REvil vanishes over night without trace

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

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

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

Tech details of M2

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

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

CrazyForCrafts is a Browser Extension from Mindspark Interactive. This Toolbar Extension allegedly offers users tons of DIY crafting guides and tricks, however all that it does is point you in the right direction. It links you back to some of the most popular DIY Crafting websites on the internet that you can find at any time by a simple search.

While this may look useful and faster than looking around the internet for good DIY projects, remember that this extension injects itself into your browser, changing your new tab page to Search.MyWay.com and records your browsing habits, can view your internet history, and know whatever you are looking for or viewing online.

While using this extension you will see additional pop-up ads, sponsored content, and injected ads throughout your browsing sessions.

Due to its behavior this extension has been marked for removal by several anti-virus scanners, and it is recommended to remove it from your computer to prevent data leaks.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers (sometimes called hijackware) are a type of malicious software that alters web browser configuration settings without the computer owner’s knowledge or permission. These hijacks appear to be increasing at an worrying rate around the world, and it can be really nefarious and sometimes dangerous too. They’re designed to disrupt browser functions for many different reasons. These are typically used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web-traffic to earn ad revenue. Although it might appear naive, all browser hijackers are damaging and therefore always classified as security threats. In a much worst case, your internet browser could be hijacked to download malware that will do a great deal of damage to your computer or laptop.

How one can know whether the browser is hijacked?

Symptoms that a web browser is hi-jacked include: the browser’s homepage is changed; new bookmarks pointing to pornographic sites have been added to your favorite pages; the essential web browser settings are modified and unwanted or insecure sites are added to the trusted websites listing; you are finding new toolbars you have never found before; you might see numerous pop-up ads on your computer screen; your browser has become unstable or starts running sluggishly; Inability to navigate to certain sites, especially antivirus as well as other computer security software websites.

How browser hijacker infects computers

Browser hijackers may use drive-by downloads or file-sharing websites or perhaps an e-mail attachment to reach a targeted PC. They also come from add-on software, also called browser helper objects (BHO), browser extensions, or toolbars. Also, certain freeware and shareware can put the hijacker in your PC through “bundling”. Examples of well-known browser hijackers are Fireball, CoolWebSearch. GoSave, Ask Toolbar, RocketTab, and Babylon Toolbar. The presence of any browser hijacker on your system might substantially diminish the web browsing experience, track your online activities that result in serious privacy concerns, develop system stability problems and eventually cause your computer to slow down or to an almost unusable condition.

How to remove a browser hijacker

Some hijackers can be easily removed by uninstalling the free software they were included with or by removing any extension you’ve recently added to your browser. But, most hijacking codes are certainly not very easy to get rid of manually, as they go much deeper into your operating system. You should consider performing manual repairs only if you’re a tech-savvy person, as potential risks are associated to tinkering with the system registry and HOSTS file. Browser hijackers could be effectively removed by installing anti-malware software on the affected system. SafeBytes Anti-Malware can counter relentless browser hijackers and provide you with proactive PC protection against all kinds of malware. In addition to anti-virus software, a system optimizer software, like Total System Care, will help you correct Windows registry errors, remove unwanted toolbars, secure online privacy, and stabilize software programs installed on your PC.

Virus Blocking Access To Safebytes Website And Anti-Malware Downloads - What You Should Do?

Malware can cause all kinds of damage once they invade your PC, ranging from stealing your private details to deleting files on your PC. Some malware is meant to interfere with or prevent things that you wish to do on your PC. It may well not allow you to download anything from the net or it will stop you from accessing a few or all internet sites, especially the anti-malware sites. If you’re reading this, odds are you’re stuck with a malware infection which is preventing you to download or install Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your system. Although this type of issue will be difficult to get around, there are a few steps you can take.

Get rid of malware in Safe Mode

The Windows-based PC has a special mode referred to as “Safe Mode” in which only the minimum required applications and services are loaded. In the event the malware is blocking access to the internet and affecting your computer, starting it in Safe Mode enables you to download antivirus and run a scan while limiting potential damage. To enter into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, press the F8 key while the computer is booting up or run MSCONFIG and locate the “Safe Boot” options under the “Boot” tab. As soon as you restart the PC into Safe Mode with Networking, you may download, install, as well as update anti-malware software from there. Following installation, run the malware scanner to eliminate standard infections.

Obtain the antivirus software using an alternate web browser

Malicious code could exploit vulnerabilities on a particular browser and block access to all anti-virus software websites. If you appear to have a virus attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to a different browser with built-in safety features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite anti-malware program – Safebytes.

Make a bootable USB anti-virus drive

Here’s yet another solution which is using a portable USB anti-malware software package that can check your computer for malicious software without needing installation. To run anti-malware using a USB drive, follow these simple steps: 1) Download the anti-malware on a virus-free PC. 2) Plug the Flash drive into the uninfected computer. 3) Double click on the exe file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose the drive letter of the pen drive as the place when the wizard asks you where you would like to install the antivirus. Follow activation instructions. 5) Remove the pen drive. You can now utilize this portable anti-malware on the affected computer system. 6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon. 7) Click “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the infected computer for malware.

Features of SafeBytes Anti-Malware

If you are planning to buy anti-malware for your computer system, there are lots of brands and packages for you to consider. A few of them are great, some are ok types, and some will destroy your computer themselves! You have to be careful not to select the wrong application, especially if you buy a paid software. Amongst few good applications, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is the highly recommended tool for security-conscious people. SafeBytes antimalware is a very effective and easy to use protection tool which is designed for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. With its cutting edge technology, this software will help you get rid of multiples types of malware which includes viruses, worms, PUPs, trojans, adware, ransomware and browser hijackers.

SafeBytes anti-malware takes PC protection to a whole new level with its enhanced features. A few of them are given as below:

Real-time Threat Response: SafeBytes offers complete and real-time security for your personal machine. This utility will constantly keep track of your PC for any suspicious activity and updates itself regularly to keep abreast of the latest threats. World-class AntiMalware Protection: Using its advanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can identify and get rid of the malware threats hiding in your computer effectively. Web protection: SafeBytes checks the hyperlinks present on a web page for possible threats and alerts you if the website is safe to view or not, through its unique safety rating system. Lightweight: SafeBytes is lightweight software. It use up a very small amount of processing power as it works in the background so you’re free to use your Windows-based PC the way you would like. 24/7 Support: You can get totally free 24/7 technical assistance from their computer experts on any product queries or computer security issues. Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program since it has plenty of features and could detect and remove any potential threats. Now you may realize that this tool does more than just scan and delete threats from your PC. For the best protection and the best value for money, you can’t get better than SafeBytes Anti-Malware.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

To get rid of CrazyForCrafts manually, navigate to the Add/Remove programs list in the Control Panel and choose the offending program you want to get rid of. For web browser plug-ins, go to your web browser’s Addon/Extension manager and select the plug-in you want to remove or disable. It is also suggested to reset your browser to its default condition to fix corrupt settings. If you choose to manually delete the system files and registry entries, use the following checklist to make sure you know exactly what files to remove before undertaking any actions. Please keep in mind that this is for skilled users only and might be challenging, with incorrect file removal leading to additional system errors. Additionally, certain malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is advised.

The Windows Subsystem for Linus, also known as WSL, is a useful and excellent tool for developers. However, it isn’t without flaws as users can still encounter some errors when using it. One of these errors is the error code WslRegisterDistribution, 0x8007019e,0x8000000d. Although it seems like the error is have something to do with the installation of WSL, it could be a false positive since some users who’ve installed WSL still encountered the same problem. Here’s the context of the error:

“Installing, this may take a few minutes… WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x8007019e/0x8000000d Error: 0x8007019e/0x8000000d The parameter is incorrect. Press any key to continue.”

Error code 0x8007019e or 0x8000000d could be due to the absence of supporting Windows 10 features since the error does not even let one use the WSL-based command line. If you are one of the users facing this problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will provide you with a couple of suggestions to fix it. There are two options you can check out to fix the problem, but before you do that, you need to make sure that the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature is enabled. The two options include enabling WSL using the “Turn Windows features on or off” option and using the Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Try to enable the WSL using the “Turn Windows features on or off” option

• To get started, search for “Turn Windows Features on or off” in the Start Search and click on the appropriate result to open a dialog box.
• After that, you will see a populated list in the dialog box and from there, look for the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” option.
• Once you find it, select OK. This will search and install the system files needed and ask you to restart your computer.
• Restart your computer. The Linux distro should now work without any trouble.

Option 2 – Try to use Windows PowerShell

The next thing you can do to fix the error code 0x8007019e or 0x8000000d is to use Windows PowerShell.

• Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option to open Windows PowerShell as admin.
• After that, execute this command to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
• The command you entered will start to search for the required system files and install them.
• If prompted, type “Y” to restart your computer. This should fix the problem.

This post will guide you in fixing the “Communication with service process failed” error in Windows 10. This error is related to the Intel Driver and Support Assistant application. Although this error does not reportedly cause any loss of functionality in the computer, however, it still indicates that there is something wrong with some of your driver modules. Intel has taken a bold step and combined its older modules into this new application (Intel Driver and Support Assistant) recently. This application enables users to scan their computers for any available updates from Intel. This is the main application of Intel and provides users a way to update their driver software automatically instead of manually updating it. However, with the recent reports submitted by some users, it seems that something is wrong with this application, and users to have to deal with the “Communication with service process failed” error. This error might be caused by several reasons, for one, it could be that the application is corrupted or incomplete in its nature which is possible since this is still a developing and newly released app. It could also be that there are other utilities or modules that conflict with the Intel software. Whichever the reason may be, you can try out the options given below to resolve the problem but before you proceed, make sure that you have an administrator account as well as an active and stable internet connection.

Option 1 – Disable DSATray in Startup

If you receive this error message every time you start your computer then this means that the application is not able to launch properly. Like pointed out, it could be that it is still incomplete in nature or it conflicts with other applications. Thus, you can try to disable the service from the startup and check if it fixes the problem.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “taskmgr” in the field and hit Enter to open the Task Manager.
• After that, go to the Startup tab and look for the Intel Driver and Support Assistant app.
• Right-click on the app and select Disable.
• Restart your PC and check if the error is now fixed or not

Option 2 – Reinstall the Intel Driver and Support Assistant

If the first option did not work, you can try reinstalling the Intel Driver and Support Assistant app. To do so, follow these steps:

• In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
• After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
• From there, look for Intel Driver and Support Assistant and select it and then uninstall it.
• After you have the app uninstalled, open your browser and go to Intel’s official website. From there, download the driver utility manually.
• Once the download is finished, right-click on it and select “Run as administrator” and install the app on your PC with elevated access.
• Restart your PC and then check if the error is now fixed.

A newfound bug in Google docs is causing it to crush and upon reopening it will crush again making it very difficult to re-access your document. The bug is manifested when a series of the same word is typed into a document and Show grammar suggestion is turned on.

How was it found

A Google Docs user, Pat Needham brought up the issue on Google Docs Editors Help forum.

"I've only tried in Google Chrome, with documents from three separate Google accounts (personal, G Suite Basic, and work one which might be enterprise). All three experience this same issue".

"It's case-sensitive. So trying with 'and. and. And. and. And.' doesn't cause it to crash."

While Needham publicly reported the bug, it appears that the issue was discovered by Eliza Callahan who was writing a poem novel for her novel using Google Docs.

Needham's findings have also been confirmed by other users running Firefox 99.0.1

Another user, Sergii Dymchenko, said strings like "But. But. But. But. But." triggered the same response. Some also noticed putting any of the terms like "Also, Therefore, And, Anyway, But, Who, Why, Besides, However," in the same format achieved the outcome.

A YCombinator HackerNews reader suspected the cause to be the "Show grammar suggestion" option in Google Docs.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the presence of the issue adding, "we're aware of this issue and the team is working on a fix."

How to recover your document

First thing first, turn off Show grammar suggestions so you do not run into issue by accident. In order to turn it off go to Tools and then into Spelling and grammar and untick Show grammar suggestions.

Now, if you already have a document that has been crushed, fear not because there is a workaround to access it. For some strange reason this bug does not manifest on Google Docs mobile app, so you can open the crushed document in the mobile app, delete words that have caused the bug and reopen the document on your desktop.

Until Google comes up with the solution this is currently the only way to address the issue.

Recently, several Windows 10 users have reported an issue with the Windows folder sizes in their PCs. If you are one of these affected users, read on as this post will walk you through fixing this issue. For instance, if you have a folder with 100 GB worth of data and when checking its size using its properties, you see the wrong size instead of 100GB. The size displayed will most likely be a random number which can either be bigger or smaller than the real size of the folder. This incorrect folder size issue does not happen to any specific drive or certain kinds of folders as any folder can be affected by this incorrect folder size issue. When you try to rename the affected folder, the size will change but its size still remains to be incorrect. The root cause of this particular issue is in Windows 10 itself. It is a known bug that came along with one of the latest Windows Updates which prevents the File Explorer to accurately read the metadata of a certain folder or file and leads to displaying incorrect and unexpected file sizes and the reason why you might also notice that your drive is also not correct. Since this is brought upon by one of the recent or latest Windows Updates the good thing is that Microsoft will most likely release a fix on its next upcoming updates but until then, you will be left with no choice but to deal with an incorrect folder or file size. To remedy that, here are some suggestions you can try that might fix the problem.

Option 1 – Try using the System File Checker

The System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be causing the incorrect folder or file size in Windows 10. 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.

Option 2 – Try resetting Windows 10

To fix the folder and file size issue, you can try resetting Windows 10. Doing so won’t get rid of any file in your system – instead of erasing all your media files and documents, this reset option resets all the system settings and files. That way, you won’t have to deal with inaccurate folders or file sizes as you browse and use your files.

Option 3 – Wait for the Windows Update

As mentioned, this is already a known issue and a lot of Windows 10 users have already complained about it to Microsoft so a bug fix will be soon released in the latest Windows Updates.

The Blue Screen of Death error or BSOD is definitely not an issue to face on your computer. Many users, if not all, have already experienced this headache at least once. One of these BSOD errors is the ATTEMPTED EXECUTE OF NOEXECUTE MEMORY error. The bug check error code for this is 0x000000FC and is usually caused by outdated or faulty drivers. In some cases, it could also be caused by an error in the Random Access Memory or RAM. This kind of error in the RAM might be physical, based on drivers, or even some kind of unwanted malware. So basically there are lots of possibilities why this particular BSOD error pops up. If you are currently facing this BSOD error, read on and carefully follow the suggestions given below but before you do that, make sure to create a System Restore point just in case something goes wrong. This way, you can always undo those changes using the System Restore point. Once you have that covered, proceed to the options given below to fix the ATTEMPTED EXECUTE OF NOEXECUTE MEMORY error.

Option 1 – Try updating Windows 10 with all the security patches and updates

You might be able to fix the ATTEMPTED EXECUTE OF NOEXECUTE MEMORY error by simply updating your Windows 10 computer with all the security patches and updates. To do so, go to Settings then proceed to the Windows Update section > Update & Security > Windows Update, and then click on the Check for Updates option. After you do that, it will automatically find and install all the latest security patches and feature updates from Microsoft.

Option 2 – Try updating all your drivers

From time to time, drivers get corrupted or outdated so it’s no surprise that they conflict with the operating system and cause errors like the ATTEMPTED EXECUTE OF NOEXECUTE MEMORY BSOD error. To fix the problem, you need to update all your drivers. Follow the steps below to update your drivers.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
• Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
• Restart your PC.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.

Option 3 – Try running a Memory Check using Windows Memory Diagnostic

As mentioned, this error might be caused by some issues in the memory. To resolve it, you need to run the Memory Check on your Windows 10 PC. Refer to these steps to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “mdsched.exe” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic.
• After that, the Windows Memory Diagnostic will give out two options such as:

1. Restart now and check for problems (recommended)
2. Check for problems the next time I start my computer

• Select any of the given options. After that, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues upon the restart. If there are any issues, it will automatically them.

Option 4 – Try using the System File Checker via Command Prompt

System File Checker or SFC 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 that might be causing the ATTEMPTED EXECUTE OF NOEXECUTE MEMORY BSOD error. 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.

As you know, one of the most popular browsers these days is the Google Chrome browser. Browsing the web every day using your Chrome browser, leaves a trail of browsing history. Google uses the browser history to streamline and make the browsing experience a lot better. But there are times when Chrome users experience trouble in deleting their web browsing history, data, cookies, and cache. In this post, you will be guided through specific settings that will help you in getting rid of the browsing history in Chrome. There are several options you can take in clearing the browsing history in Chrome. But before you try them, you can try the basic one first using the following steps:

• First, click on the three-dotted icon and click on History from the menu.
• Next, click on the Clear browsing data option and select “All time”.
• Then select the type of history you want to delete.
• After that, click on the Clear Data button.

If clearing the browsing history in Chrome the old way didn’t work, then you can try to check out the options provided below.

Option 1 – Clear the cache using the File Explorer

The first thing you can do is to clear the cache by using File Explorer. To get started, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
• Next, navigate to the following paths:
  • C:/Users/YOURUSERNAME/AppData/Local/GoogleChrome/User Data/DEFAULT/Cache
  • C:/Users/YOURUSERNAME/AppData/Local/GoogleChrome/User Data/PROFILENAMECache
• From the given locations above, replace “YOUR USERNAME” with the user profile name you use and then search for a file named “Cookies”.
• Now delete its contents.

Option 2 – Reset Chrome

Resetting Chrome can also help you fix the error. This means that you will be restoring its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons, and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:

• Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
• After that, click on Settings.
• Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
• After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Now restart Google Chrome.

Option 3 – Try to clean reinstall Chrome

There are instances when programs leave files behind after you’ve uninstalled them and the same thing can happen to Chrome so before you reinstall Chrome, you have to make sure that you have deleted the User Data folder. To do so, refer to the following steps:

• Hit the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and hit Enter to open the User Data folder.
• From there, rename the default folder and name it something else, e.g. “Default.old”.
• After that, install Google Chrome again and check if the issue is now fixed.

If you are trying to copy large files that are over 4GB to a USB flash drive or SD card, but you suddenly get an error message saying, “File Too Large, The file is too large for the destination file system”, read on as this post will help you fix this problem. A user recently reported that while trying to copy a 4.8GB zipped file from a Windows 10 PC to a new 8GB USB drive but only got the File Too Large error message instead. If you share the same problem with this user and you know that there is more than enough available space for the file in your USB drive or SD card, continue reading until you get to the instructions provided in this post so that you will be able to copy the file successfully. It is most likely that the USB drive has been FAT32 formatted which is why you’re unable to copy the file and got an error. The FAT32 file system has a built-in limitation on the size of the individual file that it may contain. For instance, it’s 4GB so even though collectively, it may have files or even 1TB individually it shouldn’t be more than 4GB. Thus, you need to change the file system from FAT32 to NTFS. To do that, carefully follow the instructions provided below.

• Step 1: Connect the USB drive and open the Windows File Explorer.
• Step 2: Afterwards, right-click on the USB drive letter and select Format from the context menu.
• Step 3: Next, select NTFS instead of FAT32 the instant a dialog box appears from the drop-down menu for the file system.
• Step 4: Now click on the Quick Format option and then click the Start button to reformat the USB drive.

Note: There is also another way you can change the file system. In this alternative way, you need to open an elevated Command Prompt and type the convert X: /fs:ntfs /nosecurity command, and hit Enter to execute it. Remember that in this command, “X” is the letter of your USB drive so whatever the letter of your drive is, you need to make sure to put it instead of “X”. Once the process is completed, try copying the file again.

A copy of Windows gets into a grace period when it is installed on a computer which means that you can use your Windows computer without any constraints on its feature. However, if you suddenly encounter an error code 0xC004F009 then this means that the grace period has already expired. In such cases, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“Error Code 0xC004F009, The Software Licensing Service reported that the grace period expired.”

One of the possible causes of this error is that it could be that the grace period has already expired way before the system was activated which is a result of which the system is in the Notifications state at this moment. The error code 0xC004F009 has something to do with MAK-enabled computers in an enterprise when it comes to Volume Licensing. One of the reasons that this error pops up is due to the possibility that the computer was not activated yet even when it was already connected to the Enterprise. Another most likely cause of the error is when the system was never connected with the Enterprise at all and the given grace period has expired before your computer system is activated. Whatever the real cause of this error, this post will guide you in fixing it. Just refer to the instructions given below to fix it.

Option 1 – Try activating Windows using the command-line tool

• First, you need to obtain your MAK key from the IT administrator.
• Once you have it, tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard and then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• After that, type this command and hit Enter to install the product key or replace the existing one: Slmgr.vbs –ipk <your mak key>
• Next, type another command and hit Enter: slmgr.vbs –ato
• Once you’ve executed the given commands, Windows should be activated after it connects to Microsoft servers and then gives it some time and try to check if error code 0xC004F009 is now fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try activating Windows using your mobile phone

Activating Windows 10 can also be done using your phone. Just note that you have to call Microsoft to do so.

• In the Start Search box, type in “Slui 4” and tap Enter.
• Next, select your country and click on Next.
• Keep the window open and call the toll-free number of the country you’re from.
• Afterward, a confirmation ID should be given by the automated system which you must take a note of.
• Finally, in the box on the window, type in the confirmation ID and click on the Activate button. That should do it.

Option 3 – Try to prolong the grace period

On the other hand, it is also possible for you to prolong the grace period but you might have to get another genuine Windows key for that. Before you proceed, you need to create a System Restore point first afterwards, refer to the steps given below to increase the grace period of the Software Licensing Service on your Windows 10 computer.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetupOOBEmediabootinstall
• Next, change the value of the “mediabootinstall” key to “0”.
• Now open Command Prompt with admin privileges and then type this command and hit Enter: slmgr –rearm
• The command you just entered will add another grace period to your system activation. After that, you have to obtain a new key and then activate Windows.

Option 4 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter

You can also try to run the Windows 10 Activation troubleshooter to help resolve the error code 0xC004F009.

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.