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Great article! It answered a number of standards questions. I have tried three different vendors NVMe approaches because the technology was intriguing. A couple of them included heat sinks. I also tried a full size Samsung SSD in an enclosure. I was looking for faster offline Win11 images for my desktop. I was disappointed to discover using the NVMe drives generated a lot of heat due to the size and technology. They’re great for anything less than full system drive images. I use them for project offline backups and they are really effective. I use the SSD in an enclosure as my everyday offline drive.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

2 users thanked author for this post.

Ed Tittel, rick41

Just built my first Hiren’s WinPE and have a question before I use it.

Question: Why are the Hiren’s and the article’s RUFUS setup different?  I’m going to add some programs and I would like to know if the differences are significant. Thanks.

• I will be using the stick on two Win11 desktops and one Win10 laptop. The stick is a 32GB USB3.0 drive. The stick I built is from a Hiren’s compliant setup.
• USB setting [GPT versus MBR]?
• Target system [UEFI [nonCSM] versus BIOS or UEFI]?
• File system [NTFS versus FAT32]?
• I built a Hiren’s WinPE using an ISO v1.0.4 that came from the Hiren’s site link on Feb 10.
• The build seemed to go as advertised.
• I have not tried adding anything beyond the drive build.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Done, leaving the code disabled in Task Manager.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Paul, Thanks for your perspective. I was surprised to find the batch file being run out of Public at startup. I have disabled it and expect to leave it that way. I don’t think it is nefarious, just bad practice. I’m not a Powershell guy but it looks like something related to Edge execution. I will mark this as solved once I figure out how to do that. My wife’s machine doesn’t have the code, so this is a one-off.

Dick

 

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Dev Home showed up in my 22H2 build 22621.2506 desktop. I found this thread in EleveForums and uninstalled Dev Home for all users.

Uninstall or Reinstall Dev Home app in Windows 11 [Sep 29, 2023] https://www.elevenforum.com/t/uninstall-or-reinstall-dev-home-app-in-windows-11.18397/

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Feedback:

• Found in c:\users\Public, created Oct 22
• After every restart
• Size 14.1KB, read only, not shared, Everyone has complete access
• Clipped the Public folder contents and saved them
• Settings/Apps/startup has the batch file set to ON
• Looks like some sort of package.
• I don’t have any unusual audio devices and no Device Manager problems

Notepad:

@echo off

set “ps=powershell.exe”

set “params1=-NoProfile ”

set “params2=-WindowStyle Hidden ”

set “params3=-ExecutionPolicy Bypass”

set “cmd=C:\Users\Public\HNetCfgClient.ps1”

%ps% %params1%%params2%%params3% -Command “& ‘%cmd%'”

exit /b

[end Notepad]

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

FWIW: I spent way too much time last night reading a depressing Microsoft Techcommunity Outlook for Windows article with 89 user replies. The replies are from users asking detailed questions about the new Outlook they were trying to actually use. This really is a ‘bridge too far’ for me. The single thought that permeated the answers was how little information there was about the impact to desktop Outlook users. When they referenced current Outlook it was invariably a reference to Outlook.com and was referred to as ‘legacy Outlook’. How disappointing. The article convinced me to hold this off as long as possible while I look for alternatives.

Home/Outlook/General Discussion hosted by Teresa Cyrus [doing her best with an impossible task], updated Aug 2023:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/outlook/mail-amp-calendar-apps-will-be-replaced-with-new-outlook-for/m-p/3850309

Dick

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

3 users thanked author for this post.

roadster1024, bbdokken, windbg

I think I’ll just stand back for a while on 22H2 and let discretion trump valor. My 22H1 machines are doing just fine.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

FWIW, I used gpedit to set the Feature Level control to 20H2. Gpedit did not complain when I applied the change. I reran WuMgr and checked the WU queue. I now show a pending Feature Update to Windows 10 of KB4598242 that specifically says 20H2 and dated 1/12/21.

There is so much commotion about KB4598242 that I am going to hide it and wait. I have to believe MS will do something about this very quickly.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

I am about to upgrade a Dell Win10 1909 laptop to 20H2. I have used WuMgr to see KB4598242 in the WU queue. If I go to the MUC I see both 2004 and 20H2 updates with that KB number. Can I download the 20H2 update and go directly to 20H2 manually or do I need to let WU choose which version to upgrade to when the normal WU upgrade works as designed? I would rather go directly to 20H2 and deal with that fallout rather than dealing with the Enablement Package fallout.

I am currently using a wired mouse and keyboard, wireless connections disabled, speakers off, LAN and external monitor connected, no USB drives.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

HeiDoc ISO’s are labeled ‘updates’ [Win10 Nov 2019 for instance]. Is it really an ‘update’ to a previously installed Win10 or are they good for clean installs? I’m looking to install 1903 or 1909 Win10 Pro on a running Win8.1 desktop. I hope the answer is clean install. I have a key.

TIA, dick

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Forensics, confusion and conclusion: I ended up doing the install of the update I got from the MUC. The date of the library already on my machine was 11/18/19 because that was the date of the in-place repair I did on Nov 18. The C++ update [repair] finished ok and ended with a recommendation to install the latest update for the 2008 library. The popup gave me a link to a MS Support site for the Visual C++ libraries including 2008 library in question. That site had a download for the latest [and ‘last’ since the 2008 version lost support in 2008] security update to the last pkg. Well, that download and install was the same one from KB2538243. I did what they recommended and installed what purports to be the ‘last’ update to the ‘last’ 2008 library.

Result: The C++ library shows up with a Dec 1 2019 install date on my laptop. I’m still at 9.0.30729.6161 which is where I as on Nov 18. I’m assuming that is as good as it is going to get. I’m going to stop futzing with this one. I’m easily confused.

Quirk: KB2538243 does not show up as ever being installed, is not listed as installed in the Settings list of installed updates, is not listed as a candidate for uninstall in the Uninstall Updates list. It does still show up as a hidden update [say what?] in WUSHOWHIDE.

I give up. I assume that 2008 C++ library is good and has the update applied, since I installed it using a MS download. I’m just going to ignore the ‘hidden’ update.

Thanks for your time and advice,

Dick

 

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Here are the details about the C++ update that drove my question. The update is KB2538243.

WU offered the update to my Win10 Pro system as part of the pending list.

Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package MFC Security Update.

For all supported x64-based versions of Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package [says it applies to 9.0.30729.6161, which I have installed], MS support article says last updated April 2017, Windows 10 is not listed as a supported system.

I noticed this is a ‘Package’. Does this mean it will completely replace the Redistributable -x64 package I already have installed? If I get things like this in the future, should I assume a Redistributable Package is a replacement rather than an update to something in the Package and should I just go ahead and install it? The description says Security update, but it sure seems like a ‘Replace’ to me [a rookie].

There have been numerous posts about problems with either the install failing or never finishing. I chose to hide it and see if it was included in a future Feature update or Cumulative update. No joy so far.

PKCano, thanks for the perspective on Update versus Install.

Thanks for any observations/advice. I’ll put it in my personal KB.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Must have been my lucky day[night?]. Platform is a Dell 5566 Win10 Pro, 16GB, laptop  [was] running 1809 [17763.737] with the usual gpedit deferrals to preclude Feature Updates and drivers. I changed the deferral period to three days [this was on the evening of Nov 18]. WU offered KB4524570. I decided to go directly from 1809 to 1909. I had just made a winrestore with Macrium.

Four hours later [yes, four hours] I was on 1909 [18363.476]. Looong process, no problems to recover from, everything seemed to work as advertised, logged in with no issues, then Win ‘had some more updates for me’, finished those and came right back up.

• No Device Mgr problems
• WiFi/Bluetooth works
• Settings seem to be ok so far, at least anything I have used.
• Settings/System/About says 11/19/2019 install date
• QA KB4525419 was installed during the update.
• Enablement Package KB4517245 shows up as installed
• Chrome went to 78.0.3904.97 and no apparent problems
• Latest 1909 SSU was installed as part of the update
• WinVer seems be lacking information about who Win10 is licensed to, basically no information at all about the owner of Win10.

Life is good!…something about living right!

Immediately made a new 1909 ISO and a new Macrium winrestore image.

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880

Windows Updates entry gone from Settings/Update and Security/ after KB4519338. I had the SSU KB4521862 already installed. Update appeared to finish ok, restart ok, Win seems to be running ok. Dell Win10Pro laptop, not using auto Win Update, deferred updates using the recommended settings, ended up with Build 17763.805. Is Windows Updates being gone on purpose? If so, how do I control Updates? I got pretty dependent on manually controlling updates. Advanced Options just gives me some Upload/Download Settings. I’m not on the Insider track. I’m kind of in shock.

 

Win11 Pro desktop [2], XPS 8950 23H2/22631.4169, Optiplex 7090 23H2/22631.3880