Ben’s excellent adventure with Linux

BEN’S WORKSHOP

By Ben Myers

Why not install and use Linux on a well-appointed laptop that does not meet Windows 11 hardware requirements?

This is my adventure setting up a laptop to run a Linux distribution and to use it productively for writing. The PC in question is a really nice but elderly Lenovo ThinkPad W541 laptop, a trade-in. Rather than recycle it, I decided to turn it into a laptop with the latest Linux Mint 22.1 Cinnamon distribution, my Windows-like favorite, and use it to run quick hardware diagnostics.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.24.0, 2025-06-16).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

Seconds are back in Windows 10!

PATCH WATCH

By Susan Bradley

Every so often, your feedback does make a difference.

When you ask for feedback, sometimes respondents provide answers based upon what they think you want to hear. When that is followed by testing to observe actual behavior, vendors discover the difference between those answers and reality.

What brought this to mind is a change originally described in KB5058481, a May 28 preview for Windows 10 22H2:

Brings back the clock view that displays seconds onto the calendar that was once removed. This feature is rolling out gradually. This means that users receive the updates at different times, and it might not be immediately available to all users.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.24.0, 2025-06-16).

WebBrowserPassView — Take inventory of your stored passwords

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen

By now, you probably have dozens — if not hundreds — of passwords saved in your Web browser. Those created by your browser are super strong. But some are a pet’s name with maybe a number or two thrown in.

Today we are going to accomplish two things. First, we’ll take a peek at all those saved passwords and make note of the weak ones that need to be changed. Next, we’ll print a hard copy and not stick it to the fridge with a magnet for all to see.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.24.0, 2025-06-16).

OS news from WWDC 2025

APPLE

By Will Fastie

Apple’s entire keynote for this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference focused on extensive changes to all its operating systems.

There were no hardware or device announcements, but changes to macOS have profound ramifications for Intel-based Apple devices from previous generations. Some Apple users will be unhappy.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.24.0, 2025-06-16).

Best tools for upgrading a Windows 10 to an 11

I’ll be diving into this in more detail with more exact steps and how-tos soon, but if you asked me which two tools one needed to best upgrade an existing computer running Windows 10 and get it running Windows 11, I’d tell you to have two things available:

1. Another computer with a working internet connection; and
2. A USB thumb drive to hold downloaded ISOs and drivers.

When working on a PC and something doesn’t work like you thought it would, having the ability to search and ask for answers is a key means to get to a good resolution. Whether it’s just clarifying a question you have during a process, or out and out downloading a needed driver onto a flash drive, that other computer gives you the key access you need if your primary PC is not behaving properly. A phone won’t cut it when you are really up a creek, and even a laptop may not be enough.

So, step one? Ask yourself if you have some other way to get answers and downloads.

Master patch listing for June 10, 2025

I’ve updated the master patch list here.  Please note I am not recommending installing updates at this time, we are just testing and reporting.

So far in June we’ve seen an out of band release for Windows 11 24H2 to fix an issue with gaming PCs and “anti-cheat” software. Out of band means an extra not regularly scheduled update. It will only be offered to you if you are impacted.

As always, thank you all for supporting the cause! Remember we use the “name your price” model where you can choose how much you will pay for a membership. Plus membership gives you full access, And if you donate $50 or more, you’ll get a special code to enable text messages sent to your phone each time the Master Patch List gets updated and when I change the MS-DEFCON level.

More details about these updates in Monday’s newsletter.  You are missing out if you don’t sign up. All content is human made with our own blood, sweat, tears, fingers, and brain power — and it’s 100% AI free.  Therefore, if I’ve fat fingered any KB numbers or if you have any questions, as always post in the forums and I’ll follow up!

24H2 may not be offered June updates

Here we go again… it’s Patch Day! Days!

Apparently, Microsoft needs a bit more time to get the 24H2 patch ready for some machines.  But…. I am honestly unsure if the issue referred to below is impacting certain processors, certain models?

Microsoft just released an “out of band” patch KB5063060 for those PCs with certain gaming software.

• [Fix for incompatibility issue with Easy Anti-Cheat] This update addresses an incompatibility issue where Windows might restart unexpectedly when opening games that use the Easy Anti-Cheat service. Easy Anti-Cheat automatically installs with certain games to enhance security and prevent cheating in multiplayer online PC games.

  Note: Windows users likely didn’t experience this issue because the update that led to the incompatibility issue (KB506842) was not offered to devices with Easy Anti-Cheat installed.

As per the Health release dashboard, “Note: This update is being gradually rolled out to devices running Windows 11, version 24H2 throughout the day. We’ve identified a compatibility issue affecting a limited set of these devices. If your device is affected, you’ll receive a revised update with all the June 2025 security improvements by the end of the day. The June 2025 security update is fully available for all other supported versions of Windows.”

My Intel PC at the office has it offered up to it this morning,  and my Lenovo laptop is seeing the update this morning whereas it didn’t last night.  It appears to have been resolved around 10 p.m last night pacific time per some comments I’ve seen on the web.

June 2025 updates are out

Here we go again… it’s Patch Day!

Remember at this time we are in test mode only. (Apparently so is Microsoft as they are throttling back the 24H2 release.  As they indicate “We’ve identified a compatibility issue affecting a limited set of these devices. If your device is affected, you’ll receive a revised update with all the June 2025 security improvements by the end of the day.”

KB5060533 is out for Windows 10 22H2.  This update brings back the clock view that displays seconds onto the calendar that was once removed. This feature is rolling out gradually. This means that users receive the updates at different times, and it might not be immediately available to all users. It also enhances the Rich Calendar feature by extending the upcoming events period to 30 days.  Adds description text for the Weather button in the Rich Calendar feature.

KB5060842 for Windows 11 24H2 – key enhancements include:

[System Restore]​​​​​​​ After installing the June 2025 Windows security update, Windows 11, version 24H2 will retain system restore points for up to 60 days. To apply a restore point, select Open System Restore. Restore points older than 60 days are not available. This 60-day limit will also apply to future versions of Windows 11, version 24H2.

[Windows Hello] Fixed: This update addresses an issue that prevents users from signing in with self-signed certificates when using Windows Hello for Business with the Key Trust model.​​​​​​​

KB5060999 for Windows 11 23H2/22H2 – key fixes for 22H2 include [Graphics] Fixed: This update addresses a graphics support issue that prevented some users from successfully connecting using Remote Desktop, resulting in errors like “The Remote Desktop Services session has ended” or “A remote desktop connection cannot be established.”

More details in next Monday’s newsletter.  And now we start testing and looking for issues and side effects.

Meanwhile for those of you in the Apple ecosystem, check out the hardware you will need for the upcoming upgrade to the Apple OS.  There are GUI changes coming – some calling it Apple’s Vista moment.

What goes on inside an LLM

AI

By Michael A. Covington

Researchers have figured out how to probe what goes on inside a large language model (LLM). There are some surprises.

LLMs are neural networks, represented as huge matrices of numbers, and the meaning of each individual number is nothing but its effect on the whole. Accordingly, it has long been impossible to assign a meaning to a neuron or any of its weights by itself. But now there’s a way.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.23.0, 2025-06-09).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

The risk of remote access

ON SECURITY

By Susan Bradley

A consultant I’ve used in the past in my business contacted me.

“Hey Susan, I just had an unusual intrusion, and they used a remote-access tool in the attack sequence that I had used to access your firm. I only installed that tool to access your firm and want to make sure you review that nothing has entered your network.”

He explained the scenario to me. He had been home relaxing and noticed that his computer had lit up, as though the keyboard were in use. At first, he thought his cat had walked across the keyboard, but then he realized his cat was nowhere near the PC. He watched as someone remotely accessed his computer, attempting to see whether he had saved passwords in his browser.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.23.0, 2025-06-09).

The cruelest month for many Office users

MICROSOFT 365

By Peter Deegan>

October 2025 is important for many Microsoft customers, but it’s not all about Windows 10.

It’s also the end of support for Office 2019 and 2016. That’s significant, but it doesn’t stop there. Office 2024, Office 2021, and even Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 face a similar fate. The ramifications of these changes are far-reaching and demand attention and action from everyone affected.

The end of support for Windows 10 also means that any version of Office (Microsoft 365, Office 2021, and Office 2024) also loses support privileges. Microsoft 365 customers get a limited parole. There are other, more obscure apps also falling off the edge of the world, plus an important update on the end of Publisher next year.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.23.0, 2025-06-09).

Tracking protection and trade-offs in Edge

BROWSERS

By Mary Branscombe

Ad blocking is becoming more complicated, but Edge has multiple built-in options for blocking trackers.

Privacy and tracking protection are increasingly important for Web browsing, for both security and performance. Websites use cookies and other tracking tools to gather information about who visits the site and what they do.

That can be for helpful things such as remembering your username for logging in, which products you’ve looked at, or which news stories you have already read — or for benign internal purposes such as tracking and improving the performance of the site. If no one ever uses a particular part of the site, it might mean it’s not working properly.

Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.23.0, 2025-06-09).