Windows

For years, Linux and macOS users have enjoyed the convenience of the sudo command to run commands with administrative privileges. Now, the sudo experience has finally come to Windows in two popular forms: Microsoft’s official sudo, built into Windows 11, and the feature-rich, open-source gsudo. But which one do I use? This guide puts them in a head-to-head showdown, comparing their features, security, and best use cases to help me choose the right tool for my workflow. ...

If you are still launching the blue icon named “Windows PowerShell”, you are using technology from 2016. pwsh (PowerShell 7+) is the modern, open-source, and cross-platform evolution of PowerShell. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and it’s the future of PowerShell. This guide explains why you should be using modern PowerShell and provides a complete, step-by-step tutorial for installing it on both Windows and Linux. Why Switch to Modern PowerShell? Windows PowerShell (v5.1): Built on the legacy .NET Framework. It is included with Windows but is now in maintenance mode, receiving only security fixes. PowerShell (v7+): Built on modern .NET. It’s open source, receives active feature updates, and is optimized for cloud and cross-platform automation. PowerShell 7 runs side-by-side with the older Windows PowerShell, so you can safely install it without breaking legacy scripts. Key features include: ...

In modern IT, we rarely work in a pure environment. While PowerShell is the superior tool for structured automation, we often need to interact with other shells: Bash on Linux and CMD on Windows. Instead of choosing between them, a true power user masters their interoperability. This guide covers the essential “bridging” techniques to make these shells work together, built on one central concept. Part 1: The Core Concept - Objects vs. Text Understanding interoperability is simple if you remember one rule: PowerShell works with Objects; Bash and CMD work with Text. ...

PowerShell Remoting is a cornerstone of Windows administration and automation. For years, it was synonymous with one protocol: WinRM. But with modern PowerShell and the ubiquity of SSH, we now have a powerful, cross-platform alternative. So, which protocol should you use? WinRM or SSH? This guide provides the definitive answer. We’ll explore the fundamental differences between the protocols, provide practical, step-by-step instructions for using both, and give clear recommendations for when to choose each one. ...

Managing servers in a secure or air-gapped environment presents a unique challenge: how do you install software, modules, and features without an internet connection? The answer is a simple but powerful workflow: use an online “staging” machine to download the necessary assets, transfer them via removable media, and then install them on the offline “target” machine. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of this “Download, Transfer, Install” method for two of the most common offline scenarios: installing PowerShell modules and installing Windows features like the OpenSSH Server. ...

Accessing Windows network shares (SMB) is a daily task for most IT professionals, but it can be a source of major frustration when it fails. Cryptic error messages like “Access is Denied” or “The network path was not found” can stop an automation script in its tracks. I’ve found that these errors almost always fall into one of three categories: Connectivity, Permissions, or Security Policy. This guide provides a systematic, step-by-step process to diagnose and solve the most common SMB errors, saving you from hours of frustration. ...

Leaving and rejoining a Windows computer to an Active Directory (AD) domain is a common troubleshooting step, but in modern hybrid environments, it’s a process filled with pitfalls. A single computer often has multiple identities—in local AD, in DNS, and in Azure AD (Entra ID). When these get out of sync, it leads to “ghost” identities, connection issues, and even being locked out of the machine entirely. This guide provides a definitive workflow for diagnosing these identity conflicts using the essential dsregcmd tool, cleaning up stale records, safely rejoining a domain, and recovering if you get locked out. ...

Overview When I logged into Windows, I saw a system popup: Unknown software exception (0xe0434352) Tried to copy a file to C: drive and failed-no enough space, then discovered: C: Drive: -475GB 475 GB used, 5.53 MB free This issue was caused by BackgroundDownload.exe failing during a Windows Update/Store download, temporarily filling the C: drive with update cache files. After a reboot, disk space returned to normal. What Is BackgroundDownload.exe? BackgroundDownload.exe is a legitimate Windows 11 system component used for: ...

Error on WSL I might encounter this error when trying to open my Linux distribution: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond. Error code: Wsl/Service/0x8007274c What Is This Error in WSL? The error message: “Error code: Wsl/Service/0x8007274c” is a Windows networking timeout (SocketException 10060 / HRESULT 0x8007274c). In the context of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), it means that wsl.exe cannot connect to the WSL service or the Linux VM backend (WSL - 2). ...

PowerShell’s Start-Job is a powerful tool for running commands and scripts asynchronously as background processes. However, its behavior, especially when combined with Wait-Job and -Credential, often leads to confusion. This post demystifies how Start-Job works, why some installers fail silently inside jobs, and how to properly manage background tasks in PowerShell. Assigning Start-Job to a Variable: Why It Matters Consider these two commands. They both launch a background job to run a command prompt instruction. ...