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Russell Smith

Editorial Director

Russell Smith, the Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase, has over two decades of hands-on experience in IT, in both small business settings and government IT infrastructure projects.

Russell started writing for Windows IT Pro Magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, he has contributed insights to various IT publications, including Petri and CDW. His authoritative voice has resonated across industry blogs, where he dissects complex topics into an ‘easy read’.

Russell has authored over a thousand articles, each a testament to his depth of knowledge. His expertise doesn’t stop there: he wrote a book on Privilege Management and co-authored another for Microsoft’s MOAC series. Moreover, Russell’s commitment to education shines through in the courses he crafted for Pluralsight.

He is also presenter on his own YouTube channel, This Week in IT, and the current presenter of Petri Dish.

LATEST

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Install Git on Windows

In this article, I’ll show you how to quickly install Git on Windows, set Visual Studio Code (VS Code) as the default editor, and install the GitHub CLI, all using the command line. Install Git on Windows In this example, we’ll use the winget and git commands to install and configure Git on your local…

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1725496356 Security Hero

UK Logistics Firm Collapses, Highlighting Cybersecurity Gaps

A 158-year-old logistics company in the UK, KNP, has been forced to shut down after a devastating ransomware attack wiped out critical data and crippled operations. The breach, which is believed to have originated from a weak employee password, resulted in the loss of approximately 700 jobs and underscores the growing threat ransomware poses to…

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Copilot Vision

Step Aside Windows Recall, Copilot Vision Is Now Under Fire

This Week in IT, Copilot Vision raises eyebrows amongst Windows 11 users, Microsoft didn’t properly patch SharePoint servers leading to 100s of compromised servers, and 158-year-old logistics company in the UK goes bust after ransomware attack. Links and resources Episode overview This Week in IT, Russell discusses Microsoft’s new Copilot Vision feature, a critical SharePoint…

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Network Security

Become an Integration Hero in Less Than 3 Hours with Connecting Software

In today’s episode of Petri Dish, we sit down with Thomas Berndorfer, CEO of Connecting Software, to discuss the innovative solutions his company offers for seamless data integration and synchronization. Thomas shares the journey of Connecting Software, the development of their flagship product Connect Bridge, and how it empowers developers and IT professionals to become…

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1725496356 Security Hero

Windows 11 25H2: Enhanced Security Without Kernel Access

One of the most interesting and important things coming in Windows 11 25H2 is the way Microsoft is rethinking how security tools interact with the operating system—especially antivirus and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software. The current problem: Security tools get deep Windows kernel access Right now, most security tools—think CrowdStrike, Bitdefender, and others—need to…

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Windows 11 approved hero 3

Windows 11 25H2 To Focus on Security and Stability

This Week in IT, the next version of Windows is now in testing and is more an enablement package than a significant feature upgrade. Third-party passkey provider integration comes to Windows 11 in the Dev Channel, Exchange Server SE is finally here but will cost you more, and Microsoft sets a date for Azure AD…

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Copilot hero

Why Are Users Choosing ChatGPT Over Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Last Update: Dec 10, 2025

There’s been a lot of chatter this week about Microsoft struggling to get businesses on board with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Now, it’s not that big enterprises aren’t buying it—many of them are. But here’s the twist: actual adoption inside those organizations is sluggish. Wait—Why is that? Well, here’s the kicker. Users are choosing ChatGPT instead….

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Blue screen of death

BSOD: Microsoft Pulls the Plug on a Tech Icon

This Week in IT, Microsoft announces changes to Windows 11 recovery, Windows 10 users get a respite but there’s a catch, a compact AI model is driving changes to the Settings app in Windows 11, and Microsoft is struggling to sell Copilot to business. Links and resources Episode overview This Week in IT, Russell discusses…

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Hero Approved Outlook – 2

Reclaim.AI: Why Intelligent Calendars Are Finally Gaining Ground

“I ate lunch five times this week for the first time in two years.” This unlikely customer quote captures what makes Reclaim AI feel revolutionary. It isn’t that it adds something new to your calendar — it’s that it makes your existing one finally work the way it should. Reclaim, founded by Henry Shapiro and…

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Windows 365 Reserve: The Ultimate Backup Solution?

This Week in IT, Microsoft 365 services are coming to local datacenters, Windows 365 Reserve promises continuity in the event of physical device issues, and Amazon CEO warns on AI adoption. Episode overview This Week in IT:

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Datacenter networking servers

June Patch Tuesday Update Breaks Windows Server DHCP

Microsoft’s June 2025 Patch Tuesday update introduced a bug that can break the DHCP service on Windows Server versions 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025. On the support page for KB5060842 (OS Build 26100.4349), Microsoft notes as a known issue: The DHCP Server service might intermittently stop responding after installing this security update. This issue affects…

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Windows 11 Start Menu

Windows 11 Start Menu Overhaul: What’s New and Improved

This Week in IT, Insiders can now test Microsoft’s updated Start menu for Windows 11 but will the changes be enough to convince Windows 10 users to migrate? Plus, Microsoft stalls on Patch Tuesday updates and releases a fix for Windows Server 2025 domain controller network connectivity issues. Links and resources Episode overview This week…

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