Category Archives: Windows

Windows 10 – Converting To UEFI

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Background

With Windows 10 preparing to shuffle off this mortal coil, I’m trying to decide how to handle it. Based on the Windows 11 hardware requirements (TPM, and an unsupported CPU i7-6800k/Broadwell-E) I’m likely going to move to Zorin OS. But I’m planning on dual-booting as a transition (as well as if I hit any issues gaming), so eventually Zorin will be the main driver, and the Win10 image just for emergencies.

Unfortunately I’ve running Win10 since the beginning, so its a little rough around the edges. The main thing to change is move from MBR to the shiny UEFI compatible GPT boot partition.

Unfortunately the handy mbr2gpt.exe tool was hitting the “OS Not Found” problem, and apparently the Windows Recovery Environment [WinRE] never worked, so here we go!

Fixing the Windows Recovery image

Download the Windows Media Creation Tool and create an ISO image for installation on another system.

Open the ISO archive and extract Sources\install.esd

Usually Windows Pro is number 6, but just to check

g:\>dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:install.esd

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.3636

Details for image : install.esd

Index : 1
Name : Windows 10 Home
Description : Windows 10 Home
Size : 15,236,014,793 bytes

Index : 2
Name : Windows 10 Home N
Description : Windows 10 Home N
Size : 14,461,663,459 bytes

Index : 3
Name : Windows 10 Home Single Language
Description : Windows 10 Home Single Language
Size : 15,238,702,954 bytes

Index : 4
Name : Windows 10 Education
Description : Windows 10 Education
Size : 15,586,696,335 bytes

Index : 5
Name : Windows 10 Education N
Description : Windows 10 Education N
Size : 14,821,374,633 bytes

Index : 6
Name : Windows 10 Pro
Description : Windows 10 Pro
Size : 15,583,732,666 bytes

Index : 7
Name : Windows 10 Pro N
Description : Windows 10 Pro N
Size : 14,818,128,477 bytes

The operation completed successfully.

Now extract the encrypted image as a wim file

g:\>dism /export-image /SourceImageFile:install.esd /SourceIndex:6 /DestinationImageFile:install.wim /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.3636

Exporting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

Mount the image (wait for the mount to complete before the next step)

g:\>md tempMount

g:\>dism /mount-wim /wimfile:"install.wim" /index:1 /mountdir:"tempMount" /ReadOnly

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.3636

Extract the needed file (Winre.wim) from Windows\System32\Recovery, move it to C:\Windows\System32\Recovery register it, and enable it

reagentc /setreimage /path C:\Windows\System32\Recovery
reagentc /enable
reagentc /info

Rebuild BCD

Now boot into recovery (shift + reboot), select Advanced, and boot into the shell. Then run

bootrec /rebuildbcd

Convert to GPT

Assuming that runs successfully, you should now be able to run (do /validate first!!)

mbr2gpt.exe /convert /allowFullOS

In my case it left the “System Reserved” partition alone, resized the OS partition, and created an EFI partition. At which point Windows Blue Screened (so no captures) and eventually rebooted.

All came back, and we are now in the shiny world of EFI 🙂

Win10 keeps waking from sleep

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Recently had an issue where Windows 10 (version 1151, build 10586.713) would wake up again about 30 seconds after putting it to sleep.

Fortunately the command powercfg -lastwake will give you the process that is responsible.

In my case it seems that it was related to GoToMeeting. Checking online and this seems to be a more general issue

For me the workaround was easier – I just un-installed GTM until they get this sorted

Remote Desktop Protocol [RDP] and OS X

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So, I had occasion to try and connect to a windows machine from my Mac. As a long time windows user, my default goto for this is of course Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol. And as luck would have it, OS X/macOS ships with a client called Remote Desktop Connection for Mac (version 2.1.1 build 110309) though from the copyright notices this looks like it hasn’t been touched since 2010… and that is the problem.

On attempting to connect to anything half way recent e.g. Server 2012, Win10, etc. you are thrown the very helpful error “Remote Desktop Connection cannot verify the identity of the computer that you want to connect to. Try reconnecting to the Windows-based computer, or contact our administrator.”

It turns out that Microsoft improved the security of RDP (always a good thing) to make use of something called Network Level Authentication [NLA]. This happened the same time Windows moved from Terminal Services to Remote Desktop Services.

What’s the difference? When connecting to a Terminal Server, a user starts a session and types in their credentials. When using an RD Session Host server, a user typically enters credentials into a client-side dialog box. NLA forces the client computer to present user credentials for authentication before the server will create a session for that user.

Because of that process, it’s sometimes called “front authentication.” Servers that are running Windows Server 2008/Vista or later, and clients running Windows XP SP3 or later, support NLA. Because NLA relies on a technology called Credential Security Support Provider [CredSSP] Protocol, if you’re using a Remote Desktop Protocol [RDP] client for another OS, you’ll need a client that supports NLA.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac doesn’t.

Fortunately there is an alternative that does. Via the AppStore, search for ‘Microsoft Remote Desktop’ – Version 8.0.36 (Build 27228) is what I have today. Install this, try and connect to your Windows machine (Win10 for me) and you are in business.

 

Realtek RTL2832U TV USB Dongle and Windows 10

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I recently got RTL2832U+R820T USB2.0 Digital DVB-T SDR+DAB+FM HDTV TV Tuner Receiver Stick from eBay. For about €6 it was worth a punt.

Had an interesting problem with windows 10 and the drivers though. Microsoft insist on installing an out-of-date driver (version 64.0001.0220.2009) which looks like it is working, but when scanning for DVB channels, it finds nothing.

The correct version should be 64.1.801.2012 and this is what is provided on the included CD. The problem is that Windows 10, in its wisdom decides to ‘update’ to the older driver as soon as it can.

The current (nasty) workaround is to;

  1. Uninstall the device and delete the driver (Device Manager)
  2. Block device driver updates (System -> System Properties -> Hardware -> Device Installation Settings
  3. Set ‘Never install driver software from Windows Update
  4. Install the driver from the CD
  5. Insert the dongle and scan

All channels were found and working perfectly (FM, and DAB also appeared as devices now).