Windows Shell Previews – Restricted

Windows users who installed the October 2025 Security Updates may have noticed an unexpected change if they use the Windows Explorer preview pane. When previewing many downloaded files, the preview is now replaced with the following text: While it also occurs when viewing files on remote Internet Zone file shares, the problem doesn’t occur forContinue reading “Windows Shell Previews – Restricted”

Debugging Chromium

A customer recently complained that after changing the Windows Security Zone Zone configuration to Disable launching apps and unsafe files: … trying to right-click and “Save As” on a Text file loaded in Chrome fails in a weird way. Specifically, Chrome’s download manager claims it saved the file (with an incorrect “size” that’s actually theContinue reading “Debugging Chromium”

Parallel Downloading

I’ve written about File Downloads quite a bit, and early this year, I delivered a full tech talk on the topic. From my very first days online (a local BBS via 14.4 modem, circa 1994), I spent decades longing for faster downloads. Nowadays, I have gigabit fiber at the house, so it’s basically never myContinue reading “Parallel Downloading”

MoarTLS: Non-Secure Download Blocking

With little fanfare, an important security change has arrived on the web. Now, all major browsers (except Safari) block non-secure downloads from a secure page. Browser Version Behavior Edge 94+ Block with right-click “Keep” button Chrome 94 Block Silently Firefox 93 Block with “Allow download” button Brave 1.30.89 Block Silently Opera 79.0.4143.72 Block Silently SafariContinue reading “MoarTLS: Non-Secure Download Blocking”