Fix We couldn’t install some updates

What is the Error 421?

Error 421 is a common SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Outlook error message. MS Outlook is one of the best and popular email applications widely used by PC Windows users for sending and receiving emails within and outside workplaces. It is most commonly used in offices by professionals for faster communication. This error may occur while sending and receiving emails on the server. The error 421 messages is displayed in either of the following formats:

“An unknown error has occurred: Server error 421” "Could not send your message. Error 421" 421 4.2.1 : (DYN:T1) http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/421dynt1.html 421 4.3.1 Out of disk space for temp file 421 4.3.2 All server ports are busy 421 Downstream server error 421 Fork failed 421 Greylisting enabled, please try later “An unknown error has occurred. Subject ‘Testing’, Account: ‘pop.charter.net’, Server: ‘mail.charter.net’, Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: ’421 Message rejected’, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 421, Error Number: 0x800CCC67”

Solution

Error Causes

Some common causes for this critical Outlook error are:

• PST storage size exceeds 2GB file size
• Improper ISP settings
• Slow internet connection
• PST file corruption
• Trojan attack and viral infection

This is a critical Outlook error that should be resolved timely. If you delay, it may cause you a great deal of inconvenience. The error code 421 hampers your ability to access your email account, send and receive emails, add new contacts, view emails, calendar entries, and journals. In other words, it just brings your email activities to a standstill locking you out of the account.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this error code on your system, you don’t always have to hire a professional or call the network personnel to do the job. It may be a critical error but the good news is that it is quite easy to fix. Even if you don’t have technical expertise, you can still repair it. Here are some of the best methods to repair this issue on your system:

1. Change the Server Settings to its Maximum Limit

Try changing your server settings. Here set the inbound connections limit at the maximum limit.

• To do this, open the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator utility. The access path of this utility will vary depending on the installation procedure used to set up Exchange Server.
• Once you open the MS Exchange Server Administrator utility, click the ‘Connections’ icon in the left side navigation pane. Now double click the internet mail service icon in the right side pane. As you click it, the Properties window will open.
• Now click the ‘Connections’ tab in the Properties window and then click the ‘Advanced’ button. This will open the configuration window.
• Here reset the number for ‘Maximum Number of Inbound Connections’ to a high number, its maximum limit. After changing the settings, close all open Exchange Server Administrator program windows to successfully complete the process.

After the process is complete, try accessing your Outlook email account again; if it works, then that’s great the error 421 is resolved. However, if it doesn’t, then the problem could be related to viral infection.

2. Download a PST Repair Tool

If the cause of the error is PST files corruption, then not only will you be locked out of your email account, you are also at risk of losing all the data stored in your email account. However, the best way to resolve the error and ensure full data recovery is to download a reliable PST repair tool. By running a PST repair tool on your system, you can resolve the error 421 right away. It recovers your data, repairs corrupt and damaged PST files.

3. Scan Your PC with Restoro.

If viral infection and Trojans are causing the error 421 to pop up on your system, then it is recommended to download and scan your PC with Restoro. This is an advanced, intuitive, and user-friendly PC fixer. It is not just an antivirus but also a system optimizer and a registry cleaner. Unlike common antivirus software that only removes viruses and simultaneously slows down the system’s speed, Restoro removes all types of malicious software on your PC including malware, spyware, Trojans, and viruses, and also boosts the speed of your PC significantly. It is safe, easy to operate, and a quick fixer. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve error 421 today!

Usually when online service is not working or when something goes wrong online it is DNS, well that is what most of the time is the case. And yes, DNS or Domain Name Server seems to be an issue with Facebook being completely down along with Instagram and wassap. The true cause is that there is no working Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes into Facebook's sites. BGP is the standardized exterior gateway protocol used to exchange routing and reachability information between the internet top-level autonomous systems (AS). Most people, indeed most network administrators, never need to deal with BGP. Cloudflare VP Dane Knecht was the first to report the underlying BGP problem. This meant, as Kevin Beaumont, former Microsoft's Head of Security Operations Centre, tweeted, "By not having BGP announcements for your DNS name servers, DNS falls apart = nobody can find you on the internet. Same with WhatsApp btw. Facebook has basically de-platformed themselves from their own platform." Many people are very annoyed by this and with the fact that they cannot use their social media platforms but it seems that Facebook employees are in even bigger annoyance as it was reported that Facebook employees can't enter their buildings because their "smart" badges and doors were also disabled by this network failure. If true, Facebook's people literally can't enter the building to fix things. Reddit user u/ramenporn, who claimed to be a Facebook employee working on bringing the social network back from the dead, reported, before he deleted his account and his messages: "DNS for FB services has been affected and this is likely a symptom of the actual issue, and that's that BGP peering with Facebook peering routers has gone down, very likely due to a configuration change that went into effect shortly before the outages happened (started roughly 1540 UTC). There are people now trying to gain access to the peering routers to implement fixes, but the people with physical access is separate from the people with knowledge of how to actually authenticate to the systems and people who know what to actually do, so there is now a logistical challenge with getting all that knowledge unified. Part of this is also due to lower staffing in data centers due to pandemic measures." Ramenporn also stated that it wasn't an attack, but a mistaken configuration change made via a web interface. Both BGP and DNS are down, the "connection to the outside world is down, remote access to those tools don't exist anymore, so the emergency procedure is to gain physical access to the peering routers and do all the configuration locally." Technicians on site don't know how to do that and senior network administrators aren't on site. It seems that it will all be down for a couple of more hours before the issue is resolved.

Error Code 0x80070652 – What is it?

Error code 0x80070652 occurs when Windows users attempt to upgrade their operating system while another program is in the process of being downloaded. It may also occur due to problems related to previously failed update attempts within Window Update. When this Windows 10 upgrade occurs, Windows users fail to access the version of Windows they are attempting to download. Instead, a message box occurs stating that error code 0x80070652 has occurred on the device. If this error message is not rectified, it could give birth to other Windows 10 errors such as error code 0x80072EE2.

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 0x80070652 may result from Windows 10 users attempting to download another program while upgrading their operating system. It may also be caused by an issue related to previous installations of updates. For instance, in some cases, your previous installation of the Windows process may have been interrupted or it was simply not completed properly. This causes any other upgrade process that follows to result in error code 0x80070652.

Further Information and Manual Repair

But what can be done in such a situation to resolve the error code? Windows users have several options available. For instance, they can wait on any additional program that may be in the process of downloading to complete the process before attempting to upgrade Windows. They may also troubleshoot problems related to any failed updates or select a system restore point in which the error code was not present.

The manual repair methods Windows 10 users choose may involve any of the solutions mentioned previously. The choice is largely dependent on the user and his determination to fix the error code. However, note that automated tools or Windows repair technicians may also provide solutions to PC issues like error code 0x80070652.

Method One: Verify and Troubleshoot Failed Upgrades

Since previously failed updates within Windows Update can lead to the occurrence of error code 0x80070652, Windows 10 users will need to verify which of these failed updates occurred by checking the history section of the Windows Update tool. Once you’ve been able to verify that failed updates have occurred in the recent past, you’ll need to troubleshoot these problems to rectify the error code. Follow the instructions below to check for updates that have failed to install properly via Windows Update.

• Step one: Type Windows Update in the Search box near Start Menu
• Step two: Select Windows Update settings
• Step three: Select Update history
• Step four: Review updates from the most recent to least recent to see which updates have failed
• Step five: Click failed updates for more details and troubleshoot accordingly.

Once you’ve completed the troubleshooting of any updates which failed, proceed by rebooting your device. You may then reattempt to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 once no other program is in the process of being downloaded.

If the problem causing error code 0x80070652 was related to failed updates of the past, these issues will likely be resolved once you successfully troubleshoot them. However, if the error code reoccurs, apply the next manual repair solution mentioned in this article.

Method Two: Download Updates Manually via Microsoft Download Center

Another option available to users is simply downloading updates manually by visiting the official Microsoft website, specifically the Windows section which provides downloads. To successfully complete this process, ensure you look for stand-alone packages of these downloads available on the website. You will need to know the Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article number related to the specific update(s) which failed.

Once a Windows user has verified the KB article number of the specific update, download it from the Microsoft website, then select Run to install the update. Reboot your PC, then check Windows Update to see if you are able to successfully complete the Windows 10 upgrade.

If the upgrade fails, you may need to implement the next manual repair method as is mentioned below.

Method Three: Use Windows System Restore

One of the best options for Windows 10 users facing certain PC problems is to apply System Restore. This allows them to reset their machine for a period of time in which the problem was not present. This is known as the restore point. To apply this manual repair method, follow the steps below.

• Step one: In the search box beside the Start Menu, type System Restore
• Step two: Select Create a restore point
• Step three: Select the System Protection tab then Configure or Create
• Step four: Provide details regarding a system restore point of your choice
• Step five: Select Create, then OK.

Method Four: Download an Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

The Windows 10 system allows users to change the default location of the User folders to another drive. This is probably to make sure that the files stay safe in case the system suddenly crashes. However, in some cases, while changing the path to another drive, for instance, the D drive or any folder, the Windows system recognized it as a hard drive as well so even though the files will be saved on that folder, it will appear as a hard drive in the Windows Explorer or look merged with another folder. It could also be that you had dragged and dropped a user folder to another user folder by accident. So if you’re wondering how you can unmerge the User folders, read on as this post will guide you on how exactly you can do that. Take note that even if you try to use the File History to restore the User folders, it still won’t work and you won’t be able to move them back to their previous locations nor restore the folders back to their previous versions and it would only state that they are not available. In the instructions given below, we are using the Downloads folder as an example.

• Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Step 2: Next, type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Step 3: After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:

ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerUser Shell Folders

• Step 4: Then double-click on the multi-string value {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B} located in the right hand pane. And in the Value Data, copy and paste the following value:

%USERPROFILE%Downloads

• Step 5: Now click OK and close the Registry Editor.

Note: Look close enough and you’ll see that the multi-string values belong to each one of the folders. From there, you have a Desktop, Favorites, Skydrive, Music, Pictures, and many more.

• Step 6: Restart your computer. After that, the operating system will pick up the new folder location during the startup. Here are the values for the other folders:

Music – {1CF1260C-4DD0-4ebb-811F-33C572699FDE} Pictures – {3ADD1653-EB32-4cb0-BBD7-DFA0ABB5ACCA} Videos – {A0953C92-50DC-43bf-BE83-3742FED03C9C} Documents – {A8CDFF1C-4878-43be-B5FD-F8091C1C60D0} Desktop – {B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}

• Step 7: Now all you have to do is to change the location correctly. Start by tapping the Win + E keys to open the Windows File Explorer.
• Step 8: After that, right-click on the Downloads folder located in the right-hand pane.
• Step 9: Then click on Properties and go to the Location tab then type “D:\Downloads” in the location box.
• Step 10: Click the Apply button and then the OK button to save the changes made. Doing so would ensure that not only the Downloads folder is restored but also that it does not stay merged to another folder or appear as a drive.

You might have experienced a situation when you restarted your Windows 10 PC after an upgrade and you tried logging into your account but only a screen with a message saying, “Preparing Windows”. If the screen only stays that way, this indicates that Windows 10 is trying to complete the upgrade or waiting for some files to load up so that you can use your account. Some users also reported that when they tried logging into their accounts, they also get the same message on their screens. To resolve this issue, read on as this post will show you what you can do if your Windows 10 PC is stuck on the “Preparing Windows” screen. A lot of users have tried logging back into their account once more but to no avail as the same screen still greets them. And even when they tried the Ctrl + Alt + Del combo, it still didn’t work. This only goes to show that your account might somehow be corrupted.

Option 1 – Try booting your PC into Safe Mode

The first thing you can do to resolve the issue is to try booting your computer into Safe Mode and then log in using an Admin account. If it seems like your admin account has caused the problem, you need to create an admin account first and then log in after you reboot into the account and then log off. After that, restart your PC normally and check if the problem’s resolved or not. If not, refer to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry

In this second option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
• Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double-click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
• You should know which among the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
• After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why your screen is stuck at “Preparing Windows”. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

Option 4 – Try to repair hard disk errors using the Chkdsk utility

You can also run the Chkdsk utility to resolve the problem. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the Chkdsk utility comes in. The Chkdsk utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you type in each one of them.
• chkntfs /t
• chkntfs /t:10

If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod you might be aware of the phenomenon of connecting and disconnecting your device. In one moment device is connected and then it somehow loses connection and you have to plug in back again to be recognized. In this troubleshooting guide, we will address ways to eliminate this issue and to connect and have your devices working properly. We will go from the most common ones to the most uncommon so it is advisable to try solutions in order to how they are presented.

1. Check cable

   The most common issue with this kind of behavior comes from a broken cable if you have the opportunity try another working cable to see if the device will behave differently. If everything is working fine with another cable, the issue is in the previous cable.

2. Check USB ports and Cable Jack

   Usually, it is a cable issue, but it can also be a USB jack on cable or even a USB port on a PC, try putting the jack into another port to see if this will solve the issue.

3. Check device settings

   From updates on your device comes a change of setting about privacy which can reflect on connection with the computer. In order to eliminate this, you will need to reset your device. Go to device settings and go to general Scroll down until you find the reset section and go into it In the reset, section click on reset location and privacy You will have to authenticate using your pin/passcode in order to complete the reset function Enter your passcode (or use any other authentication method you have chosen) and you can now reset the Location and Privacy settings. Click on reset Connect the device to PC and choose trust this device

4. Update iTunes

   Outdated iTunes can also be a problem with this particular issue. Go to the apple website and download the latest version of iTunes or updating it via apple updater.

As you know, one of the basic apps in the Windows 10 operating system is the calculator and it can even be extended to a scientific calculator which makes it really useful for users. However, there are instances when you might encounter some issues while using this app. One of the issues about the Calculator app that’s been reported recently is that the Calculator app is not working. If you encounter the same problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the problem. Based on the reports, users claimed that the issue with the Calculator app occurred right after they’ve installed a feature update, while other users claimed that the Calculator app never really worked on their computers and there are also cases where the app opens but it either freezes or crashes. According to researchers, the main causes of the problem include a feature update that could’ve altered the settings. It could also be due to problems with the login account or corrupted and missing files, or the problem could also with the calculate app itself. To resolve this problem, here are some suggestions you can follow.

Option 1 – Run the System File Checker Scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the reason why the calculator app is not working properly. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

• Reboot your computer.

Option 2 – Run the DISM tool

You can also run the DISM Tool as it helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth” that could help in fixing the Calculator app.

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

Option 3 – Try logging into your computer using a different User Account

You might want to try logging into a different User Account since it is possible that the issue could have something to do with your log-in account. Thus, you can isolate this possibility by logging into a different user account. If you don’t have any other user account, simply create a new one by clicking on the Start icon and then go to Settings > Account > Family & other users. From there, go to the Other user's section and click on the Add someone else to this PC option, and then inputs all the needed information and restarts your computer. Once your computer has restarted, log into your computer using the newly created user account.

Option 4 – Try to reset or reinstall the Calculator app

If the first three given options didn’t work, you might want to reset or reinstall the Calculator app. To do that, follow these steps:

• Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Apps > Apps and features.
• Next, look for the Calculator app from the app list and click on it to see its other options.
• After that, select the Advanced options and go to the Reset section and then click on the Reset button to reset the Calculator app.

Note: You also have the option to reinstall the Calculator app. All you have the option to visit Microsoft Store and from there, uninstall the Calculator app.

Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world and how Microsoft is opening doors to everyone in its new store Reddit took a logical step and made a Progressive web application and placed it in it. Being a Progressive web app makes it more familiar and feels like a home experience using it for a lot of Reddit users. Reddit itself has a large community and active topics discussions all the time about anything. Bringing it to Windows as an application is, in my opinion, a great move since as an application it is independent, more light-weighted, and offering some other advantages specifically tied to being a standalone windows application. Everyone familiar with and using the Reddit website will feel right at home in this app and you can start using it right away.

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

Switching to Dark mode in Windows 11

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

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

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

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

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

How to keep old electronics

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

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

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

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

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