Windows 11 vs Windows 10: Main Differences

If you are experiencing a Low Wi-Fi signal strength on your Windows 10 PC after you’ve updated or reinstalled it, read on as this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the problem. The way devices connect these days has evolved with our cognitive revolution. Various devices use some or other wireless technology to connect with other devices. However, all wireless technology has some kind of limitation when it comes to range and signal strength. From time to time, you might have faced several Wi-Fi issues. Low Wi-Fi signal strength usually happens after you update or reinstall your Windows 10 system. This issue can be identified easily by looking at the signal bars in the Wi-Fi icon or by measuring its strength. Since this problem is wide scope, there are tons of possibilities which is why this post covers the most generic situations that could help most users. Refer to the options given below to fix the low Wi-Fi signal strength of your Windows 10 PC.

Option 1 – Try running the Network Adapter Troubleshooter

If a few days ago the range and signal of the Wi-Fi was perfectly fine before you did an update or reinstall, it is possible that there were some changes made in the configuration as well. In most cases, the latest configuration that came with the update has not aligned the config in your computer or laptop. The easiest and simplest way to fix this is by using the Network Adapter Troubleshooter. How? Follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon from the system tray to start troubleshooting.
• After that, select Troubleshoot problems. Note that it might take a while to run it but once it’s finished, it will show you all the problems with the network adapter.

Note: The Network Adapter Troubleshooter will also fix the issues in the background but there might be some issues that will require manual action. And if the troubleshooter wasn’t able to identify and fix the problem for you, proceed to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try using the Device Manager

If the problem is related to hardware, you need to seek out the help of the Device Manager. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Pull up the Device Manager.
• Next, look for your Wi-Fi adapter under the Network Adapters.
• Once you found it, right-click on it and open Properties.
• After that, you will see all the actions related to drivers under the driver tab.
• You can either update or roll back the selected driver or you could also disable and re-enable it to see if the problem’s fixed.

Note: If updating the driver didn’t help, you might have to dig into the advanced settings. From this post on, it can get a bit complicated as there are terms that you might not understand as well as some configuration. To make it easier for you, you can search for your Wi-Fi adapter online and try following the instructions from there. And before you make any further changes to your computer’s settings, make sure that you create a system restore point first.

Option 3 – Try changing the Wi-Fi Roaming Sensitivity

If you want to enhance the Wi-Fi reception as well as the performance on your Windows 10 PC, you might want to change the Wi-Fi Roaming Sensitivity or Aggressiveness. Roaming Sensitivity is the rate at which your computer chooses and switches to the nearest available point of access which offers a better signal. It is based on the strength and quality of the Wi-Fi and not on the distance to the Wi-Fi point.

Option 4 – Try adjusting the Wi-Fi range

The issue could also be caused by the position of your computer with respect to the Wi-Fi router instead of your hardware or drivers. It could be that your physical location might be a factor for the low signal strength of your Wi-Fi so you might want to adjust the Wi-Fi range to fix the problem.

Error 103 - What is it?

The error 103 may occur either due to issues in your Google Chrome browser or system issues. If error 103 occurs when using Chrome, this means there is a conflict between Google Chrome and the antivirus program running on your PC. It is displayed in either of the following formats: ‘Chrome error 103 connection aborted’, ‘Chrome error 103 err_connection_aborted’ or ‘Error 103 (net: ERR_CONNECTION_ABORTED): Unknown error. However, if this is a system error code, it may be displayed in the following format ‘The semaphore cannot be set again’ or as ‘ERROR_TOO_MANY_SEM_REQUESTS’ or as the value 0x67.

Solution

Error Causes

The error 103 is triggered due to multiple reasons such as: The conflict between Google Chrome and anti-viruses arises because when the web browser attempts to update, the anti-virus programs on your PC may view the update as a threat. Due to this, the connection to the internet is terminated and the error 103 message is displayed on your computer screen. And besides, this keeps you from upgrading your Google Chrome browser too. Other causes include:

• Viral infection
• Missing Windows component called ‘expand.exe’
• Registry overlaps
• Incompatible drivers

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the easy and efficient ways to resolve error 103. Choose a method according to the error 103 messages displayed on your screen.

Method 1: Check for the ‘Expand.exe’ Windows component

This method is workable if the error 103 is triggered due to browser issues. To get started, follow these steps. First, go to the start menu, and in the search bar type ‘expand.exe’. If you are able to find it, move it to the following directory C:\Windows\system32. However, if you are unable to locate it, then copy the file from Windows installation CD. Once you copy the file to the directory, reinstall the updated version of Google Chrome.

Method 2: Change the Location of the Temporary File

If the error still persists, try method 2. Go to the start menu and open the Run window. Now type C: and press OK. Then go to File, then New, and then Folder. Now create a temporary folder and name it ‘test’. After that go back to the start menu and open the Run window again. Now enter the following text in the text field:cmd.exe then press OK. In the command prompt type set TMP=C:\test. After that try reinstalling Google Chrome by typing the following in the command prompt: start ChromeSetup.exe.

Method 3: Update Drivers

If the error message 103 is generated due to system issues, then try updating drivers. Sometimes the error may occur due to incompatible drivers.

Method 4: Perform an Entire PC Scan for Viruses

To resolve error 103, perform an entire PC Scan for viruses. Sometimes the error may occur due to viral infection. Removing viruses may fix the error.

Method 5: Clean and Restore the Registry

If the error is triggered due to registry issues, then it is advisable to download Restoro. This is a multi-functional PC repair tool integrated with powerful utilities including an anti-virus, a registry cleaner, Active X controls, and class scanner, and a system optimizer. The registry cleaner feature wipes out all the unnecessary files including cookies, junk files, and bad registry keys that corrupt the registry. It cleans and restores the registry instantly. The anti-feature removes all viruses and spyware while the system optimizer utility ensures your system works at its optimum speed. It can be downloaded on all Windows versions. It is safe and efficient. This software is a one-stop solution for all PC-related errors. Click here to download Restoro.

Recently, a lot of users reported getting several error messages when they upgraded their Windows 10 computers. One of these error messages users encountered during a Windows 10 upgrade is the Error 0x8007002C-0x4001E. if you are one of the users who is facing this error, read on as this post will help you fix it. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“We couldn’t install Windows 10 We’ve set your PC back to the way it was before you started installing Windows 10 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase with an error during PRE_OOBE operation.”

To resolve the 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase error, here are some suggestions that might help.

Option 1 – Try flushing the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders

You have to stop a couple of services such as BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and Windows Update Services. And to do that, you need to flush the contents in the SoftwareDistribution folder. The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. Aside from that, it also contains all the Windows Update History files and once you delete them, you will most likely lose the Update history. As a result, the next time you run the Windows Update, it may result in a longer detection time.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• Next, go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After flushing the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 2 – Select the Keep your files option

You can also select the option to perform an in-place upgrade and opt for the “Keep my files” option during an installation as it might make the process a lot smoother and if you need to perform a clean install, you can do so once the setup is completed.

Option 3 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase error. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button.

Option 4 – Try to run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Aside from the Windows Update Troubleshooter, you can also run the online troubleshooter of Microsoft as it can help you with Windows 10 upgrade errors.

Option 5 – Perform a clean install

If none of the options worked, you can try to clean install Windows 10. Just make sure that you have the ISO from the official Microsoft Website and then a bootable USB drive to install Windows 10 again. Take note that this will delete all the data from your drive where Windows 10 was installed previously.

This post will guide you in what to do if you are trying to share the internet connection from your Android smartphone to your Windows 10 computer but USB tethering is not working. Although you can always connect your Android phone to your computer using a USB cable, you still won’t be able to access the internet. However, if you’ve already enabled the USB tethering option in your smartphone, you should be able to access the internet but if you still can’t then you can fix this issue by reading this post. There are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the USB tethering issue. You can try running both the Internet Connections and Network Adapter troubleshooters or try installing the USB RNDIS adapter or disable any unnecessary network adapters.

Option 1 – Try to run the Internet Connections and Network Adapter troubleshooter

There are various built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10 that can help fix system issues. Since you are dealing with an internet connection problem, you can try running both the Internet Connections and the Network Adapter troubleshooters. To run them, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings > Update & security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, you can select the Internet Connections troubleshooter.
• Click on the Run troubleshooter button to troubleshoot the problem.
• Wait until the troubleshooter is done identifying and fixing the problem automatically.
• Then follow the next on-screen instructions that may appear.
• Once it’s done, check if the USB tethering issue is now fixed.

Note: You can also try to run the Network Adapter troubleshooter. It is also located under the Troubleshoot section. Just scroll down until you see it and then run it.

Option 2 – Try installing or updating the USB RNDIS adapter

RNDIS or Remote Network Driver Interface Specification can also help you resolve the USB tethering problem. If the pre-installed driver does not help you in connecting to the internet, then you can try installing the USB RNDIS driver that is, if it’s not installed yet. If it is already installed, you can try to update it instead.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• Next, expand the Network adapters section and look for the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device. But if you are using a Samsung smartphone, you might see “Samsung” instead of under Network adapters.
• Right-click on it and then select the “Update driver” option.
• Then select the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
• After that, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option.
• Now uncheck the checkbox for “Show compatible hardware”.
• From the given list on your left-hand side, look for Microsoft and then select the Remote NDIS based Internet Sharing Device on your right-hand side.
• Click on Next. A new popup will appear where you have to click on Yes. This will install the driver.
• Now click on the Close button and restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try disabling any unnecessary network adapters/connections

Assuming that your Ethernet connection is showing ping loss which indicates that the internet is not stable. In such time, if you use the USB tethering functionality, you won’t be able to access the internet connection from your smartphone. The internet connection will be frequently disconnected since your computer gives priority to the Ethernet connection. Thus, you have to disable the Ethernet connection temporarily.

• Right-click the network icon on your Taskbar and select the option “Network and Sharing Center”.
• After that, click the network connection. And then click the Disable button from the status box that opens.
• After that, check if you can now connect to the internet or not.

In Windows 11 by default inside the Start menu, there is recommended section that contains recently opened folders, documents, and files. If you do not wish this section and do not want recent items in your Start menu there is an easy way to turn it off.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Click on Personalization
3. On the right side scroll down and click on Start
4. Click on the switch beside Show recently opened items in Start, Jump lists, and File Explorer
5. Close settings

Settings will be automatically applied and there will be no more recommended items inside your Start menu to create clutter, it will be nice and clean.

Windows 11 has arrived and it is being adopted all around the globe as we are writing this article. People are adapting it daily and today we will take a look at some advanced security features of the new Windows and do you really need an antivirus in it. It is not a secret that Windows 11 is the most secure Windows ever created, well at least up until now. It is packed with advanced security features like S-mode, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Module (TMP 2.0). All these new security features that Microsoft has advertised made people question are enough for security or do you still need third-party Antivirus software. In order to get an answer to this question, let us first take a detailed look at what each one of them does, and then we will give you our opinion on a given subject.

Windows S mode

For everyday home use, Windows 11 S mode is the most secure feature to have on your PC. This is a safety protocol where only apps from Microsoft Store are allowed to be installed. This eliminates the risk of installing third-party apps that may contain viruses or malware. Furthermore, S-mode protects your web browsing activity through the Microsoft Edge browser. S-mode does not allow you to use other browsers for security reasons. If you are using Windows 11 in S-mode, your PC and data will be secure in most parts. You need not buy antivirus when using Windows 11 in S-mode.

Windows Defender

The inbuilt security suite, Windows Defender was launched for the first time in 2006. Earlier to that it had existed and was known as Microsoft AntiSpyWare. Windows Defender has undergone significant improvements over the years. In its latest version available with Windows 11, Windows Defender offers a comprehensive range of security features. It is available under the Windows Security system. Some key security features include real-time virus and threat protection, account protection, firewall & network protection, app and browser control, parental controls, and device (hardware) security. This is comparable to security features offered by third-party antivirus programs.

Microsoft Account

In Windows 11, it is necessary to use a Microsoft account that will be linked to your device. This ensures the security of your data in case your device is lost or stolen. You just need to make sure that you have set a strong password for your device. Windows 11 also has Bitlocker that keeps your data in encrypted form.

Ransomware protection

In view of rising cases of ransomware, Microsoft has introduced dedicated ransomware protection in Windows 11. It works by stopping apps from carrying out unauthorized changes to files and folders. Users can choose their important files and folders that they want to be protected from ransomware.

Conclusion

As we went through Windows 11 security features, we can clearly see that it is packed heavily with many security features that aim to protect your data and your identity. Looking at them, one can clearly come to the conclusion that you do not really need any third-party software and that Windows itself can catch and protect most of the issues, and they would be right. If you use Windows 11 carefully, meaning that you go only to trusted websites, do not open suspicious emails, and click on suspicious links, if you do not use extensively external USB devices or mass media you really do not need any kind of third party protection, Windows built-in tools will do well and keep you protected. However, if you do come in contact with other people's USB devices if you surf over the net, and overall if you really want to be at peace of mind that you are protected you will still need a well-established third-party software protection solution. Windows 11 has great security features, best so far in any Windows but it is still far from being a solution that does not require dedicated protection solution. So do yourself a favor and grab one. We recently had a top antivirus software review, find the article here and pick one that is best for you. https://errortools.com/viruses/the-best-antivirus-software-of-2021/

Well if anyone told me just a few years ago that I will see the day when Microsoft releases a new OS based on Linux I would be very amused, but that day has come. Mariner is the newest OS out of nowhere. Microsoft’s new Linux Distro, dubbed Common Base Linux (CBL)-Mariner, isn’t the type of distro you’d want to install directly on any old machine. It’s primarily meant for cloud infrastructure and edge products. Specifically Microsoft’s Cloud and Edge products. But if you are curious, it’s possible to run. Juan Manuel Rey, a Microsoft Senior Program Manager for Azure VMware, recently published a guide to ISO CBL-Mariner image. With that, you can easily get it up and running. And you can build CBL-Mariner on an Ubuntu 18.04 desktop. So you can try it out since it is free. You can get it from here: https://github.com/microsoft/CBL-Mariner It is obvious that Microsoft aims to set itself as a leader in enterprise server environments with this move and it is very likely that it may succeed or at least give a good shake to its competitors, mainly red hat and Suse which are two dominant distros in that field. Many believe that they can win over by providing regular updates and package delivery via their already established system and that feature could be a turning point for some. In any case, time will tell and we shall see.

If you receive the error code 0xc000014C while you boot up your computer, then this post might be of help. This kind of error usually points to the Registry of your computer that might be corrupted. As a result, the operating system was not able to read the BCD file and throws the 0xc000014C error. The error code 0xc000014C is triggered when your computer encounters an error in the first booting sector. You might receive any of these error messages:

“Info: An error occurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data.” with File: as “BootBCD” “File: Windowssystem32configsystem Info: Windows failed to load because the system registry file is missing or is corrupt” “Info: The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.”

To fix the error code 0xc000014C when booting your computer, you can check out the suggestions provided below.

Option 1 – Try running System Restore in Advanced Startup Options

Since you probably can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.

• Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
• From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
• Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.

Option 2 – Try to rebuild the BCD files

You can also try rebuilding the BCD files to resolve error 0xc000014C for corrupted Boot Configuration Data

• You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
• After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
• From there, select Command Prompt and once you open it, enter each one of the commands given below by sequence.
  • bootrec /FixMbr
  • bootrec /FixBoot
  • bootrec /ScanOS
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
• Once you’re done executing the commands given above, type “exit” to close the Command Prompt window and then restart your computer and see if it fixed error code 0xc000014c.

Option 3 – Try restoring the default and uncorrupt Registry Values

This option is a bit tricky as you have to be sure about what you are doing here. However, if you are not sure, you might want to seek out a technician to fix the problem for you. But if you can handle it, then carefully follow the steps below.

• You have to first physically remove the hard drive of the computer that’s not booting up. You can refer to it as Hard drive 1 and Computer 1, respectively.
• After that, you need to have another computer which you can refer to as Computer 2, and refer to its hard drive as Hard drive 2. Make sure that this second computer is working properly.
• Next, you have to attach Hard drive 1 to Computer 2 with the Hard drive 2 attached as well.
• After that, boot Computer 2 from Hard drive 2 where Hard drive 1 will act as the second storage unit.
• Then navigate to the following location in the System Partition of the Hard drive 2.

C:/Windows/System32/config/RegBack

• From there, you have to replace all the files. Once you’re done, shut down your computer and then take out the Hard drive 1 from Computer 2 and put it back to Computer 1 as the only hard drive.
• Now boot your computer normally and check if the problem is fixed.

In the latest news, Microsoft has reached a deal to purchase Activision Blizzard for 67.8 billion. Now franchises like Warcraft, Starcraft, Overwatch, Call of duty, Diablo are now the property of Microsoft and I am sure that some of these games we can expect to be included in the Xbox game pass. This is the second large game company acquisition by Microsoft, Acquiring Bethesda first and a big hit to Sony since Xbox will now have more games in its catalog and as exclusives. Of course, the sale has to go through the standard closing conditions and completion of regulatory review and Activision Blizzard’s shareholder approval before it’s finalized. Assuming that all goes well, the deal is slated to be completed during the fiscal year 2023, which is July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

The world today is still sadly under pandemic and by the looks of it, COVID-19 is here to stay, well at least for some time in the near future. Razer seems to think so as well since their upcoming gear is not really what you would expect. Enter Hazel, a new and upcoming Razer smart mask.

Protection

Hazel mask has a high bacterial surgical N95 filter with fluid resistance that will protect you against large droplets and splashes. A detachable active ventilator regulates airflow and is capable of filtering around 95% of airborne particles. Mask comes with a special charging case that has an auto sterilization UV light that will kill bacteria and viruses inside the case interior while it charges. When the mask is recharging it will change color from red to green visually showing the level of the current charge. Mask of course has easy to replace filters inside ventilators and Razer is standing by that fully charged mask will last enough for full-day use. An active ventilation system brings cool air while releasing breathing heat at the same time drastically reducing CO2 inside the mask that could produce dizziness and headache. Silicon guard is on its edge gluing to around your face in order to prevent exterior air sneaking inside the mask and positioning it firmly so it does not rest on your lips in order for easier and clearer communication.

Hazel personalization and technical features

Hazel has a clear and transparent design making it better for social interaction since other people will be able to see your lips and smiles thus making it more natural. A low light mode that turns on automatically when it is dark outside is also aimed for easier communication. Speaking of communication, the mask comes with voice Amp technology that has a built-in mic and amplifier thus making your voice lines clear so you are not muffled when wearing the mask itself. Your friends and other people will be able to hear you like you are not wearing a mask at all. Thicker air loops apply less pressure on ears and can be adjusted for a more secure fit, while the mask itself can be custom-made to fit your face shape. And of course Hazel comes with 16.8 million colors and a suite of effects with Razer Chroma RBG