Ed Tittel

Initial Windows 10 WinRE screen showing "Continue," "Use a device," and "Troubleshoot" (left), plus "Turn off your PC" (right).

Very pleased that even in its post-support state, a #Windows10 VM supports Secure Boot, CA-2023, and lets me boot into WinRE as and when I need to. Good stuff. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Still love it that I can install new Wi-Fi drivers thru an RDP session, with only a brief interruption in connectivity when the driver gets replaced. Good work, Intel! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

DDU Fixes GPU Driver Disasters - Ed Tittel When things go badly wrong, DDU fixes GPU driver disasters. A recent cluster of NVIDIA driver drops says it's a good tool to know about.

In 9 days, NVIDIA dropped 3 drivers. One was withdrawn; the 2nd had issues; the 3rd brought a hotfix to address them. This rapid series reminded me that for serious GPU gotchas, DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) is good to have around. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/ddu-fix...

Web Extensions Stymie Input - Ed Tittel When auto-fill is turned on, and various data handling extensions are present, certain Web extensions stymie input from your keyboard.

When typing input into certain web pages, it may help to get "browser conveniences" (e.g. auto-fill and password managers) out of the way. Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/web-ext...

Banner info from NVIDIA Support hotfix download page for 595.76 driver. Supposedly addressed all recent fan and throttling issues.

So, now there's a hotfix for the re-released NVIDIA Game-Ready driver. It's numbered 595.76, and you can grab it direct from NVIDIA. nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/...

Report: NVIDIA's re-released 595.71 driver now causing serious performance drops NVIDIA's re-released 595.71 driver fixes broken fan control, but it came at the cost of causing severe performance drops for some users.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now, reports are surfacing that the re-released NVIDIA 595.71 driver is dinging performance thru throttling GPUs back. Does this sound like chewing gum on top of baling wire to anybody other than me? #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.neowin.net/news/report-...

On Windows 11 Restore Points - Ed Tittel Reflecting on Windows 11 Restore Points, I find them interesting but space-consumptive. I prefer image backups, so I turn them off.

I decide to opine about Restore Points in #Windows11. But first, I have to find some... Eventually, I do! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/on-wind...

Keep Your Windows Clean - Ed Tittel It's always a good idea to keep your Windows clean, so I provide pointers to tools and tips to to just that. Happy cleaning!

Here's a Windows motto to live by: Keep your Windows clean! Now, let's discuss... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/keep-yo...

Another Take On Failed RDP Login Fix - Ed Tittel Last Friday, I packed up the tiny but nifty Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q to ship it back to North Carolina. Then, I stood the small but mighty ThinkStation P3 Ultra Gen2 up in its place. When I tried to...

Found a different, better and easier fix for my broken RDP into MSA credentials. Mind-boggling, actually. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/another...

Statcounter reports massive Windows 11 market share increase According to Statcounter's latest data, Windows 11 is making strides, and its market share is rising rapidly.

If Nadella's 1B+ number for monthly active Windows 11 users on 1/28/26 was true, AND Statcounter's figures for Windows OS market share in February are accurate, then #Windows11 gained 101M users that month. Wow! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.neowin.net/news/statcou...

Drop-down details for new Game-Ready driver shows versoin 595.71 and a release date of 3/2/26.

NVIDIA's got a new Game Ready Driver out (595.71). But this re-drop of last week's pulled-back item has no Studio equivalent...yet. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Snippet of MACazine from cover from 1986. I started on number 5 or 6 that year (summer-time).

Wow! I just realized I started writing for publication 40 years ago. I worked for Bob LeVitus at "The MACazine" for the princely sum of $0.10/wd. It remains a bumpy but interesting ride. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Top half of Winver.exe screen showing build number 26220.7934.

More about Beta Build 26220.7934, post-GUI install. Rebooted 5 (!) times on the way to desktop. Hung a LONG time at "Working on updates: 60%" It is a big one. Took an hour to get to first reboot, about another half-hour after that to complete. #WindowsInsiders #MVPBuzz

Took about 5 minutes to get to 5%. Seems like 26300.7939 is a BIG one.

Downloading 26300.7939 right now on X380. Taking a while: looks like a big one! Fingers crossed... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

CPU Changed Boot Warning Nightmare - Ed Tittel I'm living through a "CPU Changed" boot warning nightmare, as I realize that minor system changes -- e.g. driver update -- can provoke it.

I'm stuck in a recurring "CPU changed" fTPM warning cycle. Need to escape this nightmare! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/cpu-cha...

My slow download for NVIDIA 595.59 was a bigger bust than I thought. The company has pulled the driver and recommends that users roll back. I just did that very thing! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Updated the UEFI on the upstairs ASRock B550 build. Followed the directions to turn off fTPM first, and it went without any problems at all. Go figure!!! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

How UEFI Flash Overturned Flo6 - Ed Tittel How UEFI flash overturned Flo6, and crippled boot behavior, is easy to understand once you realize it changed Secure Boot PK, KEK and DB.

I decided to make the ASRock B550 UEFI current yesterday. Once again, Secure Boot bites my butt!! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/how-uef...

Nvidia driver download keeps pausing during DL process. Server load? Internet traffic jam? Something's amiss.

Downloading new NVIDIA Studio driver, I notice it' running SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY. Somethings' up (or down). #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Screencap of ASRock App Shop which proffers updates to mobo owners, but NOT including UEFI updates.

Wow! Did I get blindsided by an unwarranted assumption: ASRock APP Shop does NOT flog BIOS/UEFI updates. Some of my recent woes are my own darn fault... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Of the 10 devices shown: those with MIDI and Service Test Lookback A&B are all MIDI related (5 total).

Like it or not, most of my PCs now sport MIDI "Software devices" after the recent CU. 5 of these 9 popped up. Go figure! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

MS backs off deprecation of V3/V4 printer drivers. See the last paragraph of my former Samsung printer farewell for those deets. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/so-long...

TPM warnings (and presumptive new processors) also get invovked when MS makes Secure Boot or related db/dbx changes. Sigh.

Ay! Yi! Yi! In the wake of KB5077241 I now understand that I'm going to have to rejigger UEFI on Flo6 and RyzenOfc any time MS pushes a Secure Boot certificate or db/dbx modernization update. Sheesh! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Spectrum Router Roadblock Diagnosed - Ed Tittel When the string GatewayExceptionResponse appears on my PC for a download request, I'm forced to get a Spectrum router roadblock diagnosed.

I ask for an obsolete .NET download, but I get a bizarre error message instead. Weird!! Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/spectru...

You can tell dism /restorehealth to grab its repair stuff from WU. Good stuff!

IDKYCDT: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WindowsUpdate. Watching network activity, it's smart enough to only DL what it needs. Good-oh! #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Why Switch One 2020 Mobo for Another? - Ed Tittel Why Switch One 2020 Mobo for Another? So I can escape the never-ending weirdness involved in rebooting the current ASRock B550 Extreme4.

I think I've had enough: I'm going to replace my vexatious ASRock B550 Extreme4 with an MSI Tomahawk. Let me tell you why... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/why-swi...

Opinion: Windows 11 isn’t the disaster some claim - and it’s time to say so Is Windows 11 really getting worse? A closer look at bugs, update history, user trust, and why the OS isn’t as broken as headlines suggest.

I had to say it, and I did so for Windows Latest. "#Windows11 is not a train wreck!" Read the story online. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.windowslatest.com/2026/02/21/o...

Resetting CMOS Has Its Hurdles - Ed Tittel Resetting CMOS has its hurdles including visibility, access, removal, possible replacement, and timing the reset interval correctly.

There are times when you have to pop the case and reset CMOS. It has to be done, but isn't always easy. #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/resetti...

A brand-new Choetech laptop stand with power & other ports introduces me to TF (TransFlash) an older acronym for microSD.

Who knew that TransFlash (TF) was the original name for microSD that Motorola and SanDisk used in 2004? Not me! NOW I know, but it's kinda late... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz

Thunderbolt 5: Video Good, Storage Bad - Ed Tittel In testing Thunderbolt 5, Video Good, Storage Bad seems to sum things up. It's great for monitors, but no speed gain for external storage.

After I finally lay hands on a laptop with a TB5 port and an NVMe enclosure to match, I learn something shocking. TLDR version: "Video Good, Storage Bad." Deets follow... #WindowsInsiders #MVPbuzz www.edtittel.com/blog/thunder...