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Windows 11 has been officially presented during Microsoft’s virtual event on June 24^th. Since presentation internet has been pretty live and busy with a discussion about it, some discussions are positive, some not so much but that is expected and it happens always when a new product is presented. One of information that we have about Windows 11 is tied to the home edition of this OS, Windows 11 home edition will require an internet connection at setup, and a Microsoft account in order to be installed and used. Previous versions of Windows could be installed and used with local accounts but it seems Microsoft has abandoned that idea for its new OS. OS will be delivered mostly as updates or via internet download so internet and online requirement make sense but why it cannot use the local account and must have a Microsoft one is beyond me.

Error Code 30088-26 is shown when the user tries to install the MS Office suite to their PC. It is mostly due to several reasons including corrupted Office installation, the remnant of old office installation, or even Windows updates. We will cover all reasons along with provided solutions to each one. Follow the guide below to address each scenario with the fix for it.

Corrupted Office installation

In order to fix this issue, you will need to repair the installation itself.

• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
• Inside run dialog type in Control Panel
• In the control panel double click on Programs and features
• In the list of installed application find MS Office and click on it to select it
• On top, just above the application list click on the change
• Office dialog will be opened with multiple choices
• Click and select Online repair and then click on Repair
• Make sure that you have a stable internet connection and leave the process to be finished

Remnants of old office installation

Manually cleaning remnants of old office installation is not an easy task and it can be different from system to system depending on the previous Office version. Luckily Microsoft has a dedicated office cleaning tool made for purpose of removing old tails and remnants of old office installations.

• Download tool here
• After the tool has been successfully downloaded, double-click on the .diagcab file to open it
• Click on Advanced and make sure that the box associated with Apply repair automatically is checked.
• Click the Next button to proceed
• Wait until the initial detection phase is complete, then click on Installing at the first prompt
• Select the program that you’re encountering issues with (most likely Microsoft Office) and click Next once again
• At the next screen, click on Yes, try to uninstall
• Wait until the operation is complete, then restart your computer and re-install the Microsoft Office suite

Windows Updates

After digging and trying out various solutions for this issue we came to the conclusion that this error can occur if Windows is not fully updated, and by fully updated we mean fully, not just critical updates, but all available ones. Check-in your setting to see if there are some uninstalled or pending updates waiting to be installed and if that is the case install them all. After completely updating your Operating system error should vanish and you should be able to install Microsoft office without issues.

Hacker group recently came up with claims that they have stolen data from 100 million T-Mobile customers. T-Mobile has responded with confirmation it has been compromised and that over 40 million records were stolen, among them are not just present customers, but anyone who has applied for T-Mobile service as well as past accounts.

What has been stolen?

Report from T-Mobile states that stolen records included first and last name, date of birth, social security number, driver’s license & ID information. The company said that it has “no indication that the data contained in the stolen files included any customer financial information, credit card information, debit or other payment information.” Not really a reassuring statement meaning that they really do not know, but even if the statement is true, already stolen information is as much if even not more damaging and devastating as payment information.

What T-Mobile is planning to do now?

It is stated that the hole used for the hack has been addressed and closed so no more data can be stolen. Considering people that had their personal information compromised, T-Mobile said it is planning to reach out to them and offer them two years of free identity protection through McAfee’s ID Theft Protection Service. Additionally, T-Mobile recommends postpaid customers change their PIN by going online into their T-Mobile account or calling T-Mobile customer service by dialing 611 on their phone. The company also recommends a feature called Account Takeover Protection that prevents unauthorized individuals from stealing a phone number and porting it out of T-Mobile. Finally, the company will publish a website “for one-stop information and solutions to help customers take steps to further protect themselves.”

This post will guide you in what to do if the DisplayLink in Windows 10 is not working. There are several users who reported that their DisplayLink device has stopped working with the Windows 20 Anniversary or the Creators update all of a sudden. According to users, this issue occurs right after they finish installing a big Windows Update like the Anniversary Update or the Creators Update or right when the DisplayLink driver is updated using Windows Update. DisplayLink is a graphics transport technology that allows users to connect to any computer that supports USB or Wi-Fi. Aside from that, it is also an excellent universal docking solution to any platform which makes it a great solution for enabling multiple displays. Thus, it can be quite annoying when DisplayLink suddenly stops working. There really is no actual error message when it happens. The only telltale sign is that all the devices that use the DisplayLink technology will also stop functioning. There could be tons of reasons why DisplayLink stopped working. It could be due to an incompatible driver, or the DisplayLink driver itself is corrupted or is connected to a USB 2.0 port. In addition, the problem could also be due to the Nvidia Share (ShadowPlay) that conflicts with DisplayLink or that the Universal Serial Bus is broken. To resolve the issue, refer to the following options laid out below.

Option 1 – Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

As you know, Windows comes with a built-in tool that you can use to troubleshoot the problem with DisplayLink. You can find it in Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. For further instructions, follow these steps:

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

Option 2 – Try to uninstall DisplayLink and reconnect the docking station

If the Hardware and Device troubleshooter is of no help, you can try uninstalling DisplayLink and reconnecting the docking station. To do so, follow these steps:

• Disconnect the docking station or any other device that uses DisplayLink.
• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cpl” and hit Enter to open Programs and Features.
• From there, look for DisplayLink, right-click on it and click Uninstall.
• After that, follow the next on-screen instructions that appear on your screen to completely remove DisplayLink from your computer.
• Once you’ve uninstalled DisplayLink, click this link to download and install DisplayLink again.
• Now reconnect the docking station as well as other devices that use DisplayLink and follow the next on-screen instructions to reinstall the required drivers in your computer.
• Restart your computer and then check if DisplayLink is now working fine or not.

Option 3 – Try using a USB 3.0 port

If you are experiencing this issue with DisplayLink with a monitor that you’re trying to connect using DisplayLink, then you have to make sure that you are using a USB 3.0 port. Based on some reports, there are certain monitors that will not work with DisplayLink while connected to a USB 2.0 port since they have insufficient power to run the monitor. Like pointed out earlier, the problem with DisplayLink might have something to do with the Nvidia ShadowPlay. This streaming feature was often reported to crash the DisplayLink monitors which is why you might want to try disabling it for a while to check if it’s really true. Once you’ve disabled Nvidia ShadowPlay, restart your computer and check if your DisplayLink monitor now works.

Option 5 – Reinstall the Universal Serial Bus controller

You can also reinstall the Universal Serial Bus controller to fix DisplayLink since a malfunctioning USB port can sometimes cause issues with DisplayLink.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for the Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand its drop-down menu.
• Next, right-click on every Host Controller and then click on Uninstall Device.
• After uninstalling every entry, restart your computer to force your system to reinstall the drivers you’ve just uninstalled.
• Once your computer has rebooted, wait until the drivers are reinstalled and then try opening DisplayLink again.

Option 5 – Reinstall the Universal Serial Bus controller

You can also try to perform a System Restore as it can also help you fix DisplayLink. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Pinned Windows 10 Taskbar Items. One of the most used interfaces in the Windows environment is the Taskbar. It is where users like to pin their most-used programs as well as shortcuts with extra privileges and automated tasks. In fact, it’s a lot better than the Start Menu. So if any Windows Update messes up with your computer, or if you’ve just switched to a different computer, setting up the Taskbar with the very same set of programs you used to have is definitely not an easy task. But worry not as this post will guide you on how you can backup and restore the items on your Taskbar either manually or automatically.

Manual Backup:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
• Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the folder where you can see all the shortcuts or pinned items in the Taskbar.
• After that, copy all the files in the folder and paste them somewhere else as a backup. For instance, E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts.
• Next, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt once more, and then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. When the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.
• After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this key – HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband
• Then right-click on the Taskbar folder and select Export.
• Now save the file with the .reg extension to another location like the E:\Pinned Items Backup folder and then name it.
• Close the Registry Editor.

Manual Restore:

Make sure to copy all the files to one of the drives if you are using another computer and then refer to the following steps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
• Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the same folder where you just copied all the shortcuts. Make sure to keep it open.
• Then open the backup folder where you saved all the pinned items and copy all the files there.
• Next, go to the Taskbar folder (%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar) and then paste your files in there. If you encounter a problem while doing so, just replace it with your own set of files.
• After that, go to E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts and then double click on tb-pinned-items.reg. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes. This will add the registry file into the main registry hub. You will also get a dialog box that will confirm that data has been added to the registry successfully. Click OK.
• You should now see the items on the Taskbar. You have to restart Windows Explorer. To do so, end its process in the Task Manager.

Automatic Backup:

Backing up and restoring the pinned Taskbar items in your Windows 10 computer can be done automatically as well. But before you get started on the process, you need to understand what’s going on behind the hood first. First, you need to create two bat files and name them “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items” and “Restore Pinned Taskbar Items”. After you have that covered, refer to the following steps:

• Open the Notepad app and paste the following details and save it as “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items.bat.

REG EXPORT HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband “E:\Pinned Items Backuptb-pinned-items.reg” xcopy “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” “E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts” /E /C /H /R /K /Y

• After that, run the newly created bat file with admin privileges.

Automatic Restore:

• Open the Notepad app and paste the following details and save it as “Restore Pinned Taskbar Items.bat”.

REGEDIT /S “E:Pinned Items Backuptb-pinned-items.reg” xcopy “E:Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts” “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” /E /C /H /R /K /Y

• After that, run the bat file with admin privileges.

Note: Just so you know, there is a drawback to this process as we’ve noticed that any pinned apps that were downloaded from the Windows Store don’t appear in these places and any items downloaded and installed separately from the internet and then pinned.

Keyboard shortcuts are undeniably one of the most utilized ways and are helpful in maximizing productivity through the various applications at top speed in Windows 10. It offers the option to create custom keyboard shortcuts that allow users to launch apps, and even websites, instantly. There are already tons of keyboard shortcuts that are built-in in Windows 10 but in case you don’t know, you can actually create new ones. Doing so is not a difficult task and in this post, you will be guided on how you can exactly create custom keyboard shortcuts in your Windows 10 computer. Most users would create desktop shortcuts or pin the apps in the taskbar to speed up the process of working on their computers. It is an easy task to do since you can easily do it by dragging an app from the Start Menu to the desktop or by simply right-clicking on the executable app and selecting the “Create Shortcut” option. However, doing so would take physical effort and there are times when you have to minimize all the apps to get to the desktop so you can click the shortcut and this is where the Custom Keyboard Shortcuts come in handy. You can create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 10 for various programs – from the traditional desktop apps to the new universal apps – you can fling in a shortcut so that you can instantly open them faster compared to when doing it manually and besides this also wouldn’t affect any of the ongoing system activity. To get started, you need to follow the steps provided below carefully.

To add Custom Keyboard hotkeys to a program and website desktop shortcuts, here’s what you have to do:

Step 1: First, you have to right-click on the app or website and select Properties. Step 2: After that, go to the Shortcut tab and from there, you will see the “Shortcut key” textbox which allows you to enter a new or custom keyboard shortcut for the app or website. Step 3: In the textbox field, input your preferred letters to set up the new hotkey. Keep in mind that this custom shortcut has to be combined with the Ctrl + Alt keys which means that if you want to select “N”, you have to tap the Ctrl + Alt + N keys. Step 4: Once done, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then close the window. Step 5: After that, tap the newly created keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + Alt + N keys again to open the app or website you’ve set up earlier.

To add Custom Keyboard hotkeys to a desktop app or an independent program that can be installed using direct download, here’s what you have to do:

Step 1: First, open the Start Menu and look for the icon/tile of the required app in the menu. However, if you are not able to find the desired app, then just click on the All Apps option to navigate through all the apps that are installed on your PC. Step 2: Once you find the app, just right-click on it and select More and then click on the “Open file location” option. Step 3: This will open a new window with the shortcut icon. Right-click on the app’s shortcut icon and select Properties. Step 4: This will open the Properties window where you can add the shortcut combination. Keep in mind that just like the previous method, the custom shortcut has to be combined with the Ctrl + Alt keys. For instance, if you select E, then you also have to set a keyboard shortcut that includes Ctrl + Alt, so it will be, Ctrl + Alt + E. Step 5: Once you’re done, click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made. You should now be able to use the custom shortcut key you’ve set.

When you try to open your Google Chrome browser and it starts to connect to the internet but suddenly, your Windows 10 computer crashes along with a Blue Screen error that says, “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT”, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem. This kind of BSOD error occurs when Google Chrome requests more memory or when it tries to access the network and demand is raised for more memory, the memory management program fails. To fix the problem, here are some possible solutions you might want to try. Follow them thoroughly.

Option 1 – Use the Driver Verifier Manager

The Driver Verifier Manager is another tool in Windows that could help you fix driver-related issues. And since the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT Blue Screen error concerns Google Chrome and an internet connection, the root cause of the problem might have something to do with the Network driver and to verify that, you can use the Driver Verifier Manager:

• Type in the keyword “Verifier” in the Cortana search box to search for Verifier in Windows 10.
• After that, select the option “Create custom settings”.
• Make sure that you have checked everything except the options “DDI compliance checking” and “Randomized low resources simulation”.
• Next, select the option “Select driver names from a list” option.
• Afterward, you have to select all the drivers from any unofficial or third-party provider. To simply put it, you have to select all the drivers that are not supplied by Microsoft.
• Then click on the Finish button.
• Open Command Prompt as administrator and execute this command – verifier /querysettings
• The command you just executed will display the Driver Verifier settings so if you see any of the flags enabled boot your Windows 10 PC into Safe Mode.
• Open the Command Prompt as admin again and run this command – verifier /reset
• The command will reset the Driver Verifier. Once the process is done, restart your PC and check.

Option 2 – Try updating the Network drivers

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
• Then right-click on each one of the Network drivers and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT BSOD error.

Option 3 – Try disabling Hardware Acceleration

You might want to disable Hardware Acceleration system-wide or for a particular program like Google Chrome and see if it resolves the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT error

Option 4 – Run the Memory Diagnostic Tool to check for Memory leaks

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
• After that, it will give two options such as:
  • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
  • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
• Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.

Note: After you select the option, your PC will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 5 – Perform a System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the SYNTP.SYS Blue Screen error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 6 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

DuckGoGo a popular private search engine is releasing its first browser soon that is focused on privacy like its search engine. From the recent blog, Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, has stated:

“Like we’ve done on mobile, DuckDuckGo for desktop will redefine user expectations of everyday online privacy,”

From everything that we have learned so far, the browser will be focused on making privacy super easy and simple, eliminating tons of different settings about privacy, and making the whole environment robust privacy protection all set by default. Settings will be applied in all fields, across search, browsing, email, and more. Gabriel also said that aim of the browser is not just a privacy browser, it is meant to be built and used as your everyday browser, for everyday use that protects your privacy as a bonus. One interesting thing that was stated is that browser itself is built upon OS-provided rendering engines instead of typical Chromium. DuckDuckGo says this approach will strip away a lot of the unnecessary cruft and clutter that's accumulated over the years in major browsers. Also, the company stated that when compared to Chrome, the DuckDuckGo app desktop is cleaner, way more private and that early tests have found out that it is significantly faster as well. Is this just corporate advertising or reality? We will see once the browser is released, or once it is released for public testing. Until then take care and happy holidays.

Plugin.dll Error - What is it?

Plugin.dll is a dynamic link library file associated with Adobe Photoshop CC powered by Adobe Systems Incorporated for the Windows Operating System. DLL are small programs similar to ‘exe’ files which allow multiple software programs to share the same functionality. It is used to call commands, load applications, and successfully execute applications. Plugin.dll error messages may appear during program installation, while a plugin.dll related software program (Adobe Photoshop CC) is running, during startup and shutdown.

Solution

Error Causes

Plugin.dll errors may occur due to multiple reasons such as:

• Missing or corrupt Plugin.dll files
• Viral infection
• Issues in the Windows registry
• Broken registry keys

Plugin.dll errors may appear on a Windows-based computer as the following:

1. “Plugin.dll not found."
2. “The file Plugin.dll is missing."
3. “Cannot register Plugin.dll."
4. "Cannot start Adobe Photoshop CC. A required component is missing: Plugin.dll. Please install Adobe Photoshop CC again."

All the causes of the plugin.dll error code are associated with the registry. It is advisable to repair this error before it causes serious damages to your system.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To repair the plugin.dll error on you system, you don’t have to hire a technician or be adept at computer programming. The best way to resolve this error code is to download Restoro. This is a new, innovative, high and multi-functional PC fixer integrated with powerful and performance-driven multiple utilities. It includes a registry cleaner, and system stability scanner. So, whether the cause of the error code Plugin.dll error on your system is missing DLL files or even broken registry keys, Restoro can help you repair all these issues in no time. It is user-friendly and can be operated by users of all levels. Dll files go missing and registry gets corrupt because of the data overload in the RAM/the hard disk. This happens due to poor PC maintenance. The registry tends to save all the activities performed on the PC this includes even the junk files, invalid registry entries and files from uninstalled programs. If the registry is not cleaned regularly, such files accumulate a lot of disk space which leads to registry malfunctioning. It damages .dll files and eventually corrupts the registry. By scanning your PC with a powerful registry cleaner, you can easily wipe out the files cluttering your PC and clear your disk space. Additionally, it also repairs the damaged plugin.dll files, fragmented disk and corrupt registry.  Thereby restoring your PC to its normal condition and resolving the plugin.dll error code on your system. Besides this, you can also run Restoro on your PC to resolve speed issues and Active X and class errors. It is safe, efficient and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the plugin.dll error.

Error Code 0xc004f210 – What is it?

Error code 0xc004f210 is one of the many activation errors that affect Windows 10 users. Users will be able to identify error code 0xc004f210 because of the following common symptoms which occur:

• Inability to activate Windows 10 operating system
• Message box with error code 0xc004f210

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 0xc004f210 usually occurs due to issues related to one’s product key or digital entitlement. Both the product key and digital entitlement are used by Microsoft to enable customers to activate the version of Microsoft that they have legitimate access to. If you enter the wrong product key or if you upgrade to Windows 10 but the current version of Windows to which you are attempting an activation does not match the edition of your digital entitlement, error code 0xc004f210 may occur. To correct this issue, you will need to implement one or more manual repair procedures. This will depend on the problem that caused the error to occur in the first place.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The methods below are simple procedures that Windows users lacking technical knowledge will be able to successfully complete. However, do contact a Windows repair technician if you have difficulty completing the manual repair methods listed below, or if the problem persists after completing these steps.

Method One: Enter Valid Product Key

In order to successfully activate your Windows 10 operating system and resolve error code 0xc004f210, you will need to enter a valid product key. Ensure you enter the 25-character code in the order it is given as making a simple mistake while typing the product key can lead to the reoccurrence of the error code. Follow the instructions below to enter the product key.

• Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
• Step two: Select Update & security then Activation
• Step three: Click the Change product key
• Step four: Type in your valid product key with its 25 characters in the correct order

You should be able to successfully activate Windows 10 once you complete the process. However, move to the next manual method suggested below if the problem persists as error code 0xc004f210 could be due to an issue with your digital entitlement.

Method Two: Reinstall Windows 10 Edition that Matches Your Digital Entitlement

Digital entitlement, a new form of activation that doesn’t require the use of a product key, could be the real reason you are experiencing error code 0xc004f210 on your device. To combat any issues related to your digital entitlement, ensure the version of Windows 10 installed on your system matches your digital entitlement. This will require that you reinstall your operating system as well. After reinstalling Windows 10, follow the steps below to complete the process.

• Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
• Step two: After selecting Settings, click Update & Security
• Step three: Select Windows Update then the Check for updates tab
• Step four: Activate Windows 10 update

If this method is successful, you will no longer see the error code 0xc004f210 pop up on your screen. However, contact a Windows repair technician to evaluate your system if the issue persists.

Method Three: Use an Automated Tool

This method involves the use of a powerful automated tool. But why is this important you might ask? A third-party tool is often the best solution when all manual repair efforts fail. Automated tools come equipped to tackle the most serious PC problems including error codes which can cause frustration and result in reduces PC performance.