Group Policy Archives

Winsage

May 17, 2025

Windows 11 Home vs Pro for Gaming: Which One Should You Choose?

Upgrading from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro does not yield significant benefits in gaming performance, compatibility, or features for most gamers. Both editions provide identical gaming performance, supporting the same core gaming technologies such as DirectStorage, Auto HDR, and Game Mode. Windows 11 Home supports up to 128 GB of RAM and one CPU socket with 64 cores, while Windows 11 Pro supports up to 2 TB of RAM and two CPU sockets with 128 cores. Pro includes additional features like BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V virtualization, and Group Policy management, which are not typically utilized by gamers. The price of Windows 11 Home is lower than that of Pro, making it a more cost-effective choice for gaming. Both editions meet the hardware requirements for modern gaming, and compatibility with major games and platforms is consistent across both versions.

Winsage

May 17, 2025

Why Windows 10 PCs are locking up and crashing after May update

Microsoft will end update support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but new patches are still being released. The latest cumulative update, KB5058379, has caused issues for users, especially those with devices from Dell, Lenovo, and HP. Microsoft is aware of the problems and has not yet deployed a fix as of May 16, but has provided a temporary workaround. For users affected by the BitLocker bug, Microsoft Support recommends the following steps to regain access: 1. Disable Secure Boot in BIOS/Firmware settings. 2. If issues persist, disable all virtualization technologies in BIOS/Firmware settings. 3. Check the Microsoft Defender System Guard Firmware Protection Status via Registry Editor or GUI method. 4. If firmware protection settings are restricted by Group Policy, disable them using Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor. A system restart is required for these changes to take effect, and these workarounds should only be temporary until a patched update is released. Disabling certain BIOS settings may compromise system security.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27858 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27858 has been released to the Canary Channel. A new system tray icon for the emoji and more panel has been introduced, allowing users to access emojis, GIFs, and Kaomojis, with customization options available. Several fixes have been implemented, including resolving black screen issues during upgrades, enhancing accessibility in File Explorer, updating desktop icon logic, fixing voice typing initiation issues, resolving explorer.exe crashes related to snap layouts, addressing taskbar icon resizing problems in tablet mode, fixing night light functionality, and resolving MIDI device recognition issues. Known issues include potential problems with Windows Hello PIN and biometrics on new Copilot+ PCs and unresponsive pen input on certain devices. Insiders are reminded that builds in the Canary Channel are early development versions and may change. A clean installation is required to exit the Canary Channel, and a desktop watermark will be present in pre-release builds.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Microsoft released one of its final updates for Windows 10 — and it has broken things

Microsoft is winding down support for Windows 10 this October and has released update KB5058379, which has caused unexpected BitLocker recovery prompts for some users after a restart. This issue has been confirmed by Microsoft representatives on forums, although it is not mentioned in the update's release notes. The problem predominantly affects devices from manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo, and the specific cause is unclear. Microsoft has provided workarounds, including disabling Secure Boot and virtualization technologies, checking Microsoft Defender System Guard Firmware Protection status, and disabling firmware protection via Group Policy or Registry Editor.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Windows 10 KB5058379 update triggering BitLocker Recovery after install

The Windows 10 KB5058379 cumulative update, released on May 13, 2025, has caused unexpected BitLocker recovery prompts for some users after installation and reboot. Reports indicate that affected devices, including those from Lenovo, Dell, and HP, automatically boot into the Windows Recovery Environment and display the BitLocker recovery screen. Users have experienced various issues, such as needing BitLocker keys to start up or devices refusing to start. A workaround involves disabling Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) in the BIOS. Microsoft has not publicly acknowledged the issue but support representatives are aware and working on a resolution. Microsoft has provided steps to resolve the issue, including disabling Secure Boot and virtualization technologies, checking Microsoft Defender System Guard Firmware Protection status, and disabling firmware protection via Group Policy or Registry Editor.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Microsoft pushes fix for Windows 11 update 0x80240069 errors

Microsoft has resolved an issue that affected the delivery of Windows 11 24H2 feature updates via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) after the installation of the April 2025 security updates. Users reported upgrade problems, specifically encountering error code 0x80240069 during attempts to update from Windows 11 23H2 or 22H2. The update complications primarily impact enterprise environments using WSUS, while home users are less likely to experience these issues. Microsoft is rolling out a fix through Known Issue Rollback (KIR) for enterprise-managed devices, requiring IT administrators to implement the KIR Group Policy on affected endpoints. Additionally, Microsoft is addressing a separate issue where some PCs were upgraded to Windows 11 despite Intune policies preventing such upgrades.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3950 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3950 (KB5055653) has been released to the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. Insiders on version 23H2 can opt to upgrade to version 24H2 with this build. Key changes include the introduction of energy saver management in Microsoft Intune, allowing IT administrators to manage energy settings on Windows 11 PCs. Other updates involve UI experiments in Recall, taskbar enhancements, and graphics improvements for HDR capabilities. Fixes include resolving keyboard focus issues in the taskbar, startup sound playback issues, and scaling problems after sleep/resume. Known issues involve bugs with Xbox Controllers and live captions crashing. Insiders are reminded to keep their devices updated for optimal performance and access to features.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5581 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5581 (KB5055651) has been released to the Dev Channel, introducing new features, improvements, and fixes. Key updates include: - Energy Saver in Microsoft Intune: IT administrators can manage energy saver settings on Windows 11 PCs through group policies and MDM configurations, optimizing battery usage by limiting background activities and reducing screen brightness. - Taskbar Improvements: The needy state pill for apps has been redesigned, and administrators can allow users to unpin specific pinned apps. - Graphics Enhancements: Improved management of HDR capabilities, including refined wording for HDR settings and independent toggling of Dolby Vision mode. - Fixes: Resolved issues with taskbar keyboard focus, startup sound playback, scaling after sleep, and cumulative update errors. - Known Issues: Users may experience discrepancies in build version display after PC resets and issues with Xbox Controllers causing bugchecks. - Recall (Preview): Users can opt to remove Recall at any time, and intelligent text actions are now moderated locally. - Windows Search: For optimal performance, devices should be connected to power during initial search indexing. - Task Manager: Users may see the System Idle Process showing as 0 after the addition of a new CPU Utility column. Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2, with features rolled out gradually.

Winsage

April 30, 2025

Windows 7 took forever to load if you had a solid background. Now we know why

Windows 7, launched in 2009, experienced a boot delay of 30 seconds for users who set a single-color image as their desktop background. This issue stemmed from a programming oversight where the system waited for a confirmation message that never arrived because a single-color background does not qualify as a bitmap. The delay could also occur if the “Hide desktop icons” group policy was enabled, complicating the loading process. Microsoft took several months to identify and fix the problem, releasing an update in November 2009 to resolve the issue.

Winsage

April 18, 2025

Windows 11 24H2 Update Bug Triggers BSOD Error

Microsoft has acknowledged a significant bug in its Windows 11 24H2 updates, causing Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes with the error code “SECUREKERNELERROR” (0x18B). This issue has escalated since the April 2025 Patch Tuesday update, affecting thousands of users globally. The bug leads to system crashes after installing the updates, resulting in persistent crash-restart loops or unbootable systems. Initially reported in March 2025, the problem gained traction following the April update, prompting Microsoft to confirm the bug and investigate its cause. Other issues include failures with Windows Hello and compatibility problems with games and software, particularly on ARM-based devices. To address the crisis, Microsoft has implemented a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) to disable the problematic code, which is being automatically pushed to affected devices, although users may experience a delay of up to 24 hours. Users are advised to keep their devices connected to the internet and restart their PCs multiple times to expedite the fix. For enterprise environments, IT administrators must manually deploy a specific Group Policy update. Microsoft is working on a permanent solution, expected in a future update, while also acknowledging related issues and committing to further fixes in the upcoming May 2025 update.