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Verify Windows UEFI CA 2023 Certificate with PowerShell

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0600

Microsoft announced that the original Secure Boot certificates introduced during the Windows 8 development cycle begin expiring in June and October 2026. For full details about the impact, timelines, and update process, see the official Microsoft articles listed in the references section of this article.

This article focuses on one thing: verifying whether your system already contains the updated Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate. If you manage Windows systems, you may want a quick way to confirm whether the updated certificate is already installed. That's what the Test-MrWinSecureBootCa2023 PowerShell function provides.

How to Write Code Blocks and Inline Code in Markdown

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:30:00 -0500

Technical writers often need to embed code in their articles, whether snippets, configurations, commands, or examples. When presented clearly, code in your articles reinforces understanding and helps readers follow along more easily. When presented poorly, it creates confusion and frustration. This article demonstrates how to use inline code and code blocks effectively in Markdown, ensuring your code is readable, maintainable, and helpful to your audience.

Write Clear Step-by-Step Instructions Using Markdown

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:30:00 -0500

In the first two parts of this Markdown series, you explored how to get started with Markdown and use lists effectively. Now, you'll learn how to write clear, structured, and actionable step-by-step instructions.

Whether you're documenting PowerShell scripts, Azure setup tasks, or admin procedures, your readers need instructions they can follow with confidence.

Avoid passive voice

Passive voice hides the actor, making instructions vague or more difficult to follow. Instead, use active voice to clarify who performs the action. Active voice includes any sentence where the subject performs the action (e.g., You run the script).

The Complete Guide to Markdown Lists for Technical Writers

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:30:00 -0500

In Part 1: Getting Started with Markdown for Technical Writers, I introduced the basics of Markdown, including how to format both ordered and unordered lists. This article builds upon that foundation, providing everything you need to know about using lists in Markdown, from basic syntax to advanced formatting techniques.

As a technical writer, understanding how and why to use lists in Markdown isn't just about syntax. It's about clarity, structure, accessibility, and intent. Whether you're documenting procedures, listing features, or supporting assistive technologies, choosing the right list type and formatting approach ensures your content is effective and inclusive.

Getting Started with Markdown for Technical Writers

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:30:00 -0500

Markdown is the standard for writing technical documentation at Microsoft and many other organizations. Its simplicity, readability, and compatibility with other tools make it an ideal choice for blogging, documenting software, procedures, APIs, and more. Whether you're authoring a user guide, README, or knowledge base article, Markdown enables you to focus on content without getting bogged down in formatting.

As a technical writer, you're expected to deliver clear, maintainable documentation that works across platforms. Markdown helps you do exactly that, with minimal friction.

How to Open a PR in a Different Fork with the GitHub CLI

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:30:00 -0500

GitHub's default workflow assumes you open pull requests (PRs) in the upstream repository. However, if you need to contribute to a different fork, you can't create a fork-of-a-fork when you already have a fork of the upstream repository.

Instead, you can create a pull request (PR) in a different fork. This is useful when contributing to a fork maintained by another team, organization, or project, rather than the original repository you forked from.

Why you should avoid using all caps in technical writing

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:30:00 -0500

In technical writing, letter case affects more than style. It influences tone, readability, and accessibility. Typing in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS might seem like an easy way to add emphasis or style, but it often does more harm than good, affecting how quickly readers process information and how your message is perceived.

If you want your message to be clear, approachable, and accessible, avoiding all caps is usually the best approach.

Shorten Azure CLI commands in PowerShell without backticks

Thu, 15 May 2025 07:30:00 -0500

Working with long Azure CLI commands in PowerShell can quickly become difficult to read and maintain, especially if you rely on backticks (`) for line continuation. Fortunately, PowerShell offers a cleaner, more flexible way to build commands using arrays and splatting.

This article explains how to use these techniques to simplify complex az commands, reduce syntax errors, and make your automation scripts easier to manage.

Use array splatting for readability

One of the most PowerShell-native ways to split a long Azure CLI command is to store parameters in an array and use splatting. This technique keeps the command readable without backticks.

Customize and automate a clean macOS Dock layout

Wed, 07 May 2025 07:30:00 -0500

The macOS Dock is a customizable taskbar that provides quick access to your most-used applications, files, and folders. Located at the bottom of the screen by default, you can move the Dock to the left or right side of the screen. For better accessibility and a more streamlined experience, customize the Dock to include only the items you use most often, keeping your workspace clean and efficient.

Why aligning equals signs in PowerShell hash tables matters

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:30:00 -0500

If you ever formatted a hash table in PowerShell, you know how easy it is to focus on function over form. But what if one minor formatting tweak could improve readability, reduce syntax errors, simplify code reviews, and enhance script maintainability? During a recent documentation update, I stumbled on a subtle but powerful practice—aligning the equals signs in hash tables. What began as a style suggestion proved to be a practical improvement that changed how I write PowerShell every day. Here's why this seemingly minor change deserves a place in your scripting toolbox.

The not so simplified syntax of Where-Object in PowerShell

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 07:30:00 -0600

PowerShell 3.0 introduced several notable improvements to its cmdlet library, with one of the most useful features in this release being the simplified syntax for the Where-Object cmdlet. This enhancement made filtering objects more efficient and user-friendly by introducing Property and Value parameters and a switch parameter for every comparison operator. This article explores how these changes work, their usefulness, and how to leverage them in your scripts.

Workaround for slow scrolling issue in Windows 11 on Parallels

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 07:30:00 -0600

After updating to Parallels Desktop 20 and Windows 11 24H2, I encountered an issue with slow scrolling within Windows 11 virtual machines (VMs). The lag occurs when using the mouse or trackpad to scroll in any application inside the VM. If you experience this problem, you're not alone—several users have reported similar issues on the Parallels forum.

Note: I have no affiliation with Parallels other than as a customer and user.

How to install PowerShell 7 and essential tools on macOS

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 07:30:00 -0500

As you prepare for the OnRamp track at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit, this guide walks you through installing the essential tools on your macOS system, if that's your preferred operating system. You'll learn to install PowerShell version 7, Visual Studio Code, and the PowerShell extension for VS Code to ensure your system is prepared for the event.

How to install PowerShell 7 and essential tools on Linux

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:30:00 -0500

As you prepare for the OnRamp track at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit, this guide walks you through installing the essential tools on your Ubuntu Linux system if that's your preferred operating system. You'll learn to install PowerShell version 7, Visual Studio Code, and the PowerShell extension for VS Code to ensure your system is prepared for the event.

If you're using Windows 11 or macOS, refer to the companion articles in this series:

How to install PowerShell 7 and essential tools on Windows 11

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 07:30:00 -0500

As you prepare for the OnRamp track at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit, this guide walks you through installing the essential tools on your Windows 11 system, if that's your preferred operating system. You'll learn to install PowerShell version 7, Visual Studio Code, the PowerShell extension for VS Code, and Windows Terminal to ensure your system is prepared for the event.

Find paired Azure region locations with Azure PowerShell

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:30:00 -0500

In this article, you learn how to add a custom property to the Azure PowerShell Get-AzLocation cmdlet output to display the physical location for paired regions in Azure. This information isn't available by default but can help you understand the resiliency and redundancy of your Azure resources like geo-redundant storage (GRS) and other Azure services that rely on Azure Storage for replication.

Understanding the Clean block in PowerShell

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:30:00 -0500

PowerShell, a powerful scripting language and automation framework, provides features that enhance script development and execution. Among these features is the clean block, a lesser-known yet beneficial component in PowerShell functions. This article explores the clean block, its purpose, and how to use it effectively in PowerShell scripts.

What is the Clean block?

The clean block, added in PowerShell version 7.3, allows you to define clean-up tasks that should be executed after the function completes, regardless of whether it completes successfully or encounters an error. It's part of PowerShell's robust resource management mechanism, ensuring that any resources allocated during the execution of a function are properly released.

Detecting Windows Terminal with PowerShell

Thu, 16 May 2024 07:30:00 -0500

In the evolving landscape of software development and system administration, understanding your environment is essential for ensuring that scripts and commands run as expected. One useful PowerShell function that helps identify whether a script is running within Windows Terminal is my Test-IsWindowsTerminal function. This function is valuable for developers and system administrators who must tailor their scripts based on the terminal environment.

Overview

Test-IsWindowsTerminal is a PowerShell function designed to determine if the current session is running inside Windows Terminal. Windows Terminal is a modern, feature-rich terminal application for users of command-line tools and shells like PowerShell, WSL, and the Command Prompt. The function employs a hierarchical parent process test to determine if Windows Terminal is part of the process tree.

How to resolve winget is unable to find or install packages

Thu, 02 May 2024 07:30:00 -0500

Windows Package Manager (winget) is a command-line utility designed by Microsoft to help users discover, install, upgrade, and remove software on Windows systems.

If you're setting up a new Windows installation, you may encounter issues with Windows Package Manager (winget) not finding or installing packages. This issue is due to the default version of winget that ships with Windows being outdated, and it can't automatically update if you're not signed into or able to access the Microsoft Store.

Check out someone else's pull request using the GitHub CLI

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:30:00 -0500

Checking out someone else's pull request (PR) on GitHub is essential in collaborative software development, enabling thorough code reviews, local testing, and detailed feedback. This process allows developers to ensure the quality and functionality of the code before integration, identify and resolve potential conflicts, and maintain consistency across the project. By reviewing changes locally, team members can collaborate more effectively, offering insights and improvements that enhance the overall quality of the project. Additionally, local reviews support security audits and performance evaluations, ensuring that the code is not only functional but also optimized and secure.

Generating PowerShell module documentation with platyPS

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 07:30:00 -0730

Creating accurate and efficient documentation is paramount in technical writing, especially for PowerShell modules. platyPS, an open-source module, emerged as a solution for generating Markdown-based reference content for PowerShell modules. This article provides a comprehensive guide for using platyPS to create and maintain high-quality reference documentation for your PowerShell module, enhancing the experience for both module authors and users.

What is platyPS

platyPS (pronounced "platypus") started as a tool to convert PowerShell help files into Markdown format. Over time, it evolved into a powerful tool for generating and maintaining PowerShell module documentation directly from the source code and inline documentation. This streamlines the process, ensuring consistency and accuracy while saving valuable time.

Use symlinks to version-control your PowerShell profile with Git

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 07:30:00 -0600

PowerShell is a versatile command-line shell and scripting environment that empowers system administrators and developers to automate tasks and manage systems more efficiently. One of PowerShell's features is its profile, a script that runs when you start a PowerShell session. Storing your PowerShell profile in a Git repository is an excellent option when working across multiple systems or when you want to version-control your setup. This article discusses using symbolic links to manage your PowerShell profile with Git.

Navigating the Nuances of PowerShell Syntax with Get-Help and Get-Command

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 06:30:00 -0500

When working with PowerShell, it's essential to understand the tools available for exploring cmdlets and their syntax. Both Get-Help and Get-Command are invaluable resources for discovering and understanding cmdlet syntax in PowerShell. While both provide syntax information, they display the details differently for parameters that accept enumerated values. In this article, we'll explore the subtle but significant differences between these two cmdlets and how they can assist in your PowerShell scripting efforts.

Building and Deploying a Blog with Hugo and GitHub Pages

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 06:30:00 -0500

In today's fast-paced digital age, where information is just a Google or ChatGPT search away, setting yourself apart is more important than ever. Blogging is one of the most effective ways to showcase your knowledge, contribute to the community, and build your brand. Think of it as a dynamic extension of your resume, a portfolio that grows and evolves with you. It provides a platform to share ideas, tackle complex problems, and express your viewpoints while delivering immense value to your readers.

Automatically convert a PowerShell command to use splatting

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 06:30:00 -0500

You have a lengthy multi-parameter PowerShell command that you'd like to convert to use splatting. For example, you want to convert the following command for creating a virtual machine in Azure to use splatting instead of inline parameters.

1New-AzVm -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup -Name myVM -Location southcentralus -Image Win2022AzureEditionCore -Size Standard_DS2_v2 -VirtualNetworkName myVnet -SubnetName mySubnet -SecurityGroupName myNetworkSecurityGroup -PublicIpAddressName myPublicIpAddress

Prerequisites

PowerShell
Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
PowerShell extension for VS Code
EditorServicesCommandSuite PowerShell module

Install the EditorServicesCommandSuite module from the PowerShell Gallery.

1Install-Module -Name EditorServicesCommandSuite -AllowPrerelease

Run Import-CommandSuite in your PowerShell Extension integrated terminal session of VS Code.