How to get rid of My Maps Wizard

So, you have finished with work, game, movie, music, email, or whatever on your PC, you look at the clock, it is late, you decide to go to sleep or outside, you click on the power button and choose shutdown. Now when a PC is shut down you feel good and go with your business but the next time you power it up you get the same error like the computer never really shut down in the first place. You wonder why and reboot it, just in case and all of the sudden error is gone.

If something similar has happened to you or you had the feeling that after shutting down your computer has not really felt like shutting it down, do not seek professional help, everything is OK with you because when you click on shut down, your computer does not really shut down!

Truth is that Microsoft has changed how to shut down works and how rebooting works in Windows with an update but has not publicly said anything about it so some users may experience this feeling of not shutdown phenomenon and might even think there is something wrong with their PC.

Why this change?

A few years ago shutdown button and option in Windows were really shutting down OS, but things changed when Microsoft wanted to increase boot-up speed. Now when that decision was made shutdown option was changed. So, what was changed? Well in order to increase Windows booting time, the shutdown will now turn off power to PC components and it will look like everything is indeed shutdown but the Windows kernel will actually be saved to a hard drive with all settings and just awaken once the PC is turned back ON. This will result in all errors and other stuff being just still present same as they were once the system was instructed to be turned off.

Rebooting your PC will now clear kernel and file from the hard drive and you will get a clean system startup without any issues tied with the kernel itself.

Workaround

Now that we know why and what change has been made to Windows logical question is can we shut down our PC at all properly? Luckily for us, the answer is yes and we will not need any external application to do it, we can still do it inside Windows itself and it is quite quick and easy.

Bringing back the old shutdown

In order to bring the old shutdown functionality of your PC please follow the instructions but be aware that by doing this your PC will boot a little bit slower since it will have to load the kernel from scratch each time computer is turned ON.

First thing is to go to settings and go to System

Then once you are inside the system, navigate to the power and sleep and click on it to select it. Once you have it selected to all the way to the right and click on additional power settings.

When you click on advanced power settings you should be led to the control panel's power options. Inside this panel click on top left link where it says Choose what the power button does.

Inside options, you will need to untick the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended), this option has been ticked ON by the Windows update and probably without notifying you. Option means exactly what was described, it will save kernel state on the hard drive for faster boot time but sadly it can cause some issues since it will never be reloaded from 0.

If you are unable to uncheck the box click on the text beside the shield icon that says: Change settings that are currently unavailable (you will have to be logged in as administrator).

Conclusion

Altho turning off fast startup and shutting down the PC completely will for sure extend your bootup time I still believe that it is the right choice since sometimes a lot of clutter and bad things accumulate over time inside the OS and can cause a vast variety of problems in a long run. So stay safe and shut down that PC as it used to be in the past.

As you know, Microsoft’s Windows Media Creation Tool is a useful tool that helps you download and install the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system. However, there are times when it could encounter some problems during the update process. One of these programs is the following error message:

“0x8007001F-0x20006, The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during REPLICATE_OC operation.”

The error pointed out the “Safe OS phase”. It is the phase that’s initiated to install all the required Windows Updates. Thus, the possible cause for this error could have something to do with an interrupted download, internet connection, and many more. Although this error could be caused by a lot of factors, fixing it shouldn’t be that hard. You can try to reset the Windows Update Components or delete the Windows Update cache. You could also disable both the Firewall and your antivirus program temporarily or run the Windows Update in a Clean Boot state, as well as run the Windows Update troubleshooter. To get started troubleshooting the error, follow each one of the suggestions provided below.

Option 1 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

Resetting the Windows Update components could help you resolve the Windows Update error 0x8007001f – 0x20006. How? Refer to the following steps:

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• Now, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Exit Command Prompt and then restart your computer.

Option 2 – Try to delete the Windows Update Cache

You might also want to delete the Windows Update cache since there are times when existing corrupt or incomplete Windows Update files can cause some problems in downloading and installing Windows Updates. To achieve this, simply delete the “$Windows.~BT” & “$Windows.~WS” folders in your computer. Once you’re done, try to run Windows Update again and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to temporarily disable anti-virus and Windows Defender Firewall

As mentioned, the error could be due to the antivirus program or the Windows Defender Firewall installed on your computer. Thus, disabling them or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when you’re not able to access the shared drive on your computer. There are times when you encounter problems like error 0x8007001f – 0x20006 due to interference of antivirus or security programs. Thus, you have to disable both your antivirus program and Windows Defender Firewall for the meantime and check if it fixes the error or not

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update in a Clean Boot State

It is possible that some third-party application is the one that’s causing the problem so it’s best if you put your computer in a Clean Boot state. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

• 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.)
• After that, try to run Windows Update again.

Note: If you are able to install the app without any trouble at all then it means that the error is caused by some third-party application on your computer. You need to look for the culprit and uninstall it once you found it.

Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing error 0x8007001f – 0x20006. 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.

Runtime Error 5 - What Is It?

Runtime Error 5 is one of those errors that Windows users encounter at least once in their life. Generally, when Runtime Error 5 occurs, the message that appears says ‘Invalid Procedure Call or Argument’. Runtime Error 5 occurs because the Quality Analyst function that resides within the Operating System behaves in an abnormal manner and the user receives a warning.

Solution

Error Causes

As explained above, Runtime Error 5 is caused because of the unexplained behavior of the Quality Analyst function. The problem occurs when the function is lost and is not mapped to any drive. As a result, Windows is unable to find and load it and displays the error message. Runtime Error 5 is also caused by other reasons listed below as follows.

• When files of programs like Visual Basic use bad entries in the registry.
• When a user attempts to load Internet Explorer and a global cash of browser occurs, this also causes Runtime Error 5.

Since these types of errors can easily be fixed, it is strongly advised that a user takes the necessary actions to keep them from occurring in the future.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Some instructions for users to fix Runtime Error 5 as soon as it appears are listed below as follows.

1. Users are recommended to restart their computers. However, prior to doing so, it is advised that any programs that are opened are closed and work is saved to prevent data loss. Once the computer restarts, users should load the program that triggered Runtime Error 5 once again to determine whether or not the error recurs.
2. If the problem persists, the best approach is to uninstall the program causing the error. This can be accomplished by going to the ‘Control Panel’ and selecting the ‘Add/Remove programs’ option if one is using Windows XP or Windows 95. However, if a user is running Windows 7, the same task can be accomplished in the ‘Program and Features’ option. If there’s an option that allows you to clear personal settings and preferences, the box should be checked.
3. Now reinstall the program using the latest version of the installer to stop encountering this error. Use any patch for the program if available. Run installer while following the instructions on the screen. Check the default settings as well.  It is suggested to instantly install any patches if available.
4. Another piece of advice is to simultaneously press ‘Ctrl, Shift, and Esc’. Windows task manager will appear. Go to the “processes” tab and select a process that doesn’t look familiar to you. Note the filename and click on the ‘End Process’ button. Load the program again and find out if the error occurs. Once the program causing the error is identified, the user can perform the steps listed above to resolve the problem.

As you know, Microsoft Store is the ultimate source of applications for Windows 10 devices and it’s turning to be the hub for various applications. In fact, aside from applications, it has also become a source for movies, books, TV and even buying hardware directly from Microsoft and many more. Although downloading goes smoothly most of the time, depending on your internet connection, there are also times when you might experience slow download speeds while downloading apps and other things in the Microsoft Store. There are several factors that could be causing this kind of issue. It can be due to the Microsoft Store app itself or it could be enforced speed limiter on the application or it could be due to a corrupted Microsoft Store cache, or it could be due to the Windows Update service running in the background, and so on. To fix this problem, you can try to reset the Microsoft Store cache, or set the bandwidth limit for downloads, or try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell. Before you proceed with the troubleshooting options provided below, make sure that your internet connection is stable enough to download apps and games. You also have to check if there is an update or a massive download in progress. Once you have these things covered, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – 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, “exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 2 – Try to set the bandwidth limit for downloads

• Tap the Win + I key combination to open the Windows Settings app.
• After that, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update.
• From there, select the Advanced options located on the right-side panel.
• Next, select Delivery Optimization and check the box for “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background under the Download settings section and then set the slider to 100%.

Option 3 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell

• Tap the Win + X key combination or right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed and open the Windows PowerShell window.
• Next, type in or copy-paste the following command to re-register the Microsoft Store app and tap Enter:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRootWinStoreAppxManifest.xml

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

Magcore.dll Error - What is it?

Magcore.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library. This file is associated with software developed by ArcSoft, a renowned multimedia application developer. Magcore.dll consists of small programs that help load and run software developed by ArcSoft on your system smoothly. This file virtually comes into function when you use certain audio and video features incorporated in ArcSoft programs for example ArcSoft Media converter. However, you may experience Magcore.dll error code on when this DLL file fails to run and load programs. The error may hamper your ability to access ArcSoft programs on your system and cause you a great deal of inconvenience. Magcore.dll error is often displayed in any one of the following formats:

“The file magcore.dll is missing” “MagCore.dll cannot be found” "Cannot find [PATH]magcore.dll" “This application has failed to start because MagCore.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix the error.”

Solution

Error Causes

This DLL file is known to be prone to errors. MagCore.dll error occurs due to several reasons such as:

• Missing or damaged MagCore.dll file
• Hardware failure
• Viral infection
• Registry issues

If you experience MagCore.dll error on your system, it is advisable to fix it right away. Though it is not fatal, but if you don’t repair it, you may not be able to access practically all ArcSoft programs on your PC.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the efficient and easy manual methods to resolve error MagCore.dll on your PC:

Method 1 - Scan and Remove Malware

MagCore.dll error can be triggered by viral or other malware infection. Malware can easily damage DLL files and masquerade as the MagCore.dll file. To resolve, simply download a powerful antivirus on your system. Run it to scan your entire PC for viruses and remove them right away.

Method 2 - Update the Drivers for Hardware Devices

As we mentioned above the error may be related to hardware failure too. In times like these, it is advisable to update the drivers for hardware devices. For example if you try to play a 3D video game and it fails to run showing you MagCore.dll error message, then simply try updating the drivers for your video card. Drivers can be updated in Windows by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager.

Method 3 - Use System Restore to Undo Recent System Changes

After trying method 1 and 2, if the error code still persists, then it is opt for method 3. Use Windows System Restore utility to undo recent system changes and bring your PC to its normal previous condition before the error occurred. To restore, simply go to the start menu, type System Restore. Now click on System Restore and just pick a point in the past called a restore point to return important Windows files and settings.

Method 4 - Repair the Registry

If the underlying cause of the MagCore.dll error code is related to registry issues, then simply repair the registry. You can fix it manually but it is a little complicated and time-consuming. You may find it difficult if you are not a technical whiz. Nonetheless to resolve and repair it in seconds, download Restoro. This is a powerful and a user-friendly PC Fixer embedded with a registry cleaner and several other highly functional scanners. Run it to scan your entire PC for registry problems. The registry cleaner utility removes all bad and invalid entries, cleans up the registry space, and repairs the damaged files. Click here to download Restoro and repair MagCore.dll error code on your PC.

Roblox is a very popular online game with millions of gamers playing it each day and as such it will naturally bring a lot of malware and attack on players trying to steal and exploit them for monetary gains. The latest attack and high-profile stealing of currency and assets happened exactly in Roblox.

Malicious activities have been reported to come from chrome extensions. So far 2 extensions have been identified that have hidden malware inside them but there could be more of them currently undetected. Extensions work as a front while in the back they mine user logins and other data in order to steal stuff from the Roblox platform.

To make things worse some of the malware is within long extensions like SearchBlox. The SearchBlox extension allows you to search quickly for other users if it was legitimate but has been compromised within the last month. There is evidence that people are stealing Roblox currency with the data gathered by the hidden backdoor in it.

SearchBlox extension is still Active in Chrome Web Store, with the primary listing still with the "Featured " badge. Google is actively removing malicious software from its storefront on a regular basis but this one still lingers in it.

If you or your kid have this Chrome extension installed, uninstall it right away and always be careful about which extension you install and give access to your system, keep them updated and check various blogs and article sites to inform yourself when a bad one is found.

The latest update from Panos Panay on Twitter is including New and redesigned Snipping tool inside Windows 11. From the shared video, we can see that it includes modern Windows 11 UI redesign and it looks and feels like a part of Windows 11. More things that can be seen from the shared video is that it looks like the new snipping tool is a merged version of the old with snip & sketch. It is good to see that it is still possible to capture screen with easier way natively inside Windows 11 but some more functionality would be more welcome I guess. Users were asking for added functions for a long time like adding simple text for example but from shared video, no new features were presented so for some users 3^rd party solutions will still be the way to go. The new and redesigned Snipping tool will roll out with the next update and we will see then about all new features inside it firsthand. Until then, take care.

After you fresh install Windows 10 on your computer, it allows you to set up a PIN just before you can start using it. However, a number of users reported that the Windows 10 installation gets stuck on the “Set up a Pin” phase. If you are one of the users who experience the same thing, then read on as this post will walk you through fixing the problem. As users start to use their newly installed Windows 10 computer, they reported that the screen is still stuck even after they enter the correct PIN twice and there is no way for them to go forward or backward. Note that this is a part of the account setup and that your computer must stay connected to your internet connection before you finalize everything. And even though the PIN works when the computer is offline, the account setup still needs an internet connection, at least for a fresh installation. The solution for this kind of issue is quite easy and there won’t be any problem even if your computer shuts down or restarts since the installation is already complete and all that’s left is the account setup. To fix this problem, follow the steps given below. Step 1: The first thing you have to do is to turn off your internet connection or disable all connectivity from your computer. Note: If you are using either an Ethernet cable or a Wi-Fi switch to connect to the internet, you have to disable or remove them. But if you don’t have any options, just completely turn off your internet connection. Step 2: The next thing you have to do is to force your computer to shut down and then restart your computer. The setup process will eventually pick up exactly where it left off. The only difference is that there is no connection to the internet and your screen will no longer be stuck on the PIN setup screen so you now have the option to skip it and wait until you’re logged in for the first time. Step 3: Once you’re done, you can then you can choose to Setup Pin later on and turn your internet connection back on or connect your computer with an internet connection.

You might have experienced a situation where you’re trying to install or update your Java application on your Windows 10 computer but were not able to do so for some reason. One of the problems you can encounter while updating or installing Java is Error Code 1603. There are two ways you can install Java – you have the option to choose where to get Java either from the online download or offline download. There are times when before you can install Java, you might have to disable the firewall first as it may interrupt the Java online installation. And while doing so, if you are getting the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error message, read on as this post will show you what you can do to fix it. At the time of writing, the exact cause of this error is still unknown. On the other hand, you must still check if you have fulfilled all the system requirements needed to install Java. You have to make sure that your Windows 10 PC has sufficient disk space available for the Java installation or update. In addition, you also have to make sure that you meet all the hardware requirements and you are using a popular web browser for the installation, and that you have administrative privileges for download and installation. To fix the “Java Update or Install did not complete – Error Code 1603” error, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Restart your computer before you install the new Java package

You might have to restart your computer if you got the error code 1603 while installing Java through an offline download.

• Restart your computer.
• Next, download and install the offline installer of the Java package from the official site of Java and not some third-party source.
• In the prompt box that appears while downloading the Java package, select the option Save in and save the package in your preferred folder.
• After that, navigate to the saved, downloaded package on your computer and then double click on the file to begin the installation process.

After that, if it didn’t fix the problem and you’re still getting the error code 1603, follow the next given option below.

Option 2 – Uninstall the old versions of Java before you install the new package

• Open the Control Panel.
• After that, click on Programs and features.
• Then select the old Java package and click on Uninstall.
• Restart your computer and then try installing the new Java package again from its official site.

Option 3 – Disable the Java content in the browser you’re using via Java Control Panel and reinstall Java

• Open the Control Panel again.
• And then click on the Java icon to open the Java Control Panel.
• Next, navigate to the Security tab and then uncheck the “Enable Java content in the browser” option.
• Then click on Apply and then Ok to save the changes made.
• Now install the new Java package again after you download it from its official website.
• Once the installation is completed, re-enable the “Enable Java content in the browser” option in the Java Control Panel as it is essential especially if you are running Java content in your browser.

Due to its hybrid core technology, the Alder Lake line of processors had some DRM issues with some game titles where DRM protection software detected hybrid core design switching via manager as a hack attempt and prevented the game from working properly. Over 50 titles were affected by this issue, now only 3 remain still affected but it is being worked on them so that can be also resolved. Intel says that the remedy to the issue for these games is the scroll lock fix which can be done so by enabling Legacy Game Compatibility mode from the BIOS of your motherboard. When running the said games, you can press scroll lock to park the E-cores on Intel's Alder Lake Desktop CPUs to get rid of DRM issues. Certain motherboard manufacturers such as MSI and Gigabyte have made this even easier through software tools with which you don't have to access the BIOS. All you need to do is select a button in the tool which works on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems and you will enable compatibility mode.