Error code 0x803f7001 occurs when there is a failure to update your Windows operating system to Windows 10. Usually, a message box pops up with the following statement, “Windows is not activated as your previous version of Windows on this device was not activated prior to upgrade to Windows 10.” When this occurs, common symptoms of the error code will manifest themselves:
Inability to upgrade your Windows operating system to Windows 10
Message box with error code 0x803f7001
Solution
Error Causes
The cause for error code 0x803f7001 varies. Usually, it occurs for two reasons: 1) when during the process of upgrading to Windows 10, no valid Windows license or product key is found for your device or 2) when a user performs a clean installation of Windows 10. During a clean installation, a new license is usually required to allow you to activate your copy of Windows.
Further Information and Manual Repair
There are two main options available to fix error code 0x803f7001. Usually, the use of a valid product key can help users rectify error code 0x803f7001. You may also try an automated tool to access the best solutions.
Method One: Use a Valid Product Key
A product key is a code containing 25 characters that enable users to activate Windows. You will need to enter the product key in the exact order it appears in order to install your Windows operating system. All users will be able to access this code in an email or on a card within the Windows DVD package they receive upon purchasing a version of the Windows operating system.
To solve error code 0x803f7001, complete the following steps.
Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
Step two: Select Update and Security then Activation
Step three: Click the Change product key
Step four: Type in your valid product key. (To do this ensure the 25 characters are accounted for and in the correct order.)
If the issue causing error code 0x803f7001 relates to your product key, then the instructions within method one will rectify the issue. You will be able to install and activate Windows 10. However, if while attempting to update your Windows operating system, the error occurs once more, you will need to follow the instructions in the manual repair below.
You may also consider contacting a Windows repair technician if you are uncertain of your ability to perform the tasks required to fix error code 0x803f7001. This IT professional will be able to use his or her technical knowledge to perform complex manual repair tasks if the need arises.
Method Two: Install an Automated Tool
Automated tools help PC users eliminate common issues such as Windows error codes. To address or rectify error codes like error code 0x8007007b download a powerful automated tool on your machine. This tool enables users to access quick solutions. It also scans for and corrects issues that may result in error codes or poor PC performance.
Recently, a number of users reported that they were not able to use the “Run as administrator” context menu option when they tried using it or opening a program with administrator privilege. If you are one of these users facing this problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in fixing this issue.
At the time of writing, it isn’t clear what the cause of the issue is but there are potential fixes you can try to fix the problem. You can try turning on the User Account Control or clean up the Context Menu items change the Group Membership. On the other hand, you can also perform both SFC and DISM scans via Command Prompt or troubleshoot the problem in a clean boot state as it is possible that some third-party programs are the ones that are causing the problem. You could also run an anti-malware scan using Windows Defender or your antivirus program.
Option 1 – Try to turn on the User Account Control
When you open a program with administrator privilege, the User Account Control or UAC prompt will pop up asking you to confirm the permission. However, if you have disabled the User Account Control by mistake or some malware has disabled it, then it’s no wonder why the “Run as administrator” option is not working. Thus, you need to check if UAC is turned on or not. All you have to do is go to the User Account Control settings.
Option 2 – Try changing the Group Membership
First, you need to sign in with your administrator account or ask your administrator to sign in for you. So if you only have a Standard User account, you have to add that account to the Administrators group.
In the taskbar search box, type “netplwiz” and check the search results.
From there, select your user account and click the Properties button.
After that, go to the Group Membership tab and select Administrator.
Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then sign in to your computer again and see if the “Run as administrator” option is working or not.
Option 3 – Try to create a new Administrator User account
If you have a standard account, you can try creating a new account but this time, you create an administrator user account and then see if you can now use the Run as administrator option or not. Note that you have to sign in with your main account before you can create an admin account.
Option 4 – Run the DISM tool
You can run the DISM tool as well to help fix the problem with the “Run as administrator” option. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Option 5 – Perform a System File Checker scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the problem with the “Run as administrator” option on your Windows 10 computer. 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. 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 and hit Enter.
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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Once done, restart your computer.
Option 6 – Put your computer in a Clean Boot State
You can also troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot state. It could be that there are some third-party applications in your computer that are preventing you from using the “Run as administrator” option and to isolate this possibility, you need to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to use the Run as administrator again. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
After you’ve set your computer into a Clean Boot State, try to check if the error is now fixed and that you can now view the Properties.
Option 7 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender
As mentioned, if your computer was recently infected with some malware, it is possible that the malware changed the User Account Control settings which is why you’re not able to use the Run as administrator option. Thus, you need to scan your computer using Windows Defender.
Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.
Blue Yeti has gained popularity among streamers and users that want a high-quality mic for their setup. Without going into details of the hardware itself I will say it is a pretty good mic. Now the issues that have been reported with it are that Windows 11 can have issues with it resulting in the microphone not being recognized by the operating system. If you are one of the unfortunate Blue Yeti users and have this issue, do not despair because we have a solution for you, several to be more precise so you can easily fix the issue and get back to talking.
Check cables
Sometimes it is not a software problem at all. First thing is to check if by any chance cable of the mic is disconnected, damaged, or similar. If the cable seems fine next step is to plug in the mic into another port in order to eliminate faulty jack on the computer. If nothing happened the last thing to try is to connect the mic to another computer so we can be sure that the mic itself is in working order so we can focus on software. If by any chance mic is not working on another computer that some hardware inspection of it will be required.
Set Blue Yeti as a default device
There is a chance that Windows 11 has not set Blue Yeti as a default audio device for recording and therefore you can not use it. In order to eliminate and fix this issue, right-click on the speaker icon on the taskbar in the far-right part of it and choose sound settings. Go down to the input section and pick Blue Yeti beside Choose device for speaking or recording.
Update driver
More often than not device not working is tied to malfunctioning or a bad driver. In order to eliminate and resolve this issue right click on the Start icon and choose device manager. Inside device manager expand the Sound, video and game controllers section. Right-click on each device in the section and choose update driver. Wait for the update to complete and restart your system.
Run the troubleshooter
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings. Go to System in the left pane and click on it. In the right panel choose and click on troubleshoot. Inside troubleshoot click on Other. Scroll down and locate the Recording Audio troubleshooter and then click on Run next to it. Wait for the troubleshooter to finish and follow on-screen instructions to resolve the issue.
Check Blue Yeti microphone privacy setting
Not very often, but sometimes privacy settings can be the issue even when everything else is working perfectly. In order to check privacy settings press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings and go to Privacy & Security on the left panel and click on it. On the right panel click on the microphone. Make sure that toggle next to Let apps access your microphone is ON.
Instaling and removing applications from your Windows can sometimes leave some traces that are unpleasant and can cause annoyances. One of these annoyances is the program in the startup section of the task manager.
If you ever opened task manager and went into the startup section trying to disable some of the startup items on your Windows boot there might be a chance that you have experienced and seen a program without any icon or information about it just sitting there.
This is due to some applications being removed from the system but for some reason, it still shows itself in startup and it is quite annoying. So here we will show you how to get rid of this annoyance so your startup is clean again without junk in it.
Removing a program from startup
Locating the source of the issue
The first thing of course is to open the task manager itself and navigate to the startup tab. Inside the startup tab right-click on the column header and tick or enable Startup type and command line. Now you will see the location of the supposed file (that is missing or you could just go there by right-clicking on the item, but here it is greyed).
99% of the time startup type will be registry since the file is missing, if it was a file fix would be just to simply delete the file in the folder but since it was installed and not properly removed registry key is still present but the file cannot be found. After confirmation that the file is indeed missing and that the startup type is registry open the registry editor by typing Regedit in search and pressing enter.
Removing the key from registry
Inside Registry editor navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Inside on right part, you will see all auto-start entries added by installed applications.
Locate one that is causing issues by comparing its path with the path inside the task manager command line and delete the key. Once the key is deleted right-click on RUN on the left part and choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to quickly jump on that key location and repeat the process of key deletion if needed. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will delete startup entry for all users and sometimes entry will not be present here since the application is not installed for all users or there are no other users on the machine.
After the procedure is finished, reboot your systems in order to apply changes.
If you receive an error that says, “An unspecified error occurred during System Restore (0x800700b7)” when you tried to restore your Windows 10 PC, worry not, for this post will help you resolve the problem. This kind of error typically occurs when System Restore was not completed successfully and fails instead with this error. Before you start, you must not abruptly shut down your computer and wait for the error to occur.
You may receive this error due to many possible reasons. It could be caused by your antivirus program that’s not letting the process complete or corrupted system files which causes the failure or it could also be caused by an unsuccessful installation of a Windows Update.
Here are some fixes you can check out if you can still boot into your computer:
Option 1 – Try to disable your antivirus program
Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the System Restore process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and then run System Restore again, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 2 – Run the DISM tool
The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like the blank dialog boxes. To repair these corrupted system files, you can run the DISM commands:
Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.
Option 3 – Run 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 to good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the errors 0x8024a11a and 0x8024a112. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.
Option 4 – Try to run the System Restore in a Clean Boot State
If the first three given options didn’t work and the service still keeps on failing even though the service is running, you can try putting your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to run System Restore again.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
Now try to run System Restore again and see if the process goes smoothly.
Option 5 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing the problem with System Restore. 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.
On the other hand, if you can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, here are some fixes you can try instead:
Option 6 – Try running System Restore in Advanced Startup Options
If you cannot boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.
Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
Option 7 – Run the SFC scan and DISM via Advanced Startup Options
Like what you did in the first given option, you can use the Advanced Startup Options to run both System File Checker and DISM. All you have to do is boot into the Advanced Startup Options and from there select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. After accessing Command Prompt, you can run the System File Checker scan first by entering the “sfc /scannow”. As for DISM, you can run the “Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” command.
Option 8 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility
You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.
You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
After that, click on Repair your computer located in the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.
What software are you using to keep your information and all your files and memories safe?
None? Yikes. Let’s hope no damage has been done to your data yet then. Because with how the digital world has evolved, your data might be getting leaked and you have no idea.
Why do you need to invest in security software?
There’s really no good excuse not to purchase a quality platform for PC protection. Especially since top security solutions are available at such affordable prices nowadays, your wallet would barely even notice it.
At this point, only people who barely use their PCs and have zero sensitive information on them can get away with simply using the built-in Windows 10/11 security software. But we guarantee that those people are extremely hard to find and that you’re not one of them, and here’s why.
Even if you don’t use your computer for things that are very obviously sensitive, such as internet banking, you still have some personal data at risk of being stolen. How so? Well, think about the data you enter into your social media profiles, for example. How devastating would it be if somebody got a hold of any of it? Yep, that’s what we thought.
Credit: FLY:D on Unsplash
In the hands of a skilled cybercriminal, your phone number alone could put you at risk of scams, ransomware, identity theft and more. Also think about the stuff you share in texts and social media chats. Think about the websites you visit and how many times you may have accidentally clicked on an ad, which could very well contain malicious software. Those all seem harmless until someone’s actually used them against you.
Now imagine the dangers involved when you actually store truly confidential data on your PC and browsers. Sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?
In the case of a successful cyberattack of whatever type (virus, phishing, worms, etc.), there’s so much that is at stake. Businesses/legal persons will suffer from financial loss and damaged reputation, at the very least. Natural persons may be threatened or exploited, get their banking or medical information and even their identity stolen, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
These are our biggest reasons for investing in Windows PC protection software:
Cyberthreats are constantly evolving to the point where built-in or free software won’t cut it anymore.
Those working remotely can have peace of mind knowing both personal and business data is completely secure.
Businesses using top security solutions ensure their customers trust them.
Data breaches are a pain in the you-know-what to handle. Fighting a cyberattack and going back to normal is a demanding process, and not to mention the stress it’ll cause. We’d rather prevent all that by using trustworthy security products!
It helps parents worry a little less about their children’s safety in the online world.
Added bonus: with most products, you get an ad-free browsing experience!
Obviously, there are a lot more reasons to get your PC secured. But we think you get it. So let’s cut to the chase and take a look at our 6 favorite protection solutions and the wonders they can do for you.
*Note that in this article we’re looking at products primarily suited for households and home offices, some for small businesses. No enterprise solutions will make the list today, but stay tuned for a future article on those.
Top 6 best PC protection solutions
1. Bitdefender Total & Internet Security\
One of the biggest security product vendors out there, Bitdefender offers several awesome solutions. We want to introduce two of our favorites, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Internet Security.
Bitdefender Total Security is great for both households and smaller offices. You can choose to protect 5 or 10 devices, and not necessarily just Windows devices. It also works for macOS, Android and iOS. It offers a range of powerful features, such as:
Real-time data protection
Webcam and microphone protection
Device optimization options
Anti-phishing/-fraud/-spam technology
Ransomware protection
Anti-loss and anti-theft tools
VPN and privacy firewall
Anti-tracking technology
Parental controls
24/7 support
Bitdefender Internet Security shares almost all of these features, but there are a few important differences to note. Unlike Total Security, Internet Security has more options in terms of the number of protected devices: 1, 3, 5 or 10. However it’s only compatible with the Windows platform and it doesn’t offer device optimization tools or anti-theft options. Whether or not this is a deal-breaker depends on your needs alone - we still find it a great security tool.
Credit: Firmbee.com on Unsplash
2. ESET Internet Security
An award-winning Windows security product, ESET Internet Security is essential on this list. It has an outstanding protection rate of 99.9% and a range of amazing options you’ll definitely want to make use of. It can be installed on up to 10 devices, making it an awesome tool for your household, home office or a small business. It’s also compatible with macOS and Android.
These are ESET Internet Security’s best features:
Protection against ransomware and spyware
Protection against malware specifically designed to avoid detection
In-depth scans when the computer is not in use
Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC
Anti-spam tool
Anti-phishing and botnet protection technologies
Tool to scan your router and smart devices for vulnerabilities
Special browser for secure internet banking
Parental controls
Prevention of unauthorized webcam access
If you ask us, ESET has it all!
Credit: rupixen.com on Unsplash
3. Kaspersky Total & Internet Security
Having a deja vu? Didn’t you just read Total Security and Internet Security somewhere? Oh, that’s right - the first entry on our list! But here we’re talking about Kaspersky, a vendor you’ve also definitely heard about before.
Just like Bitdefender, Kaspersky is another one of those renowned names in the cybersecurity world that always make it to every ‘best of’ list. And for good reason - its products really fulfill their purpose. So let’s take a closer look at the two we chose.
These are the features both Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security have in common:
Real-time virus and spyware blocking
Webcam protection
Wi-Fi security notifications
Advanced identity theft protection
Free technical support on several channels
Remote security management
Multiple devices (up to 10)
The main difference between Kaspersky Total Security and Internet Security is that the former offers more capabilities. These are the features KTS offers that KIS does not:
System cleanup
File shredding
Password management
Data backup and encryption
Both are excellent security tools, though we do prefer KTS a little more because of these additional options.
4. Norton 360 Deluxe
Of course one of the industry-leading solutions makes the list. Norton 360 Deluxe can protect up to 5 devices, be it Windows, iOS, macOS or Android. It’s worth noting that its features are best developed for Windows. Here’s what you get with Norton 360 Deluxe:
Protection against viruses, hackers, malware
100% virus protection promise
VPN included for all devices
Unlimited VPN on Windows
Password manager
Parental controls
So is there anything aside from these standard protection features that makes it such a favorite among us techies? Let us tell you! Norton added a little bit of spice here with two really powerful capabilities. The Deluxe product offers 50GB of cloud backup and dark web monitoring. The latter means the software notifies you if any of your personal information is found on the dark web, which helps protect you against identity theft.
Credit: Luke Peters on Unsplash
5. McAfee Antivirus
Don’t be misled by the name of this product. Antivirus software may have started as protection against viruses only, but it’s developed quite a lot. The name simply stuck. All that to say that McAfee Antivirus - another award-winning security solution - protects you against several different threats.
The basic and essential plan allow 1 and 5 devices respectively, while McAfee+ Premium and Advanced work on an unlimited number of devices. The latter two also offer more capabilities, as you can imagine. Here’s what you can expect from all of them:
Secure unlimited VPN
File shredder to delete sensitive files completely
Ultimate safety while browsing
Protection against hackers
100% virus protection promise
Advanced firewall to block dangerous traffic
Online support from specialists
Protection score (shows how safe you are and detects vulnerabilities)
Identity monitoring (notifies you if any of your information is on the dark web)
Password management
Unlike the previous products, McAfee Antivirus does not offer parental controls. Otherwise it’s a pretty strong and comprehensive protection tool and might just be the right choice for you!
6. Trend Micro Maximum Security
Last but definitely not least, we’ve got Maximum Security by Trend Micro. And yes, you guessed it, Trend Micro is also an award winner in terms of cybersecurity. Its products have been recognized as industry-leading security solutions by AV-Test since 2003. Among all its fantastic solutions, our favorite for households or small offices is Maximum Security.
You can use Trend Micro Maximum Security to protect 3-5 devices for a year or two years before needing to renew your license. Aside from Windows, it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and Chromebook devices. Here’s what you can expect from this protection software:
Powerful malware protection
Phishing detection and prevention (email)
Password management and protection
Maximum security for online banking and shopping
System optimization
Social media privacy protection
Parental controls
24/7 technical support
No notifications during gaming
It’s truly one of the most effective platforms out there dedicated to protecting your digital life. Using this product, ransomware, identity thieves and malicious websites don’t stand a chance.
The bottom line
If you’ve made it all the way here, congratulations, you’ve made the right choice: to invest in securing your valuable data! Now the question is: which one of these 6 awesome antivirus/antimalware products to select?
The paradox of choice is a very real thing - we feel you. As mentioned, it comes down to what your specific needs are. So before you go ahead and purchase your security software, make sure to explore all options.
And if you really can’t handle the decision-making anxiety, feel free to reach out. We’ll happily assist you in finding the right product to keep your digital life secure!
If you are trying to open a program or a game but you suddenly see a dialog box with a message stating that the application was unable to start correctly along with the Error Code 0xC000007B , STATUS INVALID IMAGE FORMAT then this indicates that the application is not compatible with the architecture of your Windows 10 computer or is missing dependencies.
Although error code 0xC000007B can also occur with other various programs, the STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT error code also means that when you try to run an application that’s designed to run on a 64-bit system and hence gets into a termination state. In addition, if you are also pointed to the NTStatus.h file then it means that the error might be caused by some file corruption. Here’s the full context of the error message:
“0xC000007B | STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT | {Bad Image} %hs is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support.”
When you see this error message, the first thing you can do is to click on OK to close the application and then try installing the media again to see if it fixes the issue. If not, then you can check out the suggestions given below.
Option 1 – Try installing the application with admin privileges
The first thing you can do to fix the error is to restart your Windows 10 computer and then try installing the application again and this time with admin privileges. Just right-click on the application and select the “Run as Administrator” option. And if your account is a regular one, you need to make sure to ask an admin to help you in installing the application by entering the password when you are prompted to do so.
Option 2 – Install and update Dependencies
There are times when programs and applications need to have drivers and supporting software installed for them to properly work. Although the installation usually takes care of it, it’s time for you to do some manual checks especially if you are getting this issue of abnormal program termination.
1. Install some qualified drivers
A number of high-end games and applications need to have correct and valid drivers for them to work. They just don’t work with general drivers though. Microsoft has this Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing also known as WHQL testing which makes sure that drivers meet the correct experience and pass through the proper testing before certification. Thus, when installing drivers, you need to ensure that they are qualified drivers for your Windows 10 PC.
2. Download and install or update DirectX
As you know, Microsoft DirectX is a suite of technologies developed by Microsoft to provide hardware acceleration for heavy multimedia applications like HD videos and 3D games. Since you are using Windows 10, you have the DirectX 12 version while the earlier Windows versions use the DirectX 11 version.
3. Install the Microsoft DirectX End-user runtime
The Microsoft DirectX end-user runtime gives updates to version 9.0c as well as previous versions of DirectX. To install it, click on this link and download it.
4. Update or install the .NET framework
The .NET framework is used by games and applications during development which means that without the runtime files that are installed in your computer, it definitely won’t work. Thus, you need to install or update this framework. You can also use the .NET setup verification tool to verify it.
Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker Scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the Error Code 0xC000007B , STATUS INVALID IMAGE FORMAT error. 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. 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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
If you got an error message saying, The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation while trying to install a driver using the “Install” option in the right-click context menu, read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem.
The INF file mentioned in the error message is a text file that’s divided into different types of formatted sections. Each one of the sections is designed for a particular purpose. For instance, one section is designed to copy files or to add entries to the registry. INF files are used to install drivers. However, if something is wrong, you might encounter this error while installing a driver on your Windows 10 computer.
To resolve this problem, you can try to download the driver again from the official manufacturer website or check if the driver is compatible with your computer’s operating system architecture or you can also try installing the driver from the Device Manager. For more details, follow the given options below.
Option 1 – Try downloading the driver again from the official website of the manufacturer
Usually, you shouldn’t encounter this kind of issue no matter what installation method you used on your Windows 10 PC. However, there are times when the driver itself is corrupted for some reason which is why you are unable to complete the installation and receive an error message instead.
Option 2 – Try checking if the driver is compatible with the OS architecture
It is possible that you’re getting this error if you have a driver that is compatible with a 32-bit system and you are trying to install it on a 64-bit system and vice versa. Thus, you need to check if the driver you are trying to install is compatible with your operating system if you haven’t done it when you’ve downloaded the driver from the website of the manufacturer. To check the system architecture, in the Start Search, type “msinfo32” in the field and hit Enter to open the System Information window. From there, you should see all the information about your operating system. In addition, you can also search “system information” in the Cortana search box and look for the System Type entry and open it.
Option 3 – Try installing the driver from the Device Manager
If you have the driver files on your PC and you have to update a driver, refer to the steps given below to be guided on how to install the driver from the Device Manager.
First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
From there, look for the driver you want to update, and then right-click on each one of them and select the Update Driver from the menu.
After that, click on the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
Next, select the “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” option and then click the Next button.
On the next screen, you should see the “Have Disk” option. Click on this option and then click on the Browse button to go to the location of the file. After that, you shouldn’t have any problem installing the INF file.
Option 4 – Try running the System File Checker Scan
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the “The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation” error. 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. 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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
In case you don’t know, a teletype network, also known as Telnet, is a protocol that is meant for internet or LAN communication which is used primarily to control other computers effortlessly. And it is available as a command-line utility in Windows and helps users in opening a command-line interface for the remote computer. However, a lot of users have reported an error that states, “Telnet is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file” when you try to use it. If you are one of these users, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how to fix this error in Windows 10.
This kind of error means that the Telnet utility is not installed on your computer but Telnet is a default feature in Windows 10 so the protocol mainly is not enabled yet. The Telnet client is disabled by default in Windows 10 and to fix this error, you can try to enable the Telnet Client via Programs and Features or try to install Telnet using an elevated Command Prompt.
Option 1 – Try to enable the Telnet Client via Programs and Features
The first thing you can do is to enable the Telnet client using Programs and Features since it is disabled by default. To do that, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to open the Programs and Features window.
Next, select the “Turn Windows features on or off” from the options given on the left-hand side.
After that, look for the Telnet client from the list and check the checkbox next to it and then click on OK to save the changes made.
Now restart your computer.
Option 2 – Try to install Telnet via an elevated Command Prompt
If enabling the Telnet client using Programs and Features didn’t work, then you can try to do it using Command Prompt instead. To get started, follow the steps given below.
In the Windows Search bar, type “command prompt” in the field and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Next, execute this command to enable the Telnet client: dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:TelnetClient
Once the command has been executed, close the Command Prompt and restart your computer.
Most scrollbars are hidden by default if they are not used in Windows 11. If you are not ok with this feature and want scrollbars to be always visible and available do not worry, turning them ON is very easy.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
Click on Accessibility in the sidebar
Select Visual Effects
Inside visual effects settings find Always show scrollbars and switch it ON
Windows 11 will save settings automatically and apply setting right away. Close settings and continue with work.
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