How to Fix Black Screen During Installation Windows 10

Things have stirred lately with Chinas ban on crypto mining and many used GPUs will flow the market probably. But should you buy a used GPU? Short answer: NO, long answer: keep on reading to find out why.

GPU shortage and its cause

As you all know by now, we live sadly in a world struck by a global Pandemic. Due to this awful disease and measures taken against it, many people are either working from home or are at home making the manufacturing of new chips problematic while demand on the market has raised. Throw into that mix crypto mining which has raised in popularity and you have, well today's market where we have GPU shortage. Now with the latest news that China has banned the mining of cryptocurrency, there is to be expected that at some point in time mining cards used there will fit the market in the whole world. Sadly even with a large quantity of GPUs that will become available, the overall price of cards will not be much lowered I am afraid since demand is still very high and many people would not want to purchase used mining cards and neither should you.

Be prepared for the worst scenario

Although this sounds very pessimistic and in most cases, it will not turn out to be true, you should always prepare yourself mentally that you might be in that lower percentage that will end up with a really bad GPU. What has come up to be absolutely true when considering GPU that were mining is that if anything at all can be done to GPU in order to increase performance, it has been done. Miners want to optimize and almost every GPU if could be overclocked, it was overclocked. Extensive mining also means that thermal paste has been dried and it is pretty useless at this point and there is a very high chance that fans and heat sinks will need much cleaning or even replacement raising the price of the card itself for mentioned paste, fans, and heat sinks. There's no way to tell what the previous owner might have done with a graphics card when you're shopping online, so our advice is to assume the worst. Don't trust the seller to give truthful information. Any listing that says it was "never used for mining" at this point is probably a lie.

Age of the GPU matters

Date when GPU itself has manufactured really matters. Newer cards even if used extensively have been used for a much shorter period of time and are not so damaged were ones produced a few years ago have seen a lot of action. Let’s say that you get RTX 3060, In the worst-case scenario it has been mining since late February of 2021 and basically, it is still under warranty so it should behave OK and put some good work in gaming even in that state. On another hand, if we take for example GTX 1080Ti which is 4 years old GPU things start to change drastically. 4 years GPU could be worn out even if it was used just for extensive gaming sessions let alone for mining.

No return policy and seller rating

Most of the time you will run into a product that cannot be returned or no refunds policy. This should bring a red flag right away and deter you from purchase. Sellers with the highest ratings are more trustworthy since many of them will not want to destroy their reputation but these will probably not even have these kinds of merchandise in their store. Buying with a poor rating seller and no return policy on a product is just asking for trouble. And although some stores do have arbitration and will stand on the customer side there is no guarantee for that and it will take too much time to process.

If you really must buy a second-hand GPU

Of course in these troubled times sometimes due to malfunction or any other reason, there would not be another choice than to buy a second-hand GPU. In this case, if there is no other option consider sellers with many positive ratings. If you can buy locally that would even be better or the best-case scenario would be if you could visually see and inspect GPU itself in order to see in what state it is. Look for warranty stickers to see if they are thorn and the card has been tampered with. Also take a good look at screws, if they have scratches card has been opened, probably to replace fan or heating sinks which means that it has worked a lot.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to give the best possible advice on this situation since of GPU shortage, but I would much prefer a new GPU with lower performance than a hi-performance one which was mining.

Virtual Reality is slowly becoming standard in gaming. More and more affordable headsets are coming out lowering entry prices and making them affordable for all. But in a sea of new VR headsets, it is important to at least purchase a decent one that will perform nicely and hopefully last longer. Therefore in today’s article, we will address some of the best options currently available on the market,

Oculus Quest 2

With its Rift model, Oculus set itself as a big player in VR. Now the company is slowly bowing out of the dedicated, tethered VR headset with its latest Quest 2 designed to primarily be a standalone headset. In case you do not know, tethered headset means that the headset itself is connected to your PC and is using its power to drive your VR experience. Now technical specifications of Quest 2 are pretty OK and it can drive stuff pretty decently and if you want you can purchase the dedicated cable to connect it to your PC for the full experience of games requiring more capable hardware. Oculus Quest 2 is the cheapest headset on this list and with its stable performance, is highly recommended.

Valve Index VR

Although the headset itself is nothing revolutionary or special its controllers are. They can track individual finger movements, making games (that take advantage of them) much more immersive than the standard trigger grips on other controllers. The Index's higher refresh rate makes for smoother action, as well, which is another nice bonus. If you already have an HTC Vive or Vive Cosmos Elite, and their base stations (not the regular Cosmos), you can buy only the controllers.

Sony PlayStation VR

The PlayStation VR is compelling thanks to Sony backing its development, plus the PlayStation 4's affordability and availability compared with gaming PCs. All you need is the headset, a PlayStation 4, and a PlayStation Camera (now included with most PlayStation VR bundles). Not really the best of the bunch but still one of the top ones for console gaming. Sony is working on a new PlayStation VR system for the PlayStation 5, with redesigned controllers. The new headset hasn't been revealed yet, but the company has released a preview of the new controllers.

HP Reverb G2 VR

HP headset is one which you get if you want the best image quality in VR headset, sadly controllers did not follow the same quality of headset itself. But this is still a pretty decent headset overall and worth the purchase.

HTC Vive Cosmos

HTC's Vive Cosmos is the upgraded version of the Vive. It features a higher resolution and replaces the external base stations with outward-facing cameras for motion tracking. It's a comprehensive package for whole-room VR. HTC recently released the Vive Pro 2, a high-end VR headset targeting both enterprise users and consumers. This new headset features a 2,448-by-2,448 resolution display for each eye, making it the highest-resolution headset currently available. It's also more expensive than the Cosmos Elite. Sadly one thing that is bringing this headset down is the price.

Fatal Error c000021a - What is it?

Fatal Error c000021a is a type of Windows stop error also known as the blue screen of death (BSoD) error. When this error occurs, it causes the computer screen to go blue and locks the user out of the current activity. This error code is fatal and can lead to serious issues like system crashes and freeze. The error code is usually displayed in the following format:

STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error} The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x0000000)

Solution

Error Causes

Fatal Error c000021a occurs when the Windows kernel detects that either Winlogon.exe or Csrss.exe service processes have stopped responding or failed to load.  When this happens the error code pops up on the screen. Nonetheless, this is not the only reason for the occurrence of this error. There are plenty more reasons why Fatal Error c000021a may pop on your computer screen. These include:

• Missing or corrupt hardware drivers
• Faulty hardware
• Windows System Restore failed during the rollback process
• Malware or viral infection
• Registry issues

No matter what the reason may be, it is advisable to fix the error right away without any delays. Remember it is a fatal error and can cause a great deal of damage to your PC.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Fatal Error c000021a is a serious PC issue but this does not mean you have to hire an expert to get it fixed. The good news is that this error is actually quite easy to resolve. You don’t have to be a technical whiz or a computer programmer to fix Fatal Error c000021a on your PC. Here are some do it yourself methods to fix this error code right away without any hassle: Let’s get started:

Method 1: Update Your PC Drivers

As we mentioned about corrupt or missing drivers can be one of the many reasons for the occurrence of this error. So, check the drivers first. Perform a driver scan and make sure all your drivers are updated.

Method 2: Perform a Windows System Restore

To do this, first launch Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC on your keyboard. Now click on the application tab and then click ‘New Task’ then browse. After that, go to C:\Windows\System32\Restore  folder and then double click the rstrui.exe file. This will help start system restoration. Your computer will reboot during the process and hopefully, the error will be resolved. Nonetheless, if the error still persists then try methods 3 and 4.

Method 3: Scan for Viruses

Sometimes Fatal Error c000021a may also occur due to malware infection. Your PC may be affected by viruses hidden in different locations without you knowing about it. Therefore to resolve this error, it is recommended to run an antivirus and scan for viruses. If detected, remove them right away to fix the error code.

Method 4: Repair the Registry

Another method to resolve Fatal Error c000021a code on your system is to repair the registry. The registry stores all the information and activities performed on the system. If it is not cleaned frequently, it gets loaded with too many files unnecessary and obsolete files like the junk files, cookies, internet history and temporary files which corrupts and damages the registry thereby generating blue screen of death error codes like Fatal Error c000021a. Though you can repair the registry manually it can be both time-consuming and slightly difficult especially if you are not a computer programmer. Therefore it is advisable to download a registry cleaner to fix it right away.

Automatic Repair with Restoro.

Whether the Fatal Error c000021a code occurs due to viral infection or registry issues, download Restoro. This is a next-generation, advanced, and multi-functional PC Fixer. This software is deployed with multiple utilities such as a powerful registry cleaner, an antivirus, a system optimizer, and more. The registry cleaner scans the entire PC and detects all types of registry issues at once. It cleans the registry, wipes out all the unnecessary files, and restores the registry back to normal. Simultaneously, the antivirus embedded in this software detects all types of viruses including malware, adware, spyware and Trojans and removes them in seconds. The system optimizer feature ensures the speed and performance of your PC are not compromised during the repairing process. It ensures your PC works at its optimal speed. Restoro is a one-stop solution for all your PC needs. It has a user-friendly interface making it easy for all levels of users to work around. It is compatible with all Windows versions Click here to download Restoro and resolve the Fatal Error c000021a code on your PC today!

Recently, some users reported that they were unable to access a website and only got the Error 1005 Access Denied instead. Specifically, users experience this issue when trying to open the Crunchyroll website – one of the largest anime and manga websites. This particular error is encountered not just on Crunchyroll but on a variety of websites like blogs, video streaming, forums, and so on. Here’s the full context of the error message:

“Error 1005 Access Denied – The owner of this website has banned the autonomous system number (ASN) your IP address from accessing this website.”

Usually, this error occurs when the website administrator decides to block an IP address or IP range. To fix this error, here are some suggestions you can try:

Option 1 – Uninstall the VPN service you are using or use a different provider

If you are using a VPN service, you might want to uninstall it. As mentioned, website administrator blocks IP ranges if they notice any malicious activities and because of this, your IP address might fall into the banned range even if you didn’t do anything at all. To uninstall the VPN service, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box
• Then type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
• From there, look for the VPN service you are using, select it and then click on Uninstall to remove it.
• After that, restart your computer and try to install the latest version of the program again. It should work now. If not, proceed to the next available option below.

Option 2 – Try disabling the Proxy server

There are some users who reported that they’ve fixed the problem after they’ve disabled the use of a proxy server using the built-in way. Follow the steps below to disable proxy server.

• 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 3 – Use the Google Public DNS

You might want to change your DNS to Google Public DNS as it could also help you in fixing the ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID error in Chrome. 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 contacting the website administrator

If the first three given options didn’t work, you might want to consider contacting the website administrator especially if you’ve already determined that the issue does not occur due to a VPN or proxy server that you’re using. This option can be quite tricky since you won’t be able to submit a contact form since you’re banned from accessing the website but you can contact the admin via the form section if available.

We’ve already covered disabling Security Questions If you want to disable Security Questions on your Windows 10 computer then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in doing exactly that. In this post, you will be disabling Security Questions using a PowerShell script. This PowerShell script is called “Update-AllUsersQA”. It is designed to remove or disable the security questions and answers for local users on a Windows 10 computer. It lets administrators take control of the security questions in the environment and at the same time minimizes the risk that comes with them. If a user has a Microsoft account that’s configured to sign in to Windows 10 then he will not probably notice the Password Recovery questions. On the other hand, if he has a chosen local account for installing Windows, he will e prompted to create three security questions that can be used to reset the password and log into the Windows 10 account in case there is any misfortune. However, if you do not have much use for these Security Questions, then you can definitely have them disabled using a simple PowerShell script which you can download from GitHub. For more details on how to disable security questions in a Windows 10 machine, refer to the steps provided below. Step 1: You need to first download the .ps1 file from the GitHub repository. Step 2: Once you’ve downloaded the file, open the PowerShell window with admin privileges. Step 3: After that, navigate to the folder where you had saved the .ps1 file. Then copy the address of the folder location. Step 4: Next, change the directory by using the following command:

cd "folder location address"

Step 5: After that, enter the following script to disable the security questions:

Update-AllUsersQA

Once you’ve completed the steps above, the Security Questions should be disabled and you will be notified with a message stating that the feature has been disabled. On the other hand, if you have a change of heart and you want to enable the Security Questions back, here are some steps you need to take: Step 1: First, open the PowerShell window as admin. Step 2: Next, run the same script with one more parameter such as:

Update-AllUsersQA -answer SecretAnswer

Step 3: And that’s about it. Do not forget to replace the Secret Answer with your preferred one and once you’re done, it will be set as the answer for all the Security Questions. Step 4: Now all that’s left to do is go to the Settings app to change the answer to the questions and you should be good to go.

Both the Windows 10 and Windows Server operating systems have a number of common system files that vary from the ones that support the installation, boot process, and other operations or tasks in the system. However, if any of these files get corrupted, it might cause some errors during the setup of the Windows 10 operating system. One of these errors is the “Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms” error.

“Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms. Make sure the installation sources are valid and restart the installation.”

The only option given when you encounter this error is to click on the OK button and nothing else and then the setup gets interrupted and won’t push through. To fix this error and proceed with the installation, you can try to get a new installation image or switch ports, or fix the CFG file. For more details, follow each one of the potential fixes provided below.

Option 1 – Try to get a new installation image

It is possible that there might be some issues with the installation image. It could be corrupted or was modified illegally. Or it could be that the bootable storage device created might have damaged sectors or installation. To resolve this problem, you need to download a fresh copy of the Windows 10 installation image using the Windows Media Creation tool or simply use the ISO image separately and then build a bootable USB.

Option 2 – Try to switch Ports

The error might be caused by the connection to the USB port. It could be that the port is unstable due to a number of factors that resulted in the interruption of the installation process. To fix this problem, you can try switching the USB port or if you are using an optical drive, you can get an external USB optical drive or connect it to another port internally and see if it fixes the problem.

Option 3 – Try to fix the CFG file

If none of the first two options worked, then you might want to fix the CFG file. This file is a configuration file format used for storing settings. All you have to do is download the CFG file. Once you’ve downloaded this file, copy this file to the root of your bootable drive and then check if it fixes the error. If not, then try to copy the same file inside the “/sources/” folder inside the root of the drive. This should fix the error.

Portable small Bluetooth speakers are nothing new on the market, most of the time they have given the opportunity for music listening during picnics and walks in nature and also replaced some car speaker systems. The latest star in small portable speakers in JBL Clip 4, small in size, waterproof, and with an incredible high-quality sound.

Performance and quality

Out of the box and after first look speaker looks great, it has excellent design and is very intuitive to work with. Everything is laid out logically and you can start using it right away without reading instructions.

The sound quality is surprisingly very good and clear. I must say I have not expected this clarity and power from a speaker of this size. The volume range is also incredibly good and will fill most needs even on small picnics outdoors where you can hear it loud enough. One thing to mention is that even on their loudness levels sound is still clear without distortion which, to be honest, is to be expected from someone like JBL.

Where you can take JBL Clip 4

You can take it where ever you want, Its size and clip make it perfect for beach and pool trips. Speaker is waterproof and gas IP67 rating, meaning that sand and dirt will not affect it either. Do not take this speaker to your diving adventures since that will break it but a depth around 1 meter underwater should be safe. After your trip do not forget to wash Clip 4 with clean water so all dirt, salt, and other stuff are properly cleaned for longer life of the device.

How long it will play?

JBL claims that the battery will last 10 hours of continuous play. Note that this is meant probably on the largest volume setting so when you use it on lower settings battery is lasting longer. Playing of course on low volumes will extend playback time even longer but here we come at one feature that I do not like, there is no indication of any kind how much battery is left in the speaker, the only indication is a red light when the battery is almost empty which means you could be outside at that point and did not know that low battery was there in the first place when you were packing. Some battery indication would be a great addon.

More stability for JBL Clip 4

The clip itself has been improved from the previous Clip 3 model, it is wider, it goes all the way around the casing, and feels overall better and more stable. Since the clip is now all around casing this means a wider opening can be made making it fit around stuff Clip 3 was not able to.

Conclusion

All in all, Clip 4 is an incredible speaker and one that would highly recommend, the price goes around 79 USD but it can be found even as low as 50 USD on discounts and promotions and if you manage to get one at that price it is a great buy. Sound is good, portability is great, dirt and waterproof are excellent and battery life is really good.

When you try to open Outlook 20016 and other programs on your Windows 10 PC and end up getting an error instead saying, “Failed to register a VB Script DLL. Reinstall or run Regsvr32.exe Vbscript.dll to self-register”, read on as this post will help you resolve the problem and help you re-register the vbscript.dll file. Follow each one of the steps below carefully to fix the problem.

• Step 1: In the Start search, type “cmd” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option from the context menu.
• Step 2: After opening Command Prompt as admin, type the regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll command and hit Enter to execute it.
• Step 3: After entering the command, it will re-register the concerned DLL file using the regsvr32.exe, a Windows OS tool. The Regsvr32 tool is a command-line utility that allows users to register or unregister OLE controls like the DLL and ActiveX (OCX) controls in the Windows operating system. After the command you entered has successfully run, you will see a message saying, “DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded.”

On the other hand, if re-registering the DLL file didn’t work, you might have to log on to your computer using an administrator account and then try re-registering the DLL file once more. But before you do that, you need to create a system restore point first so that if anything goes wrong, you can always undo the changes you’ve made. After creating a system restore point, double-click on the downloaded .reg file to add its contents to the Registry. After that, try opening the program you were trying to open but weren’t able to because of the error. If it doesn’t work, you can always reinstall the affected programs that throw up the error and see if it resolves the problem. You could also seek the help of a one-click solution to fix the problem for you. This program is a useful tool that does not only repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance but also resolves any DLL issues like the Failed to register a VB Script DLL. Reinstall or run Regsvr32.exe Vbscript.dll to self-register” error. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions for downloading and using it, refer to the steps below.

Quest 2 has been crowned as the best overall VR headset by many websites, and to be honest it is really a great piece of equipment deserving of every praise it gets. It seems that Meta feels that it can do better so the new upcoming Quest Pro is upgraded and a new line of VR sets from this company. The economic standard Quest line will not be shut down and it will still remain as an economic version of Meta's VR product line.

Quest Pro will be added as a new line of the better product line with better performance and better quality. It is the first VR headset that is packing Qualcomm Snapdragon XR3+ Gen 1 chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and 10 high-resolution sensors. Of course, this much power and improvement come with a higher price tag, this time that price tag is $1,499.99.

The new VR headset promises industry-leading visuals with a new optical stack instead of Fresnel lenses in Meta Quest 2 with thin-layer pancake optics that fold light reducing the depth of the optical module by 40% and at the same provides clear and sharp visuals.

The headset will give display more vivid colors, richer colors, and higher contrast by incorporating local dimming and quantum dot technology. It composes of specialized backlight hardware accompanied by software algorithms that can control more than individual LED blocks independently.

The Quest Pro will also come packed with new Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers. They will feature three built-in sensors to track the controller's position completely independent of the headset which means that tracking and range of motion will be improved. These new controllers will also be sold separately at the cost of $299.99 and they can be used with Quest 2.

The headset is available for preorder and it will start shipping in late October on the Meta website

Error Code 40 – What is it?

Error Code 40 is a device driver error that users encounter on any Windows 2000 and later operating systems. It occurs when the peripheral device that you connect to your PC cannot be accessed due to a change in the system registry.

This is due to the presence of invalid sub-keys of the device driver in the system registry. It is a common error that users come across and appears on your PC with either of the following messages:

“Information in the registry entry for this driver is invalid”

OR

"Windows cannot access this hardware because its service key information in the registry is missing or recorded incorrectly. (Code 40)"

Solution

Error Causes

As mentioned above, the error code is triggered when the device driver’s invalid sub-keys appear in the registry, effectively changing it. This happens when the windows system files get damaged due to the following factors:

• An incomplete program uninstallation
• An incomplete program installation
• Hardware is not removed properly
• System recovery from viruses
• An improper system shut down

Factors such as incomplete installations or uninstallations or an improper system shut down can cause files to become damaged that threaten the health of your computer.

Removing viruses from the computer is also another factor as it removes the entries in the Windows system files which contain the viruses including spyware or malware

Further Information and Manual Repair

Fixing Error Code 40 is similar to fixing other device manager error codes. Here are a few methods you can try.

Method 1 – Use System Restore

You can use system restore to eliminate the problem. Here is how you can use it:

• Log in using an Administrator account
• Click ‘Start’ button and select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore
• Click ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’ and click ‘Next’
• Select the last Windows restore point from the ‘On this list, click a restore point’ list, and click ‘Next’
• Click ‘Next’ on the confirmation window to proceed
• Restart your PC after restoration is complete

By restoring the system via a last saved system checkpoint, you can obtain undamaged Windows system registry files that can help avert the error code.

Method 2 – Manually uninstall then reinstall the device driver

If using system restore also does not work in removing the error code, you may have to resort to manually uninstalling and then reinstalling the device driver causing the problem.

This would be necessary since the remaining incomplete files due to a partial removal or installation of programs is what contributes to the error code. By uninstall and reinstalling the device driver program, it would lead to the completion of the files.

You can do this by firstly logging in as Administrator and open Device Manager. Select the device that is causing the problem and double click it and make sure that the peripheral is connected properly to the PC. Upon opening, click on the ‘Driver’ tab and then select ‘Update Driver’.

Make sure to refer to the system documentation that you received with your PC or computer to check for the motherboard details and driver specifics.

Method 3 – Use software to automatically download the driver

Manually uninstalling and reinstalling the driver will do the trick, however, it may be time-consuming especially when you would have to resort to your hardware user manual.

Therefore, using a program such as DriverFIX can save you a lot of time and frustration in having your device work properly on your computer.

DriverFIX, with its user-friendly approach to help you fix your PC issues, comes with an integrated database that detects which drivers you need to reconfigure within just a few seconds and downloads it automatically.

It further ensures that your drivers are installed in their entirety leaving no room for any incomplete files to remain that create Error Code 40.

It also has the added advantage of being able to backup and restores your files should there be the slightest possibility of system file damage.

Thus, registry damage can be averted by letting the software roll back the system files to an earlier healthy checkpoint. Driver Assist is the answer to fixing your PC error codes accurately and quickly.

Click here to download DriverFIX to fix Error Code 40 quickly and effectively!