How To Fix Error 504

If you have a laptop that is slowing down and some usual tasks are sluggish you probably mean that it is time to change it and get a new one. Altho it is a good solution and it will guarantee that you will be able to do your tasks with more speed and comfort, straight purchasing is not always the best thing to do.

There are things you can do and some upgrades that are cheaper and will bring your laptop back into the game and extend its usage for a few more years.

1. Clean it

The most common issue for slowing down of computer is dust and dirt that accumulates over time and usage. If the laptop has not been properly cleaned in a while, cleaning it and placing new thermal paste on the CPU can do wonders. If you are not keen on doing this yourself or do not possess the required skillset take it to your local IT center for cleaning.

2. Uninstall software that you are not using

Various software can have speeding effects on computers, it can have some services running in the background and thus take precious resources slowing the whole system. If you are not using software, uninstall it.

3. Do not install the latest software

If you are using your computer for basic tasks there is no really need to install the latest and best. A lot of new software will require new hardware and things that offer are not so much better nor even required to justify the upgrade. Let us take office, for example, if you are using it to just write some text and not using any advanced options there is really no need to switch to a newer version, the old one will do just fine tasks that you are in need of.

4. Replace HD

Now this fits in the domain of upgrading your hardware but still it is much cheaper than replacing the whole laptop. Windows 10 works much better with SSD and SSD itself is faster than your standard HD, especially if it is slower model spinning in only 5400RPM. Operation of HD replacement is simple and straightforward and anyone can do it but the benefits of replacement will be visible right away. With a new SSD instead of an old mechanical one, you will have the feeling that you actually bought a new laptop.

5. Add more RAM

This is basically the last thing you can do in order to speed up your old laptop that will not break your bank account. Upgrading RAM was always the thing that can push your computer to have more power and to behave better while you are doing tasks. One important thing here is to first see how much RAM you have in your computer. If you are packing already 8GB then upgrading will not do much but if you have only 4GB, raising it to 6GB or 8GB will be beneficial. Also, check if the model of the laptop supports more RAM in the first place.

Conclusion

We have covered here a vast array of options in order to get your laptop back into the game with variability between hardware upgrades to taking care of your software. Whatever option you choose to do it will speed up your computer but among all of them, replacing the hard drive will do the most.

When you upgrade or update your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly got Error 0x8024a206 while trying to install the updates, it is due to a rouge update that was downloaded or because of some corrupted component in Windows. In case you don’t know, any file downloaded by Windows is verified for its integrity and if the files don’t pass the integrity test, then Error 0x8024a206 will most likely pop up during the Windows update or upgrade.

Option 1 – Reset the Windows Update components to the default

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 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 2 – Re-register DLLs related to Windows Update

DLL files, also known as Dynamic Link Library, are parts of applications that are separated from the core program so that they can be used again as well as independently be updated. The DLL files are loaded into memory and then used. Note that they have to be registered with Windows so they can be loaded. So if they’re not, the main program will fail. And this is the same with the DLL files related to the Windows Update. Thus, you need to register them in order to resolve Error 0x8024a206.

• In the Cortana search box, type “command prompt”.
• From the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that execute the commands listed below one after the other and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you key in each one of them.
  • regsvr32 JSCRIPT.DLL
  • regsvr32 MSXML3.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUPS2.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUPS.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUAUENG.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUAPI.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUCLTUX.DLL
  • regsvr32 WUWEBV.DLL

Note: You also have the option to run the commands together via a batch file. Simply create a batch file by copying all the commands in a notepad and then save it as “WURegisterDLL.bat”. After that, run the batch file and it will execute the commands all at the same time. Then you have to restart your computer and see if it has fixed the Error 0x8024a206.

Option 3 – Run the System File Checker

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Error 0x8024a206. 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. 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 and hit Enter.

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 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows Update Error 0x8024a206. 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. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

When Microsoft held Windows 11 presentation it took special time to present the upcoming new Windows 11 store as kind of a big deal. It was openly stated that with new Windows we will get a new store with a different attitude and new look.

New Microsoft store

Microsoft has stated that both customer and developer feedback over time has contributed to their redesign and rethinking of the store itself. They want to be sure that policies for developers are more straightforward and clear so more developers will decide to bring their product to Windows. As for customers, they want more safety and more security so they feel protected when making a purchase. The new store will come in Windows 11 but also in Windows 10 as well via update.

Stories and collections

Introducing the new store will be curated stories. Microsoft believes that stores should be focused on user experience so stories from customers themselves will play a big role here. They are rich editorial content to keep you informed about the best apps and inspire you to achieve more with your device. This approach to information is aimed at bringing unknown applications to users via presenting them in a professional manner. Android apps in the store As stated in Windows 11 unveiling and presentation, Android apps will work inside Windows 11. Microsoft has teamed up with Amazon to bring you Android apps directly inside Windows via the new Microsoft store.

Pop up store from within a browser

When you are surfing on a certain webpage and want to save and install the application from there, a new pop-up store window will show allowing you to install the app directly. Microsoft has not said will this feature work outside their Edge browser so we will have to wait and see about that.

Support for multiple types of applications

Since now developers were tied to certain formats if they wanted to publish their application in any kind of environment. Microsoft wants to bridge this. Windows developers can publish any kind of app, regardless of app framework and packaging technology – such as Win32, .NET, UWP, Xamarin, Electron, React Native, Java, and even Progressive Web Apps. For Progressive Web Apps Microsoft has made open-source tool PWABuilder 3.

Flexibility and choice of commerce platform

Starting July 28, app developers will also have an option to bring their own or a third-party commerce platform in their apps, and if they do so they don’t need to pay Microsoft any fee. They can keep 100% of their revenue.

If we are to believe news from Intel, new series of processors based on Alder Lake architecture are about to be released somewhere in October. Alder Lake is the 12^th Generation Core of Intel processors and it is meant to have all advantages of the current CPU structure. I9 is aimed to pack a punch against its competitors with technology including eight high-performance Golden Cove cores (P-cores) with Hyper-Threading and eight energy-efficient Goldmont (E-cores) equipped with a 30MB L3 cache and operating at high clock speeds. During the benchmark test, the new CPU outperformed all of Intel’s previous Rocket Lake structure processors which is logically expected but the big surprise came from results that indicate better performance than Apple’s new M1 processor even in single-threaded performance which is supposed to be best in that field. Another surprise was really beating AMD Ryzen 9 in each field. If we take into account that i9 has 16 cores in total and can process 24 threads against Ryzen 9 with 16 Cores and 32 threads this is an impressive feature. Now truth to be told Alder lake has massive L3 cache and microarchitectural advantages and consumes much more power but the results of performance are high. Also, note that this early CPU is not really a mass production one and maybe some things will still change but early results are very satisfactory. We will see what will price tag be since in this age of shortage and competition that will also play a big role in its overall success. Speaking of competition I eagerly await AMD’s response to this, in any way it seems that the CPU market is for some turbulence which is always a good thing for the final customer and I welcome it.

What is a QR Code

QR code or if you want to be more technical Quick Response code is a two-dimensional code made of square dots creating a pattern that can be scanned via QR scanner and then interpreted. Usually, they are present on product packaging, on business cards, websites, etc. When you decode a QR code you can get a link to a website or link to a file or whatever, you can get text, image, email, contact information, etc.

QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator sample code

How to decode a QR Code? You can scan it with your mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry equipped with additional software for scanning QR Codes. You might want to check out tools like Barcode Scanner or Red Laser. If you don’t have a mobile device or you need to scan a barcode on your PC, simply use CodeTwo QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator.

How this program works

QR Code reading

CodeTwo QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator is a free tool that will let you quickly scan any QR Code from your screen – be it a part of the website, email, banner, or document. Simply run the program and hit From the screen on the top menu. Your standard mouse cursor will change into a cross to help you make a selection on your screen. Simply select an area with a QR Code and the program will automatically scan it. You can scan QR codes from websites, documents, movie files – you name it. You can also select an image file that contains a QR Code and the program will locate it automatically and decode it. To do that, simply click From file on the top menu of the program and select the desired image from your hard drive. If you have a file copied to your clipboard, or if you make a screenshot of a QR Code, QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator will let you decode those QR codes in one click. Just click From clipboard and the program will automatically locate and decode the QR code for you. That is not all, you can also use your camera to scan QR codes. If you have more than one camera, the program will let you choose which one to use. To use this option, simply click From webcam, and you will be able to scan QR codes with your recording device.

QR Code generation

• CodeTwo QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator also acts as a QR code generator. Creating QR codes is as easy as reading them. Here is how to generate a QR code:
• In the top menu, click Generate mode on and enter the text you want to translate into QR Code
• Choose if you want to copy it to the clipboard or save it in a file. The QR Code will be scaled automatically, but you can resize it in the Size settings tab.
• The resulting QR code can be used however you like. To name just a few options, you can:
• Upload it to your blog/website which is especially useful for mobile users.
• Print it on a poster, providing easily accessible links with more information on your event.
• Send it in newsletters, or include it in your email signature.

QR Codes in email signatures

Inserting QR codes in email signatures lets mobile users quickly grab your contact details, or provides them with links so that they can get more information on your company or topic you were discussing. You can also provide your recipients with a link to QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator. This will help them easily decode QR codes when they open your email on a PC.

QR code

If you want to include a QR code automatically in email signatures throughout a whole organization, try CodeTwo central email signature management solution. It is a very useful tool, which enables you to unify email signatures on Exchange Server and Office 365 (Microsoft 365).

Error 0146 - What is it?

Dell laptop is a great choice for laptop users who like to have the best configuration, fast working platform, and long warranty period. But this does not mean that your errors can’t pop up on Dell laptops. Users can experience a variety of hardware and software-related issues on Dell laptops. And one such error is the error code 0146. This is a typical Dell laptop hard drive-related error code. It can cause your Dell laptop to freeze and system applications to stop responding for a long period of time. Therefore, it is recommended to fix the error immediately.

Solution

Error Causes

Error 0146 may be triggered due to several reasons on your system. These include:

• Program corruption
• Viral infection
• Hard drive issues

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that error 0146 is easy to fix. Here are some of the easy do it yourself methods that you can try to resolve error 0146 on your system:

Method 1 - Run a Virus Scan

Malware and viruses can corrupt and damage the hard drive and trigger error 0146. In such an event, it is recommended that you open your antivirus, update it and run a full virus scan on your PC. Once the scan is complete, remove all the viruses. This will hopefully resolve the error 0146.

Method 2 - Run Your Laptop in Safe Mode and Clean Boot

Another alternative is to run your Dell laptop in safe mode and clean boot. To do this, simply disconnect all the attached devices like wireless printers, routers, and USB keys and turn off your laptop. Turn it on again and then press and hold the F8 key. Make sure you do it quickly before the Windows logo comes up. Now select ‘Safe mode with networking’ and press enter. After that, open System Configuration Utility by going to the start menu and typing ‘msconfig’ in RUN, and then click OK. In the System Configuration Utility click General then selective startup. Now uncheck the load startup items box ad select services and then check the hide all Microsoft services box and disable all. To apply these changes, click ‘Apply’ and then OK.  Now restart your laptop.

Method 3 - Change to SATA Drive

Sometimes error 0146 may pop up due to hard drive configuration changes. If this is the reason for error occurrence, then simply go to Dell Laptop BIOS. Check whether the hard drive configuration has been changed to AHCI SATA from SATA Drive. If it has changed, then it is advisable to change it back to SATA Drive. When you are done back up all your data, and then format your hard drive. It is important to create a backup because formatting will make you lose all your data. Once you format the hard drive, reinstall Windows from scratch.

Method 4 - Run a Registry Scan

If the error 0146 results due to program corruption then there is a possibility that the underlying reason might be registry damage. Therefore it is advisable to run a registry scan and repair it. To do so, download Restoro. This is a cutting-edge and user-friendly PC Fixer integrated with a registry cleaner. Run it to scan for registry issues. It removes all obsolete files corrupting and damaging the registry, repairs important and damaged system files and cleans the registry in the shortest time. Click here to download Restoro and resolve error 0146.

Well if anyone told me just a few years ago that I will see the day when Microsoft releases a new OS based on Linux I would be very amused, but that day has come. Mariner is the newest OS out of nowhere. Microsoft’s new Linux Distro, dubbed Common Base Linux (CBL)-Mariner, isn’t the type of distro you’d want to install directly on any old machine. It’s primarily meant for cloud infrastructure and edge products. Specifically Microsoft’s Cloud and Edge products. But if you are curious, it’s possible to run. Juan Manuel Rey, a Microsoft Senior Program Manager for Azure VMware, recently published a guide to ISO CBL-Mariner image. With that, you can easily get it up and running. And you can build CBL-Mariner on an Ubuntu 18.04 desktop. So you can try it out since it is free. You can get it from here: https://github.com/microsoft/CBL-Mariner It is obvious that Microsoft aims to set itself as a leader in enterprise server environments with this move and it is very likely that it may succeed or at least give a good shake to its competitors, mainly red hat and Suse which are two dominant distros in that field. Many believe that they can win over by providing regular updates and package delivery via their already established system and that feature could be a turning point for some. In any case, time will tell and we shall see.

Valve has announced the first gaming PC handheld console: Steam Deck. At its core, Stead Deck is just a portable, small PC in little casing. It uses AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, has 16GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is a portable device with both a touchpad and joystick packing a seven-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 (16:10 aspect ratio). The screen has an ambient light sensor for automatic light adjustments same as your modern mobile device. Stating to Valve battery will hold up from two to eight hours depending on the activity of the user and what exactly he is doing. The handheld comes also with a carrying case.

Steam Deck operating system and software

Out of the box, Steam Dock comes with the latest Valve’s version of SteamOS 3. Just for comparing, the steam box was coming SteamOS 2, so this new Linux-based OS is aimed to provide better performance and better compatibility. Naturally, all Linux games in your Steam library will work right out of the box but Valve has something called PROTON inside OS, it is emulation software based on Wine that will supposedly let you play all of your Library games on a given OS. One big thing to mention here is that this is PC after all meaning that if you do not like having SteamOS on it you can install Windows instead and so far as we know it will support Windows 11. Now with Windows 11, you will be able to play all of your Steam games and run any kind of Windows software on it including EPIC store, battle.net, and others.

Cost and release date

The initial release date is set for December 2021 and today on July 16^th Valve is opening you can reserve your copy if you want to pre-purchase. Follow this link if you want to reserve your copy. Reserve your Steam Deck device The price of the device will depend on the memory capacity which you would like to have. Please note that each of the 3 offered devices will have the same hardware, the only difference will be in memory available, and the most expensive version will also have anti-glare screen, everything else is identical. 64GB model will be $399, 256GB model will have the price of $529 and largest one with whooping 512GB will be $649

Conclusion

Valve ventures into the digital hardware domain again but it is unsure will they make it this time. Both Steam machine and their controller were in long run failed and later unsupported products so perhaps some customer caution is advised. Although having a handheld PC is tempting I would advise seeing how the overall market will accept this contraption before throwing money into it.

Waol.exe Error - What is it?

Waol.exe is an executable file located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files" - usually C:\Program Files\America Online 9.0a. Waol.exe is not a core file but it is an important part of AOL (American Online) utilities. It ensures the AOL programs run smoothly on your system. The Waol.exe error occurs when the AOL program fails to execute and run properly. The error message is displayed in the following format:

“Waol.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.’

Solution

Error Causes

Waol.exe error typically occurs when this executable file gets infected by a virus, Trojan, adware, or spyware. When this happens the file location also changes. Therefore the best way to verify if your PC is under attack by malicious software is to check the Waol.exe file location on your PC. If the file is found in some other location instead of its correct disk location, then you must immediately fix this error before the damage sets it. Malicious software like viruses and spyware are notorious for slowing down PC performance and besides they give access to hackers to break into your system and manipulate your confidential and private data saved on your PC. This exposes you to serious privacy errors and data security dangers including identity thefts, cybercrime, and data breaches. Furthermore, viruses can also corrupt the computer’s registry and lead to system failure and crashes.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve Waol.exe error many PC users seek an antivirus. Though this also helps resolve the issue but you should know that an antivirus has certain limitations. It is known to slow down the system speed and will only remove viruses from your PC. This means if the virus has affected the registry of your PC, it will not resolve that, and to repair your registry you may then have to download a registry cleaner separately on your system thereby reducing the PC speed even more. To ensure all kinds of malware are removed and registry issues resolved along with system speed optimization, it is recommended to download Restoro. This is an advanced, innovative, and multi-functional PC repair tool deployed with a variety of powerful utilities. These include a registry cleaner and a system optimizer. It is safe, efficient, user-friendly, and compatible with all Windows versions including Vista, XP, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. The antivirus feature embedded inside this software detects scans and removes all malicious programs infecting your PC immediately. It resolves all your system’s privacy issues and makes sure that your system is inaccessible to hackers. Besides this, the registry cleaner removes files cluttering and damaging the registry and also restores it. With the help of the system stability detector, it detects errors causing PC slowdowns and resolves them too thereby boosting the speed of your PC dramatically. To resolve Waol.exe error right away, click here to download Restoro today.

As you know, Microsoft’s consumer cloud storage platform is none other than OneDrive. It is where users can save any of their files albeit it’s mostly used to store common files like documents and photos. However, there are times when you might encounter some problems when saving these files. Recently, some users reported that they had problems saving Word documents to OneDrive and if you experience the same issue, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how to resolve it. According to users who encountered the problem, when they try to save Word documents on OneDrive, an error message appears instead stating, “This is not a valid file name”. This kind of error only occurs when the file is opened from within OneDrive for saving in a different folder. In other words, if the file is saved in the same folder, the error won’t pop up but if it is saved in a separate folder, that’s when the error appears. Worry not though for fixing this error is not complicated and won’t take too long. It seems that this error is due to the 259-character limitation when creating and saving files as far as the Office products are concerned. To resolve it, there are several workarounds you can check out. Before you proceed with these workarounds, make sure that you have a stable internet connection.

Option 1 – Try renaming the file with a shorter name

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to rename the file with a shorter name. Just right-click on the file and select the Rename option from the menu and then type in the new name and click OK or tap Enter to rename the file.

Option 2 – Try renaming the folders where the file is located

Like what you did in the first given option, all it takes is a right-click but this time on a folder. Rename the folder with a different name and save the changes made and then check if you can now save the Word document on OneDrive.

Option 3 – Try moving the file to a folder with a shorter path

If the first two options didn’t work, you can try moving the file to a folder with a shorter path. Note that it is not the same as doing it locally on a Windows 10 computer so you have to right-click on the file and select the “Move to” option. After that, locate the folder where you want to move the file and select it and then click on the Move button to complete the task.

Option 4 – Try making some changes in the document

You could also try to make some modifications to the document. Once you’ve done that, click the File tab and select the Save As option and then go to the folder where you want to save the file and tap enter.