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Best TV streaming services 2021

We live in a world that is in a pandemic, our lives, both social and work are turned upside down. Most of our free time is spent indoors now, maybe with some close relatives or friends, no large gathering, no party. In this world keeping yourself busy and entertained is very important so we do not lose our minds and try to function as well as we can. Keep up the positive spirit, the pandemic will be over soon but in meantime, let's see some premium streaming services for tv and film so we can kill time faster with some quality entertainment.

  1. Netflix

    If you're a connoisseur of movies and/or TV, there's only one must-have player in town and that's Netflix. It is, unequivocally, the biggest and best streaming service, despite not always stocking its digital shelves with must-have new movies and TV; that said, this is the staple streamer you need to own if you ever plan on cutting the cord and surviving without it.

    These days, most smart TVs have Netflix apps, and finding a streaming box without it is the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. The quality of the movies and TV we tried – mostly streamed in Ultra HD – on both TV and on tablets is exquisite.

  2. Amazon Prime Video

    Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video has its own set of original series The Expanse, Hunters, and The Boys among others – but, generally speaking, they don't receive the same fanfare as their Netflix-bred brethren.

    Although Netflix is as guilty for dud programming as the rest of them, it's worth mentioning Amazon Prime does get some pretty terrible new additions from time to time. So always check out the guide to the best Amazon Prime TV shows before you dive in head-first.

    The two big differentiators between the services are the fact that access to Amazon's streaming service comes standard with a subscription to Amazon Prime – meaning access to Amazon Music and premium delivery services.

  3. Hulu

    Video streaming service Hulu offers big-name titles like The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, and South Park alongside a huge number of titles from NBC, FOX, and Comedy Central. It's also the only streaming service app on the Nintendo Switch.

    Hulu comes in two flavors: the standard on-demand streaming service you've always known and loved, and the new Hulu with Live TV

  4. Disney Plus

    Disney Plus doesn't feel like it's trying to be the main TV streaming offering in your life. Instead, it's a family-friendly option that feels like it lives alongside a Netflix or Amazon Prime Video subscription. It has a very specific selection of content: Disney animated movies, Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and National Geographic.

    Essentially, if Disney owns it and kids can watch it, it's on here, and often streaming in 4K for no additional price. The real reason to sign up are big originals across those different subject areas – WandaVision, The Mandalorian, and Pixar's Soul, for example, all demonstrate an intention to invest big in blockbuster content for the platform.

  5. YouTube TV

    Ask someone what they think was the biggest internet revolution of the 21st century and they'll probably say it was YouTube. And with good reason – the user-generated video-blogging site has changed the online landscape forever.

    It lets anyone, however well known they are (or not), whatever the quality of their content and wherever they hail from, upload their weird and wonderful videos for anyone around the world to watch at their convenience. The beauty of YouTube is that in the blink of an eye it's taken the broadcasting power from the bigwigs and placed it right in our hands.

    OK, so it might not have stopped people wanting to watch a high-quality, professionally made production in their living room TVs, but it's an insight into how TV might be produced in the future. After all, with YouTube you don't need a big budget or indeed any budget at all to produce your own TV series and establish a massive following.

    While the free portion of YouTube will always remain the most popular (the latest statistic says that a whopping eight years' worth of content is uploaded each and every day to the site), but if you're looking for quality content, YouTube TV is also an excellent option worth considering.

  6. HBO Max

    HBO Max is a new streaming service built on top of an old one. The next evolution of HBO Go and HBO Now, it takes the basis of HBO's content – which includes many phenomenal shows, like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Barry, The Leftovers, and Succession – and adds a heap more content to make it into more of a Netflix competitor.

    That's why a lot of the original fare we're seeing on the service so far is a bit broader in targeting different audiences, with Anna Kendrick's Love Life kicking us off, and Kaley Cuoco's dark comedy The Flight Attendant also feeling a little different to the usual heavy HBO dramas. You'll find original movies on the service, as well as series previously available on the DC Universe app, like Titans and Harley Quinn.

    There's a big archive of existing shows to enjoy on there, too, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, South Park, and Rick and Morty. The content channels on HBO Max are great, with Studio Ghibli, Adult Swim, and Cartoon Network among those in the mix.

  7. Sling TV

    Sling TV is a kind of cure-all for the cord-cutting generation, something that we knew we needed but no company stepped up to make. That said, it's everything cable's not. It's affordable. It's no-obligation. And there are absolutely zero sales reps trying to stop you from canceling your contract. Best of all, you won't have to give up some of the perks cable provided in the last few years like the ability to pause live TV or watch something that aired up to 72 hours ago.

  8. Crunchyroll

    Crunchyroll is the best streaming service any anime, manga, or East-Asian cinema fan in your life has always wanted and never knew about.

    Founded by Berkeley graduates back in 2006, Crunchyroll started as a bootleg website of sorts where users uploaded their favorite shows without the permission of the original owners. Not the humblest of beginnings. But now it's an essential offering for anime fans.

    While you won't find genre staples like Dragon Ball Z, Digimon or Pokémon around, most of the site's 200-plus series are available to watch for free in SD

  9. Apple TV Plus

    Apple's newest streaming service has money bags and talent on its side. Launching back in 2019 with The Morning Show, an expensive drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell, as well as See with Jason Momoa, Apple is flexing its muscles to get the best talent.

    Unfortunately, it doesn't have a deep content library, which is what the platform would need to be the best streaming service in 2021

  10. Peacock

    NBC Universal's attempt to enter the streaming market is buoyed by one big benefit: it's free to sign up and use, with an ad-supported tier letting you enjoy a healthy helping of its content for absolutely nothing. That said, a lot of the better stuff is behind a paywall – $4.99 per month if you want to access all of it with ads, and $9.99 if you want to enjoy without ads.

  11. Twitch

    For a certain crowd, Twitch (formerly known as Justin.tv) is about the best invention since sliced bread. Essentially it's a live-streaming platform that focuses primarily on videogames where you can find everything from world tournament coverage to someone muddling their way through that indie darling you had your eye on buying.

    It's not traditional by any means, but you'll find plenty to see and do on Twitch. Best of all the app is free on almost any platform you can think of: iOS, Android, Xbox One, PS4, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV … you name it, it probably has a Twitch app.

If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

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A Quick Guide to Fixing Error Mswrd632.wpc

Mswrd632.wpc - What is it?

Mswrd632.wpc is a Microsoft Office Word error message.  This error message is often displayed in the following format:
‘Word cannot start the converter mswrd632.wpc’
The error message mswrd632.wpc may pop up when computer users try to open certain MS Word documents using the .doc extension.

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

Error Mswrd632.wpc may be triggered due to several reasons. Some of the common reasons for the mswrd632.wpc error code include:
  • Issues with Microsoft Word application
  • MSwrd632.wpc file corrupted
  • Changes in the registry configuration settings
  • Issues with security updates
Sometimes when you attempt to access the Word file of the older version of the MS Word application after new security updates, you may experience this error code. This happens because the new security features that you have installed in the updated version blocks old files from being accessed.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you can’t access important MS Word files on your PC, due to the error Mswrd632.wpc, then don’t you worry! The good news is that it is easy to fix and repair. By following a few simple methods, you can easily resolve this issue and access your MS Word files. Try the methods listed below to repair error Mswrd632.wpc on your system:

Method 1: Copy the MSwrd632.wpc file From Another Computer

The error may also occur if the MSwrd632.wpc file is corrupted. In such as situation, copy the MSwrd632.wpc file on your PC from another computer. You can usually find this file in the following path C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft SharedTextConv. However, please note this method is not secure and may make your PC vulnerable to a possible security hack. Do it when your PC is not connected to the internet.

Method 2: Unregister the Text Converter

This issue can also be resolved by unregistering the converter. Here is a step-by-step guide to unregister the converter.
  • First, go to the start menu and select RUN.
  • Type REGEDIT and press the OK button.
  • Next, what you have to do is find and click on registry subkeys. Here are the keys that you have to click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftSharedToolsText ConvertersImportMSWord6.wpc (Windows 32 bit OS) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSharedToolsText ConvertersImportMSWord6.wpc (Windows 64 bit OS)
  • Choose the key according to your Windows bit operating system. After that, click on the Edit menu, select the Delete option and click ‘Yes’ to activate changes.
This change will effectively unregister the text converter and disable it for third-party applications and for Microsoft Office enabling you to access your desired MS Word files easily.

Method 3 - Download Restoro to Resolve Registry issues

If the error is related to the registry, then the best and most efficient way to fix it is to download Restoro. This is a powerful registry cleaner and a PC Fixer deployed with a user-friendly interface and compatible with all Windows versions. It scans and removes all registry errors and repairs the registry in seconds. Click here and download Restoro to resolve the MSwrd632.wpc error now!
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Proton Drive, privacy-first cloud storage

In 2014 Proton mail started as an end-to-end encrypted email service offering secure and private email services. Proton mail is still live and going with the same dedication to privacy and security but the company has expanded its offering into cloud storage drive services.

Starting as a public beta at the end of 2020, Proton Drive is keeping its privacy and security policy philosophy with the new service. Proton Drive is the newest service besides Proton Calendar, Proton VPN, and Proton Mail.

proton drive

Drive has end-to-end encryption for everything on it including files themselves, filenames, folder structure, folder names, extensions, and file sizes. This means that you and only you can access your files. Servers are located in Geneva, Switzerland and they are under Swiss privacy laws making sure that your files are protected. Proton services in general are all open source so anyone can take a look at them to be sure that nothing is lurking under the hood. For now, sync is done either via the android app or web interface but the desktop client will come soon since currently, it is under development.

Sadly free plan of Proton Drive will give you only 1GB of storage which is much less than other services and sadly payments plans are also not so jaw-dropping going for $4 USD per month for a 200GB plan or with Proton ultimate subscription that will set you $10 behind but you will get 500GB of drive storage. Of course, if you value privacy for your files these options are good but if you do not mind that part other services have much better options.

All in all Proton Drive is a great cloud storage solution if you need privacy and well worth the investment. With the ultimate subscription, you will get enough space for most people and company needs with other services and guaranteed privacy and security, on the other hand, if you just need a large amount of cloud storage not caring too much about privacy other options are better.

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How to Fix Camera app Error code 0xa00f4243
Windows 10 has a UWP app for its Camera that you can use to take pictures and videos. However, if you suddenly encounter an error code 0xa00f4243 while using the Camera UWP app, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will provide some potential fixes that you can use to fix the problem. This kind of error could be due to an outdated or corrupted driver or a third-party program. When this error appears on the Camera UWP app, you will see the following error message:
“Close other apps. It looks as though another app is already using the camera. If you need it, here’s the error code: 0xA00F4243 (0xC00D3704)”
To fix the error code: 0xA00F4243 (0xC00D3704) in the Camera UWP app, you can try to run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter or reset the Camera app or update or reinstall the driver or apply some tweaks in the Registry Editor. In addition, you can also try checking the Windows Services or run the System File Checker.

Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter

The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the Camera UWP app error code: 0xA00F4243 (0xC00D3704). This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
  • Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
  • Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
  • Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
  • Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.

Option 2 – Try to reset the Camera app to fix

As pointed out earlier, you can also reset the Camera app to fix the error. To do so, follow the steps below.
  • The first thing you have to do is go to the My Pictures folder under the C: drive of the File Explorer and then delete the Camera Roll folder.
  • Once you’re done, right-click on an empty area on your screen and create a new folder and name it “Camera Roll”.
  • Then from the Start menu open the Settings app and select System.
  • From there, navigate to the Apps and features section.
  • Now go to Camera and click on the Advanced Options and click the Reset button.

Option 3 – Try to reinstall the drivers for the Camera app

You might want to reinstall the Camera drivers as it could resolve the problem. To do so, refer to these steps:
  • First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
  • After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
  • Type in devmgmt.msc  into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
  • After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the driver listed under the Camera section and then, right-click on each entry of the device drivers and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
  • Now restart your computer.
  • After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Option 4 – Try to use the Registry Editor

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • After that, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWOW6432NodeMicrosoftWindows Media FoundationPlatform
  • Here, look for a DWORD named “EnableFrameServerMode” and if you can’t see it, just create a new DWORD by right-clicking on any empty space.
  • Then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it as “EnableFrameServerMode”.
  • Double click on the newly created DWORD and set its Value data to “0” and click on OK.
  • Restart your computer and see if it fixes the Camera UWP app error code: 0xA00F4243 (0xC00D3704).

Option 5 – Try checking the Windows Services

Note that this option only applies to computers with Intel Hardware for the Camera.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
  • Next, look for the “Intel(R) RealSense(TM) Depth” service from the list of services and double click on it to open its Properties.
  • After that, change its Startup Type to “Automatic” and make sure it’s running and then click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
  • Restart your computer and check if the problem has been resolved.

Option 6 – Try running System File Checker or SFC scan

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. 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:
  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 PC.
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Some Steam tips and tricks for easy life
steamSteam has cemented itself as the largest digital game shop in the World. First, release all the way back on September 12th, 2003, it was meant to be a standalone software client aimed to deliver updates to Valve’s games. It was soon expanded to include titles from third parties. The greatest Steam expansion and its popularity started in 2004 with the release of Half-life 2. Steam allowed prepurchased editions to be downloaded before the official release of the game making it available for play the moment it was officially out. Very soon after Steam gained its popularity, Valve has opened doors to other developers and offered them to use Steam as means for a digital distribution platform. Today it hosts over 30000 different game titles, not including DLC or applications. And how soon Valve’s steam deck is coming out soon we would like to share some great tips and tricks about Steam itself for easy everyday gaming.

Steam guard account security

Security of any of your accounts should be something that you really take seriously. So as always use a strong password for Steam but if you want an extra layer of security for it, and you should, use the Steam built-in feature: Guard Account Security. In order to activate Security Guard go to Steam>Settings>Account>Manage Steam Guard Account Security. Once enabled you will be able to use the Steam mobile application for special code when opening Steam or your email address.

Use Steam beta feature

Once a Steam account is created by default you will download and install the client. In the client, you will have the latest features available but there are more Steam features than default ones, beta features that can offer some improved and new functionality, and do not worry, they are stable and bug-free. I have been in Steam beta for years and not even once have I had any issues with the client itself but I have always had the latest features that will come to regular users later. To enable beta participation to go to Steam>Settings>Account, open the drop-down Beta participation menu, and choose Steam Beta Update. Confirm on OK and restart the Steam client. You will now get all the latest features first.

Manage your library via Collections

The collection is a neat idea for organizing your large game library into different collections or sections easily expanded and contracted for easier navigation and organization. To add the game to a collection just right-click on it and select Add To>New Collection, make a name for a collection like action, RPG, or whatever rocks your boat, and you are done. Once the collection is created other games can be added to it simply just by dragging it into the desired collection.

Make shelves

Shelves are ways to see your collections in the larger areas of the Steam clients. By clicking Add Shelf>Choose a Shelf, you can now add your collection to a shelf on the larger part of the client as a horizontal scrolling container with your chosen games. There are also some predefined shelves like All Games, Recent friend activity, and more.

Hide Game from Library

By right-clicking on a game and selecting Manage>Hide This Game you will remove the game from the active view of your Steam library. Note that the game will still be owned and a part of your library, you will just not be able to see it. This is a great feature when for example you have some things that came as a part of the game pack you are not really interested in when you have 2 different versions of the same game as for example standard and deluxe edition or just by simply not wanting to have game visible in the library. You can find a hidden game by typing its name in the search box and from there you can unhide it.

Play game soundtracks inside Steam

Some games offer you to purchase their soundtracks if you like music from them and some even include OST with a regular purchase. Steam lets you play these soundtracks and even lets you import your own music library folder into it in order to play all of your music inside the client itself. It has even options to automatically stop music playing once the game is run and you can make playlists as well. Your purchased game soundtracks are automatically included, the rest you will need to add by pointing Steam to the folder where you keep music in.

Configure gamepad

Inside Steam, you can configure your gamepad’s general settings, big picture settings, desktop settings, etc. Steam embraced the idea that many OC users these days own and play with gamepads so it has implemented configuration options inside it. To configure your pad go to Steam>Settings>Controller.

Use big picture Steam mode

Big picture mode is Steam's idea of making Steam an entertainment center. Once it is activated it switches from the application into full-screen mode aimed at large TV screens or monitors. You can easily navigate through it via gamepad, mouse, keyboard, or other devices. You have access to the store, your game library, etc. Same as your typical steam app but a little different. You can easily activate it via View> Big Picture Mode and see for yourself is this something you prefer over a standard application layout.

Enable Steam Cloud

Steam Cloud is a great feature that uses cloud storage to save your game progress meaning that you can easily switch to another PC, install games there and continue where you have left off. Many games support this feature instead of keeping saves locally and it is a great feature worth turning it ON. To turn and use Steam Cloud service go to Steam>Settings>Cloud>Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization. Just remember to check does game you are playing supports this option.

Share your Games via Family sharing

Family sharing is a Steam feature allowing you to share your game library with up to 5 accounts on up to 10 different devices. This is a great way to let other members of your family or even close friends enjoy some games you have or vice versa. They will get as well their own save games so you can sleep safe knowing that your progress can not be changed or hindered. Family sharing can be turned ON by logging into PC Steam client where you would like to share your library and navigate to Steam>Settings>Family and then clicking on Authorize Library Sharing On This Computer.

Refund a game

Sometimes the game is not the same as advertised, sometimes it will not work on your PC, sometimes hardware specifications are too high making the game unplayable, etc. For whatever reason, you might have Steam offers you a full game price refund if you wish to do so, you only need to meet 2 criteria, the game must have been purchased within 2 weeks period, older purchases cannot be refunded, and your game playtime must not be over 2 hours of game time. If you fit into this category all you need to do in order to get the full money back is going to Help>Steam Support, pick a recent game from the eligible list, and ask for a refund.

Gift a game

As you can buy gifts for your friends or loved ones in real life, Valve made sure you can do it in digital as well. Gifting game via Steam is simple and straightforward. Choose a game you wish to gift, go to your shopping cart and instead of clicking Purchase for myself, click on Purchase As a Gift, from there you will be taken to your friend list to choose to whom you would like to gift a game along with the option to write a little note to the receiver like happy birthday, enjoy or whatever.

Stream games in Steam itself

Although Steam is not there yet in streaming as Twitch or Facebook gaming is, there is an option to stream your game sessions on it. Click on Steam>Settings>Broadcast to make all adjustments and start streaming. You can also watch streams from your friend list and Steam is now broadcasting popular streams directly to its client if you want to watch it.

Take a game screenshot

By pressing F12, you can take a screenshot from any game and save it inside your Steam cloud library. You can change of course this default screenshot key via Settings>In-Game and if you would like to see your screenshots you can always do it under View Screenshot Library on a game’s page. That’s it, our Steam tips and tricks for easy and good gaming life, I hope to see you soon on errortools.com for your daily articles, tips, and tricks.
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How to Fix Error 0x0000605 in Windows
Recently, some users reported not being able to boot up their Windows 10 computers. And during the startup phase, at some time, the bootup sequence is halted with a Recovery error along with an error message saying, “Your PC/Device needs to be repaired” with an error code of 0x0000605. This kind of error message indicates that Windows was not able to verify the digital signature for the file as the signing certificate or it could be that it has expired. To resolve this error, you can follow the potential fixes given below and see if you stumble upon a fix that might work out for you.

Option 1 – Change the Date & Time settings in the BIOS

Some users reported that they were able to fix the error by changing the Date & Time settings in the BIOS. Upon checking, they saw that in their BIOS settings, the date was off several years. As a result, the incorrect date and time settings end up ticking the system into believing that the Windows build has expired long before the actual expiration date. You can check if the error pops up due to the same reasons by accessing the BIOS settings. To do so, you have to tap the Boot key that’s associated with your motherboard manufacturer during the initial startup phase. After that, you can search for a particular boot key online or you can also tap keys like F2, F4, F8, F10, F12, and the Delete key. Once you’re able to access the BIOS settings, locate the Date & time or anything similar, and then check if the date is correct or not. If not, you need to change the date to the actual date and then save the changes made and restart your computer and then check if the issue is now fixed or not. Just remember that if the actual date is past the expiration date of the build you have, you need to change it to an older date. If your Windows 10 PC is able to boot back up, you have to update it to a stable Windows build and then go back to the BIOS settings and change the date to the current one else you will definitely encounter Windows update errors in the future as well as security alerts.

Option 2 – Perform a clean install of a stable Windows 10 build

If every system boot fails accompanied by a BSOD error with error code 0x0000605 “A component of the operating system has expired” and you’ve already followed every instruction on option 1, then it’s most likely that your current Windows build has already expired. Remember that almost all the Windows 10 Insider Preview builds (98xx) are created along with an expiration date and when your computer reaches the expiration date, you won’t be able to boot your computer up. Note that the exact expiration date varies based on the build number. And prior to the expiration date, the operating system will start to display some error warnings telling you that the build will expire and urge you to update the most recent build available. And so once the computer reaches its expiration date, it will begin to reboot every three hours until it no longer boots up which is about 2 weeks approximately after the license has expired. Once the expiration date is up and your computer no longer boots up, you need to perform a clean install and then install the latest Windows 10 build to resolve the issue once and for all.
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Mfplat.dll is missing or was not found
One of the primary packages that install the Windows Media Player is the Media Feature Pack among other related files that are needed by the associated software products. And one of the essential DLL files in that package is the mfplat.dll file which is needed by various games and streaming services. So if this DLL file goes missing, you will most likely encounter any of the following error messages:
  • “mfplat.dll missing”
  • “The application failed to start because mfplat.dll was not found.”
  • “The program can’t start because mfplat.dll is missing from your computer.”
In other circumstances, the Media Feature Package does not come pre-installed with the main Windows package especially for those who use Windows N, thereby causing the error to pop up. The main cause of this problem is that users who use Windows 10 N do not have the Media Feature pack pre-installed with the installation package. Aside from that, the installation package could go missing after a few Windows Updates or if you have uninstalled it by accident. To resolve this problem, you need to check out each one of the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to enable Media Playback via Command Prompt

If you encounter the mfplat.dll missing error when you attempt to run PLEX or other similar streaming service and you’ve already verified that the Media Feature Pack is indeed installed, you might want to try enabling it using an elevated Command Prompt. There are cases when a particular Windows Update ends up disabling the feature and creates the grounds which results in the mfplat.dll missing error. Thus, you can have to enable the feature via Command Prompt.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
  • Next, click on Yes if a User Account Control prompt pops up.
  • After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MediaPlayback
  • Close Command Prompt and then open the app once again to check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try installing the Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N version

As mentioned, the Windows 10 N version does not come with Windows Media Player. Meaning to say, the Media Feature Pack is also not installed by default or won’t be updated by the Windows Update component. So if you are not quite sure what Windows 10 version you currently have installed, refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Windows key + S and then type “about” in the search box.
  • From the search results, click on the “About your PC” to open the About tab of the Settings app.
  • Afterward, scroll down to the Windows specifications and check your Windows version under Edition.
Note: If you have verified that your PC is using the Windows 10 N version, you need to install the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your computer. How? Refer to the steps below:
  • Click this link to download and install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft’s official website.
  • Upon installation, select the edition you want to install using the drop-down menu and then click on Confirm. Take note that there are few reasons why you’d want to install the older version since most streaming services like PLEX and most games usually require version 1803.
  • After that, wait until the request is validated. The download should begin in a few minutes automatically.
  • Once the download is completed, open the installation executable file and follow the next on-screen instructions to install the Media Feature Pack on your computer.
  • Restart your computer. After your computer has rebooted, open the application where you’re getting the mfplat.dll missing error and then check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to extract a copy of the mfplat.dll file from the windows.old directory

If you encounter the error shortly after you just upgraded to Windows 10 from an older version, the best thing you can do to resolve the problem is to use windows.old directory to fetch an old copy of the mfplat.dll file. To do so, follow the steps below.
  • Go to the Windows drive and then look for the windows.old directory where it preserves a copy of your old operating system as well as associated files in case something goes out of hand during the upgrade process.
  • After that, open the windows.old folder and then go to the syswow64 folder.
  • Next, from the syswow64 folder, copy the mfplat.dll file and paste it to C:/windows/syswow64.
  • Restart your computer and check if the error is now resolved or not.
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Steam Deck, a modern PC handheld console
steam deckValve has announced the first gaming PC handheld console: Steam Deck. At its core, Stead Deck is just a portable, small PC in little casing. It uses AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, has 16GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is a portable device with both a touchpad and joystick packing a seven-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 (16:10 aspect ratio). The screen has an ambient light sensor for automatic light adjustments same as your modern mobile device. Stating to Valve battery will hold up from two to eight hours depending on the activity of the user and what exactly he is doing. The handheld comes also with a carrying case.

Steam Deck operating system and software

Out of the box, Steam Dock comes with the latest Valve’s version of SteamOS 3. Just for comparing, the steam box was coming SteamOS 2, so this new Linux-based OS is aimed to provide better performance and better compatibility. Naturally, all Linux games in your Steam library will work right out of the box but Valve has something called PROTON inside OS, it is emulation software based on Wine that will supposedly let you play all of your Library games on a given OS. One big thing to mention here is that this is PC after all meaning that if you do not like having SteamOS on it you can install Windows instead and so far as we know it will support Windows 11. Now with Windows 11, you will be able to play all of your Steam games and run any kind of Windows software on it including EPIC store, battle.net, and others.

Cost and release date

The initial release date is set for December 2021 and today on July 16th Valve is opening you can reserve your copy if you want to pre-purchase. Follow this link if you want to reserve your copy. Reserve your Steam Deck device The price of the device will depend on the memory capacity which you would like to have. Please note that each of the 3 offered devices will have the same hardware, the only difference will be in memory available, and the most expensive version will also have anti-glare screen, everything else is identical. 64GB model will be $399, 256GB model will have the price of $529 and largest one with whooping 512GB will be $649

Conclusion

Valve ventures into the digital hardware domain again but it is unsure will they make it this time. Both Steam machine and their controller were in long run failed and later unsupported products so perhaps some customer caution is advised. Although having a handheld PC is tempting I would advise seeing how the overall market will accept this contraption before throwing money into it.
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Animated background on desktop on Windows 10
Windows Vista had in it animated wallpapers on desktop but sadly how they were heavy on system resources Microsoft abandoned the idea. Moving forward a couple of years later we have Windows 10 but still, we do not have live animated wallpapers. Since I am the kind of person who does not want to wait on Microsoft and now it is time to bring animated wallpapers back I am going to make one all by myself and you are welcome to join the ride and do the same for you as well. Enough talk, let's dive into how we can make animated wallpaper for our Windows 10.

Choosing the application

First, we will need some form of application which can we look at our animated wallpapers and since they are animations it means video, so we will need a video player and what better choice than a VLC player, an open-source light weighs all-format player. Get a VLC player from here and install it.

Finding video source

The next thing is to of course have some looping video that we will use as background. There are many sites and ways to get seamless loop videos, I use this youtube channel for my backgrounds. Altho you can use any video footage you want it is recommended that it is not too long, that it is hi-resolution so we do not have pixels on-screen, and if you can, get it as seamless since we do not want to see stutter when the video is lopped from the beginning. So hopefully you have desired video and VLC player installed.

Putting it all together

Copy the following code and paste it into your search bar in Windows to open the Startup folder, or navigate to the Startup folder yourself via file explorer if you know where it is. %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup Now, next thing is to copy and past the VLC shortcut into this folder so it is started when Windows is first time booted. Right-click on the shortcut and in the edit field paste this: "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-wallpaper --qt-start-minimized --no-qt-fs-controller --repeat --no-video-title-show --qt-notification=0 "C:\videopath\filename.mp4" where "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" is the path where VLC is installed, point this to where you have installed it "C:\videopath\filename.mp4" is the path where you have your video that you wish to use as animated wallpaper. Please note also that in my case there is mp4 as an extension but it does not need to be mp4, just use any extension VLC can open and play.

Conclusion

And that's it, you have successfully made an animated background or live wallpaper on your Windows 10 computer. You can change your wallpaper anytime by editing shortcut and giving it a new path to a new video or simply overwrite the existing one with a new baring same name.
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Fix update failed to install error 0xca00a000
This post will show you how to fix the Windows update error 0xca00a000 which you can encounter during the installation of Windows updates. Here’s the full error message of this Windows Update error:
“Updates failed There were problems installing some updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: 2018-07 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4345421) – Error 0xca00a000”
This kind of Windows Update error pops up when Windows has missed installing one of the cumulative updates needed or when there is some problem with the driver that won’t let the installation of the updates push through. There are also instances when the system files are modified with incorrect permission that may result in the Windows update error 0xca00a000. Thus, you need to fix the trusted installer permission as well as resolve the issue with the driver. To do these things, you need to follow the options laid out below.

Option 1 – Run the Windows Module Installer

The Windows Module Installer is a built-in service in the Windows operating system that could help you resolve the Windows update error 0xca00a000. You need to make sure that this service is Started and that its Startup type is set to Automatic – you can do this via Services Manager or by executing the command given below in an elevated Command Prompt.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “command prompt” in the field and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
  • And in the elevated Command Prompt type in the following command and hit Enter:
SC config trustedinstaller start=auto
  • After executing the command successfully, you should see the “[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS” message on the Command Prompt window.

Option 2 – Try manually installing the updates

As mentioned, the error might be because Windows missed installing a particular update which is why you are not able to proceed with the current update. So to resolve the issue, you need to install the update that wasn’t installed by downloading it from the Microsoft Update Catalog website. You also have to make sure that you didn’t turn off the Windows update or have it delayed.

Option 3 – Delete the files from the Software Distribution 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. A lot of users tried deleting the files in this folder to fix the problem and so far it has worked. Like them, you can try clearing the Windows Update cache by simply deleting the contents of the folder named “SoftwareDistribution” since Windows apparently can’t clear and re-download the update contents once they are corrupted. Thus, deleting the contents of this folder will make Windows download the contents again which will fix the problem. To do that, follow the steps below.
  • 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 stop bits
  • After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
  • 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.
  • Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.
net start wuauserv net start bits
Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.
  • Now Open Settings and check for Windows Updates. Windows 10 should begin the download right away.

Option 4 – Install the updates in a Clean Boot State

You might want to try putting your computer in a Clean Boot state and then install Windows Updates again without any trouble. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.
  • Log onto your PC as an administrator.
  • Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
  • From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
  • Clear the “Load Startup items” checkbox and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
  • Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” checkbox.
  • Click Disable all.
  • Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
  • After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.

Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows update error 0xca00a000. 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. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 6 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows update error 0xca00a000. This online troubleshooter is known to help in fixing Windows Update errors, it scans your computer for issues that might be causing the problem and then fixes them automatically.
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How to Fix Error 0x80073712 in Windows
There are times when system files get corrupted and if the Windows Update process finds the system’s integrity questionable, chances are, the update, upgrade or the installation may fail and you will only be getting an error code 0x80073712 instead of completing the process. The error code 0x80073712 indicates that a file needed by the Windows setup or the Windows Update is most likely missing or damaged. To resolve the problem, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Try running the DISM Tool

Running the DISM Tool helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
  • Open the Command Prompt as admin.
  • Then type in this command: exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
  • Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
After you run this tool, a log file is created at C:WindowsLogsCBSCBS.log. On the other hand, if the Windows Update client is already broken, you will be prompted to use a running Windows installation as the repair source or use a Windows side-by-side folder from a network share, as the source of the files. Although the chances of this happening are less, if it turns out to be the case, you need to run an advanced command in the DISM tool to repair a broken Windows Update. Just repeat the process above but use the following command instead:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess

Option 2 – Try running 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 with good system files that might be causing the error 0x80073712. 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:
  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.

Option 3 – Try running the Chkdsk utility

You can also try running the Chkdsk utility to resolve the Windows Update error 0x80073712. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the Chkdsk utility comes in. The Chkdsk utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.
  • Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • After opening Command Prompt, execute the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you type in each one of them and if you have installed Windows to some different directory, you must replace “C” with the name of the drive you’ve installed Windows with.
  • chkdsk C: /r /x
  • chkdsk C: /f
Note: The Chkdsk function might take a while before it finishes its operations so you need to be patient and wait until the entire process is completed.

Option 4 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows Update error 0x80073712. 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 5 – Try running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

You also have the option to run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter which could help you fix Windows Update errors.
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