How to Fix a Windows PC Crash Dump

Dsound.dll Error Code - What is it?

Dsound.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library. This is one of the many files that are associated with DirectX software. And DirectX software is used by most Windows-based games. Dsound.dll contains small programs that help run and load Windows-based games on your system. The Dsound.dll error pops when Windows-based games are unable to load and run on the computer. The error code appears on the screen in one of the following formats:

• "The file dsound.dll is missing"
• "File dsound.dll not found"
• "Dsound.dll not found. Reinstalling might help fix this."
• "Dsound.DLL Not Found"

Solution

Error Causes

Dsound.dll error is generated due to multiple reasons. These include:

• Corrupt, damaged, or missing Dsound.dll file
• Malware infection
• Outdated drivers

To play the games on your computer, it is important to fix the Dsound.dll error immediately.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve Dsound.dll error at home on your own without hiring a professional and spending hundreds of dollars in repair, here are some methods you can try:

Method 1 - Restart Your PC to Resolve

Sometimes the error may be a fluke and can be resolved by simply restarting your PC. So, before you try other methods, it is recommended that you restart your system first. If it resolves the issue, then that’s great. If it doesn’t, then try other methods given below!

Method 2 - Reinstall the Deleted Dsound.dll File

Since DLL files are shared files, there is a possibility that while uninstalling a game on your PC, you might have accidentally deleted this file too. If so, check your recycle bin and search for the deleted file. If you locate it, simply restore it. But if you can’t, then download the Dsound.dll file from a reliable DLL website. Make sure that the site is authentic because the last thing you want is to download malware instead of a DLL file.

Method 3 - Update Driver for Your Video Card

If Dsound.dll error occurs because of outdated drivers, then update them to resolve. You can do this by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager. The wizard will guide you through the process, making updates simple.

Method 4 - Remove Malware

Download a powerful antivirus to scan and remove malware from your system. A malware infection can trigger a Dsound.dll error too.

Method 5 - Uninstall the Game and then reinstall it again

Try uninstalling the game during which you experienced this error. Sometimes the error may pop because of improper game installation. Uninstall it and then reinstall it. Once you’ve reinstalled it, try accessing it again. If it is accessible, the error is resolved.

Method 6 - Repair the Registry

DLL errors are also related to the registry. These files can get damaged if the registry gets loaded with junk files and cookies. In such as situation clean and repair the registry. You can do this manually but it can be time-consuming and tricky if you are not technically sound. Therefore download Restoro. It is a powerful and user-friendly PC Fixer embedded with a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner scans and removes all junk files clean the registry and repairs damaged DLL files immediately. Click here to download Restoro and resolve error Dsound.dll today!

The holiday season is almost upon us and buying gifts for loved ones can sometimes present some headaches, especially if that loved one is a Gamer or PC enthusiast. We have all been there and how almost every household today has a console or PC struggles are infecting more and more people. But do not despair, we have made a nice list of potential gifts for you. The list contains some nice essential and good things but we gave our best not to break the bank so you will not find any large screens or 300$ keyboards here. Of course, you can always get expensive gifts and if you have money for it do it, it is just we want to have affordable stuff here.

A Steam gift card

For gamers, a good game is a great gift but most of the time when we are buying a game we can miss what the person wants. That is why a Steam gift card is a great gift for gamers. He can use it and buy whatever he or she wants for its value.

Xbox Game pass

This is another for those Gamers type. Xbox game pass is a great gift even if you do not own Xbox since all games will work on PC as well. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes the PC version, which will unlock somewhere between 300 and 350 games automatically. It’s a subscription service, so your PC gamer will have to keep up with it. The monthly price is worth it, though.

Pack of cable ties

Almost every PC user has tons of cables lying around, and most of the time they are not really tidy. Cable ties come to the rescue!!! Let us be honest, no one likes cables that are scattered all over the place, even the computer users so if they do not have this essential piece of equipment, we are sure they will like it.

Compressed air duster

Dust is enemy no.1 for computer users, it gets into the keyboard, into small spaces, etc. It is very difficult to get it out so an air duster for compressed air is a great cleaning gift for any kind of computer enthusiast. You can get it with a can of compressed air as well so everything is ready for cleaning.

New Headset

A headset is always a great gift. Over time earbuds can deteriorate and get damaged simply just by using them and when enough time passes even cables can start losing contact and overall sound quality may drop. Usually, computer users change headsets like keyboards so if your loved one has some old headsets showing their age, a new one is a perfect present.

New SSD drive

More hard disk space is always a welcome sight for any PC user and new SSD drives fueled with new technology are faster than ones of the same size in past years making them a perfect gift.

Large mouse pad

A good mouse pad can mean a lot to a gamer. Over time mouse pad deteriorates simply with its use so a new and fancy large pad is a great gift for any user. If you want a great gift, make it with RGB light.

Manually cleaning your PC registry may be the worst or best thing you ever decide to do. Registry keys that lie around on your computer, unused, can cause your computer to lag. This can end up in your computer not being able to load the easiest of programs and being slow at loading anything, let alone something that would take up a decent amount of memory. If your computer has slowed to almost an absolute stop, it is most probably the registry’s fault and the only option then is to clean it. You can get programs to do this for you, but they can be riddled with inaccuracies and viruses that could harm your computer even more. This is why some people choose to manually edit their computer. However, this is not without its flaws.

Registry Keys

Registry keys tend to have really long names. These names will be full of numbers and hyphens and will most likely give you no indication of what they do. Even some computer experts find it hard to understand what every computer’s registry keys do. This can make it very hard to see which ones are causing the problem; and if you don’t know what’s causing the problem, then there is no way you will be able to fix it. Some registry keys will be completely menial in what they do but some could be vital to even allow Windows to work on your computer.

Manual Registry Repair

Registry keys can also cause huge problems if you manually delete the wrong one. A lot of registry cleaners have the option to revive a key that they have deleted on you, which means that fixing an error that they made would be easy enough to do. However, when you manually delete registry keys, it will be an awful lot harder to get them back to work again afterward. This can cause your computer many problems and if you delete even one wrong key it is possible your computer will not even start. With the horrid naming system they have as well, it makes it very hard to determine what is important and what is not, which means it is all too likely that you will delete something important. However, those are the risks you have to take when you are cleaning out your registry. A registry cleaner has the same likelihood of messing with your computer and deleting something wrong that you have, so it is the same either way however a registry cleaner will do it with less hassle. But, some people say that if you do it yourself, it’s more likely to be right; that is why they prefer to do it manually and that is alright.

Conclusion

So, if you are manually deleting your registry keys that are unused, you’ll have to use a program that comes with Windows known as ‘regedit.exe’ which is incredibly difficult to use but may just be worth the hassle in the end. So, you don’t really need to put up with a slow computer, but be careful when messing with your registry manually! To repair and resolve this and other PC-related issues Click Here to download Restoro.

In any Windows operating system, Safe Mode is definitely a special environment used for troubleshooting issues as well as system diagnostics. Safe Mode allows you to remove any malware in your computer and troubleshoot issues that can’t be fixed when you’re in desktop mode. This is why Microsoft made sure that the Safe Mode option is not available directly and can only be accessed by pressing function keys such as F2, F8 (depends on what PC you are using) or via MSConfig. To make it easier for you to access Safe Mode, this post will guide you on how you can add Safe Mode to the Boot Menu options in Windows 10. As you know, Windows 10 now has Advanced Startup options that allow you to boot directly into Safe Mode without having to restart your PC and then tapping the special key a couple of times. However, if you really have to always use Safe Mode, it’s best to add it in the Boot Menu options. To do that, simply follow the steps below.

• Select Command Prompt (Admin) option from the WinX menu to open Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, type the bcdedit /copy {current} /d "Safe Mode" command and hit Enter.
• Once the command is executed, you will see a message saying, “The entry was successfully copied to {74a93982-9486-11e8-99df-00270e0f0e59}”. This message indicates that Safe Mode was successfully added in the Boot menu option which means that you can now directly access it and boot your Windows 10 PC in that mode.

To check if Safe Mode was really added in the Boot menu options, you have to open Msconfig. From there, you will also have to use it to configure the boot settings for the Safe Mode entry. To do so, follow the given steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “MSConfig” in the field and click OK.
• Next, go to the Boot tab and find the Safe Mode option which should be located under the default Windows 10 mode.
• Afterward, you need to select the Sage boot option and Minimal. You also have to select the Make all boot settings permanent option.
• Make sure to increase the timeout to at least 10 seconds which will ensure that the menu does not disappear right away.

Note: In similar steps as above, you can add the Safe Mode with Networking and Safe Mode with Command Prompt entries as well. Just simply select “Network” for Safe Mode with Networking and “Alternate Shell” for Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Once you’re done adding any of them, click on Apply and restart your PC. In addition, if you wish to remove the entry, you just have to open MSConfig again and select the entry you want to remove, and then click Delete.

Having an eMail in today's modern world is no longer a privilege or being geeky, it has surely become a necessity. From Facebook to LinkedIn or Steam many services today require you to have an account in order to use them, and in order to create an account, you need working eMail. That being said many people today have several eMail accounts, one for social media, one for work, maybe even one for very close friends and family. How creating eMail today is completely free we might end up with several eMail accounts. eMail clients have also evolved much since their first days and became more than just applications for receiving eMails, today they can take various different tasks having additional features built into them like calendar, batch eMail processing, etc. Taking all of said into account I am presenting to you within my personal opinion some of the best eMail clients starting with free ones.

Best free eMail clients

Google Gmail

https://gmail.com It would be very difficult to even start a free eMail list without mentioning Google's Gmail. Introduced all the way back in 2004 as an invite-only service it became over time the most popular email platform largely due to the fact Google is offering free eMail accounts. There are a lot of good things to be said about Gmail itself, most of the area is clutter-free and the largest space is reserved for eMail itself letting users focus on what is important. WEB client itself means that you do not need to have any application installed on your device, altho via Google chrome, you can use Gmail offline offering you flexibility if needed. The ability to connect and manage other accounts like Outlook, Yahoo, etc is just making Gmail even more attractive, and the snooze feature is a really neat little detail that will pause eMail notifications if you need to focus on other things. Lack of organizing messages into folders is a little confusing since Gmail offers its own unique label system but sometimes I need to have old reliable save eMail to folder. All in all, Gmail is a great service and it offers a great eMail on the go experience.

Mail eMail client

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/mail-and-calendar/ Free Windows eMail client simply called Mail is what was once outlook express. Mail itself has the ability to work with other popular accounts like Google Gmail account, Yahoo, iCloud etc. How it comes with Windows OS and it integrates very well with Microsoft Calendar, this eMail client is for many the first choice. On the negative side, I might say this is a strip-down version of Outlook which is paid solution so some features are missing if we would compare the two. Overall, a simple and nice eMail client worth your time, especially if you are on the Windows platform.

Mozilla Thunderbird

https://www.thunderbird.net Great eMail client matching in functions against paid and premium solutions of big tech companies. Fueled with plenty of customization options and reskinning ones this eMail client offers a lot for its free price tag. It is also fueled by Mozilla community focusing on privacy and security. It can work with any mail service and it is lightweight with a clean look, altho the look itself can be heavily customized. The bad side is that client itself relies on email services to provide cloud-based emails, so if you are receiving your email via a service that does not have a cloud-based service in itself all of your received emails will be locked to the computer where you have received them. Also customizing it can be sometimes a little too technical for the average computer user. All in all, Thunderbird is one great eMail client and it would be a shame not to use it because of its technical side, if you need a reliable and secure eMail client on a single machine, look no further than Thunderbird.

Paid eMail clients

Microsoft Outlook

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/ Outlook comes as a part of the Microsoft Office suite and as one of the oldest eMail clients, it is still widely popular and adopted through many users and businesses. It has tight integration with all Microsoft services and full integration with Calendar making it one of the if not the best eMail client out there. Outlook also has a free online service completely free for personal use as well. The downside is that you can not get it as a separate product if you want a business version other than as a part of the Office suite. The final verdict would be that this is perhaps the best eMail client out but the big downside is that there is no desktop version outside the Office suite.

eM Client

https://www.emclient.com/ eM Client offers a wide array of features, including a calendar, contacts, and chat. Support is provided for all the major email services including Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and Outlook.com. The latest version also offers PGP encryption, live backup, basic image editing capabilities, and auto-replies for Gmail. Its automatic system makes it very easy to get emails from other services since there is no manual setting, all that is needed is to type in your email and eM Client will do everything else automatically. A one-time purchase is not pricy and it could offer some features that some free clients are missing. Go check it out with a free trial and see if it is for you.

Mailbird

https://www.getmailbird.com This eMail client's main focus is the simplicity of use with visual appeal while tackling multiple eMail accounts. It has many built-in apps along with a customizable interface. Unlike some more Microsoft-centric email clients, Mailbird Business supports a diverse range of integrated apps, including WhatsApp, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, and Slack, all making for a better-streamlined workflow. The downside of this client is the yearly subscription plan. I think people, in general, want to get away from software subscription plans so I will include this as a downside but bear in mind it is downside just in terms of a business plan not in the client itself.

Inky

https://www.inky.com/ Inky is eMail client if you are looking for security. It uses AI along with machine learning in order to block all types of phishing attacks that can get through to other clients. The proprietary machine learning technology can literally read an email to determine if it has phishing content, and then is able to quarantine the email or deliver it with the malicious links disabled. It also takes things a step further and offers an analytics dashboard, which allows an administrator to see patterns of attacks based on dates, or targeted users. The downside is that client itself is so much focused on security that sometimes some nonsecurity features get overlooked and provide a poor experience but if you need a good and greatly secured eMail client Inky is one to check out.

Rapid Media Converter is a Potentially Unwanted Program that usually comes bundled with other unwanted software. Many users reported being unaware they had installed the application. It also generates additional advertising, and for this reason, it is classified as Adware and flagged for optional removal by several AVs.

From the Author: Howard Software / Applon runs off an ad-supported platform. During general internet usage on sites where Applon Support operates, users may see advertisements in form of shopping results and new tabs. The type of ad is dependent on the content of the page as you generally browse the internet. Applon is not related to or endorsed by the underlying website. These advertisements will be identified with the Applon Name or Logo.

About Browser Hijackers

Adware is programs created to show advertisements on users’ PCs with or without their consent. A kind of malware, it comes bundled up with the software application that a person either installs or accesses. Shareware or free software programs are generally packaged with adware. When adware penetrates your computer without you knowing and transfers information about you or your PC to 3rd parties, then it happens to be spyware. Other sorts of adware might take control of your internet browser and redirects you to websites that you don’t really want to check out. Adware is a common problem in most computer systems and these are really detrimental to your device. Adware/Spyware is usually downloaded and/or installed accidentally by users while exploring the net and people face lots of difficulties at the same time when it comes to removing adware from their computers. Adware could be dangerous for computer users in numerous ways. It could cause advertisements (popups, ad banners, and in-text) to show up constantly when you’re online or perhaps disrupt your computer experience when not connected to the net. When infected with adware for a long time, your computer will perform at slow processing speed, take a longer time to start up and shut down, easily get frozen up while loading websites, and even get the blue screen of death (BSOD). More often than not, adware is a legitimate revenue source for many companies that offer software to customers at zero cost. But adware generated advertisements tends to be more aggressive than normal ads which can greatly impair system performance or possibly result in a total crash. The adware will damage your PC should you allow it on your personal computer for a long period. A sensible way to block adware from corrupting your PC is to employ a reliable antimalware program such as Safebytes Anti-Malware on your computer. This software will give complete all-around protection to make sure that your laptop or computer doesn’t get infected again with spyware and adware. Take the following measures to prevent adware from overtaking your system: Downloading software online should come from trustworthy websites and also be selective about what you install on your computer; Always read the end-user license agreement (EULA) of any application you plan to install; Beware of clickable ads particularly those that advertise special deals, coupons, or any other suspicious deals.; Avoid installing toolbars, because toolbars from less reputable websites always contain adware, which might slow your PC and in some cases infect your computer outright.

What to Do if Malware Stops You From Downloading Antivirus?

Every malware is bad and the extent of the damage will vary greatly with regards to the type of infection. Certain malware goes to great lengths to prevent you from installing anything on your computer system, especially antivirus software. So what you should do when malware prevents you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? There are a few fixes you could try to get around with this particular obstacle. Start Windows in Safe ModeIf any virus is set to load immediately when Windows starts, getting into Safe Mode may block the attempt. Since just the minimum programs and services launch in Safe Mode, there are hardly any reasons for conflicts to happen. Listed here are the steps you have to follow to start into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (visit Microsoft website for instructions on Windows 8 and 10 PCs). 1) At power-on/startup, tap the F8 key in one-second intervals. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you should have the internet. Now, make use of your web browser normally and go to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) Following installation, do a complete scan and allow the software program to delete the threats it detects.

Obtain the anti-malware software using an alternate browser

Some malware only targets specific web browsers. If this is your situation, utilize another browser as it could circumvent the computer virus. If you appear to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate web browser with built-in security features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your preferred anti-malware program – Safebytes.

Create a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Here’s another solution which is using a portable USB antivirus software that can scan your computer for malware without the need for installation. Adopt these measures to run the anti-virus on the affected computer system. 1) On a clean computer, download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Connect the USB flash drive to a USB slot on the clean computer. 3) Double-click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose the USB flash drive as the destination for saving the software file. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation. 5) Transfer the USB drive from the uninfected computer to the infected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to open the Safebytes program from the thumb drive. 7) Click on the “Scan Now” button to begin the malware scan.

SafeBytes AntiMalware Overview

Are you looking to download the best anti-malware software program for your laptop or computer? You can find many applications in the market which come in paid and free versions for Microsoft Windows systems. A few of them do a great job in eliminating malware threats while some will harm your PC by themselves. You must be careful not to choose the wrong application, especially if you buy premium software. While considering the trustworthy programs, Safebytes Anti-Malware is certainly the highly recommended one. Safebytes is among the well-established computer solutions firms, which provide this all-inclusive anti-malware application. With its most advanced virus detection and repair technology, this software will help you protect your PC against infections brought on by different kinds of malware and similar internet threats, including adware, spyware, computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, keyloggers, ransomware, and potentially unwanted program (PUPs).

SafeBytes has fantastic features when compared with various other anti-malware programs. The following are some of the good ones:

Robust, Anti-malware Protection: Built on a highly acclaimed anti-virus engine, this malware removal application has the capacity to find and remove several stubborn malware threats like browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common antivirus software will miss. Live Protection: SafeBytes provides totally hands-free live protection and is set to observe, prevent and eliminate all threats at its first encounter. It’ll regularly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also provides end-users with sophisticated firewall protection. High-Speed Malware Scanning Engine: SafeBytes Anti-Malware has a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5x faster than any other anti-malware software. Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes checks the links present on a webpage for possible threats and informs you whether the website is safe to check out or not, through its unique safety ranking system. Light-weight: This program is light-weight and can work quietly in the background, and that does not have an effect on your PC efficiency. 24/7 Customer Support: For any technical queries or product support, you can obtain 24/7 expert assistance through chat and email. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is really great for securing your computer against all sorts of malware threats. There is no doubt that your computer will be protected in real-time as soon as you put this software program to use. For top 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 don’t want to use malware removal software and prefer to get rid of Rapid Media Converter manually, you might do so by going to the Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and removing the offending software; in cases of web browser extensions, you can remove it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You will definitely also want to reset your web browser. To be certain of complete removal, find the following Windows registry entries on your system and delete it or reset the values appropriately. Please keep in mind that this is for advanced users only and could be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional system errors. Additionally, certain malicious programs have the capability to defend against its removal. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

Direct replacement for Apple M1 Chip is near. There were some M1 Chips versions like M1 MAX and M1 ULTRA that were upgrades of the existing M1 chip, but the new and upcoming M2 is something different and it is aiming to replace M1 completely.

Made in a 5-nanometer design, with 20 billion transistors and 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth is meant to increase performance over M1. It has the same M1 8 core design with 4 high-efficiency cores and 4 high-performance ones.

All CPU and GPU cores are faster than their M1 equivalents and Apple states that when running M1 and M2 at the same power level M2 will perform 25% faster. The first version of the chip will place focus on power efficiency so if you are more on side of being a power user wait for the MAX or ULTRA version of M2.

Tech details of M2

M2 system on a chip like its predecessor M1 combines both CPU and GPU on a single chip with shared memory in order to increase performance compared to systems that have separate CPU and GPU. M2 so far has been only announced for MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro that suppose to hit the market somewhere around July this year. Of course, we expect that M2 is included in future iPad series or Mac Mini series as well.

• CPU Cores: 8
• GPU Cores: Up to 10
• Unified Memory: Up to 24 GB
• Neural Engine Cores: 16
• Number of Transistors: 20 billion
• Process: Second Generation 5nm

As you know, the Windows 10 operating system has support for a dedicated high-end graphics processor that brings in capabilities inside to support Graphics Cards from NVIDIA or AMD. This helps the operating system to function in a much better way by segregating the graphics-intensive operations from the CPU to a dedicated processor. However, there are times when it also experiences some issues that lead to some errors like the “Failed to create a graphics device” error. It is possible that your computer has more than one screen or graphics card which is why you’re getting this error. To fix it, you need to try reinstalling DirectX or reinstall the Graphics Card driver. You could also try to manually check the hardware or power cycle of your computer. To start troubleshooting the “Failed to create a graphics device” error, follow the given suggestions below.

Option 1 – Try running the DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Since the error has something to do with the DirectX Graphics APIs, you can run the DirectX Diagnostic tool to resolve the problem.

Option 2 – Try updating or re-installing DirectX

If the DirectX Diagnostic tool didn’t work, you can try to update or reinstall DirectX instead. This can help in fixing the problem because when you reinstall or update DirectX, it will replace the incompatible or corrupted components of DirectX from your computer.

Option 3 – Update or reinstall the Graphics card drivers

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in 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 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.

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 physically check the hardware of your computer

You might also want to check the physical status of the hardware in your computer. You can clean the dust off the hardware components like the Graphics Card of the computer. In doing so, you have 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 5 – Try to power cycle your computer

You could also try to power cycle your computer to fix the error. To do that, you have to turn off your computer in a way that the power is completely cut off and all the fresh configurations of files are loaded when your computer is booted up. The first thing you have to do is to shut down your computer and if you are using a laptop with a removable battery, you must remove the battery for a couple of minutes before you plug it back in and boot your laptop. On the other hand, if you are using a desktop computer, press and hold the power button until the CPU goes off and take out the power cable for a minute or so and then plug it back in. Boot your computer and see if the error has been resolved.

If you are running Windows Update on your Windows 10 computer and you suddenly encounter error code 0x8000FFFF, E_UNEXPECTED – Unexpected failure then read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions to resolve this problem. Note that you can encounter this error not only on Windows Update but also on Microsoft Store apps at times. Follow the options given below to fix error code 0x8000FFFF, E_UNEXPECTED – Unexpected failure error on your Windows 10 PC.

Option 1 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “wsreset.exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again.

Option 2 – Check the Cryptographic Service

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
• From the list of Services, look for the Cryptographic Service. Then right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
• After that, check if the service is started by checking the Service status. If it is started, click on the Stop button to stop the service and if it is already stopped, leave it as it is, at least for now.
• Next, make sure that the Startup type menu in the Service’s properties is set to Automatic before you go on.
• Now confirm any dialog boxes that may appear as you set the Startup type and then click on the Start button located in the middle before you exit Properties.

Option 3 – Delete the contents in the Software Distribution folder and Catroot2 folder

• 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 start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• 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.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 4 – Check the Root Permissions

You might also want to check the permissions on the root of C: and make sure that “BUILTINUsers have read access because if it doesn’t, then no wonder why you’re getting the error code 0x8000FFFF.

Option 5 – Try to use the Media Creation tool

The Media Creation tool in Windows allows you to use the ISO installation file to make a bootable device that you can use to install Windows on your PC. Note that this is kind of different from the usual installation process as it could erase your computer’s current settings and data on the primary drive. Thus, before you proceed, you need to backup all your data into some removable drive and then use the Media Creation Tool to make a bootable drive.

• After making the bootable drive, you need to plug it into your computer and then reboot.
• Next, tap the F10 or Esc key to open the boot options.
• Now set the boot priority of the removable drive the highest. Once the setup comes forth, follow the next onscreen instructions and install Windows without any problems.

Option 6 – Try installing the updates in a Clean Boot State

It could be that some third-party application is the one that’s causing the problem so it’s best if you put your computer in a Clean Boot state. 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 app again.

Note: If you are able to install the app without any trouble at all then it means that the error is caused by some third-party application in your computer. You need to look for the culprit and uninstall it once you found it.

Option 7 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error code 0x8000FFFF. 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.

Sharing is caring, an old saying says. I completely agree and that is reason enough for this article filled with sharing goodness. Holidays are coming and I hope that the holiday spirit is strong with you, that you will spend them in peace and with loved ones. All that being said wouldn’t it be great if you can spend some joy with close ones and share some of your games on their account so they can enjoy them as well? Well, you can and it is not complicated as well. Follow this easy guide to see how can you get someone’s account up and running with some of your games.

The steam Family sharing feature

The family Sharing feature inside Steam will let you share your games to another account so owners of that account can play games that you have purchased without the need to buy themselves. You can allow up to 5 accounts and 10 devices to play your library games, and owners of these accounts will have their own achievements. Be aware that enabling this option will place your entire library on the share, you will not be able to choose which games you would like to share and therefore any kind of parental controls are not applying here. Also know that once the game is running on one device, others will have to wait for one playing to finish before they can get a spin on it. Only the owner of the game can play whenever he wants as a priority but others will have to wait for the game to be not run by someone else.

How to Share Your Game Library

In order to share your game library have a person, you wish to share games with at his device on ready to go and enable steam guard on your account. To enable steam guard login into your account and on the top left corner click on Steam and then on Settings. Inside settings click on the Manage Steam Guard Account Security button. Choose the way of authentication either by mail or steam guard mobile app. Check Get Steam guard codes by email radio button and re-login into account.

Sharing Games on another Steam account

Now that Steam Guard is enabled on the primary account let’s share some games!!! Inside client again, in the top left click on Steam and again on settings. In the left panel choose and click on Family. Inside Family section check box beside Authorize Library Sharing on This Computer. Log out of your account and login into the client user account credentials you wish to share your library with (this is your friend or cousin account, they need to log in to Steam client on your computer but with their credentials). After they have successfully logged in, log them out and re-log with your account again. Now go again into Steam > Family and now you should see an account in the box at the bottom with the user name or your friend or relative. Confirm that this is an account that you wish to share the library with by clicking on the checkbox next to the name. Now let users login into the desired device with their credentials and they will have access to your entire library. Happy gaming!