system recovery Archives

Winsage

August 20, 2025

Microsoft releases emergency fix for broken Windows PC reset feature

Microsoft released emergency patches, known as "out-of-band" updates, to address critical issues with its operating systems. The updates include KB5066189 for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2, KB5066188 for Windows 10 versions 22H2 and 21H2, and KB5066187 for Windows 10 LTSC 2019. These updates fix problems caused by the August 2025 security update, which led to installation failures (error code 0x8007007F) and disrupted reset and restore functionalities on Windows devices. The updates are available through Windows Update, but users must manually select and install the appropriate patch.

Winsage

July 24, 2025

Windows 11 officially kills the Blue Screen of Death in latest update

Microsoft has replaced the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with a Black Screen of Death in Windows 11 update KB5062660, which is available for manual installation. The update is part of the optional cumulative updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 and will upgrade the system to Build 26100.4770. The new BSOD features a black background, omits the sad emoticon and QR code, and displays for about two seconds. The update also introduces enhancements for AI-capable PCs, the Recall feature for selective blocking of applications and websites in the EU, and the Quick Machine Recovery feature for faster system recovery.

Winsage

July 24, 2025

Windows 11 Gets New Black Screen of Death With Auto Recovery Tool

Microsoft has introduced enhancements to Windows 11's recovery capabilities, including a new restart screen that replaces the Black Screen of Death, reducing crash downtime to approximately two seconds. The Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) tool automatically resolves issues with unresponsive devices without manual IT intervention. The updated interface improves readability and retains essential technical details for troubleshooting. QMR will be available for all Windows 11 version 24H2 devices, enabled by default for Home users, while IT administrators can activate it for Pro and Enterprise systems. Additionally, antivirus software will now run in user mode to improve system stability.

Winsage

July 23, 2025

Windows 11 KB5062660 24H2 out with features, direct download links for offline installer (.msu)

Windows 11 KB5062660 is an optional update for Windows 11 24H2, introducing features like Recall AI for users in Europe. The update is approximately one gigabyte in size and upgrades the operating system to Windows 11 Build 26100.4770. Users can access it through Windows Update or direct download links from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Recall AI allows users to save screen snapshots but raises privacy concerns, which can be managed through settings. The update also includes Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) for efficient system recovery, improvements in system stability, and various enhancements such as inline messages in the Snap bar, streamlined Windows Search settings, enhanced controller navigation, and fixes for issues in the Settings app and File Explorer.

Winsage

July 12, 2025

A new Windows feature could allow your PC to fix itself

Microsoft is introducing a feature called "quick machine recovery" for Windows users, currently available in Windows 11 Build 26100.4762. This feature allows PCs to autonomously troubleshoot and fix issues after a crash, such as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), by booting into the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). Quick machine recovery can connect to Microsoft’s servers to send crash data for analysis, eliminating the need for users to interpret error codes. It employs cloud remediation and auto remediation methods, though auto remediation is disabled by default on home PCs. The existing Startup Repair tool will still be available as a fallback option, and users can disable quick machine recovery if desired. Additionally, the build includes a refined "semantic search" capability in Settings, integration of Microsoft’s Reading Coach app, and the ability to export Recall snapshots to third-party applications in Europe.

Winsage

July 12, 2025

Windows 11 Build 27898 introduces taskbar icon scaling and system recovery improvements

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27898 to the Canary Channel, introducing several new features aimed at enhancing usability and recovery. Key features include: - Taskbar Icon Scaling: The taskbar will automatically reduce icon sizes when it reaches capacity, with three customizable options for users regarding icon size. - Quick Machine Recovery: This feature allows automatic recovery from boot issues using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), connecting to the internet for targeted fixes from Windows Update. - Accessibility Enhancements: Users can add custom words to the voice access dictionary, and a new Screen Curtain feature for the Narrator screen reader enhances privacy by blacking out the display. - Energy Saver Feature: An adaptive energy saver mode is being rolled out for battery-powered devices, managing energy saver settings based on power state and system load. - Sharing Features: The Windows share window now shows visual previews of shared content and allows users to select compression settings for images. - Performance Improvements: Enhancements have been made to file extraction for large archives, and the Snipping Tool now has a shortcut for launching the text extractor. - Default Browser Management: Users can set their default browser to handle PDFs and pin it to the Start menu and taskbar. The build also addresses various issues within File Explorer and Settings, although some known problems remain, such as display distortion in Remote Desktop on Arm64 PCs.

Winsage

July 9, 2025

No more blue screens: How Microsoft is making Windows more resilient

The Windows Recovery Environment is undergoing a transformation to improve usability and efficiency. Key changes include a redesign of the black screen of death to provide a more informative experience, the upcoming introduction of a protected print mode to enhance security, and the automatic encryption of storage on new PCs to protect user data from unauthorized access.

Winsage

July 8, 2025

Microsoft Didn’t Kill Blue Screen Of Death, But What’s Coming May Be A Problem

Microsoft is redesigning the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) for Windows 11, transforming it into a Black Screen of Death with a black background and without the frowny face icon. The new screen will still provide essential information about the need to restart the device. This redesign may cause confusion among users due to its resemblance to the Windows Update screen. Additionally, with the introduction of Windows 11 24H2, the operating system can create a crash dump collection file more quickly, allowing for reboots from the BSOD screen in approximately two seconds.

Winsage

June 22, 2025

I used Winaero to customize Windows, and here’s how it went

Winaero Tweaker is a free application that offers a suite of tools for customizing Windows 11, organized into sections for appearance, behavior, and more. It allows users to enable or disable features such as the Copilot and automatic updates, modify Windows Explorer options, and enhance visual settings. Users can enable the classic full context menu, modify the Windows Explorer Window, resize scroll bars, and prevent Windows themes from changing mouse pointers and desktop icons. The Context Menu Tweaker allows customization of right-click options, adding shortcuts for functions like the Control Panel and Snipping Tool. Winaero also provides tools for modifying support and maintenance settings, including automatic registry backups and creating multiple System Restore points. It offers features to restore classic Windows functionalities and install legacy applications. While Winaero presents many options to enhance the user experience, users should be cautious as some features may pose security risks or performance issues. The application includes a Recent Changes feature for reviewing modifications and reverting to default settings if necessary.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Windows 10 PCs are locking and crashing after May’s security update

Microsoft's KB5058379 update has caused issues for Windows 10 users, prompting unexpected requests for the BitLocker recovery key during startup. This problem is affecting users in Germany and the United States, impacting both corporate and personal devices. Users without the recovery key find their systems locked, leading some to perform system recoveries. Additionally, some users experience blue screen crashes after booting into Windows 10. A potential workaround is to disable the “Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT)” option in the BIOS/UEFI. The issue primarily affects devices from Dell, HP, and Lenovo running Windows 10 versions 22H2 or 21H2 Enterprise. Microsoft has not yet acknowledged these issues related to the update.