All posts by Rudin Nephele

Windows 10 update 1809

In this month of Halloween, Microsoft tries to scares us all with a new major update.

That said, we will have customers trying to install it on their personal computers and it becomes an Automatic Update on October 9th.

There is a KB article going over known issues when updating (and how to fix them!) here:  https://oregonstate.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=63439

Now for what they changed or added to Windows 10!

Dark mode.

This feature is one that I am personally happy to see. While Windows 10 has dark themes already, the update allows the theme to apply to File Explorer.

Windows Update Changes.

After the update is installs, Windows will change the way it does updates. You will see less unexpected restarts, more third-party firmware updates, and less interruption as Windows will download and apply updates during low usage times. There will also be less restarts as the AI has improved functionality in determining if the update needs a restart.

Improved full scope search.

Now a single search term can turn up results from the Web, apps from the Store, and files from local storage or the cloud. The menu options beneath a file include options that save you from having to right-click.

Settings search from the Start menu.

That pane on the right is open automatically in the new search view. For settings, it gives you an easy option to open Settings and jump directly to the relevant page. For apps, you get a menu of additional options.

Snip & Sketch replaces the Snipping Tool.

The old Snipping Tool is still present but will deprecate in the future. Snip & Sketch allows a user to copy a rectangle, a freeform region, or a full screen, with a delay of up to 10 seconds. After the clip is complete, annotate it in the app and then save, share, or paste it.

Clipboard Manager (Cloud Clipboard)

Clipboard can now remember multiple items. In settings, go to System, then choose Clipboard and turn the history feature on. The sync feature allow the clipboard to work across multiple devices but requires a Microsoft ID. Win+V will bring up the Cloud Clipboard interface.

Changes to Edge

Edge received many feature updates, including the ability to adjust the way Edge looks and changes to the menu options and allows the user to block videos from automatically playing. They also significantly improved the e-Reader functionality.

Text from your PC.

The “Your Phone” app lets you text from the PC and can instantly access photos from your phone. Some features are restricted on iPhones due to Apple’s platform restrictions. However Android phones reportedly work great.

Disk Cleanup

Microsoft made some changes to the Disk Cleanup utility, most notably is that it now offers a checkbox to clean up the user’s download folder. Be really sure that you want to do that!

Other enhancements are improved Accessibility options and features, the ability to view Problem and Data Diagnostic reports, battery details for Bluetooth devices, and new emoji.

Lastly, the humble Notepad app gets an update. It will now have the tap functionality like that found in NotePad++ and finally supports unix line breaks (https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/05/08/extended-eol-in-notepad  -Thanks Ben!). Huzzah!

Extened Battery Warranty for Dell

From Dell:

Dell has extended the battery warranty to align with the system warranty for the following systems.  If you are having issues with a battery please call into tech support.  As long as the system is under warranty Tech Support will replace the battery.

  • CHROMEBOOK 13 7310
  • INSPIRON 7437
  • LATITUDE 10 ST2E
  • LATITUDE 12 7202 RUGGED
  • LATITUDE 3150
  • LATITUDE 3160
  • LATITUDE 5175
  • LATITUDE 5179
  • LATITUDE 5250
  • LATITUDE 5450
  • LATITUDE 5550
  • LATITUDE 7275
  • LATITUDE 7350
  • LATITUDE 7370
  • LATITUDE E5270
  • LATITUDE E5470
  • LATITUDE E5570
  • LATITUDE E7240
  • LATITUDE E7250
  • LATITUDE E7270
  • LATITUDE E7270 WYSE TC
  • LATITUDE E7440
  • LATITUDE E7450
  • LATITUDE E7470
  • PRECISION 3510
  • PRECISION 5510
  • PRECISION M3800
  • VENUE 8 PRO 5830
  • VENUE 8 PRO 5855
  • VENUE 10 5050
  • VENUE 10 PRO 5055
  • VENUE 10 PRO 5056
  • VENUE 11 PRO 5130
  • VENUE 11 PRO 7130/7139
  • VENUE 11 PRO 7140
  • XPS 11 9P33
  • XPS 13 9333
  • XPS 14 L421X
  • XPS 1810
  • XPS 1820
  • XPS 9250
  • XPS 9530
  • XPS 9550
  • XPS DUO 12 9Q33

Windows Update 1709

There have been a number of issues reported regarding the Microsoft Fall Creator’s Update, as known as the 1709 Update for Windows 10. These issues have been varied with the most common being BSODs of various errors.

This is not to say the update fails every time. It has installed perfectly fine for many users.

What follows is a list of known issues and possible resolutions.

  • BSODs at or after install – The computer will present a BSOD after post, usually referring to a hardware issue. This is the most common issue reported and the fix may vary from computer to computer. Due to the inconsistency of errors, the errors will have to go through normal troubleshooting. Please note that sfc /scannow does not fix anything in these cases.
  • Activation Issues – Windows will say that the version is not activate. If the computer is on the domain or uses a digital activation file, then this problem will self-correct eventually. If not, then manually repair the activation process.
  • CPU runs high – This can appear after the update is stuck downloading or if the update is corrupt. If this happens do the following:
    1. Launch Command Prompt as Admin
    2. Run “sfc /scannow”
    3. Wait for the process to end and then reboot.
    4. Launch Command Prompt as Admin again.
    5. Run “Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth”
    6. Check to see if the problem persists.
  • Remote Desktop crashes – Reported, but not seen yet.
  • Apps are missing or fail to launch – While there is no reported fix yet I believe this may be due to the user privileges. If the computer is on the domain, this problem appears to self-repair after policies are applied. Otherwise, I would suggest the steps used for the High CPU error.

At this time, we are not installing 1709 on CN computers.

If the computer is a personal computer and the customer insists on installing 1709 then please make sure to do the following:

  • Ensure there is enough space one the disk and the disk is free from errors.
  • Video drivers are up to date.
  • Unplug all external drives and devices.
  • Disable or uninstall any virus protection software.
  • Perform a Windows Clean Boot.
  • Use a local admin account, not a domain account.

These steps should help mitigate the risk of installing the 1709 update.

Planned ITKnowS outage this evening

I will be taking down ITKnowS temporarily this evening. This is in order to apply updates and some configuration changes.

The site will come down at 9pm tonight. I expect the outage to last 2-3 hours.

I will send out an update when the site comes back online, as well as detailing the changes that were made.

Please let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns.

BIOS Updates removed from the Build Process

The Build Bench will cease performing BIOS updates on every machine. This decision has been made after a series of bad BIOS updates that have cause delays and, at times, irresolvable hardware failure.

We will still perform BIOS updates for brand new models and firmware updates for tablets.

We recommend that BIOS updates be reserved for the later steps of the troubleshooting process.