Connecting a Wireless Printer to a Windows PC

If you recently made some changes in your Windows 10 computer using the Group Policy Editor but they were not reflected and you got errors instead, it could be that your Windows computer wasn’t able to read the Group Policy file (registry.pol). To resolve this kind of issue, you have to repair the potentially corrupted Group Policy using the options given in this post. .As you know, Group Policy is a feature in the Microsoft Windows Active Directory which allows an admin to make changes in the features on Windows PCs that are on the network. So if the modifications you just made weren’t successfully applied, then there could be something wrong with the registry.pol file on the client or it could also be that the Group Policy folder is missing. To fix this issue in the Group Policy, you need to refer to the given suggestions below and make sure that you have admin privileges as you execute them.

Option 1 – Try to delete or recreate the missing registry.pol file

The entire settings of the Group Policy are stored in the registry.pol file so if it went missing, all the changes you make will not be reflected. The good thing is that you can recreate it but if the file exists and is corrupted, you need to delete it first before you recreate it.

• First, go to the C:/Windows/System32/GroupPolicy/Machine location.
• And from there, check if the registry.pol file exists or not. If it’s there, just delete it permanently by tapping the Shift + Delete keys.
• Now it’s time to recreate the file. Just open Windows PowerShell with admin privileges by tapping Win + X + A keys.
• After opening PowerShell, type this command: gpupdate /force
• The command you entered will recreate the registry.pol file and will refresh the Group Policy. Restart your computer.

Option 2 – Try recreating the secedit.sdb file

The security settings of Group Policy are stored in the secedit.sdb file so if you made some changes to security and they weren’t reflected, you can try to delete and recreate the secedit.sdb file instead of deleting the Group Policy file. All you have to do is navigate to the C:/WINDOWS/security/Database folder and look for the secedit.sdb file and rename it or move it to another folder. After that, restart your computer. Once your computer has restarted, the secedit.sdb file will be created again.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Group Policy to default

You can also try to reset the Group Policy back to its default state. There are several ways you can do that. You can either use the gpupdate or the secedit command in the Windows PowerShell to do that. Resetting the Group Policy will resolve any issues that could be caused by its current settings.

Option 4 – Try to perform System Restore

System Restore can also help resolve the Group Policy issue. It could be that prior to the issue, you’ve made some changes in the system that might have affected the Group Policy. To undo these changes, perform System Restore.

• First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 5 – Use the DISM tool

You can also try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool. This tool will repair the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in your Windows 10 computer. So if there are any missing or corrupted folders and files, the DISM tool can restore and repair them. As a result, any system consistencies and corruptions will be fixed. To run this tool, follow these steps:

• 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.

If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

If you suddenly encounter a PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error, then this post can help you out. The PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR BSOD usually occurs when any new hardware that is mostly the Plug and Play type is attached. In such cases, when the device is plugged, and the driver for that device crashes or isn’t found or is not compatible, you will most likely encounter this particular BSOD error. There are several error codes that come under this category, some of them are 0x000000CA (0x01681690, 0xEA96A7BE, 0x938A81AD, 0xF8362881. This BSOD error can also occur at any time. However, the only constant thing here is when you plug a PNP device like earphones, microphones, USB drives, and many more. The PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR bug check has a value of 0x000000CA which indicates that the Plug and Play Manager encountered some severe error which is most likely have something to do with a problematic Plug and Play driver. To fix this error, here are some possible solutions that could help.

Option 1 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Option 2 – Try disabling or removing newly installed hardware

In this option, you will have to disable or remove the hardware you’ve just installed recently since external devices could be the one that’s causing the Blue Screen of Death error to appear. To do that, just disconnect any external device that’s connected to your computer physically and then check if it fixes the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error.

Option 3 – Try disabling BIOS Memory options namely Caching Shadowing

Disabling the BIOS Memory options such as Caching and Shadowing can help you in fixing the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. All you have to do is enter the BIOS first and then use the Arrow and Enter keys to select your choices. And if you can’t seem to find it, look for specific instructions from your OEM or you could also look out for instructions from the manufacturer of your motherboard.

Option 4 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /f /r

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

Option 5 – Try to uninstall programs you’ve installed recently

Chances are, some programs that you just installed might be the one that’s causing the BSOD error. Thus, you need to uninstall the program to resolve the problem.

• 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.

Option 6 – Update the Device drivers

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. Look for the device driver you and then select either “Update driver” or “Uninstall device”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
• Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
• If you have chosen to uninstall the driver, follow the screen options to complete the process and then restart your PC.
• Connect the device and Scan for hardware changes – you can see this option under Device Manager > Action.

Option 7 – Perform a System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Many of us are taking the google search engine for granted and it is no true that it has crawled in almost every spore of our digital lives but if we wanted a little more privacy? Do we have options or we are destined to use google and send our information to this company. What if we really wanted that our searches are well safe, secure, and private? We could try other search engines like BING but since BING belongs to Microsoft we would exchange only one company for another without making any progress in the privacy battle. Enter DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that’s been online since 2008. Find websites, maps, videos, news, and more without tracking your searches and serving you targetted ads. It took DUckDuckGo as you can tell sometimes to gain ground and to be recognized but finally, it got the attention it deserves. Its big breakthrough happened in September of 2014 when Apple offered it as a default search engine in Safari and since it has gained more and more ground. It seems people care about their privacy after all. Since then DuckDuckGo has been gaining ground and all the major browsers have integrated it as an option for a default search engine. In this article, we will show you how to switch to DuckDuckGo and set it as your preferred search engine in all major browsers.

1. Google Chrome

   Launch Chrome and click on the three dots in the upper right. Choose settings. Choose Search engine in the list on the left of the screen. Click on the drop-down box next to Search engine used in the address bar and choose DuckDuckGo.

2. Mozilla Firefox

   Launch Firefox, click on the three lines hamburger menu icon in the top-right corner of the window. Click on Preferences. Click on Search in the menu to the left of the screen. Under Default Search Engine, click the drop-down box and choose DuckDuckGo.

3. Microsoft Edge

   Click on the three dots menu button in the top-right corner of the window Then select Settings. Click on Privacy, Search and Services in the menu that appears on the left Scroll down to the Services menu and choose Address bar and search. Click the dropdown menu next to Search engine used in the address bar and choose DuckDuckGo.

4. Apple Safari

   Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen Then click Preferences. You can also use the Command+, shortcut to quickly bring up Safari’s Preferences. Click on the Search tab, then choose DuckDuckGo under the Search engine drop-down box.

5. Opera

   Click on the Settings cog button in the sidebar on the left of the screen. Under Basic settings scroll down until you see Search engine and a drop-down box. Select DuckDuckGo from the list.

Error Code 0xc004f034 – What is it?

Error code 0xc004f034 occurs when Windows users are unable to activate their operating system. It affects Windows 8 and Windows 10 users and features common symptoms which include the following:

• Inability to activate Windows
• Message box with error code 0xc004f034

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 0xc004f034 often occurs due to an issue with the Windows product key. This may occur when users enter an invalid product key or use one that is appropriate for use on a different version of Windows. To correct the issue, users will need to use the correct product key for their system or contact an IT professional if their device is connected to a Key Management Service (KMS).  Windows users affected by this error code may also need to check their system for viruses or missing system files since these issues can result in error codes on Windows devices.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Manual repair methods enable users to fix problems related to error codes. Though some manual repair methods require the use of Command Prompt and utility tools like the System File Checker, even non-technical Windows users can find success simply by following the instructions provided below.

However, note that some issues can be complex, thus requiring the use of an automated tool or help from a Windows repair technician. Consider these options if the manual repair methods below do not resolve error code 0xc004f034 on your Windows 8 device.

Method One: Enter Valid Windows Product Key

Microsoft currently offers several ways for customers to activate their Windows operating system, the most common of which is the product key. This 25-character code verifies that users have access to an authorized version of Windows.

You may get a valid product key from an authorized dealer, a new PC with Windows, or access a digital copy from a Windows website when you purchase your Windows operating system online. Once you have a valid product key, use it to activate Windows and resolve error code 0xc004f034 in Windows 8. Follow the steps below to access the Product Activation Wizard.

• Step one: Click or tab Start button then select Settings
• Step two: Tap or click PC Settings, then select Activate Windows
• Step three: Type invalid product key

Once a valid product key is used, the Product Activation Wizard should complete the activation process. If you are unable to complete the process, however, and error code 0xc004f034 remains unresolved, click the link or instructions the Product Activation Wizard provides regarding activation via phone or customer support.

Method Two: Run System File Checker

Another option available to Windows 8 users is System File Checker (SFC). This tool enables Windows users to scan and repair corrupted or missing system files. Follow the steps below to access SFC.

• Step one: Go to Start and type Command Prompt or CMD.
• Step two: Run as Administrator
• Step three: Type sfc /scannow ensuring a space is between “sfc” and “/scannow”.

System File Checker will repair any corruptions found on system files within your machine once you successfully follow the instructions provided. The tool will also replace missing files which will lead to better performance on your PC.

When the process is complete, restart your device then check if you are able to activate Windows. If error code 0xc004f034 is still present, you will need to find another solution via repair method three.

Method Three: Scan for Viruses and other Malware

Viruses and other forms of malware are one of the main issues resulting in poor PC performance and Windows error codes. To fix this issue on your PC, scan your machine for signs of these malicious programs. If you do not have anti-malware software and would like to download one from the Internet, ensure the software you choose is effective before attempting to download it.

Once you have powerful antimalware software on your PC, begin a scan for viruses, Trojan horses, and other forms of malware. If the Windows error code occurred due to issues related to malicious programs, you will be able to resolve the issue. If, however, this manual repair method proves ineffective in resolving error code 0xc004f034, download a powerful automated tool or contact a Windows repair technician to assist you.

Method Four: Use an Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

It is common to run multiple programs and applications at the same time and it’s important to be able to switch between them using their Taskbar icons or using the usual Alt + Tab shortcut. However, there are times when you might suddenly find that neither of the aforementioned methods worked and you will no longer be able to switch between programs in the Windows Taskbar. To fix this issue, refer to the options given in this post. For instance, when you have multiple instances of Microsoft Edge running and every time you press the Alt + Tab combo nothing happens so you are left with no choice but to minimize everything and then hover your mouse on the icon and switch between the instances of Edge. You will also notice that the right-click on the taskbar won’t respond back and will only keep on showing the loading circle icon. Here are a few tips you can follow to fix the issue with the Windows 10 Taskbar.

Option 1 – Try to restart the Windows Explorer

This is one of the basic things you can try as restarting Windows Explorer helps in refreshing the user interface and makes most of the things work in relation to the user interface.

• To get started, tap the Alt + Ctrl + Del keys to pull up the Windows Task Manager.
• After opening Task Manager, look for “explorer.exe” under the list of programs.
• Once you find the explorer.exe, right-click on it and click Restart.

Option 2 – Try changing the Foreground Lock Time

Aside from restarting Windows Explorer, you could also try changing the Foreground Lock Time to fix the issue with the Taskbar.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in regedit in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key – HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
• Next, change the ForegroundLockTimeout value from200000 to 0. After that, it will make sure that no other application will take away the focus from your current program or application. It could be that some other application has taken away the focus and even when you try to actually switch, the focus gets back to the old one. Anyhow, since you already changed the value of ForegroundLockTimeout, it will ensure that the focus is not switched.

Note: If you are running some Full-Screen applications there are some devices especially the gaming ones, disable the Windows key to make sure that you won’t be able to switch. If this is the case, you need to make some modifications to the Full-Screen games.

LINUX has become more than just a dedicated server Operating system, more and more it is gaining ground in home computers as well and as services like Steam and Gog are offering their titles for LINUX it is gaining more and more ground daily.

Why LINUX?

So, what makes LINUX so good? First of all security, no other Operating system has that high level of security like LINUX and that is the reason why it is widely used as a server. Other advantages are it is less resource hungry and its architecture is made in such a way that it does not has applications remains and traces which remain in the system, once an application is deleted from OS, it is deleted and every trace is removed from OS. Apple OS is based on LINUX kernel but made specifically for their hardware.

LINUX popularity

So naturally, the question pops up why LINUX is not more popular? One of the reasons is its difficulty, to work in LINUX you need to have some level of computer knowledge, Windows is more user-friendly and a lot of people prefer the ease of use to features. This is somewhat been fixed sort of speak in last years since we have LINUX distributions which aim to be more simple and user friendly but it is far from easy of use of one Windows. Another big reason was software support. Altho some powerhouse software has its LINUX versions and works just fine, even better than on Windows, your typical user applications lack and games were almost non-existent making LINU users rely on Windows emulation software for simple applications, and often it did not work properly. This has also changed for the better in later years but as with the previous point, it is still far from being Windows wide.

What is LINUX distro?

Linux comes in different versions called distributions. What this means is that the basic core of the Operating system is the same though all LINUX versions and all LINUX drivers and software will work on anyone, they will visually and feature-wise be different. Also, they will be more complex for use or they will have different hardware requirements. Choosing the right LINUX distribution is no easy task and we are here to help you by offering you certain points and guides in hopes to direct you on the right path.

What Do You Need the Distro for?

This might be perhaps the most crucial question when trying to decide which LINUX distribution you want to install. Depending on your preferences and goal like work, games, security, media you will need to consider the best distributions in the field of your preference. A very good place to get this kind of information is on DistroWatch. When on-site, navigate to the Distribution category search filter and choose the option best suited to your needs.

What Kind of Software Will You Be Using?

Like the previous question, this one is also your personal preference but it will make difference if you are planning to use a different type of software. If your plans are gaming for example you will want the latest and greatest LINUX kernel version for maximum hardware compatibility. If you are a regular desktop user you will aim for a distro that is updated constantly so you are working with the latest versions of Chrome or Firefox. In some cases, depending on your software you might want to run older but faster distribution.

What Kind of Hardware Will You Be Using?

If your computer is up to date you can run any distribution that you like but if it is an older rig your options might be a little limited. Now depending on the technical characteristics of your computer and its age it may come down to just a few available distributions which are specially tailored to run on old hardware. These kinds of distributions are lightweight and do not take much space but sadly can not offer you the latest and greatest in software but for usual everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, email viewing, etc they work perfectly fine. You can have a great office machine with proper lightweight distribution offering you all that you need to be able to work.

How Much do you know about computers?

As stated before, LINUX is not as user-friendly as WIndows and your overall technical knowledge can play a big role in deciding which LINUX you want to adapt. If you are more of a casual user then avoid technical distributions which will require to manually tweak tons of stuff, go for more automated ones. If you are a power user however and enjoy wrestling with each detail then perhaps some distro with more command-oriented nature.

What Kind of Community Are You Looking For?

Now you might ask what does community has to do with the operating systems but the same as Windows, LINUX also can have some issues, and sometimes installing drivers will require certain steps to be taken. How it is much easier to find a solution when having a great community surrounding the project I suggest not dismissing this part when choosing your distro. Every community is helpful, but they’re all helpful in different ways. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

As you already know, the Windows Sandbox is one of the new features in Windows 10. However, just like other new features, it also throws up errors and one of them is the error that states,

“Windows Sandbox failed to start, Error 0x80070057, The parameter is incorrect”.

This particular error in Windows Sandbox occurs due to its dependence on numerous components of Windows 10 that are related to Hyper-V and Virtualization mainly. To fix this error, there are several options you can check out. You can try to install any pending updates on your Windows 10 computer, as well as make sure that all the services related to Windows Sandbox are enabled.

Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Updates to install pending updates

The first thing you can do to resolve the “Windows Sandbox failed to start, Error 0x80070057” is to check Windows Updates in your computer and see if there are any pending Windows Updates you have to install. All you have to do is go to the Windows 10 Settings app and then go to the Windows Updates section and click on the “Check for updates” button to check if there are any pending updates that are needed to be installed. This could fix the Windows Sandbox error.

Option 2 – Ensure that all the supporting processes and services are running properly

If running Windows Sandbox as an administrator didn’t fix the error, you have to ensure that all related processes for Windows Sandbox are running properly. To do that, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• Next, from the list of services, look for the following services in the given order:
  • Network Virtualization Service
  • Virtual Disk
  • Hyper – V Virtual Machine
  • Hyper – V Host Computer Service
  • Container Manager Services
• After you find the aforementioned services, make sure to check if they are enabled or not and then restart each one of them.
• Once done, try to open the Windows Sandbox again and see if the error is fixed or not.

Connecting to Microsoft’s Windows Update servers does not always go smoothly since you could run into a number of errors. One of these errors is the error code 0x8024402c. You can see this error code when you check for Windows Updates. This kind of Windows Update error occurs when the proxy or the firewall settings are incorrectly configured. As a result, the client’s connection to the Windows Update servers fails. There are two things you can do to resolve error code 0x8024402c. First, you can try to fix the Proxy Settings. Second, you can set up Automatically Detect the connection settings. In addition, you can also try to perform System Restore as it could also help in fixing the problem. Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the error code 0x8024402C. Refer to the steps below to use System Restore.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

If performing System Restore didn’t help in fixing the problem, then try the two given options below.

Option 1 – Try fixing the Proxy Settings

• In the Cortana search box, search for Internet Explorer and then click on the related search result.
• After that, tap the Win + T keys on your keyboard and click on Internet Options.
• Next, navigate to the Connections tab and click on LAN Settings.
• Then click on the Advanced button and delete all the entries in the list generated in the Exceptions section. And if the Advanced button is disabled because the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option is disabled then you are good to go. Now proceed to the next step.
• Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin) or you could also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• If a User Account Control appears, click on Yes to proceed. After that, type each one of the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type each one of them.
  • netsh winhttp reset proxy
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net start wuauserv
• Now restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not by checking for Windows Updates again.

Option 2 – Try setting up Automatically Detect the connection settings

• Type in “internet options” in the Cortana search box and then click on the related search result.
• After that, navigate to the Connections tab.
• Next, click on the LAN Settings button located under the Local Area Network (LAN) settings section.
• Then uncheck the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option under the Proxy Server section and click OK.
• Now restart your computer to apply the changes made successfully.

If you continuously encountered the “VirtualBox FATAL: No bootable medium found, System halted” error when you try to install Windows 10 in VirtualBox, read on as this post will give you some potential fixes to resolve the problem – you will be guided on how to choose the ISO image to fix this error in VirtualBox. This kind of error is a very common one especially if you have a corrupted ISO file or if you have not selected an ISO file for your virtual machine. Like pointed out, this error pops up when you have a corrupted ISO file or if the ISO file is not attached to the virtual machine. You have to select the ISO file while you create the virtual hard disk, else, you will most likely face this problem, and to fix it, you need to download fresh Windows ISO, create a new IDE Controller, assign Windows ISO to the IDE Controller and then boot your virtual machine. For detailed steps, follow the instructions below but before you start, make sure that you have a valid and uncorrupted Windows ISO. Step 1: First, you need to open the VirtualBox program on your computer and select the virtual machine. Step 2: Next, click on the Settings button or you can also right-click on the virtual machine and select Settings from the context menu. Step 3: Once you’re in the Settings panel, go to the Storage section and from there, create a Controller: IDE. Step 4: To create a Controller: IDE, click the Add new storage controller icon and select the “Add IDE Controller” option. Step 5: After that, click the Add optical drive icon and click on the Choose disk button. You will then see all the attached and non-attached ISO files. However, you have to add the new ISO file that you just downloaded. Step 6: To add the new ISO file, click the Add button and select the ISO file and then select the .iso file from the Non Attached section. Step 7: Now click the Choose button and afterward, make a checkmark in the Live CD/DVD checkbox and then select the IDE Primary Master from the drop-down menu of the Optical Drive. Step 8: Once you’re done, save the changes made and try booting into your virtual machine again.