partitions Archives

Winsage

June 23, 2025

Microsoft Confirms Windows 11 Automatic Deletions: Take Action Now To Protect Yourself

Microsoft's Windows 11 features System Restore, allowing users to create snapshots of system files, settings, and registry. These restore points will automatically expire and be deleted after 60 days. Previously, Windows 10 restore points could last up to 90 days, but since Windows 11's launch, the retention period has varied between 10 and 90 days, often leaning towards the shorter duration. Following a June 2025 security update, Windows 11, version 24H2 will maintain restore points for a maximum of 60 days. Users are encouraged to create their own restore points regularly, which will also last for 60 days.

Winsage

June 13, 2025

LibreOffice maker urges Windows 10 users to defect in viral ‘Go Linux, not Windows 11’ campaign

The Document Foundation (TDF) is advocating for users to transition from Windows 10 to Linux, emphasizing its benefits as a free and open operating system. The deadline for Windows 10 support is October 14, 2025. TDF argues that users are not required to upgrade to Windows 11, which has new hardware requirements that may make many existing PCs obsolete. TDF promotes Linux and LibreOffice as a privacy-centric alternative that allows users to maintain their current hardware while accessing a suite of applications. Other Linux advocates, including KDE, have criticized Microsoft for its subscription model. Transitioning to Linux may be challenging for less tech-savvy users due to the learning curve and potential software compatibility issues. TDF suggests testing Linux on secondary partitions, but acknowledges that this may be difficult for some users.

Winsage

June 6, 2025

Best Windows apps this week

Microsoft has made significant updates for users in the European Union and European Economic Area, including the ability to uninstall the Microsoft Store while still receiving app updates, a reduction in notifications related to Edge, and increased control over web searches in Windows. This week features discounts on various applications, with some offers extending beyond a single week. Notable new or improved Windows apps include: - Fences 6.0: An updated desktop management tool that allows users to organize programs and links into customizable groups with new tab support. - Start Everywhere: An application launcher that complements the Windows Start Menu, enabling users to launch applications from any screen corner using mouse clicks, hotkeys, or active corners. - VeraCrypt 1.26: An open-source encryption software that allows users to encrypt their entire system, individual hard drives, or specific partitions, with new protective measures against screen recordings and captures.

Winsage

June 1, 2025

A week of hell with my Windows 11 PC really makes me appreciate the simplicity of Google’s Chromebook laptops

The author's PC experienced significant issues while trying to run DOOM: The Dark Ages, primarily due to problems with NVIDIA RTX graphics drivers on a system equipped with an Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA RTX 5080. The Windows 11 Start Menu became unresponsive, leading to a complete system failure despite attempts to roll back and update drivers. The author used a USB drive with a Linux installer as a temporary solution but continued to face crashes. Attempts to reinstall Windows were complicated by an incorrectly formatted USB stick, which needed to be exFAT. Ultimately, the author resolved the issues by wiping both SSDs and creating fresh partitions. The author also noted the complexity and bloat of Windows 11 compared to the simplicity of ChromeOS, which has become a reliable alternative for tasks and gaming.

Winsage

June 1, 2025

Microsoft has been working on CorePC for years, but what is it?

CorePC is an initiative by Microsoft aimed at overhauling the existing monolithic NT architecture of Windows, which has been in use since the 1990s. It seeks to implement a modular framework that allows for customized builds tailored to specific user needs, moving away from the "one size fits all" model. CorePC will introduce state separation of OS components on distinct partitions, enhancing security and streamlining updates. The initiative is expected to reduce system bloat and may lead to the revival of Windows-powered smartphones and tablets with better ARM processor integration. An official launch date for CorePC is not yet available, but it is anticipated to be part of the successor to Windows 11.

Tech Optimizer

May 21, 2025

Achieve up to 1.7 times higher write throughput and 1.38 times better price performance with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL on AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances

Upgrading to Graviton4-based R8g instances with Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible 17.4 in an Aurora I/O-Optimized cluster configuration results in significant performance improvements. The new instances provide up to 1.7 times higher write throughput, 1.38 times better price-performance, and reduce commit latency by up to 46% on r8g.16xlarge instances and 38% on r8g.2xlarge instances compared to Graviton2-based R6g instances. The Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition now supports AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances and PostgreSQL 17.4, which introduces performance enhancements for I/O-Optimized configurations, optimizing write operations and batch processing. R8g instances offer up to 192 vCPUs and 1.5 TB of memory, supporting larger configurations and providing up to 50 Gbps of network bandwidth. PostgreSQL 17 includes vacuum improvements, eliminates the need to drop logical replication slots during upgrades, and expands SQL/JSON standards. Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible separates compute from storage, enabling independent scaling and maintaining six-way replication for durability, while processing changes as log records to reduce I/O operations. Performance benchmarks using HammerDB show improvements in throughput and commit latency across various workloads. For small workloads on 2xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 50.25% and commit latency improved by 33.87%. For medium workloads on 16xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 30% and commit latency improved by 17.44%. The most significant performance benefits arise from combining hardware upgrades from Graviton2 to Graviton4 with database engine upgrades from PostgreSQL 15.10 to 17.4. For small workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 38.71%. For medium workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 46.67%. Cost efficiency is also enhanced, with a 38% improvement in price performance and a 61.26% improvement in price-performance ratio when comparing Graviton2 and Graviton4 instances. Reserved Instances for Graviton4-based R8g instances offer additional cost-optimization opportunities.

Winsage

May 19, 2025

Microsoft Triumphs: Resolves Long-Standing Windows Bug from Last Year

Microsoft's latest Windows 11 update, version 24H2, released in May 2025, resolves a dual-boot issue caused by the Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) feature that made Linux partitions unbootable for many users. Additionally, Microsoft has launched a new 13-inch Surface Laptop, which is the lightest and thinnest version ever produced, weighing 2.7 lbs, and emphasizing portability and performance with advanced AI features.

Winsage

May 17, 2025

Best Windows apps this week

In this week's roundup of applications for Windows 10 and 11, it is noted that consumer support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025, but users can purchase a year of extended support and receive three years of security updates for Microsoft 365 apps. New applications highlighted include: - DiskCopy: Free disk and partition cloning software for backing up partitions or entire disks, facilitating data migration. - IrfanView: An image viewer that now includes batch file multithreading and new hotkeys in its latest version. - Registry Finder: A freeware tool for managing the Windows Registry, with improved search capabilities and usability.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Microsoft finally squashed a Windows bug that’s been around since last year

Microsoft has resolved a dual-booting issue caused by a patch released in 2024 that incorrectly applied Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) settings to custom dual-boot configurations, preventing users from booting into Linux. This issue has been fixed in the May 2025 Windows 11 update (version 24H2), allowing seamless dual-booting. Additionally, Microsoft launched a new 13-inch Surface Laptop, which is the lightest and thinnest laptop the company has produced, weighing 2.7 lbs and featuring enhanced performance and advanced AI capabilities.

Winsage

May 12, 2025

Microsoft is testing a new ‘Advanced Settings’ page in Windows

Microsoft is testing a revamped "Advanced Settings" page for its Windows Server operating system, which will replace the previous "For Developers" page. This new page aims to improve user accessibility by including features beneficial to a wider audience, such as the "End Task" option. It introduces a "long path" setting that removes the 260-character limitation on file paths, helping users avoid the "Path too long" error. The changes are currently exclusive to Windows Server but may extend to Windows 11 within the calendar year.