Chrome features that you need to use

Google Chrome is the most used browser in the world with the most user downloads. Most users are using browsers how it is, open it up and just surf but Chrome offers more than just plain surfing. Here we are presenting you with some interesting features that most users do not use but should.

google chrome

Use Omnibox to search inside websites

Chrome's Omnibox, also known as the address bar got its name because it can do much more than just search the internet. You already probably know that just by typing any word you will search the internet with Google or another search engine of choice.

You can also set specific keywords inside Chrome settings to tie them with specific websites, for example, you can tie the letter E with errortools, and then just by typing E windows error you will search term windows error on website errortools. There are some already predefined things and you can add anything you want so this is a great feature in order to speed up your work skipping part of actually opening the site.

Search the internet for selected text

On any webpage, you can simply select any text and right-click on it to get a new menu entry that will say search Google for "your selected text" and by clicking on it you will automatically search the net for the selected term.

Grouping tabs

When we surf the internet some of us tend to have plenty of open tabs and over time they can clutter and shrink in width making the surfing experience an unpleasant one.

Chrome has tab groups and you really need to start using them since you can organize much better all the tabs, even color-code them.

Search all open tabs

On top right part on title bar right next to minimize button there is small arrow pointing down, once you clik on it all opened tabs will be displayed by name as a listand by clicking on it you will automatically switch to it.

Change download location

Google Chrome has its default download destination but you can change that destination and even turn on option to be asked where you would like your download to be saved each time.

Live Captions

YouTube has cations for its videos but Chrome itself has live caption option in order to provide you with automatic AI captions for any type of video or audio on any website. If you are struggling with following what is being said try this awesome option.

Extensions

Using extensions in Chrome is awesome, specialy if extensions are usefull but if you go incognito they are not active. There is an option in Chrome to turn on the extensions even in incognito mode and even better, you can even choose which ones you want to be active, you do not need to turn all of them.

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What is USB Kill Kit

USB Kill, a USB device is able to fry and damage your computer, mobile phone, router, etc. This device is quite dangerous and can kill electronics the moment it is inserted into an available port. By now people should know that they should not put unknown USB sticks into their devices because of potential virus and malware threats but this raises using unknown sticks to a whole new level.

usb kill kit

Kill kits are not really new to the market, they have existed before but lately, technology really progressed and the latest USB sticks are really good, their success rate is around 95% which is pretty high and should not be taken lightly.

The second thing that you really should not play with strange USB sticks is that they dropped in price really hard, although top Kill kits will still go as high as around 300 USD, there are really cheap ones lurking in Ali Express that are just 6 USD!!! that makes them affordable devices for the mass market.

The device is made to take energy and current from the port it is plugged in, multiply it and release its charge back into the device, successfully frying some components immediately. Some more professional Kill sticks can even fry devices even when the device itself is not powered and can be even started remotely.

The point of this article is to make you aware that you should not in any kind of circumstances use and plug-in USB sticks into your devices that you do not know where they come from, especially from the mail!!

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Fix volsnap.sys failed BSOD Error in Windows
The Volsnap.sys is a Windows operating system file that is related to the Volume Shadow Copy Service or VSS. It is known to cause a Blue Screen of Death error. The main cause of the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen errors include conflicts with the RAM, issues with the hard disk, incompatible firmware, corrupted drivers, malware infection, and many more. Despite its many possible causes, its fixes are quite straightforward so won’t have any problem following them. The Blue Screen errors that are related to the Volsnap.sys file are:
  • KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
  • PAGE FAULT IN A NONPAGED AREA
  • SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
  • IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL
You might want to try performing System Restore as it could resolve Blue Screen errors like the ones related to the Volsnap.sys before you proceed with the troubleshooting tips given below. To run System Restore, follow these steps:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
  • Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
  • After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
If System Restore didn’t help in fixing the Blue Screen error, now’s the time for you to resort to the troubleshooting tips provided below but before you get started, make sure that you create a System Restore point first.

Option 1 – Check if the Volume Shadow Copy service is running and restart it

The first thing you need to do is check if the Volume Shadow Copy service. To do that, refer to the following steps:
  • Click on Start and type “cmd” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
  • Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
  • After that, type “net stop sdrsvc” and hit Enter to execute the command in stopping the Volume Shadow Copy service.
  • Next, type the “net start sdrsvc” command and hit Enter to start the service again.
Note: You can also restart the service using the Windows Services Manager.
  • In the Cortana search box, type “services” and click on the Services icon to open the Services Manager. Alternatively, you can also tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run prompt and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
  • From there, look for the Volume Shadow Service (sdrsv) from the list of services. Its Startup type should be set to Manual by default.
  • Restart the service and if you don’t encounter any error while you turn it on, re-run the backup service and see if the backup process runs successfully.

Option 2 – Try checking the Memory for the Errors using Memory Diagnostic Tool

The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
  • After that, it will give two options such as:
    • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
    • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
  • Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.
Note: After you select your preferred option, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 3 – Try to update or rollback your device drivers

If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or rollback 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 go to the section of IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers as well as Storage Controllers 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 4 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Volsnap.sys Blue Screen error. 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 following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /f /r
  • Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

Option 5 – Run the System File Checker 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 with 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.
  • Restart your computer.

Option 6 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like Volsnap.sys. It can be found on 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.
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Outlook: We are unable to connect right now
If you are trying to start the Microsoft Outlook application on your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly receive a message box with an error message that says, “We are unable to connect right now, Please check your network and try again later”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error. This kind of error in Microsoft Outlook could be due to some issues with your internet connection or it could also be due to the VPN software if you’re using one. Whatever the cause is, there are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the error. You have to check your internet connection or try changing it. You could also try to disable your VPN software or restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook and try starting the app again. In addition, you can also try entering your password again or check some settings in the Windows Registry or open Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode. Refer to the guidelines provided below to further troubleshoot the problem.

Option 1 – Try to check your internet connection

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to check your internet connection. You have to make sure that you are connected to the internet and that it has a stable connection.

Option 2 – Try to restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook and try again

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook. This simple process can actually help you fix the problem as it could only be a glitch that can be fixed with a simple restart.

Option 3 – Try to enter your password again

You could also try entering your password again to resolve the error. Just click on the Cancel button to open a dialog box and then enter your password again and see if it helps. Note that you might have to do it for all your email IDs in Microsoft Outlook.

Option 4 – Try opening Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode and disabling its add-ins

Putting Microsoft Outlook into Safe Mode can help you identify the problems in it. Safe Mode also helps you fix a certain issue caused by some corrupted add-in. To start your Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode, refer to these steps:
  • Tap Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  • Next, type in “Outlook /safe” and press Enter to run the command.
  • After that, it will ask you to select a profile that you want to use. Just simply select a profile from the drop-down menu and click on the OK button.
  • Now you have successfully opened Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode. As a result, it will start with disabling the add-ins. Meaning to say, there is some corrupted add-in that’s causing the problem, and that you need to look for that add-in and either disable it or have it permanently removed.
  • Once you’ve identified the corrupted add-in, you can disable or remove it by going to File > Options > Add-ins. From there, select the option “COM Add-ins” from the drop-down menu and then click the Go button.
  • Finally, close Microsoft Outlook once you’ve covered the given steps above and then try to open it normally.

Option 5 – Try disabling the VPN

As pointed out earlier, if you are using VPN, this could be the reason why you’re getting the “We are unable to connect right now, Please check your network and try again later” error so the most obvious thing to do is for you to turn off the VPN and try to run the Windows Update once more. And if you use a VPN software that works using their software, you can just completely exit or log-off from its account. On the other hand, if you are using a built-in Windows 10 VPN, you can simply turn it off or delete all the settings you have created there.

Option 6 – Try to check the settings in the Registry

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesNlaSvcParametersInternet
  • From there, look for the DWORD named “EnableActiveProbing” and make sure that its value is set to “1”. When the value is set to 1, it means that it is Enabled. This is the default setting and is used to identify the status of the network connectivity of your computer.
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How to Fix the Error 0X80070005

0X80070005 - What is it?

0x8007005 is a Windows Error Code. You may come across this error if you don’t have the appropriate permission to install a particular Windows update. It is prompted as ‘Access Denied’ error message. Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

The error code 0x80070005 usually triggered because of 2 reasons:
  1. Some updates require administrative permissions to be installed
  2. Due to malware and viruses

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you face this error while installing Windows updates on your PC, it is advisable to fix it immediately. By taking timely actions, you can update your PC easily and in case if the cause of the error code 0x80070005 is malware or some virus, you can stop it from causing more and serious damage to your system.  Sometimes malware and viruses can lead to data loss. To avoid such damages here’s what you need to do:

Cause: Updates require administrative permission

Quick Fix: If the 0x8007005 error occurs on your system due to administrative permission issues, then the best way to fix this error right away is to log on as an administrator. If there are many user accounts on your PC, then to resolve this error, make sure you log on using the user account that has administrator permissions on the computer. Once you log on as an administrator, now try to install the updates again.

Cause: Malware and Viruses

Quick Fix: If the error 0x80070005 occurs because of malware infection, the best way to resolve this error would then be to open your antivirus software and run a scan to detect the malware. However, if you don’t have antivirus software installed on your system, then it is advisable to download the software immediately. Download antivirus software. To be on the safe side download Microsoft Safety Scanner. Click on the run when prompted. Once the scanner is installed on your PC create a shortcut to Safety Scanner on your computer desktop so that it is easily accessible. Now double click on the icon and click on the full scan tab to start scanning for malware and viruses on your system. After the scan is complete, you will see a list of viruses on your PC. Now remove them all by hitting the delete tab and then repair. Now try installing the updates again. By following these quick-fix techniques, you can easily resolve the error 0x80070005 on your system by yourself, without calling an IT professional.
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Software and hardware cleaning tips
Spring is almost here and with spring comes work, nature wakes up, people wake up, no more heating bills, time to start working, and time to start cleaning your PC. Good day everyone and welcome to another tip & trick for your PC. This time we are talking about cleaning your PC and keeping it up to software tight so you are ready for the upcoming spring season. Thank you for being with us and let's start:

Uninstall applications that you are not using

The unused applications can cause many issues for PC, from taking unnecessary disk space to even causing slower boot times if they have active services that require to be all-time up and running. They could slow down other applications like file explorer if they have extensions installed into them and can take RAM space with their background processes. If you are not using a particular application anymore or do not plan to use it soon it is always best practice to delete it from the system and thus removing all services and processes that go with it freeing so much-needed RAM and disc space.

Remove browser extensions you do not need

Browser extensions like applications can cause some issues with PC performance. if you spend a lot of time on the internet browser extensions can slow down browser and page loadings, they can make browsers take up more RAM memory and if they are outdated they could even present a serious security threat. Best practices are to keep only the extensions that you need all time, maybe some password managers or similar, extensions that you use on a daily basis, the rest should be uninstalled.

Remove things from the startup

Many services are booted along with Windows itself, some of them are crucial to the system even working, some not so. By eliminating not-needed services from the startup menu you will make sure that your boot times and overall performance of the system are in healthy form and that your PC is more responsive.

Organize files, folders, and desktop

The speeding of computer is not the only thing that you need to take care of, in order to be prepared and have maximum efficiency you will need to organize your files and folders as well. In a working environment, we often tend to save and place files all over the place, and in time they clog up desktop and hard drives. If the files are not well organized we will lose precious time trying to find anything that we need and require, so instead of wasting your time in locating files, why not organize them for easy and logical search so you can access them easily when needed.

Clean taskbar and start menu

Taskbar and start menu as well can be clogged with icons and non-organized application shortcuts and document shortcuts. Remove everything you do not need for that tidy and easily accessible access.

Sort bookmarks

It is very likely that you have plenty of bookmarks saved in our browser. It is also very likely that these bookmarks are not sorted and organized and now would be a great time to do it. Like files bookmarks also can cause you a lot of time loss if you need to find a specific one in a sea of many.

Run disc cleanup

Built-in disc cleanup utility will find temporary files, unused ones, and plenty of other junk on your hard drive. Now would be a great time to run it and get rid of junk files from your system.

Physically clean your computer

Now when we have taken care of the software part of our computer and system, it is time to clean up the computer itself. Unplug your computer and clean it, we will not go into details of this procedure, there is already an article on our site which deals with this part in detail so look it up if you need assistance with this part.

Clean your peripherals

Besides the computer for effective and pleasant work take care of your screen, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. All of these devices need to be dust-free and clean if you expect them to behave on top of their game. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
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HDMI Port not working properly in a Windows PC
HDMI which stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface is an audio/video interface that can be used to interconnect various multimedia devices. One of the common use for HDMI is when a CPU is connected to a monitor and a projector. Aside from that, it can also be used in connecting Blu-ray players and laptops to televisions as well as monitors. One of the main advantages of using HDMI is that it can transmit both audio and video at high qualities such as 4K using only a single connection. However, you may also experience some issues in using it every now and then and one of them is when you find that after connecting the devices using the HDMI port, the screen appears to be black and there is no audio output. In such cases, there are a variety of hardware malfunctions that could be causing the problem with the HDMI connectivity. Although there a lot of potential causes, there are also potential fixes you can try to fix the problem. Before you troubleshoot the HDMI Port problem, you might want to perform System Restore first as it might help you in fixing the problem. It could be that you’ve made some changes in some of the settings in your computer that triggered the problem. Thus, you can try run System Restore to undo them, refer to these steps:
  • First, press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
  • Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
  • After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the Stop error is fixed or not.
If the problem still persists after System Restore, then follow the given options below to further troubleshoot the problem.

Option 1 – Try to physically check the hardware of your computer

The first thing you can do is to check the physical status of the hardware in your computer. You can clean the dust off the hardware components like the Network Card or Graphics Card of the computer. You might want to use a small blower or you could also use a soft cloth and run the components gently. Make sure that you don’t damage any parts with moisture or cause harm to any circuits while you carry out this task.

Option 2 – Run the Video Playback troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Video Playback troubleshooter. To do so, refer to these steps:
  • First, open the Windows settings app.
  • Then navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
  • From there, scroll down until you see the Video Playback section and click on it.
  • After that, you’ll see the Run the troubleshooter button, click on it to run the Video Playback troubleshooter, and follow the next on-screen instructions.
On other hand, you can also run the Hardware and Device troubleshooter if the Video Playback troubleshooter wasn’t able to fix the problem. You can run it from the same page that you run the Video Playback troubleshooter.

Option 3 – Try to rollback, update, or disable the Graphics card drivers

To fix the problem with the HDMI port, you can either roll back, update or disable them depending on your preference in order to resolve the problem.
  • 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 Display Adapters and click on them.
  • After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters. Note that the rollback option is only available if the update was recent. So if it isn’t there, just click on the Update Driver option.
  • From there, Windows will automatically check for problems and update the Graphics card drivers.
  • Now restart your computer.
  • After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 4 – Try to reset the Monitor

You could also try resetting the monitor or television using its hardware keys and see if it can resolve the problem. You can just refer to your TV or monitor’s guide for more information on how to reset them.

Option 5 – Try some miscellaneous fixes

Apart from the four given options above, you can also check out some miscellaneous fixes to fix the HDMI connectivity issue and here they are:
  • You can try to plug out the HDMI cord/cable from both source and destination and then plug it back in after a couple of minutes.
  • You can also check if the HDMI cable you are using is still in working condition.
  • You can also try to change the source and the destination of the video and see if either one of them is in a non-workable state.
  • Try checking if your settings are how they should be as intended in the “Project my screen” option by tapping the Win + P key combination on your keyboard.
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How to Repair Windows 10 Error 0x800F0922

Error Code 0x800F0922 – What is it?

Error Code 0x800F0922 refers to an issue with downloading the newest version of Microsoft Windows, Windows 10. It could mean that your PC doesn't have enough free space in the System Reserved partition, or that it couldn't connect to the Windows Update servers. This issue is not very common, most users will never see this error code. Some, however, will need to follow the below fixes in order to download and upgrade their systems properly. Common symptoms include:
  • Dialog box appears with the Error Code 0x800F0922
  • Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade is unsuccessful and/or incomplete
  • Users are unable to open applications after attempting the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade

Solution

Restoro box imageError Causes

There are two standard reasons why this error occurs during the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade.
  • There may not be enough free space in the “System Reserved” partition of your hard drive.
  • Error Code 0x800F0922 could also mean that your PC was not able to successfully connect to the Microsoft Windows update servers due to a VPN (virtual private network) connection in your home or office network.
  • The .Net framework installation portion of the Windows 10 upgrade fails.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Error Code 0x800F0922 as stated is somewhat rare, but it does occur occasionally. Users who have experienced this error while attempting to upgrade their system to Microsoft Windows 10 have the following options for do-it-yourself fixes.

Method 1:

Use this method if you are operating on a network that uses a VPN connection.
  1. Disconnect from your office or home network.
  2. Turn off your VPN software.
  3. Run the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade.
  4. Restart your PC.
  5. Reconnect to your home or office network.
  6. Turn your VPN software back on.

Method 2:

This will run the Windows 10 Update troubleshooter that is built into your PC.
  1. Click on the Windows icon on the lower-left corner of your desktop.
  2. Press the “w” key to open the SEARCH function.
  3. Type “troubleshooting” in the search field and press ENTER
  4. When the troubleshooting window opens, select the “view all” option from the left window pane.
  5. Select “Windows update”.
  6. Select “advanced” and then choose the “run as administrator” option.
  7. Click the NEXT button and follow the on-screen prompts.
  8. This troubleshooter will walk you through the steps needed for your specific situation.

Method 3:

This method will run the DISM (deployment image servicing and management) tool built into your PC.
  1. Press the “windows key” on your keyboard followed by the “x” key.
  2. Select the “command prompt admin” option.
  3. Type the command “exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth” into the command prompt field and press ENTER.
  4. Wait for the scan to run completely.
  5. When the scan is complete, a message will appear telling you that “the operation completed successfully”.
  6. Type the command “dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” into the command prompt field and press ENTER.
  7. This will take a while to run completely, but it will restore any missing or corrupted files necessary for the Microsoft Windows 10 update.
  8. Restart your computer.
  9. Attempt the Windows 10 upgrade again.

Method 4: Use this option if you believe the issue is a result of the .NET framework being disabled.

  1. Press the “windows” key followed by the “x” key.
  2. Select the “control panel” option.
  3. When the control panel window opens, click your cursor in the search field on the upper right hand corner.
  4. Search for the phrase “windows features”, then select the link “turn Windows features on or off”.
  5. Select the check box (add a check) to the box next to “.Net framework”.
  6. Click the OK button.
  7. Proceed with your Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade.
To resolve this, all you need is third-party software to increase the size of the System Reserved partition. One of the four methods listed above should fix your Error Code 0x800F0922 issue and allow for a successful Windows 10 upgrade. On an occasion where there isn't enough space, use third-party software to increase the size of the System Reserved partition.  If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.
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Fix an Unformattable and Unusable USB Drive
If you have a USB that has stopped working and does not show any signs of life do not throw it away just jet. Hello and welcome to another great tutorial on errortools.com, today we will explore how to bring back to life dead USB memories.

Detect a Corrupted  Drive:

If your computer is still able to detect your USB drive, you might want to know if it’s been corrupted. Select the Properties of the drive folder and check the device status. If it says This device is working properly this USB drive is worth saving. There’s no need to worry if you can’t see the USB drive folder.

Erase the USB Drive with Diskpart Tool

Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X top open start menu and choose Command prompt (admin) Type diskpart and press ENTER Type in list disk and press ENTER Locate your USB drive by size and type in select disk#, where # is the number of removable disks.

Reallocate the USB Drive Volume

Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in diskmgmt.msc Select the USB drive and Right-click on it and select create simple volume. It will lead to a new simple volume wizard window. Once you click next, you can specify the volume size for the pen drive. Select the maximum volume, which is shown as a default unit in MB. As soon as you see the next step, select assign drive letter which will help you view your pen drive once again. Format the partition in the next step. This may be just an extra step because you have already wiped the data clean. But it is always better to be sure. Click Finish to complete the new simple volume wizard which will now be allocated to the USB drive. After you reallocate the unallocated USB drive space, you will be able to view the USB drive storage once again.
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Computer gets stuck on Preparing to configure
If you suddenly find your Windows 10 computer stuck on the “Preparing to configure” screen for quite a long time now after you run Windows Update, read on as you will be guided on how you can fix that issue in this post. During an update process, there’s a lot of things that go on in the background which is why Windows Updates take quite a while before it finishes. It can be at 25%, 50%, or even 100% but the only message you’re going to see on your screen is the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer”. However, if you notice that the Windows Update is taking a longer time than it’s supposed to, the first option is to wait some more but if it’s still the same, then there’s definitely something wrong. This kind of issue occurs when Windows Update fails to configure in short correctly download and install the update. When this happens, it will revert all the changes which are why you were advised to wait for a couple of hours. There are two possibilities why your computer is stuck on the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. The first one is that the Windows 10 operating system is installing any updates. The second one is when the user profile takes time to load or encounters an error. There are several options you can try to fix the problem. You can try running System Restore or boot your computer in Safe Mode or repair the corrupted profile via Registry Editor. You might also want to try using installation media to boot and repair your computer if the other options didn’t work.

Option 1 – Perform System Restore

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
  • Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
  • After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
Note: If you can’t boot into the desktop of your computer, you can run System Restore in the Advanced Startup Options by following these steps:
  • Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
  • From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
  • Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
  • After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
  • Once it’s done, restart your computer.

Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode

You can try to tap the F8 key if you have it enabled in your Windows 10 computer, as you start your system to boot into Safe Mode. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can access the Start Menu and the Mouse and Keyboard. Aside from that, you can also access your files and other built-in tools in Windows such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Computer Manager, Device Manager, Event Log Viewer, and many more. On the other hand, if you haven’t enabled the F8 key, you can just go to the Advanced Startup options to boot your computer into Safe Mode. Once you’re there, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Tap the number 4 key. After that, your computer will restart in Safe Mode. If you want to reboot into Safe Mode with Networking instead, you can tap the number 5 key and for Safe Mode with Command Prompt, tap the number 6 key. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can use any of the built-in tools to restore your computer or troubleshoot the problem that’s causing your computer to get stuck at the “Preparing to configure” screen.

Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this third option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, take note that you can only try this if you can boot into your desktop and if you can, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.
  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
  • Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
  • Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
  • Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
  • You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
  • After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
  • Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:
  • You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
  • After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
  • Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
  • Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.
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Windows 11 different sounds for dark theme
Windows 11 dark mode2Interesting information has come out from Microsoft, Windows 11 dark theme will include a different sound theme from its standard light one. When in dark mode on Windows 11, the system sounds generally become softer, and they echo a bit, creating a more soothing experience that matches the overall look and feel of the dark mode. Flipping back to light mode brings the system sounds back to their normal level. However, even though the light model has slightly louder sounds than the dark mode, Microsoft has taken great care to make sure the audio is more soothing, according to a report from CNBC. The designers of Windows 11 took inspiration from an approach called calm technology. Microsoft’s Christian Koehn and Diego Baca wrote about calm technology in a post on Medium. In it, they said, “Windows 11 facilitates this through foundational experiences that feel familiar, soften formerly intimidating UI, and increase emotional connection.” According to a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to CNBC, “The new sounds have a much rounder wavelength, making them softer so that they can still alert/notify you, but without being overwhelming.”
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