Change default audio output for Narrator

Even with the new Groove Music in Windows 10, a lot of users still prefer to use the old Windows Media Player. This isn’t surprising since Windows Media Player still remains to be one of the best players you can find. However, that does not mean that it is without flaws as it could still encounter some issues from time to time. One of the issues you might encounter when using the Windows Media Player is when you try to burn DVDs or CDs but end up failing due to an error that pops up that says, Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file. At the time of writing, it isn’t clear yet what the real cause of the error is. However, there are several fixes that are provided in this post for you to check out so you can resolve the problem. You can try to get rid of any unsupported files from the burning list or you could also try running the Windows Media Player troubleshooters. Aside from that, you could also try to drag and drop music or change the burning speed. For more details, refer to the following options.

Option 1 – Get rid of the unsupported files from the burning list

You must get rid of the unsupported files from the list of files to burn. This list can be found on the right-hand side of the Windows Media Player. One of the indications that a file is causing problems is when there is a white cross in a red circle next to the file. You can simply click on that icon to remove the file from the burning list. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the unsupported files, try to burn your files to the CD or disk once more.

Option 2 – Try running the Windows Media Player troubleshooters

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to run the built-in troubleshooters for the Windows Media Player. Windows 10 actually comes pre-packed with three troubleshooters designed for Windows Media Player. They can help in fixing the “Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file” error. To run these troubleshooters, simply tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player Settings troubleshooter or type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerLibraryDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player Library troubleshooter, or type “msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerDVDDiagnostic” for the Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter.

Option 3 – Try to drag and drop music

Another thing you can check out is to drag and drop all the tracks into the Windows Media Player before you burn them. All you have to do is open the folder where the tracks are located and highlight all of them and then drag them to the Windows Media Player. It should now be able to detect the length of each one of the tracks without any errors.

Option 4 – Try to change the burning speed

Since the burning speed is set to fastest by default, you can try to change the burning speed to resolve the problem. Just open the Options window and then go to the Burn tab. From there, select either Medium or Slow burning speed and save the changes made. Now try to burn your files to the CD or disk once again.

If you are trying to install a Windows 10 upgrade but was interrupted with an error saying, “0x80070003 – 0x2000D, The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during MIGRATE_DATA operation”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you sort this problem out. When you get this kind of error while trying to upgrade your computer, although there could be various reasons for this, the primary one is that when you upgrade from one update to another, something stopped the upgrade process to migrate the user data. To fix this error, you can try to run both the DISM tool and the System File Checker to automatically repair any corrupted system files. You could also try checking the free storage space of your primary drive and if you have any file lock apps like BitLocker, consider disabling them for they could also be the reason why you’re getting the error.

Option 1 – Run the DISM tool

Running the DISM Tool helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10 which might be the reason behind the Windows Upgrade error 0x80070003 – 0x2000D. 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.
• Once it’s done, restart your computer and then check if the issue is resolved or not on the next startup.

Option 2 – Run the SFC scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Windows Upgrade error to appear. 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 and hit Enter.

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.

Option 3 – Try checking the free storage space on your primary drive

The next option you can try to resolve the error is to see if you have enough free storage space on the primary drive because if you don’t then it’s probably the reason why you’re getting this error. To fix it, you need to free up some storage space by following these steps:

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space.
• Now make sure that the Storage Sense feature is turned On then go find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
• Windows Upgrade Log Files
• System created Windows Error Reporting Files
• Thumbnails
• Temporary Internet Files
• Previous Windows Installation Files
• Delivery Optimisation Files
• DirectX Shader Cache

Note: Once you’re done freeing up space on your drive, try to run the setup file again.

Option 4 – Try disabling BitLocker and other file lock apps

If you are using BitLocker or other file lock apps, then it could be the reason why you’re getting the error. Usually, file lock apps don’t cause any kind of issue, however, if you have something that works on file level like BitLocker, you can try to disable it. Once you’ve disabled it, try to install the Windows 10 Upgrade again and after you do, enable BitLocker again. This should fix the problem.

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

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

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

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

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

Option 2 – Try installing or updating the USB RNDIS adapter

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

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

Option 3 – Try disabling any unnecessary network adapters/connections

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

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

Internal Error 2753 - What is it?

Internal error 2753 is associated with Windows Installer failure. The Windows Installer is basically an in-built software program in Windows 7 and 8. It installs all programs on the system smoothly, saves the program in the computer program files and in the Windows Registry. Though this can be carried manually Windows Installer makes the installation process much easier. However, internal error 2753 can cause a great deal of distress and frustration during program installation. This error prevents you from installing your desired program successfully.

Solution

Error Causes

The 2 known causes for Internal Error 2753 are:

• Viral infection
• Windows Installer not properly registered

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve internal error 2753 on your system, try the methods discussed below. These methods are easy and require no technical expertise. Let’s get started:

Method 1 - Remove All Malicious Programs

Malicious programs like viruses, malware, adware, Trojan and spyware can corrupt programs on your PC like Windows Installer. If this is the underlying cause of error code 2753, then simply download a powerful antivirus on your system. Run it to scan for all such malicious programs and remove them. Once your PC is clean, try installing your desired program. This will hopefully resolve the issue. If the error still pops up then try method 2.

Method 2 - Register Windows Installer Properly

To do this, go to the start menu and then open Run and type ‘cmd’ in the box, and press OK. This will open the DOS command window. In the command prompt type "regsvr32 vbscript.dll" and then press Enter to proceed. After that, you will see a message that will read as "DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded." This means Window Installer files have been successfully registered on your PC.  Now you can try installing your desired program again. If the installation begins and completes successfully, then the error is resolved.

Method 3 - Undo Recent Changes

If nothing works, then use the Windows System Restore Utility tool to undo recent changes. This will bring back your PC in the former state before you experienced the error 2753 on your PC. To access System Restore Utility, press Start and type System Restore in the search box. Now follow the steps in the Wizard to choose a restore point. Once you select the point, reboot your system to activate changes.

Windows 11 provides several different ways to make your cursor stand out and be easier to spot inside it. You can make the mouse pointer larger, invert it, or change its color.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Click on Accessibility in the sidebar
3. Select Mouse Pointer and Touch
4. Adjust mouse cursor size with size slider by clicking on circle and dragging it left or right
5. Under Mouse Pointer Style pick desired style from White, Black, Inverted, and Custom
   1. White: The cursor is white with a black outline (standard setting)
   2. Black: Cursor is black with a white outline
   3. Inverted: Cursor automatically changes color to an inverted version of the color it is currently hovering over
   4. Custom: You can pick the color for the cursor that you want.

And that is all about it, once you are done with pointer customization just close settings, all changes are saved automatically.

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.

Sometimes, some applications after they are installed will put their shortcut in the context menu (right-click on desktop) for easy access, most of the time these are some system tied applications like AMD and Nvidia control panels or archives like WinRAR or 7ZIP but it can happen even for some usual application to do this.

There are some applications that you use frequently and they could be worth putting in the context menu, if you want to avoid clutter on the desktop or in the taskbar this is the third place that you should consider placing shortcuts.

Doing this will require some playing and tweaking in the Windows registry editor so be careful when editing the registry since bad entries can lead to system crash or instability. Follow step-by-step instructions.

Adding apps to the context menu in the registry

Creating entry

Open the registry editor by searching Regedit and pressing enter than inside of the registry editor search for the next key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

Select shell and right-click on it, hover over New and in the submenu click on Key. In the next step, you need to name a key, this name will be the thing that will be shown in the context menu when you right-click on a desktop so type in the name that you would like or the name of the application that you wish to add to the menu.

If you wish you can even add a keyboard shortcut to launch this specific application. To do this select entry that you have created and edit the default value, inside the edit string in the Value data field type first & and after that key that you would like as a shortcut. Now after right click if you hit your shortcut key app will be launched right away.

Adding command

The next task is to create a command key that will actually hold the command to launch the application. Right-click on the entry that you have created, hover over New, and click on Key.

Next, you’ll need to create the command key that will actually hold the command used to launch the application. Right-click on the new Notepad key, and then choose New \ Key from the menu. Name this key 'command', all in lower case and without hyphens.

Now in order to finish setting the launcher, you need the full path of the file that you would like to run. Locate your file in file explorer or in another tool and copy its path by SHIFT + right-clicking on the file itself and choosing copy as path option.

Now click on the command key and double click on the default key on right to edit it, inside the field value data paste your path to executable. close and save the registry and you are done.

Installer Error 1603 - What is it?

Installer Error 1603 message occurs during the installation of the Microsoft Windows installer Package. The error message is often displayed as the following:

'Error 1603: A fatal error occurred during installation.'

It indicates a problem occurred during the installation process and unsuccessful installation.

Solution

Error Causes

The installer error 1603 may occur if:

• The folder you are trying to install the Windows Installer package to is encrypted
• The system account does not have full control permissions
• Incorrect installation
• Registry issues

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this error on your system, try the solutions listed below:

Solution 1: Install-Package in an Un-Encrypted Folder

Try installing the package to a folder that is not encrypted. However, if the error still persists, try other solutions listed below.

Solution 2: Enable Full System Control Permissions

Sometimes the error may occur when you don’t have system full control permissions. To enjoy full control permissions here’s what you need to do, go to my computer and right-click the drive that you wish to install the Windows Installer Package to. After that click properties and the security tab. If you can’t locate the security tab, this means your Simple File Sharing feature is turned on. You need to turn it off to continue. For that go to my computer, tools, and then click folder options. Now here press the view tab and check the Simple File Sharing box to turn it off. Press OK to save changes. Now you will be able to locate the security tab. Click on the Security tab and verify the name box that contains the system user account. If the system user account is empty then insert the account name. To insert, click Add, and then select user's dialog box, add a name, and close. Now go to the permissions section and check the box ‘Allow’ under full control. After that go to the ‘Advanced’ tab and do the following: If you are an XP user, select ‘Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects’ and then press OK to confirm. If you are not an XP user, then follow the same instructions but select the check box that says ‘Reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation of inheritable permissions’ for the system account. Now click OK to confirm. To activate changes you will have to wait for a while. Once the changes are activated, try installing the Windows Installer package again.

Solution 3: Clean and Repair Registry

The Installer error 1630 can occur due to registry problems as well. To resolve registry-related issues download Restoro. This is a cutting-edge and advanced registry cleaner that scans your entire PC for registry-related errors in seconds and resolves them spontaneously. It removes all the unnecessary junk files, bad keys, invalid registry entries, cookies, and internet history cluttering and corrupting the registry. It repairs the damaged system files and repairs the registry right away thereby resolving Installer Error 1630 on your PC. It is safe and efficient. It is embedded with an intuitive algorithm and a sophisticated user-friendly interface. It is easy to use and operate. You can download it on any Windows version. Besides functioning as a registry cleaner, it also functions as an antivirus and a system optimizer. Click here to download Restoro on your PC to resolve all registry issues generating the installer error 1603 on your system.

HomeworkSimplified is a Browser Hijacking extension for Google Chrome developed by Mindspark. This extension will set your home page and new tab to MyWay.com.

From the Terms of Use: As part of the download process for the Toolbar, you may be given the option to reset your Internet browser’s homepage to an Ask homepage product and/or reset your new tab page to an Ask new tab product. If you do not wish to reset your homepage and/or new tab page to the Ask homepage and/or Ask new tab product(s), you can decline/opt-out of these features by checking or unchecking the appropriate box(es) during the download process for the Toolbar. While installing this extension monitors user browsing activity and sends it back to Mindspark servers, where they are later used/sold to better target and inject unwanted ads and sponsored content into your browsing sessions.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is regarded as the web’s constant danger that targets web browsers. It is a kind of malware program that redirects the web browser requests to some other suspicious websites. Browser hijacker malware is developed for numerous reasons. Typically, browser hijacking is used for earning advertising revenue that comes from forced ad clicks and website visits. It may appear harmless, but the majority of such websites are not legitimate and will pose a major threat to your online safety. Additionally, hijackers will make the whole infected system vulnerable – other harmful malware and viruses will take hold of these opportunities to get into your computer effortlessly.

Indications of browser hijack

The typical signs that signify having this malicious software on your computer are: 1. your homepage is reset to some mysterious website 2. you observe new unwanted bookmarks or favorites added, usually directed to advertisement-filled or pornography sites 3. the default search engine is changed and the web browser security settings have been brought down without your knowledge 4. you’re getting new toolbars you have never seen before 5. you may notice numerous pop-up adverts on your computer screen 6. your browser has instability problems or exhibits frequent errors 7. you’ve prohibited entry to certain web pages, including the website of an anti-malware software developer like SafeBytes.

How they get into your computer or laptop

There are several ways your computer can become infected by a browser hijacker. They usually arrive through spam e-mail, via file-sharing networks, or by a drive-by download. They are generally included with toolbars, add-ons, BHO, plug-ins, or browser extensions. Browser hijackers sneak into your pc along with free software application downloads also that you unwittingly install alongside the original. Typical examples of browser hijackers include CoolWebSearch, Conduit, OneWebSearch, Coupon Server, RocketTab, Snap.do, Delta Search, and Searchult.com. Browser hijacking may lead to serious privacy issues and also identity theft, disrupt your browsing experience by taking control of outbound traffic, considerably slows down your computer or laptop by depleting a lot of system resources and result in system instability as well.

How you can get rid of a browser hijacker

Some kinds of browser hijackers can be removed from the computer by uninstalling malicious software programs or any other recently added shareware. But, certain hijackers are very hard to identify or remove since they might get themselves connected with certain crucial system files which allow it to operate as a necessary operating system process. You should think about undertaking manual repairs only if you happen to be a tech-savvy individual, as potential risks are associated with tinkering with the system registry and HOSTS file. You might opt for automatic browser hijacker removal by just installing and running an efficient anti-malware application. To eradicate any browser hijacker from your computer, you should download this certified malware removal application – SafeBytes Anti-Malware. Employ a system optimizer (like Total System Care) together with your anti-malware software to correct various computer registry issues, eliminate system vulnerabilities, and boost your computer overall performance

How To Get Eliminate Virus That Is Preventing Anti-Malware Downloads?

All malware is inherently harmful, but certain kinds of malware do a lot more damage to your computer than others. Some malware variants modify web browser settings by adding a proxy server or change the PC’s DNS configurations. In these instances, you will be unable to visit some or all of the websites, and thus not able to download or install the necessary security software to remove the malware. If you’re reading this article, you may have got affected by malware that prevents you from downloading a security application like Safebytes Antimalware on your PC. Do as instructed below to eliminate malware in alternate ways.

Get rid of viruses in Safe Mode

The Windows-based PC includes a special mode known as “Safe Mode” where only the bare minimum required applications and services are loaded. In the event the malware is blocking access to the internet and affecting your PC, launching it in Safe Mode enables you to download anti-virus and run a diagnostic scan whilst limiting possible damage. In order to get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the system is booting up or run MSCONFIG and locate the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. Once you are in Safe Mode, you can attempt to install your antivirus application without the hindrance of the malware. At this point, you can run the antivirus scan to remove viruses and malware without any hindrance from another application.

Switch over to an alternative browser

Certain viruses might target vulnerabilities of a particular web browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you are not able to download the security application using Internet Explorer, this means the virus may be targeting IE’s vulnerabilities. Here, you must switch over to another browser such as Chrome or Firefox to download the Safebytes Anti-malware program.

Install anti-malware on a USB drive

Another option is to store and run an anti-malware software program entirely from a Pen drive. Adopt these measures to use a USB drive to fix your infected computer system. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Mount the pen drive on the same computer. 3) Double click on the exe file to run the installation wizard. 4) Select the flash drive as the destination for saving the file. Follow the activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the pen drive to the infected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes tool right from the thumb drive. 7) Click on the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove malware automatically.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware - More Protection For You Personally

If you’re looking to install anti-malware software for your PC, there are plenty of tools on the market to consider but you cannot trust blindly anyone, regardless of whether it is free or paid software. A few of them are good, some are ok types, while some will harm your computer themselves! You need to be careful not to select the wrong product, particularly if you purchase a premium application. While considering the dependable programs, Safebytes AntiMalware is certainly the strongly recommended one. SafeBytes anti-malware is a highly effective and user-friendly protection tool that is made for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. With its outstanding protection system, this software will easily detect and remove most of the security threats, including adware, viruses, browser hijackers, ransomware, PUPs, and trojans.

SafeBytes possesses a plethora of wonderful features that can help you protect your PC from malware attack and damage. Listed below are some of the best ones:

Real-time Active Protection: SafeBytes provides an entirely hands-free live protection and is set to check, prevent and remove all computer threats at its first encounter. It’ll regularly monitor your computer for hacker activity and also provides users with superior firewall protection. Anti-Malware Protection: This deep-cleaning antimalware application goes much deeper than most anti-virus tools to clean out your PC. Its critically acclaimed virus engine detects and disables hard-to-remove malware that conceals deep inside your PC. Website Filtering: SafeBytes gives an instant safety rating to the web pages you are going to visit, automatically blocking harmful sites and ensuring that you’re certain of your safety while browsing the world wide web. Light-weight: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-to-use antivirus and antimalware solution. Since it utilizes low computer resources, this application leaves the computer’s power exactly where it belongs to: with you actually. Premium Support: You will get 24/7 technical support to quickly resolve any issue with your security application. On the whole, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program since it has lots of features and can identify and eliminate any potential threats. You can be sure that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this tool to use. For the best protection and the best value for your money, you can’t get better than SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to manually get rid of Homework Simplified without using an automated tool, it might be possible to do so by removing the application from the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of web browser extensions, going to the browser’s AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You’ll likely also want to reset your web browser. To ensure the complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your computer and eliminate them or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for experienced users only and could be difficult, with wrong file removal causing additional PC errors. Furthermore, some malware keeps replicating which makes it tough to eliminate. Carrying out this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is suggested.

Prompted For A Product Key – What Is It?

Some Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 users are having a hard time upgrading to Windows 10 as they are being prompted for a product key. By default, the Windows 10 operating system does not require a product key and users should not be prompted for one, given you upgraded your computer from an activated Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license or from the Windows 10 Preview build. However, there are some users encountering this problem and there are several reasons for this.

Solution

Error Causes

There are a few reasons why some users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10:

• Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license is not activated.
• You’re upgrading to Windows 10 final release from a preview build.
• There are broken operating system files.
• Activation servers get overwhelmed due to the high volume of upgrades.
• The Windows 10 copy you downloaded does not correspond with the current Windows system you are upgrading from.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Before you can fix this problem, you need to know why you’re being prompted for a product key. Some things you should know about Windows 10 product key activation are the following:

• You cannot activate Windows 10 using your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key. Windows 10 has a unique product key.
• Error codes such as 0x8007232b, 0XC004E003, 0x8007007B, or 0x8007000D might pop up during system upgrade especially when the activation servers get overwhelmed with the high volume of upgrades.
• You don’t really need to know your Windows 10 product key.

Now, if ever you’re prompted for a product key when you’re upgrading to Windows 10, you can apply the following methods:

Method One: Give It A Few Days

If you’ve been prompted for a product key upon upgrading to Windows 10, you should click on the “Do this later” option. Wait for a few days then Windows 10 will get activated automatically.

Method Two: Download A Copy of Windows 10 Corresponding Your Current System

One of the reasons Windows users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10 is that they have downloaded a wrong edition of Windows 10 and do not correspond with your current system.

• Users of Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 7 Starter, Windows 8.0 Core, and Windows 8.1 Core should download Windows 10 Home ISO.
• Users of Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 8.0 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Pro should download Windows 10 Pro ISO.

NOTE: Users of Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8.0 Enterprise, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise are not eligible for the free upgrade offer.

Method Three: Ensure Windows Is Activated

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 is not genuine or activated, you will get prompted for a product key. You need to make sure first your current system is activated.

1. Click on Start then right-click Computer. For Windows 8 and up users, you can simply press on Windows key + X then select Choose Properties.
2. When the Properties window appears, check if the Windows you’re running is activated.

Method Three: Reset License Status

1. Press on Windows key + X.
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –rearm then press Enter.
4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.
5. Input the product key by following the instructions given.

Method Four: Force Activation

1. Press on Windows key + X
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –ato then press Enter.
4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.

Method Five: Run System File Checker

Another thing you can try doing is to run the system file checker utility to scan if there are any broken operating system files. In doing so, you’ll be able to detect problems that might be preventing the product activation of your Windows 10 upgrade.

Method Six: Contact Microsoft Activation Center

If in case you’ve exhausted all your resources and you are still being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10, you can try contacting the Microsoft Activation Center for further details. Check here for the appropriate telephone numbers to contact.

Method Seven: Download An Automated Tool

If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.