Shift Key is not working in Windows

As you know, just like other web browsers, Google Chrome offers Incognito Mode or private browsing which you can use to make sure that your browsing activities are not being tracked by any websites you visit and it also keeps targeted ads at bay. On the other hand, signing in to a website, even when in Incognito Mode is a different thing since that website can track your browsing activities. Thus, Incognito Mode is still useful especially if you want to browse the web safely and without getting tracked except when you log in to some site. However, there have been reports recently that Incognito Mode is missing in Chrome and users are clueless as to how or why it happened. If you are one of them, worry not for this post will walk you through what you can do if there’s no Incognito Mode in Chrome on your Windows 10 computer. This is an unusual and strange issue since the Incognito Mode in Chrome is available by default and you don’t have to do anything to enable it. It is possible that there might be corruption in the Windows Registry which caused the disappearance of Incognito Mode, worry not though for there are some tweaks you can apply to restore the missing Incognito Mode. To apply these tweaks, you need to create first a System Restore point, and then once you’re done, follow the instructions provided below carefully. Step_1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. Step_2: Next, after opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this path – ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPolicies Step_3: From there, look for ChromePolicies and locate the DWORD named “IncognitoModeAvailability” and double click on it. Step_4: Edit the value of the “IncognitoModeAvailability” DWORD by changing its value from 1 to 0 so you can enable Incognito Mode in Chrome. Step_5: Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer and then check if you can now see Incognito Mode in Chrome. On the other hand, there is also another option that allows you to force open your Chrome browser in Incognito Mode. All you have to do is set the value of the “IncognitoModeAvailability” key to “2” instead of 0. This can be useful especially if you always browse the web in this mode. But you need to remember that you won’t be able to go back to the normal mode once you do this. Here are what the values of the IncognitoModeAvailability DWORD actually mean:

• 0 – Incognito mode is enabled by default
• 1 – Incognito mode is disabled
• 2 – Chrome is forced to always open in Incognito mode

Error Code 0x80248014 - What is it?

Error Code 0x80248014 is an error that is particularly associated with the Windows 10 operating system. It generally appears during the Windows Update process and can interrupt the update installation, causing it to fail.

Common symptoms include:

• Inability to download, install, or run updates on the Windows 10 operating system
• The vague message that appears when the error occurs
• Inability to finalize purchases made from the Windows Store
• Inability to run a check to see if updates need to be installed

The resolutions available for Error Code 0x80248014 include the use of the command prompt and delving into the settings for Windows. While most users should be able to navigate the resolution methods on their own if you do not feel comfortable undertaking these steps on your own or if you aren’t able to resolve the error fully using these methods, get in touch with a qualified Windows repair technician who is familiar with issues in Windows updates.

Solution

Error Causes

There are several common culprits that can make Error Code 0x80248014 appear on your Windows device. The most common ones include problems with your connections, interference on the server, or problems in the settings for the Windows Store itself from which the updates are downloaded.

If you believe that your error relates most specifically to the Windows Store, you may want to jump directly to method two in order to attempt to resolve the issue.

Further Information and Manual Repair

There are a number of ways that you can try to resolve Error Code 0x80248014 on your Windows 10 operating system. The first will attempt to reset the issue using the command prompt, while the second attempts to address the issues that are associated directly with the Windows Store.

If you do not feel comfortable taking the steps below, be sure to get in touch with a qualified Windows repair technician to assist you.

Here are the top two methods to resolve Error Code 0x80248014 on the Windows 10 operating system:

Method One:  Attempt to Resolve the Error Using the Command Prompt

To use this method, employ the following steps in order:

• Step One: To begin, open up the Start menu and select the option for the Command Prompt, choosing to run it in Admin mode.
• Step Two: Put in the commands below, hitting the Enter key after each one:
  • net stop WuAuServ
  • %windir%
• Step Three: Open up the Windows folder on your local hard drive. Look for the folder labeled “SoftwareDistribution” and change the name to “SDold”.
• Step Four: Go back into the Command Prompt as an administrator and enter this command:  “net start WuAuServ”.
• Step Five: Attempt to run your check for Updates again.

You may want to reboot your computer after running the steps above to ensure that the changes that you’ve made are fully applied to your device.

Method Two:  Reset Your Windows Store Settings

In some cases, Error Code 0x80248014 can appear on a device when the settings for the Windows Store have been altered or cannot be successfully read by the machine in question. If you believe that this is the case on your machine, you can run a simple command to renew your Windows Store settings.

To attempt to reset your Windows Store settings, open up your search bar and type in the following phrase “wsreset.exe,” then hitting Enter. Running this command will reset your Windows Store settings to their defaults.

After you reset your Windows Store settings, it may be a good idea to reboot your computer to ensure that all changes have fully taken effect on your device. Once this has been done, you can open the Windows Store back up and try to download or install the programs that you were attempting to purchase when the error code occurred.

If you are still experiencing the effects on your Windows 10 operating system or if you have not been able to follow the steps above to completion, it may be time to get in touch with a qualified Windows repair technician to assist you with the error resolution process.

Method Three: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

In case you don’t know, Driver Verifier is a built-in utility in the Windows 10 operating system. It is the one that ensures the integrity of all the drivers in the system. It can detect any suspicious behaviors of the drivers and if it finds the driver signature of some suspicious activity during runtime, it stops the suspected action by triggering a BSOD or Blue Screen of Death error and one of these Stop errors is the DRIVER_VERIFIER_DMA_VIOLATION error. When you encounter such an error, you will see the following message on your screen:

“Your PC ran into a problem that it couldn’t handle, and now it needs to restart. If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: DRIVER_VERIFIER_DMA_VIOLATION”

There are several ways you can fix this error. You can try to disable the Driver Verifier or run the Hardware troubleshooter. You could also try to update, roll back or uninstall the drivers on your computer. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to disable the Driver Verifier Manager

The Driver Verifier Manager is another tool in Windows that could help you fix driver-related issues.

• Type in the keyword “Verifier” in the Cortana search box to search for Verifier in Windows 10.
• After that, select the option “Create custom settings”.
• Make sure that you have checked everything except the options “DDI compliance checking” and “Randomized low resources simulation”.
• Next, select the option “Select driver names from a list” option.
• Afterward, you have to select all the drivers from any unofficial or third-party provider. To simply put it, you have to select all the drivers that are not supplied by Microsoft.
• Then click on the Finish button.
• Open Command Prompt as administrator and execute this command – verifier /querysettings
• The command you just executed will display the Driver Verifier settings so if you see any of the flags enabled boot your Windows 10 PC into Safe Mode.
• Open the Command Prompt as admin again and run this command – verifier /reset
• The command will reset the Driver Verifier. Once the process is done, restart your PC and check.

Option 2 – Try to reinstall or update device drivers of recently installed hardware

If the first few options didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

Option 3 – Try running the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like DRIVER_VERIFIER_DMA_VIOLATION. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Note: You could also run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing the DRIVER_VERIFIER_DMA_VIOLATION error.

Option 4 – Try running Microsoft’s online Blue Screen Troubleshooter

If running the built-in Blue Screen Troubleshooter didn’t work, you can also try running Microsoft’s online Blue Screen Troubleshooter. All you have to do is go to Microsoft’s website and from there, you will see a simple wizard that will walk you through the troubleshooting process.

In case you don’t know, Groove Music is due to retire its OneDrive streaming service this month. Despite that being the case, there is actually a workaround you can try to still continue enjoying music streaming. The app also allows you to play your own local files and if required, you can also modify or tailor the experience with new features – for instance, Groove Music brings an Equalizer to the settings of the app. As the name suggests, the equalizer allows you to tweak frequency responses to your liking. On top of being able to tweak individual bands, the equalizer supports few pre-set settings to enable quick changes. This post will guide you on the process of accessing and using the equalizer in the Groove Music app. To get started, refer to the instructions provided below. Step 1: You need to make sure that you are running the latest version of the Groove Music app or version 10.18011.1211.0 or higher in order to use the equalizer in Groove Music. If needed, you can check the version number from Windows Store. Step 2: Open Windows Store and then click on the ellipses icon and select the Downloads and Updates option. Step 3: Next, search for Groove Music and check its version number. Step 4: Now that you’ve verified the version number of Groove Music, you need to open the equalizer setting. It is enabled by default and to access it, click on the gear icon for Settings and select equalizer under the Playback settings. Step 5: After that, the Equalizer window will pop up. It is where you can configure the equalizer settings using the drop-down menu. Here are the following presets you can choose from:

• Flat
• Treble Boost
• Bass Boost
• Headphones
• Laptop
• Portable speakers
• Home Stereo
• TV
• Car
• Custom

Step 6: Drag the dots upwards or downwards to set your own preferences, as needed. Note: The only downside to this setting is that there is no shortcut available for quick access as you have to navigate through the Settings section manually to access it and change the preset configurations. In addition, the Groove Music app also works on the mobile version of Windows 10.

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

There are a lot of reasons to ban or block different websites in your Windows. From wanting to limit yourself from distraction to block certain sites for sake of kids not going into them. Whatever your reason might be, keep reading in order to find out how you can block any website inside Windows for all browsers. The technique I am going to share with you is universal and not tied to Windows versions, they will work in any Windows from XP onward. Also, the technique will block desired websites on any browser, already installed or even ones that will be installed after doing the trick. And we will also be looking at applications that can help you in this task if you do not wish to do it manually.

Block websites using dedicated software

A small free application called Focal Filter which can be found here: https://www.focalfilter.com/ is a software solution for your needs. It is a pretty straightforward and easy-to-understand application and not really much can be said here about it. You simply download and install it, set your websites, and you are done, the app does rest.

Blocking manually via host file

Another method besides mentioned one using the dedicating application is to manually set site addresses inside the Windows host file. The first thing, of course, is to open the host file, run a notepad with administrator privileges, go to file open, and navigate to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Once the file is opened go all the way down and add: 127.0.0.1 SITENAME For example: 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com or 127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com This way each time user on a PC tries to access a listed website computer will reroute it to the given address which is your PC's local address and asked website will not be able to load.

If Error Code 0xc00000e9 appears on your screen, there is no cause to panic yet as there are different ways to fix this. Here, I will list down different methods to get your computer back on track:

1. Check peripheral connections
2. Check your SATA cables
3. Check your hard drive
4. Check your BIOS settings

Quick Fix 1. Check Peripheral Connections

1. Turn off your computer.
2. After the computer has been shut down, take off all the peripherals or the USB cables that are connected to your USB ports. This includes even the keyboard and the mouse. We just need to have only the monitor plugged in for this one.
3. Turn on your computer and see if it starts as it normally does.
4. If it does, try connecting back your external devices or peripherals one by one until you find the one that causes the error.
5. Once you trace the device that’s causing the error, you will have to change its USB cable and update its driver to support your operating system.

Quick Fix 2. Check your SATA cables

It is possible that what causes a barrier between your operating system and your hard drive from communicating is the SATA cable used. For example, if you’re using an older SATA with a SATA III port, there might not be adequate support for the transfer of data from one another. Or, the problem might be a loose SATA cable which would still require you to buy a new one to replace your loose or damaged cable. To check if your SATA cables are causing the error, simply follow these steps:

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Carefully open its case.
3. Check the hard drive and the SATA port where it’s connected.
4. Try to use a newer cable and connect it to your SATA port. (If you used a SATA II cable, you can see if a SATA III cable is more compatible.)
5. Replace your SATA cable with a newer one if Step 4 proves to be successful.

Quick Fix 3. Check your hard drive.

1. Try to use a different hard drive and see if error code 0xc00000e9 still appears.
2. If it works out just fine, then the problem might be physical damage to your hard drive and would need to be repaired depending on the case. Just simply take it to a technician and let him know about the issue.

Quick Fix 4. Check your BIOS settings

1. Restart your computer.
2. Once your computer starts, press and hold the ESC, F2, F12, or DEL key to go to BIOS settings.
3. You will then be redirected to the BIOS Setup Utility screen. From here, go to Boot options.
4. In the Boot Options, see if your first boot device is your hard drive. If it isn’t, press the arrow key to select the hard drive and move it to the top of the boot device list.
5. Save the settings.
6. Reboot your computer.

Note: If all the methods above do not work, the problem might be on your drivers and you might need to update them. You can update your driver in two ways: Manual driver update and Automatic driver update. You can find procedures online in updating your drivers.

There are instances when the Windows 10 installation needs interaction before it reaches the file process. And so if you suddenly encounter the Windows Update Installation Failure 0x80240020 error under the Windows Update History, then you need to get it fixed. When you encounter this kind of Windows Update Error, you will see an error message that says, “The operation did not complete because there is no logged-on interactive user”. This error also indicates the “WU_E_NO_INTERACTIVE_USER” code. To resolve this issue, in this post we’ll walk you through a couple of steps but before you get started, know that you don’t have to run any troubleshooter or delete any file just to fix this error since all you have to do is enable one option that can automatically login with your account and complete the installation for you. With that said, just make sure to only try running Windows Update once you’re told to do so. There are two ways you can enable the option that could resolve the Windows Update Installation Failure 0x80240020 error. One is via Settings while the second one is via Registry Editor.

Option 1 – via Settings

Step 1: Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options. Step 2: From there, toggle on the “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart” option. Step 3: After that, it will make sure that the interaction part is removed from the Windows Update process. Note: If your device is joined in a domain or if some work or email policies are applied to your device by your company or organization, then you wouldn’t be able to see this option in Settings and that’s where the Registry Editor comes in. Just make sure that you’re logged in as an administrator and that you create a System Restore Point first since registry hacks are sensitive and could highly impact how your computer behaves or functions. Once you have that covered, follow the steps below.

Option 2 – via Registry Editor

Step 1: In the Start search, type “Regedit” and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. Step 2: Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdateOSUpgrade

Note: If the above-given registry key does not exist, you can simply create it. All you have to do is right-click on the WindowsUpdate key and then select the New Key option and type “OSUpgrade” as its name. Afterward, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it “AllowOSUpgrade” and set its value to 0x00000001. Step 3: Restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed. And then try to update your Windows 10 computer again and while you’re at it, make sure that you’re around your computer to interact with the prompts needed to complete the installation process.

Error Code 0x800703e3, What is it?

Error Code 0x800703e3 is an error that arises on Windows 10, as well as on many of the past versions of the Windows operating system, dating back to Windows 7. It is an error that is associated with a number of different causes, and therefore, there are many different ways to attempt to resolve the error.

Common symptoms include:

• Programs running slowly or locking up
• Computer freezing or going to a blue screen
• Report of an error message

In most cases, users experience Error Code 0x800703e3 when they attempt to install new software or upgrade their programs and operating systems on their Windows machine. Error Code 0x800703e3 is fairly simple to fix and many of the methods used do not require advanced computer skills or knowledge. However, if you have any difficulty in implementing the steps below on your device, it is recommended that you contact a qualified computer repair technician to assist you.

Solution

Error Causes

There are a number of different causes for Error Code 0x800703e3. The most common ones that Windows users experience are:

• Incomplete installations interfering with system files
• Outdated operating system or programs
• Updates left unfinished for long periods of time
• Manual cancellation of the installation process
• Malware or viruses
• Corrupted files in the operating system
• Redundancy in the installations of a program on the device

Further Information and Manual Repair

As there are many different things that can cause Error Code 0x800703e3 to appear on your Windows device, there are many methods that you can use to attempt to resolve the error. While many of these are easy to complete for basic users, some of the methods below require familiarity with advanced computing techniques. If you have trouble using the methods below, contact a qualified Windows repair technician.

Here are the top ways to resolve Error Code 0x800703e3:

Method One:  Update Your Device Drivers and Registries

The best place to start in resolving Error Code 0x800703e3 is to open up your settings for your drivers and check to see if any updates are necessary. After updating your drivers, it is important to restart your computer to allow any changes to take effect.

Secondarily, you can also run the Windows Registry Repair tool to see if there are any system files in your library that can be fixed, removed, or added automatically by the repair wizard. Again, it is important that you restart your computer after the tool has finished its scan and repair process to ensure that all necessary changes become fully active and recognized by the system.

Method Two:  Check for System and Program Updates

If it has been a while since you last updated your software and operating system, open up the settings for your system updates. Always restart your computer after a system update has been completed to allow the necessary changes to take effect.

Remember that it is important to regularly update both your Windows operating system and your programs to ensure that there is not a backlog of updates to be completed.  This can help to keep your computer in optimum health and eliminate future errors during installations and standard operation of your computer.

Method Three:  Restore Your System

In some cases, the best way to address Error Code 0x800703e3 is to reinstall the Windows operating system on your machine. If the core issue of the error is that there is a missing or damaged system file, this is the best way to address the problem quickly and efficiently. Before you attempt to reinstall the Windows operating on your machine, make sure that all of your programs and information have been backed up in a secure manner so that you can restore these items after the installation is complete.

Method Four:  Remove Recently Added Programs

If you just began to experience the error after installing a new program, try removing the new program from your machine using the “uninstall” process, then restart your computer.

If you have any difficulty in completing the above methods on your own or if the problem has not been fully resolved using these methods, get in touch with a certified Windows technician who can help you to fix the issues at hand and get your computer up and running again.

Method Five: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

TPM or Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 is a must-have if you plan on upgrading your system to Windows 11. So what exactly is TPM and do you have it?

What exactly is TPM?

TPM is a tamper-resistant hardware technology tasked with generating and storing encryption keys inside it for better PC security. It can be remotely used to authenticate hardware and software by utilizing a unique endorsement key placed into the hardware itself. This technology can be used for example in BitLocker inside Windows in order to have data on a hard drive encrypted so if the mentioned drive is connected to another computer it would not be able to be accessed since the encryption key is stored in the TPM module. Microsoft is pushing its agenda that Windows 11 must be and must feel like safety first OS which will protect user data and user information and requiring TPM means that each Windows 11 will be secure so no additional software patches will be required for an extra layer of security. Windows 11 will assume that each user has TPM encryption enabled and will be built upon that.

Do you have TPM on your computer?

If your computer or hardware has been purchased in 2016 or later there are very high chances that you already have the required technology to run Windows 11. Unfortunately, many gaming motherboards have not been placing TPM in their boards and you might not have it. Also, there is the option of you having it but it is turned off in motherboard settings making Windows unable to detect it. As you can clearly see there are a lot of scenarios around required tech and honestly it is a complete mess. But lucky for you there are ways to find out do you possess the needed module in order to make an upgrade. On your current computer on which you would like to make an upgrade in your current Windows OS press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog. Inside run dialog type in TPM.msc and press ENTER to open Trusted Platform Module Management on Local Computer. You will immediately receive information do you have the required module. If everything is fine, you are good to go, however, if it says that compatible TPM cannot be found there is a chance that either you do not have needed hardware or it might be turned off inside motherboard settings.

Check motherboard UEFI

If you have a newer motherboard but Windows utility cannot detect TPM there is a chance that it might be turned off directly on your board. In order to check this, you will have to boot up your PC into UEFI either by pressing the corresponding key when it is turned ON or from Windows reboot options. Once you are inside UEFI you need to find security options and see if there is an option to turn ON or enable TPM. Since every motherboard is different and has different UEFI software we cannot cover all of the permutations and the best we can do is hope that provided information is enough. You can also visit your motherboard manufacturer to see instructions for your specific case.

Conclusion

TPM itself is generally an OK idea and I can surely see good sides of it but there is this lurking feeling that generally, Microsoft is not really concerned about the security of our data and that the real requirement for this is trying to battle software piracy. I simply cannot trust company which introduced tons of telemetry tracking through ages and which has done everything in their power to battle non-legal use of their software. I do not promote piracy but I support free choice and besides, who can tell me what will happen if TPM malfunctions, will I lose all of my data forever? It is not so uncommon that TPM has malfunctioned in the past and it is only logical to presume it can do it again in the future but this time we will not have the choice not to use it, we will be forced into it.