How to check or change the minimum password length in Windows

1. Open the command prompt as an Administrator. 
   
   
2. To view the current minimum password length, enter the command 
   
   net accounts 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. To set a minimum password length, enter the command
   
   net accounts /minpwlen:n
   
   Range is 0-14, this has not change in Windows 11. National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends a minimum password length from 8 to 14 characters. 
   
   
   
   
   
   

More uses 

• net accounts /MAXPWAGE:UNLIMITED - do not expire password

1. net accounts /maxpwage:days – This sets the maximum number of days after which the user will have to change the password. Replace days with the desired value. Range is from 1-999. If used unlimited, no limit is set. The value of maxpwage should always be greater than minpwage.
   
   
2. net accounts /minpwage:days – This sets the minimum number of days that must pass before the password can be changed. Replace days with the desired value. Range is from 1-999.
   
   
3. net accounts /uniquepw:number – This sets the number of times after which a password can be used again. Replace number with the desired value. Maximum value is 24.

Online Data Range picker for Outlook.com and Outlook client

Online Data Range picker for Outlook client 

Date Range Picker Outlook Client mainly, and mimics the one on outlook.com

Remember the Number of Days per Month

 Never forget the number of days in the month, using the following memory method or 'mnemonic'. The calendar authors got hungover in August, and bumped the rest of the calendar by 1 month (in terms of days per month).

Month	Abbreviation	Month       Numerical	Month No. of days	Johnny Mnemonic	Qtr	Season
January	Jan.	1	31	odd month	Q1	Winter
February	Feb.	2	28  (common year) 29  (leap year/4)	Jan-3 (even month - 2)	Q1	Winter
March	Mar.	3	31	odd month	Q1	Spring
April	Apr.	4	30	even month	Q2	Spring
May	May.	5	31	odd	Q2	Spring
June	Jun.	6	30	even	Q2	Summer
July	Jul.	7	31	odd	Q3	Summer
August	Aug.	8	31	summer vacation / hangover	Q3	Summer
September	Sep.	9	30	bumped	Q3	Autumn
October	Oct.	10	31	bump-odd now	Q4	Autumn
November	Nov.	11	30	bump-even now	Q4	Autumn
December	Dec.	12	31	bump-odd now	Q4	Winter

The calendar commonly used in modern America is the Gregorian calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and is a modification of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is widely used worldwide and is the calendar system officially followed by most countries, including the United States.

Date Range Picker Outlook.com and Outlook Client

 

By Tgru001 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link to SVG Artwork on Wikipedia

App Screen Capture Tool - take screen shot of your running apps and multiple monitors repeatedly

App Screen Capture Tool (ASCT) can take a screen shot of multiple sources, but most salient feature is it can screen shot running apps, if they have an active window open. 

Repeated capture can get down to about 10ms between shots, before this app will blow-up.

 Download ASCT Demo

ASCT runs on Windows 7+, Windows 10.  

Program, artwork, code, icons are copyrighted 2025 by MetadataConsulting.ca 

App Screen Capture Tool is free for personal use. For commercial use you must obtain a license. Usage statistics are tracked, like all Microsoft Store Apps. Paid license turns tracking off. Click on link to send a request email to purchase, or if you need an evaluation demo for a corporation. 

This tool is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind. Metadata Consulting further disclaims all implied warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of the tool and documentation remains with you.

By downloading and/or using this app you agree to terms and conditions listed under the License Info button. Please read carefully the License information found under the Help->About menu. 

Windows Update Toggler Tool - Turn off on windows update on demand

Windows Update Toggler Tool (WUTT) addresses the need to prevent untimely updates to your system, like say when you're in a meeting or during a presentation.

This tool simply turns off the Windows Update Service, and on Windows 10+ turns off Optimized Delivery service. OD service is responsible for in part for downloading windows updates, upgrades, and Windows Store applications. Read more here - What is Delivery Optimization? | Microsoft Learn.  WUTT turns this off as a precaution as well for Windows 10+. 

Download WUTT app.

WUTT runs on Windows 7+. 

Program, artwork, code, icons are copyrighted 2025 by MetadataConsulting.ca 

Windows Update Service Toggler Tool is free for personal use. For commercial use you must obtain a license. Usage statistics are tracked, like all Microsoft Store Apps. Paid license turns tracking off. Please email metadataconsult[at]gmail.com to purchase, or if you need an evaluation demo for a corporation. 

This tool is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind. Metadata Consulting further disclaims all implied warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of the tool and documentation remains with you.

By downloading and/or using this app you agree to terms and conditions listed under the License Info button. Please read carefully the License information found under the License Info button in the app. 

CAA Phishing Email with subject Car Emergency Kit Shipping

For the record, this is a CAA phishing email attempt that is recently going around, with subject line "CarEmergencyKit Shipping". 

What to do?  Report them, goto bottom of page. 

From : CarEmergencyKit<bendarza.v.attgah@gmail.com> Subject :  CarEmergencyKit Shipping

PHISHING LINKs;

1. https://track.replyify.com/track/link/{GUID}/source/{GUID}/type/job#t?v={Base64Key}

How to tell this is a Phishing email ?

1. Check email address in full, if it's not from originating company then it's phishing.
2. Hover over all links in email, if it's not from the  company's website then forget it.
3. The best way is to 

How to examine Email Message Source ?

Now lets look at message source

1. Outlook.com->Actions->View Message Source. 
2. Gmail.com->More (down arrow to top right)->Show original.

Check for suspicious links, anything that does not originate from apple.com.

Report Phishing Email (not as Spam)

1. Outlook.com->Junk (at Top)->Phishing Scam
2. Gmail.com->More (down-arrow to top right)->Report Phishing 

Report Phishing to Google

If you have received this email, take further action by

1. https://www.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/

Report phishing at Microsoft and government agencies

1. http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/phishing-faq.aspx

Run a program when Internet Connects or Disconnects on Windows

Windows Task Scheduler can trigger an event whenever your computer connects to the Internet or is disconnected from the Internet. You can use this to automatically send emails, save logs or run a program Internet goes out and then comes back on. 

The specific event that will watch for are related to NetworkProfile with event IDs: 10000 (connect) and 10001 (disconnect). Here’s how you use them. 

Trigger an Event When Your Internet Connects or Disconnects with Task Scheduler

• Launch Windows Task Scheduler from All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools.
• In Actions Panel -> Create Task and Name it, like "Network Outage Monitor".
  
  
• From the Triggers Tab, create New 
  
  
  
  Log: Microsoft-Windows-NetworkProfile/Operational
  Source: NetworkProfile
  Event ID: 10000
  
  The 10000 Event ID is logged when you connect to a network.
  
  
• From the Actions Tab, create New and choose Start a Program, and select a program you would like to run when connection connects.  
  
  
  
  I choose this free program from NirSoft call NetworkTrafficView - Monitor the traffic on your network adapter (nirsoft.net) which allows you to inspect programs being run and endpoints, to make sure it's not malware.  I also run this Metadata Consulting [dot] ca: Windows Update Toggler Tool - Turn off on windows update on demand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Choose which network to monitor
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• And finally choose your final Settings tab, choose and play with settings
  
  Check mark "Allow task to be run on demand".