Office 2021 release date set for October 5th

Prompted For A Product Key – What Is It?

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

Solution

Error Causes

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

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

Further Information and Manual Repair

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

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

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

Method One: Give It A Few Days

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

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

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

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

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

Method Three: Ensure Windows Is Activated

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

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

Method Three: Reset License Status

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

Method Four: Force Activation

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

Method Five: Run System File Checker

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

Method Six: Contact Microsoft Activation Center

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

Method Seven: Download An Automated Tool

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

As you know, installing Windows 10 is quite a complicated process in the background even though it may look like an easy task in the foreground. There are times when the setup is stuck on the “Hi there” screen where you won’t be able to input any information in the fields given and you wouldn’t be able to do anything else since the screen does not move ahead. There are a lot of possible reasons why this issue occurs. It could be due to a damaged setup image, invalid boot configuration, and many more. To resolve this problem, there are several options you can check out. You can try to get a new setup image or run the Automatic Repair or you could also try to recreate the Boot Configuration files or BCD. To get started in checking out these solutions, make sure to follow the instructions provided below.

Option 1 – 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 on 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 2 – Try to rebuild the BCD files

You can also try rebuilding the BCD files to resolve stuck screen issue in your Windows 10 computer.

• You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
• After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
• From there, select Command Prompt and once you open it, enter each one of the commands given below by sequence.
  • bootrec /FixMbr
  • bootrec /FixBoot
  • bootrec /ScanOS
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
• Once you’re done executing the commands given above, type “exit” to close the Command Prompt window and then restart your computer and see if it fixed error code 0xc000014c.

Option 3 – Try recreating the Windows 10 installation USB

Recreating the Windows 10 installation USB might help in fixing the problem. You can use a USB drive to do so but make sure that it has a great read-write speed. Follow the steps below to recreate Windows 10 installation USB”

• Click this link and then click the Download Tool Now button.
• Next, click the “Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)…” option and follow the next given instructions on the screen.
• Now select the ISO file option in step 5.
• After that, you should now have an ISO file.
• Next, go to the location where you’ve downloaded the ISO file.
• Then right-click on the Windows 10 ISO file and select the Open with option and then select File Explorer.
• Now click on “setup.exe” and follow the next instructions that appear on the screen. When asked, you have to select either Nothing (clean install) or Keep personal files only option. Take note that you must not select the “Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings since it doesn’t really work.

Option 4 – Try getting a new Windows image file

If none of the four given options above worked, you might want to get a newer installation image using the Windows Media Creation tool. After that, create the bootable USB drive and once completed and then try to run the Windows 10 setup again.

If you are using Windows PowerShell and it suddenly throws an error message saying, “File cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system”, then read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this issue your Windows 10 computer. This kind of error in PowerShell is most likely due to the fact that your user account does not have the required permissions to execute the script. Although this does not mean that you need to have administrator-level permissions as it could also indicate that you have to be unrestricted to run these types of PowerShell scripts or cmdlets. Thus, to fix the error and carry out the task, you have to set the execution policy to be unrestricted. And to do that, you need to use the steps provided below as a reference. Step 1: To get started, you have to check what policies are set for the individual user groups on your computer by tapping the Win + X key combination or by right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Windows PowerShell (Admin). You can also search for PowerShell in the Start Search and then right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator. Step 2: If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click Yes to proceed. Once you’ve pulled up Windows PowerShell, type the following command to get the List of Execution Policy for all the scopes on your computer.

Get-ExecutionPolicy –List

Step 3: After you execute the command, it will give you a list of the User Groups as well as their Execution Policy status, and under the Scope column, look for “LocalMachine”. Once you find its Execution Policy you will notice that it’s either set to Undefined or Restricted. Step 4: Now that you’ve determined the Execution Policy, you need to set it to Unrestricted if it is set to Restricted. To do that, you have to enter the following command in the very same PowerShell window.

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

Step 5: After you execute the command, you will see a message that asks for various permissions for which you either have to tap Y to say Yes to each one of the messages individually or tap the A key to say Yes to all the messages to once. However, if the command throws another error, you can just force the Execution Policy to change by executing the following command.

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force

Step 6: Once you’re done, it will finally set the Execution Policy for the Windows PowerShell scripts as well as cmdlets to be Unrestricted and fix the “File cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system” error.

What is 0x3D55? As you know, Windows 10 is loaded with various Universal Windows Platform or UWP apps such as the Microsoft News, Weather, Calculator, Windows Mail, and many other applications that are based on the modern UWP platform of Microsoft that was introduced in Windows 10. Each one of these apps has a shared piece of code in the kernel for them to be able to get executed across any device that runs the Windows 10 OS which includes laptops, PCs, 2-in-1 devices, mobile phones, mixed reality headsets, and many more. However, there are times when the runtime information for these apps ends up getting corrupted which causes them not to function as expected and throws errors like the error 0x3D55. This kind of error can be pinned down when the UWP app malfunctions and you can also find an error message in the Event Log that reads, “0x3D55: Package family <App name with ID> runtime information is corrupted”. So if you encounter this error, read on for this post will walk you through fixing it. There are three suggestions you need to check out to fix this error – first, you can try to reset the Microsoft Store cache, second, you can try to re-register or reinstall the problematic app and lastly, run the Windows Store App troubleshooter.

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 and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 2 – Run the Microsoft Store Apps troubleshooter

The Microsoft Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the error 0x3D55. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

1. Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
2. Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
3. On your right-hand side, scroll down to find the Windows Store Apps and then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and see if it fixes the problem.

Option 3 – Try to re-register the UWP app via PowerShell

• First, type “command prompt” in the Start Search and right-click on Command Prompt and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
• Next, navigate to this location in the command line utility: C:/Users/<Insert Username>/AppData/Local/Packages
• After that, execute the “DIR” command to view the list of all the directories in the given location.
• Once the list appears, look for the ID of the problematic app and take note of it.
• Now tap the Win + X key combination or right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed and open the Windows PowerShell window.
• Next, type in or copy-paste the following command to re-register the Microsoft Store app and tap Enter:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.<YOUR APP ID HERE>).InstallLocation + 'AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

If you are using a multi-monitor, then you might find it quite useful. It helps many users with their work and brings more productivity. And over the past few years, Windows has managed to offer one of the excellent multi-monitor features where users can plug in an additional monitor and access their work or use their computer seamlessly on both displays. This is really handy, especially for users who are graphic designers, gamers, and other professionals who have to use a larger screen for their work. One of the biggest inconveniences for users who use multi-monitor is that the Taskbar is switched on, on both displays, by default. This default arrangement is most likely to cause clutter on the second display. So if you are one of these users who find such a thing annoying, then you will find this post useful for you as we will walk you through how you can move the Taskbar to a second monitor. To get started, follow the instructions laid out below. Step 1: The first thing you have to do is right-click on the Taskbar. Step 2: Next, uncheck the “Lock the taskbar” option. Step 3: After that, click and hold the taskbar and drag it to the second monitor. Step 4: Once done, click the mouse button on the place where you want to place the taskbar. Step 5: Now right-click on the “Lock the taskbar” option to lock the taskbar. Once you’re done carrying out the steps given above, there are Advanced Options you can explore. This array of advanced options are offered by Windows 10 to fine-tune the multi-monitor experience of users. For instance, you have the option to choose to show the taskbar on an active screen only or combine the buttons on other taskbars. It would be better if you try out different variations and stick with the best one. In addition, you could also move the taskbar from one display to another.

System image backup error 0x807800A1 & 0x800423F3 appears when you are trying to create a system image backup and the operation fails to do so. If you’re faced with any of these error codes, try our recommended solutions in the order presented below and resolve the issue.

Check Volume Shadow Copy & Software Protection Services

To restart the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) on Windows 10, do the following:

• Press ⊞ Windows + X to bring up the Windows menu.
• Click on command prompt (admin)
• In the command prompt window, type the commands below and hit Enter after each line:

net stop vss net start vss

Once the commands execute successfully, try the system image backup again. The operation should complete successfully. You need to also check if the Software Protection Service is disabled. If it is, then Start it and ensure that it is set to default which is Automatic (Delayed Started).

Create System Image using PowerShell

Command lines are less prone to errors provided the syntax is correct, unlike GUIs that can suffer a glitch every now and then. To create a system image with PowerShell do the following:

1. Open the Windows PowerShell as administrator. To create a System Image in Windows 10 using PowerShell, you will have to run the Wbadmin command.
2. Inside the Powershell window type, then press Enter: wbadmin start backup-backup target: E:-include: C:-quiet-allCritical E: is the target drive where you’re going to save the system image, and C: is the system root drive where Windows is currently installed
3. To extract the created system image, starting over from Windows 10 USB installation media, select advanced startup or open run and type: C: \ Windows \ System32 \ Shutdown.exe / r / o

Use third-party imaging software

If the previous two solutions have not managed to solve the issue there is always an option to use a third-party imaging solution. There are free open source and buying options offering various advantages each. Find out which one works best for you and use it.

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!

What is Drwtsn32.exe Application Error?

Drwtsn32.exe (DrWatson Postmortem Debugger) is a process file from Microsoft Corporation that runs on Microsoft Windows Operating System. This file is digitally signed from Microsoft Windows Component Publisher- Microsoft Timestamping Service. This file is a type of executable file. It is useful to debug and creates log files when an error occurs during running or program execution. The information logged by DrWatson is used by technical support personnel to diagnose a program error for a computer running Windows. It creates log files in the following location C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataMicrosoftDr Watson. However, when using Internet Explorer, MS Outlook or any other application on Windows, you can experience drwtsn32.exe application error. This error occurs when the drwtsn32.exe file crashes. The error is displayed as:

“DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close” "drwtsn32.exe - DLL Initialization Failed" when shutting down

Solution

Error Causes

The ultimate reason behind ‘drwtsn32.exe application error’ is malware and viral infection. Malicious software can enter your PC through downloaded files , browsing on unsafe websites and phishing emails. These viruses can disguise themselves as DrWatson utility. Plus theymay have the same name as this process. However, the best way to detect if it is a virus is to track its location. Malicious software will usually hide in some other location instead of its standard location. However, other reasons for this error also include incompatible software and damaged system files.

Further Information and Manual Repair

a) Scan PC with an Anti-Virus

It is advisable to repair this issue right away especially if the underlying cause is a viral infection typically because viruses can expose you to privacy errors and risks such as cybercrime, identity theft, and data security issues. To resolve it, download a powerful antivirus. Scan your PC with it and remove all the viruses immediately. However, when doing so, you may have to compromise PC performance and halt other PC activities. Anti-viruses are notorious for slowing down PC speed. In addition to this, sometimes you may have to stop other activities on your PC for the antivirus to scan for viruses.

b) Repair Registry Errors with Restoro

Nonetheless, if the drwtsn32.exe application error is related to system file corruption, then this indicates registry issues where all the system data is stored. Registry issues occur if you don’t maintain your PC properly and let invalid, wasted and obsolete files accumulate on your PC. This damages and corrupts the system files and generates such error messages. To repair it, download a registry cleaner. However, the best alternative to resolve drwtsn32.exe application error in seconds whether the error is linked to registry issues or viral infection is to download Restoro. This is a multi functional PC fixer embedded with multiple utilities including a powerful antivirus, a registry cleaner and a system optimizer. It wipes out all the unnecessary files stored in the registry, repairs the damaged and corrupt system files and restores the registry. With the help of the antivirus, all privacy errors and viruses are scanned on your PC and removed immediately. And to ensure your system’s speed is not compromised, it also functions as a system optimizer and increases your PC’s speed significantly. The software is safe and efficient. It has simple navigations and a user-friendly interface which makes it very easy for all levels of users to work around. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve drwtsn32.exe application error today!

Error 2046 - What is it?

Error 2046 is an error code related to Adobe Flash Player. It usually occurs while watching movies or videos on the web browser. This error code may interrupt video display and hamper you from watching your favorite movies and videos.

Solution

Error Causes

Narrowing down the reason for the occurrence of this error code is quite difficult virtually because it may trigger due to several reasons such as:

• There might be issues with Adobe Flash Player settings
• Ad-blocking products
• Windows not updated
• Registry issues
• Malware infection
• Flash Player Add on not properly installed

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that the error 2046 is not fatal. It is easy to fix. In fact, it is so easy to repair that you can do it all by yourself even if you are not a computer whiz. You don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars on repairs. Here are some of the many manual solutions that you can try to fix this issue on your computer screen:

Reinstall Adobe Flash Player

Since this error code is largely related to Adobe Flash Player, it is advisable to start by reinstalling the Flash Player. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you work through it.

1. First, click start and then select the control panel.
2. Now click on programs and then uninstall Flash Player from the program list.
3. After that’s done, reboot your computer.
4. Now download Adobe Flash Player from a reliable website and run it.

If it works perfectly, then the issue is resolved. If not, then try other methods given below.

Re-Enable Flash Player Add-on

Adobe Flash Player add-on is basically installed in IE (Internet Explorer) which is loaded each time you load IE. Sometimes the problem with this add-on can also generate error 2046.

1. To resolve this, open Internet Explorer and press Alt-Key.
2. Select tools and then manage add-ons.
3. Now select Adobe Flash Player Active X and then click disable tab.

Once that’s done, restart the web browser and repeat the same steps but this time click enable button. This will hopefully resolve the issue.

Unblock Ad Blocking Products

Sometimes error 2046 may pop up on your screen if you use ad-blocking products like AdBlock Plus. If so, then try uninstalling ad-blocking products installed on your PC to fix the issue.

Install Window Update

Microsoft releases new updates every now and then. These updates are made with the objective of solving bugs and run-time errors like error 2046. Therefore if the error code is related to Windows updates then to resolve it is it advisable to launch the Windows update program and update your operating system. For this, click Start, All Programs, and then click Windows Update. Now click the Check for updates button and download and install the new updates. Once that is complete, restart your PC to bring changes into effect.

Scan for Malware and Look For Registry issues

Whether the issue is related to malware or the registry, it is recommended to download Restoro. This is a next-generation and a multi-functional PC Fixer embedded with a powerful antivirus and a registry cleaner. Run it on your PC and scan for viruses and registry issues and click repair to resolve. It is user-friendly and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro to resolve error 2046.

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.