Multiple people working on Outlook.com thought this was a reasonable design. After a user deletes an email, then manually goes into the Deleted Items folder, then clicks Delete again, then acknowledges that they wish to Permanently Delete the deleted item: … the item is still not deleted. You can “Recover deleted items” from your Deleted items folder:Continue reading “Do Not Lie to Users”
Category Archives: tech
Troubleshooting Windows 10 Bluescreens
I recently bought a Dell XPS 8900 desktop system with Windows 10. It ran okay for a while, but after enabling Hyper-V, every few minutes the system would freeze for a few seconds and then reboot with no explanation. Looking at the Event Viewer’s Windows Logs > System revealed that the system had bugchecked (blueContinue reading “Troubleshooting Windows 10 Bluescreens”
File the Bug
Two experiences this week reminded me of a very important principle for improving the quality of software… if you see something, say something. And the best way to do that is to file a bug. Something Weird? File a bug! The first case was last Thursday, when a user filed a bug in Chrome’s trackerContinue reading “File the Bug”
File Paths in Windows
Handling file-system paths in Windows can have many subtleties, and it’s easy to forget how some of this very intricate system works under the covers. Happily, a .NET developer has started blogging a bit about file paths, presumably as they work to improve .NET’s handling of paths longer than the legacy MAX_PATH limit of 260Continue reading “File Paths in Windows”
Downloads and the Mark-of-the-Web
Last update: October 28, 2025 Background To help protect the user and their device, Windows and its applications will often treat files originating from the Internet more cautiously than files generated locally. The Windows Security Zones determination process is most directly implemented by the MapURLToZone API; that API accepts a URL or a file pathContinue reading “Downloads and the Mark-of-the-Web”
Repairing Corrupt ZIP Files
Fiddler’s default file format is the SAZ Format, which is just a ZIP file with a particular structure (I’ve written a lot about ZIPs). Unfortunately, sometimes users’ SAZ files get corrupted due to failing disks or incomplete downloads, and when this happens, Fiddler can no longer open them. Because Fiddler uses a standard ZIP file,Continue reading “Repairing Corrupt ZIP Files”
DotNet Makes Me Sad, In Pictures
.NET Framework KB 3088956: Ouch, that sounds pretty severe. I guess I’d better go manually install a hotfix? Seriously? An email address and a CAPTCHA? Fine. Oh, an email delivered HTTP URL pointed at an executable file? That seems totes legit. Yup, definitely legit, it says “Microsoft” right there at the top! Sure, let’s putContinue reading “DotNet Makes Me Sad, In Pictures”
Ad-Block: Current Status
Microsoft used to joke about cutting off a competitor’s air supply. Apple instead handed shears to devs, pointed at a hose, and walked out. As iOS9 launches, here’s the list of top paid apps in the iTunes AppStore: It’s only a question of when, not if, the top slot of the Free Apps category isContinue reading “Ad-Block: Current Status”
What I Use–Software Edition
I’ll update this list from time-to-time. Criteria The #1 criteria for any software I use is first, do no harm. There’s a lot of great software out there that’s ruined by side-effects, including security problems, performance problems, advertising, and anything else that makes my computer worse for having it installed. In some cases, I’ve simplyContinue reading “What I Use–Software Edition”
On Chromebooks
I spent the summer of 1994 working minimum wage (a princely $4.25/hour), testing electronics, saving all of my pay to buy a beast of a computer. That September, I entered my sophomore year of high school and plunked down my saved ~$3000 to become the proud owner of my first Windows PC, a Comtrade PentiumContinue reading “On Chromebooks”
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