Proton Drive, privacy-first cloud storage

The Boot Configuration Data or BCD files have the instructions required by the Windows operating system in order to properly boot the computer. So if you experience any trouble when you boot your computer, then it is possible that it is due to some misconfiguration or even corrupted Boot Configuration Data files. And if you also encounter an error saying,

“The boot configuration data store could not be opened”

while you try to carry out any command on the bcedit.exe, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error in Windows 10. This kind of error could pop up if the system is not able to locate the specified file. It is also possible that the requested system device can’t be found or that the boot configuration data store could not be opened. In addition, when you open the System Configuration or MSConfig, you might notice that there is no Boot data, and according to the reports, is that when you try to dual boot the computer, the installer will replace the default bootloader.

Explanation

In case you don’t know, Windows’ earlier versions were stored in the “Boot.ini” file. You can find the entry in the EFI firmware boot manager of the EFI-based operating system which is located at EFIMicrosoftBootBootmgfw.efi. Whatever the cause of the error is, there are several suggestions you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to set an entry option value in BCD or enable the Advanced options menu, as well as rebuild the BCD. Before you proceed with the troubleshooting options provided below, make sure that you boot your computer into the Advanced Recovery Mode first since that’s where you can find Command Prompt under the Advanced Options. In addition, you also have to suspend or disable BitLocker and Secure Boot on your PC.

Option 1 – Try to set an entry option value in BCD

• Once you’re in the Advanced Options, select Command Prompt.
• Next, execute this command to set an entry point: bcdedit /set {current} Description "TheNameYouWant"
• After the command has been executed, it will enable the system to trust a version of Windows that is not trusted by default. This should fix the problem, if not, follow the next given options below.

Option 2 – Try to specify the BCD file

• In the elevated Command Prompt, execute this command: bcdedit /store c:BootBCD
• Once done, the command will give you a list of options and then execute this next command: bcdedit /store c:BootBCD /set bootmenupolicy legacy
• After that, restart your computer and select your Windows and then tap the F8 key right away.

Note: When you select the legacy option, the Advanced Options menu will be available during the computer boot up and then you can select into which operating system you can boot your computer into.

Option 3 – Try to rebuild the BCD files

The first thing you can do to resolve the issue is to Rebuild Boot Configuration Data or BCD files.

• 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.

DuckDuckGo has risen in the public eye as a private search engine offering searches without tracking. A less known fact about DuckDuckGo is that they have their own browser, well they have it for the Android platform and it was stated that it is coming for desktops soon.

People were excited for this new browser for a few reasons, one of them being privacy and another that it is built from scratch, not using existing chromium runtime that assured users that privacy is the main focus. Still, lately, things got a little out of control. Duckduckgo is under fire from users since a security researcher has discovered that there is an exception for Microsoft trackers inside Browser.

The main feature of their browser is that it blocks tracking scripts and most online advertising with the goal of preventing servers from collecting data about your online behavior. Of course, tracking protection is never 100% effective since it requires a lot of manual labor from people to add sites and links to blocklists but it was discovered that DuckDuckGo has a defined exception in the browser for Microsoft owned ad networks and tracking scripts giving them free pass even when they are related to privacy compromisation.

Zach Edwards first pointed out the exception in a series of tweets, after noticing DuckDuckGo on iPhone and Android wasn’t blocking LinkedIn and Bing advertisements on Facebook’s Workplace site.

You can capture data within the DuckDuckGo so-called private browser on a website like Facebook's https://t.co/u8W44qvsqF and you'll see that DDG does NOT stop data flows to Microsoft's Linkedin domains or their Bing advertising domains.

iOS + Android proof:
👀🫥😮‍💨🤡⛈️⚖️💸💸💸 pic.twitter.com/u3Q30KIs7e

— ℨ𝔞𝔠𝔥 𝔈𝔡𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 (@thezedwards) May 23, 2022

DuckDuckGo’s CEO and founder, Gabriel Weinberg, replied with his own series of tweets.

Most of our other protections also apply to MSFT-owned properties as well. This is just about non-DuckDuckGo and non-Microsoft sites, where our search syndication agreement prevents us from stopping Microsoft-owned scripts from loading, though we can still apply protections post-load (like 3rd party cookie blocking). We are also working to change that.

DuckDuckGo says it uses over 400 sources for search engine results, including the company’s own web crawler, but typical link results are sourced most commonly from Bing. According to Weinberg, DuckDuckGo’s ability to use Bing search results depends on a carved-out exception for Microsoft’s ads in the mobile browser. A representative from DuckDuckGo told that third-party cookies from Microsoft services are still blocked.

Of course, the main aim and campaign of DUckDuckGo's rise was private search and private browsing so this kind of news did not go well among long supporters. The latest statement from them is as follows:

We have always been extremely careful to never promise anonymity when browsing, because that frankly isn’t possible given how quickly trackers change how they work to evade protections and the tools we currently offer. When most other browsers on the market talk about tracking protection, they are usually referring to 3rd-party cookie protection and fingerprinting protection, and our browsers for iOS, Android, and our new Mac beta, impose these restrictions on third-party tracking scripts, including those from Microsoft.

What we’re talking about here is an above-and-beyond protection that most browsers don’t even attempt to do — that is, blocking third-party tracking scripts before they load on 3rd party websites. Because we’re doing this where we can, users are still getting significantly more privacy protection with DuckDuckGo than they would using Safari, Firefox and other browsers. This blog post we published gets into the real benefits users enjoy from this approach, like faster load times (46% average decrease) and less data transferred (34% average decrease). Our goal has always been to provide the most privacy we can in one download, by default without any complicated settings.

SD memory cards have surfaced as standard cards for digital cameras and microSD as phone standard memory cards. Most people have and use at least one daily, so naturally copying files and even formatting SD cards is a natural thing to do, but what if you cannot copy files or format SD cards? Fear not because we had this issue and tried several things in order to overcome the problem and after some time here is a list of what can you do if you are facing this exact issue. The list is written from most simple solutions to more complex ones and it is advisable to follow it as presented. That being said, let's dive into solving the problem.

1. Remove Write Protection on SD card

First and in my experience the most usual thing preventing deleting, copying files, and formating SD card is due to write protection. Take an SD card out of the laptop, camera, or card reader and visually inspect it. On side of almost every SD card, there is a hardware lock switch and mark where it needs to be positioned in order to be locked. Even if the switch is positioned on unlocked state, switch it to locked and then back to unlocked. Sometimes this easy moving of switch can resolve some contact issues and the card will start working normally. Another type of lock that could be turned ON is a software one. If for any kind of reason data protection has been turned ON, you will need to turn it off in order to be able to format an SD card. In order to do this follow this guide:

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the Run dialog
2. In run dialog type in diskpart and press ENTER
3. Once diskpart is opened in command prompt type in: list disk and press ENTER
4. Locate your SD card and type in select disk x, where x is disk number followed by ENTER
5. After the SD card is selected type in: attributes disk clear read-only and press ENTER

This process will clear the software lock on the SD card, after following this method try to format the card again, if the problem still exists go to the next solution.

2. Format SD card using Command prompt

Command prompt is a great tool and can perform some commands that are not been able to be completed using file explorer or another tool inside Windows.

1. In the taskbar search box, search for cmd and select the Command prompt
2. On the right part select run as administrator
3. If needed click on YES on UAC prompt
4. Inside command prompt type in diskpart and press ENTER
5. type in list disk followed by ENTER
6. Select your SD card by locating its number in the list and typing select disk X, where is X SD cards number in list and press ENTER
7. Once SD card is selected type in format fs=ntfs quick and press ENTER

This should format SD card but if for reason even this step is provided as unproductive, go to the next solution.

3. Format your card with the Disk Management tool

1. Go into the taskbar and search for Disk Management and open it
2. Select SD card partition that you wish to format
3. Right-click on the partition and select format
4. After the format is done, enter the volume label, file system, and allocation unit size. Confirm with OK
5. Press OK again to confirm the formatting process.

If you have not managed to format your SD card even with this method go to the next solution.

4. Repartition card with Disk part

If all previous solutions have failed there is a chance that the SD card has bad sectors on it. If this is the case that we will need to partition cards in order to isolate bad sectors and use healthy ones.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the Run dialog
2. In run dialog type in diskpart and press ENTER
3. Once diskpart is opened in command prompt type in: list disk and press ENTER
4. Locate your SD card and type in select disk x, where x is disk number followed by ENTER
5. Type in Clean and press ENTER
6. Type in Create partition primary and press ENTER
7. To select a new partition type select partition 1 followed by ENTER
8. Make partition active by typing active and pressing ENTER
9. Format the drive by typing format fs=ntfs label=SDCard quick followed with ENTER
10. Assign a letter to drive by typing assign letter=h followed with ENTER
11. Type exit to close Command prompt followed again by ENTER and open File Explorer to check if the drive is active

5. Try a dedicated SD card formating fool

If anything failed so far, one last thing you could do is to download and try a dedicated SD card formatting tool. One that I would recommend is SD Memory Card Formatter, which is free software make specifically for formatting SD memory cards.

0x80040600 - What is it?

This is a typical MS Outlook error code. This error message may prevent you from sending and receiving emails via your Outlook account. The error message is displayed in the following format:

"An unknown error has occurred. 0x80040600"

If this is the primary source of your communication in the office, then this error can cause you a great deal of inconvenience as it may prevent you from running important business errands via your Outlook account efficiently. Therefore, when you experience the 0x80040600 error on your PC, it is advisable to fix it immediately.

Solution

Error Causes

This error code is triggered due to multiple reasons. These include but are not limited to:

• PST (Personal Storage Table) file reaches its file size limit
• PST file corruption
• Viral infection
• Incorrect Windows registry settings
• Improper shutdown of Outlook

This error code can lower your office productivity as you may be unable to send and receive emails on your Outlook account. Also, you may get locked out of your account and be unable to view your calendar entries and open email attachments saved previously in your account.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the error on your PC, you don’t have to wait for the network personnel to fix it or be a computer expert. Here is a list of easy and effective DIY methods to help you fix this error code right away.

Method 1: Download a PST File Repair

If the error occurs because your PST file has reached it maximum limit which is normally 2 GB or because of PST file corruption, then it is advisable to download a PST file repair tool. After downloading it, simply run it on your PC. This tool will immediately fix the damaged PST file and file the issue.

Method 2: Download an Antivirus

Deadly viruses like Trojans and spyware can penetrate into your PC if through downloads and opening phishing emails. Therefore, to remove such viruses it is important to install an antivirus and scan your entire PC.

Method 3: Install Restoro.

If the problem is associated with incorrect Windows registry settings or viral infection, it is advisable to download Restoro. This software is multi-functional deployed with 6 different and powerful utilities including an antivirus, a registry cleaner, and a system optimizer to name a few. The registry cleaner repairs the registry corrects the settings and fixes the damaged files. The antivirus on the other hand simultaneously removes all types of viruses including Trojans, spyware, malware, and adware on the system. While the system optimizer feature ensures the PC performance and speed are not compromised during the scanning and cleanup process. This software is safe, efficient, and compatible with all Windows versions. It has a user-friendly interface and simple navigations which makes it quite easy for all levels of users including novice and intermediate to operate. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the 0x80040600 error code on your PC today!

If you are using a couple of graphics-intensive applications like video rendering software or some games, then something in the background of the system could get messed up and you might encounter the “LoadLibrary failed with error 1114, A dynamic link library (DLL) initialization routine failed” error message. This kind of error can usually get fixed by twerking some graphic settings, fixing and updating the drivers, and allowing your PC to work by leveraging the maximum use of the resources it’s got. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on some measures you can apply to resolve this kind of error message as soon as possible. Before you go over the options given below, if you have made any changes to any software component in your computer or installed new software recently, then you might want to undo them and then check if it fixes the “LoadLibrary failed with error 1114 “ error. Once you have that covered but you’re still getting the error, use the options given below as a reference to fix the error.

Option 1 – Try to modify the Dynamic Graphics Settings

You might want to modify the Dynamic Graphics Settings in order to fix the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Open Control Panel and then Power Options.
• From there, click on the Change plan settings option for your chosen power plan.
• After that, click on Change advanced power settings.
• Then look for the Switchable Dynamic Graphics option and then click on it to expand it.
• Afterward, expand the Global Settings option and then select Maximize Performance for both the “On battery” and “Plugged in” options.
• Now click on the Apply button and then OK to save the changes made.

Note: If the Switchable Dynamic Graphics option is not available on your computer, you can try the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try switching the Graphics card to High-Performance mode

Note that this second option varies from computer to computer since most computers use the Graphics card made by NVIDIA, while some by AMD and others use Intel HD Graphics. Thus, depending on which graphics card your computer uses, pick one of the three fixes below.

NVIDIA Graphics Drivers:

If your computer uses a graphics card made by NVIDIA and has the drivers are properly installed and updated, then follow the steps below.

• Right-click on any empty space on your desktop and then click on the NVIDIA Control Panel.
• After that, expand the 3D Settings on the left-hand side tree-structured list and then click on Manage 3D Settings.
• Next, select your preferred GPU on the right-side panel and then set it to the High-Performance NVIDIA Card from the drop-down menu.
• As an alternative, you can also go to the Program Settings tab,
• From there, select the program that you are trying to run from the drop-down menu and click on Add.
• Now set the graphics processor to a High-performing processor and then restart your computer to apply the changes made.

AMD Graphics card:

If your computer uses a graphics card made by AMD and has the drivers are properly installed and updated, then follow the steps below.

• Right-click on any empty space on your desktop.
• Click on AMD Control or Configure Switchable Graphics.
• Next, click on Browse and select the program where you encounter the error.
• Finally, click on High Performance for the selected program and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Intel HD graphics:

If your computer uses the Intel HD graphics and then its drivers are properly installed and updated, then follow these steps:

• Right-click on any empty space on your desktop and then click on the Intel Graphics Settings.
• Next, click on the Power menu.
• After that, select a Graphics Power Plan for both the “On battery” and “Plugged in” options to High-Performance Power Plan.
• Then click on the Apply button and restart your computer.

A number of users have recently reported that they were going through an issue with their Bluetooth devices on their Windows 10 computers. This issue involves an error saying,

“Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source. (Code 52).”

If you are one of the users who encountered this kind of error on your Windows 10 computer, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this Bluetooth error. According to security experts, the key to fixing this error is to sign the Bluetooth A2DP files with the built-in tool, System File Checker. Apart from that, you could also run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter or perform System Restore, as well as update or reinstall the concerned drivers. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to check Bluetooth-related services

In Services, there is a Bluetooth-related service that helps users use Bluetooth so if that particular service suddenly malfunctions for some reason, you will most likely get the “Windows was unable to connect with your Bluetooth network device” error message. That’s why you need to check Services and to do that, refer to these steps:

• Tap Win + R keys to open Run prompt and type in “services.msc” then tap Enter to open Services.
• Next, look for the Bluetooth Support Service and double click on it to open Properties.
• From there, verify if the Service status is showing “Running” or “Stopped”. If it’s the latter, you have to click the Start button.
• Lastly, check if the Startup type is set to Manual.

Option 2 – Try running System File Checker or SFC scan

You could also run System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the Bluetooth error. It is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Reboot your PC.

Option 3 – Try to perform System Restore

You might also want to perform System Restore as the error might be caused by system modifications. Thus, to undo them, you can use System Restore. Run it using these steps:

• First, 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 4 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. Although it won’t make much of a difference, there’s still a possibility that it could automatically fix the Bluetooth error. To use it, refer to 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 5 – Try to reinstall or update the Bluetooth driver

The issue might have something to do with the Bluetooth drivers. It could be that it is outdated and needs to be updated or that you recently updated it and since then you have trouble removing the Bluetooth devices and so to fix the issue, you can update, roll back or uninstall the Bluetooth drivers. How? Follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + X keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, look for the Bluetooth device and right-click on it.
• Select the option “Update driver”.
• After that, a new popup window will appear. In there, select the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software”.

Note: Checking the update may take a few minutes so you’ll have to wait until it finishes. If it is able to find an update, you must install it. And if you want to reinstall the Bluetooth driver, just select the “Uninstall driver” option and follow the next on-screen instructions that follow.

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.”

Finding files via File Explorer can be a really slow and tedious process and if you are searching often it can accumulate a lot of time loss. I am a person which often has assets for projects in several different folders and altho I am trying my best to be tidy and organized sometimes I can not remember where I have placed certain assets that I need, in this case in order for me to find a required asset I usually search it via command prompt because it is lightning fast and gives results in second not minutes compared to File Explorer. If you are in a similar position and you need fast results please read on as we dive deeper into the command prompt and its usage. To quickly open the command prompt press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to bring Windows secret menu and choose the command prompt, you can also choose the admin version but for sake of this specific task, there is no difference. in the command prompt you need to type the next command:

dir \search term* /s

where search term* is well, what are you searching for. Now if you are looking for a specific file this command is straightforward, you just change search term* with file_name.extension and there you go, but know that this command can be used to be more powerful, for example, you can find all JPG files in your drive by typing dir \*.jpg /s or all files named work by typing dir \work.* /s " * " is a so-called joker sign, it replaces several characters with any in a given string, meaning that dr*s will give you all results with the first 2 letters dr and last one s. Use this to specify better search results and you will get your files in no time.

Razer is a well-known brand among PC gamers and users, it started as a peripheral manufacturer focused on keyboards and mouse but after years passed Razer expanded its inventory offerings. It soon started offering headphones and lately has branched into wider product lines like gaming chairs and protection masks. It is not a big surprise that Razer is expanding into other branches of the PC industry. This time, however, it has revealed not one but three new hardware for your PC. Case fans, all in one liquid cooler and power supply. There are not many details about the products themselves but one thing is one hundred percent confirmed, they come with Razer Chroma, all of them, even the fans.

Katana Chroma ATX PSU

Most interesting for me personally is Razers Katana, the power supply unit. It is a modular power supply ranging from 750W to 1200W with the additional option of Titanium rated one with an impressive 1600W of power. Power supply will start shipping in early 2022 and at the time of writing this article no price range has been released.

Razer Hanbo AIO

Hanbo liquid cooler will feature an optimized intake design so it can ensure greater heat transfer and fluid dynamic for improved reliability and silent operation. Radiator comes in 240mm size with two fans and a larger one of 360mm with three fans. The pump will be able to rotate in any direction of full 360 degrees so it can fit in any case. Hanbo will be released in November this year but no pricing has been released so far.

Razer Kunai Chroma case fans

Kunai fans will boast high static pressure performance with lowered noise. They will go as far as 2200rpm for the 120mm version where the 140mm version will go up to 1600rpm. They will come with addressable LEDs and up to eight fans will be able to be connected to Razer’s PWM fan controller that will come with a magnet at the back for easy attachment to any steel part of PC casing. PWM will use Razer’s Synapse software to customize pulse width modulation in order to improve airflow and noise. PWM will be priced at $49.99 in the Razer Store and it is available for preorder. Fans are priced at $44.99 for one 120mm or $129.99 for a three-pack of 120mm. One 140mm will go for $49.99 and a three-pack will be $129.99.

If you are running a System File Checker scan but got an error message instead that says, “There is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete, Restart Windows and run SFC again”, worry not for this post will walk you through how you can fix the problem. This kind of error can be addressed and fixed with several potential fixes which will be provided in this post. You can try to restart your computer and run a System File Checker scan again or delete the pending .xml file or use the “revertpendingactions” parameter for the DISM tool. For more information, refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Try restarting your computer and run the SFC again

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to restart your computer and let the pending process be completed. After your computer restarted, try to run System File Checker again and see if the error is now fixed or not. If not, refer to the other options below.

Option 2 – Try deleting the pending .xml file

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to delete the pending .xml file. How? All you have to do is navigate to this location at CWindowsWinSxS and from there, look for a pending .xml file and rename it or delete it. This will get rid of any pending tasks and will build a fresh new check.

Option 3 – Try to use the “revertpendingactions” parameter for the DISM tool

If the two options given above didn’t work, you can try using the revertpendingactions parameter for the DISM tool. If you’re not able to boot into Windows, then run Command Prompt from the Recovery Console and execute the given command below.

dism.exe /image:C: /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

After you execute the command, restart your computer and try to run System File Checker again and see if it has fixed the problem or not.