A Quick Guide to Fixing Error 404

The author of the famous software library mode-ipc that gets over a million downloads per week found that it has some questionable code inside. The code itself behaves like this: if it finds out that your location is within Russia or Belarus it will try to replace the contents of all files on the computer with a heart emoji.

One important thing is that we here are not supporting the current Ukrainian situation and are against any type of violence or war but we also do not support this kind of behavior as well. If we look at this only from a technical perspective, we would then classify the mode-ipc library as malware and a harmful piece of code no matter the motivation behind it.

So this so-called protestware is well basically malware, but not always, it will protest when certain conditions are met. The issue with this is that companies and users should not be placed under harm if they do not share the personal view of the code author. Imagine if, for example, I would publish code to delete all pictures from your computer if my code found out that you do not like metal music. I guess you not liking metal music and war in Ukraine are two very different things but the source is the same, unreliable code that invades your privacy in order to serve one purpose, punishment for disagreeing with my personal views and that should not be allowed.

Not all protestware are equal, some will not harm your computer on purpose, they will just annoy you with some messages like viruses did in their infancy stages, others might place some developer sanctions but no matter the outcome basic principle is the same, it does something without user consent and without informing the user that something like that might happen.

On the internet, many blog posts and discussions were open about this issue and its morality. Discussion is still active with different takes on the situation and how to prevent it. Our take on this matter is that professional developers should have standards and not submit to doing harm for the sake of personal views and feelings.

In the long run, this kind of behavior and practice can only harm developers involved in this kind of entanglement. Infected libraries will in time stop being used since people would not trust them and authors will have a stain on their name as impulsive or not trustworthy.

If you always use Google Chrome when browsing the internet, then you might have come across an error saying, “This webpage is not available, DNS PROBE FINISHED BAD CONFIG”. If you do, then this problem certainly has something to do with the DNS since any error code which has “DNS” in it points out a network issue in the computer. Getting the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error indicates that your computer is not able to connect the website because the Domain Name Server or DNS wasn’t able to resolve the website name into IP address or it is not available at all. So in this guide, we’ll help you sort out this issue in Chrome on your Windows 10 PC.

Option 1 – Check the Network Cables and restart your router then reconnect

The most obvious thing you can do first is to try checking if the network cables connected to your computer or router are properly connected or not. If it turns out that some network cables are not connected properly, then it’s probably why you’re getting the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error in Chrome. And if your computer is connected via Wi-Fi, you need to make sure to restart your router once. In addition, you can also forget the Wi-Fi your computer is currently connected to and then try reconnecting again to see if it would work.

Option 2 – Flush the DNS and reset TCP/IP

Flushing the DNS and reset TCP/IP could also help in fixing the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error in Chrome. To do so, refer to these steps:

• Click the Start button and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt, you have to type each one of the commands listed below. Just make sure that after you type each command, you hit Enter
  • ipconfig /release
  • ipconfig /all
  • ipconfig /flushdns
  • ipconfig /renew
  • netsh int ip set dns
  • netsh winsock reset

After you key in the commands listed above, the DNS cache will be flushed and the Winsock, as well as the TCP/IP, will reset.

Option 3 – Try to remove the Proxy

You can also try to remove the Proxy as it might also help you in fixing the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error. Here’s how you can do it:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 4 – Change the DNS

Try to use the Google Public DNS If the first option didn’t work, you can try to use the Public DNS by Google and see if it can help fix the DNS error. You have to modify the DNS settings in your system explicitly and use the DNS IP addresses.

• The first thing you have to do is right-click on the network icon in the Taskbar and select Network and Sharing Center.
• Next, click on the “Change Adapter Settings” option.
• After that, search for the network connection that you are using to connect to the internet. Note that the option might be “Wireless Connection” or “Local Area Connection”.
• Right-click on your network connection and click on Properties.
• Then select the new window to choose the “Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option.
• After that, click on the Properties button and click the checkbox in the new window for the option “Use the following DNS server addresses”.
• Type in “8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4” and click OK and exit.

Option 5 – Clear Chrome’s browsing data

If your browsing data in Chrome hasn’t been cleared for some time now then that might be the reason why you’re suddenly getting the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error when you browse the web. To fix this error, you need to clear your web browsing data. Refer to the following steps to do so.

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Delete buttons to go to the Clear browsing data section in Chrome.
• Next, set the time range to “All time” and tick all the boxes and then click on the Clear data button.
• After that, restart the Chrome browser and try to open the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 6 – Try running the Chrome Cleanup tool

In case you don’t know, there is actually a built-in malware scanner and cleanup tool in Chrome that helps you get rid of any unwanted ads, pop-ups, and even malware, as well as unusual startup pages, toolbars, and other things that could affect the performance of the browser.

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error - What is it?

To begin with, Cyclic Redundancy Check is basically an error checking technique. This technique is used for data verification. It detects accidental changes in the data. It is used by computers to specifically check the data stored in the hard drive or optical disks (DVD’s and CD’s). The Cyclic Redundancy Check error occurs when the data being verified on the hard drive or optical disks is corrupt. Symptoms for this error code include program lock-ups, slow PC performance, inability to run and execute the desired program, system freeze and shutdown and startup issues.

Error Causes

The Cyclic Redundancy Check error code occurs due to the following reasons:

• Cluttered hard disk
• Registry corruption
• Misconfigured files
• Unsuccessful program installation

All these causes points towards registry issues and poor PC maintenance. The registry is the main database of the computer. This part of the PC saves practically every activity you perform on it including activities like application installation and deletion and web browsing to name a few. With time and frequent PC usage, the files generated from every activity you execute on your system begin to load the registry. These include even the unnecessary files like junk files, internet files and files of applications that you’ve uninstalled. All these files overload the registry and acquire a lot of hard disk space. And when you don’t remove these files on your system, eventually it leads to file misconfiguration, cluttered disk, and registry corruption. New program versions that you want to install and run on your system also don’t function because the files of the old program version still saved in the registry.

Further Information and Manual Repair

As the Cyclic Redundancy Check Error causes data corruption on the hard disk, it is advisable to fix this error right away. The reason is that it can have serious consequences. It can lead to data loss, fatal crashes, and system failures. When it comes to resolving Cyclic Redundancy Check Error, there are two ways to fix it:

Run the CHKDSK application.

This is a built-in feature in your Windows system. It checks for hard disk damage and attempts to resolve it.

Error 0146 - What is it?

Dell laptop is a great choice for laptop users who like to have the best configuration, fast working platform, and long warranty period. But this does not mean that your errors can’t pop up on Dell laptops. Users can experience a variety of hardware and software-related issues on Dell laptops. And one such error is the error code 0146. This is a typical Dell laptop hard drive-related error code. It can cause your Dell laptop to freeze and system applications to stop responding for a long period of time. Therefore, it is recommended to fix the error immediately.

Solution

Error Causes

Error 0146 may be triggered due to several reasons on your system. These include:

• Program corruption
• Viral infection
• Hard drive issues

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that error 0146 is easy to fix. Here are some of the easy do it yourself methods that you can try to resolve error 0146 on your system:

Method 1 - Run a Virus Scan

Malware and viruses can corrupt and damage the hard drive and trigger error 0146. In such an event, it is recommended that you open your antivirus, update it and run a full virus scan on your PC. Once the scan is complete, remove all the viruses. This will hopefully resolve the error 0146.

Method 2 - Run Your Laptop in Safe Mode and Clean Boot

Another alternative is to run your Dell laptop in safe mode and clean boot. To do this, simply disconnect all the attached devices like wireless printers, routers, and USB keys and turn off your laptop. Turn it on again and then press and hold the F8 key. Make sure you do it quickly before the Windows logo comes up. Now select ‘Safe mode with networking’ and press enter. After that, open System Configuration Utility by going to the start menu and typing ‘msconfig’ in RUN, and then click OK. In the System Configuration Utility click General then selective startup. Now uncheck the load startup items box ad select services and then check the hide all Microsoft services box and disable all. To apply these changes, click ‘Apply’ and then OK.  Now restart your laptop.

Method 3 - Change to SATA Drive

Sometimes error 0146 may pop up due to hard drive configuration changes. If this is the reason for error occurrence, then simply go to Dell Laptop BIOS. Check whether the hard drive configuration has been changed to AHCI SATA from SATA Drive. If it has changed, then it is advisable to change it back to SATA Drive. When you are done back up all your data, and then format your hard drive. It is important to create a backup because formatting will make you lose all your data. Once you format the hard drive, reinstall Windows from scratch.

Method 4 - Run a Registry Scan

If the error 0146 results due to program corruption then there is a possibility that the underlying reason might be registry damage. Therefore it is advisable to run a registry scan and repair it. To do so, download Restoro. This is a cutting-edge and user-friendly PC Fixer integrated with a registry cleaner. Run it to scan for registry issues. It removes all obsolete files corrupting and damaging the registry, repairs important and damaged system files and cleans the registry in the shortest time. Click here to download Restoro and resolve error 0146.

Javaw exe - What is it?

Javaw.exe is a type of executable file or a process used by Sun Microsystems. It is in charge of executing programs created with Java on Windows PC. It is a part of the Oracle Java Runtime Environment. The javaw exe error hampers your ability to run programs supported by Java. Common Javaw.exe error messages include:

• "Javaw.exe Application Error."
• "Javaw.exe is not a valid Win32 application."
• “Cannot find javaw.exe.""Javaw.exe not found."
• "Error starting program: javaw.exe."
• "Javaw.exe is not running.""Javaw.exe failed."
• "Javaw.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Solution

Error Causes

There can be many reasons for javaw.exe error code on your PC such as:

• Viral infection
• Malware attack
• Invalid registry entries

Ignoring such error messages is not wise. You must resolve it right away as such errors can lead to serious PC threats like system failure and data security threats.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Scan the Javaw.Exe File For Malware

To fix Java Exe error on your system, first you need to find out the cause of the error. Is it triggered by malware or invalid registry entries? The best way to identify the cause is to check your system’s CPU usage. This can be done through assessing the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del all at the same time. After that, click ‘Processes and locate the javaw.exe file. Remember this file does not require too much memory, so abnormal memory usage is a surefire sign that the java.exe file on your system is a virus. To resolve it, download an antivirus and run it to scan and remove viruses from your PC. However, running an antivirus may slow down your PC performance. On the other hand, if you find the memory usage is fine, then this means the error is not caused by malware but it occurred either due to old version system files on your PC or registry corruption.

Update the Javaw.Exe File

To remove the old version files, go to the start menu. Click Control Panel and then Add/Remove programs. Here find the Java program and uninstall it. Now after the program is completely uninstalled, go to Java’s official website and download the latest version of your desired program. Restart your PC after the installation is successfully complete.

Clean & Repair Registry

If the problem still persists, then the javaw exe error is mostly likely triggered due to registry corruption. The best way to resolve it is to clean and restore the registry. You can do it manually but you may find the manual procedure slightly time-consuming and complex especially you are not a computer programmer. Therefore we recommend you download Restoro.

Why Restoro?

Whether the javaw exe error occurs due to viral infection, invalid entries, or registry corruption, Restoro takes care of all. This is a new, cutting edge, and multi functional PC fixer deployed with multiple performance-boosting and system repair utilities including a powerful registry cleaner, an antivirus, a system optimizer, and Active X controls, and a Class ID detector. The registry cleaning utility wipes out all the unnecessary files, clearing up the cluttered disk. It cleans the registry and restores it. Simultaneously, the antivirus feature detects and scans all malicious software infecting your PC and removes them right away. The system optimizer module boosts the speed of your system and ensures your PC performs at its optimum pace. This is a safe, efficient, and bug-free tool. It has a user-friendly interface and easy navigation. Furthermore, it is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve Javaw exe error on your PC today!

What is PyLocky ransomware? And how does it execute its attack?

PyLocky ransomware is a file-locking malware created in order to lock important files and demand ransom from victims in exchange for data recovery. This new ransomware uses the .lockymap extension in marking the files it encrypts. It starts to execute its attack by dropping the following malicious payload in the system:

Name: facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe SHA256:8655f8599b0892d55efc13fea404b520858d01812251b1d25dcf0afb4684dce9 Size: 5.3 MB

After dropping its malicious payload, this crypto-malware connects the infected computer to a remote server where it downloads more malicious files and places them on system folders. It then applies a data gathering module used to gather data about the user and the computer. The malicious files that were downloaded earlier along with the data obtained are used for another module called stealth protection. This allows PyLocky ransomware to execute its attack without detection from any security or antivirus programs installed in the system. It also modifies some registry keys and entries in the Windows Registry such as:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
• HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktop
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce

Once all the modifications are carried out, PyLocky ransomware will begin encrypting its targeted files using a sophisticated encryption cipher. Following the encryption, it adds the .lockymap extension to each one of the encrypted files and releases a ransom note named “LOCKY-README.txt” which contains the following content:

“Please be advised: All your files, pictures document and data has been encrypted with Military Grade Encryption RSA ABS-256. Your information is not lost. But Encrypted. In order for you to restore your files, you have to purchase a Decrypter. Follow these steps to restore your files. 1* Download the Tor Browser. ( Just type in google “Download Tor“ 2‘ Browse to URL: http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php 3* Purchase the Decryptor to restore your files. It is very simple. If you don’t believe that we can restore your files, then you can restore 1 file of image format for free. Be aware the time is ticking. Price will be doubled every 96 hours so use it wisely. Your unique ID : CAUTION: Please do not try to modify or delete any encrypted file as it will be hard to restore it. SUPPORT: You can contact support to help decrypt your files for you. Click on support at http://4wcgqlckaazungm.onion/index.php”

How does PyLocky ransomware spread over the web?

PyLocky ransomware spreads using malicious spam email campaigns. Creators of this threat embed an infected attachment to spam emails and send them using a spambot. Crooks may even use deceptive tactics to trick you into opening the malware-laden immediately which is something you must not do. Thus, before opening any emails, make sure that you’ve thoroughly checked them. To successfully obliterate PyLocky ransomware from your computer, refer to the removal guide laid out below.

• Step 1: Launch the Task Manager by simply tapping Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard.
• Step 2: Under the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the process named facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and any suspicious-looking process which takes up most of your CPU’s resources and is most likely related to PyLocky ransomware.
• Step 3: After that, close the Task Manager.
• Step 4: Tap Win + R, type in appwiz.cpl and click OK or tap Enter to open Control Panel’s list of installed programs.
• Step 5: Under the list of installed programs, look for PyLocky ransomware or anything similar, and then uninstall it.
• Step 6: Next, close the Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to launch File Explorer.
• Step 7: Navigate to the following locations below and look for PyLocky ransomware’s malicious components such as facture_4739149_08.26.2018.exe and LOCKY-README.txt as well as other suspicious files, then delete all of them.

%TEMP% %WINDIR%System32Tasks %APPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsTemplates %USERPROFILE%Downloads %USERPROFILE%Desktop

• Step 8: Close the File Explorer.
• Step 9: Tap Win + R to open Run and then type in Regedit in the field and tap enter to pull up Windows Registry.
• Step 10: Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktop HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce

• Step 11: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by PyLocky ransomware.
• Step 12: Close the Registry Editor and empty the Recycle Bin.

Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies Restoring your encrypted files using Windows Previous Versions feature will only be effective if PyLocky ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot. To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.

Started as an internal network and has slowly expanded since 1960 internet has taken over the world. In the beginning, it was a means of information change but in the modern age you can run applications and virtual machines over the internet, you can stream video and audio, and you can communicate in real-time with someone on the other side of Earth.

With the internet growing so fast in such a small amount of time it is only logical and wise to take a step back and take a good look at what it offers now, what are great things about it and what are some of the worst.

Good sides of the internet

Information

There are a lot of advantages of the internet, first and foremost is information. Internet was made as an information exchange service and even today you can find a lot of various information about various topics that interest you. A site like Wikipedia is a completely free online encyclopedia and a lot of news companies have their own internet sites where you can find free information and news.

On the other hand, there are also websites like udemy, edx, Coursera, and many others that will offer you the education, some for free, some for money but you can get a glimpse and part of university quality education for just a fraction of price.

Online shopping

Sites like Amazon have used the internet and launched themselves as today's multi-billion companies. In today's world, there is not a single thing you can not buy online. Many sites today are going from the large online marketplace where you can find everything to small niche specialized ones. Also every major brand in the world today has its own online store.

Other shops will offer you music, movies, games, etc. Services like steam, xbox pass, sony pass etc, will let you buy games online, other music, movies, and many more.

Streaming services

Days, when you had to buy movies in order to watch them at home, are gone, thanks to the internet we have plenty of streaming services for movies and tv shows as well as ones for music. If you do not want to spend money on actually purchasing things then a good idea is to have a streaming plan set up when you want it.

Email and messaging

Communication is a great thing and since the dawn of mankind people have been talking and sharing with each other, the internet has made it possible to send mail electronically and instantly and modern chat communication is everywhere. We can not just talk with our friends and family that can be on the other side of the world, we can also talk in real-time with the sales representative, with technical service, or attend online classes with a group of people.

Cloud storage services

Saving your pictures in this digital media age on the hard drive can be risky but thanks to modern technologies you can save most of your precious files on cloud servers for safekeeping. From pictures to documents and even other files that you need and want to save. There are some of them that will offer you a free amount and some basic free plans as well.

Bad sides of the internet

Malware, viruses, and phishing

We could not talk about the bad side of the internet if we do not mention its greatest threat. Bad sites, infected software, phishing emails, and many more malicious threats. Problem is that these kinds of tricks and attacks have become more and more sophisticated and harder to detect and avoid.

Pornography

Pornography is bad, having it freely available to children is even worse. Sadly the only way to regulate this is on a computer-by-computer basis by turning on parent control on each one. There are many studies that go into detail about why this is bad, sadly currently there are no effective ways to isolate this content.

No privacy

When we say there is no privacy we do not mean by using social media and not setting your privacy settings altho that also fits in this point, what we are talking about is data mining of your habits and things you do. It is well known that today lot of websites are using some form of AI recommender system in order to tailor your internet experience to suit your needs better. Most of these AI systems are trained by mining your data and analyzing your habits.

If you have 2 google accounts there is a high probability chance that for the same query you will get different results, depending on your so far browsing habits. The same goes for other services as well.

Dark webshops

There are some great things in dark and deep WEB-like sites with true news and information. Even some legit libraries where you can find and download rare books. Sadly as goes with the internet dark and deep WEB also has its well, dark sides, from disturbing content to shops that sell stolen items to straight stealing your money by parading as legit shops but only to steal your money.

Dating sites

We all try to find someone that is perfectly matched with us but using the online dating site has many proven bad effects on psychology. It also devaluates interaction between people and can lower self-esteem.

Bad habits

Since the internet has become wildly available and popular on various devices like tablets and mobile phones more and more people are spending an unhealthy amount of time on it. Harvesting the benefits of the internet is great but find some time for other people as well.

In case you don’t know, the Windows Registry contains a System Hive which is a core part of Windows. The Windows operating system store various settings, options, and configurations. And if you encounter a Device Manager Error 49 for a device then it means that the system hive has exceeded its size limit. Worry not for this post will provide you with possible solutions that can help you in fixing error code 49. You will see the following error message when you encounter error code 49:

“Windows cannot start new hardware devices because the system hive is too large (exceeds the Registry Size Limit), (Code 49)”

There are instances when it may so happen that the device or devices are no longer attached to the computer but they are still listed in the system hive of the registry. For instance, if you were removing hardware and application for years but they weren’t removed from the registry then the size of the system hive keeps on growing until it hits the maximum limit. As you know, making changes in the registry manually, no matter how knowledgeable you are on such things is not sage since the registry is not only important but also complex. In addition, the System Hive is also a permanent part of the Registry associated with a set of files that contain information related to the configuration of the computer on which the OS is installed. To resolve this error, you must remove or uninstall any hardware devices that are no longer in the system. In fact, the Device Manager hides them by default so you need to enable hidden or non-present devices. Follow the instructions given below to set the Devices Manager to display devices that are no longer connected to the computer. Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box. Step 2: After that type in “cmd” and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt. Step 3: Type “set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1” in the Command Prompt and hit Enter to enable the hidden devices option. Step 4: After that, exit Command Prompt and tap Win + X + M to open the Devices Manager. Step 5: After opening the Devices Manager, click on View and then select the “Show hidden devices” option. This will show you all the devices that are not connected to the computer but are still mentioned. Step 6: Next, select a non-present device and click Uninstall from the Driver tab. Step 7: After that, repeat what you’ve done on step 5 for any other device that you no longer use. Step 8: Restart your computer. You can check the device Properties dialog box in the Device Manager after you’re done removing all the useless devices, to check if the error is now fixed or not. Moreover, you can also try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter as it can also help resolve hardware-related problems. To use it, refer to the steps below.

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

One of the essential parts of the Windows 10 operating system is the Microsoft Store as it is the distribution hub of numerous applications such as Netflix, Facebook, and many more. In fact, Microsoft is planning to make it a hub not just for UWP applications but also Windows Classic applications. Microsoft has already built a bridge with the power of Project Centennial which allows developers to migrate and upload their Windows Classic applications to the Microsoft Store. Although the Microsoft Store has been constantly improving, there are still times when you might face an error while using it. One of these errors is error 0x80131500. When you encounter this error, you will get the following error message on your screen:

“Try that again, Something happened at our end, Waiting a bit might help, The error code is 0x80131500 in case you need it.”

To fix this error, you can try changing your internet connection, toggle the date & time settings, change DNS, create a new user account, run the Microsoft Store Apps troubleshooter or reset the Microsoft Store as well re-register it using Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Try changing your internet connection

The first thing you can do is to change your internet connection. If you are using Ethernet, you can try to connect to a Wi-Fi connection instead and see if it helps.

Option 2 – Try to toggle the Date and Time settings

The first thing you can try is to sync the Date and Time of your computer as the wrong Date and Time settings are one of the most common causes of connection problems like the error 0x80131500. This is because of the incompatibility between the SSL Certificate validation date and the System Clock. Thus, you have to sync your System Clock. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• Start by tapping the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings.
• Next, go to Time & Language > Date & time.
• From there, turn the toggle on for the “Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically” option on the right-side panel.
• After that, click on Region & language located on the left side panel and make sure that the Country or region on the right-side panel is set to the country you live in.
• Now close the Settings app and restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem or not.

Option 3 – Try to change the DNS Server

In this option, you can try changing your current DNS settings to the Google Public DNS as it could also help in fixing error 0x80131500. To do so, follow the steps below.

• The first thing you have to do is right-click on the network icon in the Taskbar and select Network and Sharing Center.
• Next, click on the “Change Adapter Settings” option.
• After that, search for the network connection that you are using to connect to the internet. Note that the option might be “Wireless Connection” or “Local Area Connection”.
• Right-click on your network connection and click on Properties.
• Then select the new window to choose the “Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option.
• After that, click on the Properties button and click the checkbox in the new window for the option “Use the following DNS server addresses”.
• Type in “8.8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4” and click OK and exit.

Option 4 – Try to create a new Administrator User account

If you have a standard account, you can try creating a new account but this time, you create an administrator user account and then see if the error is fixed or not. Note that you have to sign in with your main account before you can create an admin account.

Option 5 – Run the Microsoft Store Apps troubleshooter

The Microsoft Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the error 0x80131500. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

1. Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
2. Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
3. On your right-hand side, scroll down to find the Windows Store Apps and then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and see if it fixes the problem.

Option 6 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 7 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via PowerShell

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

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

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

Error Code 0xC1900200, 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008)   – What is it?

Error Code 0xC1900200, 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008)  is an error that occurs when you attempt to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10, but the minimum requirements have not been met by your computer. You will therefore be unable to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10 until your computer is updated or upgraded to meet those requirements. Common symptoms include:

• When attempting to upgrade a dialog box with Code 0xC1900200 – 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008) is displayed.
• Your computer is unable to begin the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade process.

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 0xC1900200 – 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008)  occurs when you are unable to begin the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade because your computer does not meet the minimum requirements to run Microsoft Windows 10.

• You are unable to begin the upgrade because your computer does not meet the required system or hardware specifications.
• You are not running the correct version of Microsoft Windows to be able to begin the upgrade.
• You are not running the latest updated version of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 or Microsoft Windows 8.1.

Error Code 0xC1900200 – 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008) as stated, simply means your computer does not meet the requirements to update and does not indicate a permanent problem or inability to continue to use your computer. This error only means that you will not be able to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10 until your computer is made to meet these requirements.

Further Information and Manual Repair

There are several solutions that the user can complete at home that should fix the problem resulting in a manifestation of Error Code 0xC1900200 – 0x20008 (Code 0xC1900202 – 0x20008). Below are several options that should resolve this error.

Method 1:

Verify what version of Microsoft Windows you are currently running, older, outdated, or no longer supported versions of Microsoft Windows are not able to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10. If you are not running one of the following versions you will have to update before being able to upgrade.

• The most current version of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1
• The most current version of Microsoft Windows 8.1

Method 2:

Your computer's system specifications do not meet the requirements to be able to upgrade to and run Microsoft Windows 10. To check your system specifications do the following.

1. Click on the start button in the bottom left corner, then locate the control panel on the menu, click on it to open.
2. Once it opens, locate system and security on the menu and click to open, click on system and this will show you your amount of RAM and processor speed.
3. Find device manager on the left-hand side click this then select display adapter, and it will show you your current video card.
4. Click on the start button again, then click on the computer in the menu, this will show you your hard drive size, and available space.

If you have the option available you can simply run the get Microsoft Windows 10 app to check compatibility. Once you have your system specs make sure they meet or exceed the following.

• 1 GHz or higher processor or SoC
• 1 gig of RAM for 32 bit and 2 gigs of RAM for 64 bit
• 16 GB available hard drive space for 32 bit, 20 GB for 64 bit
• Minimum of DirectX9 that has 1.0 WDDM
• At least an 800x600display

If your computer does not meet these minimum requirements, upgrade the components necessary to meet them. If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.

Method 3:

Your computer might not meet the aforementioned requirements to make an upgrade because of insufficient hard drive space or resources. Learn how to create or make space on your computer here.

Method 4:

Many people hold on to and use the same computer for a very long time. It is possible that your computer cannot be upgraded to meet the requirements, or that the cost to do so would be so high that a new computer would be cheaper. If that is the case, your only option may be to replace your computer.