Afraid of the growing threats online? As you should be. But we’re here to show you what kinds of malware are out there and what you can do to keep them at bay.
Malware definition
Malware comes from the term malicious software. It’s software designed to attack and exploit devices and networks to the advantage of the hacker who made it.
Malware can be transmitted in different ways. Most commonly this happens via infected USB drives, downloadable files or malicious websites. Depending on the type and ultimate goal, the consequences of a malware attack can range from negligible to catastrophic.
Credit Ed Hardie on Unsplash
What kinds of malware are there?
1. Virus
A virus is typically spread via infected files, websites or links. It’s one of the oldest malware types and one of the most difficult to get rid of. That’s because, once activated, it replicates itself - hence the name.
It can perform different kinds of attacks, depending on what the creator wants to achieve. The main characteristic of a virus is that it really doesn’t show itself until you activate the host. So that’s a scary thought for sure.
2. Adware
Sometimes an ad blocker isn’t enough to fight off unwanted ads. And some of them can, unfortunately, be malicious. They may redirect you to infected sites or prompt downloads of risky files. Even just opening a malicious site can lead to data theft.
So, definitely be careful when clicking around. Even if an ad seems completely legitimate, you can never be too sure.
3. Ransomware
Through ransomware, cybercriminals gain access to a user’s data and use it to extort them for money. Basically, the user is threatened with data deletion or even exposure if a ransom isn’t paid by a specific deadline.
This is a particularly nerve-wracking type of malware. If it targets an individual, it preys upon their sense of anxiety, fear, guilt and even shame. If it targets a business (which is a lot more common), it preys upon not only that business’s profit but also every single one of their customers and their data.
4. Trojans
This type of malware disguises itself very well as a legitimate-looking program. Once you download it, hackers can get full access and control of your device, data and network. They can even be hidden in games, apps and attachments. They cannot self-replicate, though, so we guess that’s… good news?
5. Worms
Worms can replicate, just like viruses, but you don’t need to actually activate the infected program for them to get going. They can be used for various purposes, ranging from data deletion to file encryption to support a ransomware attack.
Credit Growtika on Unsplash
6. Spyware
Spyware refers to malicious software that stays hidden on your computer and monitors your activity. The best-known type is keyloggers. This can be used to steal sensitive data like passwords and banking information.
7. Rootkits
Rootkits are among the most dangerous types of malware. They allow administrative access and full control of a device, which lets hackers continue hijacking all your data and monitoring your activity without your knowledge.
8. Botnets
Botnets are networks made up of bots - computers that cybercriminals have infected with malicious software. Bots and botnets give hackers remote access to users’ devices and allow them to spy on your camera, take screenshots, memorize passwords and launch Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This one truly makes your hair stand on end.
What can you do about it?
You know the old adage - better safe than sorry. And trust us, malware attacks are such a pain in the you-know-what that you really don’t want to be sorry.
Luckily, there are simple solutions that can shield you from most digital threats these days. What you want to be looking at is a solid antivirus program. Well, technically, you need an antimalware program, but since the latter evolved from the former, we still mostly refer to them as antivirus software. The majority of antimalware programs these days don’t just shield you from potential risks online, but include additional features as well. For example, some Bitdefender antivirus packages also include parental control and a VPN. And Bitdefender is not just for PCs either - it offers protection for your beloved iPhone or Android as well. You can throw in a password manager in there too, for an additional layer of security.
Credit Dan Nelson on Unsplash
If you aren’t too concerned about all these various threats or feel like you don’t need extra security, you can at least take a step to protect your information from being exposed to lurking cybercriminals as you’re browsing. This can be done through a good VPN like Surfshark, which hides your identity in the digital space and prevents your data from being tracked.
Choosing the right protective software is especially important if you have children with access to the Internet, since they’re unfortunately even more vulnerable to malicious attacks. If you aren’t sure what the right kind of antimalware program is right for you, you can reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help keep your entire household or office digitally secure.
The bottom line
The truth is that there’s no way to be 100% protected in the online world. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to infiltrate our devices. But malware-battling software evolves along with them and there’s still plenty you can do to keep risks away. Stay safe!
Microsoft allows its users to download a copy of Windows to install on PCs. However, when you enter the key after the installation and you got the Activation Error 0xC004F212 instead, then it means that the license key and the Windows version you’ve just installed, do not match.
When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:
“The product key used on this PC didn’t work with this edition of Windows. Activation Error 0xC004F212.”
Every time Microsoft generates a license for a copy of Windows, it is associated with one particular Windows variant. Windows comes in many editions like Enterprise, Home, Professional, and so on. For instance, if you bought a license for Windows 10 Enterprise but you have installed Windows 10 Professional instead, then the activation will surely fail and you’ll encounter the Activation Error 0xC004F212.
You will be asked to select which edition you want to install when you reinstall Windows 10 using a digital license. If you opted for an edition other than the one you are licensed to use, then you will most likely get the Activation Error 0xC004F212. If you have purchased your license key from a store or some website, you might want to check back with them about the exact version of Windows. Doing so will help you narrow down the problem. And if you have second thoughts about the license key’s validity, you can just reach out to a Microsoft Support agent to check the validity of the license key.
Also, if have bought it from the store, there should be an option to get a refund. That way you can choose to buy the right version of Windows.
Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter
The first thing you can do to resolve the Activation Error 0xC004F212 is to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:
Go to Settings and then select Activation.
After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.
The Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter will determine if your license key is a valid Windows 10 digital license for an edition that is not currently installed. If it turns out that it’s not, then the troubleshooter will show you how to install the correct edition.
Option 2 – Try forcing Windows 10 ISO to use the right version
You can also try to force Windows 10 ISO to use the correct version depending on the product key. Note that this option only works between Windows 10 Home and Professional version since they both have a common ISO. So if it’s Enterprise, then this option won’t work for you.
Extract the Windows 10 ISO files using an extractor.
Then browse to the folder you created and go to the sources folder.
From there, you need to create a text file named “PID.txt” and make sure to follow the exact format given below:
[PID]Value=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Note: “xxxxx” is the KEY to your Windows version.
Next, you need to create the ISO again or bootable media that will repack everything and then create the Media file. You can use the Media Creation tool for this.
Note: Windows will check the key during the installation and will figure out the right version of Windows.
Option 3 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance
If you’re at your wits’ end in trying to update your Windows 10 computer, you should consider contacting Microsoft Support for help as they can offer you various options that would make fixing Windows Activation Error 0xC004F212 a lot easier and faster.
Started as an internal network and has slowly expanded since 1960 internet has taken over the world. In the beginning, it was a means of information change but in the modern age you can run applications and virtual machines over the internet, you can stream video and audio, and you can communicate in real-time with someone on the other side of Earth.
With the internet growing so fast in such a small amount of time it is only logical and wise to take a step back and take a good look at what it offers now, what are great things about it and what are some of the worst.
Good sides of the internet
Information
There are a lot of advantages of the internet, first and foremost is information. Internet was made as an information exchange service and even today you can find a lot of various information about various topics that interest you. A site like Wikipedia is a completely free online encyclopedia and a lot of news companies have their own internet sites where you can find free information and news.
On the other hand, there are also websites like udemy, edx, Coursera, and many others that will offer you the education, some for free, some for money but you can get a glimpse and part of university quality education for just a fraction of price.
Online shopping
Sites like Amazon have used the internet and launched themselves as today's multi-billion companies. In today's world, there is not a single thing you can not buy online. Many sites today are going from the large online marketplace where you can find everything to small niche specialized ones. Also every major brand in the world today has its own online store.
Other shops will offer you music, movies, games, etc. Services like steam, xbox pass, sony pass etc, will let you buy games online, other music, movies, and many more.
Streaming services
Days, when you had to buy movies in order to watch them at home, are gone, thanks to the internet we have plenty of streaming services for movies and tv shows as well as ones for music. If you do not want to spend money on actually purchasing things then a good idea is to have a streaming plan set up when you want it.
Email and messaging
Communication is a great thing and since the dawn of mankind people have been talking and sharing with each other, the internet has made it possible to send mail electronically and instantly and modern chat communication is everywhere. We can not just talk with our friends and family that can be on the other side of the world, we can also talk in real-time with the sales representative, with technical service, or attend online classes with a group of people.
Cloud storage services
Saving your pictures in this digital media age on the hard drive can be risky but thanks to modern technologies you can save most of your precious files on cloud servers for safekeeping. From pictures to documents and even other files that you need and want to save. There are some of them that will offer you a free amount and some basic free plans as well.
Bad sides of the internet
Malware, viruses, and phishing
We could not talk about the bad side of the internet if we do not mention its greatest threat. Bad sites, infected software, phishing emails, and many more malicious threats. Problem is that these kinds of tricks and attacks have become more and more sophisticated and harder to detect and avoid.
Pornography
Pornography is bad, having it freely available to children is even worse. Sadly the only way to regulate this is on a computer-by-computer basis by turning on parent control on each one. There are many studies that go into detail about why this is bad, sadly currently there are no effective ways to isolate this content.
No privacy
When we say there is no privacy we do not mean by using social media and not setting your privacy settings altho that also fits in this point, what we are talking about is data mining of your habits and things you do. It is well known that today lot of websites are using some form of AI recommender system in order to tailor your internet experience to suit your needs better. Most of these AI systems are trained by mining your data and analyzing your habits.
If you have 2 google accounts there is a high probability chance that for the same query you will get different results, depending on your so far browsing habits. The same goes for other services as well.
Dark webshops
There are some great things in dark and deep WEB-like sites with true news and information. Even some legit libraries where you can find and download rare books. Sadly as goes with the internet dark and deep WEB also has its well, dark sides, from disturbing content to shops that sell stolen items to straight stealing your money by parading as legit shops but only to steal your money.
Dating sites
We all try to find someone that is perfectly matched with us but using the online dating site has many proven bad effects on psychology. It also devaluates interaction between people and can lower self-esteem.
Bad habits
Since the internet has become wildly available and popular on various devices like tablets and mobile phones more and more people are spending an unhealthy amount of time on it. Harvesting the benefits of the internet is great but find some time for other people as well.
Interesting information has come out from Microsoft, Windows 11 dark theme will include a different sound theme from its standard light one.
When in dark mode on Windows 11, the system sounds generally become softer, and they echo a bit, creating a more soothing experience that matches the overall look and feel of the dark mode. Flipping back to light mode brings the system sounds back to their normal level.
However, even though the light model has slightly louder sounds than the dark mode, Microsoft has taken great care to make sure the audio is more soothing, according to a report from CNBC.
The designers of Windows 11 took inspiration from an approach called calm technology. Microsoft’s Christian Koehn and Diego Baca wrote about calm technology in a post on Medium. In it, they said, “Windows 11 facilitates this through foundational experiences that feel familiar, soften formerly intimidating UI, and increase emotional connection.”
According to a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to CNBC, “The new sounds have a much rounder wavelength, making them softer so that they can still alert/notify you, but without being overwhelming.”
Windows 10 has displayed one of the most efficient and user-friendly interfaces. However there have been many issues on the backend of this commonly praised operating system: For example, Windows Update is still a wonky and error-laded system application. One example of this error is Windows Update Error 0x80073712 which stands in the way of users just wanting to keep their PCs updated hassle-free.
The error code 0x80073712 signifies that a file needed by Windows Update to function is either damaged, missing, or corrupted. However, this does not mean that your Windows version will forever stay as-is with no mode to update it. Windows Update Error 0x80073712 is perfectly fixable with the set of provided steps below and some of Windows’ built-in troubleshooting steps:
Solution 1: Open Windows Update Troubleshooter
Open the Windows Update Troubleshooter by pressing the Window Key and “S” keys simultaneously.
Enter the word “Troubleshoot” in the search box and select the Troubleshoot result
On the new window, select “Windows Update” to troubleshoot.
Run the troubleshooter, then open Windows Update and try to install the update again.
Solution 2: Run the DISM tool
Open the command prompt by pressing Windows Key and “S” key simultaneously
Enter “cmd” in the search box. Right Click command prompt among the results and select “Run as administrator”
In the Command Prompt window type the following and press the Enter key after every command
To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press Enter.
Run Windows Update again.
Solution 3: Rename the Software Distribution folder
Open the command prompt as previously mentioned
Input the following command pressing Enter after every linenet stop wuauservnet stop cryptSvcnet stop bitsnet stop msiserverrename c:windowsSoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.oldnet start wuauservnet start cryptSvcnet start bitsnet start msiserverexit
Restart the PC and run the updater if it works again.
Solution 4: Restart Windows Update Services
Press the Windows logo key and R together to open Run -> Input services.msc -> and press Enter
Search for the Windows Update service -> Check its status
If it is not indicated, right-click on the service and select Start to force start your Windows Update
If you see an error, locate the Startup Type option and set it to Automatic
Now you should reboot your computer and see if your Windows Update is OK
Solution 5: Fix Registry Issues
If after all the aforementioned solutions, you still experience problems with Windows Update, the problem may lie in the registry that is either damaged or corrupted. You may choose to do manual editing of your Windows registry by opening your Windows registry editor. But doing so is risky as one wrong letter may do incalculable damage to your system. To do so safely for more inexperienced users., we recommend using a third-party registry cleaner/tools, many of which can be found online.
As you know, Windows Updates are essential for your operating system as it keeps it protected from potential threats, fixes bugs and improves your experience in using Windows 10. However, there are instances when Windows Updates also cause errors and one of them is the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B.
One of the causes of this particular Windows Update error is that Windows was not able to read the Update Manifest file which is needed to install the Windows Updates. This means that the operation was canceled by either the service or the user. On the other hand, this error could also occur if you are not able to filter the results. When you encounter this error, you will see an error message that says, “WU_E_CALL_CANCELLED: Operation was canceled”. This indicates that the operation was canceled by the operating system itself.
To resolve the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B, here are some suggestions you need to check out.
Option 1 – Try to run the Cleanup (Decline) Superseded updates PowerShell script
The first thing you can do to fix the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B is to run the Cleanup (Decline) Superseded updates PowerShell script. This is actually an easy fix since all you have to do is download and run it from the Microsoft Technet site. Once you’re done downloading and running the file, restart your computer and see if the error is fixed or not.
Option 2 – Try to rename the Spupdsvc.exe file
If the first option didn’t work, you can try renaming the Spupdsvc.exe file which is one of the reasons why you’re getting the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B.
First, tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility.
Next, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it in cmd:
Once you’ve entered all the commands given above, they will stop all the Windows Update services that are running on your computer as well as clear the SoftwareDistribution folder, and reset the Catroot2 folder. Now you have to start all these Windows Update services you’ve just stopped by executing the following commands:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc
After that, restart your computer and try to run the setup again, and see if the error is now fixed.
Option 4 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You should also try to run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter as it could help you resolve the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B. To run it refer to these steps:
Go to Settings and then click on Windows Update from the given menu.
Next, click on the Troubleshoot option and select Windows Update from the given options to run the Windows Update troubleshooter.
After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and wait until the process is completed, and check if the Windows Update Error 0x8024000B is fixed or not.
USB devices are one of the commonly used devices every day – from plugging mobile devices for charging using pen drives, you are making use of USB drives. However, there are times when you might encounter an error message saying, “Unknown USB Device” as you plug your USB device on your Windows 10 computer. So if you encounter this kind of error message followed by either of the following explanations, read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions you can check out to resolve the issue.
Device Descriptor Request Failed
Port reset failed
The device failed enumeration
Set address failed
Error code 43
You can fix this error using several ways. You can try changing the Power Options, update or roll back the USB drivers, turn off Fast Startup, or run the USB troubleshooter. Follow the options given below for more details.
Option 1 – Try to change the Power Options
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility.
Then type “powercfg.cpl” and tap Enter to open the Power Options window.
Next, go to your selected power plan and click the “Change plan settings” option to open a new page.
From there, click on the “Change advanced power settings” option. This will open a new window where you can see various power consumption options.
Now look for the USB Settings option and expand it.
Then set the USB selective suspend setting to “Disabled” for both scenarios: On Battery and Plugged in.
After that, click on OK and restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Option 2 – Update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller driver
Since it could be a driver issue, you can try to update or reinstall the Universal Serial Bus Controller drivers using the Device Manager. Refer to the following steps:
First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right-click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu.
Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for a USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller.
Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
Note: If updating the USB Controller drivers didn’t work, you can try to reinstall them instead.
Option 3 – Try turning off Fast Startup
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “control” to open the Control Panel.
Next, click on the Hardware and Sound section and click on Power Options.
Afterwards, select the “Choose what the power buttons do” option from the left side menu pane.
Now click on Change settings that are currently unavailable and uncheck the entry that says, “Turn on fast startup (Recommended).
Then click on Save Changes and restart your computer and see if it has fixed the problem or not.
Option 4 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooters
The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.
Windows Vista had in it animated wallpapers on desktop but sadly how they were heavy on system resources Microsoft abandoned the idea. Moving forward a couple of years later we have Windows 10 but still, we do not have live animated wallpapers. Since I am the kind of person who does not want to wait on Microsoft and now it is time to bring animated wallpapers back I am going to make one all by myself and you are welcome to join the ride and do the same for you as well.
Enough talk, let's dive into how we can make animated wallpaper for our Windows 10.
Choosing the application
First, we will need some form of application which can we look at our animated wallpapers and since they are animations it means video, so we will need a video player and what better choice than a VLC player, an open-source light weighs all-format player.
Get a VLC player from here and install it.
Finding video source
The next thing is to of course have some looping video that we will use as background. There are many sites and ways to get seamless loop videos, I use this youtube channel for my backgrounds. Altho you can use any video footage you want it is recommended that it is not too long, that it is hi-resolution so we do not have pixels on-screen, and if you can, get it as seamless since we do not want to see stutter when the video is lopped from the beginning.
So hopefully you have desired video and VLC player installed.
Putting it all together
Copy the following code and paste it into your search bar in Windows to open the Startup folder, or navigate to the Startup folder yourself via file explorer if you know where it is.
%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Now, next thing is to copy and past the VLC shortcut into this folder so it is started when Windows is first time booted.
Right-click on the shortcut and in the edit field paste this:
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-wallpaper --qt-start-minimized --no-qt-fs-controller --repeat --no-video-title-show --qt-notification=0 "C:\videopath\filename.mp4"
where "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" is the path where VLC is installed, point this to where you have installed it
"C:\videopath\filename.mp4" is the path where you have your video that you wish to use as animated wallpaper. Please note also that in my case there is mp4 as an extension but it does not need to be mp4, just use any extension VLC can open and play.
Conclusion
And that's it, you have successfully made an animated background or live wallpaper on your Windows 10 computer. You can change your wallpaper anytime by editing shortcut and giving it a new path to a new video or simply overwrite the existing one with a new baring same name.
Today we will be solving the Device not found 3F0 error which is a common error, especially among HP (HP Pavilion G6), Lenovo, Acer, and Dell laptops/desktops. This error occurs when the computer is turned ON and when the system is about to boot. It can happen on windows 7, 8, or 10. When a mentioned error occurs one of the following messages will be displayed on your screen:
“No bootable device – insert boot disk and press any key”
“No Boot Device Found. Press any key to reboot the machine”
“Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3FO)”
“No boot device is available”
The most common reasons for 3F0 error to occur is:
Using the unbootable device or disk to boot from.
If the bootable hard drive you are using might have corrupted or damaged somehow.
MBR or boot sector is damaged on the bootable hard drive.
If your system has gone through a virus or malware attack.
The wrong boot order in the BIOS.
Hard disk connection problem.
System files or boot files unknowingly damaged.
Corrupt hard drive partitions.
Now all of these being said let us go through some of the solutions and fix this dreaded error in order to get your computer back in working order:
1: Change Boot Order
This is well, the most simple solution and the easiest one, try to change the boot sequence in the BIOS settings of your motherboard. Sometimes most easier solutions can provide great results and solve our problems. If sadly this fails and the issue persists move to the next solution.
2: Perform a Hard Reset
Performing hard reset can often solve issues, to perform a hard reset do the following:
Turn off the computer and unplug the power adapter. If there is a removable battery, it should also be removed.
Then disconnect all peripherals, including the removable hard drive, etc.
then
Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain all remaining power.
Insert the battery, and then re-plug the AC adapter into the laptop.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Once the computer starts up properly and the startup menu appears, use the arrow keys to select “Start Windows normally” and then press Enter.
Reconnect everything back of your peripherals.
If by any chance problem still persists follow the next step:
3: Test Hard Drive Using HP Diagnostic Tool
Use the built-in tool in the Hp device to solve the issue:
Turn on your computer and keep pressing the Esc key until the menu appears on the screen.
Next, press the F2 key.
Choose the Components Tests option from the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics menu.
Select Hard Drive from the Component Tests menu.
Click on the Quick Test, then click on the Run once button.
If there are still any issues with your hard drive, then run the Extensive Test.
4: Restore BIOS Default Settings
Press the Power button to start the computer, and immediately after this, repeatedly press the F10 key to enter the BIOS setup menu.
To load and restore BIOS Setup Default settings, press F9 on the BIOS setup menu.
Once loaded, press F10 to Save and Exit.
Select yes, and then press Enter when it says Exit Saving Changes.
5: Reconnect Your Hard Drive
Turn the computer off and remove the power cable.
If you have a removable battery, take it out
Disconnect your hard drive and then connect it back.
Reassemble your computer and turn the computer on to see if it fixed the issue.
6: Fix and Rebuild Damaged MBR
Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)
At the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer.
Choose Troubleshoot.
Choose Command Prompt.
When the Command Prompt loads, type the following commands: bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd.
7: Fix Operating System
Prepare a Windows installation disc, CD/DVD or USB flash drive and connect it to your PC.
During the installation process, launch Command Prompt.
In Windows 7, under the System Recovery Options tab, click Startup Repair.
In Windows 8 and Windows 10, click Repair your computer, then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Automatic Repair (Windows 8) or Startup Repair (Windows 10).
There are times when you might notice that the Drive letter from the File Explorer is missing, right after you install an update in your Windows 10 computer. So if you are facing this issue right now, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what to do to fix it.
In case you don’t know, a drive letter represents a single alphabetic character which is through A-Z typically. This could be assigned to a physical disk partition, floppy disk drive or the removal device/ CD-ROM/ mapping network drive in your PC.
In most cases, the drive letter “C:” is assigned to the first disk partition where the running Windows is installed. Thus, if the assigned letter is missing from either the Disk Management or the Windows File Explorer, it could result in inconveniences or will leave the partition inaccessible. To fix this problem, you can try to show the missing drive letters manually or make sure that the drive has a drive letter assigned in the Disk Management as well as assign the letter using a tweak in the Windows Registry. For more details, refer to the options provided below.
Option 1 – Try to show the missing drive letters manually
Open the Folder Options from the Start Search and go to the View tab,
Next, scroll down on the list of given options until you see the “Show drive letters” option and then check the box that’s marked against this option.
After that, click on the Apply and OK buttons and then go back to the “This PC” window. You should now see the drive letters
Option 2 – Make sure that the drive has a drive letter assigned in Disk Management
As you know, every drive is assigned a drive letter in Disk Management. However, if it goes missing, you can still get it back through Disk Management. To do so, follow the steps below.
Open Disk Management and from there, right-click on the menu of a partition or volume and you should see a function named “Change Drive Letter and Paths”.
Note: This function allows you to add the drive letter, remove the drive letter and change the drive letter. If the last option, namely, “Remove”, is selected and applied, the letter of the drive will be removed and won’t appear in Disk Management. Thus, this could be one of the reasons why a drive letter is missing.
You need to click on “Add” to assign a letter to the selected drive in order to reverse the change. Note that you must assign the drive with the original letter because if not, the programs that rely on the original letter might not work as expected.
If the original letter is already taken by a new drive, you need to change the letter of that new drive to another available letter.
Then allocate the released letter of the targeted drive.
Option 3 – Try assigning the letter using a Registry tweak
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to assign the letter using a tweak in the Windows Registry but before you do that, make sure that you create a System Restore point first, after that, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMMountedDevices
From there, check if a device is shown as being mounted at the specific drive letter and then right-click on that drive letter.
Select the “Rename” option from the right-click menu to change the letter to any other available letter.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Option 4 – Try to format the destination drive
Formatting the drive can also help you resolve the error. To format it, follow these steps:
To get started formatting your drive, tap the Win + E keys and then go to the access page of the drive.
Next, right-click on the drive and select Format.
After that, uncheck the “Quick Format” option and then format your drive properly.
Now once the formatting process is finished, unplug the drive and plug it back in afterward.
Check if the error is already fixed. If the drive is not initialized, tap the Win + R keys and hit Enter.
After opening the Run dialog box, type “diskmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open Disk Management.
From there, right-click on the drive volume and select initialize disk.
Next, select the correct partition type and proceed.
The error code 0x800CCC0E is an Outlook error that appears while using either Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. The error message hampers your ability to send and receive emails.
Solution
Error Causes
0x800CCC0E Outlook error code is triggered by multiple reasons including:
Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Damaged files
Registry corruption
In most cases, it’s the registry that gets corrupted which leads to the occurrence of 0x800CCC0E error code display. This typically happens when you try to update your Outlook/Outlook Express version.
When updating, you need to remove all the software files of the previous Outlook version which includes the registry too. If the files are not removed from the registry, the new version update will often fail. The junk files of the old version are likely to damage and corrupt the registry.
Further Information and Manual Repair
It is advisable to repair the error code 0x800CC0E right away to avoid inconvenience and system failure and fatal crashes which can lead to valuable data loss.
Cause: Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Solution: If the cause of the 0x800CCC0E is SMTP server connection failure, then the best way to resolve the error is to reconfigure your email account settings. Make sure that port 25 is being used in the SMTP area. Port 25 is the standard outgoing mail port.
If the SMTP setting is on port 25 then another reason for the error 0x800CCC0E can be your anti-virus or firewall software enabled on your PC. Turn it off for a moment and then try sending emails from your Outlook.
Cause: Damaged Files and Registry Corruption
Solution: If the error code is triggered due to registry corruption and file damage, then the best way to resolve it is to download Restoro.
Restoro is a safe, efficient, and highly functional inbox cleaner and a system optimizer embedded with numerous powerful utilities designed to repair multiple PC-related errors including the error code 0x800CCC0E when triggered by registry corruption.
This cutting inbox cleaner scans your PC entirely and detects all the unnecessary and malicious files saved in your system’s registry like junk files, internet history, invalid entries, and files of the uninstalled programs. These files take up most of the registry disk space thus causing the registry files to get damaged and corrupt and triggering error codes like 0x800CCC0E.
With the help of Restoro, you can easily wipe out all such files from your system in just one click. After scanning for errors all you need to do is click the repair tab to make your registry disk clutter-free.
Once the clutter is removed, update the new version of the Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system and then try sending emails. You’ll see two noticeable differences after repairing your PC with Restoro.
One is that you will be able to install the new version and send emails smoothly from your Outlook account without any 0x800CCC0E error pop-ups. And the second difference you’ll see is the change in your PC performance. This tool optimizing your PC speed and reduces boot time.
This tool is very simple and easy to use. It has a neat design layout and a user-friendly interface which makes it easy for all levels of users to use Restoro smoothly with zero complexity. In just a few clicks the error message 0x800CCC0E is resolved. What makes this tool a favorite among users is that it does not require any skills or technical know-how.
To get started here’s what you need to do:
Click here to download Restoro software on your PC
Once the download is complete, run it to scan for 0x800CC0E error
After the scanning is successfully complete, click on the Repair button to fix the error right away.
Then install the new version of Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system
Interesting information has come out from Microsoft, Windows 11 dark theme will include a different sound theme from its standard light one.
When in dark mode on Windows 11, the system sounds generally become softer, and they echo a bit, creating a more soothing experience that matches the overall look and feel of the dark mode. Flipping back to light mode brings the system sounds back to their normal level.
However, even though the light model has slightly louder sounds than the dark mode, Microsoft has taken great care to make sure the audio is more soothing, according to a report from CNBC.
The designers of Windows 11 took inspiration from an approach called calm technology. Microsoft’s Christian Koehn and Diego Baca wrote about calm technology in a post on Medium. In it, they said, “Windows 11 facilitates this through foundational experiences that feel familiar, soften formerly intimidating UI, and increase emotional connection.”
According to a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to CNBC, “The new sounds have a much rounder wavelength, making them softer so that they can still alert/notify you, but without being overwhelming.” 
