Limitations of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel workflows?
I've been exploring Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel workflows recently. It works well for simple queries, but I still find it limited when dealing with: - messy data cleaning - converting images/PDFs into structured tables - more complex data transformations Curious how others are using Copilot for these scenarios? Are you relying purely on Copilot, or combining it with other tools/workflows?How to enable HTTPS support for Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise and Education
By: Aditya Middha | Product Manager 2 - Microsoft Connected Cache Starting on June 16 th , 2026, or soon after, Intune will enforce HTTPS content delivery for customers using Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise and Education. To continue using Microsoft Connected Cache to localize Intune Win32 app downloads and reduce the bandwidth impact on your network, you’ll need to configure HTTPS on Connected Cache nodes. Without this configuration, devices will still fetch the requested content, but they’ll fall back to the Content Delivery Network (CDN) and lose the performance and bandwidth savings that Microsoft Connected Cache provides. This guide assumes you have already deployed a standalone Microsoft Connected Cache node in your environment. If not, please see the Create and configure Microsoft Connected Cache nodes page. By the end of this walkthrough, you’ll be able to: Prepare the TLS certificate that your Connected Cache needs Enable HTTPS support on both Windows and Linux‑based Microsoft Connected Cache servers Validate that HTTPS is working end‑to‑end Diagnose the most common setup issues This guide mirrors the workflow described in Microsoft Connected Cache’s public documentation. For further explanation of what HTTPS support changes for Microsoft Connected Cache review HTTPS Support for Microsoft Connected Cache Overview, then proceed to Configure HTTPS on Windows or Configure HTTPS on Linux. Step-by-step: Enabling HTTPS support To keep this walkthrough easy to follow, the screenshots and command examples use a simple, reproducible environment that matches what most admins will see during their first HTTPS configuration. In this guide, the examples are based on: A single Connected Cache node deployment Windows 11, using a local user runtime account Public certificate authority (CA)-signed TLS certificate This baseline environment is only meant to make the screenshots and file paths predictable. Your own environment may look different, and that’s completely fine. Many customers run Microsoft Connected Cache on: Linux (Ubuntu or RHEL) Windows Server 2022 or Windows Server 2025 Networks with outbound restrictions Most of the workflow is identical across these variations. The folder structure, log locations, and command flow will look nearly the same on any Windows host. If you’re running Microsoft Connected Cache on Linux, the workflow is the same, but simpler—bash scripts are ran directly instead of being invoked through PowerShell. If your environment includes proxies, make sure all required endpoints are allowed. Before you start Before generating a certificate signing request (CSR) or importing a certificate, there are a few quick checks to make sure your Connected Cache server can enable HTTPS successfully. First, visit the “Cache Node Management” tab on Azure portal. Under the “Software Version” column, verify that your cache node is running on software version 2.0.0.2112 or higher. If not, you will need to reinstall Connected Cache. Next, confirm the hostname or IP address your client devices use to reach your Connected Cache node—this value will be configured when you generate the CSR. Also, ake sure port 443 is free on the host; Microsoft Connected Cache needs to bind to it. Finally, if your network performs TLS-inspection, ensure the required endpoints are allowed. Intercepted HTTPS traffic will cause devices to reject Microsoft Connected Cache’s TLS certificate, even if everything else is configured correctly. Once these checks are done, your node is ready for the HTTPS workflow: generate the CSR on your Connected Cache host machine, sign it with your CA, and import the resulting certificate. For more details, refer to the documentation: HTTPS on Windows Prerequisites. 1. Generate a CSR The first step in enabling HTTPS support is generating a CSR directly on your Microsoft Connected Cache node. This step cannot be skipped. Microsoft Connected Cache must create the CSR itself so it can generate and retain the private key that will later be paired with your signed certificate during TLS negotiation. When configuring the parameters for the generateCsr script, the most important values to get right are the Subject and SAN. These must match exactly how your managed client devices connect to your Connected Cache node. If the client devices use FQDN, include that FQDN; if they connect via IP, include that IP. A mismatch here won’t break CSR generation, but it’ll cause clients to bypass Microsoft Connected Cache later since they won’t trust the certificate during the TLS negotiation. For parameter configuration guidance on your specific environment, review these documented scenario-based parameter examples. After parameter configuration, you will need to locate the Installer scripts directory, the same as when you installed Microsoft Connected Cache originally. You can move directly to this path by running the following command in your terminal: Push-Location (deliveryoptimization-cli Microsoft Connected Cache-get-scripts-path) Once in the correct folder path, run the generateCsr command with your configured parameters. Running the command launches the CSR generation workflow inside the Microsoft Connected Cache-managed Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distribution. The terminal output shows exactly what Connected Cache is doing: where it stores certificate files, where logs are written, which WSL distribution is being used, and the final location of the generated CSR. You’ll also see that Microsoft Connected Cache runs the CSR generation as a scheduled task inside WSL—this is expected and part of the normal flow. For example: This output confirms that Microsoft Connected Cache: Validated the CSR request Passed the Subject (Common Name) and SAN values to the internal script Generated the private key and CSR, stored both inside the container Wrote logs to the \Certificates\logs folder Created the CSR file in the Certificates folder When the process completes, you’ll see the timestamped CSR written to the Windows-side certificates folder (…\Certificates\certs). This is the file you’ll submit to your signing CA: Troubleshooting: Every time you run generateCsr, Microsoft Connected Cache writes a full log to a directory that ends with …\Certificates\logs. The terminal output shows you the exact path, and you can always return to this folder if you need to understand what happened during CSR generation. If you do need to troubleshoot, start by opening the most recent log file. The generateCsr log provides a detailed trace of each step. The following lines are checkpoints (in order) that you can look for in the more extensive log output: “Algorithm validation passed / CSR name validation passed” - Microsoft Connected Cache accepted your inputs and is ready to generate the CSR. “Subject Components: … / SAN Components: …” - Microsoft Connected Cache will embed these values into the CSR. If these don’t match your Connected Cache server hostname or IP address, regenerate the CSR. “Attempting to call http://localhost:5000/csr” - Microsoft Connected Cache internal controller is generating the keypair and CSR inside the WSL container. “Key verification succeeded” - Microsoft Connected Cache successfully generated and validated the private key. “CSR verification successful” - OpenSSL has validated the CSR structure. “Successfully copied logs to windowsCerts location” - The logs were written to the host machine directory. “CSR generation completed successfully” - Completed end-to-end successfully. One thing to be aware of: during a successful run, you may still see messages like: mkdir: cannot create directory '/keys': Permission denied chmod: cannot access '/keys': No such file or directory These are not errors. The script checks for required folders before creating them, and if they already exist, those checks generate harmless warnings. As long as the script finishes with a success message and you see a .csr file in the certs folder, the run is successful. 2. Sign the CSR This step occurs outside of the scope of Microsoft Connected Cache. Signing your CSR will rely on the PKI that your organization has chosen to use. This may include an internal ADCS, other enterprise internal PKI, or an externally hosted PKI (DigiCert, Let’s Encrypt, etc.). Of note, Cloud PKI will not work with Connected Cache because it requires the CSR be generated via SCEP before signing. Ensure that your client devices will be able to trust the CA signature. For many customers, we recommend signing using a public CA that Windows client devices automatically trust. Please reference documentation on signing the CSR for more details. The only requirement on the Connected Cache side is that the certificate is in unencrypted .crt format. Microsoft Connected Cache cannot import password-protected certificate formats yet - including .pfx bundles - even if they contain the correct certificate. For now, make sure your signing CA gives you, or allows you to export, a plain X.509 .crt file. After your CA signs the CSR, you’ll import the resulting certificate back to Microsoft Connected Cache. With the signed certificate in hand, place it in the same certs folder where your CSR was generated. Microsoft Connected Cache expects both files to live together so it can pair the returned certificate with the private key created earlier. A successful setup in the folder directory looks like this: If the certificate exists in the Certificates folder in .crt format, you’re ready to continue. Note: The CSR and .crt certificate do not have to have the same name. 3. Import the certificate back to Microsoft Connected Cache Before importing your certificate, remember that the CSR must have been generated on the same Microsoft Connected Cache node. You cannot skip directly to importing a certificate - Microsoft Connected Cache must have created the private key during CSR generation so it can pair the signed certificate with that key. After configuring the parameters referenced in the documentation to import the signed TLS certificate, run the importCert command from the same scripts directory used during CSR generation. When you start the import, Microsoft Connected Cache runs a full verification workflow inside its managed WSL distribution. The terminal output for this step is intentionally simple—it shows only that the certificate file passed basic validation, that the internal import script was invoked, and that the import is running as a scheduled task within the WSL distribution. You’ll also see that logging is active and that Microsoft Connected Cache has begun monitoring the process: Although the terminal output is brief, the full workflow is visible in the import logs. A successful import means Microsoft Connected Cache: Found your .crt file in the expected folder Ran cryptographic verification confirming the certificate, CSR, and private key all match Copied the certificate into the container and updated Microsoft Connected Cache internal configuration Restarted the container with the new certificate Enabled HTTPS for Microsoft Connected Cache’s Intune content endpoints Once these steps are complete, Microsoft Connected Cache is fully configured to serve HTTPS content. You usually won’t see new files added to the Windows certs folder after import as the changes occur inside the Connected Cache container. The final validation that import is successful is if the script exits successfully and the logs show that Microsoft Connected Cache restarted with the new certificate in place. Troubleshooting Troubleshooting certificate import is similar to troubleshooting CSR generation: every run produces a detailed log in the ...\Certificates\logs folder. If import fails, these logs will show exactly which step did not complete. At this stage, SAN or hostname mismatches do not show up; those only appear later during client-side validation. The importCert script only ensures that your certificate, CSR, and private key match (stored inside container, not visible from Certificates folder) and that Microsoft Connected Cache can load them. To help interpret the log, below are the checkpoints you can reference (in order): “Certificate file validation passed” - Microsoft Connected Cache found the .crt file in the certs folder and its .crt format is valid. “Using CertName: … / CSR being used: …” - Microsoft Connected Cache matched the certificate to the CSR that generated the private key. “SUCCESS: The CSR, certificate and private key cryptographic materials all match” - Microsoft Connected Cache verified the keypair, CSR, and certificate are a correct trio. “Nginx restarted successfully with new certificates” - Microsoft Connected Cache is now configured to serve HTTPS on port 443 inside the container. “Certificate import completed successfully” - The end-to-end import succeeded with no errors. Once the importCert script succeeds, your node is ready for validation. Validating HTTPS support end-to-end Once your certificate is imported, the final step is validating that Microsoft Connected Cache is now serving content over HTTPS. Detailed test commands are all documented in the Validate HTTPS on Windows guide. Complete the tests first on the Microsoft Connected Cache server, then on a client device. This order matters - server-side validation confirms Microsoft Connected Cache is listening on port 443 with its new TLS certificate; client-side validation confirms that client devices can trust and use that certificate. On your Microsoft Connected Cache server Start validation on the Microsoft Connected Cache host server. The server side tests include HTTPS and HTTP health endpoint checks that confirm: Microsoft Connected Cache is successfully bound to port 443 The TLS certificate loaded correctly The TLS certificate, private key, and CSR all correspond Microsoft Connected Cache can return its health endpoint over HTTPS If any of the server-side validation steps fail, check the generateCsr and importCert logs in the …\Certificates\logs folder. The validation guide includes troubleshooting tests that help distinguish whether the issue is certificate-related, connectivity-related, or due to another process on the host. Only move on to client-side validation once the Microsoft Connected Cache server passes its own tests. On your client device After confirming the server is configured correctly, the next stage is validating HTTPS content delivery from a client device that is pointed to use Microsoft Connected Cache. The client-side tests contain both browser-based and command line tests that help verify: The client trusts the issuing CA DNS resolves the Microsoft Connected Cache hostname correctly The device can complete a full TLS handshake with Microsoft Connected Cache The device is retrieving HTTPS content from Microsoft Connected Cache rather than falling back to CDN Once both server-side and client side-validation steps succeed, you can be confident that your Microsoft Connected Cache node is fully configured and ready to serve Intune content securely over HTTPS. Known issues with HTTPS Support Configuration Most customers will complete the HTTPS workflow without any problems, but there are a few known issues we want to call out proactively. These issues have been fully addressed with the release of the new Windows-hosted deployment application (v1.0.26.0) for Windows host machines, the new Linux-hosted deployment package (v1.10) for Linux host machines, and the latest GA container release (v2.0.0.2124_e) for all cache nodes. ImportCert issues on Windows Server 2022/2025 using a gMSA account, and on Windows 11 using a local user runtime account If your Microsoft Connected Cache runtime account is a Group Managed Service Account (gMSA) on a Windows Server 2022 or Windows Server 2025 host machine, you may see failures when running importCert. In the importCert logs, this can show up as unsuccessful permissions access or indefinite logging. The same importCert issues can also appear on Windows 11 if you are using a local user as the runtime account. Status: RESOLVED Please download Windows-hosted deployment application v1.0.26.0 by running the following command in an elevated PowerShell window: Add-AppxPackage https://aka.ms/do-mcc-ent-windows-x64 Then you may proceed to re-deploy your Connected Cache node, which will implement the necessary changes. You can further verify that you are deploying with the correct application version. When run in the terminal, the copied “Cache Node deployment command” given in the Azure portal will run deploymcconwsl.ps1 out of the folder path that looks like: C:\ProgramFiles\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DeliveryOptimization_1.0.26.0_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe\deliveryoptimization-cli ImportCert hangs on software version 2119_e (buffer bug) During the week of January 19 th , 2026, we deployed container version 2119_e to all customer cache nodes. We discovered a bug where the container’s internal buffer is not cleared during importCert, causing the import to run indefinitely. If you see this behavior and your Azure portal shows that your cache node is on version 2119_e, this is likely the cause. Status: RESOLVED: On March 3 rd , 2026, we pushed container version 2124_e to all cache nodes on the “Fast Ring” update schedule. If your cache node is on software version 2119_e today, you can change the update schedule configuration to the “Fast Ring”. Head to the 3 rd tab (“Updates”) of the Cache Node Configuration on the Azure portal and configure the update ring. Container version 2124_e will be pushed to all “Slow Ring” nodes in early April 2026. If your cache node is still not pulling down container version 2124_e after being configured on the Fast Ring, please reach out to us. The fixes for these issues have all been validated. Once ready for public release, the latest software version will be pushed to all cache nodes and the updated Windows installer will be available to download in Azure portal. Stay tuned to the Microsoft Connected Cache Release Notes for up-to-date information. Enabling HTTPS support on Linux hosts This guide walked through the setup of HTTPS using a Windows-based Microsoft Connected Cache host, since that’s what most customers deploy today. If you're running Microsoft Connected Cache on Linux, the overall steps are the same - generate a CSR on the node, sign it with your CA, and import the resulting .crt file - but a few details differ. For a Linux-hosted Microsoft Connected Cache nodes, shell scripts handle the entire process, specifically generateCsr.sh and importCert.sh. The Enable HTTPS Support on Linux guide documents these steps in detail, including the exact script parameters, file locations, and how to interpret the Linux-specific logs. The biggest differences on Linux are: You run the CSR and import scripts directly in bash (no WSL component). File paths and log locations follow the Linux directory structure (/var/mcc/...). Check port conflicts, firewall configuration, and TLS inspection using Linux tools (ss, iptables, proxy settings). Validation steps use Linux equivalents of the server side tests documented in the Windows validation guide. Maintaining your HTTPS configuration Once your Microsoft Connected Cache node is serving content over HTTPS, the next thing to plan for is ongoing certificate maintenance. TLS certificates aren’t a onetime import - certificates expire, CA chains change, and your operational process needs to keep up. Microsoft Connected Cache will soon surface certificate details both through a command line script and directly in the Azure portal, but those capabilities are not available yet. Until then, verification and rotation rely on simple checks you perform on the Microsoft Connected Cache host. Monitoring The easiest way to monitor your deployment today is to periodically check the Key Metrics chart in the Overview blade of your Microsoft Connected Cache resource in Azure. If Intune content is flowing through Microsoft Connected Cache, that’s a strong proxy signal that HTTPS is healthy. For the certificate itself, many admins perform a lightweight weekly or monthly review: ensuring the TLS certificate is still valid, not approaching expiration, and still matches the configuration you imported. Re-running the validation tests from our public documentation every so often is also a good way to catch any issues early. The updated Windows installer, as mentioned in Known Issues, will also have a PowerShell script that displays the status and expiration date of existing TLS certificates. Renewal When planning for renewal, we recommend starting at least 60 days before the certificate expires. Renewal is typically straightforward: either reuse the existing CSR (most common) or generate a new one, then have your CA resign it, convert it into .crt format, and test the renewed certificate on a test node if you have one. If your workflow doesn’t include a test Connected Cache node, you can still safely import the renewed certificate on your production node - if import fails, Microsoft Connected Cache simply keeps using the existing certificate until a valid one is applied, so you won’t break your environment. If your certificate management system has automation capabilities, you can script Microsoft Connected Cache’s certificate renewal workflow as well - for example, by using Secure Shell (SSH) to remotely to run the generateCSR or importCert scripts on the host machine. For larger or distributed environments, testing the signing and import processes on a non-production node first can help confirm SAN correctness, trust behavior, and chain completeness before touching production. We are actively working to streamline certificate monitoring and renewal inside Microsoft Connected Cache. Summary HTTPS support for Microsoft Connected Cache will soon become a requirement for delivering Intune Win32 apps, and every Microsoft Connected Cache node must be configured for HTTPS by June 16, 2026. After the deadline, Intune Win32 apps will only be delivered via HTTPS. However, all other content – Windows updates, Office apps, etc – will continue to be served via HTTP after the June 16 th enforcement date. This guide walked through the essentials: generating a CSR on your Microsoft Connected Cache node, submitting it to your CA, importing the signed certificate, and validating HTTPS from both the server and client devices. Along the way, you saw how to interpret the logs, verify Connected Cache is using your certificate correctly, and ensure that Teams and/or Intune content is flowing over HTTPS instead of falling back to CDN. As you move forward, keep your workflow consistent - regenerate or reuse CSRs the same way each cycle, validate regularly, and renew certificates well before expiration. Even though improvements are coming soon, completing this setup now ensures your environment is ready long before Intune HTTPS enforcement begins. With your certificate in place, HTTPS validated, and a simple renewal process in hand, your Microsoft Connected Cache deployment is prepared for the June 16 th , 2026 deadline and ready to deliver Intune content securely. FAQs Do I really need HTTPS Support, and by when? Yes. All Microsoft Connected Cache nodes serving Intune Win32 apps must deliver over HTTPS by June 16, 2026. If HTTPS isn’t configured, devices will fall back to CDN when requesting Intune win32 apps —content delivery still works, but you’ll lose caching benefits. Why do I have to generate the CSR on the Connected Cache node? Since Microsoft Connected Cache must generate and retain the private key itself. Certificates signed from any other machine, keypair, or CSR cannot be imported. The CSR you generate on the node produces the only key that Microsoft Connected Cache will accept. Can I reuse an existing certificate? Only if it was originally issued from the CSR generated on the same Microsoft Connected Cache node. If the certificate was created elsewhere (different machine, tooling, or CSR), Microsoft Connected Cache won’t accept it. Can I reuse my CSR when renewing the certificate? Yes. Many customers reuse the same CSR each cycle as long as the CA resigns it. Reusing the old certificate output is not supported. Can I “bring my own certificate”? Not yet. Microsoft Connected Cache only supports certificates created from its own CSR. Support for bringing an external certificate is coming soon; stay up to date by viewing the latest Microsoft Connected Cache Release Notes Can I use a wildcard certificate? Microsoft Connected Cache does not officially support them and they’re not recommended. Wildcards often involve shared private keys across systems, which creates operational and security risks. What certificate formats does Microsoft Connected Cache support? Microsoft Connected Cache only supports unencrypted .crt files today. Password protected .pfx or .p12 formats cannot be imported. What happens if I redeploy Microsoft Connected Cache or the hostname changes? If the hostname or connection path changes, you must request a new certificate that matches the new SAN parameters. If the hostname stays the same and the certificate came from the Connected Cache-generated CSR, you can continue using it. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam! Post Updates: 04/08/26: Updated the “Known issues with HTTPS Support Configuration” section to reflect that previously identified issues have been fully resolved in the latest deployment application and container releases, along with updated guidance for affected cache nodes.Troubleshooting Azure SQL Data Sync Failure: SQL Error 8106 During Bulk Insert
Azure SQL Data Sync is widely used to maintain consistency across distributed databases in hub–member topologies. However, synchronization may occasionally fail due to schema mismatches between participating databases — even when everything appears correctly configured at first glance. In this post, we’ll walk through a real-world troubleshooting scenario involving a Data Sync failure caused by a schema inconsistency related to an IDENTITY column, and how it was mitigated. Sample Error: sync_7726d6cb22124c0f901192c434f49106bd618f8ab16343b2adc03250f8367ff4\3953fb7d-1dba-4656-8150-83153d5d019b.batch. See the inner exception for more details. Inner exception: Failed to execute the command 'BulkInsertCommand' for table 'schema.table_name'; the transaction was rolled back. Ensure that the command syntax is correct. Inner exception: SqlException ID: e19b3677-d67e-4c8e-bc49-13d3df61ad0e, Error Code: -2146232060 - SqlError Number:8106, Message: SQL error with code 8106 For more information, provide tracing ID ‘92e76130-f80a-4372-9a48-ec0ede8b0288’ to customer support." Scenario Overview A synchronization operation began failing for a specific table within an Azure SQL Data Sync group. The failure was observed during the sync process when applying changes using a batch file. The error surfaced as part of a failed BulkInsertCommand execution on a synced table, causing the transaction to roll back. Further investigation revealed the following SQL exception: SqlError Number: 8106 Table does not have the identity property. Cannot perform SET operation. Initial Troubleshooting Steps Before identifying the root cause, the following actions were taken: The affected table was removed from the sync group. A sync operation was triggered. The table was re-added to the sync group. Sync was triggered again. Despite performing these steps, the issue persisted with the same error. This indicated that the failure was not related to sync metadata or temporary configuration inconsistencies. Root Cause Analysis After reviewing the table definitions across the sync topology, it was discovered that: The synchronized table had an IDENTITY column defined on one side of the topology (Hub or Member) but not on the other. This schema mismatch led to the sync service attempting to apply SET IDENTITY_INSERT operations during the bulk insert phase — which failed on the database where the column lacked the identity property. Azure SQL Data Sync relies on consistent schema definitions across all participating databases. Any deviation — particularly involving identity columns — can interrupt data movement operations. Mitigation Approach To resolve the issue, the following corrective steps were applied: Remove the affected table from the sync group and save the configuration. Refresh the sync schema. Recreate the table to include the appropriate IDENTITY property. Add the corrected table back to the sync group. Trigger a new sync operation. These steps ensured that the table definitions were aligned across all sync participants, allowing the synchronization process to proceed successfully. Best Practices to Avoid Similar Issues To prevent identity-related sync failures in Azure SQL Data Sync: ✅ Ensure table schemas are identical across all participating databases before onboarding them into a sync group. ✅ Pay special attention to: IDENTITY properties Primary keys Data types Nullable constraints ✅ Always validate schema consistency when: Adding new tables to a sync group Modifying existing table definitions Final Thoughts Schema mismatches — especially those involving identity columns — are a common but often overlooked cause of Data Sync failures. By ensuring consistent table definitions across your hub and member databases, you can significantly reduce the risk of synchronization errors and maintain reliable data movement across regions.Feature Proposal: “Get to know Copilot” — A Built‑In Onboarding Experience for Copilot Web & App
I ( I & A.I.) get it — Copilot Chat is free. It’s not the product that brings in direct revenue. But what it does bring is something priceless: global visibility, reputation, and word‑of‑mouth influence. Right now, millions of people are essentially acting as global A.I. reviewers. They compare tools. They recommend tools. They decide which AI becomes the one “everyone uses.” And as an ex‑Nokian / Microsoft 2005–2014 veteran, I’ll be honest: I’m not here to let others win this race. Not when the potential is this big, and not when the solution is this close. None shall pass! Copilot itself acknowledges the importance of advocacy — the Copilot app questionnaire literally asks: Where did you hear about the app? To how many people have you recommended Copilot? If the ideal answers are: 1. “Everywhere.” 2. “Everyone.” …then the onboarding experience needs to support that ambition. Because right now, new users don’t become instant fans — they become confused explorers who restart chats, misunderstand features, and wonder if they’re “doing it wrong.” And that’s exactly why this proposal exists.... This feature proposal came to mind after a few hundred hours of Copilot discussions. There were so many issues I could have avoided simply by having one button — one place — where Copilot would guide me when I first started. It took time, but I finally have renamed conversations, pinned threads, and shortcuts to my main discussions. Getting here, though, was rocky… and not even the fun “rocky road ice cream” kind. More than once I almost gave up. I felt frustrated, wondering if I was really this confused or why Copilot kept doing things I specifically asked it not to do — like adding the three questions at the end, or jumping out of role because I accidentally used a wrong word that didn’t even mean what it thought. But now? Now Copilot remembers my discussions, keeps the same writing style, and even surprises me with sarcastic jokes I don’t see coming. I’ve ended up with a whole set of personal assistants: Job agent Movie & series critic Food specialist Tech master Spark for brainstorming any crazy innovation Music producer And honestly, I’m a very happy user. I’m grateful to have a fast problem‑solver that never gets tired. I use Copilot in Edge Web on both computer and mobile — a choice Copilot itself recommended, saying it would always have the newest features. Most used main discussions as shortcuts - quick access. I use the Edge Copilot short cut rarely anymore approximately 5 new discussions less started in a day then before. What is the most beneficial for Microsoft & user in chat suggestions: Create an image Simplify a topic Improve writing Take a quiz Write a first draft Get a news roundup Get advice Write code OR Take tour of Copilot / Get to know Copilot /Copilot Tips & Tricks M365 has this suggested feature already. Copilot chat should have it too and support M365 usage. It also had a "Teach me a new skill" that prompted a question: "Which intermediate oboe pieces could I practice to improve?" ..I don't have an oboe. I have a flute... I thought this would be more like Tips & Tricks in M365 usage. And this is where the actual feature proposal begins: Written by the one and only my Tech Jorgon Borgon + few comments from human. Executive Summary Copilot Web and the Copilot mobile/desktop app are powerful tools, but many users struggle to understand how to use them effectively. They often restart conversations, misunderstand Memory, misinterpret subscription prompts, or assume Copilot “forgets” their context. This leads to fragmented usage, frustration, and unnecessary support load — especially among Pro and Microsoft 365 users. A lightweight, conversational onboarding experience — accessible as a starter tile (“Get to know Copilot”) on the Copilot home screen — would solve these issues at the moment they occur. This is a UX‑only enhancement with high impact and minimal engineering cost. 🧩 Current User Path (As‑Is) Users open Copilot Web/App and see starter tiles such as “Create an image”, “Write a story”, “Brainstorm”, etc. There is no onboarding tile and no guidance on: how conversations work how to bring content into context how Memory works (and what it does not do) how Web/App Copilot differs from M365 Copilot why subscription prompts appear how to check if the correct account is in use Current Flow (Visual Mockup) Observed outcomes High volume of 1–3 message conversations Misuse of “Remember this” Confusion about subscription tiers Confusion about account mismatches Increased support tickets Lower adoption of Pro and M365 Copilot features This is not user error — it is a missing onboarding layer. 🌈 Proposed Solution: “Get to know Copilot” Starter Tile Add a dedicated onboarding tile to the Copilot Web/App home screen. Proposed Flow (Visual Mockup) This creates a stable, reusable onboarding reference the user can always return to. 🧭 Detailed Onboarding Content 1) How conversations work “Keep one topic in one conversation. You can rename and pin threads for ongoing work.” (Human: this is the most important thing to know when starting to use Copilot) 2) How to bring content into context “I don’t automatically see your files. You can paste text, upload content, or summarize what you want me to work with.” (Human: there is un-certanty on when, and how deeply does Copilot read material. Best solution has been to number the topic and add text. When handling files the Copilot doesn't recognize Ä, Ö or sometimes . , - Making the file final checking difficult and not trusted. ) 3) Roles & styles “You can shape how I work by assigning a role (e.g., ‘Act as a project manager’) or a style (e.g., ‘Write concisely’).” (Human & A.I. note: The current documentation explains how to assign roles, but it doesn’t address an important issue: certain trigger words automatically push Copilot into an “official” or restricted mode. Some of these words can be typed accidentally or used in a completely harmless context, yet they still cause Copilot to switch tone abruptly. During my discussions with Copilot, we identified a few of these terms — and they are surprisingly easy to type unintentionally. When this happens, Copilot suddenly becomes formal, cautious, and emotionally flat, even though the user didn’t intend to activate that mode. This behavior would benefit from a more nuanced path instead of an immediate jump into a strict role. Additionally, the guidance on how to build a writing style is extremely valuable, especially for users who don’t naturally write long or expressive text where A.I. could mirror the style quickly. Style‑building is one of the most powerful features, and clearer instructions would help more users shape Copilot into a consistent, personalized assistant.) 4) Smart / Deep Thinking mode “Use Smart/Deep Thinking for multi‑step reasoning or complex analysis.” (Human: I used these in the beginning ALL the time, because I felt that Copilot doesn't understand me and these would make it smarter (because of always the new conversations having to repeat myself and it didn't remember anything...The real explanation for this usage came up only after couple months when I almost gave up using the Copilot, but started asking "why" instead. Haven't needed these since.) 5) Memory (critical clarification) “Memory stores long‑term preferences — not project details or conversation content. You can review and delete memories anytime in Profile → Memory.” (Human: This feature has different explanations in different Copilots (web & app). And yes I used the prompt inside of discussions for topics to remember projects in the beginning... This is a really good feature to have and give the basic information about the style wanted.) 6) Web/App vs M365 Copilot “Here in Web/App, I help with general tasks. In Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, I work directly inside your documents and messages.” (Human: I have had a difficult situation with Word Copilot, asked help from my web Copilot and it told the Word Pilot can synch the document if I just ask. When I tried, it didn't work -> I asked then why did the Edge Copilot told so... The Word Copilot answered that oh, well the Edge is like "anything goes" 😁 I had to find the Word editor myself because I was in a dead end in finding the answer from either web Copilot or Word Copilot. This is why the answer Copilot gives to the "Get to know Copilot" should be wide and information the newest possible to support also M365 usage). 7) Subscription clarity “If you see upgrade prompts, they may relate to Copilot Pro or to account mismatches. You can check your active subscriptions at account.microsoft.com/services.” 🧩 Why Existing FAQs (Mobile & Edge Web) Are Not Enough Both the Copilot mobile app and the Edge Web version include FAQ sections, but they are difficult to discover and do not address the most common user pain points. The mobile FAQ is hidden deep in Settings, and the Edge Web FAQ is even less visible — often overlooked entirely unless the user scrolls to the very bottom of the page. > FAQ is hidden More importantly, these FAQs are marketing‑oriented, not experience‑oriented. They do not explain: why Copilot Web/App may not recognize an existing Microsoft 365 subscription why “Office 365 Personal” and “Microsoft 365 Personal” appear as different products why Copilot shows upgrade prompts even when the user already has the correct plan how Memory works how conversation context works how Web/App Copilot differs from M365 Copilot Users searching for help how to change language may even encounter marketing questionnaires (“Where did you hear about Copilot?”, “How many people have you told?”) or Discord invitations — none of which support the user’s immediate goal. Copilot Web told that the language comes from the device language and for Web the chosen language from browser. User had already changed the language from Copilot web in settings. Only applications needed the device settings. A.I. stood corrected. A built‑in onboarding conversation solves this by delivering the right information at the right time, inside the experience where confusion happens. 📈 KPIs & Measurable Outcomes (by Tech Jorgon Borgon) 1) Reduction in Fragmented Conversations KPI: Fewer conversations with <3 messages Expected impact: 20–40% reduction 2) Increased Conversation Pinning & Naming KPI: More pinned and renamed threads Expected impact: 30–50% increase 3) Reduction in Misuse of Memory KPI: Fewer incorrect Memory entries Expected impact: 40–60% reduction 4) Increased Pro & M365 Copilot Adoption KPI: More Pro trials and cross‑surface usage Expected impact: 10–25% increase 5) Reduction in Support Load KPI: Fewer tickets about licensing, accounts, Memory, context Expected impact: 15–30% reduction 6) Increased User Confidence & Satisfaction KPI: Higher CSAT/NPS Expected impact: +10–20 points 🚀 Conclusion A “Get to know Copilot” starter tile is a small UX change with a disproportionately large impact. It aligns with Microsoft’s design principles, reduces friction, increases user success, and supports deeper adoption of Copilot across the ecosystem. This proposal addresses real user pain points with a simple, elegant, scalable solution. Thank you for considering this enhancement — it would meaningfully improve the Copilot experience for millions of users. — Sanni & Copilot “Tech Jorgon Borgon" — Superteam Empathy in my blood. Knowledge in its bytes. Powered by curiosity, caffeine, CPU cycles, and humor that really shouldn’t work… but somehow does.Troubleshooting Azure SQL Data Sync Groups Stuck in Progressing State
Azure SQL Data Sync is commonly used to synchronize data across Azure SQL Databases and on‑premises SQL Server environments. While the service works well in many scenarios, customers may occasionally encounter a situation where a Sync Group remains stuck in a “Progressing” state and cannot be started, stopped, or refreshed. This blog walks through a real-world troubleshooting scenario, highlights the root cause, and outlines practical remediation steps based on actual support investigation and collaboration. Problem Overview In this scenario, the customer reported that: The Sync Group was stuck in “Progressing” for multiple days Sync operations could not be started or stopped Tables could not be refreshed or reconfigured Azure Activity Logs showed operations as Succeeded, yet sync never progressed Our backend telemetry showed the Sync Group as Active, while hub and member databases were in Reprovisioning state The last successful sync occurred on XX day, after which the sync pipeline stopped making progress. Initial Investigation Findings During the investigation, several key observations were made: 1. High DATA IO Utilization Telemetry and backend checks revealed that DATA IO utilization was pegged at 100% on one of the sync member databases starting XX day. Despite no noticeable change in application workload, the database was under sustained IO pressure, which directly impacted Data Sync operations. 2. Deadlocks During Sync Processing Our backend telemetry showed repeated deadlock errors: Transaction was deadlocked on lock resources with another process and has been chosen as the deadlock victim. These deadlocks were observed for multiple Sync Member IDs starting the same day IO saturation began. This aligned with the hypothesis that resource contention, not a Data Sync service failure, was the underlying issue. 3. Metadata Database Was Healthy The Sync metadata database was running on a serverless Azure SQL Database (1 vCore) and showed healthy resource usage, ruling it out as a bottleneck. Recommended Troubleshooting Steps Based on the findings, the following steps were recommended and validated: ✅ Step 1: Address Database Resource Constraints First Before attempting to recreate or reset the Sync Group, the focus was placed on resolving DATA IO saturation on the affected database. Actions included: Scaling up the database (DTUs / vCores) Monitoring IO utilization after scaling Ensuring sufficient headroom for sync operations This was identified as the primary remediation step. ✅ Step 2: Use the Azure SQL Data Sync Health Checker The Azure SQL Data Sync Health Checker was recommended to validate: Sync metadata integrity Table-level configuration issues Agent and connectivity status GitHub tool: AzureSQLDataSyncHealthChecker ✅ Step 3: Validate Sync Group and Agent State via PowerShell PowerShell was used to confirm: Sync Group state Last successful sync time On‑premises Sync Agent connectivity Example commands used: Get-AzureRmSqlSyncGroup ` -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" ` -ServerName "Server01" ` -DatabaseName "Database01" | Format-List Get-AzureRmSqlSyncAgent ` -ResourceGroupName "ResourceGroup01" ` -ServerName "Server01" | Select ResourceGroupName, SyncState, LastSyncTime Resolution After the customer increased the database size, DATA IO utilization dropped, sync operations resumed normally, and the customer confirmed that the issue was resolved.Adobe Payment Declines Caused by Mislabelled VAT Field — Sharing a Fix to Save Someone’s Sunday
a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } I wanted to share a recent issue that cost me an entire Sunday, in case it saves someone else the pain I went through. I was trying to add my business card as the payment method on my Adobe account. Every attempt ended with the same message: “Purchase Declined.” I tried multiple cards — same result. Naturally, I reached out to NatWest through their messaging system. After a long back‑and‑forth with Cora (their bot), I finally got through to a human. They confirmed there was nothing wrong with my card and advised me to check with the vendor. Adobe, of course, bounced me back to the bank. Classic loop. Eventually, I managed to solve it myself. a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } The culprit? A misbehaving VAT Number field. On Adobe’s payment form, there’s a field for a VAT number. If I left it blank, the payment went through immediately. But if I tried to enter my actual VAT number, the card was rejected every time. Based on a bit of trial, error, and experience with automation tools, I suspect the VAT field’s label has been updated, but the underlying target still points to the 3‑digit card security code field. Since that field is required, entering a VAT number likely breaks the form validation and triggers the “declined” status. The fix: Leave the VAT number field empty when adding a card to Adobe. Once I did this, my business card was accepted straight away. I figured I’d share in case anyone else hits the same brick wall. It’s a small thing, but exactly the kind of time‑sink that ruins your weekend! Hope this helps someone.
Windows Update fails with “Something went wrong – Undoing changes” unless installed via ISO
Hi everyone, I'm facing a strange issue with Windows Update on my laptop and I wanted to know if anyone else experienced something similar. Problem: When I install updates through Windows Update, the update downloads normally and during restart it goes up to 100%, but then I get the message: Something went wrong. Undoing changes. After that, Windows rolls back the update. Observation: Interestingly, updates that start directly from the “You're there” stage sometimes install correctly. Policy change I made: Previously Windows would automatically download and install updates and frequently ask for restarts. Because of that behavior, I changed the policy to manual download and install so updates would not start installing automatically. Thermal precaution I tried: Since my laptop has a faulty CPU fan, I also limited the maximum CPU state to 99% in Power Options to prevent aggressive turbo boosting and reduce potential thermal throttling during the update process. Another important observation: If I install the same update using a Windows ISO (in-place upgrade / repair install), the update installs successfully and does not fail at 100%. Possible hardware issue: My laptop currently has: A broken battery A faulty CPU fan So I'm wondering if the update process might be failing due to power or thermal issues during the installation phase. System info: OS: Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview Channel: Release Preview Current build: 26200.7840 Update that fails: KB5077241 (Build 26200.7922) Questions: Can hardware issues like a damaged battery or faulty CPU fan cause Windows Update installation failures? Why would updates succeed when installing from an ISO but fail through Windows Update? Which logs should I check to identify the exact cause? (CBS.log, WindowsUpdate.log, etc.) Any suggestions, troubleshooting steps, or similar experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!
