Daily Archives: September 20, 2020

• Patch Lady – why can’t Surface devices have the BEST experience?

  Posted on September 20, 2020 at 21:27 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  So why can’t Surface devices have the absolute BEST patching experience EVER?

  Instead…

  

  After installing driver updates from Intel and Microsoft, offered up to me by Microsoft for a Microsoft built product it demanded that I reenter the bitlocker recovery key.  Surface devices that are set up with either a Microsoft 365 account or a Microsoft personal account have bitlocker set up automatically and backed up to the cloud.  And that’s a good thing because then you need ANOTHER working computer to log into said backup location and type in one key stroke at a time your recovery key hoping it works, mentally thinking about if the backup you have set up ran last time to the tiny external flash drive you have to plug in or if you will be spending tomorrow night rebuilding your Surface Go device.

  

  I had to go to another PC, log into my recovery bitlocker area – this one is a firm Surface Go so it’s backed up in Azure AD

  Then, I had to enter the Bitlocker recovery key not once, but twice.  It wanted to reboot, I did, it stopped again wanting the recovery key, I had to enter it a second time.

  But it just drives me INSANE that the most hiccups I have is on Microsoft built hardware.

  

  The items that were installed were Surface- System, Surface-Firmware, Intel-System, Intel-Software Component, FTDI-Ports, FTDI-USB.

  Come on Microsoft, you need to be better than this on your own hardware.

  Surface Go Device.  Purchased December 2019.

   

  Windows 10 Patch Lady Posts

• Freeware Spotlight — Open-Shell

  Posted on September 20, 2020 at 21:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums
  

  BEST UTILITIES

  By Deanna McElveen

  December 3, 2017 — a sad day.

  That was when ace developer Ivo Beltchev announced the end of future development on Classic Shell (more info), the wildly popular freeware program that made the Start menus in Win8 and Win10 look and work like the familiar and comfortable Windows 7 menu.

  Luckily for all Classic Shell users, a group of talented developers has created the Open-Shell project. They dusted off Classic Shell, rubbed in some polish, and rolled it out as Open-Shell-Menu (aka Open-Shell).

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.37.0 (2020-09-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Best Utilities AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Classic Shell, Start menus, Windows 7-style start menu

• More fixes for a regularly repeating Wi-Fi outage

  Posted on September 20, 2020 at 21:10 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  In my previous column, I discussed techniques for curing an annoying and recurring Wi-Fi failure that appeared on a set schedule.

  In this follow-up, I’ll dig into two other possible causes of regular Wi-Fi hiccups: router reboots and IP-address refreshing.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.37.0 (2020-09-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, DHCP leases, IP-address refresh, Router reboots, Wi-Fi failures

• Kicking the Win10 2004 tires

  Posted on September 20, 2020 at 21:05 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  Windows 10

  By TB Capen

  The newest Windows is trickling out to a PC near you — or maybe not.

  The mystery with Version 2004 is why it’s been offered to some systems but not others. That was the case on three of my PCs. So to get a look at the newest Windows, I forced an upgrade. Here’s what I found.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.37.0 (2020-09-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Windows 10 Releases AskWoody Plus Newsletter, System upgrading issues, Task Manager, Task View, update, Virtual desktops, Win10 2004, Windows Update

• Web presence: Working with search engines

  Posted on September 20, 2020 at 21:00 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  SMALL-BUSINESS WEBSITES

  By Will Fastie

  Leveraging Web-based services is an essential part of building an effective online presence — and search engines are a top priority.

  In my previous installment, I stated that this article would focus on social networks. I’d intended to include some information on search engines, but during the research and writing process, I realized there was more to say about search.

  One of the buzz words constantly thrown about when discussing online searches is “search-engine optimization.” I’ll state right from the start that I’m dubious about the value of current SEO practices — and practitioners.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.37.0 (2020-09-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Web Development AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Business websites, Google Search, Online advertising, Security, SEO