4 Methods of Fixing Error Code 49

If you have just installed the latest Cumulative Update on your Windows 10 computer and you find that since then, the Windows 10 Start Search is not displaying any results when you try to use it to search for something in your computer, then this post might help as it will give you some suggestions to fix the problem. This problem might be caused by some bugs brought in by the new cumulative update you’ve installed. It is also possible that Cortana is having some issues or that the Windows Search service hasn’t been initialized. Whatever the cause is, here are some suggestions you need to follow to fix this issue. You can try running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter or configure the

1. Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
2. Configure the Windows Firewall
3. Reinstall Cortana.

Option 1 – Try to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter

The first thing you can do is to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter in Windows 10 as it checks whether the settings for Cortana are in place and automatically corrects any issues if the update or software installation has changed the settings. To run it just click on the Start button and select Settings > Updates and Security > Troubleshoot. From there, select the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.

Option 2 – Restart Cortana’s process in the Task Manager

Restarting Cortana’s process in the Task Manager could also help you resolve the problem. Refer to the steps given below to do so.

• Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys to open the Security options window.
• From there, look for the Task Manager in the given list and open it.
• Next, look for the process of Cortana and right-click on it, and then select the End Task option to end its process.
• After that, the Cortana process will restart by itself and re-initialize.

Option 3 – Try resetting Cortana

• Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

Option 4 – Try to configure the Windows Firewall

• Tap the Win + Fn + Shift (Pause) keys to open Control Panel.
• From there, open the Windows Defender Firewall applet and click on the Advanced Settings to open the Windows Firewall with the Advanced Security panel.
• Next, click on the Outbound Rules section and look for Cortana and then double click on it to open its Properties.
• After that, make sure that the “Allow the connection” is selected although this is the default working setting.

Option 5 – Try to reinstall Cortana

If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.

• First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
• Next, select File menu > Run new task and type “Powershell” in the field and then select the “Create this task with administrative privileges” option.
• Click on OK to open the PowerShell console.
• After that, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

• Restart your computer and check if the Windows Start Search is now working.

Recently, a number of Windows 10 users reported that they were not able to use Cortana properly because it wasn’t able to connect to the internet. According to these users, Cortana won’t connect to the internet even when their internet connection is stable. According to security experts, this issue is confirmed to occur only with Microsoft accounts. This problem might have something to do with a proxy server that interferes with Cortana. There were reports that this issue was caused by a proxy that was filtering the network connection which also happens to interfere with Cortana’s ability to adapt search results and queries based on the user’s location. It could also be caused by some glitch in the home network or your Microsoft account information is inconsistent or your Microsoft account has to be verified. Here are some suggestions that could help fix the connection issue in Cortana, just start with the first one and work your way down until you encounter an option that fixes the problem.

Option 1 – Restart or reset your modem or router

The first thing you can try is restarting or resetting your modem or router. All you have to do is unplug the power cable of the modem and then plug it back in after a few seconds. You could also use the reset button of the modem at the back if it is one. But before you press the reset button, keep in mind that it will erase all the connection credentials and it will be set back to its default settings. After rebooting the network, you can restart your computer to force your modem or router to reassign an IP address to your computer.

Option 2 – Restart Cortana

Restarting Cortana can help you resolve the issue.

• To restart Cortana, open the Task Manager, right-click on Cortana and select the “End process” option.
• Then go to the File tab and select “Run new task”.
• After that, type in “cortana.exe” and press Enter to restart the process.

Option 3 – Try to remove Proxy

Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the connection issue in Cortana. Here’s how you can do it:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 4 – Open another app that uses a Microsoft account

This might seem like an odd fix, however, a couple of users tried doing this and it worked for them as it allowed Cortana to connect to the internet again. In this option, you just have to launch another app that uses your Microsoft account information in the same way as Cortana, for instance, the Store app. Once you open the app, a prompt should appear along with a dialog box that allows you to update your Microsoft account with the information required. After that, restart your computer and check if Cortana is now able to connect to the internet or not.

Option 5 – Verify your Microsoft account

In some cases, Cortana might not be able to connect to the internet because your Microsoft account is no longer verified. This usually happens when you use a two-step authentication system with your Microsoft account. To verify it, just open Settings and click on Accounts. After that, check if you have a Verify hyperlink under your Microsoft account or not then click on Verify. Afterward, follow the next on-screen prompts to verify your Microsoft account. Once your account is verified, restart your computer.

Option 6 – Reset Cortana settings

• Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

If you are trying to copy a file but suddenly encountered an error message saying, “An unexpected error is keeping you from copying the file”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you resolve the problem. This error comes along with another message that states, “Error 0x80070037: The specified network resource or device is no longer available”. This kind of error occurs when the power supply to the external device is weak and causes the device to be disconnecting and reconnecting consistently. To fix this problem, you need to check out the potential fixes provided below.

Option 1 – Try to physically check the USB ports

You need to check the USB ports as there could be some ports that are loose or damaged physically which affects the overall performance of the port. You could also try to change the USB port since modern computers have a variety of USB ports. So if your USB drive supports USB 3.0 or 3.1, make sure that you plug it inside a USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports. If you’re not sure which port, just keep in mind that the USB 3 port is usually blue or you can also use your computer’s documentation or manual as a reference to locate it.

Option 2 – Check the connected cables physically

Aside from the USB ports, you also have to check the physical status of the connected cables because if there are damaged ones, just like with USB ports, it would also affect the overall connectivity of the device with the computer. So if you notice some irregularities in the connecting cable physically, you might have to buy another one and replace it and then see if it fixes the problem or not.

Option 3 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver

Since it could be a driver issue, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:

• First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
• Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
• From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.

Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.

• Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.

Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.

Option 4 – Try connecting to a slower USB port

If connecting your device to USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports didn’t work, you might want to try connecting it to a slower USB port this time. There are times when the device is not capable of supporting the higher power supply from a USB 3.0 or 3.1 port which is why the weak circuits do not work properly. Thus, try connecting your device to a USB 2.0 port and check if your device is now working.

Option 5 – Try to turn off the Power Saving option

You could also try to turn off the Power Saving option to resolve the problem. All you have to do is switch to Power Management after you select the Properties of the USB device and from there, uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power” option. On the other hand, if you are using a laptop and did not use the USB device for a long time, then it could be powered off. This will ensure that the system does not turn off the USB device.

Option 6 – Try to connect your device to another computer

It is also possible that your computer does not support your device. To check that possibility, you can try connecting your device to a different computer and see if it is working without any issues. If it is, then you need to get another device that’s compatible with your computer.

Option 7 – Try to use a different device

You could also try using a different device and connect it to your computer. This will help you figure out if your device is damaged or not. So if the other device you connected is working just fine, then you might have to replace your device with a new one or consult an expert and have it repaired if possible.

Option 8 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooters

• 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.

Recently, a lot of users reported getting several error messages when they upgraded their Windows 10 computers. One of these error messages users encountered during a Windows 10 upgrade is the Error 0x8007002C-0x4001E. if you are one of the users who is facing this error, read on as this post will help you fix it. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“We couldn’t install Windows 10 We’ve set your PC back to the way it was before you started installing Windows 10 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase with an error during PRE_OOBE operation.”

To resolve the 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase error, here are some suggestions that might help.

Option 1 – Try flushing the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders

You have to stop a couple of services such as BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and Windows Update Services. And to do that, you need to flush the contents in the SoftwareDistribution folder. The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. Aside from that, it also contains all the Windows Update History files and once you delete them, you will most likely lose the Update history. As a result, the next time you run the Windows Update, it may result in a longer detection time.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• Next, go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After flushing the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 2 – Select the Keep your files option

You can also select the option to perform an in-place upgrade and opt for the “Keep my files” option during an installation as it might make the process a lot smoother and if you need to perform a clean install, you can do so once the setup is completed.

Option 3 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the 0x8007002C-0x4001E, The installation failed in the SECOND_BOOT phase error. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button.

Option 4 – Try to run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Aside from the Windows Update Troubleshooter, you can also run the online troubleshooter of Microsoft as it can help you with Windows 10 upgrade errors.

Option 5 – Perform a clean install

If none of the options worked, you can try to clean install Windows 10. Just make sure that you have the ISO from the official Microsoft Website and then a bootable USB drive to install Windows 10 again. Take note that this will delete all the data from your drive where Windows 10 was installed previously.

As you know, both the Windows Update and Windows Store are inter-dependable services in Windows 10 operating system. So when one of these services encounters an error like the “0x80070424, ERROR_SERVICE_DOES_NOT_EXIST”, the other service will most likely get this error as well. Note that this kind of error can occur to both the Windows Update Standalone Installer and to the Windows Update section in the Windows 10 Settings app. Some users also reported getting this error while trying to update Windows Defender as well. You can see the following error message in the Windows Update Standalone Installer:

“Installer encountered an error: 0x80070424, The specified service does not exist as an installed service.”

While you’ll see the following error message in the Windows Store:

“The were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: (0x80070424).”

To fix this error, you can try to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file or run the Windows Update and Store apps troubleshooters. You can also reset the Windows Update-related folders or the Microsoft Store or fix the Windows Update files by using the DISM tool. On the other hand, you can also use the Registry Editor or check Windows Services. For more details regarding these potential fixes, refer to each one of the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file

You may have to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file using the regsvr32.exe before you can successfully install the program and fix ntdll.dll file crash error. The Regsvr32 tool is a command-line utility that can be used to register and un-register OLE controls as DLL and ActiveX (OCX) controls in the Windows operating system. Follow the steps below to use it.

• Open Command Prompt as admin from the WinX menu.
• Next, type the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt and hit Enter to execute the command. This will re-register the affected DLL file using the Windows operating system tool, regsvr32.exe.
  • regsvr32 Qmgr.dll /s
  • regsvr32 Qmgrprxy.dll /s

Note: Replace “[DLL file]” with the name of the DLL file that was pointed out in the error.

• After you execute the given commands, you should see a message saying, “DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded” if the Regsvr32 tool was able to run successfully.
• Now restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to run the Windows Store or the Windows Update Troubleshooters

The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the Error code 0x80070424. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

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

Note: You can also try running the Windows Update troubleshooter to fix the error. You can run it under the Windows Update section of Update & Security.

Option 3 – Delete the files from Software Distribution Folder & Catroot2 folders

The downloaded Windows Updates are placed in a folder called “SoftwareDistribution”. The files downloaded in this folder are automatically deleted once the installation is completed. However, if the files are not clean up or if the installation is still pending, you can delete all the files in this folder after you pause the Windows Update service. For complete instructions, refer to these steps.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic and the MSI Installer
• Next, got to the C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files there by tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 4 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “wsreset.exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterwards, try opening Microsoft Store again and then see if Error Code 0x80070424 is resolved or not.

Option 5 – Try to check the Windows Update or WU setting in the Registry

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate
• Here, look for the DWORD named “DisableWindowsUpdateAccess” and double click on it and then set its value data to “0”.
• Exit the Registry Editor once you’re done and restart your computer.

Option 6 – Try to check the status of some Windows Update Services

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
• From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
  • Windows Update Service – Manual (Triggered)
  • Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
  • Workstation Service – Automatic
• After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above are set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.

Option 7 – Run the DISM tool

You can also run the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the error code 0x80070424. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
• Once it’s done, reboot your computer and check if it has fixed the error.

If you are trying to open a program or a game but you suddenly see a dialog box with a message stating that the application was unable to start correctly along with the Error Code 0xC000007B , STATUS INVALID IMAGE FORMAT then this indicates that the application is not compatible with the architecture of your Windows 10 computer or is missing dependencies. Although error code 0xC000007B can also occur with other various programs, the STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT error code also means that when you try to run an application that’s designed to run on a 64-bit system and hence gets into a termination state. In addition, if you are also pointed to the NTStatus.h file then it means that the error might be caused by some file corruption. Here’s the full context of the error message:

“0xC000007B | STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT | {Bad Image} %hs is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support.”

When you see this error message, the first thing you can do is to click on OK to close the application and then try installing the media again to see if it fixes the issue. If not, then you can check out the suggestions given below.

Option 1 – Try installing the application with admin privileges

The first thing you can do to fix the error is to restart your Windows 10 computer and then try installing the application again and this time with admin privileges. Just right-click on the application and select the “Run as Administrator” option. And if your account is a regular one, you need to make sure to ask an admin to help you in installing the application by entering the password when you are prompted to do so.

Option 2 – Install and update Dependencies

There are times when programs and applications need to have drivers and supporting software installed for them to properly work. Although the installation usually takes care of it, it’s time for you to do some manual checks especially if you are getting this issue of abnormal program termination.

1. Install some qualified drivers

A number of high-end games and applications need to have correct and valid drivers for them to work. They just don’t work with general drivers though. Microsoft has this Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing also known as WHQL testing which makes sure that drivers meet the correct experience and pass through the proper testing before certification. Thus, when installing drivers, you need to ensure that they are qualified drivers for your Windows 10 PC.

2. Download and install or update DirectX

As you know, Microsoft DirectX is a suite of technologies developed by Microsoft to provide hardware acceleration for heavy multimedia applications like HD videos and 3D games. Since you are using Windows 10, you have the DirectX 12 version while the earlier Windows versions use the DirectX 11 version.

3. Install the Microsoft DirectX End-user runtime

The Microsoft DirectX end-user runtime gives updates to version 9.0c as well as previous versions of DirectX. To install it, click on this link and download it.

4. Update or install the .NET framework

The .NET framework is used by games and applications during development which means that without the runtime files that are installed in your computer, it definitely won’t work. Thus, you need to install or update this framework. You can also use the .NET setup verification tool to verify it.

Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker Scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Error Code 0xC000007B , STATUS INVALID IMAGE FORMAT error. 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. 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.

if you were following our articles you are aware that Windows 10 has a build-in-game mode that you can summon by pressing ⊞ WINDOWS + G. But did you know that you can use this to capture and record your screen? Hello and welcome to another great tutorial about how to get the maximum out of your Windows 10, today our topic will be recording your screen using Windows 10 game mode.

• In order to start recording first, we need to bring game mode by pressing ⊞ WINDOWS + G
• In the Game Bar overlay screen, look for the “Capture” window.
• If you don’t see it, click the Widget menu icon on the left. It looks like several lines with bullet points to their left.
• A drop-down list will appear; click “Capture.” The “Capture” shortcut may also be in the Game Bar toolbar.
• Look for the “Capture” widget window in the overlay. There are four buttons on the Capture widget (from left to right):
  • Screenshot: Takes a screenshot of the active window.
  • Record last 30 seconds: Creates a recording of the previous 30 seconds.
  • Start recording: Starts recording your active window.
  • Turn on the mic while recording: If this option is enabled, Windows 10 will capture audio from your computer’s microphone and include it in the recording.
• You’ll notice text underneath the buttons. This is how you’ll know what the active window is, aka what will be recorded. For example, if you’re browsing the web, it will show the title of the open tab.
• To start recording your screen, you must first decide whether you want to use your mic, which is useful if you’re trying to explain something on the screen.
• Next, simply click the Start Recording button.
• The screen recording will begin, and you’ll see a little toolbar appear in the corner of the screen. It will show the running time of the recording, and it also has buttons to stop recording and toggle the microphone.
• When you’re finished, click the Stop icon to end the recording.
• From the Capture widget, click “Show All Captures” to see your recording.
• Your recording will be at the top of the list. Click the folder icon to see all recordings and screenshots in File Explorer.
• These recordings are stored under your Windows user folder at C:\Users\NAME\Videos\Captures by default.

The new razer modular table looks like something that came out from Star Trek. Project Sophia is a desk but, it is a special kind of desk. It comes with modules that attach themselves underneath the table itself for customization purposes so each user can somewhat create a layout on the table itself as he or she desires. The table itself comes packed with intel CPU and Nvidia GPU but it is said that this component and PC parts will overall be easily upgraded to different ones as users desires. The table itself looks very basic and it comes with a very large OLED screen between two different sizes depending on your table choice. You can choose between 65” or 77” screen sizes and OLED is mounted on the table itself so you cannot move it or adjust the angle of it that I somewhat find annoying but that comes from th4e fact I am used to adjusting my screens, but for this large screen maybe you do not need to adjust its rotation in order to get best viewing angle. Modules themselves will offer some on-the-fly information and quick settings for the PC itself while being modular in a sense they could be mounted in different positions on the table itself providing some customization and order to suit users needs. Modules, for now, are: THX Spatial Surround Sound Controls, system monitoring, programmable hotkey module, Thunderbolt™ Powered eGPU, RAID Controller, Network Performance Module, 15W Wireless Charger, Thunderbolt™ 4 Hub, Media Controls. Of course table, itself will have Razer chroma RGB on its surface and Razer says it will have a total of 13 different modules available on launch for a true level of personalization.

Conclusion

Is this Razer table something that you really need or just another expensive toy? Personally, I would not mind this table at all but I would choose modules for work, not gaming. Having some things like media controls or RAID controllers all the time at your fingertips is a great time saver and productivity asset. Razer also advertises some modules and setup already for streamers, creators, or team members and has some according modules like touch screen digitizer with stylus and similar.

What is Mastodon? Mastodon is an open-source microblogging network very similar to Twitter. You can make 500 characters post messages called toot (tweet), share videos or images, and follow other people. But unlike Twitter, Mastodon is decentralized, meaning the entire Mastodon is not run by a single company pulling all strings.

Mastodon can be used directly in your web browser or through a mobile client on a smartphone or tablet. It includes features that seem copied from Twitter-like replies, boosts (retweets), favorites (loves), a timeline view, blocking, and voluntary content warnings that hide sensitive content.

Mastodon also has some great features that Twitter does not have like automated post deletion for the older post of a certain age, requiring approval for follows without restricting your account, and opting out of search engine indexing.

Currently, there are also no ads on Mastodon meaning no ad tracking or ad network surveillance.

How Does Mastodon Work?

Mastodon is a social media network made of nodes called servers or instances each running special software meaning anyone can run their own Mastodon instance (if they have a proper dedicated server). When you have your own instance it can be linked in the federation or remain private, so individuals or companies can have control over individual Mastodon servers.

The software itself is open source based on the social networking protocol ActivityPub which was developed by WWW Consortium.

While using Mastodon, people sign up for accounts with specific instances. Once logged in, you can view a local timeline (of posts from that instance only) or, if the instance is federated with others, see a federated timeline comprised of toots from people in other instances. Mastodon users can send messages to each other using their Mastodon account names that are similar to email addresses in that they feature the server address as well as the user name.

The new widget's menu inside Windows 11 is generally met with a positive attitude but there are still users which prefer not to have it. Luckily for them, Microsoft included a very easy way to turn the widgets menu on or off. Follow this easy guide to see how. Right-click on the widget button in the taskbar and click on Hide from Taskbar and that’s it Alternatively, you can also turn it off via the setting app. Go to the settings app and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items and flipping the switch beside Widgets to Off. Please note that both methods will only hide the button to toggle widgets menu, at the current state there is no really a way to actually turn it off, only hide it and make it not available to bring it up.