Windows 11 slows down some SSD drives

Magcore.dll Error - What is it?

Magcore.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library. This file is associated with software developed by ArcSoft, a renowned multimedia application developer. Magcore.dll consists of small programs that help load and run software developed by ArcSoft on your system smoothly. This file virtually comes into function when you use certain audio and video features incorporated in ArcSoft programs for example ArcSoft Media converter. However, you may experience Magcore.dll error code on when this DLL file fails to run and load programs. The error may hamper your ability to access ArcSoft programs on your system and cause you a great deal of inconvenience. Magcore.dll error is often displayed in any one of the following formats:

“The file magcore.dll is missing” “MagCore.dll cannot be found” "Cannot find [PATH]magcore.dll" “This application has failed to start because MagCore.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix the error.”

Solution

Error Causes

This DLL file is known to be prone to errors. MagCore.dll error occurs due to several reasons such as:

• Missing or damaged MagCore.dll file
• Hardware failure
• Viral infection
• Registry issues

If you experience MagCore.dll error on your system, it is advisable to fix it right away. Though it is not fatal, but if you don’t repair it, you may not be able to access practically all ArcSoft programs on your PC.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the efficient and easy manual methods to resolve error MagCore.dll on your PC:

Method 1 - Scan and Remove Malware

MagCore.dll error can be triggered by viral or other malware infection. Malware can easily damage DLL files and masquerade as the MagCore.dll file. To resolve, simply download a powerful antivirus on your system. Run it to scan your entire PC for viruses and remove them right away.

Method 2 - Update the Drivers for Hardware Devices

As we mentioned above the error may be related to hardware failure too. In times like these, it is advisable to update the drivers for hardware devices. For example if you try to play a 3D video game and it fails to run showing you MagCore.dll error message, then simply try updating the drivers for your video card. Drivers can be updated in Windows by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager.

Method 3 - Use System Restore to Undo Recent System Changes

After trying method 1 and 2, if the error code still persists, then it is opt for method 3. Use Windows System Restore utility to undo recent system changes and bring your PC to its normal previous condition before the error occurred. To restore, simply go to the start menu, type System Restore. Now click on System Restore and just pick a point in the past called a restore point to return important Windows files and settings.

Method 4 - Repair the Registry

If the underlying cause of the MagCore.dll error code is related to registry issues, then simply repair the registry. You can fix it manually but it is a little complicated and time-consuming. You may find it difficult if you are not a technical whiz. Nonetheless to resolve and repair it in seconds, download Restoro. This is a powerful and a user-friendly PC Fixer embedded with a registry cleaner and several other highly functional scanners. Run it to scan your entire PC for registry problems. The registry cleaner utility removes all bad and invalid entries, cleans up the registry space, and repairs the damaged files. Click here to download Restoro and repair MagCore.dll error code on your PC.

Error Code 0xC004C020 (Code 0xC004C020) – What is it?

Error code 0xC004C020 (Code 0xC004C020) is an error that occurs when you attempt to activate a copy of Windows 7 with a key, but the key has already been activated multiple times. When receiving this error code, it means that you are trying to exceed the number of times that the Windows 7 key is allowed to be activated. Common symptoms include:

• Attempting to install Windows 7 with a key and a dialog box with the code 0xC004C020 is displayed.
• The computer is unable to install Windows 7 with the key.
• Certain features will refrain from working until the correct key has been entered.

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 0xC004C020 occurs when you are not able to install Windows 7 using a previously purchased key code that has been installed numerous times previously on the same computer.

• You are not able to use your previously used key to install Windows 7.
• You have used the Windows 7 key the maximum number of times allowed.

Error code 0xC004C020 simply means that the Windows 7 code that you are trying to use to install Windows 7 has already been used the maximum number of times allowed, even when installing it on the same computer that it was previously used on. This would indicate that the key is what is known as a volume key- meaning that there is a cap on the number of uses.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Many people encounter this problem when they are doing software development or testing and need to reinstall Windows 7. Some people might also encounter this error code when installing Windows 7 with a key that was used too many times previously. It should be noted that there are several ways to fix this problem, but if nothing is working, you should contact a computer repair technician.

Method One

Activate by phone- the long method.

1. Click the start button, right-click Computer, click Properties, and then click Activate Windows.  This will open Windows Activation.
2. Click on “Show me other ways to activate”.
3. Find and enter the Windows 7 key, then click Next.
4. Click on “Use the automated phone system”. If you are prompted for an administrator password or a confirmation, confirm or type the password now.
5. Select the location nearest to you and then click the Next button.
6. There will be a list of available phone numbers, choose one and call it. There will be an automated system that will guide the activation process.
7. Enter the installation ID when prompted, it will be listed on your computer screen.
8. The phone system will give you a confirmation ID, write this down.
9. Type this confirmation ID into the space that is provided by step 3. This will be in the activation dialogue. Then, click NEXT and follow the instruction.
10. If this is not successful, stay on the line and be transferred to a customer service representative that will assist you.

Method Two

Activate by phone- this is a much simpler method.

1. Click on Start, type: slui.exe 4 into the Search box
2. Press Enter on the keyboard.
3. Pick your country.
4. Choose the Phone Activation option; stay on hold to speak with a customer service representative.

Method Three

Error code 0xC004C020 occurs if you have used your Windows 7 activation key on multiple computers, or multiple times on the same computer. You are not allowed to exceed the uses of the key—you should consider purchasing a new key if this is the case. A Windows 7 key is available for purchase online through the Microsoft website, in the shop section. The new product key must then be activated within 30 days, or it becomes no longer valid. It can be activated online or through the telephone. If it is not activated on time, features will stop working until the new key has been activated. This should be the last resort method, as you should not have to purchase a new Windows 7 key code if it is not necessary. If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

You might have experienced a situation where you’re trying to install or update your Java application on your Windows 10 computer but were not able to do so for some reason. One of the problems you can encounter while updating or installing Java is Error Code 1603. There are two ways you can install Java – you have the option to choose where to get Java either from the online download or offline download. There are times when before you can install Java, you might have to disable the firewall first as it may interrupt the Java online installation. And while doing so, if you are getting the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error message, read on as this post will show you what you can do to fix it. At the time of writing, the exact cause of this error is still unknown. On the other hand, you must still check if you have fulfilled all the system requirements needed to install Java. You have to make sure that your Windows 10 PC has sufficient disk space available for the Java installation or update. In addition, you also have to make sure that you meet all the hardware requirements and you are using a popular web browser for the installation, and that you have administrative privileges for download and installation. To fix the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Restart your computer before you install the new Java package

You might have to restart your computer if you got the error code 1603 while installing Java through an offline download.

• Restart your computer.
• Next, download and install the offline installer of the Java package from the official site of Java and not some third-party source.
• In the prompt box that appears while downloading the Java package, select the option Save in and save the package in your preferred folder.
• After that, navigate to the saved, downloaded package on your computer and then double click on the file to begin the installation process.

After that, if it didn’t fix the problem and you’re still getting the error code 1603, follow the next given option below.

Option 2 – Uninstall the old versions of Java before you install the new package

• Open the Control Panel.
• After that, click on Programs and features.
• Then select the old Java package and click on Uninstall.
• Restart your computer and then try installing the new Java package again from its official site.

Option 3 – Disable the Java content in the browser you’re using via Java Control Panel and reinstall Java

• Open the Control Panel again.
• And then click on the Java icon to open the Java Control Panel.
• Next, navigate to the Security tab and then uncheck the “Enable Java content in the browser” option.
• Then click on Apply and then Ok to save the changes made.
• Now install the new Java package again after you download it from its official website.
• Once the installation is completed, re-enable the “Enable Java content in the browser” option in the Java Control Panel as it is essential especially if you are running Java content in your browser.

Windows Terminal is a new free Microsoft terminal sort of application. When you open either Power Shell or Command Prompt in Windows they will be opened in different windows, and if you want several of each you will have several windows of each on your screen. Windows Terminal fixes this by opening each of the Instances of Command Prompt and Power Shell as separate tabs inside itself making it much easier to manage multiple instances of named applications. You can also run both Power Shell and Command prompt tabs in the same Windows Terminal. Luckily running command prompt and power shell in different tabs is not the only thing you can do. Windows Terminal lets you choose your own theme, it has emoji support, GPU rendering, split panes, and many more customizable options. Windows 11 will have Terminal as the default command-line environment for opening Power Shell or Command prompt, even Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Setting Windows Terminal as the default application

If I was successful I have managed to show you that Windows Terminal is something that you should use even if you do not or cannot upgrade to Windows 11. You can use it inside Windows 10 also. First thing is to download and install it. You can get Windows Terminal from the official Microsoft website here: Windows Terminal page After download and installation are completed, open the Terminal app and select the down arrow menu, click Settings. Alternatively, you can use CTRL + + shortcut. Inside Settings by default Default Terminal application would be set to Windows Console Host Click on the Default Terminal application to bring a drop-down menu and choose Windows Terminal from the list. Now by default once opened Windows Terminal will use Power Shell as the default profile, however, you can change this by clicking on the drop-down for the default profile where you can choose between Command Prompt, Power Shell, Windows Power Shell, or Azure Cloud Shell. Pick one that you prefer, click on Save and it will be opened as default on the next run.

A new update to popular Microsoft PowerToys has brought a few new features that are aimed at speeding up the workflow. The first new feature that was slid in is Always on top utility. With this cool utility, you can keep the window as the name suggests, always on top of other windows. To enable this cool feature all you have to do is press the key combination of ⊞ WINDOWS + CTRL + T and an active window will be now always on top of all other windows. To reverse and unlock this window from being always on top just press key combination again. A second new feature is a really great one and my favorite thing to happen in power toys. Often we are making the search in our browsers to find stuff, things, maybe some explanations, information, etc. The newest update in power toys brings this to a whole new dimension. While you are on PC you just simply need to type ?? followed by questions like: ?? When doctor strange 2 is coming out and that will launch your default browser with your chosen search engine and provide you with the answer. Third and final thing is G-code support in the file explorer preview pane and thumbnails, meaning that if you work with CNC equipment you can now have a thumbnail preview of the code itself inside File Explorer. And that’s it for now, thank you for coming and reading, Take care and I hope to see you next time.

Recently, a number of users reported not being able to use the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue can be quite annoying as you won’t be able to use your computer properly, especially when you navigate between programs and windows. In such cases, the buttons on the right side of the title bar won’t respond to any inputs which could be caused by a number of factors such as different input modes, corrupted system files, and many more. If you are one of the users who are currently facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve it. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the issue. You can try to check if Tablet Mode is enabled and if it is, you have to disable it. You could also boot your computer in a Clean Boot State to check if a third-party program is the one that’s causing the problem. In addition, you could also reinstall the program where you experience the problem or run built-in utilities like System File Checker and DISM tool.

Option 1 – Make sure that you are not in Tablet Mode

Since Windows 10 is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, it could be that your computer has slipped into Tablet Mode which explains why you’re not seeing the Taskbar. To check if your computer is really in Tablet Mode, follow these steps:

• Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
• Next, select the System setting and from the left pane select the Tablet Mode.
• From there, make sure that the buttons next to the options given below are set to the off position:
  • Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode

Option 2 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

As pointed out, it is possible that some third-party program or service is the one that’s behind the problem. To isolate this possibility and to identify the culprit, you have to put your computer into a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer is in a Clean Boot State, try to open the program where the problem occurred.

Option 3 – Try reinstalling the program

If the first two options didn’t work, then you might want to consider uninstalling the program and then install it back with its latest version. This should resolve the problem.

Option 4 – Try to run System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why the Restore, Minimize and Close buttons don’t work. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 5 – Run the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the problem. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish. Once it’s done, restart your computer.

Long working hours on a laptop can have some issues with laptop heating and thus slowing down. Today we will take a look at how can you prevent it from heating and keep it in a normal temperature range so it lasts longer and works better.

Close unnecessary programs or browser tabs

Usually, the main reason for high laptop temperature is the heavy and constant workload. Of course, the solution is very simple, turn off unnecessary browser tabs or applications running in the background, and less power will be needed for operation thus directly reducing workload and temperature.

Place it on a hard flat surface

Laptops generally have vents on the side and even under them, these vents, of course, are made so hot air is disposed of through them but if they are covered that will create issues. Placing computers on textiles, pillows, and legs can obstruct their venting holes and increase heat also since they are materials that are not taking heat away.

Your best practice should be placing the laptop onto a hard flat surface so air can flow freely and if you need to keep it in your lap there are lap desks made for this purpose.

Clean the laptop

With some good cleaning, the laptop can stop overheating, and generally, it will be cooler. Vents that has for ventilation can get clogged over large periods of time due to dust which is always present. Compressed air can be a quick easy solution to open the vents and redust it. Other methods include a compressor, vacuum, or brush in order to quickly remove any dust clogs. Taking it into service for complete redusting and paste change is also a great option.

Place it on the dedicated pad

There is some disagreement about using dedicated cooling pads for laptops, some say they are not effective at all, and some swear by them but from my experience good paired laptop and pad can indeed help with cooling it down. Usually, cooling pads will come with fans that will take away heat from the laptop itself reducing its overall heat.

Change your Windows power plan

If your laptop is constantly hot but you are not doing much with him check Windows power settings. There is a good chance it is set to run on a high-performance plan and if this is the case switch it back to a balanced power setting. Power plan like high performance will drain more power and more power will mean more heating. Of course, this will affect performance as well but for regular work that excludes some power gaming, video, and picture manipulations and other demanding tasks this power plan will work just fine.

Take control of the fans inside your laptop

Internal cooling is important and sometimes fans are not running to their full capacity so increasing their speed or changing their plan of work can cool down the computer nicely. Some laptops have fans controlling application already on them, especially gaming laptops but most of them do not. If your laptop does not have it, go to your laptop brand website and see if such an application exists for your model, if it does, download and install it but if there is no such application try general free ones like SpeedFan or Argus Monitor.

Reduce voltage of CPU and GPU

How more power means more heat, reducing the power that CPU and/or GPU take can be reduced inside BIOS by lowering voltage of these 2 components. First, go to BIOS and write down the voltage that is currently assigned to your CPU and/or GPU so you can bring it back if ever needed, also take note that reducing voltage and thus power will not affect negatively your components but increasing it thus overclocking can and will so be careful when bringing voltage back not to overdo it. You can always also reset your BIOS settings to bring them back to factory settings.

Do not use the laptop when charging it

When the laptop is placed on the charger in order to be charged and used at the same time, more power is drawn to it, and since the battery is taking electric charge instead of providing it more heat will be generated now since two different sources will be generating it, the battery itself and computer. When you really can not wait for the laptop to be charged, use it, but turn it off and wait to be fully charged if you can.

Windows 10 has displayed one of the most efficient and user-friendly interfaces. However there have been many issues on the backend of this commonly praised operating system: For example, Windows Update is still a wonky and error-laded system application. One example of this error is Windows Update Error 0x80073712 which stands in the way of users just wanting to keep their PCs updated hassle-free. The error code 0x80073712 signifies that a file needed by Windows Update to function is either damaged, missing, or corrupted. However, this does not mean that your Windows version will forever stay as-is with no mode to update it. Windows Update Error 0x80073712 is perfectly fixable with the set of provided steps below and some of Windows’ built-in troubleshooting steps:

Solution 1: Open Windows Update Troubleshooter

1. Open the Windows Update Troubleshooter by pressing the Windows and S keys simultaneously.
2. Enter the word “Troubleshoot” in the search box and select the Troubleshoot result
3. On the new window, select “Windows Update” to troubleshoot.
4. Run the troubleshooter, then open Windows Update and try to install the update again.

Solution 2: Run the DISM tool

1. Open the command prompt by pressing Windows and S keys simultaneously
2. Enter “cmd” in the search box. Right Click command prompt among the results and select “Run as administrator”
3. In the Command Prompt window type the following and press the Enter key after every command

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press Enter.
5. Run Windows Update again.

Solution 3: Rename the Software Distribution folder

1. Open the command prompt as previously mentioned
2. Input the following command pressing Enter after every line net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver rename c:/windows/SoftwareDistribution/softwaredistribution.old net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver exit
3. Restart the PC and run the updater if it works again.

Solution 4: Restart Windows Update Services

1. Press the Windows logo key and R together to open Run -> Input services.msc -> and press Enter
2. Search for the Windows Update service -> Check its status
3. If it is not indicated, right-click on the service and select Start to force start your Windows Update
4. If you see an error, locate the Startup Type option and set it to Automatic
5. Now you should reboot your computer and see if your Windows Update is OK

Solution 5: Fix Registry Issues

If after all the aforementioned solutions, you still experience problems with Windows Update, the problem may lie in the registry that is either damaged or corrupted. You may choose to do manual editing of your Windows registry by opening your Windows registry editor. But doing so is risky as one wrong letter may do incalculable damage to your system. To do so safely for more inexperienced users we recommend using a third-party registry cleaner/tools, many of which can be found online.

Error Code 80070490 - What is it?

This error 80070490 code may occur when you try to update your PC either through the Microsoft Update website or with a Windows update. The error message is displayed in the following format:

Error 80070490 (Element not found)

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 80070490 is triggered because of a couple of reasons. It indicates the file CBS Manifest that is needed to install Windows update is corrupt or damaged. CBS (Component Based Servicing) Manifest is the file that is used to help your computer recognize various components inside your PC. Another reason for error occurrence is registry corruption. If the registry that stores all the information and activities performed is not cleaned frequently, the obsolete files saved in the registry like the junk files, bad entries and cookies eventually accumulate and corrupt it thereby generating such error codes.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some effective and proven methods that you can try by yourself to resolve error code 80070490 on your PC.

Method 1 - Use the System Update Readiness Tool

Download the System Update Readiness Tool from the Windows website and run it on your PC. This tool is designed to detect and scan for abnormalities and inconsistencies that could be preventing and causing problems during the system update. Once you have downloaded and scanned your PC, try to install the updates again. If the error still persists, try other methods illustrated below.

Method 2 - Repair Windows

Here are the steps that you need to follow to repair Windows:

• First, close all programs and then reboot your PC. Insert the Windows DVD into the computer’s disk drive and wait for the setup to begin.
• If for any reason, the setup doesn’t start automatically, then don’t worry simply click start, then type Drive: setup.exe in the search box. Please note, in the drive insert the letter of your computer’s DVD drive for example D:setup.exe.
• Now in the programs list, click setup.exe  And then click install now.
• After that click ‘go online to obtain the latest updates for installation’, if you are asked for the Windows Product Key, then simply type it to proceed.
• In the ‘Which kind of Installation do you want?’ option, click Upgrade.

When the Windows installation is complete, restart your PC and then run Windows update.

Method 3 - Clean the Registry

If the cause of error code 80070490 on your PC is related to registry corruption, then it is advisable to download Restoro. This is an advanced and easy-to-use PC Repair Tool embedded with a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner scans your entire PC, removes all obsolete and unnecessary files corrupting the registry, and cleans it right away. Click here to download Restoro to repair error code 80070490

If you got an error message saying, “Folder Redirection Failed, Failed to build the list of regular subfolders, Access is Denied” after you configured a new Group Policy Object or GPO which redirects User folders to a new network share or when you click on Reset default location under the Windows File Explorer or Folder Options, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will show you how to resolve this kind of error on your Windows 10 computer. Follow the given options below carefully to fix the “Folder Redirection Failed” error.

Option 1 – Take Ownership of the folder

If you are not able to access the folder could be one of the reasons why you’re getting the “Folder Redirection Failed” error and so you need to take ownership of the folder to resolve the problem. Before you proceed, make sure that your account is an admin account.

• First, locate the concerned folder and right-click on it then select Properties.
• Next, click on the Edit button in the Properties window and click OK to confirm if you got a User Account Control elevation request.
• After that, select user/group from the permission windows or click on the Add button to add another user or group. It would be best if you add “Everyone” to give permission.
• Then check “Full Control” under the “Allow” column to assign full access rights control permissions.
• Now edit the permission to Full Control for “Everyone”.
• Click OK to save the changes made and then exit.

Option 2 – Try to add Authenticated Users or Domain Computers

Make sure that the Folder Redirection group policy removal option is set to “Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when the policy is removed” when using the Folder Redirection. After that, you have to add Authenticated Users group with the “Read” permissions on the Group Policy Objects or GPOs. And if the Domain computers are part of the group of “Authenticated Users”. Note that by default, the “Authenticated Users” have these permissions on any new Group Policy Objects or GPOs. Once again, you have to add just “Read” permissions and not “Apply Group Policy” for “Authenticated Users”. Furthermore, to fix the “Failed to build the list of regular subfolders” errors, here are some options that could help.

Option a – Try to clear disk space

You might have to check if your disk is running out of space because if it is, then it will fail to create a list abruptly. And so you need to free up some disk space. You can either check on the files manually especially if you tend to keep your files at random places in your disk drive.

Option b – Find the Target route

You need to find the target route of the folder and then restore it if you are getting the “Failed to build the list of regular subdirectories” when you try to relocate the folder to the original location.

Option c – Try to change Ownership/Reset Defaults for all the User folders

If the “Failed to build the list of regular subdirectories” error pops up when you are trying to move a large number of files from one location to another, then you need to change the ownership of the folders as pointed out earlier.