What is Mastodon? Mastodon is an open-source microblogging network very similar to Twitter. You can make 500 characters post messages called toot (tweet), share videos or images, and follow other people. But unlike Twitter, Mastodon is decentralized, meaning the entire Mastodon is not run by a single company pulling all strings.
Mastodon can be used directly in your web browser or through a mobile client on a smartphone or tablet. It includes features that seem copied from Twitter-like replies, boosts (retweets), favorites (loves), a timeline view, blocking, and voluntary content warnings that hide sensitive content.
Mastodon also has some great features that Twitter does not have like automated post deletion for the older post of a certain age, requiring approval for follows without restricting your account, and opting out of search engine indexing.
Currently, there are also no ads on Mastodon meaning no ad tracking or ad network surveillance.
How Does Mastodon Work?
Mastodon is a social media network made of nodes called servers or instances each running special software meaning anyone can run their own Mastodon instance (if they have a proper dedicated server). When you have your own instance it can be linked in the federation or remain private, so individuals or companies can have control over individual Mastodon servers.
The software itself is open source based on the social networking protocol ActivityPub which was developed by WWW Consortium.
While using Mastodon, people sign up for accounts with specific instances. Once logged in, you can view a local timeline (of posts from that instance only) or, if the instance is federated with others, see a federated timeline comprised of toots from people in other instances. Mastodon users can send messages to each other using their Mastodon account names that are similar to email addresses in that they feature the server address as well as the user name.
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.
You might be familiar with the Encryption File System or EFS algorithm if you rather keep your files and folders encrypted. Encryption File System is a built-in feature in Windows 10 which allows users to secure their important files. Although there is an alternative way for you to secure your data on your Windows 10 computer, you can’t ignore the fact that the main advantage of an Encryption File System over BitLocker is that the former can help you encrypt a particular folder rather than encrypting the whole hard drive partition.
If you move a file inside a folder encrypted with the Encrypting File System it will automatically get encrypted. There are some users who like this feature but unsurprisingly, there are some that don’t. So if whether you want your files encrypted when you place them in an encrypted folder or if you want to keep it as it is, read on as to how you can do it either way. You can enable or disable automatic encryption of files moved to encrypted folders in Windows 10 using the Registry Editor or the Group Policy Editor.
Before you proceed, make sure to create a System Restore Point first because the modifications you’re about to make in your computer might affect its overall functioning so if anything goes wrong, you can always undo the changes. Once you have that covered, refer to the options given below to enable or disable automatic encryption in Windows 10.
Option 1 – Enable or disable automatic encryption using Registry Editor
Press the Win key + R key at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and press Enter to open the Registry Editor and if a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click Yes to proceed.
After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this key location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer
Next, right-click on Explorer and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and then name the newly create DWORD to “NoEncryptOnMove” and press Enter to save it.
After that, double click on the NoEncryptOnMove DWORD and set its value to the following preferences:
1 – Disable Auto Encryption of files moved to encrypted folders.
0 – Enable Auto Encryption of files moved to encrypted folders.
Now close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Enable or disable automatic encryption using the Group Policy Editor
Press the Win + R keys to open the Run box and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
After that, navigate to this path: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystem
Next, look for the “Do not automatically encrypt files moved to encrypted folders” option and double click on it to set the policy. From there, you will see the following description:
“This policy setting prevents File Explorer from encrypting files that are moved to an encrypted folder. If you enable this policy setting, File Explorer will not automatically encrypt files that are moved to an encrypted folder. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, File Explorer automatically encrypts files that are moved to an encrypted folder. This setting applies only to files moved within a volume. When files are moved to other volumes, or if you create a new file in an encrypted folder, File Explorer encrypts those files automatically.”
Now select one of the radio buttons below depending on your preference:
Not Configured or Disabled: Enable Auto Encrypt of files moved to EFS Encrypted folders.
Enabled: Disable Auto Encrypt of files moved to EFS Encrypted folders.
Then click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Exit the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.
Error 0xA00F4244 or 0x200F4244 is when Windows can not detect the WEB camera in your system and it is usually accompanied by the message: We can’t find or start your camera.
There could be several reasons for this error and in this guide, we will cover all of them in order to help you to get back on track and start using your WEB camera which is perhaps now more required than ever in this world we live in.
Check privacy settings
With the latest Microsoft Windows updates come the latest issues and it is not strange that privacy settings can become reset or changed when an update is applied. This is a quick fix to this issue and can be the sole reason why you get this error, go to Windows settings, then to privacy and check to see if the WEB camera is turned OFF, if this is the case turn it back ON and make sure that option Allow apps to access your camera is also set to ON.
Check if the camera is enabled
Sometimes it is by mistake, sometimes by an update but the web camera could be disabled in the device manager of Windows. Right-click on the Windows Start button and click on device manager to open it up, find and expand the cameras category. Right-click on your camera, if it is disabled, you will have the option to enable the camera, if it is enabled and Windows is detecting that it is working fine you will have the option to disable it.
Check antivirus settings
Antivirus and firewall applications are in today's world and life-essential piece of software but they can sometimes create more harm than good, from stopping windows updates to killing important services of applications and preventing internet access being just some examples of their paranoid behavior. Try disabling or turning your protection software OFF and see if your WEB camera will miraculously come back to life. If this is the case, somewhere in the settings of software there is an option that controls this aspect, try to locate it and set it in that way so you are able to use your camera.
Reinstall camera driver
If the previous three solutions failed to produce a satisfactory solution then reinstalling the camera driver might fix the problem. Go to your manufacturer's camera website and download the latest driver for your camera. Go to the device manager and uninstall the driver for the camera, then apply the latest driver and reboot the system.
Check connections and cable
Sometimes an issue is not due to software nature, sometimes it is hardware. Try checking connections and plug the camera in another USB port, twist and turn the cable a little to see is issue cable-related.
Check to see if the application supports your camera
If Windows has detected the camera and is not reporting any issues with it check your application to see if it can detect your camera and that it supports it fully. Sometimes newer applications tend to support only newer camera models. Try to use the camera in other software as well to see if the problem is with the application you are using.
Try camera on another computer
If everything else fails, try the camera on another computer to see if it will work there. If the camera is not working there as well it is probably malfunctioned and broken for good. If it does work there, try to find out what is different in that computer in comparison to yours, maybe it is some service running in the background, certain application configuration, Windows version itself, USB port version, or something else.
Recently, a number of Windows 10 users getting an error on their computers that state, “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme”. According to the affected users, this error occurs at random times even when they didn’t make any changes to their computer’s theme prior to getting the error. If you are one of these users, read on as this post will help you resolve this problem.
If you click on the Yes button of the dialog box where the error is displayed, it won’t fix the problem as you will still get the same error from time to time. This kind of error could be caused by the executable file named “SettingSyncHost.exe”. It is possible that this executable file is unable to sync your theme all over your computer. On the other hand, it could also be due to some problems with the active theme. To resolve this issue, you can try to change the active theme, or disable the custom screensaver or disable theme syncing on your computer, as well as run a System File Checker or run the DISM tool. For more instructions, follow the options given below.
Option 1 – Try to change the active theme
The first thing you can do to fix the error is to change the active theme of your computer since the SettingSyncHost.exe file might not be able to properly sync the theme on the computer.
Go to Settings and click on Personalization.
Next, click on Themes and scroll down to apply a theme, and change the theme of the operating system.
After that, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “%windir%ResourcesThemes” in the field, and then tap Enter to open the folder where the theme files are located.
Once you’re done, right-click and select delete for the active theme to remove the theme and its resources. This should fix the root cause of the problem. If not you can try to create a new Windows 10 theme and save it.
Option 2 – Try to disable the custom screensaver
The custom screensaver is a part of the mechanism of the lock screen. Although they were needed in the earlier Windows versions to prevent the discoloration of CRT monitor screens, they are no longer needed in the current version of Windows. Thus, you can try to disable it as it could be the one that’s causing the problem.
Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
Here, scroll down and click on the Screen Saver settings.
After that, select the “Screen saver to (None)” option from the drop-down menu. This will disable the custom screensaver.
Option 3 – Try to disable theme syncing on your computer
You could also try to disable the theme sync feature to fix the problem. This has worked out for some users. To do so, follow these steps:
Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Account > Sync your settings.
From there, toggle off Themes in the individual sync settings column. This will disable the Theme syncing.
Restart your computer and see if the problem is now fixed.
Option 4 – Run the DISM tool
The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like the “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme” error. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:
Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.
Option 5 – Run the 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 you’re getting the “Windows can’t find one of the files in this theme” error. 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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
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.
The Snapping feature was introduced as an essential part of Windows 11 and I like it very much, it lets you organize your opened windows much faster and with more control. However, some people do not like the feature, worry not because you can turn it off, or if you prefer you can just remove the showing layout option that is shown when hovering over Minimize/Maximize button.
Removing options all together
To completely turn off Snap layout in Windows 11 follow these steps
Open Windows 11 settings by pressing ⊞ Windows + I
Select System on the left part of the screen
In System options select Multitasking
At the top of Multitasking Click on the switch next to Snap Windows
Close settings
Changes will be automatically applied and you will no longer have Snap layout functionality.
Removing layout graphic from Snapping feature
If you like the snap Layouts feature but are not very fond of the layout graphic that is popping up each time you hover over Minimize/Maximize button do not worry, there is an option to turn just that off and keep the feature itself.
Open Windows 11 settings by pressing ⊞ Windows + I
Select System on the left part of the screen
In System options select Multitasking
Click on the Snap Windows menu
Deactivate Show Snap Layouts When I Hover over a Window’s Maximize button
Close settings
Now you will be able to use the Snap Layout feature without layout graphics showing. If you want to reverse any of these options and go back to standard-setting, just follow the steps and turn features ON.
We have all experienced Windows errors over time and that can range from simple ones that will do very little to no harm and can be even system breaking making us lose our work or completely making the PC unusable. No one likes them but they happen, and usually, they happen once we least expect them.
No matter how frequent and unpleasant they might be there are ways to keep them at the minimum and even avoid them.
We will discuss steps that you can take in order to do this, simple tips and guides on how to keep your computer in top form and eliminate not just Windows, but any kind of errors altogether.
Keep your hardware clean
Believe it or not, some serious Windows errors like the dreaded blue screen of death can come from hardware issues not from the software at all. It is very important to keep your computer clean and with enough air flow so it can function properly.
Keeping applications on the drive might seem harmless but sadly that is not the case. Some applications have a certain impact on the system itself after all most of them are tweaking registry entries in Windows and sometimes having too many applications means an increased possibility of conflict over certain resources even when they are not running.
Some applications like adobe creative suite, for example, will have certain services always running in the background, and more of these kinds of applications you have, more services, more places for unexpected errors when they collide. Some of them will also install certain dependencies that could be problematic.
The general idea is: if you are not using it, uninstall it and you will be safer and more resilient to errors inside OS.
Do not use pirated or cracked software
Besides moral and law implications that using pirated or cracked software might bring you there are also certain other things that might be problematic. Certain "free" software might come packet with some problematic malware, for example, it is not uncommon for attackers to use some popular software to pack their malicious application with it.
Other things might be wrong and incomplete tweaking with application in order to bypass security and thus bringing some instability due to scripts needed to run in order to achieve this goal.
Keep your drivers updated
Errors can also come from old drivers or bad drivers, device manufacturers are not all-knowing and perfect, and sometimes drivers can wreak havoc on the system. Having updated drivers can minimize any kind of unexpected behaviors inside the operating system making it more stable and reliable.
You can check your driver version in the control panel inside the Windows OS and then compare it to the ones found on the manufacturer's site, if there are newer available it is recommended to download and install them,
Keep software updated
Applications can have bugs, and bugs can lead to certain errors both in the system and when using the app as well. It is in your best interest to get the latest patch or newer version of the software in order to avoid these unpleasant experiences.
Also, certain codecs and extensions that are installed directly in Windows can also have some unpredictable behavior, updating is the best solution to keep them in line.
Keep Windows updated
Same as with drivers and applications, Windows itself is not immune from bugs and some unpredictable issues. Luckily Microsoft is always working on fixes and features of Windows but in order to actually have benefited from that work, you will need to keep Windows updated. Sometimes a bad update can introduce some errors but you can always roll back to the previous and wait for them to fix everything and then download them all.
Check the health of your hardware regularly
Hardware components have their life cycle, more quality ones tend to last longer but eventually, they will reach the end of their lifecycle. There are a lot of testers for various components in your computer that can check different things and provide you with information about the state of your components.
If you are on Windows 11, Microsoft has included a basic health app inside OS, just type PC health check in search and start the app. For some more detailed information and advanced checks, you will have to use a custom application. There are plenty of them specialized for single components like RAM, SSD, etc. A simple google search with providing you with top results and most of them are free for personal use.
Remember, a faulty component or component that is reaching its life cycle can produce many errors inside the operating system.
One of the most useful tools in the Windows 10 operating system is the Windows Media Creation tool. This tool is used to download and install the latest version of Windows 10. However, there are times when you might encounter some issues while using this tool. One of these issues is the Error code 0x80072F76 – 0x20016. If you encounter this error, you will see the following error message during setup:
“We’re not sure what happened, but we’re unable to run this tool on your PC. If you continue experiencing problems, reference the error code when contacting customer support – Error code: 0x80072F76 – 0x20016.”
This kind of error in the Media Creation tool could be due to an interrupted download or unstable internet connection, and many more. To fix it, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter or try using another browser to download the tool to another location. You can also try changing the DNS or the ISP connection or use the Windows 10 Update Assistant as well as delete the $Windows.~BT & $Windows.~WS folders.
Check out the given suggestions below to fix the Media Creation Tool Error code 0x80072F76 – 0x20016 in your Windows 10 computer.
Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with Windows Update errors like Error Code 0x80072f76 – 0x20016, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it.
To run the Windows Update troubleshooter, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 2 – Try using a different browser to download the tool to another location
You could also use another browser in downloading the tool and place it in a different location on your computer but if you do not have another browser, you can just install one and then download the same tool to another location like the Desktop.
Option 3 – Try to change the DNS
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
Restart your PC and then check if the Media Creation tool error is fixed.
Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.
Option 4 – Try to change the ISP connection
There are times when the connection to the Microsoft servers is interrupted due to some glitch or it could also be blocked by your Internet Service Provider or ISP. To rule out this possibility, you can try to change your computer’s internet connection and then see if it fixes the problem.
Option 5 – Try to use the Windows 10 Update Assistant
There’s another tool you can use as an alternative to the Media Creation tool. It is called the Windows 10 Update Assistant. This tool can also help you download and install Windows updates seamlessly.
Option 6 – Try to delete the $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS folders
From time to time, the Windows Update files also get corrupted which can cause some problems and conflicts when downloading and installing a Windows Update. To fix this, you need to delete the $Windows.~BT & $Windows.~WS folders in your computer.
As you know, the functioning of the Windows Sandbox feature is supported by various components in the background of the Windows operating system. And the only way for you to enable the Windows Sandbox feature in your computer is through the Turn Windows features on or off utility. This feature will work directly on the basis of Virtualization which is also supported by Hyper-V. However, there are some reports claiming that some computers have the Windows 10 Sandbox item greyed out in the Turn Windows features on or off utility. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on what you can do to resolve such a problem in your Windows 10 computer.
In this kind of problem, you should know that this has something to do with the Second Level Address Translation which is one of the important pillars of how the Windows 10 Sandbox feature functions. Thus, if the Second Level Address Translation or SLAT feature in Windows Sandbox is not supported by the CPU of your computer, there is no way for you to use Windows Sandbox on your computer. On the other hand, if SLAT is supported, then there is definitely something you can do to resolve the greyed-out Sandbox item in Windows 10.
To get started, follow the steps provided below.
Step 1: First, you have to boot into the BIOS of your PC.
Step 2: After that, make sure that the following options are set to their respective configurations:
Hyper-V – Enabled
VM Monitor Mode – Yes
Virtualization – Enabled
Second Level Address Translation (VT-d or RVI) – Enabled
Data Execution Prevention – Enabled
Step 3: Once you’re done, save the configuration and then restart your Windows 10 computer as usual.
Step 4: Once your computer has restarted, you should see the same option in the Turn Windows features on or off utility and it should no longer be greyed out. Then you can now enable the feature and follow the onscreen instructions need to use the feature as best as you can.
0x8004210A is a typical POP3 email error message. This error may sometimes occur when you try to check your Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) email account. 0x8004210A error code hampers your ability to both send and receive e-mails on your Outlook account.
Error 0x8004210A is displayed in any one of the following formats on your PC:
The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server 0x8004210aTask 'SMTP server name - Sending and Receiving reported error' (0x8004210A): 'The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
Error Causes
Error 0x8004210A occurs due to several reasons. However, some of the most common reasons include:
Wrong port number for the POP incoming server
Your connection to the mail server is too slow
Incoming and outgoing emails are being scanned and stopped by an antivirus installed on your system
The Outlook send and receive job is being blocked by Firewall
You are sending and receiving large series of emails or large email attachments
Registry issues
No matter what the cause of this error is, to resume email communication via Outlook and to ensure your work productivity is not affected, it is recommended that you resolve this 0x8004210A error code on your PC immediately.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To fix error 0x8004210A, here are some of the most efficient and easy manual methods that you can try:
Method 1
If the cause of the error is related to the internet connection then here’s what you need to do. Try freeing up your internet connection by closing any other online activities in progress or downloads being carried on your system.
Method 2
Try to increase your server time-out periods. To do this, go to the Outlook File menu and choose account settings. Now double click on your email account and more settings. Now click advanced and increase your server timeout period to resolve.
Method 3
If you are trying to send or receive large and heavy emails on your Outlook account, the error 0x8004210A may pop up.
This happens because when transferring heavy files the email account automatically locks until the task is complete, however, if it takes more time the next Send and Receive job starts while the first one is still not complete.
In such an event, the email server then times out and shows you the error. Therefore to resolve, you will have to show patience. Simply wait for the large email to be sent or received before you start sending another email.
Method 4
If the antivirus installed on your system is the reason for the error pop up, then disable it for a while until the operation is complete. Then enable it once the task is performed successfully.
Method 5
Similarly, if the Firewall installed on your system is preventing Outlook from reaching your mail server, then simply disable the Firewall to resolve.
If you got an error message saying, The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation while trying to install a driver using the “Install” option in the right-click context menu, read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem.
The INF file mentioned in the error message is a text file that’s divided into different types of formatted sections. Each one of the sections is designed for a particular purpose. For instance, one section is designed to copy files or to add entries to the registry. INF files are used to install drivers. However, if something is wrong, you might encounter this error while installing a driver on your Windows 10 computer.
To resolve this problem, you can try to download the driver again from the official manufacturer website or check if the driver is compatible with your computer’s operating system architecture or you can also try installing the driver from the Device Manager. For more details, follow the given options below.
Option 1 – Try downloading the driver again from the official website of the manufacturer
Usually, you shouldn’t encounter this kind of issue no matter what installation method you used on your Windows 10 PC. However, there are times when the driver itself is corrupted for some reason which is why you are unable to complete the installation and receive an error message instead.
Option 2 – Try checking if the driver is compatible with the OS architecture
It is possible that you’re getting this error if you have a driver that is compatible with a 32-bit system and you are trying to install it on a 64-bit system and vice versa. Thus, you need to check if the driver you are trying to install is compatible with your operating system if you haven’t done it when you’ve downloaded the driver from the website of the manufacturer. To check the system architecture, in the Start Search, type “msinfo32” in the field and hit Enter to open the System Information window. From there, you should see all the information about your operating system. In addition, you can also search “system information” in the Cortana search box and look for the System Type entry and open it.
Option 3 – Try installing the driver from the Device Manager
If you have the driver files on your PC and you have to update a driver, refer to the steps given below to be guided on how to install the driver from the Device Manager.
First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
From there, look for the driver you want to update, and then right-click on each one of them and select the Update Driver from the menu.
After that, click on the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
Next, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option and then click the Next button.
On the next screen, you should see the “Have Disk” option. Click on this option and then click on the Browse button to go to the location of the file. After that, you shouldn’t have any problem installing the INF file.
Option 4 – Try running the System File Checker Scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the “The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation” error. 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 with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.