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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

Windows 11 Office Companion Apps

GPT-5 Is Here… And It Brings New Microsoft Connectors

Last Update: Aug 19, 2025

This Week in IT, everyone’s talking about GPT-5, but the biggest winner might be Microsoft — sneaking in new AI integrations you probably missed. We’ve also got a serious Entra ID security flaw that could bypass FIDO authentication, and a new way to run Office right from your Windows taskbar. Links and resources Episode overview…

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Microsoft Security image

Microsoft Wants a More Secure Windows – But You’ll Need to Upgrade Hardware

Microsoft Vice President of Enterprise and OS Security, David Weston, imagines what Windows might look like in 2030—a year he frames as a convergence point for several transformative technologies: His vision is ambitious, but it’s also a clear signal that Microsoft wants customers to upgrade both their software and hardware more frequently. AI as a…

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Windows 11 Start Menu

Windows 2030 – Microsoft’s AI-Enhanced Vision of the Future

This Week in IT, Microsoft looks 5 years into the future of Windows, Copilot gets GPT-5 ‘Smart Mode’, and the ability to shift group control from on-premises Active Directory (AD) to the cloud is now in preview. Links and resources Episode overview In this week’s episode, Microsoft envisions significant changes for Windows by 2030, driven…

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Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Supercharges Teams with New Search Feature

This Week in IT, Microsoft is set to supercharge Teams with powerful search commands, Edge becomes an AI browser with Copilot Mode, and support for migration of legacy Exchange Server public folders to Exchange Online will end October this year. Links and resources Episode overview In this week’s episode, Russell discusses:

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1725491631 powershell hero

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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