Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 1: Controlling features — 24H2 pushed hard

  Posted on February 6, 2025 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.05.1 • 2025-02-06

  

  By Susan Bradley

  If your machine is eligible for Windows 11 — meaning it ticks all the boxes for hardware compatibility — Windows 11 24H2 will download in preparation for installation, with no way to stop it.

  For right now, the only way to prevent this is to adjust Registry keys accordingly, and the simplest, fastest way to do so is with InControl.

  Although it’s time to pause until Patch Tuesday passes, the increased push by Microsoft for 24H2 is the key reason I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 1. Pay attention, and exercise caution.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (22.05.1, 2025-02-06).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Enablement Package, File sharing, KB5014754, KB5037754, KB5050081, NAS, Patch Lady Posts, System Recovery, Windows 11 24H2

• SMB security changes in Windows 11 might affect your NAS, too

  Posted on August 28, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  By Mary Branscombe

  It’s going to get harder and harder to connect to your NAS as a guest with SMB. That’s a good thing for security, but it could be a problem if your hardware is older.

  The Server Message Block (SMB) network file-sharing protocol lets Windows applications read and write files stored on servers in your network, including Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems. SMB underpins a lot of Windows network technologies, such as Storage Spaces Direct and even network printing. The print spooler is essentially just a file, after all.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.35.0, 2023-08-28).

  Windows 11 Home Networks, NAS, Newsletters, SMB Signing, SMBv1, SMBv3

• TrueNAS and Windows together

  Posted on July 10, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Ben Myers

  TrueNAS is installed, so let’s put it to work in the world of Windows.

  My first article about TrueNAS left everyone on the edges of their seats, excitedly wanting to see how TrueNAS becomes part of a small network to be used as a local repository for our personal information.

  Edge of your seat? Okay, probably not. But it was the best place to split a project article in two. I left you hanging at the TrueNAS Dashboard, the starting point for any and all actions needed to make TrueNAS useful.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.28.0, 2023-07-10).

  Hardware DIY, NAS, Network Storage, Newsletters, TrueNAS

• Setting up your own cloud

  Posted on June 26, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Ben Myers

  I began a pilot project to see what a NAS (Network Attached Storage) computer could do to improve data backup and management here.

  We have the usual collection of flash memory sticks and USB drives — and maybe, just maybe, we are not proactive with saving important information. It makes no sense to pay an annual rental for a Windows server license. There are several Linux distributions built for the specific purpose of hosting a NAS. Each of them, once installed, provides administration through the browser of a computer connected to one’s local area network.

  Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.26.0, 2023-06-26).

  Hardware DIY, Hardware, NAS, Network, Newsletters, RAID