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Update Windows third-party utilities semi-automatically

Dave Farquhar security, Windows January 17, 2022March 15, 2023

I used to have and recommend a tool for updating all your third party software on Windows machines. Unfortunately that tool went end of life several years ago. But Microsoft, of all people, has a tool that works suitably. Usage is similar to apt or yum on Linux. It’s called Microsoft App Installer, and at the command line, it takes the form of the command winget.

App Installer is a free tool that updates what Windows Update won’t. That means open source apps, but also some third party apps, and even some difficult-to-update Microsoft apps, like the Visual C++ runtime. It is capable of updating more than 3,000 apps.
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Lionel 6111 and 6121 log and pipe cars

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 13, 2022April 28, 2022

The Lionel 6111 is a rather common, unheralded Lionel postwar freight car. But it’s fun, at least as an oddity. It’s also a very versatile car.

Fixing my IBM 5170 motherboard

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing January 12, 2022March 15, 2025

After years of searching, I was able to locate an untested IBM 5170 motherboard about 2 hours away. Being untested, of course I was taking my chances. But I was able to get it working. Here’s how I fixed my IBM 5170 motherboard so I could restore my IBM 5170 with a true-blue IBM board to replace the clone board in it.

Resume downloads with wget

Dave Farquhar security January 11, 2022January 5, 2023

I was downloading from a very intermittent webserver and the download kept quitting less than 80% in. And if my timing wasn’t perfect, the web browser wouldn’t resume it. Then I thought to try to resume my downloads with wget.

wget is a command line tool for Linux, other Unix-like operating systems, and Windows. It is good for resuming downloads and can even do it automatically.

Mississippi Nights, St. Louis

Dave Farquhar St. Louis January 10, 2022January 25, 2022

Mississippi Nights was a St. Louis nightclub that featured live music. It was open from 1979 to 2007.

Mississippi Nights stood at 914 1st Street, on Laclede’s Landing. Originally a country venue, it is primarily remembered as a rock club, particularly for hosting modern rock, both national and local acts.

Will vintage American Flyer trains run on Lionel S gauge Fastrack?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 6, 2022March 17, 2022

I heard a good question the other day. Will vintage American Flyer trains run on Lionel S gauge Fastrack? Given that the trains and track were made by different companies more than half a century apart, it’s fair.

Lionel S gauge Fastrack is designed for both modern production American Flyer trains and vintage Gilbert American Flyer trains from the 1946 to 1967 period.

Connect a Tandy 1000 to a television

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing January 5, 2022January 1, 2022

The Tandy 1000 is easy to connect to a television. That was part of its original design. It worked better from a marketing perspective than a technical perspective, but that’s one reason it was successful. It can work better today than it did in the ’80s. Here’s how.

Is open source software safe to use?

Dave Farquhar security January 4, 2022March 30, 2024

The safety of open source software is a question that comes up periodically from time to time. Let’s talk about why the question keeps coming up, and what’s different about open source software versus closed source software.

The main thing that can get you when it comes to the safety of open source software is anything but obvious. Hint: it isn’t the development model.

How common are Zero Day attacks?

Dave Farquhar security January 3, 2022March 15, 2023

The recent Log4J vulnerability brought increased attention on 0 day attacks, but it’s a question that never really goes away. How common are zero day attacks?

Zero day attacks are less common than they seem because attackers don’t understand them as well as less new and novel attacks. Managing those less novel vulnerabilities is a real challenge for many organizations, but it’s something they must get a handle on to defend themselves effectively.

Move your user profile to a new Windows 11 PC

Dave Farquhar Windows December 30, 2021September 13, 2023

If you built or rebuilt a Windows 11 PC, moving your user profile to the new PC can be a pain. Here’s how to make it easier.
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