Editorial policy

Sourcing

Articles are built only from official sources: Microsoft’s release notes and Windows release health pages, Microsoft support articles, and Windows Insider blog posts. Forum threads and social posts can point us at a problem, but a claim only makes it into an article if it is backed by one of those sources or by our own test.

We never invent KB numbers, build numbers or error codes. Every identifier in an article comes from the source material, and the list of sources used for each article is kept on file.

Verification

Every fix article carries a Tested on line naming the Windows build the steps were run on, and a last-verified date. If the hands-on test has not happened yet, the article shows Verified: pending instead of a build, so you can see at a glance whether the steps have been confirmed.

When Microsoft ships a new build, articles that cover affected updates, features or errors are re-checked. A method that no longer works is removed or marked as not working on that build, and the verified date is updated.

AI disclosure

First drafts are generated with an AI model, working only from the sources described above. Every draft passes an automated check for structure, thin content and identifiers that do not appear in the sources; anything that fails goes to a review queue and is not published until a human editor has fixed it.

A human editor reviews each article against its sources and tests the steps on a real PC — usually before it is published. Articles that pass the automated check can be published automatically so that same-day coverage is available quickly; the hands-on check then follows, and the article shows Verified: pending until it has happened.

The byline on an article names the editor responsible for it — the person who checks its sources and runs the steps.

Corrections

If a fix did not work for you or a fact is wrong, tell us through the contact page. Include the article link, your Windows build and the exact error text so we can reproduce it.

We check every report against the sources and on a test PC. When an article changes, the updated date shown on it changes too, so the correction is visible rather than silent.

Advertising and independence

Thea is funded by self-managed display advertising. Ads sit in fixed slots on article pages, are always labelled Advertisement, and have no say in what we cover or how a fix is written. There are no affiliate links, no sponsored fixes and no paid tool recommendations.

Thea is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Microsoft. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation, and we link to Microsoft’s documentation because it is the primary source.

Screenshots

Screenshots are real captures from the build named in the article’s Tested on line, taken by the editor who ran the steps. They may be cropped or annotated to point at the right control, but what they show is not altered. When a new build moves or changes the interface, screenshots are retaken as part of re-verification.

An article that is still Verified: pending may show a branded cover image until its screenshots are added.