Recent content by datawizard0103

One setting you may have missed is Windows Update > Advanced options > Active hours only controls when Windows is allowed to restart automatically, it does not recreate the old Windows 10 taskbar restart notification. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Windows Update and watch for the Restart...

On the affected machine, first check Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates and make sure Preview updates are not being deferred. Also check Windows Update → Update history for a failed attempt and its error code. If there is no error and Windows simply has not offered...

Since this started right after the Windows 11 Insider build update, I’d recommend first checking the crash dump in `C:\Windows\Minidump` to identify the driver causing the `SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED` error. Then update the AMD chipset and graphics drivers and the motherboard BIOS, and...

I’d recommend disconnecting all secondary drives and booting with only the Windows drive connected. A 20 minute startup and long freezes usually point to a drive, SATA cable, port, or storage controller issue rather than Startup apps. If the PC becomes normal, reconnect the drives one by one to...

Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Active hours and set the hours to cover the period when those apps need to stay open. Also check Settings > Windows Update > Update history to see whether Windows actually restarted for an update. If you want a warning before Windows restarts...

I’d recommend checking the RDP software’s display settings first, especially if multi monitor support is enabled, since it can sometimes retain an old display layout. On the laptop, go to Settings > System > Display > Multiple displays and see if Windows lists the ghost monitor and lets you...

The most likely thing that has not been considered is that the Explorer Ribbon is simply being minimized on the cloned machine. Windows can retain that Explorer UI state separately from the system image, so cloning does not guarantee the same appearance. Open File Explorer and press Ctrl + F1 or...

Turn off “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” since it can make updates arrive sooner than expected. Also, Windows 11 doesn’t reliably offer the old Windows 10 style of a persistent restart notification in the taskbar. Keep “Notify me when a restart is required” enabled, and for...

Check before assuming the update actually deleted anything is the Windows Explorer taskbar state. Windows 11 does not have a standalone Internet Explorer to install, so that prompt was almost certainly related to Edge or an IE mode shortcut. If the taskbar was reset, the pinned shortcuts can...

Check that isn’t mentioned is RAM stability with EXPO disabled. DDR5-6000 CL36 is technically an overclocked memory profile on AM5, and a system that went from crashing every 5 to 10 minutes to once or twice a day after a BIOS update still points strongly toward marginal memory or memory...

That error usually means the update does not match the Windows version that is actually installed or it has already been replaced by a newer cumulative update. Since you're on Windows 11 23H2 build 22631.6199 check Settings > System > About to confirm you're still on 23H2 because KB5065431 may...

If the drive is asking for the BitLocker recovery key after an update it is also worth checking whether anything changed in the BIOS or UEFI like Secure Boot TPM settings or the boot order because even a small hardware or firmware change can trigger a recovery prompt. If those settings were...

One thing I'd add before doing a reset or clean install is to check the health of the drive. If the SSD or HDD is starting to fail then reinstalling Windows may not fix the real problem and could make data recovery harder if the drive gets worse. Windows can show basic SMART status and if you...

One thing worth adding is to check the health of the drive before assuming the backup is gone. If the backup drive or the source drive is starting to fail then File History can become unreliable or backups may be incomplete. Checking the drive's SMART health can help you rule that out. If the...

These backups only capture drivers that are currently in the Windows Driver Store. If you installed a device utility that downloads components on demand or uses a separate service app those extras will not come back from a driver restore alone. After a clean install I always check Device Manager...