Why is Windows 11's April update creating a mysterious 'inetpub' folder?:
After installing April's KB5055523 update, Windows 11 users are spotting a new ...
pcworld.com/article/2684062/why-is-windows-11-latest-update-creating-a-mysterious-inetpub-folder.html
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data storage device containing recording media (either internally or in the form of a slot for removable media) together with electrical or mechanical parts for the operation of the media
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The Windows 11 April update snuck a weird new folder onto everyone's PCs, but there's no need to panic
xda-developers.com/windows-11-april-update-weird-new-folder/
Windows 11 update reportedly creates a mysterious folder on your system drive, which is certainly confusing – but ultimately harmless
techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11-update-reportedly-creates-a-mysterious-folder-on-your-system-drive-which-is-certainly-confusing-but-ultimately-harmless
Recent Windows 11 updates create a mysterious folder on drive C: This month's cumulative updates for Windows 11 include not only your standard fixes and ...
neowin.net/news/recent-windows-11-updates-create-a-mysterious-folder-on-drive-c/
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My Windows install is ten years old, and a handful of maintenance habits are why it still runs like new
xda-developers.com/windows-install-years-old-handful-maintenance-habits-why-runs-like-new/
Key FactsAuthor: Windows 11 Has Run Ten Years Without Reinstallation
4 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- In ten years, he has never wiped or reformatted the computer because he mainly uses it for writing.
- He keeps the local system drive lean, assigns complex tasks to other machines, and uses secondary drives for files and portable apps.
- Weekly, he uses WinDirStat to find large files; Microsoft PC Manager additionally helps remove temporary files and unused apps.
- He initially pauses Windows updates, checks graphics drivers weekly, and reviews BIOS/UEFI updates every four months before installation.
I have been running Windows 11 on this same machine for the past 10 years, and I haven't had to wipe and reformat once.— Brian Burgess, in the XDA Developers article about his Windows maintenance routine.
Windows 11's Dev Drive isn't just for developers, and I moved my game library onto one
xda-developers.com/windows-11s-dev-drive-isnt-just-for-developers-and-i-moved-my-game-library-onto-one/
Key FactsTest: Dev Drive speeds game launches on Windows 11
Oct 13, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- A Dev Drive is a Windows 11 storage volume using ReFS instead of NTFS, designed for specialized workloads.
- On a trusted Dev Drive, Microsoft Defender uses performance mode and scans files asynchronously; fewer default filters reduce I/O overhead.
- For the comparison, the author moved his Steam library and installed Backrooms: Escape Together on the same PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD.
- On the Dev Drive, initial shader compilation took under two minutes, later runs under one second; game and level loading was nearly instantaneous.
Windows still asks about this floppy-era setting every time you format a drive: A 30-year-old Windows NT setting has persisted to this day
xda-developers.com/windows-still-asks-floppy-era-setting-formatting-a-drive/
Key FactsWindows 11 Retains a Floppy-Era Setting
Oct 7, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- David Plummer created the nearly unchanged formatting tool in 1994 as a placeholder for Windows NT 4.0.
- The queried allocation unit is the smallest storage amount Windows can assign to a file; 4096 bytes is usually the default.
- Modern SSDs internally store data in pages and blocks, but emulate logical sectors through LBA for compatibility.
- The decades-old structure remained because it preserves compatibility and, according to the article, does not change everyday drive use.
Windows 11 quietly encrypted your entire PC, and one firmware update can lock you out of everything
xda-developers.com/windows-11-quietly-encrypted-your-entire-pc-and-one-firmware-update-can-lock-you-out-of-everything/
Key FactsWindows 11 Device Encryption Can Trigger Unexpected Recovery Lockouts
Sep 14, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- Since October 2024, Windows 11 24H2 has enabled Device Encryption by default on many clean installs and resets.
- For local accounts, Microsoft says the recovery key is not automatically saved when the device is encrypted.
- BIOS or UEFI updates, TPM changes, and boot-manager modifications can reportedly trigger the 48-digit key prompt.
- Users should save the key before changing Secure Boot or the TPM and suspend BitLocker during those changes.
I've argued time and again that many of the default settings and updates that Windows 11 ships with assume the best interests of the user, but in practice, they can backfire and cause them genuine harm and loss.— Abhinav, author of the article
I stopped setting up Windows by hand, and one text file now does the whole install for me
xda-developers.com/i-no-longer-set-up-windows-by-hand-one-text-file-does-the-full-install/
Key FactsAuthor automates Windows 11 reinstalls with XML file
5 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- The author reinstalls Windows 11 at least five or six times annually, on his PC or for friends.
- Schneegans’ Generator created autounattend.xml; the setup selected Windows 11 Pro, disabled express settings, and bypassed requirements checks.
- He downloaded a fresh Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft and added the XML file to its root using AnyBurn.
- After one confirmation, the virtual machine reached the Windows 11 desktop with the user already logged in.
Now, one single XML file does the boring work, and I can get on with everything I actually want my freshly-installed PC for.— Samarveer, the article's author, describing how a single XML file automates the Windows installation.
This tiny free app exposed 200GB of forgotten files Windows never told me about: If your computer is running low on space and you don't know why ...
xda-developers.com/this-tiny-free-app-exposed-200gb-forgotten-files-windows-never-told-about/
Key FactsWizTree scans NTFS drives in seconds using the MFT
Oct 2, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- Windows’ standard method checks directories individually and often needs several minutes for drives containing hundreds of thousands of files.
- WizTree instead reads the Master File Table (MFT), which records filenames, sizes, physical locations, and timestamps.
- As a result, a scan typically takes only two to three seconds even with millions of files.
- SquirrelDisk needed about seven seconds for the C: drive, while WizTree completed the same scan in 0.9 seconds.
Windows has a compression mode built in that Microsoft never mentions, and it gave me 38 GB back on my C: drive
xda-developers.com/windows-has-a-compression-mode-built-in-that-microsoft-never-mentions-and-it-gave-me-x-gb-back-on-my-c-drive/
Key FactsWindows 11 test restored 38 GB on a laptop
17 hours ago · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: xda-developers.com
- Compact OS compresses Windows system files and runs the operating system directly from them.
- In the test, Compact OS freed nearly 7 GB on a Legion 5 Pro and 5 GB on a desktop.
- Compressing C:\Users processed 460,000 files, reducing 190 GB to 158 GB.
- The process is reversible, but opening compressed files requires additional CPU resources.
New Microsoft Defender update can let hackers totally fill your Windows 11 PC disk space
neowin.net/news/new-microsoft-defender-update-can-let-hackers-totally-fill-your-windows-11-pc-disk-space/
Key FactsMicrosoft Defender Patch Triggers Extreme Disk Usage
Jul 14, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: neowin.net
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: neowin.net
- A recent update to Microsoft Defender's Malware Protection Engine fixes a privilege escalation flaw but can cause full disk exhaustion.
- The issue arises because cached Zone.Identifier alternate data streams lack enforced size limits, enabling excessive disk consumption.
- Attackers exploit a malicious SMB server to deliver oversized files that Defender caches indefinitely, leading to disk space depletion.
- This vulnerability is confirmed on Windows 11 25H2 and Windows Server 2025, with ongoing research into potential WebDAV exploitation.
Microsoft confirms Windows 11 bug crippling PCs and making drive C inaccessible: Microsoft has just confirmed a Windows 11 bug where the system won't let ...
neowin.net/news/microsoft-confirms-windows-11-bug-crippling-pcs-and-making-drive-c-inaccessible/
Installing Software From an ISO File? Follow This Simple, Step-by-Step Guide: How you install a program from an ISO image will vary depending on which version of ...
uk.pcmag.com/migrated-3765-windows-10/131683/how-to-install-a-software-program-from-an-iso-file
Report: Microsoft's latest Windows 11 24H2 update breaks SSDs/HDDs, may corrupt your data
neowin.net/news/report-microsofts-latest-windows-11-24h2-update-breaks-ssdshdds-may-corrupt-your-data/
Supercharge Your Searches: How to Find Files on Your PC With Copilot: Copilot on Windows can now retrieve files from your PC’s hard drive. I've tested the ...
pcmag.com/explainers/supercharge-your-searches-how-to-find-files-on-your-pc-with-copilot
WD SSDs still block Windows 11 24H2 download and installs, Microsoft may be guilty too
neowin.net/news/wd-ssds-still-block-windows-11-24h2-download-and-installs-microsoft-may-be-guilty-too/
Key FactsWD SSDs Still Prevent Windows 11 24H2 Upgrade
Jun 19, 2025 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: neowin.net
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: neowin.net
- Microsoft removed some upgrade blocks for Windows 11 24H2, but certain WD NVMe SSDs remain incompatible.
- A Host Memory Buffer conflict on these drives causes the update to be blocked due to hardware readiness.
- The fix was released in a firmware update in October 2024, yet Windows Update does not direct users properly to it.
- Users can bypass the block by manually updating the firmware through the SanDisk Dashboard application.
I attempted to install Windows 11, version 24H2 and I had a conflicting error on my internal drive, which to note is serving as additional internal storage for my pc.— A Reddit user describes their experience with installing Windows 11 on a WD SSD.
I tried installing Windows on an ReFS drive, and I actually don't hate it: With ReFS support starting to be fully implemented in Windows 11 ...
xda-developers.com/tried-installing-windows-on-refs-and-actually-dont-hate-it/
How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 now: Microsoft really doesn't want customers to upgrade older PCs, but there are workarounds for ...
zdnet.com/article/how-to-upgrade-your-incompatible-windows-10-pc-to-windows-11-now/
Microsoft finally removes a six-month old Windows 11 24H2 update block: Microsoft has finally removed another Windows 11 24H2 update block that was placed on ...
neowin.net/news/microsoft-finally-removes-a-six-month-old-windows-11-24h2-update-block/
How to install Windows 11 your way (and avoid Microsoft's restrictions): With this free utility, you can upgrade from Windows 10 - or install Windows 11 on a ...
zdnet.com/article/how-to-install-windows-11-your-way-and-avoid-microsofts-restrictions/
Getting Rid of Your Windows PC? Remember to Wipe the Drive First: Here's how to make sure all the personal files and other data on your storage drive are erased ...
uk.pcmag.com/how-to/88534/how-to-wipe-your-hard-drive
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