Enable or disable Fast User Switching

As you know, Windows 10 is created with the goal of developing an operating system that caters to users’ needs and enhances productivity. That’s why modern computers that are running the Windows 10 OS have the capabilities to project their screen to an external display wirelessly. That said, Microsoft has a dedicated and pre-installed app called Connect which helps another device to project their screen on the computer. However, this feature is kind of delicate and won’t work unless it’s properly configured. So if some configuration does not work out well, it will throw an error message that says

“Something went wrong with the projection”.

This kind of error is caused by some issues with the Display driver, hardware, corrupted or damaged system files, and so on. And to fix it, there are several methods you can check out. You can try to update, roll back or reinstall the Display drivers. You could also run the Network Adapter troubleshooter or the Video Playback troubleshooter as well as run System Restore to undo any recent changes that might have triggered the error or reset your Windows 10 computer without deleting any files. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to update or rollback the Graphics driver

You can try to update your Graphics card driver using the Device Manager in your computer to resolve the blank dialog boxes problem or you can also go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it. To update your Graphics driver via Device Manager, refer to these steps:

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in 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. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: If updating the Graphics driver didn’t fix the problem, you can also try to roll back to its previous version and see if that helps or you could also try to roll back, update or reinstall the Network Adapter drivers.

Option 2 – Try to run the Network Adapter troubleshooter

To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.
• Restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to run the Video Playback troubleshooter

If the Network Adapter troubleshooter didn’t work in fixing the problem, you can try to run the Video Playback troubleshooter instead. To run it, simply go to Settings > Update & security > Troubleshoot. From there, scroll down until you see the Video Playback option and then click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button to get started. This troubleshooter will detect and automatically fix any problems related to video playback so it should help fix the error.

Option 4 – Try performing a System Restore

You might also want to perform a System Restore that might help you in fixing the 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.

Option 5 – Reset your computer

• Tap the Win key or click on the Start button located in the Taskbar.
• Then click on the Power button at the bottom right portion of the screen.
• Next, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and then click on Restart. This will restart your Pc into the Advanced Startup options.

Note: Once you have access to the Advanced Startup options, you have to go to the setting which allows you to Reset your Windows 10 PC. All you have to do is select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC to reach the following screen Afterward, select either the “Keep my files” option and then proceed to the next on-screen instructions that follow to reset your Windows 10 computer without losing your files.

As you know, the NVIDIA Control Panel is the central control panel for all devices that run the graphics drivers manufactured by NVIDIA. This control panel comes bundled with the drive package itself which is why there is no need for users to download it or update it separately. However, recently, some users reported that when they tried to make changes to the configuration in the NVIDIA Control Panel, they were unable to do so and encountered an error message instead saying, “Access denied. Failed to apply selected settings to your system”. If you also got the same error message, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will walk you through fixing this error in the NVIDIA Control Panel. There are several suggestions given in this article to fix the error. You can try to run the file named “nvcplui.exe” as an administrator or restore the most recent version of the folder where the aforementioned file is located. You could also try to restart NVIDIA’s process or restart the NVIDIA Display driver service or update the NVIDIA drivers in your computer. For more details, refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Try running the nvcplui.exe file as an administrator

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer and navigate to this path: C:/Program Files/NVIDIA Corporation/Control Panel/Client
• After that, look for the exe file and right-click on it, and then select the Run as administrator option.
• Next, select Yes if a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears.

Option 2 – Try to restore the most recent version of the folder

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to restore the most recent version of the folder where the nvcplui.exe file is located. Keep in mind that this option is tricky so you have to be careful.

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
• Next, navigate to this path: C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA DRS
• From there, right-click on the DRS folder and select Properties.
• After that, go to the Previous Versions, System Protection, or System Restore tab in the Properties window.
• Now restore the most recent version of the contents inside that folder. This will revert the old working configuration of DRS.

Option 3: Restart the process of the NVIDIA Control Panel

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
• After opening the Task Manager, look for the process named NVIDIA Control Panel Application.
• Once you found it, expand it and right-click on the NVIDIA Control Panel sub-process, and click on End Task.
• Now try opening the NVIDIA Control Panel from the Start Menu and see if it now works fine or not.

Option 4: Restart the NVIDIA Display Driver Service

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• After opening the Services window, you will see a list of services. From there, look for services named “NVIDIA Display Container LS” and double click on it to open its Properties.
• Now make sure that the service is Started. If it isn’t, you need to start it, otherwise, you need to Stop it and Start It again. You also have to make sure that the Startup Type is set to Automatic.
• Do the same for the NVIDIA LocalSystem Container service.
• Restart your computer and check if the problem’s fixed.

Option 5– Try updating the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA

If both the first and second given options didn’t work, you can also try updating the drivers from the official NVIDIA website. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
• From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
• Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.

Living in today's world sadly is still living in the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been more than a year and sadly pandemic is still very strong and we are battling it on a daily basis. Governments all over the world are trying to battle pandemics in their own way with their own ideas and prevention measures. We as individuals can not very much influence how will the pandemic itself go but fortunately in this modern age of information we can at least follow and be in the loop at the current state of the situation regarding it. Today instead of having a troubleshooting article or tips and trick for your PC we are doing something else but in the domain of internet technology, you know, just to keep everything still IT related ???? Below you will find websites with small descriptions of what they do to keep yourself informed and hope to get over this dreadful pandemic.

1. The WHO’s COVID-19 Dashboard

   If you are interested in real-time COVID-19 information about active cases, death tool so far, new cases and the number of vaccines administrated so far I would recommend WHO's dashboard. How WHO is a non-government institution composed of doctors from all over the world with just a single goal in mind, to help and put an end to this pandemic is a great non-biased source of information on the current state of virus spread.

2. Vaccine Finder

   Please be aware that Vaccinefinder is working only on the territory of the United States of America. The reason why it was included in this list is that basically it is a great idea and I hope to see this site expand on other world regions or at least that inspires the emergence of another worldwide website with this type of content. If you live in the USA, this site will be a great help since you can track where and how many shots are distributed to states and even towns in America.

3. COVID tracking project

   This site is also for U.S. residents, this time it is about tracking cases in each state with details and statistics. If you are interested in more detailed statistics of hospitalized patients per state or overall you are just interested in statistics about the pandemic in the U.S. this site might provide all the information about your needs.

4. NPR

   On national public radio or NPR for short, there is a special section devoted to the coronavirus where new articles about pandemic are released daily with new information and new findings on how to battle it and the current state of things. A great informational site to keep up with the current state of things.

5. Google's COVID-19 page

   Google has not been inactive during this pandemic and on its page specially dedicated to the COVID-19 virus you can find a lot of free information updated daily. From safety and prevention tips to data about pandemics there is a lot of ground covered on-page and we recommend at least going through the prevention section to inform yourself how to keep yourself and others safe.

6. Coronavirus tracker

   This daily updated chart can show how many cases and deaths are from chosen time period all in form of a chart, you can see charts for each country in the world how COVID cases rose or dropped along with the death tool it brought.

There you go, 6 websites to track and inform yourself about this dreaded pandemic which has managed to change the world and people's lives forever, sadly on the bad side.

Error C00D11B1- What is it?

Error C00D11B1 is a type of Windows Media Player error code. The error C00D11B1 hampers your ability to play videos, MP3 files and songs on Windows Media Player. The error is displayed in the following format:

Error C00D11B1:’Windows Media Player can’t play the file.’

Solution

Error Causes

The cause of error C00D11B1 message pop up on your computer can be narrowed down to one particular reason virtually because this error may be triggered due to several reasons, these include:

• Corrupt DRM license
• Enabled codec of the video in Windows Media Player codecs section
• Registry Corruption

The good news is that this error is not fatal and does not pose serious PC threats like runtime and BSoD error codes. However, it is still advisable to resolve to ensure you are able to watch movies and listen to songs on Windows Media Player without any difficulty.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best and effective do it yourself methods to resolve the error C00D11B1 on your PC right away:

Method 1- Disable the codec of the video option in the Codecs Section

If you are unable to play downloaded movie files on your PC on Windows Media Player, then try this method to resolve the issue. Simply open Windows Media Player, Go to Tools, Options, DVD and then click Advanced Tab. Here find the codecs section, scroll down to the codec of the video you are trying to play and see if it says enabled. If it does, then disable it and then select a decorder for the codec. Now try running the video again on your Windows Media Player. This will hopefully resolve the issue. Nonetheless if the error still persists, try method 2.

Method 2- Delete DRM Licenses & cache and Download it Again

Sometimes the error C00D11B1 can also be trigged by corrupt DRM licenses & cache. To resolve the issue, simply delete all files. First open Windows Explorer (Windows key + E) and then go to C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsDRM. Now delete all files in this folder. Once deleted, Let Windows Media Player download your license again. After downloading the DRM license again, run the Windows Media Player to see if it works.

Method 3- Disable Firewall Temporarily

Firewall can also be responsible for blocking the Windows Media Player streaming. Firewalls often block important ports that are required in order to run some programs. If this is the cause, then simply disable Firewall temporarily to resolve the issue.

Method 4- Repair the Registry

Registry is that part of your computer that saves all the activities performed on the PC and all the files too including both important and unimportant files like cookies, junk files and bad registry entries. If these unimportant and obsolete files are not removed frequently, the registry gets corrupt and damaged. And due to this reason you may experience error code C00D11B1 on your system. To resolve this issue, simply repair the damaged registry by downloading Restoro. This is a powerful PC Fixer integrated with a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner removes all unnecessary files, cleans and repairs the registry in seconds. Click here to download Restoro and fix error C00D11B1 on your PC right now!

D3dx9_32.dll Error - What is it?

D3dx9_32.dll is basically a type of dynamic link library used to load and run different programs on the PC. The D3dx9_32.dll error message pops on the screen when this file is unable to load successfully. The error message is displayed in either of the following formats on the computer screen:

"The file d3dx9_32.dll is missing" "D3DX9_32.DLL is missing. Replace D3DX9_32.DLL and try again." "File d3dx9_32.dll not found" "D3dx9_32.dll not found. Reinstalling might help fix this." "Missing component d3dx9_32.dll"

This error usually pops while using gaming software. The D3dx9_32.dll error is displayed after a game is loaded or before the game-play begins. However, it may also appear in software that uses advanced graphic features.

Solution

Error Causes

D3dx9_32.dll error may occur due to multiple causes. These include:

• The problem is related to Microsoft DirectX software. This software includes the D3dx9_32.dll file in its software collection.
• Incompatible Video Card Drivers
• Improper game installation
• DLL File Corruption
• Registry issues
• Viral infection

Further Information and Manual Repair

To avoid inconvenience, it is advisable to fix the error right away. To resolve it you don’t need to be a technical whiz or hire a technician. Luckily, the D3dx9_32.dll file error is quite easy to fix. Here are some of the best and effective DIY methods that you can try to remove the error:

Method 1 - Install the Latest Version of DirectX

Since D3dx9_32.dll error is related to DirectX software, it is advisable to make sure that you have the latest version of this software installed on your PC. To install the updated version, simply go to Microsoft’s official website, download the software from there and install it on your PC. To activate changes, restart your computer.

Method 2 - Uninstall and then Re-install Gaming Application

If the error still persists, then the reason for it could be the gaming application. Sometimes D3dx9_32.dll error may also occur due to poor program installation. Therefore, in this case it is recommended that you first uninstall the program by going to the Add/Remove program option. And once the program is uninstalled, try re-installing it on your PC. Hopefully, it will remove the error.

Method 3 - Restore the Damaged/Corrupt D3dx9_32.dll File

The error may also pop due to the damaged or corrupt D3dx9_32.dll file. This indicated registry issues. When the registry becomes overloaded with unnecessary and obsolete files, there is not enough space for other files to store. Due to the poor registry maintenance, the system and dll files are often damaged. To restore the damaged D3dx9_32.dll file, you need to clean the registry first. You can do this manually, but that will be quite time-consuming and slightly technical. Therefore, download a registry cleaner. A registry cleaner scans all registry-related errors and removes them right away. It cleans the registry and restores the damaged dll files.

Method 4 - Scan for Viruses

If the D3dx9_32.dll error is triggered by viruses, then it is advisable to scan your PC with an antivirus. It will scan and removes all viruses from your system. Whether D3dx9_32.dll error is related to registry issues or viral infection, download Restoro. It is a cutting-edge, advanced, and multi-functional PC Fixer. A one-stop solution for all PC-related issues. It is deployed with a powerful registry cleaner, an antivirus, a system optimizer and several other scanners. The registry cleaner detects and removes all registry errors and repairs damaged Dll files including D3dx9_32.dll file and simultaneously the antivirus utility scans your entire PC for all types of malicious software infecting your system including spyware, Trojans, adware and malware. The system optimizer feature ensures your PC works at its optimal level. Restoro PC Fixer is safe and efficient. It has a user-friendly interface which makes it quite easy for all levels of users to operate. In just a few simple clicks, errors are resolved. In addition to this, you can download it on all Windows PC. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve D3dx9_32.dll error code on your PC today.

Every now and then, the Windows Installer can also encounter some problems or glitches. One of these problems is where the Windows Update Standalone Installer, Windows Defender as well as Windows Firewall throws an error message that says, “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424”. This type of error can actually affect various applications on your computer so you have to fix it as soon as you can. Although there is no clear reason for what really causes this error, there are various suggestions you can try to fix it.

Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with errors “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424”, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it. 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 2 – Try to reconfigure the Windows Time Service

• In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
• Then click on the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Now execute each one of the given commands sequentially and hit Enter right after you type each one of them.
  • net stop W32time
  • exe /unregister
  • exe /register
  • net start W32time
• After executing the given commands above, wait until it says, “W32Time successfully registered”.

Option 3 – Try to restart related Windows services

• First, type “command prompt” in the Start Search and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
• Then click on the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Now execute each one of the given commands sequentially and hit Enter right after you type each one of them.
  • SC config wuauserv start= auto
  • SC config bits start= auto
  • SC config cryptsvc start= auto
  • SC config trustedinstaller start= auto

Note: The commands you’ve just executed will make sure that the required Windows services are available.

Option 4 – Try to download and install the Windows Update Agent

You might also want to download and install the latest Windows Update Agent as it could also help you resolve the “The specified service does not exist as an installed service, 0x80070424” error.

Option 5 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

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

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

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

Option 6 – Try running the Windows Firewall troubleshooter

You could also try to run the Windows Firewall troubleshooter as it might also help you fix the problem. This could help in repairing and fixing Windows Firewall issues automatically. Check if it’s available for your Windows.

A lot of Windows users, use a second GPU for their computer systems, especially gamers above the dedicated graphics card. The operating system is set such that the dedicated high-end graphics card is set to default but there are times when the system does not recognize or detect the second graphics card. Even though every computer system comes with an integrated graphics card, for the most part, it is insufficient for graphics-intensive games and software which is why if you have an extra dedicated graphics card and your computer does not seem to detect or recognize it, then this post is for you. It could be that the dedicated graphics card has failed or it could also be an issue with the drivers and so on. Follow the suggested options below to resolve the problem.

Option 1 – Update your Graphics drivers

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in 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. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 2 – Update the BIOS

Take note that you have to be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
• From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
• After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
• Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
• If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
• Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
• Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 3 – Try changing the GPU settings

• Right-click on any empty space on your Desktop and select Graphics Properties. Note that the Graphics Properties screen depends on the graphics drivers installed on your computer and are system-specific as they may be different for other systems but they aren’t hard to find.
• After that, make sure that the dedicated Graphics card is selected as Default under the Select Display drop-down.
• If the Graphics card isn’t set as Default, set it and click Apply and Exit.

Option 4 – Try disabling the driver for the integrated Graphics card

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, expand the list of Display Adapters and then right-click and select Disable device for the Integrated Graphics card. However, if the dedicated Graphics card fails, the display won’t work so you need to restart the system and enable it.

There is a built-in tool in Windows 10 the Disk Cleanup Utility which can help you restore hard disk space by removing temporary files, Thumbnails, old Windows files, Windows Upgrade logs, Delivery optimization files, and many more. However, from time to time, this built-in tool also experiences some issues. One of these issues is when it gets stuck on Windows Update Cleanup. Read on to find out what you can do in such a case. When the Disk Cleanup Utility is stuck on the Windows Update Cleanup, the process could be slow and take a long time to complete when purging the files. If this happens, click on Cancel to close the dialog box. After that, try running the Disk Cleanup Tool again as administrator and check if the files that you want to clean is still there or not. If it isn’t there, then this means that the cleanup has been done, otherwise, you need to refer to the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to manually delete the contents in the SoftwareDistribution folder

• 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 and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 2 – Try to manually delete the contents of the Windows.old folder

The Windows.old folder is the one that holds the older version of Windows when you upgrade. It comes really useful when you want to revert to the previous version of Windows 10. Thus, you can delete the Windows.old files in case the cleanup tool is stuck.

Option 3 – Try running Disk Cleanup in a Clean Boot State or Safe Mode

Another thing you can try is to restart your computer in a Clean Boot State or Safe Mode. Chances are, there are some programs that are preventing the Disk Cleanup Utility tool to run properly. After you restart your computer in a Clean Boot State or Safe Mode, try to run the Disk Cleanup tool again and then see if it now works or not.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing this issue. 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 5 – Run the DISM tool to fix the corruption in the Component Store

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Wdf01000.sys Blue Screen error. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

As you know, the Windows Firewall is designed not just to protect your computer from viruses and malware, and other security threats but it’s also designed to block any program from accessing the internet. Users are given the option to block both inbound and outbound traffic for any apps on their computers. However, this kind of option can often lead to not being able to access the internet. In such cases, when you try to run the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter or the Windows Network Diagnostic troubleshooter, it will throw an error message that says, “Windows Firewall is preventing connections to your computer. The Windows Firewall rule HSS DNS Leak Rule may be blocking your connection”. If you are in this kind of scenario, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can fix this error. When you encounter this kind of error, there are several options you can check out to fix it. You can try to allow an app or feature through the Windows Firewall or uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public. For more details, refer to the suggestions provided below.

Option 1 – Try to allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall

The first thing you can do to get rid of the error is to allow a feature or app through the Windows Firewall. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• From there, select the Firewall and Network Protection option.
• Next, click on the “Allow an app through firewall” option and then click on the “Change Settings” button and make sure that you have administrative privileges.
• After that, select the app or feature you want to allow through the Firewall from the menu. You also have the option to manually add the app by using the “Add an App” option.
• Then select the between the type of network an app can access such as:
  • Private Network will allow the app to connect to the internet only at home or work.
  • Public Network will allow the app to connect to the internet from anywhere, including Public WiFi hotspots.

• Once done, restart your computer and see if it fixed the error or not.

Option 2 – Try to uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to uncheck the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public. You can do this by following these steps:

• Open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• From there, select the Firewall and Network Protection option.
• After that, click on the “Allow an app through firewall” option and then click on the “Change Settings” button and make sure that you have administrative privileges.
• Next, scroll down until you see the HSS DNS leak rule in both private and public option and then uncheck it.
• Now restart your computer and check if the error is now gone.

Prompted For A Product Key – What Is It?

Some Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 users are having a hard time upgrading to Windows 10 as they are being prompted for a product key. By default, the Windows 10 operating system does not require a product key and users should not be prompted for one, given you upgraded your computer from an activated Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license or from the Windows 10 Preview build. However, there are some users encountering this problem and there are several reasons for this.

Solution

Error Causes

There are a few reasons why some users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10:

• Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license is not activated.
• You’re upgrading to Windows 10 final release from a preview build.
• There are broken operating system files.
• Activation servers get overwhelmed due to the high volume of upgrades.
• The Windows 10 copy you downloaded does not correspond with the current Windows system you are upgrading from.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Before you can fix this problem, you need to know why you’re being prompted for a product key. Some things you should know about Windows 10 product key activation are the following:

• You cannot activate Windows 10 using your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key. Windows 10 has a unique product key.
• Error codes such as 0x8007232b, 0XC004E003, 0x8007007B, or 0x8007000D might pop up during system upgrade especially when the activation servers get overwhelmed with the high volume of upgrades.
• You don’t really need to know your Windows 10 product key.

Now, if ever you’re prompted for a product key when you’re upgrading to Windows 10, you can apply the following methods:

Method One: Give It A Few Days

If you’ve been prompted for a product key upon upgrading to Windows 10, you should click on the “Do this later” option. Wait for a few days then Windows 10 will get activated automatically.

Method Two: Download A Copy of Windows 10 Corresponding Your Current System

One of the reasons Windows users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10 is that they have downloaded a wrong edition of Windows 10 and do not correspond with your current system.

• Users of Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 7 Starter, Windows 8.0 Core, and Windows 8.1 Core should download Windows 10 Home ISO.
• Users of Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 8.0 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Pro should download Windows 10 Pro ISO.

NOTE: Users of Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8.0 Enterprise, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise are not eligible for the free upgrade offer.

Method Three: Ensure Windows Is Activated

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 is not genuine or activated, you will get prompted for a product key. You need to make sure first your current system is activated.

1. Click on Start then right-click Computer. For Windows 8 and up users, you can simply press on Windows key + X then select Choose Properties.
2. When the Properties window appears, check if the Windows you’re running is activated.

Method Three: Reset License Status

1. Press on Windows key + X.
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –rearm then press Enter.
4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.
5. Input the product key by following the instructions given.

Method Four: Force Activation

1. Press on Windows key + X
2. Select Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –ato then press Enter.
4. Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.

Method Five: Run System File Checker

Another thing you can try doing is to run the system file checker utility to scan if there are any broken operating system files. In doing so, you’ll be able to detect problems that might be preventing the product activation of your Windows 10 upgrade.

Method Six: Contact Microsoft Activation Center

If in case you’ve exhausted all your resources and you are still being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10, you can try contacting the Microsoft Activation Center for further details. Check here for the appropriate telephone numbers to contact.

Method Seven: Download An Automated Tool

If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.