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Flirc Skip 1s - Unable to install software (MSIX)

 Issues on my W11 23H2 machine with broken msix package feature. Credit to this post: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/solved-when-i-try-to-open-any-appx-or-appinstaller/cf339756-1dfb-453f-bbf8-52fbbecffdc5 Open a PowerShell Terminal (Admin) and enter: taskkill /im AppInstaller.exe /f This is just in case the process is hung up, so an error like "ERROR: The process "AppInstaller.exe" not found." is okay. Next, this command in the same PowerShell Terminal: Start-Process "shell:Local AppData\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe" A window will open. To be extra safe, copy the contents of this folder to an empty directory elsewhere, such as C:\Backup\ and then delete all the files and folders inside of the Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe folder. Finally we will reinstall the App Installer app with this command: Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopm
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VMware Resources (2024 Edition)

Helpful resources for those still managing VMware infrastructure for the foreseeable future. Virten.net ESXi Release and Build Number History vCenter Release and Build Number History VMware ESXi Image Profiles VFront.de Patch Tracker Robware.net RVTools VMware PowerCLI PowerCLI Page VMware Flings VMTN Page WinSSHTerm A tabbed SSH solution for Windows, combining PuTTY, WinSCP and VcXsrv Main Page
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Free DNS Services

Best Free Public DNS Servers Here is a list of a few free DNS services that you can leverage for your home network instead of your default ISP servers. These will generally be faster and in some cases, help block phishing sites and other questionable content.  Many offer paid/premium tiers as well. You can test the speed of each DNS service by using tools such as: GRC DNS Benchmark Google Namebench Provider Primary DNS Secondary DNS Google 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 Control D 76.76.2.0 76.76.10.0 Quad9 9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112 OpenDNS Home 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 CleanBrowsing 185.228.168.9 185.228.169.9 Alternate DNS 76.76.19.19 76.223.122.150 AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14 94.140.15.15
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Managed Network Options (2023 Update)

For prosumers and the SMB market, there are an increasing number of networking solutions, many with gaps in their respective stacks.  Few can provide a SPOG (single pane of glass) view and provide a complete and unified network ecosystem. While I have remained a relative satisfied Ubiquiti user for my home/lab, I do frequently get the urge to explore/test other solutions that deliver more options and flexibility. Here are my personally curated lists for your consideration: Netgear Pro Series Router: https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/routers/pr60x/ WAPs: https://www.netgear.com/business/wifi/access-points/listing-filter/ax-wifi6e1/ax-wifi6/smbnet-wireless-accpoi-remgmt/ Switches: https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/smart-cloud/ Cloud Mgmt: https://www.netgear.com/business/services/insight/ Grandstream Routers: https://www.grandstream.com/products/networking-solutions/routers WAPs: https://www.grandstream.com/products/networking-solutions/indoor-wifi-access-points
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AMD Mini-PC Options

Here are three of the latest/best AMD powered mini-PC's for home lab or gaming use.   MoreFine M600 - https://morefine.com/products/morefine-m600-r9-7940hs-mini-pc Beelink GTR7 Pro - https://www.bee-link.com/catalog/product/index?id=493 Minisforum UM790 Pro - https://store.minisforum.com/collections/amd-%C2%AE-ryzen-%C2%AE/products/minisforum-um790-pro
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PC Retro Gaming - NOLF

Throwback Wednesday?  I was doing some random Googling and stumbled across this old gem. I vividly remember playing NOLF back in fall of 2000 and spring of 2001, during my freshman semester at college!  Can't wait to give this another try. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Operative:_No_One_Lives_Forever http://nolfrevival.tk/ https://unityhq.net/ https://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2012/05/23/no-one-lives-forever/
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100Gb Switching for "Cheap"

Looking for enterprise class networking speeds for your homelab or business? Mikrotik has you covered with exciting options such as: CRS504-4XQ-IN - $799 Your most affordable, compact, energy-efficient doorway to the world of 100 Gigabit networking. This switch is the next step in upgrading existing 10 or 25 Gigabit networks. Multiple powering options, dual hot-swap power supplies. There are four 100 Gigabit QSFP28 ports. Use them to connect other 100 Gigabit devices or grab a breakout cable to connect multiple 25 Gigabit devices: each port is connected to four 25 Gigabit lines, allowing you to connect 16 x 25 Gigabit devices. In fact, you can mix and match all kinds of connections this way: 100 Gigabits on one port, 40 Gigabits on the other, 4x25 Gigabits on the third, and maybe even some 10G or 1G cables on the fourth. The mighty Marvell DX4310 switch-chip will handle everything without breaking a sweat! https://mikrotik.com/product/crs504_4xq_in   CRS510-8XS-2XQ-IN - $999 A versatil
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NAS Software Solutions

Use any of these to replace the OS on your QNAP or Synology device, or just use standard x86 hardware or an old PC to build a more powerful storage appliance.   TrueNAS Scale https://www.truenas.com/truenas-scale/ UnRaid https://unraid.net/ Xpenology (ARPL or TCRP) https://xpenology.com/forum/forum/31-loaders/ OpenMediaVault (OMV) https://www.openmediavault.org/ XigmaNAS https://xigmanas.com/xnaswp/ Rockstor https://rockstor.com/ Starwind SAN & NAS https://www.starwindsoftware.com/san-and-nas
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Best Gaming OS - Pt2: Linux Options

 Placeholder for full post content.  Live notes atm.   Distros to Evaluate ZorinOS PopOS Manjaro SteamOS 3 (HoloISO) Ubuntu Game Pack (UALinux) Garuda Gaming Edition RegataOS EndeavourOS Helpful Resources: https://usebottles.com/ https://linuxconfig.org/improve-your-wine-gaming-on-linux-with-dxvk https://linuxhint.com/install-lutris-linux/ https://www.protondb.com/ https://areweanticheatyet.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaH05lLUPRk Suggestion: Use Wayland instead of X11
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Best Gaming OS - Pt1: Revision OS Experiment

Reloading my home PC on a new NVM drive and figured I would give this a shot. Revision OS https://revi.cc/ https://revi.cc/docs/ https://revi.cc/revios/changelog https://revi.cc/revios/download/ https://github.com/meetrevision https://www.reddit.com/r/RevisionOS/ Will post back post-install and testing.
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