Windows Server 2025 introduced several advancements that make containerized workloads more flexible, secure, and customizable. One notable feature is the addition of Features on Demand (FoD) in Nano Server containers. This feature allows you to customize Nano Server containers by adding only the necessary components while keeping your container images small and optimized. In this guide, we’ll explore how to enable and use Features on Demand within Nano Server containers, providing real-world use cases that demonstrate this feature's power. We will also examine how it impacts container image sizes.

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OpenAI's Sam Altman envisions a future where countless AI agents operate autonomously across the internet, managing tasks on behalf of users and interacting with each other to perform complex operations without human intervention. Realizing this vision necessitates a new internet protocol that supports the sophisticated communication required for AI systems. Google’s new Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol addresses this need by providing an open standard that enables autonomous AI agents to communicate across diverse systems. This post delves into the necessity of A2A, its current supporters, distinctions from Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the types of data it handles, and offers a straightforward example to illustrate its application.

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Windows Server 2025 introduces several new features and security improvements for Active Directory, including a new functional level and the Database 32k Pages feature. To take advantage of these features, you must first upgrade all domain controllers (DCs) and migrate Active Directory to Windows Server 2025. In this article, I'll guide you through the step-by-step migration process.

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In a remarkably short period, MCP has established itself as the standard for secure and efficient connections between AI models and external data sources and tools. Microsoft has integrated MCP into VS Code, Windows will get it, OpenAI plans to implement it for ChatGPT, and the top terminal application, Warp, has introduced MCP support in its Preview version. I installed the official Perplexity MCP server for my test and incorporated it into Warp.

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Instead of walking through the entire wizard in Hyper-V Manager to create a virtual machine, you can speed up the process using Quick Create. By default, this tool uses virtual hard disks (VHDX) provided by Microsoft. Alternatively, you can set up a custom gallery and populate it with your own images.

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The relatively new VS Code technical terms chat participants, chat variables, and slash commands can be accessed with the prefixes @, #, and / in GitHub Copilot. This post explains the differences and gives usage examples.

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An AI PC is a new class of Windows 11 computers equipped with powerful NPUs, enabling advanced AI features like Recall and Live Captions to run directly on the device. Learn the different methods to check if your computer is a so-called Copilot+ PC.

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While GitHub Copilot prompt files are related to the instruction files I discussed in my previous post, they serve a different purpose. Prompt files are custom Markdown templates that allow you to automate coding tasks through custom AI-driven slash commands in GitHub Copilot for VS Code. Prompt templates are powerful, as they can utilize MCP server commands as tools. In this article, I will explain how to create prompt files and provide a simple usage example.

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Device Encryption is a Windows feature that automatically enables BitLocker-based encryption on the system drive and other fixed drives, protecting personal data from unauthorized access without requiring complex setup. It is especially valuable on Windows Home devices, where traditional BitLocker management features are unavailable.

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In Visual Studio Code version 1.100, Microsoft introduced GitHub Copilot instruction files, which mirror the Rules feature in AI IDEs like Cursor and Windsurf. Instructions allow you to guide the AI assistant’s behavior by providing specific, context-aware directives tailored to your coding standards and project requirements.

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Microsoft recently updated the administrative templates for the Office suite, introducing a significant number of new settings. Most of these are designed to control the interaction with the built-in AI features. In addition, the update includes several security-related policies for individual applications.

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Perplexity is an AI search engine that answers questions by combining real-time web results with conversational, natural language responses. Installing Perplexity's official MCP server on your Mac or Windows PC allows querying Perplexity from any AI model in VS Code GitHub Copilot. Enabling your AI to search the web for the latest updates is a must-have feature for scripting or working in the terminal.

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A structured approach that covers technical steps and strategic planning can streamline the migration of a file server to Windows Server 2025. This article explores two main migration strategies—keeping or changing the file server’s hostname—and demonstrates how to transfer shared folders and data using a custom PowerShell script. By following these methods, you can ensure a smooth transition to the latest server OS while minimizing user disruption and preserving file access settings.

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OpenAI Codex CLI is a new open-source command-line tool that integrates AI models into any terminal. It enables you to generate, edit, and execute code using natural language prompts. I tested Codex CLI on Windows and Mac and concluded that it is no match for advanced AI CLIs such as Warp, Cline, or Roo Code. Do not mix up Codex CLI with OpenAI's Codex model, which was discontinued in March 2023. Perhaps Sam Altman should seek advice from ChatGPT before naming future products.

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Several reasons exist for wanting to turn off BitLocker on an individual machine or across your network. In Windows 11, you can disable BitLocker using three methods: the GUI, PowerShell, or Group Policy.

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Hibernate is a power management function in Windows 11 that saves the current system state to the hard drive and shuts down the device. Disabling Windows Hibernate frees up disk space used by the hiberfil.sys file. You can disable it in the GUI or at the command prompt with PowerShell.

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Windows 11 and Windows Server include additional components and utilities that are not installed by default. Depending on the operating system and the source used for installing these features, Microsoft provides various GUI tools and PowerShell cmdlets. Unfortunately, the overall concept lacks consistency and often leads to confusion.

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Action1 is a cloud-based remote management and monitoring tool for patching, vulnerability management, and other device and software administration tasks. It offers one of the most liberal free licenses in the industry, providing 200 endpoints with no functionality limitations. It also includes a cloud-based management console for managing endpoints, eliminating the need for businesses to provision or maintain on-premises server infrastructure.

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Microsoft Copilot Vision is an AI feature in Microsoft Edge that allows Copilot to visually interpret and interact with the content on your screen, enabling real-time assistance and contextual responses as you browse the web. Additionally, it can summarize YouTube videos, providing concise recaps without watching the entire video. You can enter your questions by typing or speaking, and Copilot Vision will reply with voice and text.

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