematic but it is not clear what the resolution is there. How can I diagnose WHICH service or driver is causing the problem? Thank you Mark
Feedback on Windows 11
I've been a Windows customer since the beginning. I was doing computing back on the TSR-80, when we still saved information on audio tape. However, with the changes in the last few versions of Windows; I feel I can on longer use a Windows product. I've been using a Windows 11 system for several months now, and I've hated every time I had to use it. With the increase in non-optional "optional" and non-removable features; I've decided that it's time to move onto a Linux based system. Sincerely, a former Microsoft customer.
Windows 11 Memory bsod problems, how to fix?
Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to help. I’m using an Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58 laptop. The laptop has DDR5 Crucial 4800 MHz CL40 RAM modules, 16+16 GB for a total of 32 GB. I recently switched to Windows 11, and when both RAM sticks are installed together, I constantly get blue screens. I tested the RAMs in different combinations; the RAM sticks are fine, and the slots are also fine. The computer only works stably when a single RAM stick is installed. I also ran both RAM modules through Mem Test86, and they passed without errors. When Windows’ VBS feature is enabled, everything becomes more sensitive; with both slots populated, the number of BSODs increases. However, there is no issue in single-channel mode. I need VBS, so I do not want to disable it.How to upgrade to Windows 11 for free in 2026?
Running an older PC that's been on Windows 10 for years and starting to think about upgrading to Windows 11 before support runs out. The machine works perfectly fine for everyday tasks so replacing it isn't really on the table, but the Windows 11 compatibility checker flagged it as unsupported due to TPM 2.0 and CPU requirements. Done some reading and it seems like there are ways to work around the hardware requirements and still get Windows 11 installed, but a lot of the guides online are outdated or contradictory. Not entirely sure which method still works for upgrading to Windows 11 for free in 2026 and which ones have been patched out or cause issues down the line with updates. Anyone gone through this recently on an older or unsupported machine?Windows 11 reinstall = Crappy USB changes?
I have a PC here I built myself. I recently reinstalled Windows 11. Now my usb stuff is no longer listed by name. For example a device that used to be identified as Ayn Thor will now be identified as MTP USB device. The connection is also extremely flakey like I will try to browse my Ayn Thor to upload something to it or download a video from it and explorer will crash on my PC. I've never encountered anything like this so I'm not sure what to do to sort it out. I figured it was a driver issue but I'm struggling to find what driver to replace with what driver as they all seem to be working.Final Confirmation on my build on Windows 11
I've done a bunch of research on my first pc build and I'm pretty much ready to buy all my parts but I'm looking for some confirmation, opinions, suggestions, alternatives, optimisations, etc. on my build and whatever wisdom you'd like to give to a first-time builder. Also I have a 1920x1080 60hz secondary monitor at home already. Side note: The reason I have two SSDs is because I intend to dual-load Windows 11 on the 500GB drive and SteamOS on the 1TB drive. The theory is that I will have a much more resource efficient spot for storing my games and stopping Windows bloat from hogging my resources. Tell me if this is stupid or not because I haven't figured out if it's a good idea or not. (No, I don't want to get Linux)Create a bootable Windows 11 USB installer for both old and new PCs?
There are 7 old Windows 10 PCs and three brand new PCs in my company to be upgraded to Windows 11 as Windows 10 was officially end of life. What is the best way to make a bootable Windows 11 installer with USB drive for all of the PCs? The current situation: Need to upgrade multiple company PCs to Windows 11 Want to use a USB drive as the installation media PCs are currently running Windows 10 I have legitimate Windows 11 licenses for each machine The questions: What size USB drive do I need? (I've seen 8GB mentioned but want to confirm) For upgrading existing PCs (not clean installs), should I boot from USB or run setup from within Windows? Are there any TPM 2.0 / Secure Boot gotchas I should watch out for on older company hardware? Is there a way to skip the Microsoft account requirement during setup for work machines joined to a domain?
