This specific Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 error code has to do with the number of times you can use your license number to install windows programs on computers. All windows activation codes are licensed to be used one time for a device, to control piracy, but what happens when your PC crashes, or you have to change a hard drive component and are forced to re-install Windows Operating System. Luckily, there is an easy fix for this issue.
Solution
Error Causes
Basically, when you need to re-install the Windows operating system that you have previously bought and installed on another computer an error code will be displayed with a message telling you that the activation server determined that the specific key could not be used for activation. This occurs because the key has already been used on that computer, or a different one, to install operating systems. There are a few easy fixes for this issue, and most of them should be easily completed on your own.
Further Information and Manual Repair
There aren’t many explanatory ways to repair Error Code 0xc004c008. Below are two methods to go about addressing this issue.
Methods 1:
The first step is to open the “Run” Window. You can do this in two ways. First, press the “Window” key and press the “R” key simultaneously. This will open the “Run” menu. Or you can start the “run” window by going to the Start menu and selecting Run.
In the Run window type “SLUI 4” and click enter.
A Phone Activation window will open up, after which you'll need to select a few options.
First chose the country in which you registered the product for the first time.
Choose your country and a phone number will be displayed specific to your choice. You will now need to call the number provided.
After you’ve dialed you will be prompted to write your “Installation ID”. Type your “Installation ID” on the phone.
After that step, you will be asked how many copies of Windows have been installed using this license. Choose “1”, should anything else be chosen but “1”, this will not work.
After the process is completed, you will be given a confirmation ID and should be able to proceed as normal with installation. You will have a workable product key again.
Install whatever copy of the Windows Operating System you are attempting to with the new product key.
Method 2:
If the first method did not work, the only other option is to call Microsoft and walk through the process with a technician. To do this, dial “1-800-936-5700”. Explain the error that you received and the steps in the update process during which it was displayed. The technician will be able to walk through the steps from getting a new product key to finishing the installation.
If you're not a tech-savvy individual but would like to solve this problem without the aid of a technician, download a powerful automated tool to fix error code 0xc004c008.
When it comes to booting an operating system on a computer, one of the most essential pieces of software you can use is the UEFI. In fact, a lot of users now prefer to use UEFI instead of BIOS. It also depends on whether the UEFI or the BIOS is supported on the motherboard. Recently, a number of users reported an issue with UEFI where they were unable to find it under the Advanced Options screen where it’s supposed to be located.
The missing UEFI Firmware settings in the Advanced Options could be caused by several reasons. It is possible that the access to the UEFI menu is blocked or it could also be due to the Extra Fast Startup feature being enabled. It is also possible that the operating system is installed in Legacy mode.
There are several options to try to fix this issue. You need to check if your computer supports UEFI or you could also try to disable Fast Startup or bypass the Extra Fast Startup feature. You can also use a boot to UEFI shortcut as well as check the CMOS battery.
Option 1 – Try checking if your computer supports UEFI
The first thing you have to do is to verify if your computer supports UEFI. If your computer does not support UEFI, then it’s no wonder why you don’t see the UEFI Firmware settings in the Advanced Options.
Option 2 – Try turning off Fast Startup
First, boot your computer in Safe Mode.
Once your computer is booted in Safe Mode, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “control” to open the Control Panel.
Next, click on the Hardware and Sound section and click on Power Options.
Afterward, select the “Choose what the power buttons do” option from the left side menu pane.
Now click on Change settings that are currently unavailable and uncheck the entry that says, “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)”.
Then click on Save Changes and restart your computer and see if it has fixed the problem or not.
Option 3 – Try bypassing the Extra Fast Startup feature
As mentioned, the missing UEFI Firmware settings could be due to the Extra Fast Startup feature. To fix it, you have to disable this feature. All you have to do is tap and hold the Shift key and click on the Shutdown button from the Start button. This will boot your PC with the UEFI booting from the beginning and then use the hotkey for your motherboard to boot into the UEFI setup.
Option 4 – Try using a boot to UEFI shortcut
Right-click on any empty space on your Desktop and select New > Shortcut.
This will open a new mini window. And here, you have to type this in the text field: shutdown /r /fw
After that, click on Next and name the desktop shortcut and then click on Finish.
Next, right-click on the newly created shortcut and select Properties.
Click on the Advanced button and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Now click OK to save the changes made. Each time you execute this shortcut, your computer will automatically be booted to the UEFI Firmware Settings.
Option 5 – Try to check the CMOS battery
Another thing you can do is check the CMOS battery physically on the motherboard and see if it has to be replaced since a damaged CMOS battery can also cause the issue with the missing UEFI Firmware settings.
Option 6 – Set your computer from Legacy to UEFI
If applicable, you can try to set your computer from Legacy to UEFI to resolve the problem.
In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
After that, execute this command: mbr2gpt.exe /convert /allowfullOS
Now, wait until the process is completed since you can track its process on your screen.
Once it’s done, go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options and from there, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer and give you advanced options.
Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options where you will see further options including System Restore, Startup Repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
Now select the UEFI Firmware Settings. This will take you to the BIOS. Boot Mode is typically available under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI and then save the changes you’ve made. After that, your computer will restart.
There are cases when you want to undo some changes you’ve made to your computer and to do that you have to perform the System Restore task. However, if you encounter an error that states “To use System Restore you must specify which Windows installation to restore”, when doing so, read on as this post will help you fix the problem.
This kind of error in System Restore could be due to corrupted files in the system. There are also situations where you are not able to boot up once you encounter this error which could be a big problem. On the other hand, this error might have something to do with corrupted BCD files. Whatever the cause is, here are some potential fixes you have to try.
Option 1 – Try to run System File Checker offline
Like pointed out, since the error might be due to corrupted system files, you can try to run System File Checker offline. How? Refer to these steps:
You need to go to the Advanced Startup Options and from there select Troubleshoot.
Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
After opening Command Prompt, type the commands given below and tap Enter right after you type each one of them.
Cd /
Dir
If you can see the “Users” folder, that is your system’s drive. However, if you can’t see it, you can just change the drive-by assigning “D” as its alphabet volume.
Then execute this command where “C” is the system drive: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C: /offwindir=C:Windows
Now repeat the given steps sequentially.
Option 2 – Try to run DISM tool
You can also run the DISM tool to repair the potentially corrupted system image. First, you have to check the health of the system like checking the integrity of the system files and Windows services. To run DISM, follow the given steps below sequentially.
Open Command Prompt from the Advanced Startup options.
After that, execute this command where “C:” is the system volume: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:WindowsWinSxS
If you encounter an error after executing the given command, insert the Windows USB or DVD and then execute this next command where “E:” is the USB or DVD drive: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:E:SourcesInstall.esd:1 /limitaccess
In some cases, “install.esd” would be “install.wim” and in such case, you have to modify and execute this command: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:SourcesInstall.wim /limitaccess
Option 3 – Try to repair corrupted BCD
As mentioned, the error could also be due to corruption in BCD, and to fix it, you can use Bootrec.exe – a built-in command-line tool used to troubleshot issues related to boot up and Windows Startup. Before you run this tool, make sure that you have inserted a bootable USB or DVD into your computer. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:
You need to go to the Advanced Startup Options.
Then click on Troubleshoot.
Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
Once Command Prompt has been pulled up, enter each one of the following commands and in the sequence that they are given to rebuild BCD files and repair MBR files:
Bootrec /Fixmbr
Bootrec /FixBoot
After you execute the commands given above, you should see a confirmation message that says, “The operation completed successfully”.
Now type the “Bootrec /RebuildBCD” command to rebuild BCD.
Finally, close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 4 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility
You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.
You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
After that, click on Repair your computer located in the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.
Option 5 – Try to use the Windows Recovery Environment
If the four options given above didn’t help fix the problem, you could try running Windows Repair and a Windows bootable USB or DVD.
First, insert the bootable USB or DVD and boot into it, and select the “Repair your computer” option.
Next, once you see the manufacturer logo on your computer, tap the key to enter into Windows Recovery Environment.
After that, change the Boot sequence to DVD drive under the UEFI Firmware settings and restart your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, select the boot order and make changes accordingly as displayed in the BIOS.
Option 6 – Try running System Restore in Advanced Startup Options
Since you probably can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.
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 “exe /OFFLINE:C:Windows” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
Note: You need to replace “C” with the drive where Windows Installation is located.
Mail and Calendar not working with Cortana? As you know, Cortana was first launched way back in 2014 with an emphasis on its tight integration with both the Windows Mail and Calendar apps. This integration has been one of the highlighting features of this Personal Digital Assistant. However, there are some users who reported that the Calendar and Mail integration with Cortana is not working on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of problem could be due to several factors like the loose integration between the services, incompatible versions of the components, and many more.
According to the users who experienced the issue, the features affected are the syncing of calendar appointments, sending emails via Cortana, and so on. To fix this problem, there are several options you can try. You can try to restart Cortana’s processor run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter. You could also try to relink your Microsoft account or reinstall the Mail and Calendar apps, as well as reinstall Cortana. For more details, follow the suggestions given below.
Option 1 – Restart Cortana’s process in the Task Manager
Restarting Cortana’s process in the Task Manager could also help you resolve the problem. Refer to the steps given below to do so.
Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys to open the Security options window.
From there, look for the Task Manager in the given list and open it.
Next, look for the process of Cortana and right-click on it, and then select the End Task option to end its process.
After that, the Cortana process will restart by itself and re-initialize.
Option 2 – Run the Windows Store App troubleshooter
The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the Web Preview problem in Cortana. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app issues. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.
Option 3 – Try to relink your Microsoft Account
You might also want to relink your account in Microsoft using the Windows 10 Settings app.
Open the Windows 10 Settings app.
Next, navigate to Accounts > Email & Accounts and from there, go to the section of Accounts used by Email, Calendar, and Contacts.
After that, select your email account and select Manage.
Once done, a new panel will come up where you have to click on the “Delete account from this device” link.
Once you get a confirmation, select Delete and then relink the same account. This should resolve the problem.
Option 4 – Try to reinstall or update the Mail and Calendar apps
Open Windows PowerShell as admin.
Next, execute this command: Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage
Once done, restart your computer and go to the Microsoft Store page to get the latest updates for both Windows Mail and Calendar apps.
Option 5 – Try to reset Cortana via Settings
Launch the Windows 10 Settings app and go to Apps > Apps & Features.
Next, look for the entry of Cortana on the right-side panel and select it.
After that, select the Advanced options and then select the Terminate button under the Terminate section.
Once done, click on the Reset button under the Reset section.
Restart your PC.
After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.
Option 6 – Try to reinstall Cortana
If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.
First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
Next, select File menu > Run new task and type “Powershell” in the field and then select the “Create this task with administrative privileges” option.
Click on OK to open the PowerShell console.
After that, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
Htmlayout.dll is a linked library which is also known as HTMLayout. In simple words, it is an embeddable HTML layout and rendering component.
htmlayout.dll is generally associated with Avast Internet Security, Bit Defender Internet Security 2011, and other similar programs.
If you’re noticing that a continuous popup that reads:-
‘HTMLayout.dll cannot be loaded to properly start GUI. Therefore process cannot continue’, ‘Htmlayout.dll not found’, ‘The file htmlayout.dll is missing’,
and so on, then your system may be exposed to serious privacy and security threats.
Solution
Error Causes
To begin with, DLL files are shared files, and they can and do exist outside the software applications.
While these files do provide benefits to software developers, once they are separated, they can only spell trouble. Hence, you start seeing the HTMLayout error, which will most probably occur at system startup, program startup, or when trying to use specific functions in a program.
There are a number of reasons why the HTMLayout errors occur, and some of the common ones include:
The file is missing because it was accidentally deleted from the system.
The file was damaged by a virus and as a result, your system cannot access it.
The file was related to the registry and is now corrupt or obsolete.
The program that was related to the file was not uninstalled properly.
The file was overwritten by a corrupt or outdated version.
The spyware or malware deleted the original file and disguised it as the HTMLayout.
Further Information and Manual Repair
While the HTMLayout DLL error may sound like too much trouble, it is rather easy to resolve with a few steps. If you are getting the error because of a specific program or file, then you should reinstall to make sure the error does not pertain. For that, follow these steps:
Go to Start and select the Control Panel.
Click on the Add/Remove Programs icon and select the programs that show the error on the list.
Select Remove/Uninstall to safely remove the program from your system.
Restart the system and reinstall the program again.
This is the easy way out if the HTMLayout DLL error is occurring as a result of the file missing. However, there can be cases when the file has been tampered with by virus or registry issues. For that, the safest bet is to download Restoro.
Restoro is not just another registry cleaner. Instead, it is a multi-functional PC Fixes that works as an antivirus, registry cleaner, system optimizer, and much more.
What’s more interesting about Restoro is that it provides real-time results as opposed to other registry cleaners. In other words, you will actually feel a difference in PC performance and security after installing and using the program.
The software is compatible with all Windows versions.
So just click here and download Restoro to get rid of HTMLayout error and other issues in your system!
As previously announced by Google feature to quickly delete the last 15min of browsing history via one button is rolling out now.
For now, only Apple users will be available to use this feature but the Android update is scheduled for later this year, a strange move by Google but it is what it is.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with this feature, basically, Google wants a quick way to remove the last 15min of browsing history as a supposedly stated request to make deleting browsing history much easier.
Google came up with this idea so you can keep the previous history intact but remove just 15min time frame, no additional explanation was given on why 15 but I presume it is some round number that came up as the middle one with research, read telemetry info.
Using quick delete requires being signed into Search with a Google account. Users can access the option by simply tapping on the avatar icon to access the settings then choosing "Delete last 15 minutes."
In the last article, we have covered various advantages of Apple hardware over Windows PC, however, PC has their own strengths and advantages over MACs as well. Join us as we explore why would you choose Windows PC over MAC.
Hardware customization
If you like to customize and build your own hardware and customize your existing computer then MACs are out of the picture, on other hand, computers based on Windows operating system are much more flexible in terms of customization.
While Apple hardware is locked and only allows small changes to it, computers running on Windows are free and open to various upgrades and modifications so if you like to play with hardware Windows is your platform.
Gaming
There are games on MAC true but their numbers can not compare to games available for the Windows platform. On top of that, most latest and best gaming hardware is not even available on Apple platforms so if you plan to game in high resolutions and play the latest games there really is no option other than Windows.
Windows Platforms also has multiple emulators that you can use to play games from other older platforms and Microsoft since it owns Xbox has some great plans for both PC and Xbox gaming.
Software back compatibility
Since the introduction of the new MAC OS X, apple really lost a lot of application back compatibility, and a lot of old legacy software can not be run on modern Apple computers. Windows on the other hand have always tried and succeeded in keeping maximum compatibility with older and legacy software.
Also on the Windows platform, there is a lot of community support for old and legacy software so even if it is not officially supported it is backed up by the community.
Software variability
In terms of where can you find the most different software, you need to look no further than the Windows platform. How Windows itself has great backward compatibility and a lot of developers are using it to create new software thanks to Visual Studio and .NET Windows has cemented itself as a platform with the most available software.
The popularity of Windows as the home operating system and as a gaming platform has made it quite interesting in eyes of various developers and tons of small applications are made daily for it. Windows 11 has also brought native android support to it and that has just expanded its already impressive catalog of applications.
Freedom of choice
Overall Windows PC is most appealing for users that like to be able to choose everything, from hardware components to software they would like to use. No other platform will give you larger freedom of choice and better personalization options.
This is a typical SMTP error code. SMTP is the abbreviation for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
It is an internet standard for email transmission. In other words, SMTP is a text-based protocol in which the sender communicates with the mail receiver by issuing commands and receiving a response code.
The SMTP error 451 is displayed in the following format:
‘451 Requested action aborted: local error in processing’
This error message indicates that the program cannot send more messages and the server has hit the limit. This is because some mail servers have limits. The sever stops the task of sending and receiving emails when this limit is achieved.
Solution
Error Causes
The causes of error 451 include:
Server limit reached
Email rejection due to a remote anti-spam filter
Request denied by the server
Viral infection
If you heavily rely on email communication with your business partners and colleagues, then it is advisable to immediately resolve this issue without any delays.
Though this error is not fatal, you should repair it right away to avoid inconvenience. SMTP error code 451 can hamper your ability to communicate via email.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some of the best, easy, and effective DIY methods that you can try to repair error code 451 on your PC.
Method 1
To fix this error, simply follow these steps:
login to Linux SSH
Open the file /etc/localdomains
Nano/etc/localdomains and then add the domain name that is triggering email sending error
Now reboot your PC
This will hopefully resolve the issue. Nonetheless, if the error code still persists, then try other methods given below.
Method 2 - Configure List Settings to change the server limit.
This can be done by accessing the List Settings then Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) and then the Limit Feature. By accessing the limit feature, you can easily adjust the program to any limit of your choice. Configure the limit and save changes. Reboot PC to activate the changes made.
Method 3 - Scan and Remove Viruses.
This error code can also be triggered due to viral infection. If this is the cause, then simply download an anti-virus on your PC.
Scan the entire system and remove all detected malicious programs like Trojans, malware, adware, viruses, and spyware. This will repair the error 451 on your system.
Method 4
If the error still persists, then contact your SMTP provider to check the situation and resolve it. There is a possibility the error is generated from the SMTP provider’s end.
In case you don’t know, Windows 10 now allows users to check the Bluetooth battery level of devices. More often than not, the accessories or peripherals users use for their Windows 10 devices are connected to it using Bluetooth technology. This high-speed low-powered wireless technology is designed to link mobile devices, computers, and other network devices over a short distance wirelessly.
Monitoring the battery level of a device where Bluetooth is enabled isn’t an easy task as most of these devices do not support the Bluetooth battery monitor or the battery level display. And even when on devices that do, you still have to install additional software to find it. However, Windows 10 eliminates this requirement and all you have to do is add a Bluetooth device and connect that Bluetooth device. How? Follow the instructions provided below.
Step 1: Adding a Bluetooth Device
The easiest way to get your Bluetooth device battery to be displayed on your Windows 10 screen is to simply add a Bluetooth device. To do so, follow these sub-steps:
First, turn on the Bluetooth mode on your device.
Next, go to Windows Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.
From there, click on the “+” button next to the ‘Add Bluetooth or other devices” option and select the type of device you want to add.
Step 2: Connecting the Bluetooth Device
Once you’ve added the device, it will be visible under the “Add a device” screen.
Now select the newly added Bluetooth device and click the “Done” button.
After that, it will now be connected. Go back to the “Bluetooth & other devices” window and scroll down to the section of “Mouse, Keyboard, and Pen”.
From there, move the cursor alongside the connected device to display its battery level.
Keep in mind that there are several ways in which you can display the battery information of the Bluetooth device. However, Windows 10 understands only one of them per se. So if your device is not a Bluetooth Low Energy device, Windows 10 won’t be able to show its battery information and won’t display its battery level.
Dism.exe error 1392 is usually displayed whenever a file or directory is corrupted, and unreadable. The location specified in the error message states that some temporary files are corrupt. Since the files are only temporary, you could delete the mentioned file in the error message and check if the issue persists. The error is caused by missing system files or broken corrupt data, which should be fixed as soon as possible. Taking action should prevent further hardware and app damage, as this can lead to system crashes, data loss, or hardware failure in most cases.
Temporarily disable the antivirus program
Antivirus applications are well known that they can detect certain things as false positives and quarantine them or cut their system access, to make sure that this is not the case in this situation, disable your antivirus and try the operation again.
Perform an SFC scan
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the windows menu
Click on Command prompt (admin)
In the command prompt window type: sfc /scannnow and press ENTER
Wait for the operation to complete
Reboot
Run Check disk to check and fix disk errors
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the windows menu
Click on Command prompt (admin)
In the command prompt window type: chkdsk /f c: where c: is hard drive with issue and press ENTER
Scan your computer for malware
Malware and other malicious software can be a problem for this type of behavior, run your security's software scan on the whole system and remove any found malware.
Perform a system restore
If anything else failed run system restore and bring Windows back to a date when everything was working fine.
Error Code 100?? Whenever a Setup error contains error codes in the message, this indicates what the setup was operating on, let’s say copying files.
The text in the error message will determine whether that it is fatal or not. An error code 100 is a system error that is displayed as ‘ERROR_TOO_MANY_SEMAPHORES’ or as a value 0x64.
This error means that the system ‘cannot create another system semaphore.’ A semaphore is used in controlling access to parallel programming or a multi-user platform through multiple processes.
This error can prevent certain features of your Windows to perform properly, like trying to get a print, copying files, deleting files, or any other routine computer activities.
Solution
Error Causes
Error code 100 can affect a wide range of activities that you normally perform on your PC. This error can occur for a number of reasons, of which some of the common ones include:
When the account used for starting AOS does not match the database in SQL Server
When the AOS licenses have exceeded their limit
When the SQL Server database is incorrectly case sensitive
Though these are the common causes for error code 100, there can be other ways through which this error can occur. To find out the specific cause for error code 100, follow these steps:
Go to Start and select All Programs. Go to Administrative Tools and click Even Viewer
Click Application in Even Viewer
Locate the error message in the right pane by scrolling down
Click on the error message and see if the message applies to the error code.
Further Information and Manual Repair
In order to manually repair this error, you will have to work with your Network Administrator as they will have security privileges to take the steps. However, there are more than one ways to resolve this issue, for instance:
Starting SQL Server Service
A likely cause of an error code 100 can be that your SQL Server service is not started. To activate it, follow these steps:
Got to Start and Click on All Programs, go to Administrative Tools and click on Services
Find SQL/MSSQLServer service
Right Click on it and click Start to activate the service
Network Resolve
If you are connected to a network, then you can work with your network administrator to fix error code 100. Follow these steps to resolve this error:
Got to Start and then Run. Type dcomcnfg and press Enter
Locate Default Security and click it
Find Default Access Permissions and click Edit Default
You should locate System and Interactive, listed in the Allow Access. If they’re not listing, you can add them by clicking Add
Find the local computer in the list and click on Allow Access