An Easy Guide to Resolving Code 18

Google Chrome 94 is here and it has introduced a controversial idle detection API. For those people that do not know what idle detection API is, well basically Chrome can be asked by a website to report when a user of the site has a site open and is idle on the device. The issue that people have with this is that this particular feature can be used to report when the user is not using a computer at all. Good thing is that website or web application will prompt you to allow it to use this feature like when a site/application wants to use your microphone or web camera. Developers are on board with this feature since it can provide them with more telemetric data on how users are interacting with their website/application but there are some that are strongly voicing against this. Tantek Çelik, Mozilla Standards Lead, commented on GitHub, saying:

As it is currently specified, I consider the Idle Detection API too tempting of an opportunity for surveillance capitalism motivated websites to invade an aspect of the user’s physical privacy, keep long-term records of physical user behaviors, discerning daily rhythms (e.g. lunchtime), and using that for proactive psychological manipulation (e.g. hunger, emotion, choice)… Thus I propose labeling this API harmful and encourage further incubation, perhaps reconsidering simpler, less-invasive alternative approaches to solve the motivating use-cases.

Others who have spoken against this feature are people from the WebKit development team inside Apple. Ryosuke Niwa, an Apple software engineer who works on WebKit said:

That doesn’t seem like a strong enough use case for this API. For starters, there is no guarantee that the user won’t immediately come back to the device. Also, who is such a service supposed to know what another device user might be using at any given point? We’re definitely not going to let a website know all the devices a given user might be using at any given point. That’s a very serious breach of the said user’s privacy. It seems to me that such a suppression/distribution mechanism is best left for the underlying operating systems/web browsers to handle.

Of course, technology itself as always can be used for good or for bad and time will tell if this feature has brought good stuff or it has paved another brick in surveillance and privacy manipulation. As said for now option will prompt for agreement and let's hope that it will be used for good causes from this day into the future.

Uncdms.dll Error Code - What is it?

Uncdms.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file and a crucial part of the Windows Desktop Search Software. It is used to search emails, documents, photos, videos, and folders instantly. However, the Uncdms.dll error pops on the screen, when the Windows Desktop Search Software fails to start. The error message is displayed in one of the following formats:

• “Uncdms.dll cannot be found.”
• “Windowssearch.exe – cannot find the component. This application has failed to start because uncdms.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix the problem.”
• “The file uncdms.dll is missing.”

Solution

Error Causes

Uncdms.dll error code may pop on your screen due to multiple reasons. These usually include but are not limited to:

• Viral infection
• Issues with Windows Desktop Search
• Registry corruption
• Uncdms.dll accidentally deleted during program un-installation

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you experience an Uncdms.dll error code on your system, fix it right away. This error is easy to resolve. You don’t have to be technically sound to resolve the uncdms.dll error code. Try the methods listed below to resolve without any hassle:

Method 1 - Check Your Recycle Bin and Restore the Deleted Uncdms.dll File

Since DLL files are shared files, there is a possibility that you accidentally deleted them while uninstalling some other program. To fix the issue, simply go to the recycle bin and look for the file. If you locate it, reinstall it. If you can’t, then it is advisable to download the Uncdms.dll file from a trusted DLL file website.

Method 2 - Uninstall and Then Re-install Windows Desktop Search

If the error code is related to issues with the Window Desktop Search application, then simply uninstall this software and re-install to resolve. To do this, click the start button, go to the control panel and then add/ remove programs. Now choose Windows Desktop Search from the list of programs and click Remove. After that, reboot your PC to activate changes. Now download the software and follow the same process and reinstall the Windows Desktop Search program on your PC. To activate changes, reboot. This will hopefully resolve the issue.

Method 3 - Update Windows

As this file is included in the service pack, try updating the Windows Utility to resolve the Uncdms.dll error code. To get started, click start and then go to the control panel, now choose Windows update. Follow the instructions to install Active X and then click install to update Windows Utility. Restart your system to bring the changes into effect.

Method 4 - Scan for Viruses and Repair the Registry

Whether the underlying cause of the Uncdms.dll error code is viral infection or registry corruption, it is advisable to download Restoro. It is an advanced and multi-functional PC Repair Tool integrated with 6 powerful utilities including antivirus and a registry cleaner. It scans and removes all types of viruses. The registry cleaning utility works simultaneously and removes all the unnecessary files corrupting the registry including cookies, temporary files, internet history, and junk files, and repairs it in seconds, thereby resolving the Uncdms.dll error immediately. Click here to download Restoro - PC Fixer

The Winload.efi file is an Extensible Firmware Interface or EFI file. EFI files are executable files for the firmware of the computers that are mainly based on UEFI and execute the tasks of loading the files to the bootloader of the computer. They are used for a specific set of tasks such as turning on the computer, installing Windows, restarting the computer or resetting it, and so on. This is why the Winload.efi file is a significant file so if it gets corrupted, lost, or damaged, it would be impossible for the Windows operating system to proceed. Here are some errors you can encounter that are related to the Winload.efi file:

• efi is missing
• efi cannot be found
• efi is missing or contains errors
• This program can’t start because winload.efi is missing from your computer
• This application requires the file winload.efi, which was not found on this system.
• There was a problem starting [path]winload.efi. The specified module could not be found.

In addition, the 0xc0000225 , 0xc00000e and 0xc0000001error codes are also associated with the Winload.efi file. Before you start troubleshooting the problem, you can try to perform System Restore first. This will help undo any changes you’ve made in your computer that might have triggered the Blue Screen error. To perform System Restore, here’s what you have to do:

• First, press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

If System Restore didn’t help in fixing the Blue Screen error, now’s the time for you to resort to the troubleshooting tips provided below but before you get started, make sure that your create a System Restore point first.

Option 1 – Try rebuilding the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) and repairing MBR

• Once you get to the Welcome Screen part, click on Next.
• Afterwards, click on the Repair your computer option located on the bottom-left part of the window.
• Then click on Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• Once Command Prompt has been pulled up, the following commands to rebuild BCD files and repair MBR. Don’t forget to hit Enter right after you type each command.
  • bootrec /repairbcd
  • bootrec /osscan
  • bootrec /repairmbr
• Once the command line is successful in finding out a Windows installation, hit Y to let it boot from the list which will successfully rebuild BCD.
• Now type “exit” to close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Disable the Secure Boot in the BIOS

Disabling the Secure Boot in the BIOS settings is definitely recommended to resolve errors related to the Winload.efi file. To disable Secure Boot, here’s what you have to do:

• First, boot your computer into Windows 10.
• Next, go to Settings > Windows Update. From there, check if there is anything that you have to download and install if you see any available updates. Usually, OEMs send and update the list of trusted hardware, drivers, and operating systems for your computer.
• After that, go to the BIOS of your computer.
• Then go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options. If you click on Restart Now, it will restart your computer and give you all the advanced options.
• Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options. As you can see, this screen offers you further options including System restore, Startup repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery and UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Select the UEFI Firmware Settings which will take you to the BIOS.
• From there, go to Security > Boot > Authentication tab where you should see Secure Boot. Note that every OEM has its own way of implementing the options so it varies.
• Next, set Secure Boot to Disabled and set Legacy Support to On or Enabled.
• Save the changes made and exit. Afterward, your computer will reboot.

Option 3 – Run System File Checker scan

You might also try running the System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the error. System File Checker is a command utility built into your computer that helps restore corrupted files and missing files. Refer to the following steps to run it:

• Hit the Win + R keys 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:

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

• Reboot your computer.

Option 4 – Disable the Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection

• You need to restart your computer in the Start Menu first while holding down the Shift key on your keyboard.
• After that, it will restart your computer to Startup Settings.
• Now ensure that the 8^th option is labeled as “Disable early launch anti-malware protection.
• Then tap the F8 key since the aforementioned option above is listed at number 8. This should launch and load Windows on your PC with the Early Anti-malware protection disabled for that session only when you try to carry out the same task and then check if the error related to the Winload.efi file is now fixed.

You have the option to choose to configure the Network to Private or Public when you set it on Windows 10 PC. On the other hand, if the option to change the Network from Public to Private goes missing in Windows Settings then this post will surely help. You can find this setting under Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet and appears when you click on it. If you are not able to see the option to change the network profile, then you either can’t open the settings, or the option to change it has been disabled. To resolve this issue, you can either use the Registry Editor or Windows PowerShell. Refer to the options given below for more details.

Option 1 – Change the Network Profile via Registry Editor

Changing the Network Profile can be done using the Registry Editor. But before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore Point first just in case. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionNetworkListProfiles
• Now expand the Profiles key folder located in the left pane to see one or more folders.
• Next, expand each one of these folders and look for the “Description” sub-key which should match the name of your network.
• After you find the Description sub-key, look for another sub-key named “Category” and double click on it to open it.
• Now change its value from “0” to “1” to change the Network Profile from Public to Private.

Option 2 – Change the Network Profile via Windows PowerShell

Aside from the Windows Registry, you can also use Windows PowerShell in changing the Network Profile from Public to Private and so on. Take note that you have to use PowerShell with admin privileges. Just refer to the steps below to do so.

• Tap the Win + X keys and then select the “PowerShell (Admin)” option.
• Next, click on Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears.
• After that, execute the commands listed below. Hit Enter right after you key in each one of them.
  • Get-NetConnectionProfile
  • Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex <index number> -NetworkCategory Private

Note: Since every Network Profile has an index number, you can check the label “Name” to identify the network that you want to change.

Microsoft sent an email to users on the Dev build channel saying that the company intends to push some builds that don’t represent what consumers will receive with Windows 11 when it officially releases. In other words, these are going to be some rather buggy builds that won’t be too enjoyable to use. The company recommends users switch from the Dev to the beta channel if they aren’t prepared to deal with the instability. We’ll have to wait and see just how buggy these builds are, but if Microsoft is actually sending out a warning about them it is very likely that builds will be plagued with issues and maybe even stability problems.

Back to Windows 10

How we can expect some buggy build of Windows 11 if you prefer a stable system over new features maybe best decision would be to switch back to Windows 10 until the new OS hits official release.

Switching from dev build channel to beta channel

Another solution, if you do not want to deal with too many issues, is to switch from Dev build channel to beta where things will be more stable. Follow the guide below in order to quickly switch to the beta channel. Following instructions only apply to Windows 11 installations that are linked up to the Windows Insider program, not clean installation of OS.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Inside settings click on Windows update
3. In Windows Update click on Windows Insider Program
4. Inside click on Choose your Insider Settings
5. Click on the button next to Beta Channel to select it (you can switch back to the Dev channel here if you change your mind)

The setting will be saved automatically and from now on you will only receive beta channel updates.

Copy & Paste is an essential part of Operating and working on a computer. We copy and paste a lot of different stuff through our workday, moving stuff from application to application. In an earlier article today we have explored troubleshooting and how to repair copy-paste stopped responses, this time we are going to focus on a little feature of Windows 10 called Clipboard history. Clipboard history is a built-in feature in Windows 10 which lets you store multiple copies of different types and then selectively pasting them into another application. Let's say you have multiple copies of different text from different websites and you then paste everything or just some into a Word processor. If this feature sounds interesting to you then let's turn it on. Press the start button and then on settings. In settings window click on System in system dialog click on the clipboard and on the right screen turn ON CLipboard history.

Error code 10, device manager code occurs when Bluetooth or Wi-Fi cannot be enabled. Inside device manager beside device would be yellow exclamation sign and if you go into device properties status would be: This device cannot start. Following are proven solutions that will resolve the issue and provide you with a working device.

Reboot PC, check for switch

This simple solution can usually work in most cases, first thing is to check if by any chance hardware switch for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is OFF (laptops have a small switch that can turn the device On or OFF), then if you do not have a switch or you made sure it is ON, reboot your system.

Run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

If previous simple step solutions have not proven to be effective run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

1. Press WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
3. Inside Find Network Adapter
4. Click on Run to start the troubleshooters

Disable and then re-enable Adapter

If the previous solution has not fixed the issue try disabling the adapter and then re-enabling it back.

Update network adapter

Go to the intel website and download the latest driver package. After the download is finished install the latest driver.

Turn ON the WLAN AutoConfig service

1. Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
2. In the Run dialog box, type services.MSC and hit Enter to open Services.
3. In the Services window, scroll and locate the WLAN AutoConfig service.
4. Double-click on the entry to edit its properties.
5. In the properties window, click the drop-down on the Startup type and select Automatic.
6. Next, make sure the Service status is started and running.
7. Click Apply > OK to save changes.
8. Exit Services console.
9. Restart PC.

It really sucks when you can’t fully enjoy the newest version of your favorite OS.

Windows 11 is still relatively fresh and consequently has some annoying little bugs that really ruin our experience. The good news is that you’re not alone and most of them are easy to fix.

Here are 5 commonly reported Windows 11 issues and what you can do to get rid of them.

1. Windows 11 audio problems

One of the absolute most irritating things in the world is struggling with the sound on your computer. Windows 11 users have reported facing the issue of low or no sound. If you’re currently experiencing the same frustration, you can be relieved. Chances are fixing it will only take a few minutes.

The first thing to check would be whether you accidentally muted your device by pressing the mute button on your keyboard. Yes, we know it sounds a lot like the old “have you tried turning it off and on again?” But it’s important to leave no stone unturned, and the most obvious things are usually the ones we easily overlook.

Moreover, if you have several audio output sources, check whether the right one is selected. You can do this via the Action Center or through Settings. If you want to use the same source every time, we also recommend you set it as the default one.

It’s also important to have a good, up-to-date audio driver. More often than not, this will be the true cause of your audio struggles. Make sure to update your driver, and if that doesn’t work out, you can always un- and reinstall it or install a different one. 

Lastly, if all attempts remain unsuccessful, run the audio troubleshooter to figure out what’s actually going wrong.

2. Unable to find files

Such a powerful new operating system, yet it can’t seem to do the simplest thing imaginable? The File Explorer not responding on Windows 11 is one of the most frustrating and most common problems with Microsoft’s newest iteration of its awesome OS.

However, 9/10 times it can be fixed by simply restarting your PC. You could also try killing the Windows Explorer process in the Task Manager and then rerunning it.

If these don’t help, check whether there are any pending Windows 11 updates. A single missing update can compromise your PC’s functionality, so always make sure to install them all on time. 

Should none of that work, then there are other ways to solve the File Explorer problem. However, then the issue is probably a bit deeper and it’s no longer in the ‘easy fix’ territory.

3. Start menu not working

Just like the File Explorer, the Start menu is a fundamental element of your OS. So, it’s only natural that its malfunction grinds your gears. It may be more customizable than on previous Windows versions, but it doesn’t always work smoothly. 

If you’re facing the so-called Start menu critical error, there are a few things this could be caused by. Usually it means you turned off your system while an important update was still being installed, there is a corrupt file on your PC, or Windows forcefully stopped a program. 

Whatever the reason, the solution should be pretty simple. Try the basic steps: restarting your File Explorer (like we explained above) and signing out and back into your account. If that doesn’t do anything, you may want to try uninstalling third-party start menu apps (if you have any), since they can interfere with your default programs’ functionality.

Now, those are the easy fixes. If you get nowhere with them, you might need to identify the root cause and search for more complex solutions than that.

4. Snipping tool not working

Our beloved screenshot tool was introduced with Windows 10 and Microsoft decided to keep it. However, you were probably just as disappointed as us when you tried to run it and failed. 

Normally, this can be fixed by installing the latest Out-of-band (OOB) update, or even pending updates in general. Even if your system appears to be up-to-date, run the checker just in case.

Another cool thing Windows 11 lets you do is ‘Repair’ and ‘Reset’, which is the easiest way to troubleshoot your Snipping tool. If this fails, you can also try the good old un- and reinstall method. Simply uninstall the tool through the Control Panel and reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.

Furthermore, in the case of an upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, it may be that the old Snipping tool version is interfering with the launch of the new one. If you don’t care that much about the additional options available with the enhanced screenshot tool, you can use the old version instead.

Simply go to your C Drive, find the Windows.old folder, search for the tool and open it from there. Make sure to pin it to your taskbar as well, if you know you’re going to use it often.

5. Can’t install the latest update

The latest Windows 11 version, 22H2, has brought tons of enhancements to our dearest operating system. Unfortunately, a lot of users still haven’t had the opportunity to experience it. A mere update of your OS version should be the one thing that goes smoothly, but sometimes that’s not the case.

Failure to install 22H2 can be caused by a few things. Most commonly, the issue is caused by lack of storage space or corrupted files, but there could be other culprits.

There are a couple of things you could try. For example, it’s crucial that your drivers be up-to-date and some important services be enabled. These are: Windows Modules Installer, Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Cryptographic Service, Windows Update services.

To enable them, search ‘Services’, find the service you need and right-click on it. Open ‘Properties’ and select the startup type ‘Automatic’.

It may also be necessary to unplug all peripherals that aren’t crucial and disable third-party antivirus tools until after the update is finished. 

Ultimately, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to detect and fix other possible issues.

Summary

Tiny bugs like these are nothing out of the ordinary. That said, we still all hate when they happen.

Hopefully some of our solutions have helped you to a smoother Windows 11 experience. But if you’re still struggling, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help!

As you know, Windows PowerShell is a useful command-line utility in Windows 10 that can be used to manage the Local Users and Groups which affirms the multiuser operating system principle of Windows 10. Although there are other GUI-based utilities used to manage the Local Users and Groups, there are some system administrators that would still like to use the command-line utility to manage these Local Users and Groups. So in this post, you will be guided on how exactly you can manage the Local Users and Groups using PowerShell on your Windows 10 computer. To get started, refer to the options provided below to manage both the Local Users and Groups using Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Manage the Local Users via Windows PowerShell

• You need to first open Windows PowerShell as an admin. To do that, just tap the Win + X keys and select the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
• After opening PowerShell, you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser” cmdlet so that you can find all the details about all the local user accounts in your computer which would include the Account Name, Enabled status, as well as description.

Note: On the other hand, you can also get the customized data about several objects that are related to your account. For instance, if you want to check when was the last time the Local account’s password was set, then you need to execute the “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object PasswordLastSet” cmdlet. Thus, the structure for this cmdlet is “Get-LocalUser -Name root | Select-Object *”. Here are the objects you can use to get different sorts of data:

• AccountExpires
• Description
• Enabled : True
• FullName
• PasswordChangeableDate
• PasswordExpires
• UserMayChangePassword
• PasswordRequired
• PasswordLastSet
• LastLogon
• Name
• SID
• PrincipalSource
• ObjectClass

Option 2 – Manage the Local User Groups using Windows PowerShell

• Like what you did earlier, open Windows PowerShell as admin and then execute the “Get-LocalGroup” cmdlet so you can get all the information about all the groups of all the local user accounts.
• Now if you want to create a new Local User Group, just execute the “New-LocalGroup -Name <NAME OF THE GROUP> -Description '<ENTER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP HERE>'” cmdlet.
• And if you want to add Local User Accounts to a specific group, just execute the “Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP' -Member ('NAME 1','NAME 2','<ROLE>') -Verbose” cmdlet. You could also use the “Get-Localuser -Name john | Add-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>'” cmdlet for the same purpose.
• If you want to display all the User Accounts of a specific group, just use the “Get-LocalGroupMember –Group ‘ ’” cmdlet.
• Now if you want to remove a local user account from a group, all you have to do is use the “Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group '<NAME OF THE GROUP>' –Member <NAME OF THE LOCAL USER ACCOUNT>” cmdlet.

Hello everyone and welcome to our useful tips and tricks and problem-solving article blog. This time we are doing something different, instead of solving issues this time we are focusing on some quality of life tips like keyboard shortcuts in your Windows 10.

Shortcut Keys	Description
Windows Key	Opens/closes the Start menu.
Windows Key + Up Arrow	Maximizes the selected window.
Windows Key + Down Arrow	Reduces the window size. (Restore down.)
Windows Key + M	Minimizes all open windows.
Windows Key + Shift + M	Opens minimized windows.
Windows Key + Tab	Shows Task View.
Windows Key + L	Locks the screen.
Windows Key + A	Opens the Action Center.
Windows Key + V	Opens Clipboard History.
Windows Key + I	Opens the Settings menu.
Windows Key + F	Opens the Feedback hub.
Windows Key + H	Opens the dictation toolbar.
Windows Key + P	Opens the projection settings.
Windows Key + . (Windows Key + ;)	Opens the emoji panel.
Windows Key + C	Opens Cortana in listening mode.
Windows Key + C (Windows Key + Q)	Opens Windows Search.
Windows Key + G	Opens the Xbox game bar.
Windows Key + X	Opens the secondary start menu.
Windows Key + <number>	Opens the app in the taskbar relative to the number input. For example, if Chrome is the fourth app on the taskbar, using Windows Key + 4 will open Chrome.
Windows Key + Alt + <number>	Opens the right-click menu for the app in the taskbar relative to the number input. For example, if Chrome is the fourth app on the taskbar, using Windows Key + Alt + 4 will open Chrome’s right-click menu.
Windows Key + D	Shows/hides open apps on the desktop.
Windows Key + E	Opens File Explorer.
Windows Key + U	Opens Ease of Access in the Settings menu.
Windows Key + Print Screen	Takes a screenshot of the desktop.
Windows Key + Control + F	Opens the Find Computers window.
Windows Key + Control + D	Creates a virtual desktop.
Windows Key + Control + Left Arrow	Switches to the virtual desktop on the left.
Windows Key + Control + Right Arrow	Switches to the virtual desktop on the right.
Windows Key + Control + F4	Closes the active virtual desktop.
Windows Key + Space	Switches between installed languages (for writing text).