Deleting a User Account in Windows

What is QTCF.dll Error?

Sometimes you may experience QTCF.dll error on your computer either during installation or while upgrading applications like iTunes and QuickTime. This error indicates that the installation or the upgrading of the desired application was unsuccessful. The QTCF.dll error is recognized by the Apple Support Community and they have provided a solution to fix this error easily.

Solution

Error Causes

QTCF.dll error occurs because the computer overloads with too much data which corrupts and damages registry files. And therefore the desired program fails to download and start on your PC. When this happens you see a pop up on your screen and the QTCF.dll error message that is usually displayed as:

• QTCF.dll not found
• QTCF.dll file is missing

Such message display hinders your ability to use iTunes or QuickTime applications on your PC. Furthermore, it also slows the performance of your system and you may encounter startup and shutdown problems. Therefore, it is advisable to repair the problem and fix the QTCF.dll error right away.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that you don’t need to go to a professional or be an IT expert in order to fix the QTCF.dll error. Since this error means that the installation or the attempt to upgrade the system was unsuccessful therefore you need to reinstall the fresh copy of the application. Here’s how you can easily fix the problem by yourself and install a fresh copy of the application: Step 1: First close all the applications running on your computer. Step 2: Now uninstall the application that you were trying to install such as iTunes or QuickTime.  To do this, go to the start menu, click on settings, control panel, and programs. Now click on the application you want to remove. Step 3: Once the application is uninstalled and removed from your computer, then restart it again. Step 4: Now download a fresh version of the application (iTunes or QuickTime) from Apple’s official website http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/. Step 5: Run the installer. If reinstalling doesn’t work, then it is advisable to download the QTCF.dll repair tool. This repair tool will scan your PC for errors in seconds. Once the scanning is complete, click on the ‘fix all’ button to repair your computer. Once the error is fixed, restart your computer and then try reinstalling the desired application one more time.

A Word of Advice

For regular PC users, it is advisable to install an anti-virus and malware scanner and run it every time you use your computer. This helps you keep informed about the viruses or errors that your computer might be exposed to. And you can take timely actions before you experience file corruption and damage.

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.

The GDI32.DLL is a DLL (Dynamic Link Library) file that was developed by Microsoft. It is an essential file of the Windows OS as it contains instructions and information for exe files to follow. These DLL files also use to store the various procedures and codes for the Windows programs. It is considered an essential component of Windows because it ensures that all the programs on Windows are operating properly. So, if the gdi32.dll not found on your computer, then it can negatively impact your computer and the associated programs. Though DLL files used to be so efficient and convenient, they are extremely vulnerable to errors and issues.

1. Perform SFC scan

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the Windows menu From the menu choose command prompt (admin) In command prompt type sfc /scannow and press ENTER Leave the computer for the operation to be completed and Reboot your computer

2. Run DISM

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the Windows menu From the menu choose command prompt (admin) in command prompt type: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press ENTER wait for the process to be finished and Reboot your computer

3. Update device driver

   Go to your manufacturer's website and update drivers for your components with the latest versions.

4. Update Windows

   If you have an update ready for Windows, update it and see if this will remove the error

5. Scan computer for malware

   Perform a full PC scan for malware to see if this is causing issues with the GDI32.DLL error.

6. Download file

   One solution is to download a file from the official site and place it in the corresponding folder.

7. Perform System restore

   Rollback system restore before the issue happened and your Windows will be working as intended

Windows 11 is coming soon, from its typical view and color scheme, Windows 11 will natively support dark mode. The dark mode is very popular in many applications today, some large companies like Adobe, Autodesk, and many more have already adopted a dark color scheme for their software so it is logical for others to follow and Microsoft is aboard for it. The dark mode itself has its benefits, for people who work on computer for longer period of time dark mode inside applications will throw less white and blue light on their eyes making workhours easier and pleasant on them. As a person who does indeed spend a lot of time in front of the screen, I would advise you to switch to dark mode regardless of the time that you spend with a computer, your eyes will be grateful.

Switching to Dark mode in Windows 11

1. Open Windows 11 Settings by pressing ⊞ WINDOWS + I
2. Click on Personalization on the left sidebar
3. On the right side click on Color
4. In color options click on the drop-down menu right next to Choose your color
5. Select Dark

Your choice will be applied right away and you can safely close settings.

In this post, you will be guided on what to do if the Recent Items are no longer visible in the Taskbar icons in Windows 10. This can be quite inconvenient especially if you work simultaneously on many files and documents together and would require you to visit them regularly to incorporate changes. Thus, if you find that the Recent items are not visible in the Windows Taskbar, read on. In order for the Recent Items to appear on the taskbar icons in Windows 10 again, there are four potential fixes you can check out. You can try to show the recently opened items via Settings or clear the cache of the recent items. You could also make some changes in the Windows Registry or use the Group Policy Editor. But before you proceed with these potential fixes, it’s best if you create a System Restore Point first just in case something goes wrong after you made changes in the system. The System Restore Point allows you to undo these changes and bring back the previous state of your computer. Thus, you need to create one and then carefully follow the given options below.

Option 1 – Show the recently opened items via Settings

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to show the recently opened items through the Settings app.

• Open the Settings app and select Personalization.
• From there, select the Start option and scroll down until you see the “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar” option.
• Make sure that its toggle button is turned on.

Option 2 – Try to clear the Recent Items cache

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
• Next, copy and paste this link on the address bar: %AppData%Microsoftwindowsrecentautomaticdestinations
• Once you’re in the given location, you should see multiple files. Now select all these files and completely delete them.

Note: These files are automatically recreated when you interact with the system like performing tasks such as opening apps or accessing files.

• After that, go to this next location: %AppData%Microsoftwindowsrecentcustomdestinations
• Once there, delete all of its files and restart your computer. This should resolve the problem.

Option 3 – Try making changes via Registry Editor

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to apply some tweaks in the Registry by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry sub-path: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
• From there, select the Policies Explorer folder located in the left pane.
• Then move to the right pane and look for the “NoRecentDocsHistory” entry and right-click on it.
• Now delete this entry.

Note: This entry is the one that stores the Group Policy setting for “Do not keep the history of recently opened documents. The Group Policy adds this entry to the registry with a value of 1 if you enable the “Do not keep the history of recently opened documents” policy. On the other hand, if you disable the policy by setting it to “Not configured” or deleting it, the Group Policy will delete the entry from the registry, and the system will act as though the value is 0 – for instance, it keeps the history of the recently opened files in your computer.

Option 4 – Try to use the Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter to launch the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
• Afterward, double click on the “Do not keep a history of recently opened documents” policy located on the right panel. This is the policy that lets you enable or disable recent items and frequent places.
• Now to enable the recent items, as well as the frequent places, feature, click on the “Disabled” or the “Not Configured” option.
• Once you’re done, close the Group Policy Editor and restart your PC.

Note: If you choose to enable this setting, the system and Windows programs will not create shortcuts to documents opened while the setting is in effect. Aside from that, they also stay but won’t display the existing document shortcuts and the system will empty the Recent Items menu on the Start menu and the Windows programs won’t also display shortcuts in the Start Menu. In addition, the Taskbar won’t also show the recently opened or frequently used folders, files, or websites.

The Windows update error 0x8024ce0e can happen as a result of improper installation, a virus, or due to file corruption. Follow this guide to easily fix errors and continue with your work.

1. Restart Windows

   As awkward as it seems this method actually works most of the time. Click on the start button and restart your system.

2. Check hard disk space

   Of course, when installing updates there should be enough disk space for updates to be downloaded and installed. Check your disk space to see if there is sufficient available space.

3. Disconnect external components

   External components can interfere sometimes with the update process, disconnect external hard drives, USB, and other devices, leaving only the keyboard, mouse, and core ones.

4. Check devices in the device manager

   Open device manager and visually check to see if there is a device with a yellow exclamation sign next to it. If there is such a device, right-click on it and choose update driver.

Error code 10, device manager code occurs when Bluetooth or Wi-Fi cannot be enabled. Inside device manager beside device would be yellow exclamation sign and if you go into device properties status would be: This device cannot start. Following are proven solutions that will resolve the issue and provide you with a working device.

Reboot PC, check for switch

This simple solution can usually work in most cases, first thing is to check if by any chance hardware switch for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is OFF (laptops have a small switch that can turn the device On or OFF), then if you do not have a switch or you made sure it is ON, reboot your system.

Run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

If previous simple step solutions have not proven to be effective run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

1. Press WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
3. Inside Find Network Adapter
4. Click on Run to start the troubleshooters

Disable and then re-enable Adapter

If the previous solution has not fixed the issue try disabling the adapter and then re-enabling it back.

Update network adapter

Go to the intel website and download the latest driver package. After the download is finished install the latest driver.

Turn ON the WLAN AutoConfig service

1. Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
2. In the Run dialog box, type services.MSC and hit Enter to open Services.
3. In the Services window, scroll and locate the WLAN AutoConfig service.
4. Double-click on the entry to edit its properties.
5. In the properties window, click the drop-down on the Startup type and select Automatic.
6. Next, make sure the Service status is started and running.
7. Click Apply > OK to save changes.
8. Exit Services console.
9. Restart PC.

Updating your Windows 10 computer does not always go smoothly as there are some errors you can encounter along the way. One of these Windows Update errors is the error code of 0x80246008. This kind of error can occur during different phases of an update that’s being downloaded or installed and even when an update is being initialized. If you narrow down the cause of this Windows Update error, you’ll most likely see that it is related to the deliverability of a file to a computer from the servers of Microsoft. In other words, the error might be due to conflicts from programs like Firewall as well as third party programs like Antivirus or it could also be due to corrupted disk image or system files or it could be that any of the supporting Windows Update components and services are not working properly. Whatever the cause may be, the potential fixes provided in this post can be applicable to Windows Updates as well as the Microsoft Store. Refer to the suggestions provided below to resolve the Windows Update Error 0x80246008 but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point first.

Option 1 – Apply some tweak in the Windows Registry from Command Prompt

• Tap the Win + X keys and select Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Next, navigate to the root location of the bootable device inside the Command Prompt command line.
• Once you’re in the root location, type the following command and tap Enter to execute it:

reg add HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlBackupRestoreFilesNotToBackup

• After that, close the Command Prompt command line and then tap the Win + R keys to open Run utility.
• In the field, type “services.msc” and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• From there, look for the following services:
  • Windows Update – Manual (Triggered)
  • Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
• Now open their Properties and make sure that their Startup type is as mentioned above and that they are running. If they are not running, just click on the Start button.

Option 2 – Run the System File Checker Scan

If the registry tweak didn’t work, you can run a System File Checker scan instead. It is a built-in command-line utility that replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the error when you try updating your computer. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Restart your computer.

Option 3 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

If the System File Checker wasn’t able to resolve the Windows Update error, you could also try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing any issues related to Windows Update including this one. 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.

Option 4 – Try to disable your antivirus program

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

Option 5 – Try deleting the files from the SoftwareDistribution folder and resetting the Catroot2 folder

The downloaded Windows Updates are placed in a folder called “SoftwareDistribution”. The files downloaded in this folder are automatically deleted once the installation is completed. However, if the files are not clean up or if the installation is still pending, you can delete all the files in this folder after you pause the Windows Update service. For complete instructions, refer to the steps below.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer.

Hello all the wonderful people and welcome to our new article where we take a little different turn than usual and discuss why keeping old electronics around the house is not such a good idea. We all have some drawer or in some bag around the house and in the end of the day if that electronic has battery inside it is probably not the smart thing to keep it.

So naturally, the question comes why it is a bad idea to have old electronics with batteries in them? Well unlike a battery failure with, say, some AA batteries jammed in the back of an old toy, the risk with a lithium-ion battery failing isn’t just some leaking and corrosion in the battery compartment, it’s a potential fire as the battery swells up and the gases (combined with the stored energy) turn the battery into a potential fire hazard.

Good thing is that the battery will not explode just like that, it will swallow over time and get bigger and bigger until the breaking point is reached and all the fire breaks lose. So if by any chance you have some old gadgets lying around you can check up on them and see if has swelling process started, if yes, dispose properly of that piece of the old device immediately.

How to keep old electronics

If you’re not ready to get rid of the gadget then it’s best to charge it properly for storage. Proper charging keeps the battery cells and circuits in optimum health.

While recommendations vary by manufacturer and application, the general consensus is that lithium-ion batteries should be charged to approximately 40%. (Some manufacturers recommend charging 50% or 60% instead.)

Really, the important part here isn’t the exact percentage. What’s important is ensuring that the battery is charged to roughly half capacity and not stored with a completely discharged or completely full battery.

Discharge rates on lithium-ion batteries in completely powered-off devices are very slow, but you should still plan to top off the charge every 12-18 months or so to keep it around 50%.

If you wanted to go above and beyond, a metal storage container with a snug lid on a basement shelf with a desiccant pack inside to control the moisture would offer optimum conditions.

Mail and Calendar not working with Cortana? As you know, Cortana was first launched way back in 2014 with an emphasis on its tight integration with both the Windows Mail and Calendar apps. This integration has been one of the highlighting features of this Personal Digital Assistant. However, there are some users who reported that the Calendar and Mail integration with Cortana is not working on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of problem could be due to several factors like the loose integration between the services, incompatible versions of the components, and many more. According to the users who experienced the issue, the features affected are the syncing of calendar appointments, sending emails via Cortana, and so on. To fix this problem, there are several options you can try. You can try to restart Cortana’s processor run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter. You could also try to relink your Microsoft account or reinstall the Mail and Calendar apps, as well as reinstall Cortana.  For more details, follow the suggestions given below.

Option 1 – Restart Cortana’s process in the Task Manager

Restarting Cortana’s process in the Task Manager could also help you resolve the problem. Refer to the steps given below to do so.

• Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys to open the Security options window.
• From there, look for the Task Manager in the given list and open it.
• Next, look for the process of Cortana and right-click on it, and then select the End Task option to end its process.
• After that, the Cortana process will restart by itself and re-initialize.

Option 2 – Run the Windows Store App troubleshooter

The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the Web Preview problem in Cortana. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app issues. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

• Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
• Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
• Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
• Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.

Option 3 – Try to relink your Microsoft Account

You might also want to relink your account in Microsoft using the Windows 10 Settings app.

• Open the Windows 10 Settings app.
• Next, navigate to Accounts > Email & Accounts and from there, go to the section of Accounts used by Email, Calendar, and Contacts.
• After that, select your email account and select Manage.
• Once done, a new panel will come up where you have to click on the “Delete account from this device” link.
• Once you get a confirmation, select Delete and then relink the same account. This should resolve the problem.

Option 4 – Try to reinstall or update the Mail and Calendar apps

• Open Windows PowerShell as admin.
• Next, execute this command: Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage
• Once done, restart your computer and go to the Microsoft Store page to get the latest updates for both Windows Mail and Calendar apps.

Option 5 – Try to reset Cortana via Settings

• Launch the Windows 10 Settings app and go to Apps > Apps & Features.
• Next, look for the entry of Cortana on the right-side panel and select it.
• After that, select the Advanced options and then select the Terminate button under the Terminate section.
• Once done, click on the Reset button under the Reset section.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

Option 6 – Try to reinstall Cortana

If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.

• First, right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager.
• Next, select File menu > Run new task and type “Powershell” in the field and then select the “Create this task with administrative privileges” option.
• Click on OK to open the PowerShell console.
• After that, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

• Restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.