How to fix Windows 10 Update error 0x8024a000

In the Windows ecosystem, MS Surface laptops are among the best laptops on the market, they are regarded as equivalent to Apple MAC laptops but for Windows. Microsoft Fall 2022 Event will be held on October 12th at 10 AM. The event itself will be held right before it kicks off its annual, developer-focused Ignite event in Seattle from that same day through October 14.

This event is the first in-person event that Microsoft has held since the beginning of the pandemic. We expect the launch of the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5, and maybe Surface Studio 3 as well. There are also some rumors about products themselves like choices between an ARM or x86 CPU but nothing is confirmed so far, we can just wait and see.

AVFoundationCF.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library file. This DLL file is associated with AVFoundationCF and is developed by Apple Computer Inc. for Windows PC. This file functions similarly to any other DLL files. It comprises of small programs. This DLL file is typically needed to load and start the Apple iTunes utility. The inability to call this file or the files to load triggers the AVFoundationCF.dll error message on your system. The error message can be displayed in either of the formats on your PC:

“The program can’t start because AVFoundationCF.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.” "This application failed to start because avfoundationcf.dll was not found.” "Cannot find %COMMONFILES%AppleApple Application Supportavfoundationcf.dll." "Cannot start AVFoundationCF. A required component is missing: avfoundationcf.dll.” “Avfoundationcf.dll Access Violation." "Cannot register avfoundationcf.dll."

Solution

Error Causes

AVFoundationCF.dll error can occur due to numerous reasons. However, the most common reasons for this error code include:

• Viral infection
• Corrupt or invalid registry entries
• Apple Computer Inc. hardware failure such as bad hard drive
• Missing or deleted Avfoundationcf.dll file

It is recommended to resolve the error as soon as you experience it virtually because if the error code is related to viral infection on your system, it can expose your PC to privacy errors and data security risk. And if the error is triggered by registry issues, it can lead to serious threats like system crash, failure, and data loss. Therefore, the AVFoundationCF.dll error not only hampers your ability to access and start Apple iTunes program but it also puts your PC at serious risk.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix the error AVFoundationCF.dll on your PC, here are some of the best and easy to do solutions that you can try:

Check your Recycle Bin

Since dll files are shared files, there is a possibility that this file accidentally got deleted when you were uninstalling some other program on your system. If you experience missing AVFoundationCF dll file error message after performing any program on your PC, then chances are that it got deleted and maybe in your recycle bin. So, first, check your recycle bin and search for the dll file. If you find it, restore it to fix the error.

Update Device Driver

To resolve the issue, try performing a driver update. This can be done by downloading the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s website. Now open Device Manager from the Control Panel and locate the hardware device that you want to update the driver for. Once you find the hardware you are updating the driver for, right-click on the hardware icon and choose properties. In the properties windows, click the driver tab. Now click the update driver button. To activate changes, restart your PC. To automatically update your computer's drivers when necessary, download and install DriverFIX.

Try Re-installing Apple iTunes Program

To do this, simply go to the control panel, select programs and then uninstall a program and then select iTunes.  Uninstall it and then repeat the same program and install the Apple iTunes program again on your PC by downloading the program from Apple’s official website.

Scan for Viruses

If the error still persists, then it is advisable to scan your PC for viruses. This can be easily done by running a powerful antivirus on your PC. However, please note anti-viruses are notorious for slowing down PC performance. So, may have to compromise on the speed of your system.

Clean and Repair the Registry

If the error is caused by invalid and corrupt registry entries and damaged Avfoundationcf dll file, then the best way to resolve is to download a powerful registry cleaner. We advise you to install Restoro on your PC. This is an advanced and a multi-functional PC Fixer integrated with multiple powerful utilities including a high functional registry cleaner, an antivirus and a system optimizer. The registry cleaning utility scans all the registry issues and removes all errors triggered by the registry immediately. It cleans the registry by wiping out all the unnecessary, obsolete and redundant files including invalid entries and bad registry keys. Furthermore, it also fixes the damaged and corrupt dll files including Avfoundationcf dll file. Thereby resolving the error right away. Furthermore, the antivirus deployed in this software scans for all types of malicious codes like viruses, Trojans, spyware, and malware and removes them. To ensure you don’t compromise on your PC performance, it is deployed with a system optimizer utility that boosts the speed of your computer dramatically. This tool is bug free, has a user-friendly interface and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve Avfoundationcf.dll error on your PC today!

FromDocToPDF Toolbar is a browser extension published by Mindspark InteractiveNetwork, that usually comes bundled with other potentially unwanted programs. The toolbar is distributed heavily through advertising networks.

This toolbar automatically sets your default search engine to MyWebSearch, it also sets your new tab to the DocToPDF welcome page. This toolbar ads startup registration tasks that allow it to start automatically with Windows, it gathers website traffic, clicks, data, and personal information and sends it to its ad network. Multiple anti-virus programs have detected FromDocToPDF as a browser hijacker and therefore is potentially unwanted and recommended for optional removal

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a form of unwanted software, commonly a web browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in the web browser’s settings. Browser hijacker malware is developed for numerous reasons. Often, hijackers will force hits to internet sites of their preference either to increase traffic producing higher advertisement earnings, or to gain a commission for every user visiting there. While it might seem naive, these tools were created by vicious individuals who always attempt to take full advantage of you, so that they could make money from your naive and distraction. Furthermore, hijackers could make the whole infected system vulnerable – other dangerous malware and viruses will seize these opportunities to get into your computer system very easily.

Key signs that your web browser has been highjacked

There are several signs that could indicate a browser hijacking: home-page is changed; you see new unwanted favorites or bookmarks added, typically directed to ad-filled or porn websites; the default online search engine is changed and your browser security settings have been cut down without your knowledge; unwanted new toolbars are added to your browser; your browser will display constant pop-up ads; your web browser starts running slowly or exhibits frequent errors; You can’t access specific sites, in particular anti-malware websites.

Precisely how browser hijacker infects PCs

A browser hijacker could be installed on your PC when you visit an infected website, click on an email attachment, or download something from a file-sharing website. Many browser hijackings originate from add-on applications, i.e., browser helper objects (BHO), toolbars, or plug-ins added to browsers to give them additional functionality. A browser hijacker could also come bundled up with some free software that you unknowingly download and install, compromising your PC security. Typical examples of browser hijackers include CoolWebSearch, Conduit, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, RocketTab, Delta Search, Searchult.com, and Snap.do. The presence of any browser hijacker on your system might significantly diminish the browsing experience, track your online activities that lead to serious privacy concerns, degrade overall system efficiency, and lead to software instability also.

Tips on how to get rid of browser hijackers

Certain browser hijacking could be simply stopped by discovering and eliminating the corresponding malware application through your control panel. However, most hijackers will be more difficult to locate or eliminate as they might get themselves connected with some important computer files that enable it to operate as a necessary operating system process. Novice computer users should never try for the manual form of removal, as it demands comprehensive system knowledge to carry out fixes on the system registry and HOSTS file.

How One Can Get rid of a Virus that is Blocking Websites or Preventing Downloads

Malware could cause all kinds of damage if they invade your computer, starting from stealing your private details to deleting data files on your computer. Some malware sits in between your computer and the internet connection and blocks a few or all websites that you would like to check out. It might also prevent you from installing anything on your PC, particularly anti-malware software. If you are reading this now, you may have perhaps recognized that virus infection is the reason behind your blocked net traffic. So what to do if you want to download and install anti-malware software like Safebytes? Although this kind of issue will be harder to circumvent, there are some actions you can take.

Download the antivirus in Safe Mode with Networking

If the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in Safe Mode should prevent it. Since just the minimum programs and services start-up in “Safe Mode”, there are seldom any reasons for conflicts to take place. You will have to do the following to get rid of malware in Safe mode. 1) At power on/start-up, tap the F8 key in 1-second intervals. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys and press Enter. 3) When you are into this mode, you should have access to the internet once again. Now, make use of your web browser normally and go to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) After the application is installed, allow the scan run to eliminate trojans and other threats automatically.

Switch to some other internet browser

Some malware only targets particular web browsers. If this is your situation, employ another internet browser as it might circumvent the malware. If you’re not able to download the antivirus software using Internet Explorer, this means the virus is targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you need to switch over to another web browser such as Chrome or Firefox to download Safebytes software.

Create a portable USB antivirus for removing viruses

Another solution is to create a portable anti-malware program on your USB stick. To run anti-malware using a flash drive, follow these simple steps: 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or MS Windows Defender Offline onto a clean computer system. 2) Plug the USB drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard. 4) Choose a USB drive as the place when the wizard asks you exactly where you intend to install the application. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish off the installation process. 5) Transfer the flash drive from the uninfected computer to the infected computer. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the thumb drive to run the program. 7) Click on “Scan Now” to run a scan on the infected computer for viruses.

Ensure the Safety of Your PC by Installing SafeBytes Anti-Malware Software

If you are planning to purchase anti-malware for your laptop or computer, there are lots of brands and packages for you to consider. A few of them do a good job in getting rid of threats while some will harm your PC themselves. You should look for a product that has obtained a good reputation and detects not just computer viruses but other kinds of malware as well. One of the recommended software programs is SafeBytes Anti-Malware. SafeBytes carries a superb track record of top-quality service, and customers are very happy with it. SafeBytes is a powerful, real-time anti-malware application that is designed to assist the everyday computer end user in safeguarding their computer from malicious internet threats. With its cutting-edge technology, this software will let you remove multiples types of malware including viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers. SafeBytes anti-malware comes with a plethora of enhanced features that sets it apart from all others. Let’s take a look at a few of them below: Live Protection: SafeBytes gives real-time active supervision and protection from all known viruses and malware. It’ll constantly monitor your laptop or computer for hacker activity and also provides users with superior firewall protection. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed antivirus engine, this malware removal application can find and remove many obstinate malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus applications will miss. Quick Multithreaded Scanning: SafeBytes’s very fast malware scanning engine reduces scan times and extends battery life. At the same time, it’ll effectively identify and eliminate infected computer files or any online threat. Web Protection: Safebytes allots all sites a unique safety ranking that helps you to get an idea of whether the website you’re about to visit is safe to view or known to be a phishing site. Lightweight: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-of-use antivirus and antimalware solution. As it utilizes very low computer resources, this application leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you. 24/7 Live Expert Support: You can get 24/7 technical support to immediately resolve any issue with your security software.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove FromDocToPDF without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser. To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by FromDocToPDF

There are instances when there are multiple accounts which is the result when there are a lot of users who use the computer. Some may use it more often, while others may seldom use it. Having multiple accounts can be quite confusing and inconvenient especially if it takes a lot of space. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on how you can delete a User Account on your Windows 10 computer, as well as how you can create a backup of the existing profile data and files. All the data of user accounts can be found at C:/Users, where its folder name will be exactly the same as the name of the user. You can check the exact user’s name by simply using the “net user” command either via Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. Once you delete a user account, its folder, along with its files, will also be deleted. You can also create a backup for user files and the best way to do that is by copying the folder to other partitions or to an external drive. Here are two methods you can check out to delete a user account in Windows 10 – you can do it via Windows Account settings or via the command line. For more details, follow each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Delete the user account using Windows Account settings

• First, go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
• Next, select the account you want to delete and click on the Remove button. This will open a confirmation window along with a warning message and two buttons that say, “Delete account & data” and “Cancel”.
• Click on the Delete account & data button to delete the user account.

Note: Once you remove a user account, it will also remove all its corresponding data such as items like Documents, Photos, Music, Desktop, and other related folders. Thus, if you have not created a backup, then you won’t be able to recover those files.

Option 2 – Delete the user account using the command line

If you want to delete several user accounts, then doing it via Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell is a lot quicker. To get started, follow these steps:

• In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• Next, type the “net user” command and hit Enter to execute it. This will show you the exact usernames on the computer.
• After that, type the “net user <username> /delete” command and hit Enter to execute it. This will delete the account and all of its data without any warning. You have to replace “<username>” with the name of the user account.

In today’s world and age, there are some essential IT skills that basically everyone should know. No matter in what field you are working some skills are just needed in order to function properly in the work. So, without further ado let's dive into what are these essential IT skills everyone, even your grandmother should know.

5 Essential IT skills everybody should know

1. Word processing

   No matter are you creating or editing business documents or just trying to help a friend or relative, word processing skill is an essential asset and requirement in today’s age. Writing anything on a bunch of paper is time-consuming, papers can get lost, and searching for a particular item inside a bunch of papers is not a really enjoyable experience. A much easier solution is to write, format, and keep everything on the computer and almost all employers are asking for this skill.

2. Send and using emails

   Today we live in the digital age and most communication is done in real-time via messaging apps and file sharing is done via file-sharing services. Despite mentioned technology, many files are shared and sent through emails. When a message is too long or complex when it needs to have some attachment or to be kept in archive emails are the way to go and therefore using email is a must-have essential skill.

3. Using search engines

   When talking about using search engines we really do not think about firing up your favorite browser, going into the search engine,s and typing cat pictures. What we think is that a person should know how to use a search engine properly, tweak its search options, and phrase words and sentences to find everything he or she needs.

4. Doing data work

   Data entry and data calculations have been made easier than ever thanks to today's technology. Microsoft excel, libre office calc, google sheets, etc. are all capable of performing a great variety of calculations and keeping track of plenty of required data. This skill is often asked by employers as an essential one.

5. Cyber security

   Each employee or person, in general, should be quite aware of various scams and best practices to keep itself safe in this digital world. We have several articles on this topic and there are a great variety of articles on the internet as well.

Conclusion

No matter are you young or old, employed or looking for a job, these skills are a must-have in today’s world.  There are a lot of great tutorials online on these various topics and I am sure that your knowledgeable friend or cousin would be happy to help and show you how to do all of these things.

A lot of programs in Windows utilize the helper processes to ensure that they can get the job done as early as possible. And one of the programs that use these processes is Microsoft Edge. This built-in browser uses a process called the Edge Content process. The moment you start your computer, these system processes are loaded which makes the Edge browser load faster. To be specific, these are the three processes that are related to Microsoft Edge:

• MicrosoftEdge.exe
• MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe
• MicrosoftEdgeSH.exe

The process that ends with the “CP.exe” is the content process in Edge. However, when this process stopped working, this can affect the Edge browser. In such cases, when you check the Reliability Monitor, you will see that the state of the “Microsoft Edge Content Process” is “Stopped working” which keeps on appearing. To resolve this issue, you can try to clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge or repair or reset it. You can also try re-registering Edge via Windows PowerShell as well as check your security programs that might be causing interference with the process.

Option 1 – Clear the browsing data of Microsoft Edge

• Open Microsoft Edge.
• Then click on the three horizontal dots to open the menu.
• From there, click on Settings. And under Settings, click the “Choose what to clear” button under the Clear browsing data section.
• Next, check all the checkboxes and then click the Clear button to clear the browsing data in the Edge browser.
• Restart Edge.

Option 2 – Try to reset, repair or reinstall Edge via Settings

You can reset, repair or reinstall the Edge browser through Settings. If none of it helped, you can try the following:

• Open File Explorer and then go to this path – C:/Users/YourUsername/AppData/Local/Packages

Note: Before you type in the path in the Address bar, make sure that you put your user account name in place with the “YourUsername”.

• Tap Enter to proceed.
• Next, look for the folder named “MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe” then right-click on it.
• Click on Properties and uncheck the option “Read-only” under the General tab in the Properties window.
• Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
• After that, look for the MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe folder again and delete it. And if a prompt stating “Folder Access Denied” appears on your screen, just click on the Continue button to proceed – doing so will delete most of the content inside the folder except for the folder named “AC”.
• Restart your computer

Option 3 – Re-register Edge via Windows PowerShell

• In the Start Menu, search “Windows PowerShell”.
• Right-click on Windows PowerShell from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• Type in this command in the PowerShell windows and tap Enter – Cd C:/Users/YourUsername
• After that, type in this command and tap Enter – Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
• Restart your PC.

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}

Option 4 – Try to check your security program

It is possible that a security program installed in your computer is the one that’s causing the problem which is why you have to check it. According to security experts, there are some security programs that could be detecting the Edge’s content process as suspicious, blocking or terminating it as a result. Thus, you need to modify your security program’s settings to fix the problem.

Error Code 0x8007267C – What is it?

Error code 0x8007267C is specific to Windows 10. This error is triggered when no DNS server is currently configured in your network settings during the Activation process. If you are fairly confident in your ability to address command-line tools and networking issues, you can follow the steps below to try to remedy the error code on your own. If not, you may need to contact a qualified technician in order to resolve the error successfully.

Solution

Error Causes

The cause of Error Code 0X8007267C within the Window 10 system is fairly straightforward. Windows Activation requires a valid DNS server to be configured in order to complete the Activation process; if one is not available or properly configured, then you may see this error code and Activation will fail.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The following methods may help you to resolve this error, but you’ll need to have some familiarity with command-line tools to complete the steps successfully. If these methods do not work or if you are uncomfortable in using the command prompt, you may need to consult a technician to fully resolve this particular error code on the Windows 10 system.

Method 1: Register a DNS server within your network properties and test the connection.

In order to resolve this error code, client connectivity to a DNS server must first be established. The following steps may help you to determine the root problem with your connectivity status:

1. Open a command prompt, after which you'll run IPCONFIG /all
2. Verify the following values: The IP address that has been assigned, the DNS server, the subnet mask, and the default gateway. Compare each to ensure that all are set with the values that correspond to your specific environment
3. Check for basic IP connectivity to the DNS server using the PING command. In using the PING command, utilize the address of the DNS server found in Step 1

ping <DNS Server IP address>

If basic connectivity to the DNS server in question is failing, then you will need to resolve that issue before going further in the process.

After troubleshooting the above basic connectivity issues to the DNS server, you can reattempt Windows Activation by using the command below from within an Elevated Command selection:

cscript windowssystem32slmgr.vbs -ato

If the steps above did not work for you, you may want to try the steps found in method 2.

Method 2: Use phone-based authentication with a MAK (multiple activation key).

If a DNS server is not connected to your network, you can use an alternative method to complete the Windows Activation process. Bypass Method 1 by using a MAK product key instead to activate the volume license installation. Certain MAK product key providers have a variation on the specific key numbers that you will need to use. If you are using TechNet media or MSDN media, you will have to change the product key listed to the product key provided. The product keys provided by either TechNet media or MSDN media for Windows Server 2008 or for Windows Vista Enterprise will be the MAK product key that you will enter in a later step.

Like the previous method, you will need to have some familiarity or confidence in your ability to operate Command Line tools before proceeding. Once you have found your MAK product key, you’ll need to open a command prompt and use the following command to change the product key to match the MAK product key, which should look something like the example below:

            slmgr –ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

After completing the product key change, use the following command to initiate the phone activation wizard, thereby completing the activation of the system:

            slui 04

The activation wizard should be able to walk you through the remainder of the process in a step-by-step manner. In addition to appearing as an error code in Windows 10, this particular error may apply to multiple versions of Windows, including:

• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Enterprise E
• Windows 7 Enterprise N
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Professional E
• Windows 7 Professional N

Steps to address the error code may be different in any of these other versions of Windows. If you have difficulty in resolving the error effectively, seek professional technical help.

In today's IT world, if you want a computer for typical day-to-day actions and gaming, there are 3 primary ways you can go. An Apple computer with its proprietary hardware and operating system or a typical machine with Windows or Linux operating system.

Each system has both advantages and disadvantages and picking the right one might be difficult for some users. From hardware differences to specific software and operating system, each system is aimed at a different type of work, and in this article, we will explore each one and help you in choosing the right one for you.

Apple ecosystem

Apple has managed to create a unique ecosystem of its own devices, from its iMac desktop computers to more professional MAC studio and power MAC and all the way to tablet iPad and iPhone are powered by Apple's own operating system that connects all of these devices into one large system. So if you really need one singular ecosystem this is a huge advantage.

The ecosystem on the side, MAC computer systems are great, some would argue best for coding, design, video work, and sound editing. MAC M2 chip is optimized for all of these tasks and a specially tailored operating system is just the icing on the cake. Specific Apple-made software like a logic pro or final cut also helps a lot to position MAC systems on top of the line.

Reading all of this you might think hey this is the computer for me, it does everything! Sadly the truth is not like that. The first thing that is difficult on MAC systems and a maybe big reason that it is not so adopted outside professional working environment is lack of games. If you are a gamer or plan on using MAC for gaming, well I have some bad news. The second big turn-off is that MAC systems tend to be more expensive than PC systems, yes components are of higher quality but rest assured that you will pay for also for branding.

Get MAC as your workstation for serious work and for good tech support, if you need a plain home computer keep reading.

Windows PC machine

There is no better feeling than assembling your own computer, tweaking hardware to make a monster and despite haters hating, Windows is the best all-around operating system on the market. It is supporting the largest variety of hardware and the largest variety of software.

The best platform for serious gaming and streaming Windows machine has cemented itself as a multimedia powerhouse. But, this kind of computer is not alien to being also a professional machine, you can practically do everything that you can do on Apple or Linux machine inside Windows, yes some things might require extra steps or will be slightly slower but in the end, being able to do anything is the greatest strength of Windows machine.

Of course, every system has its flaws and Windows is not immune to that. One of the biggest is being the operating system for every hardware ever made and every software as well while keeping legacy support for old software and hardware, basically, its biggest strength is in the same time its biggest weakness leading to sometimes stability issues. Also being able to place any kind of hardware can also lead to the same stability issues. Executing something a little slower than other systems and having some extra steps can also be looked upon as weaknesses.

Linux system

First and perhaps for some people, the biggest advantage of the Linux operating system is its price, it is completely free! Other advantages include the great server and networking included in the OS itself, the large amount of customization, and unmatched stability. The ability to write scripts inside the OS terminal is also a great thing and coding is much more streamlined and friendlier than on other machines.

The power of Linux is the ability to change anything, even on the system layer, no other operating system will let you change the basic functionality of the OS itself while Linux will let you do this. It is also the only operating system you can fully use by booting it up from a USB stick and having the same experience as it was installed on a local hard drive. Among other OS mentioned earlier, Linux is by far the lightest one, taking the smallest amount of memory among the three.

The bad side of the Linux machine is the steep learning curve, among the three mentioned operating systems rest assured Linux is the most difficult to learn and be comfortable in it. The operating system will require you to know the hardware and how computers work in order to fully use its potential. Other things that place it behind are not so wide hardware support compared to Windows and the somewhat confusing distro model.

Linux versions come in form of different distro packages and first-time users will face many of them being left in awe of which one to choose. Also installing drivers and software via a package system can also be a tedious task as well, often being that some version of the driver will not work on the newer version of the Linux distro.

Get a Linux machine if you are well versed in computer technology, if you want great customization of the OS itself or if you do not want to spend money on OS and software since almost entire Linux software is open source.

In this post, you will be guided on how you can turn on or turn off the Tailored Experiences feature in Windows 10 using three methods – via Settings, Registry Editor, and Group Policy Editor. The Tailored Experiences feature in Windows 10 helps Microsoft in delivering recommendations about Microsoft Products. The diagnostic data that comes with it allows Microsoft to know about its consumers’ experiences as well as collect feedback. To simply put it, tailored experiences are personalized tips, ads, and recommendations that enhance Microsoft products and services for consumer needs. And when you enable this feature, Windows will collect information from your browser, apps, features, and many more. After collecting information, it will offer contents that are tailored based on the data gathered on the lock screen of your computer, Windows tips, and other related functions. On the other hand, the diagnostic data is the one that allows Microsoft to get feedback from the customer. So if you’ve noticed some prompts when you use Windows that ask you about the experience, that’s actually a part of the diagnostic data. A lot of users find this feature useful. However, there are also skeptical ones that don’t share the same sentiments. If you are one of the skeptical ones, you actually have the option to turn this feature off if you do not want Microsoft to show ads, recommendations, and so on. It is also recommended that you enable the Diagnostic Data collection as you can choose to delete any collected data, as well as control the feedback frequency from Automatic to Once a day, or once a week, or to never. As mentioned, there are three methods you can choose from to either turn on or turn off Tailored Experiences. You can do it via Settings, Registry Editor, and the Group Policy Editor. To get started, follow the options provided below.

Option 1 – via Settings

To turn on or off Tailored Experiences using Settings, refer to these steps:

• Go to Settings and here, click on Privacy.
• Next, go to Diagnostic and Feedback.
• From there, toggle off the control under the Tailored experiences option to turn it off or toggle it on, if you want to turn it on.

Option 2 – via Registry Editor

To turn on or off Tailored Experiences via Registry Editor, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPrivacy
• After that, look for the DWORD named “TailoredExperiencesWithDiagnosticDataEnabled” and change its value to 0 if you want to turn it off or 1 if you want to turn it on.

Option 3 – via Group Policy Editor

To turn on or off Tailored Experiences using the Group Policy Editor, here’s what you have to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to this policy setting: User ConfigurationAdminstrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsCloud Content
• Here, double click on the “Do not use diagnostic data for tailored experiences” option and select Enabled. Once you do that, you will see the following description:

“This policy setting lets you prevent Windows from using diagnostic data to provide tailored experiences to the user. If you enable this policy setting, Windows will not use diagnostic data from this device (this data may include browser, app, and feature usage, depending on the “diagnostic data” setting value) to customize the content shown on the lock screen, Windows tips, Microsoft consumer features, and other related features. If these features are enabled, users will still see recommendations, tips, and offers, but they may be less relevant. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Microsoft will use diagnostic data to provide personalized recommendations, tips, and offers to tailor Windows for the user’s needs and make it work better for them. This setting does not control Cortana tailored experiences, since there are separate policies to configure it.”

As you know, the Windows Media Creation Tool is a great utility in Windows that helps lots of users in installing Windows on their PCs. However, just like any other program in Windows, it also experiences a couple of issues every now and then. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can resolve a particular issue in the Media Creation Tool which is the error 0x80042405-0xA001A. You can encounter this error while creating a USB installation media used in installing Windows 10. When getting this kind of error in the Windows Media Creation Tool, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“We’re not sure what happened, but we’re unable to run this tool on your PC, Error code 0x80042405 – 0xA001A”

The error 0x80042405 – 0xA001A occurs while creating a bootable USB installation drive. This is a common error faced by many users and it has something to do with the USB hardware. To get this issue fixed, here are some suggestions you could check out.

Option 1 – Try to reformat the USB drive

Reformatting your USB drive might help in fixing error 0x80042405 – 0xA001A.

• Open This PC and right-click your USB drive from there then select Format.
• Next, select FAT32 as the drive type and uncheck the “Quick Format” option.
• After that, try to run the Windows Media Creation Tool again and check if the error is fixed or not. But hopefully, it should work since formatting the drive as FAT32 will give the driver a proper type and would resolve any minor issues in the drive.

Option 2 – Copy the Windows Media Creation Tool to the USB drive

If the first option didn’t work, you might want to copy the latest version of the Media Creation Tool to the USB drive. After you do that, you can run it from inside the drive. This is actually a working fix and can definitely get the USB drive to run with Windows inside it so it should resolve the error 0x80042405 – 0xA001A on the Windows Media Creation Tool.

Option 3 – Run CHKDSK to check the drive for errors

When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system including the “Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes” error.

• Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
• Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
• After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:

CHKDSK [volume [[path] filename]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/C] [: size]]

Note: In the command given above, “[/F]” will try to fix the system errors while “[/R]” will be the one to fix the bad sectors.

• Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
• If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
• After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
• Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.

Option 4 – Try checking the hardware components

On the other hand, it is also possible that the issue has something to do with a hardware problem and so you need to check the hardware components on your computer to determine that.