diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80bc265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: Setup PowerShell modules
+description: Installs pinned versions of Pester and PSScriptAnalyzer for the CI jobs.
+
+inputs:
+  shell:
+    description: Shell to run the installation in ('pwsh' or 'powershell')
+    required: false
+    default: pwsh
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Install Pester 5.7.1
+      shell: ${{ inputs.shell }}
+      run: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+        Install-Module -Name Pester -RequiredVersion 5.7.1 -Scope CurrentUser -Repository PSGallery -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
+
+    - name: Install PSScriptAnalyzer 1.25.0
+      shell: ${{ inputs.shell }}
+      run: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+        Install-Module -Name PSScriptAnalyzer -RequiredVersion 1.25.0 -Scope CurrentUser -Repository PSGallery -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
+
+    - name: Install PSSQLite 1.1.0
+      shell: ${{ inputs.shell }}
+      run: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+        Install-Module -Name PSSQLite -RequiredVersion 1.1.0 -Scope CurrentUser -Repository PSGallery -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cfcca7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# To get started with Dependabot version updates, you'll need to specify which
+# package ecosystems to update and where the package manifests are located.
+# Please see the documentation for all configuration options:
+# https://docs.github.com/github/administering-a-repository/configuration-options-for-dependency-updates
+
+# Basic `dependabot.yml` file with
+# minimum configuration for three package managers
+
+version: 2
+updates:
+  # Enable version updates for GitHub Actions
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    # Workflow files stored in the default location of `.github/workflows`
+    # You don't need to specify `/.github/workflows` for `directory`. You can use `directory: "/"`.
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    groups:
+      github-actions:
+        patterns:
+          - "*"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "⬆️ chore(ci)"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40457af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [master]
+  pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  lint-and-test-ps51:
+    name: Lint & Test (PowerShell 5.1, Windows 2022)
+    runs-on: windows-2022
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Install pinned modules (PowerShell 5.1)
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules
+        with:
+          shell: powershell
+
+      # Build.ps1 spawns isolated test processes and prefers pwsh when available,
+      # so modules must also be present for pwsh.
+      - name: Install pinned modules (pwsh for isolated test processes)
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules
+        with:
+          shell: pwsh
+
+      - name: Run Build (PSScriptAnalyzer + Pester)
+        shell: powershell
+        # Force the Windows PowerShell 5.1 engine for isolated Pester test processes,
+        # because Build.ps1 prefers pwsh when it is available.
+        run: .\Build.ps1 -PowerShellExecutable powershell
+
+  lint-and-test-ps7:
+    name: Lint & Test (PowerShell 7, ${{ matrix.runner }})
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        runner: [windows-2022, windows-2025]
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Install pinned PowerShell modules
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-powershell-modules
+        with:
+          shell: pwsh
+
+      - name: Run Build (PSScriptAnalyzer + Pester)
+        shell: pwsh
+        # Force the PowerShell Core engine for isolated Pester test processes.
+        run: .\Build.ps1 -PowerShellExecutable pwsh
+
+  psscriptanalyzer:
+    name: PSScriptAnalyzer SARIF
+    runs-on: windows-2025
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      security-events: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Run PSScriptAnalyzer and save SARIF
+        uses: microsoft/psscriptanalyzer-action@v1.1
+        with:
+          path: .
+          recurse: true
+          settings: PSScriptAnalyzerSettings.psd1
+          output: analysis-results.sarif
+
+      - name: Upload SARIF to GitHub code scanning
+        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@9e3211c9a3b9311dfe05da2ed48eea3386f042dd
+        with:
+          sarif_file: analysis-results.sarif
+          category: "/language:powershell"
+
+  dependency-review:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Dependency Review
+        uses: actions/dependency-review-action@a1d282b36b6f3519aa1f3fc636f609c47dddb294
+        with:
+          fail-on-severity: high
+          allow-licenses: GPL-3.0-or-later, MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD-2-Clause, BSD-3-Clause, Unlicense
diff --git a/Build.ps1 b/Build.ps1
index bbd4f38..e35f1fa 100644
--- a/Build.ps1
+++ b/Build.ps1
@@ -10,15 +10,30 @@
   PS C:\> .\Build.ps1
   Runs all Pester tests and analyzes all PowerShell scripts in the project.
 
+.EXAMPLE
+  PS C:\> .\Build.ps1 -PowerShellExecutable pwsh
+  Forces the PowerShell Core engine (pwsh) for isolated Pester test processes.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+  PS C:\> .\Build.ps1 -PowerShellExecutable powershell
+  Forces the Windows PowerShell 5.1 engine (powershell.exe) for isolated Pester test processes.
+
+.PARAMETER PowerShellExecutable
+  The PowerShell engine to use for isolated Pester test processes.
+  Valid values: 'auto' (default, picks pwsh if available, otherwise powershell), 'pwsh', or 'powershell'.
+
 .NOTES
-  Version:        1.1.0
+  Version:        1.2.0
   Author:         chriskyfung, Gemini
   License:        GNU GPLv3 license
   Creation Date:  2025-08-02
-  Last Modified:  2025-09-08
+  Last Modified:  2026-08-07
 #>
 
-param()
+param(
+    [ValidateSet('auto', 'pwsh', 'powershell')]
+    [string]$PowerShellExecutable = 'auto'
+)
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
@@ -42,15 +57,30 @@ try {
 
   # Determine the correct PowerShell executable to use for isolated processes
   $executable = ''
-  if (Get-Command -Name 'pwsh' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
+  if ($PowerShellExecutable -eq 'pwsh') {
+      if (Get-Command -Name 'pwsh' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
+          $executable = 'pwsh'
+      }
+      else {
+          throw "Requested 'pwsh' for isolated Pester tests, but it is not available."
+      }
+  }
+  elseif ($PowerShellExecutable -eq 'powershell') {
+      if (Get-Command -Name 'powershell' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
+          $executable = 'powershell'
+      }
+      else {
+          throw "Requested 'powershell' for isolated Pester tests, but it is not available."
+      }
+  }
+  elseif (Get-Command -Name 'pwsh' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
       $executable = 'pwsh'
   }
   elseif (Get-Command -Name 'powershell' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
       $executable = 'powershell'
   }
   else {
-      Write-Error "Could not find 'pwsh' or 'powershell' executable to run isolated Pester tests."
-      exit 1
+      throw "Could not find 'pwsh' or 'powershell' executable to run isolated Pester tests."
   }
   Write-Host "Using '$executable' for isolated test execution."
 
@@ -80,8 +110,7 @@ try {
       }
 
       if ($overallResult.FailedCount -gt 0) {
-        Write-Error "$($overallResult.FailedCount) test file(s) contained failures."
-        exit 1
+        throw "$($overallResult.FailedCount) test file(s) contained failures."
       }
   }
   else {
diff --git a/Tests/Bluestacks/Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/Bluestacks/Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.Tests.ps1
index 38fc11a..331ed1d 100644
--- a/Tests/Bluestacks/Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/Bluestacks/Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@
   Tests for the Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.ps1 script.
 #>
 
-Describe "Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet" -Tags "CI" {
+# Must be top-level: Pester Discovery evaluates -Skip: before BeforeAll runs.
+$script:SkipAll = ($PSEdition -eq 'Core') -or [bool]$env:CI
 
+Describe "Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet" -Tags "CI", "DesktopOnly" {
   BeforeAll {
     # Get the absolute path to the script under test
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\Bluestacks\Optimize-BluestacksVEthernet.ps1"
   }
 
-  It "Should run without errors" -Skip:(-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
+  It "Should run without errors" -Skip:($script:SkipAll -or -not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
     # Code that requires admin permissions
     Write-Host "Running test with administrative privileges..." -ForegroundColor Green
     Mock Get-NetAdapter {
diff --git a/Tests/OneNote/Find-OneNotePages.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/OneNote/Find-OneNotePages.Tests.ps1
index 443ad88..2ca76d4 100644
--- a/Tests/OneNote/Find-OneNotePages.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/OneNote/Find-OneNotePages.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@
   Tests for Find-OneNotePages.ps1
 #>
 
-Describe "Find-OneNotePages.ps1" {
+# Must be top-level: Pester Discovery evaluates -Skip: before BeforeAll runs.
+$script:SkipAll = [bool]$env:CI
 
+Describe "Find-OneNotePages.ps1" -Tag "Integration" {
   BeforeAll {
     # Set the path to the script under test.
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\OneNote\Find-OneNotePages.ps1"
   }
 
   # This is an integration test that requires a running OneNote instance.
-  It "should return formatted output when pages are found" -Tag 'Integration' {
+  It "should return formatted output when pages are found" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
     $output = (& $script:ScriptPath -Query "MyNote" | Out-String).Trim()
     $output | Should -Match "Test Notebook"
     $output | Should -Match " > Test Section"
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ Describe "Find-OneNotePages.ps1" {
     $output | Should -Match "URI          : "
   }
 
-  It "should return a warning when no pages are found" {
+  It "should return a warning when no pages are found" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
     $output = (& $script:ScriptPath -Query "NonExistentPage" | Out-String).Trim()
     $output | Should -BeNullOrEmpty
     $output = (& $script:ScriptPath -Query "NonExistentPage" 3>&1 | Out-String).Trim()
diff --git a/Tests/OneNote/Out-OneNoteSections.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/OneNote/Out-OneNoteSections.Tests.ps1
index 99f1cc0..fe3a062 100644
--- a/Tests/OneNote/Out-OneNoteSections.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/OneNote/Out-OneNoteSections.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@
   Tests for Out-OneNoteSections.ps1
 #>
 
-Describe "Out-OneNoteSections.ps1" {
+# Must be top-level: Pester Discovery evaluates -Skip: before BeforeAll runs.
+$script:SkipAll = [bool]$env:CI
 
+Describe "Out-OneNoteSections.ps1" -Tag "Integration" {
   BeforeAll {
     # Set the path to the script under test.
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\OneNote\Out-OneNoteSections.ps1"
   }
 
   Context "When OneNote has notebooks" {
-    It "should list all notebooks and their sections" {
+    It "should list all notebooks and their sections" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $output = (& $script:ScriptPath | Out-String).Trim()
       $output | Should -Match "Archive"
       $output | Should -Match "### Ideas"
diff --git a/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.Tests.ps1
index a6a679d..ccbfed8 100644
--- a/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.Tests.ps1
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Describe "Export-VSCodeExtensionList.ps1" {
 
         It "writes a header with generation timestamp and machine name" {
             $content = Get-Content -Path $script:ExpectedOutputFile -Raw
-            $content | Should -Match "VS Code Profile & Extension Export"
+            $content | Should -Match "VS Code Profile and Extension Export"
             $content | Should -Match "Generated:"
             $content | Should -Match "Machine:\s+$env:COMPUTERNAME"
         }
diff --git a/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeProfiles.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeProfiles.Tests.ps1
index 4f5c1df..5a093cb 100644
--- a/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeProfiles.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/VSCode/Export-VSCodeProfiles.Tests.ps1
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ extension export, settings backup, manifest generation, and WhatIf behavior.
 #>
 
 #Requires -Version 5.0
+#Requires -PSEdition Desktop
 #Requires -Module Pester
 
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
 Describe "Export-VSCodeProfiles.ps1" {
     BeforeAll {
         # Use a temp directory to avoid polluting the user's Documents folder
@@ -55,26 +58,26 @@ echo ext2.vscode' -Encoding ASCII
     }
 
     Context "Parameter validation" {
-        It "accepts a custom OutputDirectory" {
+        It "accepts a custom OutputDirectory" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             { & $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "out") -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -CodeCommand $script:CodePath -WhatIf } | Should -Not -Throw
         }
 
-        It "accepts a custom VSCodeUserDataPath" {
+        It "accepts a custom VSCodeUserDataPath" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             { & $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "out2") -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -CodeCommand $script:CodePath -WhatIf } | Should -Not -Throw
         }
 
-        It "throws for invalid OutputDirectory characters" {
+        It "throws for invalid OutputDirectory characters" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             { & $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory "C:\bad|path" -WhatIf } |
                 Should -Throw "*OutputDirectory contains invalid path characters*"
         }
     }
 
     Context "Prerequisite checks" {
-        It "throws when VSCodeUserDataPath does not exist" {
+        It "throws when VSCodeUserDataPath does not exist" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             { & $script:ScriptPath -VSCodeUserDataPath "C:\nonexistent\path" -WhatIf } | Should -Throw "VS Code user data directory not found:*"
         }
 
-        It "throws when storage.json is missing" {
+        It "throws when storage.json is missing" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             Remove-Item -Path (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User\globalStorage\storage.json") -Force
             try {
                 { & $script:ScriptPath -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -WhatIf } | Should -Throw "VS Code storage.json not found*"
@@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ echo ext2.vscode' -Encoding ASCII
             }
         }
 
-        It "throws when 'code' CLI is not in PATH" {
+        It "throws when 'code' CLI is not in PATH" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             { & $script:ScriptPath -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") `
                 -CodeCommand "nonexistent_code_binary_xyz" -WhatIf } |
                 Should -Throw "VS Code CLI*not available*"
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ echo ext2.vscode' -Encoding ASCII
     }
 
     Context "Profile discovery" {
-        It "discovers profiles from storage.json" {
+        It "discovers profiles from storage.json" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             $outputDir = Join-Path $script:TestRoot "out_discover"
             $output = (& $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory $outputDir -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -CodeCommand $script:CodePath -WhatIf 6>&1) | Out-String
 
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ echo ext2.vscode' -Encoding ASCII
     }
 
     Context "Extension export" {
-        It "exports extensions and manifest using a custom CodeCommand" {
+        It "exports extensions and manifest using a custom CodeCommand" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             $outputDir = Join-Path $script:TestRoot "out_export"
 
             & $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory $outputDir -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -CodeCommand $script:CodePath
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ echo ext2.vscode' -Encoding ASCII
     }
 
     Context "WhatIf behavior" {
-        It "does not create output files when -WhatIf is specified" {
+        It "does not create output files when -WhatIf is specified" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
             $outputDir = Join-Path $script:TestRoot "out_whatif"
             { & $script:ScriptPath -OutputDirectory $outputDir -VSCodeUserDataPath (Join-Path $script:TestRoot "User") -CodeCommand $script:CodePath -WhatIf } | Should -Not -Throw
             $outputDir | Should -Not -Exist
diff --git a/Tests/Windows/Get-DiskReliabilityCounter.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/Windows/Get-DiskReliabilityCounter.Tests.ps1
index ceb6079..4e54001 100644
--- a/Tests/Windows/Get-DiskReliabilityCounter.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/Windows/Get-DiskReliabilityCounter.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   Tests for Get-DiskReliabilityCounter.ps1 script.
 #>
 
+#Requires -PSEdition Desktop
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
 Describe "Get-DiskReliabilityCounter Script" -Tag "CI" {
 
   BeforeAll {
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ Describe "Get-DiskReliabilityCounter Script" -Tag "CI" {
   }
 
   Context "Execution" {
-    It "Should execute without throwing" -Skip:(-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
+    It "Should execute without throwing" -Skip:($script:SkipAll -or -not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
     # Code that requires admin permissions
       { & $script:ScriptPath } | Should -Not -Throw
     }
diff --git a/Tests/Windows/Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/Windows/Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD.Tests.ps1
index eed77ed..9d912a5 100644
--- a/Tests/Windows/Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/Windows/Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   Tests for Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD.ps1 script.
 #>
 
+#Requires -PSEdition Desktop
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
 Describe "Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
 
   BeforeAll {
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       }
     }
 
-    It "Should use default VHDX path when not specified" {
+    It "Should use default VHDX path when not specified" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true } -ParameterFilter { $Path -like "*docker_data.vhdx*" }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
       Mock Get-Process { $null } -ParameterFilter { $Name -eq "Docker Desktop" }
@@ -135,7 +138,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       { & $script:ScriptPath -VhdPath $script:TestVhdPath } | Should -Not -Throw
     }
 
-    It "Should accept custom VHDX path" {
+    It "Should accept custom VHDX path" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true } -ParameterFilter { $Path -eq $script:TestVhdPath }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } } -ParameterFilter { $Path -eq $script:TestVhdPath }
       Mock Get-Process { $null }
@@ -155,7 +158,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       }
     }
 
-    It "Should call Optimize-VHD with correct parameters" {
+    It "Should call Optimize-VHD with correct parameters" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
       Mock Get-Process { $null }
@@ -166,7 +169,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-DockerDesktopVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       Assert-MockCalled Optimize-VHD -ParameterFilter { $Mode -eq 'Full' } -Scope It
     }
 
-    It "Should not prompt to stop Docker when not running" {
+    It "Should not prompt to stop Docker when not running" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Get-Process { $null } -ParameterFilter { $Name -eq "Docker Desktop" }
       Mock Test-Path { $true }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
diff --git a/Tests/Windows/Optimize-WslDistroVHD.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/Windows/Optimize-WslDistroVHD.Tests.ps1
index 81d6909..8f08366 100644
--- a/Tests/Windows/Optimize-WslDistroVHD.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/Windows/Optimize-WslDistroVHD.Tests.ps1
@@ -3,9 +3,14 @@
   Tests for Optimize-WslDistroVHD.ps1 script.
 #>
 
+#Requires -PSEdition Desktop
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
 Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
 
   BeforeAll {
+    if ($script:SkipAll) { return }
+
     # Get the absolute path to the script under test
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\Windows\Optimize-WslDistroVHD.ps1"
 
@@ -22,17 +27,17 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
   }
 
   Context "Script Structure" {
-    It "Should exist" {
+    It "Should exist" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Test-Path -Path $script:ScriptPath -PathType Leaf | Should -Be $true
     }
 
-    It "Should contain valid PowerShell syntax" {
+    It "Should contain valid PowerShell syntax" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $errors = $null
       $null = [System.Management.Automation.PSParser]::Tokenize((Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw), [ref]$errors)
       $errors.Count | Should -Be 0
     }
 
-    It "Should have Requires-Version 5.1 or higher" {
+    It "Should have Requires-Version 5.1 or higher" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $content = Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw
       $content | Should -Match "#Requires\s+-Version\s+5\.[1-9]"
     }
@@ -43,23 +48,23 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       $scriptContent = Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw
     }
 
-    It "Should have a SYNOPSIS section" {
+    It "Should have a SYNOPSIS section" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "\.SYNOPSIS"
     }
 
-    It "Should have a DESCRIPTION section" {
+    It "Should have a DESCRIPTION section" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "\.DESCRIPTION"
     }
 
-    It "Should have at least one EXAMPLE section" {
+    It "Should have at least one EXAMPLE section" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "\.EXAMPLE"
     }
 
-    It "Should have a NOTES section" {
+    It "Should have a NOTES section" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "\.NOTES"
     }
 
-    It "Should have a LINK section" {
+    It "Should have a LINK section" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "\.LINK"
     }
   }
@@ -69,27 +74,27 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       $scriptContent = Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw
     }
 
-    It "Should have DistroName parameter" {
+    It "Should have DistroName parameter" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match '\[string\]\$DistroName'
     }
 
-    It "Should have VhdPath parameter" {
+    It "Should have VhdPath parameter" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match '\[string\]\$VhdPath'
     }
 
-    It "Should have Mode parameter" {
+    It "Should have Mode parameter" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match '\[string\]\$Mode'
     }
 
-    It "Should have ValidateSet for Mode parameter with Full, Retain, None" {
+    It "Should have ValidateSet for Mode parameter with Full, Retain, None" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "ValidateSet\('Full',\s*'Retain',\s*'None'\)"
     }
 
-    It "Should default Mode to Full" {
+    It "Should default Mode to Full" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match '\[string\]\$Mode\s*=\s*''Full'''
     }
 
-    It "Should support ShouldProcess" {
+    It "Should support ShouldProcess" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "SupportsShouldProcess\s*=\s*\`$true"
     }
   }
@@ -99,23 +104,23 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       $scriptContent = Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw
     }
 
-    It "Should define Get-WslDistroList function" {
+    It "Should define Get-WslDistroList function" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "function\s+Get-WslDistroList"
     }
 
-    It "Should define Get-WslDistroVhdPath function" {
+    It "Should define Get-WslDistroVhdPath function" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "function\s+Get-WslDistroVhdPath"
     }
 
-    It "Should define Select-WslDistro function" {
+    It "Should define Select-WslDistro function" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "function\s+Select-WslDistro"
     }
 
-    It "Should define Stop-WslDistro function" {
+    It "Should define Stop-WslDistro function" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "function\s+Stop-WslDistro"
     }
 
-    It "Should use ShouldContinue in Stop-WslDistro for user confirmation" {
+    It "Should use ShouldContinue in Stop-WslDistro for user confirmation" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "ShouldContinue"
     }
   }
@@ -142,7 +147,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       }
     }
 
-    It "Should optimize a VHDX when -VhdPath is provided directly" {
+    It "Should optimize a VHDX when -VhdPath is provided directly" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
       Mock Test-Path { $true }
       Mock Optimize-VHD { }
@@ -161,7 +166,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       Assert-MockCalled Optimize-VHD -Times 1 -Scope It
     }
 
-    It "Should accept custom VHDX path" {
+    It "Should accept custom VHDX path" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true } -ParameterFilter { $Path -eq $script:TestVhdPath }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } } -ParameterFilter { $Path -eq $script:TestVhdPath }
       Mock Optimize-VHD { }
@@ -180,7 +185,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       Assert-MockCalled Optimize-VHD -Times 1 -Scope It
     }
 
-    It "Should call Optimize-VHD with correct parameters" {
+    It "Should call Optimize-VHD with correct parameters" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
       Mock Optimize-VHD { }
@@ -192,7 +197,7 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       Assert-MockCalled Optimize-VHD -ParameterFilter { $Mode -eq 'Full' } -Scope It
     }
 
-    It "Should not stop WSL distro when not running" {
+    It "Should not stop WSL distro when not running" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Mock Test-Path { $true }
       Mock Get-Item { [PSCustomObject]@{ Length = 1048576 } }
       Mock Optimize-VHD { }
@@ -208,12 +213,12 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       $env:LOCALAPPDATA = $env:TEMP
     }
 
-    It "Should throw when VHDX file not found" {
+    It "Should throw when VHDX file not found" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $nonExistentPath = Join-Path $env:TEMP "non-existent.vhdx"
       { Start-WslDistroVhdOptimization -VhdPath $nonExistentPath } | Should -Throw
     }
 
-    It "Should throw when file is not .vhdx extension" {
+    It "Should throw when file is not .vhdx extension" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $invalidPath = Join-Path $env:TEMP "invalid.txt"
       "" | Set-Content -Path $invalidPath
       { Start-WslDistroVhdOptimization -VhdPath $invalidPath } | Should -Throw
@@ -230,12 +235,12 @@ Describe "Optimize-WslDistroVHD Script" -Tag "CI" {
       Mock Read-Host { "1" }
     }
 
-    It "Should support WhatIf parameter" {
+    It "Should support WhatIf parameter" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $scriptContent = Get-Content -Path $script:ScriptPath -Raw
       $scriptContent | Should -Match "SupportsShouldProcess\s*=\s*\`$true"
     }
 
-    It "Should not call Optimize-VHD when -WhatIf is used" {
+    It "Should not call Optimize-VHD when -WhatIf is used" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       Start-WslDistroVhdOptimization -VhdPath $script:TestVhdPath -Mode Full -WhatIf
       Should -Invoke Optimize-VHD -Times 0 -Scope It
     }
diff --git a/Tests/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
index 46628f1..47a1dfb 100644
--- a/Tests/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 # Test for Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
 # Requires -Modules Pester
 
-BeforeAll {
-  # Path to the script being tested
-  $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\theBrain\Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1"
+# NOTE: Must be top-level (not inside BeforeAll) so Pester Discovery phase
+# can evaluate -Skip: expressions before BeforeAll runs.
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
+
+  BeforeAll {
+    # Path to the script being tested
+    $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\theBrain\Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1"
 
   # Set up a temporary file system structure to simulate TheBrain's data
   $script:TestDrive = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "Test-FormatTheBrainYouTubeThumbnail") -Force
@@ -24,8 +29,6 @@ BeforeAll {
   $script:OriginalContent = '[![Test Alt Text](.data/md-images/thumbnail123.jpg)](https://youtu.be/VIDEO123)'
   Set-Content -Path $script:NotesFile -Value $script:OriginalContent -Encoding UTF8
 
-  # Mock the external script dependency to return a temporary path
-  Mock Invoke-SqliteQuery { return [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = """$script:TestDrive""" } } -Verifiable
 }
 
 AfterAll {
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ AfterAll {
   Remove-Item -Path $script:TestDrive.FullName -Recurse -Force
 }
 
-Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
+Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' -Tag "DesktopOnly" {
 
   BeforeEach {
     # Reset all mocks before each test to ensure isolation
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
     Mock Convert-Path { return $Path } -Verifiable
   }
 
-  It 'should find, back up, and replace a YouTube thumbnail link' {
+  It 'should find, back up, and replace a YouTube thumbnail link' -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
     # Arrange
     # This object simulates the output of Select-String with a found match
     $MatchObject = @(
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
     Mock New-Item { return [pscustomobject]@{ FullName = $Path[0] } } -Verifiable
 
     # Act
-    . $script:ScriptPath
+    . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:BrainFolder
 
     # Assert
     $ExpectedNewString = '[![Test Alt Text](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO123/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO123)'
@@ -101,14 +104,14 @@ Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
     }
   }
 
-  It 'should do nothing if no matching links are found' {
+  It 'should do nothing if no matching links are found' -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
     # Arrange
     # Mock Select-String to return no matches
     Mock Get-ChildItem -Verifiable
     Mock Select-String { return $null } -Verifiable
 
     # Act
-    . $script:ScriptPath
+    . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:BrainFolder
 
     # Assert
     # Ensure no file operations were attempted
@@ -122,7 +125,7 @@ Describe 'Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
     }
   }
 
-  It 'should handle errors during file operations' {
+  It 'should handle errors during file operations' -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
     # Arrange
     # Simulate a match being found, same as the happy path test
     $MatchObject = @(
diff --git a/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.Tests.ps1
index 7e52d25..a29d24c 100644
--- a/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.Tests.ps1
@@ -66,4 +66,22 @@ Describe 'Get-TheBrainDataDirectory' {
       $result | Should -Be (Join-Path 'C:\Users\TestUser\Documents' -ChildPath 'Brains')
     }
   }
+
+  Context 'When -DataDirectory is provided' {
+    It 'should return the provided directory without querying the database' {
+      $testDir = Join-Path $env:TEMP 'TestBrainDataDir'
+      New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $testDir -Force | Out-Null
+
+      Mock Test-Path { $true } -ParameterFilter { $Path -eq $testDir }
+      Mock Invoke-SqliteQuery { throw 'Should not be called' } -Verifiable
+
+      $result = & $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $testDir
+      $result | Should -Be $testDir
+
+      # Should not have called Invoke-SqliteQuery since -DataDirectory bypasses it
+      Should -Not -Invoke Invoke-SqliteQuery
+
+      Remove-Item -Path $testDir -Recurse -Force
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.Tests.ps1
index 681ad0b..0e221a6 100644
--- a/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.Tests.ps1
@@ -2,51 +2,59 @@
 #
 # To run these tests, run `Invoke-Pester` in the root of the repository.
 
-Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" {
+# NOTE: These flags must be top-level (not inside BeforeAll) so the Pester
+# Discovery phase can evaluate -Skip: expressions before BeforeAll runs.
+$script:SkipAll = $PSEdition -eq 'Core'
+
+Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" -Tag "DesktopOnly" {
   BeforeAll {
     # Path to the script being tested
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\theBrain\Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1"
 
     # # Create a temporary directory structure for testing
-    $tempDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "Test-GetTheBrainLinks") -Force
-    $thought1Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $tempDir "Thought1") -ItemType Directory
-    $thought2Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $tempDir "Thought2") -ItemType Directory
-    $backupDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $tempDir "Backup") -Force
-    $thought3Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $backupDir "Thought3") -ItemType Directory
+    # NOTE: These must be script-scoped so they are visible in the It blocks,
+    # because Pester v5 BeforeAll runs in a separate scope.
+    $script:tempDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "Test-GetTheBrainLinks") -Force
+    $script:thought1Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $script:tempDir "Thought1") -ItemType Directory
+    $script:thought2Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $script:tempDir "Thought2") -ItemType Directory
+    $script:backupDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $script:tempDir "Backup") -Force
+    $script:thought3Dir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $script:backupDir "Thought3") -ItemType Directory
 
     # # Create dummy Notes.md files
-    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link](https://www.google.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
-    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note has no links."
-    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought3Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note is in a backup folder and should be ignored: [backup link](https://www.yahoo.com)."
+    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link](https://www.google.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
+    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note has no links."
+    Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought3Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note is in a backup folder and should be ignored: [backup link](https://www.yahoo.com)."
 
     # Mock Format-List to prevent UI from showing during tests
     Mock Format-List { return @( $_ ) } -Verifiable
   }
 
   AfterAll {
-    # Clean up the temporary directory
-    Remove-Item -Path $tempDir -Recurse -Force
+    # Clean up the temporary directory (guard against a failed BeforeAll)
+    if ($script:tempDir -and (Test-Path -LiteralPath $script:tempDir)) {
+      Remove-Item -Path $script:tempDir -Recurse -Force
+    }
   }
 
   Context "When searching for links" {
-    It "should find 1 link in Notes.md files" {
-      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $tempDir
+    It "should find 1 link in Notes.md files" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
+      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $script:tempDir
       $results | Should -Not -BeNullOrEmpty
       $results.Count | Should -BeNullOrEmpty
       $results[0].LinkText | Should -Be "valid link"
       $results[0].URL | Should -Be "https://www.google.com"
     }
 
-    It "should find 3 links in Notes.md files" {
+    It "should find 3 links in Notes.md files" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       # Update the Notes.md in Thought1 to have another valid link
-      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link to Google](https://www.google.com) and a [valid link to Bing](https://www.bing.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
+      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link to Google](https://www.google.com) and a [valid link to Bing](https://www.bing.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
       # Add a valid link to Thought2
-      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link to Facebook](https://www.facebook.com)."
+      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link to Facebook](https://www.facebook.com)."
 
-      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $tempDir
+      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $script:tempDir
       $results | Should -Not -BeNullOrEmpty
       $results.Count | Should -Be 3
-      $results | ForEach-Object { $_.Path } | Should -Not -Contain (Join-Path $thought3Dir "Notes.md")
+      $results | ForEach-Object { $_.Path } | Should -Not -Contain (Join-Path $script:thought3Dir "Notes.md")
       $results[0].LinkText | Should -Be "valid link to Google"
       $results[0].URL | Should -Be "https://www.google.com"
       $results[1].LinkText | Should -Be "valid link to Bing"
@@ -55,18 +63,18 @@ Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" {
       $results[2].URL | Should -Be "https://www.facebook.com"
 
       # Revert changes
-      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link](https://www.google.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
-      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note has no links."
+      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought1Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note contains a [valid link](https://www.google.com). This is not a link: [invalid link](htp://invalid-url)."
+      Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $script:thought2Dir "Notes.md") -Value "This note has no links."
     }
 
-    It "should ignore the 'Backup' directory" {
-      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $tempDir
+    It "should ignore the 'Backup' directory" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
+      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -Path $script:tempDir
       $results | Should -Not -BeNullOrEmpty
-      $results | ForEach-Object { $_.Path } | Should -Not -Contain (Join-Path $thought3Dir "Notes.md")
+      $results | ForEach-Object { $_.Path } | Should -Not -Contain (Join-Path $script:thought3Dir "Notes.md")
       $results | ForEach-Object { $_.URL } | Should -Not -Contain "https://www.yahoo.com"
     }
 
-    It "should return an empty result if no links are found" {
+    It "should return an empty result if no links are found" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $emptyTempDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "EmptyTestBrain") -Force
       $emptyThoughtDir = New-Item -Path (Join-Path $emptyTempDir "EmptyThought") -ItemType Directory
       Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $emptyThoughtDir "Notes.md") -Value "No links here."
@@ -79,9 +87,9 @@ Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" {
   }
 
   Context "With -OutputPath parameter" {
-    It "should export the results to a CSV file" {
-      $outputCsv = Join-Path $tempDir "links.csv"
-      & $script:ScriptPath -Path $tempDir -OutputPath $outputCsv
+    It "should export the results to a CSV file" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
+      $outputCsv = Join-Path $script:tempDir "links.csv"
+      & $script:ScriptPath -Path $script:tempDir -OutputPath $outputCsv
 
       Test-Path $outputCsv | Should -Be $true
       $csvContent = Import-Csv -Path $outputCsv
@@ -90,48 +98,39 @@ Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" {
       Remove-Item -Path $outputCsv -Force
     }
 
-    It "should sanitize fields to prevent CSV injection" {
+    It "should sanitize fields to prevent CSV injection" -Skip:($script:SkipAll) {
       $maliciousLinkText = '=HYPERLINK("cmd.exe","/c dir")'
       $maliciousURL = '+A1+B1'
       $maliciousContent = "This note contains a [$maliciousLinkText]($maliciousURL)."
-      $maliciousNotesDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $tempDir "ThoughtMalicious") -Force
+      $maliciousNotesDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $script:tempDir "ThoughtMalicious") -Force
       $maliciousNotesFile = Join-Path $maliciousNotesDir "Notes.md"
       Set-Content -Path $maliciousNotesFile -Value $maliciousContent
 
       # Mock Get-ChildItem
-      Mock Get-ChildItem {
-            param($Path, $Filter, $Recurse, $Directory, $Exclude)
-            if ($Filter -eq 'Notes.md') {
-                # This is the call that searches for Notes.md files
-                return @(Get-Item $maliciousNotesFile)
-            }
-            if ($Directory) {
-                # This is the call that gets the base directory for thebrain notes
-                return New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $tempDir "ThoughtMalicious") -Force
-            }
-            return $null # Default for other Get-ChildItem calls
-        }
+      Mock Get-ChildItem { return @(Get-Item $maliciousNotesFile) } -ParameterFilter { $Filter -eq 'Notes.md' } -Verifiable
+      Mock Get-ChildItem { return @(Get-Item $maliciousNotesDir) } -ParameterFilter { $Directory.IsPresent } -Verifiable
+      Mock Get-ChildItem { return $null } -Verifiable # Default for other Get-ChildItem calls
 
       # Mock Select-String to return the malicious link
       Mock Select-String {
-            [PSCustomObject]@{
-                Path       = $maliciousNotesFile
-                LineNumber = 1
-                Matches    = @(
-                    [PSCustomObject]@{ # This is a single 'Match' object
-                        Groups = @(
-                            [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = "$maliciousLinkText($maliciousURL)" }, # Group 0 (full match, approximate)
-                            [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = $maliciousLinkText }, # Group 1
-                            [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = $maliciousURL }      # Group 2
-                        )
-                    }
-                )
+        [PSCustomObject]@{
+          Path       = $maliciousNotesFile
+          LineNumber = 1
+          Matches    = @(
+            [PSCustomObject]@{ # This is a single 'Match' object
+              Groups = @(
+                [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = "$maliciousLinkText($maliciousURL)" }, # Group 0 (full match, approximate)
+                [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = $maliciousLinkText }, # Group 1
+                [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = $maliciousURL }      # Group 2
+              )
             }
-        } -ParameterFilter { $_.FullName -eq $maliciousNotesFile }
+          )
+        }
+      } -ParameterFilter { $_.FullName -eq $maliciousNotesFile } -Verifiable
 
 
-      $outputCsv = Join-Path $tempDir "malicious_links.csv"
-      & $script:ScriptPath -Path $tempDir -OutputPath $outputCsv
+      $outputCsv = Join-Path $script:tempDir "malicious_links.csv"
+      & $script:ScriptPath -Path $script:tempDir -OutputPath $outputCsv
 
       Test-Path $outputCsv | Should -Be $true
       $importedCsv = Import-Csv -Path $outputCsv
@@ -149,17 +148,15 @@ Describe "Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1" {
   }
 
   Context "Without -Path parameter" {
-    It "should call Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1 to get the default path" {
-      # Mock the dependency script
-      Mock Invoke-SqliteQuery { return [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = """$tempDir""" } } -Verifiable
-
-      & $script:ScriptPath | Out-Null
-      Should -Invoke Invoke-SqliteQuery -Times 1 -Exactly
+    It "should accept -DataDirectory as an alternative to -Path" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
+      $results = & $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:tempDir
+      $results | Should -Not -BeNullOrEmpty
+      $results[0].LinkText | Should -Be "valid link"
     }
   }
 
   Context "Error Handling" {
-    It "should throw an error for an invalid path" {
+    It "should throw an error for an invalid path" -Skip:$script:SkipAll {
       $invalidPath = "Z:\Invalid\Path\That\Does\Not\Exist"
       { & $script:ScriptPath -Path $invalidPath } | Should -Throw
     }
diff --git a/Tests/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.Tests.ps1
index ce2b30e..9765710 100644
--- a/Tests/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.Tests.ps1
@@ -10,10 +10,9 @@
 # Version: 1.0.0
 #
 
-BeforeAll {
-  # Resolve full paths to the scripts at the start
-  $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path -Path "$PSScriptRoot/../../theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1"
-  $script:GetDataDirectoryScriptPath = Resolve-Path -Path "$PSScriptRoot/../../theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+  BeforeAll {
+    # Resolve full paths to the scripts at the start
+    $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path -Path "$PSScriptRoot/../../theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1"
 
   # Create a temporary directory to simulate TheBrain's data folder structure
   $script:TempDir = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "Test-OpenTheBrainNode")
@@ -38,12 +37,6 @@ AfterAll {
 
 Describe "Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1" {
   BeforeEach {
-    # Mock the Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1 script to return our temp path.
-    # This is the correct Pester v5 syntax for mocking a script that is dot-sourced.
-    Mock $script:GetDataDirectoryScriptPath {
-      return $script:fakeBrainDataDir
-    } -Verifiable
-
     # Mock explorer.exe to prevent it from actually opening a window
     Mock explorer.exe {
       # This space intentionally left blank
@@ -62,7 +55,7 @@ Describe "Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1" {
       Mock Get-ChildItem { return @(Get-Item $script:fakeNodeFolderPath) } -Verifiable
 
       # Run the script with the NodeId of the folder we created
-      . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $script:fakeNodeId
+      . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $script:fakeNodeId -DataDirectory $script:fakeBrainDataDir
 
       # Verify that explorer.exe was called exactly once with the correct full path
       Should -Invoke "explorer.exe" -Times 1 -Exactly -ParameterFilter { $script:fakeNodeFolderPath }
@@ -76,7 +69,7 @@ Describe "Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1" {
       $nonExistentNodeId = "xyz-789-uvw-101"
 
       # Run the script with a NodeId that does not correspond to any folder
-      . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $nonExistentNodeId
+      . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $nonExistentNodeId -DataDirectory $script:fakeBrainDataDir
 
       # Verify that Write-Warning was called exactly once
       Should -Invoke "Write-Warning" -Exactly 1
@@ -89,19 +82,15 @@ Describe "Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1" {
   }
 
   Context "when an error occurs" {
-    It "should call Write-Error when Get-TheBrainDataDirectory fails" {
-      # Mock Get-Module to simulate that PSSQLite is not found, causing Get-TheBrainDataDirectory to fail
-      Mock Get-Module {
-        throw "Failed to find TheBrain data directory"
-      } -ParameterFilter {
-        $Name -eq "PSSQLite"
-      } -Verifiable
+    It "should call Write-Error when Get-ChildItem fails" {
+      # Mock Get-ChildItem to throw an exception to simulate an error
+      Mock Get-ChildItem { throw "Simulated Get-ChildItem error" } -Verifiable
 
       # Mock Write-Error to verify it's called
       Mock Write-Error
 
       # Run the script. The script's try/catch should handle the error and not throw.
-      { . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $script:fakeNodeId } | Should -Not -Throw
+      { . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $script:fakeNodeId -DataDirectory $script:fakeBrainDataDir } | Should -Not -Throw
 
       # Verify that Write-Error was called because the catch block should execute
       Should -Invoke "Write-Error" -Times 1 -Exactly
@@ -114,7 +103,7 @@ Describe "Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1" {
       $invalidNodeId = "node-id-with-@!#"
 
       # Expect a ParameterBindingValidationException because the input does not match the pattern
-      { . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $invalidNodeId } | Should -Throw -ExceptionType ([System.Management.Automation.ParameterBindingException])
+      { . $script:ScriptPath -NodeId $invalidNodeId -DataDirectory $script:fakeBrainDataDir } | Should -Throw -ExceptionType ([System.Management.Automation.ParameterBindingException])
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1 b/Tests/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
index 16f345a..120a8b6 100644
--- a/Tests/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
+++ b/Tests/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.Tests.ps1
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
   BeforeAll {
     # Path to the script being tested, resolved relative to this test script's location
     $script:ScriptPath = Resolve-Path -Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\theBrain\Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1"
-    $script:GetDataDirectoryScriptPath = Resolve-Path -Path "$PSScriptRoot\..\..\theBrain\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
 
     # Set up a temporary directory to simulate TheBrain's data folder
     $script:TestDrive = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $env:TEMP "Test-ResizeTheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail") -Force
@@ -17,8 +16,6 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
     $script:TestNotesFile = Join-Path $script:TestThoughtDir 'Notes.md'
     New-Item -Path $script:TestThoughtDir -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null
 
-    # Mock the external script dependency to return a temporary path
-    Mock Invoke-SqliteQuery { return [PSCustomObject]@{ Value = """$script:TestDrive""" } } -Verifiable
   }
 
   AfterAll {
@@ -43,7 +40,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath
+      . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       $newContent = Get-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Encoding UTF8
@@ -56,7 +53,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath -NewWidth 75
+      . $script:ScriptPath -NewWidth 75 -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       $newContent = Get-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Encoding UTF8
@@ -69,7 +66,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath
+      . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       $backupDirForThought = Join-Path $script:TestBackupDir 'TestThought'
@@ -86,7 +83,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath -ImageType resized -CurrentWidth 30 -NewWidth 80
+      . $script:ScriptPath -ImageType resized -CurrentWidth 30 -NewWidth 80 -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       $newContent = Get-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Encoding UTF8
@@ -99,7 +96,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath -ImageType resized -CurrentWidth 30 -NewWidth 80
+      . $script:ScriptPath -ImageType resized -CurrentWidth 30 -NewWidth 80 -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       $newContent = Get-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Encoding UTF8
@@ -116,7 +113,7 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
       Set-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Value $content -Encoding UTF8
 
       # Act
-      . $script:ScriptPath
+      . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir
 
       # Assert
       (Get-Content -Path $script:TestNotesFile -Encoding UTF8) | Should -Be $content
@@ -126,23 +123,21 @@ Describe 'Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1' {
   }
 
   Context 'Error Handling' {
-    It 'should call Write-Error when Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1 fails' {
+    It 'should call Write-Error when an error occurs' {
       # Arrange
       # This mock will cause the script's try/catch block to fail
-      Mock Get-Module { return $null } -ParameterFilter { $Name -eq 'PSSQLite' } -Verifiable
+      Mock Get-ChildItem { throw "Simulated error" } -Verifiable
 
       # Mock Write-Error to verify the catch block is executed
       Mock Write-Error -Verifiable
 
       # Act
       # The script should not throw an unhandled exception because it has a catch block
-      { . $script:ScriptPath } | Should -Not -Throw
+      { . $script:ScriptPath -DataDirectory $script:TestBrainDataDir } | Should -Not -Throw
 
       # Assert
       # Verify that the script's catch block called Write-Error
-      Should -Invoke Write-Error -ParameterFilter {
-        $Message -eq "An error occurred while trying to get TheBrain data directory: The 'PSSQLite' module is required but not installed. Please run 'Install-Module -Name PSSQLite'."
-      }
+      Should -Invoke Write-Error -Times 1 -Exactly
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.ps1 b/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.ps1
index 2e9b185..257aae7 100644
--- a/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.ps1
+++ b/VSCode/Export-VSCodeExtensionList.ps1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<#
+<#
 .SYNOPSIS
     Exports all VS Code profiles and their extensions to a text file.
 
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ try {
     $json = Get-Content $StorageJson -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
     $VSCodeProfiles = @("Default") + ($json.userDataProfiles | Select-Object -ExpandProperty name)
 
-    Write-Host "[✓] Found profiles: $($VSCodeProfiles -join ', ')`n"
+    Write-Host "[OK] Found profiles: $($VSCodeProfiles -join ', ')`n"
 
     # --- Build all content in memory, write once (no intermediate files) ---
     $lines = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()
 
-    $lines.Add("VS Code Profile & Extension Export")
+    $lines.Add("VS Code Profile and Extension Export")
     $lines.Add("Generated: $(Get-Date)")
     $lines.Add("Machine:   $env:COMPUTERNAME")
     $lines.Add("==================================================")
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ try {
             }
         }
         $lines | Out-File -FilePath $OutputFile -Encoding UTF8
-        Write-Host "[✓] Export complete: $OutputFile`n"
+        Write-Host "[OK] Export complete: $OutputFile`n"
     }
     else {
         Write-Host "[i] WhatIf: Output file would be written to $OutputFile`n"
diff --git a/VSCode/README.md b/VSCode/README.md
index 9c2a2e6..7d0083a 100644
--- a/VSCode/README.md
+++ b/VSCode/README.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Exports all VS Code user profiles and their installed extensions to a timestampe
 The script generates a text file named `vscode-profiles-export-YYYY-MM-DD.txt` in your **My Documents** folder by default. You can override this with the `-OutputDirectory` parameter.
 
 ```plaintext
-VS Code Profile & Extension Export
+VS Code Profile and Extension Export
 Generated: 2026-06-01
 Machine:   my-machine
 ==================================================
diff --git a/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1 b/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
index c2319bb..0695a5b 100644
--- a/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
+++ b/theBrain/Format-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
@@ -26,12 +26,18 @@
 #Requires -Version 2.0
 
 [CmdletBinding()]
+param(
+    [string]$DataDirectory
+)
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 try {
-    # Look up the Notes.md files that locate under the Brain data folder and contain the YouTube thumbnail URLs.
-    $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    if ($DataDirectory) {
+        $BrainFolder = $DataDirectory
+    } else {
+        $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    }
     $SubFolders = Get-ChildItem -Directory -Path $BrainFolder -Exclude 'Backup'
     $BackupFolder = Join-Path $BrainFolder 'Backup'
 
diff --git a/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1 b/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1
index 1e9d90c..05c13cb 100644
--- a/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1
+++ b/theBrain/Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1
@@ -23,29 +23,37 @@
 #>
 
 #Requires -Version 2.0
-#Requires -Modules PSSQLite
+
+param(
+    [string]$DataDirectory
+)
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 try {
-    # Check if PSSQLite module is available
-    if (-not (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name PSSQLite)) {
-        throw "The 'PSSQLite' module is required but not installed. Please run 'Install-Module -Name PSSQLite'."
-    }
+    if ($DataDirectory) {
+        # Use the provided directory directly (skip PSSQLite check and DB query)
+        $brainDataDirectory = $DataDirectory
+    } else {
+        # Require PSSQLite only when actually querying the database
+        if (-not (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name PSSQLite)) {
+            throw "The 'PSSQLite' module is required but not installed. Please run 'Install-Module -Name PSSQLite'."
+        }
 
-    $theBrainMetaDatabase = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "TheBrain\MetaDB\TheBrainMeta.db"
-    if (-not (Test-Path -Path $theBrainMetaDatabase)) {
-        throw "TheBrain metadata database was not found at '$theBrainMetaDatabase'."
-    }
+        $theBrainMetaDatabase = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "TheBrain\MetaDB\TheBrainMeta.db"
+        if (-not (Test-Path -Path $theBrainMetaDatabase)) {
+            throw "TheBrain metadata database was not found at '$theBrainMetaDatabase'."
+        }
 
-    $query = "SELECT Value FROM MetaSettings WHERE Name='preferences.userbraindatadirectory'"
+        $query = "SELECT Value FROM MetaSettings WHERE Name='preferences.userbraindatadirectory'"
 
-    $result = Invoke-SqliteQuery -DataSource $theBrainMetaDatabase -Query $query
-    $brainDataDirectory = $result.Value.Trim('"').Replace('\\', '\')
+        $result = Invoke-SqliteQuery -DataSource $theBrainMetaDatabase -Query $query
+        $brainDataDirectory = $result.Value.Trim('"').Replace('\\', '\')
 
-    if ($null -eq $brainDataDirectory -or $brainDataDirectory -eq '') {
-        # Default to 'Brains' folder in 'My Documents' if no value is found
-        $brainDataDirectory = Join-Path -Path ([Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments')) -ChildPath 'Brains'
+        if ($null -eq $brainDataDirectory -or $brainDataDirectory -eq '') {
+            # Default to 'Brains' folder in 'My Documents' if no value is found
+            $brainDataDirectory = Join-Path -Path ([Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments')) -ChildPath 'Brains'
+        }
     }
 
     # Check if the folder exists
diff --git a/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1 b/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1
index 71b47b0..c8821a5 100644
--- a/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1
+++ b/theBrain/Get-TheBrainNotesLinks.ps1
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
 
 param(
     [string]$Path,
-    [string]$OutputPath
+    [string]$OutputPath,
+    [string]$DataDirectory
 )
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
@@ -44,7 +45,11 @@ $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 try {
     # If no path is specified, get the default TheBrain data directory
     if (-not $Path) {
-        $Path = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+        if ($DataDirectory) {
+            $Path = $DataDirectory
+        } else {
+            $Path = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+        }
     }
 
     $PathToSearch = Get-ChildItem -Directory -Path $Path -Exclude 'Backup'
diff --git a/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1 b/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1
index 6820bf7..2dd8e99 100644
--- a/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1
+++ b/theBrain/Open-TheBrainNodeFolder.ps1
@@ -29,13 +29,19 @@
 param(
     [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
     [ValidatePattern('^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$')]
-    [string]$NodeId
+    [string]$NodeId,
+
+    [string]$DataDirectory
 )
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 try {
-    $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    if ($DataDirectory) {
+        $BrainFolder = $DataDirectory
+    } else {
+        $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    }
     $PathToSearch = Get-ChildItem -Directory -Path $BrainFolder -Exclude 'Backup'
     $Folder = Get-ChildItem -Path $PathToSearch -Directory -Filter $NodeId -Recurse
 
diff --git a/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1 b/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
index d04b2af..d09f040 100644
--- a/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
+++ b/theBrain/Resize-TheBrainNotesYouTubeThumbnail.ps1
@@ -55,13 +55,19 @@ param(
 
     [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
     [ValidateRange(1, 100)]
-    [int]$CurrentWidth = 30
+    [int]$CurrentWidth = 30,
+
+    [string]$DataDirectory
 )
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 try {
-    $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    if ($DataDirectory) {
+        $BrainFolder = $DataDirectory
+    } else {
+        $BrainFolder = . "$PSScriptRoot\Get-TheBrainDataDirectory.ps1"
+    }
     $SubFolders = Get-ChildItem -Directory -Path $BrainFolder -Exclude 'Backup'
     $BackupFolder = Join-Path $BrainFolder 'Backup'