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Fix Black background behind Folder icons

The File Explorer in Windows 10 provides several ways to organize the contents of folders and files in the system. Windows users can utilize some efficient styles to view the contents of the file system as per the user’s requirement. A user may opt to display the file picture in large size thumbnails while the other one could opt to set the icons of folder and files in a small or medium size list. On the other hand, while setting up several styles for the folder and file icons, some Windows 10 users have experienced some unusual issues where there is the Black background showing up behind folder icons. They tried refreshing the File Explorer a couple of times but it didn’t help in fixing the problem and the black squares are still visible on some folder icons.

The black squares behind the folder icons might look disturbing though it’s not really a big problem and is merely a graphical glitch that does not cause any damage or whatsoever to the content of the folder and files. The most likely cause of this glitch might have something to do with the corrupted system files or it could also be caused by outdated thumbnail caches. In addition, graphical glitches like this one could also occur if you are using out outdated graphics drivers. To fix this problem, you need to follow the options laid out below.

Option 1 – Try using the Disk Cleanup to remove Thumbnail files

The Disk Cleanup tool is one of the options you can try to fix the black squares behind the folder icons. Through this tool, you can delete all the Thumbnail files on your disk. To use it, refer to these steps:

  • Open the Search bar and type “disk cleanup” in the field.
  • After opening Disk Cleanup from the search results, then from the drop-down menu select the C: drive to clean up and click OK.
  • Wait for the scanning process to complete. Once it’s done, select the files you want to delete.
  • Ensure that you select the box labeled “Thumbnails” under the Files to Delete section then click on OK.
  • After that, a confirmation box will appear, just click on Delete files to delete the files permanently.
  • Restart your PC.

Option 2 – Try resetting the Thumbnail cache

You have the option to manually delete the Thumbnail Cache to resolve the black square background behind the folder icons issue. Follow the steps given below to reset the Thumbnail cache.

  • Open the File Explorer.
  • Next, navigate to the View tab and select the option with Hidden items to display all the hidden folders and files.
  • Next, go to this path: C:Users<username>AppDataLocal
  • In the given path, make sure that you put your actual username in the username field. Then look for a file named “IconCache.db”. Right-click on this file and click on Delete.
  • After that, go to this path: C:Users<username>AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsExplorer
  • From there, select all the files and delete them.

Note: If a prompt appears saying, “The files are in use and cannot be deleted”, simply select the “Do this for all current items” option and then click on Try Again. If you get an error message, click on Cancel to close the window and restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try updating or reinstalling the Graphics driver

  • Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in devmgmt.msc and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
  • Expand the section for the outdated device drivers.
  • And then select the outdated driver(s) and right-click on it/them.
  • From the drop-down menu, select the Update Driver option if you wish to update the driver or select the Uninstall device if you want to uninstall the driver and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest version of the driver.
  • Restart your PC after the installation to allow the system to reinstall the driver.

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HTTP Error 500 – Edge Installation or Update
If you are trying to install or update Microsoft Edge on your Windows 10 computer but ended up getting HTTP Error 500 or Error 0x8004xxxx or 0x8007xxxx, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you sort this problem out. The aforementioned errors when either installing or updating the Edge browser occur due to a Network issue. There is actually a range of error codes that are associated with the network connection issue. These error codes include Error 500 or 0x80010108, 0x80040801, 0x80042193, 0x80042194, 0x800421F4, 0x800421F6, 0x800421F7, 0x800421F8, 0x80072742, 0x80072EE2, 0x80072EE7, 0x80072EFD, and 0x80072EFE. To fix them, there are several options you can try. You can try to run the Network Adapter troubleshooter or update or reset the Network Adapter as well as check and the proxy configuration.

Option 1- Try updating the Network Adapter Driver

Follow the steps below to update your Network Adapter Driver:
  • Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “MSC” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
  • From there, expand the list of all the network drives and update each one of them.
Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly.

Option 2 – 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 reset the Network Adapter

You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:
  • Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
  • From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
  • Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
  • After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.

Option 4 – Try to fix the Proxy Settings

  • In the Cortana search box, search for Internet Explorer and then click on the related search result.
  • After that, tap the Win + T keys on your keyboard and click on Internet Options.
  • Next, navigate to the Connections tab and click on LAN Settings.
  • Then click on the Advanced button and delete all the entries in the list generated in the Exceptions section. And if the Advanced button is disabled because the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option is disabled then you are good to go. Now proceed to the next step.
  • Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin) or you could also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
  • If a User Account Control appears, click on Yes to proceed. After that, type each one of the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type each one of them.
    • netsh winhttp reset proxy
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net start wuauserv
  • Now restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not by installing or updating Microsoft Edge again.
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Fix Err Connection Timed Out issue in Chrome
If you are using Google Chrome browser in surfing the web, you might have experienced a situation where you’re trying to connect to a website but were unable to since Chrome failed to fetch the website to the browser and throws an error that says, This webpage is not available – Err Connection Timed Out. Aside from an issue with the network connection, there are also other reasons why this error suddenly shows up, read on to fix it. There are times when the Windows computer is responsible for this kind of issue. And it can happen not just to Google Chrome but to other browsers as well. To resolve this issue, here are some suggestions that might be of help.

Option 1 – Try checking the network cables and then restart your router and reconnect

The first thing you can do is to check if all the network cables are properly connected be it to your computer or to the router. And if your computer is connected via Wi-Fi, you need to restart your router once. And of course, you can always opt to forget the Wi-Fi details and then reconnect again just make sure that you know the password.

Option 2 – Check the Windows Host file

You can also try to cross-check the Windows Hosts file to find out if the website you are trying to open has been blocked because if it is, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting the ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT error in Chrome. There are instances when some third-party application modifies the file and adds some websites to the blocklists. So if the website is indeed blocked, you need to remove it from the list.

Option 3 – Try removing Proxy

Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT 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 – Try to clear the browsing data of Google Chrome

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 ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT 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 5 – Flush the DNS and reset TCP/IP

You might also want to flush the DNS and reset TCP/IP as it could help in fixing the ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT error. 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.
  • Now restart your computer and open Google Chrome then try opening the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 6 – Run the built-in Malware Scanner and Cleanup Tool in Chrome

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.

Option 7 – Reset Chrome

Resetting Chrome can also help you get rid of the ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT error. Resetting Chrome means restoring its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons, and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:
  • Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
  • After that, click on Settings.
  • Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
  • After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up the option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
  • Now restart Google Chrome.
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Fix We couldn’t install some updates
If you encounter the “We couldn’t install some updates because the PC was turned off” while trying to run Windows Update on your Windows 10 computer, then read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions you can use as a reference to fix this error. Make sure to follow the options given below carefully.

Option 1 – Perform basic computer troubleshooting

If you get the “We couldn’t install some updates because the PC was turned off” error on your laptop, then it’s recommended that you connect your laptop to a power source and then try clicking the Update button again. In addition, you also have to make sure that your computer stays awake until the Windows Update process is completed. This will ensure that your computer does not go into an idle state and interfere with the process.

Option 2 – 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 and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 3 – Try restarting the Windows Update Services

  • Open the Services Manager.
  • From there, make sure that you set the following services and Startup types:
    • Background Intelligent Transfer Service: Manual
    • Cryptographic Service: Automatic
    • Windows Update Service: Manual (Triggered)

Option 4 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the “We couldn’t install some updates because the PC was turned off” error. 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 – Try to install the Windows Updates manually

As mentioned, the error might be because Windows missed installing a particular update which is why you are not able to proceed with the current update. So to resolve the issue, you need to install the update that wasn’t installed by downloading it from the Microsoft Update Catalog website. You also have to make sure that you didn’t turn off the Windows update or have it delayed.

Option 6 – Run Microsoft’s online troubleshooter

Running Microsoft’s online troubleshooter might also help you fix the Windows update error. This online troubleshooter is known to help in fixing Windows Update errors, it scans your computer for issues that might be causing the problem and then fixes them automatically.
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Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.71
Microsoft just released Windows 11 Insider build 22000.71. Let’s dive in and see what it brings with you.

windows insider 2000Changes and features

New entertainment widget. The entertainment widget allows you to see new and featured movie titles available in the Microsoft Store. Selecting a movie will direct you to the Microsoft Store to see more information about that title. Just open widgets and click or tap on the “Add widgets” button and choose the entertainment widget. For now, the entertainment widget is available for Insiders in the following countries: US, UK, CA, DE, FR, AU, JP. The new context menus and other right-click menus have been updated to use acrylic material. We are testing the usability of a SplitButton for making new folders and files in the File Explorer command bar. The Taskbar previews (when you mouse-over open apps on the Taskbar) have been updated to reflect the new visual design of Windows 11.

Fixes

Taskbar:

  • We fixed an issue where if you drag app icons on the Taskbar to rearrange them, it was making the apps launch or minimize when you released the icon.
  • Using a long press with a touch on an app icon in the Taskbar to open the jump list should now work.
  • After right-clicking the Start icon in the Taskbar, clicking somewhere else should now dismiss the menu more reliably.
  • Shift + Right-click on an app icon in the Taskbar will now bring up the window menu like it used to and not the jump list.
  • We’ve addressed an issue that was making your mouse move slowly when hovering over the Taskbar previews.
  • We’ve included the fix for an issue when using multiple Desktops where an app icon in the taskbar might give the appearance of multiple windows being open when that wasn’t the case on that Desktop.
  • When using the Amharic IME you should no longer see an unexpected X next to the IME icon in the taskbar.
  • The issue where if you click on the input indicator on the Taskbar and it would unexpectedly highlight Quick Settings has been fixed.
  • When you hover over Task View, the preview flyout for your Desktops will no longer pop back up after using Esc to dismiss them.
  • We made a fix to address an issue where explorer.exe might crash after hovering over the Task View icon in the Taskbar.
  • We fixed an issue where the selected date in the calendar flyout was out of sync with the date in the Taskbar.
  • We made an update to address a scenario resulting in some Insiders not seeing the lunar calendar text in the calendar flyout when enabled in Settings.
  • This flight addressed an issue that could unexpectedly make the Taskbar background transparent.
  • Right-clicking the focus assist icon in the taskbar should now show a context menu.
  • The issue from the previous flight where icons in the taskbar corner were getting crushed against the top of the Taskbar has been addressed.
  • The tooltip for the location in use icon in the Taskbar should no longer appear blank sometimes.

Settings:

  • We fixed an issue making Settings crash on launch periodically.
  • Using the volume mixer sliders in Sound Settings should be more responsive now, as well as the page responsiveness as a whole.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in Disk and Volumes Settings’ change size option being clipped.
  • There was a non-functional verify link under Backup Settings – this has been fixed.
  • The Power and Battery Settings page should no longer be reporting that the battery saver is engaged if it’s not.
  • The Power and Battery Settings page should also now not crash when launched from Quick Settings.
  • We fixed a grammatical error in the Sign-in Settings text.
  • The “I forgot my PIN” link was unexpectedly missing in Sign-in Settings when a PIN was set up and has now been returned.
  • The issue where the Move option under Apps & Features in Settings wasn’t working reliably should be addressed in this build.
  • We’ve mitigated a problem where some of the colors in Settings weren’t updating after switching between dark and light mode, leaving the unreadable text.
  • We’ve done some work to help improve the performance of Settings when switching between light and dark mode.
  • We addressed an issue where some of the elements of the Themes page in Settings would end up crowded together when the window size was small.
  • We resolved an issue where the Pen menu toggle under Taskbar Settings was not in sync with the actual state of the feature.
  • Changes made to “Dismiss notification after this amount of time” in Accessibility Settings should now persist.
  • Some of the icons you could enable in Taskbar Settings were erroneously labeled Windows Explorer even though that’s not what they were – this should now be fixed.
  • The Connect text in Quick Settings has been updated to say Cast.

File Explorer:

  • Clicking the command bar button twice should now close any dropdown that appeared.
  • The new command bar should now appear when “Open folders in a separate process” is enabled under File Explorer Options > View.
  • This build addresses an issue where right-clicking a file and selecting Open With > Choose another app might launch the file in the default app rather than opening the Open With dialog.
  • Fixed an issue the desktop and File Explorer context menu would stop launching.

Search:

  • We fixed an issue where the option to verify your account in Search wasn’t working.
  • Hovering over the Search icon on a secondary monitor will now show the flyout on the correct monitor.
  • Search should now work if you open Start and start typing after having gone to the apps list and back.

Widgets:

  • When using the Outlook client with a Microsoft account, Calendar, and To-Do updates should sync faster down to the widgets.
  • We addressed an issue where if you added multiple widgets quickly from the widget's settings, it could result in some of the widgets not being visible on the board.
  • We fixed a bug where widgets could all become stuck in a loading state (blank squares in the window).
  • The traffic widget should now follow the Windows mode (light or dark).
  • The title of the sports widget should no longer mismatch with the content of the widget.

Other:

  • This build addresses an issue where ALT + Tab was getting stuck open sometimes after you released the keys and had to be manually dismissed.
  • We made a fix for an issue where Narrator's focus wasn’t ending up on the emoji panel after using the keyboard shortcut to open it.
  • Magnifier’s lens view has been updated so the lens now has rounded corners.
  • We found an issue that was noticeably impacting Start launch reliability for some Insiders, and have addressed it with this flight.
  • We’ve updated the “Most Used” text in the Start menu’s app list so it should no longer be getting clipped.
  • Using the semantic zoom in Start’s app list should no longer result in the list being pushed down and to the right off the edge of the window.
  • We fixed an issue where if you pressed ⊞ WIN + Z you would need to press Tab before you could use the arrow key to navigate through the snap layouts.
  • We addressed an issue where an acrylic area could get left on the screen after repeatedly snapping and unsnapping a window with touch.
  • We’ve done some work to mitigate an unexpected flash when moving a snapped window with touch.
  • We made a change to help window borders have a little more contrast when “Show accent color on title bars and windows borders” was turned off.

Known issues in Windows 11 repaired

Start:

  • In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press ⊞ WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.
  • Based on feedback, we are working on adding access keys to ⊞ WIN + X so that you can do things like “⊞ WIN + X M” to launch Device Manager. Insiders may see this functionality in this build, however, we are currently investigating an issue in which sometimes the option is unexpectedly unavailable.

Taskbar:

  • There is an issue in this build where Explorer.exe will crash when the date and time button on the Taskbar is clicked to access new notifications with Focus Assist turned off. The workaround for this is to enable Focus assist to priority or alarms mode. Note that when focus assist is turned on, notification popups won’t appear, but they will be in the notification center when opened.
  • The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
  • Taskbar previews may draw partially offscreen.

Settings:

  • When launching the Settings app, a brief green flash may appear.
  • When using Quick Settings to modify Accessibility settings, the settings UI may not save the selected state.
  • The button to rename your PC doesn’t work in this build. If needed, this can be done using sysdm.cpl.
  • Settings will crash when clicking “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” under Sign-in Settings if Windows Hello is already set up.
  • Reset this PC and Go back buttons in Settings > System > Recovery does not function. Reset and rollback can be accessed from the Windows Recovery Environment by selecting System > Recovery > Advanced startup, and pressing Restart now. Once in Windows Recovery, choose Troubleshoot.
  • Choose Reset this PC to perform a reset.
  • Choose Advanced options > Uninstall Updates > Uninstall latest feature update to perform a rollback.

File Explorer:

  • exe crashes in a loop for Insiders using the Turkish display language when the battery charge is at 100%.
  • When right-clicking the desktop or File Explorer, the resulting context menu and submenus may appear partially off-screen.
  • Clicking a desktop icon or context menu entry may result in the wrong item being selected.

Search:

  • After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
  • When you hover your mouse over the Search icon on the Taskbar, recent searches may not be displayed. To work around the issue, restart your PC.
  • The search panel might appear black and not display any content below the search box.

Widgets:

  • Widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
  • Launching links from the widgets board may not invoke apps to the foreground.
  • Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.

Store:

  • The install button might not be functional yet in some limited scenarios.
  • Rating and reviews are not available for some apps.

Windows Security:

  • Device Security is unexpectedly saying “Standard hardware security not supported” for Insiders with supported hardware.
  • “Automatic sample submission” is unexpectedly turned off when you restart your PC.

Localization:

  • There is an issue where some Insiders may be missing some translations from their user experience for a small subset of languages running the latest Insider Preview builds. To confirm if you have been impacted, please visit this Answers forum post and follow the steps for remediation.
That's is so far, the latest update information on Windows 11 insider build. Stay tuned for more information when it comes as it comes.
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TPM 2.0 and Windows 11, all you need to know
TPM or Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 is a must-have if you plan on upgrading your system to Windows 11. So what exactly is TPM and do you have it?

TPM checkerWhat exactly is TPM?

TPM is a tamper-resistant hardware technology tasked with generating and storing encryption keys inside it for better PC security. It can be remotely used to authenticate hardware and software by utilizing a unique endorsement key placed into the hardware itself. This technology can be used for example in BitLocker inside Windows in order to have data on a hard drive encrypted so if the mentioned drive is connected to another computer it would not be able to be accessed since the encryption key is stored in the TPM module. Microsoft is pushing its agenda that Windows 11 must be and must feel like safety first OS which will protect user data and user information and requiring TPM means that each Windows 11 will be secure so no additional software patches will be required for an extra layer of security. Windows 11 will assume that each user has TPM encryption enabled and will be built upon that.

Do you have TPM on your computer?

If your computer or hardware has been purchased in 2016 or later there are very high chances that you already have the required technology to run Windows 11. Unfortunately, many gaming motherboards have not been placing TPM in their boards and you might not have it. Also, there is the option of you having it but it is turned off in motherboard settings making Windows unable to detect it. As you can clearly see there are a lot of scenarios around required tech and honestly it is a complete mess. But lucky for you there are ways to find out do you possess the needed module in order to make an upgrade. On your current computer on which you would like to make an upgrade in your current Windows OS press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog. Inside run dialog type in TPM.msc and press ENTER to open Trusted Platform Module Management on Local Computer. You will immediately receive information do you have the required module. If everything is fine, you are good to go, however, if it says that compatible TPM cannot be found there is a chance that either you do not have needed hardware or it might be turned off inside motherboard settings.

Check motherboard UEFI

If you have a newer motherboard but Windows utility cannot detect TPM there is a chance that it might be turned off directly on your board. In order to check this, you will have to boot up your PC into UEFI either by pressing the corresponding key when it is turned ON or from Windows reboot options. Once you are inside UEFI you need to find security options and see if there is an option to turn ON or enable TPM. Since every motherboard is different and has different UEFI software we cannot cover all of the permutations and the best we can do is hope that provided information is enough. You can also visit your motherboard manufacturer to see instructions for your specific case.

Conclusion

TPM itself is generally an OK idea and I can surely see good sides of it but there is this lurking feeling that generally, Microsoft is not really concerned about the security of our data and that the real requirement for this is trying to battle software piracy. I simply cannot trust company which introduced tons of telemetry tracking through ages and which has done everything in their power to battle non-legal use of their software. I do not promote piracy but I support free choice and besides, who can tell me what will happen if TPM malfunctions, will I lose all of my data forever? It is not so uncommon that TPM has malfunctioned in the past and it is only logical to presume it can do it again in the future but this time we will not have the choice not to use it, we will be forced into it.
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How to move Taskbar to the left in Windows 11
The standard icon place in the Taskbar inside Windows 11 is in the center. Some users welcomed this change, some not so much. If you are part of the user base that is not so much thrilled with this Microsoft’s idea of innovation, do not worry, there is an easy way to move all icons and start button on the left inside Taskbar.

Taskbar icons on leftMoving icons in Taskbar

  1. Open Windows settings by using ⊞ WINDOWS + I key combination
  2. Click on Personalization
  3. Select Taskbar
  4. Click on Taskbar Behaviors
  5. Click on the drop-down menu beside Taskbar Alignment
  6. Select your desired option of icon alignment
  7. Close settings
Your options will be active right away and you will see icons switching to the position of your choosing.
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Chrome update failed error 3, 4, 7, 10, etc
If you find it hard to update Google Chrome to its latest version and each time you try to do so it keeps on failing, worry not for this post will guide you in fixing a list of Google Chrome Update errors. Even though there are a lot of error codes around Chrome, these are only caused by issues with the update. Here are some of the errors you can encounter when updating Google Chrome:
  • Update failed: You can encounter this error when the Updates are disabled by the administrator.
  • Update failed with
    • Error 3 or 11: When Chrome’s inbuilt updater fails to find the Update server to download the latest version.
    • Error 4 or 10: This happens while checking for updates with the message “Update check failed to start”
    • Error 7 or 12: This occurs when the download fails while checking for updates.
  • Windows OS version is not supported.
  • Google Chrome may not be able to keep itself updated.
  • Any other errors that mention that “Update failed”
Since these aforementioned error codes are related to “Update Failure”, then they have common solutions and here they are:

Option 1 – Restart your computer

You need to restart your computer first and then try updating Chrome again. There are times when it’s only a temporary issue that can be fixed by simply restarting your computer.

Option 2 – Try checking antivirus programs, firewall, and parental control settings

If you have antivirus programs, a firewall installed in your computer, as well as parental controls, then any of these could be blocking you to download anything, including the update for Chrome. This is why you have to double-check and make sure that software updates aren’t being blocked by these programs. On the other hand, you can also try running the Network Troubleshooter as it can help you resolve any DNS or connectivity issues. To use it, follow the steps below.
  • 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.

Option 3 – Try to remove Proxy

Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the Chrome Update errors. 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 – Try to reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS cache

Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP, and flushing DNS might help in resolving the Chrome Update errors just follow these steps:
  • Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
  • After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.
  1. netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
  2. netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
  3. ipconfig /flushdns – type in this command to flush the DNS cache
  • Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.

Option 5 – Try to run the Chrome Cleanup tool

You might want to run Google Chrome’s built-in Malware Scanner & Cleanup tool as it could also help in getting rid of any unwanted ads, pop-ups, and even malware, as well as unusual startup pages, toolbars, and anything else that might overtake the network and could affect the performance of the browser.

Option 6 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

  • Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
  • Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
  • Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
  • Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
  • Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
  • To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.

Option 7 – Reset Google Chrome

Resetting Chrome can also help you get rid of the error. Resetting Chrome will restore its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons, and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:
  • Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
  • After that, click on Settings.
  • Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
  • After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
  • Now restart Google Chrome.
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Show more/less details when copying/moving
When we initiate the copy or move files command we get a dialog that shows us the progress of the current operation, under that bar we can click on the little arrow to expand the bar into so-called more details view where we get more information like which file is being copied, more detailed graph, etc. Windows will remember the last option we had and next time when we start the same process it will open the last view. But what if we want to only have one view always open as default, even if we change it? Let's say that we always want to have a detailed view opened always as our default even if we switch to a minimal one? Well with some tweaks in the registry of Windows we can. Note that this guide will require changing things in the registry of Windows itself, it is always smart and recommended to make a safe backup of your registry, just in case.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW MORE DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000001 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation details view will be open.

FOR ALWAYS SHOW FEWER DETAILS FOLLOW THIS GUIDE:

open notepad and paste the following code inside: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\OperationStatusManager] "EnthusiastMode"=dword:00000000 Go to File > Save as... and once the file save dialog opens choose at the bottom all files under file type. Save the file with extension .REG naming it whatever you want. Right-click on file and choose Merge, confirm with YES and you are done, now each time when you start copy or move operation minimal details view will be open.
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Hardware review: Bytezone Advanced desk
If you spend a large amount of time gaming or working on a computer gaming chair is a very important asset. One other thing that is mostly looked past but could help greatly is a good desk. A great chair accompanied by a great desk can make your long sitting sessions more pleasant and more healthy which is very important in the long run. Hey, but it is only a desk, what is so special about having an expensive desk? Well truth to be told desk is just a desk and any kind of desk can serve the purpose of hosting a keyboard, mice, and screen. But a good desk will offer some other advantages that may not seem so important but they could mean a lot like adjusting desk height so it fits perfectly on your size and sitting position making long hours more pleasant and lower stress on hands sitting on it.

bytezone gaming deskAdvanced desk features

Bytezone might not be a company that will sound familiar to you, mostly because they manufacture gaming chairs and desks, now in the gaming chairs world there are a lot of competitors and Bytezone has managed to make a name for itself despite this fact. But they are more popular in their gaming and office modern-looking desk category. The advanced desk is made from carbon steel and plastic combination, it is very durable and it weighs 27kg. Now that is not really light but it is not very heavy if we compare it to wood desks. The top layer of the table is made from easy-to-clean material and the desk comes with a large mouse and keyboard pad. The table itself includes a cup holder, headphones bracket under the table and it has a cable management drawer in the back. The desk is sized 66x120x76 cm. Also for anyone interested desk itself comes also with RGB lights for that true gaming feel.
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Radeon Settings are currently not available
One of the most common brands of GPUs that comes in a large number of computers is AMD’s Radeon Graphics processing units. AMD included the Radeon Settings panel so that users can control how the hardware functions. However, as of late, a lot of users reported that the Radeon Settings panel throws an error that says, “Radeon Settings are currently not available. Please try again after connecting AMD graphics” when they try to use it. This kind of error in the Radeon Settings panel is most likely caused by either corrupted drivers or incompatible drivers. If you are one of the users who are facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you in fixing this error. You can either use the Device Driver Uninstaller or change the driver version. For more details, make use of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to use the Device Driver Uninstaller

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to uninstall the AMD Radeon drivers by using the Device Driver Uninstaller software. After you’ve uninstalled the AMD Radeon drivers using this software, go to the official website of AMD to download the AMD Radeon drivers. Once you’ve downloaded them, you can install them by simply running the executable file. Once the installation of the new AMD Radeon drivers is done, try to open the Radeon Settings panel and see if the error is now fixed or not. If not, refer to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try changing the Driver version

If you have followed the instructions in the first option then you can proceed to the next given steps below.
  • Now that you’ve completely uninstalled the AMD Radeon drivers and reinstalled their latest working versions, check if the drivers are still updating. If they are, you need to stop them.
  • To disable the drivers being automatically updated, you need to go to the Group Policy Editor by tapping the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and then type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter or click OK.
  • After opening the Group Policy Editor, navigate to this policy setting: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > Device Installation Restrictions
  • From there, double click on the “Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device IDs” policy setting to open a new window, and from this window, you will see the following description of the setting:
“This policy setting allows you to specify a list of Plug and Play hardware IDs and compatible IDs for devices that Windows is prevented from installing. This policy setting takes precedence over any other policy setting that allows Windows to install a device. If you enable this policy setting Windows is prevented from installing a device whose hardware ID or compatible ID appears in the list you create. If you enable this policy setting on a remote desktop server the policy setting affects the redirection of the specified devices from a remote desktop client to the remote desktop server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting devices can be installed and updated as allowed or prevented by other policy settings.”
  • Now set the radio button of the policy setting to “Enabled”. This will turn off the delete confirmation prompt. Note that setting the radio button to either Not Configured or Disabled will turn off the driver being automatically updated.
  • Next, click on the Show button under the Options section. And in the field that pops up, type in the Hardware ID of your GPU and click OK. You can find the GPU’s Hardware ID under this location: Device Manager > <DEVICE NAME> Properties > Details > Hardware IDs
  • Once you’re done, click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
  • Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your PC and see if the “Radeon Settings are currently not available. Please try again after connecting AMD graphics” error is now fixed.
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