If you've ever watched a live demo where the presenter says "I'll just run this" and code appears out of nowhere, you know how easy it is to lose the audience. They can't see which keys you pressed, which command you ran, or where you clicked. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has a built-in feature that solves this …

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In Deploy an Azure VM with Bicep and Azure PowerShell, I deployed an Azure virtual machine (VM) with private networking, Trusted Launch, and a layered validation workflow. This article deploys the same architecture with a different toolchain: Terraform defines the infrastructure, and Azure CLI handles authentication …

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Infrastructure as Code (IaC) lets you define, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure through code instead of manually creating resources in the Azure portal. You can store the configuration in source control, review changes, validate it before deployment, and consistently reproduce infrastructure across environments. …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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. …

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