How to Get Rid of GifsGalore

Plugin.dll Error - What is it?

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

Solution

Error Causes

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

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

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

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

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

Further Information and Manual Repair

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

When we initiate the copy or move files command we get a dialog that shows us the progress of the current operation, under that bar we can click on the little arrow to expand the bar into so-called more details view where we get more information like which file is being copied, more detailed graph, etc. Windows will remember the last option we had and next time when we start the same process it will open the last view. But what if we want to only have one view always open as default, even if we change it? Let's say that we always want to have a detailed view opened always as our default even if we switch to a minimal one? Well with some tweaks in the registry of Windows we can. Note that this guide will require changing things in the registry of Windows itself, it is always smart and recommended to make a safe backup of your registry, just in case.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW MORE DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000001 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation details view will be open.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW FEWER DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000000 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation minimal details view will be open.

RadioRage is a potentially unwanted application developed by Mindspark Inc. This browser add-on is compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome and claims to enhance the Internet browsing experience by allowing users to listen to their favorite music via the installed toolbar.

RadioRage Toolbar is categorized as adware since it infiltrates computers and after successful installation, this browser extension redirects browsers to home.tb.ask.com. And changes your default search engine to myway.com.

While active on your computer RadioRage collects user information such as browsing data, website clicks, and sometimes even sensitive user information, that it later sells / forwards to its ad distributors.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is regarded as the internet’s constant risk that targets web browsers. It’s a type of malicious software that modifies your internet browser’s settings so that you are redirected to websites or pages that you had no intention of checking out. They are made to interfere with browser programs for many different reasons. These are typically used to force visitors to a specific website, manipulating web traffic to generate ad revenue. Most people assume that the browser hijacker is just a harmless website but that is not the case. Nearly all browser hijackers pose an actual threat to your online safety and it is necessary to classify them under privacy dangers. In a much worst case, your browser can be hijacked to download malicious software that will do a great deal of damage to your PC.

Key signs that your web browser has been hijacked

The typical signs that signify having this malicious software on your computer are: 1. your web browser’s home page is suddenly different 2. you get re-directed to internet sites you never intended to visit 3. The default search page of the browser is modified 4. you see multiple toolbars on the web browser 5. you might notice many pop-up ads on your screen 6. web pages load slowly and sometimes incomplete 7. you cannot go to specific sites such as home pages of security software.

So how does a browser hijacker infect a PC

There are many ways your computer could become infected with a browser hijacker. They typically arrive by way of spam email, via file-sharing websites, or by a drive-by download. They may also be deployed through the installation of a web browser toolbar, add-on, or extension. Some internet browser hijackers spread in user’s computers by using a deceptive software distribution method known as “bundling” (often through freeware and shareware). Well-known examples of browser hijackers include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, Coupon Server, OneWebSearch, RocketTab, Searchult.com, Snap.do, and Delta Search. Browser hijackers might record user keystrokes to collect potentially valuable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on systems, drastically disrupt the user experience, and finally slow down the computer to a point where it becomes unusable.

Browser hijacker removal methods

One thing you can try to eliminate a browser hijacker is to locate the malware within the “Add or Remove Programs” list of the Windows Control Panel. It might or might not be there. When it is, try to uninstall it. But, the majority of hijackers are really tenacious and require specialized tools to get rid of them. Inexperienced PC users should never attempt the manual form of removal, as it demands detailed system knowledge to carry out repairs on the computer registry and HOSTS file.

What To Do If You Cannot Install Any Anti-virus?

Every malware is detrimental and the effects of the damage will vary based on the specific kind of malware. Some malware is meant to restrict or prevent things that you wish to do on your computer system. It may well not permit you to download anything from the internet or it will prevent you from accessing a few or all websites, especially the anti-virus sites. So what should you do if malware keeps you from downloading or installing Anti-Malware? Refer to the instructions below to eliminate malware through alternate methods.

Use Safe Mode to resolve the issue

If the malware is set to run at Windows start-up, then booting in Safe Mode should avoid it. Only the bare minimum required applications and services are loaded when you boot your computer or laptop into Safe Mode. Listed below are the steps you need to follow to eliminate viruses in Safemode. 1) At power on, hit the F8 key before the Windows splash screen begins to load. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 2) Select Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and press ENTER. 3) As soon as this mode loads, you will have an internet connection. Now, get the malware removal software you want by utilizing the browser. To install the application, follow the guidelines in the installation wizard. 4) As soon as the software is installed, allow the scan run to eliminate viruses and other threats automatically.

Switch over to some other web browser

Certain viruses might target vulnerabilities of a particular browser that block the downloading process. When you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by malware or otherwise compromised by online hackers, the ideal plan of action is to switch over to a different web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari to download your favorite computer security application – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Run anti-malware from a pen drive

Another approach is to download and transfer an antivirus program from a clean PC to run a virus scan on the infected system. Follow these steps to employ a flash drive to fix your infected system. 1) Make use of another virus-free computer system to download Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Insert the pen drive onto the same computer. 3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded software, with a .exe file format. 4) Select the USB flash drive as the destination for saving the file. Follow activation instructions. 5) Now, transfer the flash drive to the infected computer. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the software. 7) Hit the “Scan” button to run a full computer scan and remove viruses automatically.

Let's Talk About SafeBytes Security Suite!

These days, anti-malware software can protect your laptop or computer from various forms of online threats. But wait, how to select the right one amongst several malware protection software that’s available in the market? Perhaps you might be aware, there are many anti-malware companies and tools for you to consider. Some are really worth your money, but many aren’t. When looking for anti-malware software, purchase one which gives solid, efficient, and complete protection against all known computer viruses and malware. One of the recommended software programs is SafeBytes AntiMalware. SafeBytes carries a really good reputation for top-quality service, and clients seem to be very happy with it. SafeBytes anti-malware is a highly effective and user-friendly protection tool that is designed for end-users of all levels of computer literacy. This application could easily detect, remove, and protect your personal computer from the most advanced malware attacks including spyware, adware, trojan horses, ransomware, PUPs, worms, parasites as well as other possibly damaging software programs. There are numerous amazing features you’ll get with this particular security product. Listed below are a few of the great ones: Real-time Protection: SafeBytes gives you round-the-clock protection for your computer limiting malware intrusions in real-time. It’ll continuously monitor your laptop or computer for hacker activity and also gives end-users sophisticated firewall protection. Antimalware Protection: Built upon a greatly acclaimed antivirus engine, this malware removal application is able to find and remove several obstinate malware threats such as browser hijackers, PUPs, and ransomware that other common anti-virus applications will miss. Web protection: SafeBytes checks and gives a unique safety ranking to every site you visit and block access to webpages considered to be phishing sites, thus protecting you from identity theft, or known to contain malicious software. Light-weight: This application is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you’ll not find any performance problems when SafeBytes is working in the background. 24/7 On-line Tech Support: Support service is accessible 24 x 7 x 365 days via email and chats to answer your questions.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you wish to manually remove RadioRage without the use of an automated tool, it may be possible to do so by removing the program from the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu, or in cases of browser extensions, going to the browsers AddOn/Extension manager and removing it. You will likely also want to reset your browser. To ensure the complete removal, manually check your hard drive and registry for all of the following and remove or reset the values accordingly. Please note that this is for advanced users only and may be difficult, with incorrect file removal causing additional PC errors. In addition, some malware is capable of replicating or preventing deletion. Doing this in Safe Mode is advised.

The following files, folders, and registry entries are created or modified by RadioRage

There are cases when you want to undo some changes you’ve made to your computer and to do that you have to perform the System Restore task. However, if you encounter an error that states “To use System Restore you must specify which Windows installation to restore”, when doing so, read on as this post will help you fix the problem. This kind of error in System Restore could be due to corrupted files in the system. There are also situations where you are not able to boot up once you encounter this error which could be a big problem. On the other hand, this error might have something to do with corrupted BCD files. Whatever the cause is, here are some potential fixes you have to try.

Option 1 – Try to run System File Checker offline

Like pointed out, since the error might be due to corrupted system files, you can try to run System File Checker offline. How? Refer to these steps:

• You need to go to the Advanced Startup Options and from there select Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• After opening Command Prompt, type the commands given below and tap Enter right after you type each one of them.
  • Cd /
  • Dir

• If you can see the “Users” folder, that is your system’s drive. However, if you can’t see it, you can just change the drive-by assigning “D” as its alphabet volume.
• Then execute this command where “C” is the system drive: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C: /offwindir=C:Windows
• Now repeat the given steps sequentially.

Option 2 – Try to run DISM tool

You can also run the DISM tool to repair the potentially corrupted system image. First, you have to check the health of the system like checking the integrity of the system files and Windows services. To run DISM, follow the given steps below sequentially.

• Open Command Prompt from the Advanced Startup options.
• After that, execute this command where “C:” is the system volume: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:WindowsWinSxS
• If you encounter an error after executing the given command, insert the Windows USB or DVD and then execute this next command where “E:” is the USB or DVD drive: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:E:SourcesInstall.esd:1 /limitaccess
• In some cases, “install.esd” would be “install.wim” and in such case, you have to modify and execute this command: DISM /Image:C:Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:SourcesInstall.wim /limitaccess

Option 3 – Try to repair corrupted BCD

As mentioned, the error could also be due to corruption in BCD, and to fix it, you can use Bootrec.exe – a built-in command-line tool used to troubleshot issues related to boot up and Windows Startup. Before you run this tool, make sure that you have inserted a bootable USB or DVD into your computer. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:

• You need to go to the Advanced Startup Options.
• Then click on Troubleshoot.
• Next, select the Advanced Options and then Command Prompt.
• Once Command Prompt has been pulled up, enter each one of the following commands and in the sequence that they are given to rebuild BCD files and repair MBR files:
  • Bootrec /Fixmbr
  • Bootrec /FixBoot
• After you execute the commands given above, you should see a confirmation message that says, “The operation completed successfully”.
• Now type the “Bootrec /RebuildBCD” command to rebuild BCD.
• Finally, close Command Prompt and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility

You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
• After that, click on Repair your computer located in the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
• Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.

Option 5 – Try to use the Windows Recovery Environment

If the four options given above didn’t help fix the problem, you could try running Windows Repair and a Windows bootable USB or DVD.

• First, insert the bootable USB or DVD and boot into it, and select the “Repair your computer” option.
• Next, once you see the manufacturer logo on your computer, tap the key to enter into Windows Recovery Environment.
• After that, change the Boot sequence to DVD drive under the UEFI Firmware settings and restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, select the boot order and make changes accordingly as displayed in the BIOS.

Option 6 – Try running System Restore in Advanced Startup Options

Since you probably can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.

• Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
• From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
• Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After that, type “exe /OFFLINE:C:Windows” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.

Note: You need to replace “C” with the drive where Windows Installation is located.

If you are running the Windows Update service but decided to stop it but you encountered an error message instead that says, “The Windows Update service could not be stopped”, read on as this post will help you fix the problem. This kind of error appears when you use the Command Prompt to stop the Windows Update service, especially if you are using cmd without admin privileges. A lot of users reported that they were not able to disable the automatic Windows Update in Windows 10 using Command Prompt. The command used to stop the Windows Update service is the “net stop wuauserv” command. However, when some users executed this command, they got the error message. So if you are one of these users that can’t stop the Windows Update Service via Command Prompt, you can try to fix that using PID as well as checking the Service dependencies. For more details, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to stop the Windows Update service via PID

In case you don’t know, each running service or process has its own unique ID or PID and you can find it in the Task Manager. You can use it to stop the Windows Update service. How? Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
• Next, go to the Services tab and look for the service named “wuauserv” and get its PID.
• After that, type “cmd” in the Windows Start search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt with admin privileges, execute this command: taskkill /f /pid <PID>

Note: You need to replace “<PID>” with the PID of the “wuauserv” service. For instance, the PID is 6676, then this is how the command should be “taskkill /f /pid 6676”.

• After you execute the command, you will this message on your screen, “SUCCESS: The process with PID 6676 has been terminated” which indicates that you have stopped the Windows Update service successfully.

Option 2 – Try to check the Service dependencies

Dependencies of a Windows Service in Windows 10 are when windows services depend on other services. Such is the case with the Windows Update service – it also depends on three different services such as the Remote Procedure Call or RPC service, DCOM Server Process Launcher, and the RPC Endpoint Mapper. Meaning to say, if two of these services are not working as expected, then the dependant service will also be affected. This could be the reason why the Windows Update service could not start.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
• From the list of Services, look for the following services:
  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Service
  • DCOM Server Process Launcher
  • RPC Endpoint Mapper
• After you find these services, double click on each one of them and check whether the Startup type for all is set to Automatic and the Service status is set to Running or not.
• If the service status is not running, then click the Start button. Afterward, check if you can now run the Windows Update service.

One of the most important User Interface elements in a Windows 10 operating system is the Start Menu. Not too long ago, Microsoft has added some new features and redesigned the Start Menu a couple of times as well. Thus, it is not uncommon for Windows 10 users to use several monitors. That’s why in this post, you will be guided on how you can move the Start Menu to your second monitor in Windows 10. There are a lot of advantages in using more than one monitor like a better and widescreen as well as help in improving and increasing productivity. Usually, the Start Menu and the taskbar is present in the original monitor only. In most cases, it helps users in moving the Start Menu to the second monitor and helps users in segregating tasks, and uses separate monitors for each kind of task. There are two simple steps to move the Start Menu to the second monitor. You have the option to unlock and drag the taskbar, as well as make adjustments in the settings. To get started, refer to each one of the following options to move the Start Menu to the second monitor.

Option 1 – Move the second monitor by unlocking and dragging the taskbar

The first option you can try to move the Start Menu to the second display is to simply unlock and then drag the taskbar. To do so, follow these steps:

• First, click on the Taskbar and unlock it.
• Next, uncheck the Lock the taskbar feature in the menu of the Taskbar Settings. This will free the taskbar so you can move or drag it around.
• After that, push the Start Menu to the furthermost corner of the screen and then transfer it to the second monitor.

Option 2 – Move the second monitor using the keyboard

• The first thing you have to do is to tap the Windows key to open the Start Menu.
• Next, close the Start Menu by tapping the Esc key.
• After that, the controls will shift back to the taskbar.
• Now open the context menu of the taskbar by tapping the Alt + space bar together. This will move the Start Menu to the second monitor.

Option 3 – Move the Start Menu to the second monitor via Settings

If you find that the Taskbar is moving to the wrong monitor automatically or if the program does not start on the same monitor as the taskbar, then you can try this option.

• Click on Start first and click Run.
• Then type “desk.cpl” in the field and click OK.
• Alternatively, you could also right-click on the desktop and select the Screen Resolution option from the drop-down menu.
• After that, click on the monitor that you want to use as the primary monitor and select the checkbox labeled “Make this my main display”.
• Once done, you have to choose the “Show desktop” on only 1 from the drop-down menu of Multiple displays.
• Now click the Keep Changes option and select the Extend these displays from the Multiple displays drop-down menu and then click on the Apply button to save the changes made.
• Afterward, click the Keep changes option once the dialog box pops up.

This post will guide you in fixing high CPU, Memory, and Disk usage problems caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. NTOSKRNL stands for “NT Operating System Kernel. This file is a kernel image that is responsible for a lot of systems-based processes such as Hardware Virtualization, Process, and Memory. Aside from that, it is also the one that compresses the old pages of memory that reduces the overall amount of memory being used. If you notice that your computer is running slowly and you find that the NTOSKRNL.exe file is hogging your resources such as disk usage, CPU usage as well as memory usage, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. Make use of the options given below to resolve the issues caused by NTOSKRNL.exe. 1] Scan your computer for potential malware There might be a good chance that your computer might be infected with malware. And this malware might be associated with the NTOSKRNL.exe file and hence making it consume a lot of system resources. So, I would really recommend you to make sure that your Antivirus is up to date and then scan your computer with it specifically the C:/Windows/System32 folder because this is the location where the NTOSKRNL.exe file is located.

Option 1 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State

The first thing you have to do is to put your computer in a Clean Boot State as this can help you in finding any incompatible programs that are causing the problem.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Once you’ve found any incompatible programs, you need to uninstall them. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• 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 the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.

Note: If you have downloaded the app from the Windows Store, you can simply right-click on it from the application list and then uninstall it.

Option 2 – Update or rollback drivers

If the first option didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

Option 3 – Try to run the DISM tool

If the first two options didn’t work, then running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management might. 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.

Option 4 – Try to stop the Runtime Broker process

The RuntimeBroker.exe or the Runtime Broker process is the one that monitors access to Windows APIs to make sure that the apps do not violate the core security of Windows. This process usually leaves a very small footprint. However, there are times when it consumes more resources than it’s supposed to and does not release memory after the work is done that results in a memory leak. As a result, it affects NTOSKRNL.exe which is why you have to stop the Runtime Broker process. To do so, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
• After opening Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the Runtime Broker process.
• Once you find it, check if it is using more than 15% of your memory. If it is, then you most likely have an issue with an app installed on your computer.
• Select the Runtime Broker process and right-click on it and then click on the End Task option to end its process.

Option 5 – Try to run the Performance Troubleshooter

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type “msdt.exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic” in the field and hit Enter to open the Performance troubleshooter.
• Then click on Next to get started. Wait until the process is completed.

Option 6 – Try using the Windows Performance Toolkit

You can also use the Windows Performance Toolkit in finding the root cause of the problem. Just refer to the following steps to use this toolkit.

• Search for “cmd” in the Cortana Search box and click on Command Prompt from the search results to open it.
• Next, type in the command given below or copy and paste it and then hit Enter:

xperf -on latency -stackwalk profile -buffersize 1024 -MaxFile 256 -FileMode Circular && timeout -1 && xperf -d cpuusage.etl

• After executing the command, wait for at least 60 seconds and then check the logs of the Windows Performance toolkit which is stored in a file named cpuusage.etl in the folder located at C:/Windows/System32. From there, you should see a list of all the causes of the System Resources being hogged.

What is Error Code 0xC004C003?

Error code 0xC004C003 has to do with activating Windows 10 after a clean install. This problem has been a frequent nuisance to users trying to update from Windows 7 or 8.1 following the invite path they got from Microsoft.

Solution

Error Causes

There are several problems that may have caused error code 0xC004C003. The most common of them are:

• The product key entered was invalid, and cannot be used to activate the new OS.
• The user followed the proper installation procedure, but the Windows update servers were too busy to handle the activation at that moment.
• The free upgrade invitation was followed but after the reinstallation, the copy of Windows 10 was still not activated.
• The user tried to perform a full clean install of Windows 10 instead of upgrading from Windows to Windows 10

Further Information and Manual Repair

A lot of solving error code 0xC004C003 has to do with the method in which the user has tried to update the system. If one decided to try and update the program before being invited to do so by the update manager, he must wait. Unfortunately, if one chooses to do it on his own and download a clean install, he was never given a product code to authenticate the process. There are two options to address error code 0xC004C003 — either restore to the previous Windows Operating System or call Microsoft (or visit their Website) and purchase a product key. The Windows update servers are very busy. There are lots of Microsoft users around the world, and the servers are doing their best to get to each and every one of the users as fast as possible, but they can only move at a certain speed. Your best bet is to sit back and wait a while. But what if you were invited, and properly downloaded Windows 10, then decided to do a clean install? It is advised that one do not try to enter Windows 7 or 8.1 serial code as this will not work. However, unlike the problem above, these users will NOT need to purchase a product key. According to Microsoft Support Staff, the installation servers are also very jammed because of the high numbers of installations going on right now. No matter what posts you may read, the key IS genuine, and it is NOT blocked, broken, or invalid. To check if Windows has been properly activated, open the Command Window. Make sure you are logged into an administrator profile; otherwise this check will not work. Type in “slmgr.vbs/ato” and click Enter and then wait. While waiting, the command will check on the status of the activation. Windows Script Host will open and show whether or not it is activated. A lot of users have reported that the activation did not work for the first few times. However they later reported after some more attempts, no issue was found in the way the operating system updated and that the activation process went smoothly. This is most likely due to the overload on the Windows Update servers, so bear with Microsoft. Users have reported that when trying to correct error code 0xC004C003, they have followed the upgrade path and then been told by Microsoft that the key was invalid and they had to purchase a new one. If the upgrade path provided by Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 is correctly followed then there is nothing to worry about Just wait a while and try it again. If there are prolonged issues, speak with a technician by visiting the Microsoft website and contacting the help center by calling the number provided. Give them all relevant information and they will be sure to help accordingly. The best solution to fix error code 0xC004C003 is to wait. In essence, the user will be waiting to reenter the same product key. According to Microsoft, and many user posts found online, it is recommended to wait a while and then try to activate again. This seemed to be an answer to most users' problems, and seem to work just fine. If the problem persists, take it to a windows repair technician to have it sorted out. If that does not work, use a powerful automated tool to fix the problem.

Finally upgraded to Microsoft’s newest OS, but the performance is a bit sluggish? Here are a few useful tips you may not have thought about that could significantly transform your experience!

How to speed up Windows 11?

1. Disable startup programs

There are many programs that launch right on startup that really aren’t essential. This, in turn, causes your PC to launch and run more slowly.

To check which programs are enabled on startup, go into the Task Manager and select the Startup tab. Find every program that doesn’t need to launch immediately, right-click on it and press ‘Disable’.

This will not shut down the program in that instant. It’ll just prevent it from running automatically as you turn on your PC. You can always launch it manually when you need it.

2. Expand your memory and storage

If you want your PC to run super smoothly, you need to have enough memory to support that. This is especially significant for those of you who love to multitask. Upgrading your RAM gives your PC more space to store the temporary data it needs to complete processing tasks. In other words, processing takes a lot less time.

Your long-term storage is equally important. Hopefully at this point you’re already using SSD over HDD, since this type of storage offers a faster boot time.

In any case, we recommend expanding your storage capacity. The more files and data you store, the more there is to load, significantly influencing your PC’s speed. Larger storage capacity means new data and essential updates can be stored comfortably, preventing any strain on your PC’s performance.

3. Clean up disk space

If you aren’t willing to upgrade your storage just yet, the least you can do is clean up your storage right now. 

Aside from manually deleting stuff you no longer need, you can also get rid of temporary files that clutter up your storage and eat up performance for no reason. To get to them, click Windows + X and select ‘Run’ (or just type it in the search bar).

A small window will pop up, where you need to type %temp%. This will take you to a whole folder full of all the temporary files you can remove without thinking twice. 

For those who upgraded from Windows 10, there’s a neat trick to get rid of potential leftover files you don’t need on your brand new iteration. Only do this if you’re 100% sticking with Windows 11, though. Go to System > Storage > Temporary files. Make sure to only leave ‘Previous Windows Installation’ and ‘Windows Update Clean-up’ checked and click on ‘Remove files’.

Lastly, make use of Windows 11’s fantastic Storage Sense feature. Turning it on will enable your PC to constantly watch out for junk or unused files to optimize your PC’s performance to the maximum.

4. Install pending updates

This one should go without saying, but pending updates can be detrimental to your Windows 11 performance. The longer you leave them untouched, the more bugs the outdated programs and patches can cause. So, make sure to regularly check for updates and install them as soon as they’re available.

5. Disable visual effects

As cool as visual effects, animations, shadows and transparency are, they can also put quite a toll on your computer’s speed. On a newer setup this generally shouldn’t be a problem, but if you do notice a drop in performance, definitely consider turning off some of these settings.

To do this you can go to the Control Panel, System Properties and click the ‘Advanced’ tab. In the Performance section, choose Settings. If you’d like a quicker way to get to the dialog (Performance Options) with Visual Effects, you can also type sysdm.cpl in the search bar.

Once there, you can either have your PC choose what’s best, choose the best appearance or the best performance. The other option is to manually toggle the effects off and on. The biggest obstacles to speed are taskbar animations, window shadows, control/element animations and animations upon minimizing/maximizing.

In the same vein, you should go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and disable Transparency, to prevent your computer from doing overtime just to hit the aesthetic appeal.

6. Get rid of bloatware

Bloatware is one of the biggest culprits of slow computer speed. 

Pre-installed software that’s pretty much useless but takes up valuable system resources has been around since day one. No matter which device or platform you’re talking about. Luckily, a lot of it is removable, making it easy to lighten the load on your device.

To boost your Windows 11 computer, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. You’ll probably see a bunch of apps you don’t want or need. Click on the three dots next to each one you want to remove and press ‘Uninstall’. 

Aside from helping optimize performance, removing bloatware has another great benefit. Unfortunately, often this pre-installed software is quite vulnerable, exposing you to great risk of cyberattacks. So, removing it definitely improves your device’s security and gives you at least some peace of mind.

Summary

These are a few of our fastest tips for boosting performance. There are other, more complex and time-consuming ways, of course. If you’ve tried these quick ones and still need advice on how to improve your PC’s speed, feel free to reach out!

If you receive an error that says, “An unspecified error occurred during System Restore (0x800700b7)” when you tried to restore your Windows 10 PC, worry not, for this post will help you resolve the problem. This kind of error typically occurs when System Restore was not completed successfully and fails instead with this error. Before you start, you must not abruptly shut down your computer and wait for the error to occur. You may receive this error due to many possible reasons. It could be caused by your antivirus program that’s not letting the process complete or corrupted system files which causes the failure or it could also be caused by an unsuccessful installation of a Windows Update. Here are some fixes you can check out if you can still boot into your computer:

Option 1 – Try to disable your antivirus program

Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the System Restore process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and then run System Restore again, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 2 – Run the DISM tool

The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like the blank dialog boxes. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:

• Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
• After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Run the System File Checker

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 the cause why you’re getting the errors 0x8024a11a and 0x8024a112. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• 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.

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Try to run the System Restore in a Clean Boot State

If the first three given options didn’t work and the service still keeps on failing even though the service is running, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to run System Restore again.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Now try to run System Restore again and see if the process goes smoothly.

Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing the problem with System Restore. 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. On the other hand, if you can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, here are some fixes you can try instead:

Option 6 – Try running System Restore in Advanced Startup Options

If you cannot boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.

• Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
• From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
• Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
• After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.

Option 7 – Run the SFC scan and DISM via Advanced Startup Options

Like what you did in the first given option, you can use the Advanced Startup Options to run both System File Checker and DISM. All you have to do is boot into the Advanced Startup Options and from there select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. After accessing Command Prompt, you can run the System File Checker scan first by entering the “sfc /scannow”. As for DISM, you can run the “Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” command.

Option 8 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility

You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
• After that, click on Repair your computer located in the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
• Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.