0x800703EE when copying to external storage

Device drivers serve as a connection between the hardware in your computer and the operating system. So if any of the device drivers fail, the concerned hardware will stop communicating with Windows. And when you encounter some network-related issues, you can run the Network Adapter troubleshooter to fix them. However, this built-in troubleshooter does not work all the time as there are still problems that it can’t fix on its own and you’ll see the following error message:

“Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter.”

If you encounter this kind of error, read on as this post will help you in fixing the problem but before you get started in troubleshooting the problem, try running the Network Adapter Troubleshooter again.

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.

Refer to each one of the solutions given below to get started:

Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers

Of course, the first thing you can try to do is to update the Network Adapter drivers to resolve the error.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
• Then right-click on each one of the Network drivers and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the BSOD error.

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the “Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter” error, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly. To reinstall the network adapter driver, refer to these steps:

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Option 2 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

Apart from the Network Adapter Troubleshooter, you can also run another built-in troubleshooter in Windows, the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter, as it can also help you in resolving the “Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter” error.

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

Option 3 – Try performing a System Restore

You might also want to perform a System Restore that might help you in fixing the error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Keeping your system updated is a must and Windows updates are definitely a great way to do that. These updates are essential since they provide important security and various fixes for bugs in your Windows 10 computer. However, there are plenty of instances when you encounter issues with Windows Updates and one of them is when the Windows Updates turn off automatically at random times. Some users reported that they saw a notification about Windows Updates being turned off. Note that the issue is not with the update itself since many users turned on the Windows Update and the system was properly updated. The issue is that the Windows Updates turned off all by itself. There could be several reasons why the Windows Updates turned off by themselves. It could be due to the antivirus program installed on your computer. Antivirus programs are known to cause issues with other programs, Windows updates components included. This can occur due to false positives as well as odd compatibility issues. Aside from antivirus programs, the Windows Update service itself could also be the root cause of the problem. There could be a corrupted file in the Windows Update folder or it could be that the Windows Update service wasn’t started properly. Any of these issues can be resolved by following the troubleshooting options given below. Make sure to follow each one of them carefully for better results.

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 Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 2 – Try to make some changes in the Registry

• Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
• Next, type the following command and tap Enter:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdateAuto Update" /v AUOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

• After that, type the following command and hit Enter again:

sc config wuauserv start= auto

 The command you entered will set the Windows Update to auto so you should be good to go.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors. 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.

Getting errors while trying to update your Windows 10 computer is not an uncommon occurrence. Although some of them are easy to fix, there are others that need a lot of time and research in order to resolve. One of these tough Windows Update errors is Error 0x80244007. This kind of Windows Update error halts the process of Windows Update and a simple system restart won’t help much to fix it. When you encounter this Windows Update error, you will see a description that says, “SOAP client failed because there was a SOAP fault for reasons of WU_E_PT_SOAP_* error codes”. One of the main causes of such an error is that Windows was not able to renew the cookies for Windows Update. To fix this error, here are some suggestions that might be useful.

Option 1 – Clear up temporary or junk files

The error could be caused by some temporary or junk files in your computer and so you need to clear them up to fix the problem. You can achieve that using the Storage Sense feature.

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space. Make sure that Storage Sense is on.
• Next, find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
  • Windows Upgrade Log Files
  • The system created Windows Error Reporting Files
  • Thumbnails
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Previous Windows Installation Files
  • Delivery Optimisation Files
  • DirectX Shader Cache
• Choose the files you want to get rid of and then click on the remove files option. Note that you’ll have an idea of the total size as you select any of the junk files listed above.
• Now go to the “Free Up Space Now” section and click the Clear Now button. This will get rid of all the temporary or junk files in your computer and should hopefully fix the Windows Update error 0x80244007.

Option 2 – Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with Windows Update errors like Error 0x80244007, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

Steam is one of if not the largest online store for the digital distribution of games on the PC platform. The game gets downloaded to your PC when you are planning to play it and its saves are synched in the Steam cloud. They get automatically downloaded when you install the game but you can also get your saves by directly downloading them from Valve's website in your browser. If Steam isn’t automatically downloading your old save games after you install a game, ensure Steam Cloud is enabled for that game within Steam. Locate the game in your Steam library, right-click it, and then select Properties. Click the Updates tab and ensure the Enable Steam Cloud synchronization option is checked for the game. If this option isn’t checked, Steam won’t automatically download your cloud saves. If you don’t see a Steam Cloud option for a game here, that game doesn’t support Steam Cloud. Not all games on Steam do, it’s up to each game developer.

Download the Files in Your Web Browser

Valve lets you download your Steam cloud save files via a web browser, too. You can download just your saved files without re-downloading the entire game. To find your saved files, visit Valve’s View Steam Cloud page in your web browser and sign in with your Steam account. You’ll see a list of games using your Steam Cloud storage. Locate the game in the list and click Show Files to see all the files for a game. Each game has a page showing all the files it’s storing in Steam Cloud, as well as the date they were modified. To download a file, click Download. Download all the save files for your game, and you’ll have a copy of its save games. This feature is especially useful for multi-platform games that don’t automatically synchronize save files between platforms.

Microsoft allows its users to download a copy of Windows to install on PCs. However, when you enter the key after the installation and you got the Activation Error 0xC004F212 instead, then it means that the license key and the Windows version you’ve just installed, do not match. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“The product key used on this PC didn’t work with this edition of Windows. Activation Error 0xC004F212.”

Every time Microsoft generates a license for a copy of Windows, it is associated with one particular Windows variant. Windows comes in many editions like Enterprise, Home, Professional, and so on. For instance, if you bought a license for Windows 10 Enterprise but you have installed Windows 10 Professional instead, then the activation will surely fail and you’ll encounter the Activation Error 0xC004F212. You will be asked to select which edition you want to install when you reinstall Windows 10 using a digital license. If you opted for an edition other than the one you are licensed to use, then you will most likely get the Activation Error 0xC004F212. If you have purchased your license key from a store or some website, you might want to check back with them about the exact version of Windows. Doing so will help you narrow down the problem. And if you have second thoughts about the license key’s validity, you can just reach out to a Microsoft Support agent to check the validity of the license key. Also, if have bought it from the store, there should be an option to get a refund. That way you can choose to buy the right version of Windows.

Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to resolve the Activation Error 0xC004F212 is to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.

The Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter will determine if your license key is a valid Windows 10 digital license for an edition that is not currently installed. If it turns out that it’s not, then the troubleshooter will show you how to install the correct edition.

Option 2 – Try forcing Windows 10 ISO to use the right version

You can also try to force Windows 10 ISO to use the correct version depending on the product key. Note that this option only works between Windows 10 Home and Professional version since they both have a common ISO. So if it’s Enterprise, then this option won’t work for you.

• Extract the Windows 10 ISO files using an extractor.
• Then browse to the folder you created and go to the sources folder.
• From there, you need to create a text file named “PID.txt” and make sure to follow the exact format given below:

[PID] Value=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Note: “xxxxx” is the KEY to your Windows version.

• Next, you need to create the ISO again or bootable media that will repack everything and then create the Media file. You can use the Media Creation tool for this.

Note: Windows will check the key during the installation and will figure out the right version of Windows.

Option 3 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance

If you’re at your wits’ end in trying to update your Windows 10 computer, you should consider contacting Microsoft Support for help as they can offer you various options that would make fixing Windows Activation Error 0xC004F212 a lot easier and faster.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - What is it?

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error is a type of blue screen of death (BSoD) error. It is a typical Windows PC error that occurs even in the latest Windows versions. The IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error occurs on the computer screen when a memory address triggers unauthorized access. This leads to the suspension of your login session. The computer screen turns blue.

Solution

Error Causes

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error occurs due to several reasons. However, the most common causes for this error code include:

• Incompatible device drivers
• The poor device driver installation
• Faulty hardware
• Disk fragmentation
• Registry issues
• Viruses and malware attack

Blue screen of death error codes like IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is critical. If not resolved timely, this error code can pose serious threats to your PC. It can lead to system crash and failure, due to which you can also lose your valuable data stored in your system. How to Fix IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error Code?

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best and easy DIY methods to resolve this error code on your PC:

1. Roll Back Drivers

If the underlying cause of IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error is poor driver installation, then try this method to resolve the issue. This can be done by simply clicking the start menu. Once you click on it, go to the control panel, then double click the system icon and locate the System Properties window. After that, click the hardware tab and then the device manager button. Now locate the device you recently installed. Double click on the recently installed device driver, click the driver tab, and then the rollback driver button. This will take a while, so wait for the process to finish.  After that, reboot the system.

2. Run Hardware Diagnostic

The IRQL error may also be triggered by faulty hardware. To identify which hardware is causing the error to pop up, you will have to run a hardware diagnostic.

• For this, go to the start menu, type Memory Diagnostic in the search bar.
• Now access this tool and click on Diagnose your memory problems. As you click it, it will ask you to perform the check by either restarting the PC immediately or on the next restart.
• Select the immediate one to get going. The system will carry a scan on the memory and show you the list of problematic errors detected during the scan. To resolve this error then all you have to do is replace the piece of faulty hardware.

Nonetheless, if no faulty hardware is detected, this means the error is related to memory. If so, try method 3 to resolve.

3. Disable Memory Caching

To fix the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error, try disabling the memory caching option. This is called BIOS memory caching. This can be done by restarting your PC and pressing the BIOS setup keys to enter the settings screen. Mostly it is an F2 key, however, it may be different in some computers as the motherboards of different makes have their own respective keys. Once you enter the BIOS settings look for options stating memory settings. Access these options and disable the memory caching feature.

4. Scan your PC for Malware

As mentioned above this error message can also result due to the intrusion of malicious software like malware, viruses, and spyware. To detect and remove them from your PC, download an antivirus and perform a system scan. Remove the detected viruses and malware to resolve. Please note, antivirus installation may lower the speed of your PC.

5.  Repair Registry and Fragmented Disk

Due to poor PC maintenance, you may experience registry issues. The registry stores all the activities performed on the PC including the unnecessary pieces of information like junk files, internet history, temporary files, cookies, and other flies. Such files take up a lot of disk space. When there is not much space on the storage device, the new data is saved in fragments. This is called disk fragmentation. When this file becomes fragmented it takes time to rearrange the data and reunite it to run the fragmented file on your PC. If not resolved, this leads to registry issues and thereby generating various PC error codes including IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL errors. The best way to clean the registry and repair the fragmented disk is to download Restoro. This is an advanced and multi-functional PC Fixer. It is embedded with multiple system repair utilities including a powerful registry cleaner that detects all registry issues in seconds, removes and wipes out unnecessary files cluttering the registry, cleans and repairs the registry and the damaged files. Other utilities include an antivirus that detects privacy errors and all types of malicious software infecting your system. It also functions as a system optimizer which means by running this software on your PC you won’t be compromising on your system’s performance. The system optimizer utility boosts the speed of your PC. This tool is safe and efficient. It has a user-friendly interface and is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error code right away.

Hello and welcome everyone, today we will be talking about dreaded keyloggers, why they are dangerous, and how to know if you might have one in your system. Keylogger is a malicious application placed in your system and hidden with only one goal in mind, to get information about what are you typing and by that means for a person who infected you to get information about your credit card information or other sensitive data. They can be introduced into your systems in various ways and often can not be detected easily. Modern antivirus applications have ways of detecting them and removing but this tutorial aims to teach you how to spot them all by yourself since new keyloggers are produced daily and sometimes relying on antivirus alone is not enough. Unlike viruses and trojans, keyloggers are not heavy on system resources and you will not feel slow down on your computer if you have one which makes them harder to sport with regular work. Some of them can be even tracking you on the website and not even be physically present on your computer. Generally, we could categorize keylogger into 4 categories:

1. Web browser-based keylogger. Some websites would have CSS scripts, input web forms, or so-called man in the middle keylogger. Lucky for us even Windows defenders with the latest update can detect this type of keylogger and successfully deal with it and how keylogger itself is not present on our system we are safe.
2. General spyware keylogger. This keylogger is present in your system, usually, it infected it via email attachment, social media download, torrent download, some malicious so-called fixer application, etc. Most antivirus applications and windows defenders can detect these types as well and remove them successfully.
3. Kernel-level keylogger. This keylogger is a more dangerous type they tend to operate underneath Windows as a rootkit and can go undetected by antivirus and windows defenders.
4. Hypervisor-based keylogger. This is the most dangerous keylogger, they use virtualization techniques to hide and mask themselves as a replica of the operating system and they scan all keystrokes by the user. These are very rare keyloggers but they do exist.

If you suspect that you have a keylogger or just want to check your system for precaution reasons follow these tips and guides and luckily you will solve your issue in no time and your data will be safe.

1. Use Task Manager to find suspicious entries.

   Task manager is a great application implemented in Windows that is constantly monitoring and showing all services, applications, and processes currently running on your system and thus a great tool to monitor your system if you know how to use it. First, open task manager by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC Then take a good look into it, try to find suspicious names, probably duplicate of running application, something like Windows logon application, or keylog or anything similar which seems out of ordinary. If you manage to find a suspicious running application right-click on it and close it. Also while you are in task manager jump into the startup tab and check to see are there some unusual applications starting with your Windows, if you find anything, disable it right away. This is the most simple and quickest way to get some information right away if you suspect to have some simpler keylogger in your system.

2. Use the command prompt to monitor your network.

   In order to check connections to your computer and find potential suspicious ones start the command prompt in administrator mode, press ⊞ Win + X, and choose command prompt (administrator). type in netstat -b and press ENTER. All website and application connections to your computer are now visible. ignore svchost, edge browser, windows store, etc ad check the IP of the remaining ones using the internet.

3. Use keystroke encryption.

   Install encrypting software and even if you have a keylogger, the application will encrypt each stroke and all that attacker will get is gibberish

Please remember to always download files from trusted sources, do not open unknown emails, and do not share your information publicly. Take common protection steps in order to protect yourself in the digital world.

Computer voice control has moved a long way from its beginning routes and in today's age controlling your PC with voice is truly a reality and fully possible. Voice control is taking up the steam in everyday life, from simple commands in cars, Alexa, smartphones, TVs, etc. to modern computers.

Windows 10 has introduced voice control into PC with Cortana even during the installation process but a lot has changed from having a virtual assistant in begging days and in today's modern Windows 11 OS. You can now freely open apps, move, copy delete files, and even dictate in order to create a word document.

However, in order to take this advantage, you will need to turn it off first since it is disabled by default. Of course, you will need a microphone and some spare time to train Windows in understanding you properly.

Setting up Voice Control

Just like in Windows 10, in Windows 11 voice control is also in accessibility options and the first step is to turn ON Windows Speech Recognition.

Click on the Start button and type Settings into the search bar, click on Open, or press ENTER. On the left side of the settings, window locate and click on Accessibility. On the right part once Accessibility is selected scroll down and find a section titled Interaction and click on Speech. Turn on the switch next to Windows Speech Recognition.

A pop-up will appear that will lead you through the rest of the setup and that's it.

Improving Voice Control

In order to make your voice control better, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can sample more of your voice into the algorithm to tune it more to your liking. Sadly this option is still deep in Control Panel.

Click the Start button and type in Speech recognition into the search bar, look for the search result with Control Panel displayed under it, and click on Open. Click on Train Your Computer to Better Understand You and follow the instructions.

The process will probably take a few minutes. The more data you provide to the speech recognition model, the more accurate it will be when interpreting your instructions. You can train the model multiple times, and each time you do, it should improve the accuracy.

If you recently made some changes in your Windows 10 computer using the Group Policy Editor but they were not reflected and you got errors instead, it could be that your Windows computer wasn’t able to read the Group Policy file (registry.pol). To resolve this kind of issue, you have to repair the potentially corrupted Group Policy using the options given in this post. .As you know, Group Policy is a feature in the Microsoft Windows Active Directory which allows an admin to make changes in the features on Windows PCs that are on the network. So if the modifications you just made weren’t successfully applied, then there could be something wrong with the registry.pol file on the client or it could also be that the Group Policy folder is missing. To fix this issue in the Group Policy, you need to refer to the given suggestions below and make sure that you have admin privileges as you execute them.

Option 1 – Try to delete or recreate the missing registry.pol file

The entire settings of the Group Policy are stored in the registry.pol file so if it went missing, all the changes you make will not be reflected. The good thing is that you can recreate it but if the file exists and is corrupted, you need to delete it first before you recreate it.

• First, go to the C:/Windows/System32/GroupPolicy/Machine location.
• And from there, check if the registry.pol file exists or not. If it’s there, just delete it permanently by tapping the Shift + Delete keys.
• Now it’s time to recreate the file. Just open Windows PowerShell with admin privileges by tapping Win + X + A keys.
• After opening PowerShell, type this command: gpupdate /force
• The command you entered will recreate the registry.pol file and will refresh the Group Policy. Restart your computer.

Option 2 – Try recreating the secedit.sdb file

The security settings of Group Policy are stored in the secedit.sdb file so if you made some changes to security and they weren’t reflected, you can try to delete and recreate the secedit.sdb file instead of deleting the Group Policy file. All you have to do is navigate to the C:/WINDOWS/security/Database folder and look for the secedit.sdb file and rename it or move it to another folder. After that, restart your computer. Once your computer has restarted, the secedit.sdb file will be created again.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Group Policy to default

You can also try to reset the Group Policy back to its default state. There are several ways you can do that. You can either use the gpupdate or the secedit command in the Windows PowerShell to do that. Resetting the Group Policy will resolve any issues that could be caused by its current settings.

Option 4 – Try to perform System Restore

System Restore can also help resolve the Group Policy issue. It could be that prior to the issue, you’ve made some changes in the system that might have affected the Group Policy. To undo these changes, perform System Restore.

• First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 5 – Use the DISM tool

You can also try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool. This tool will repair the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in your Windows 10 computer. So if there are any missing or corrupted folders and files, the DISM tool can restore and repair them. As a result, any system consistencies and corruptions will be fixed. To run this tool, follow these steps:

• 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.

If you suddenly encounter Activation Error codes such as 0xC004E016, 0xC004F210, 0xC004F034, and 0xC004F00F on your Windows 10 computer, then they all point to the same issue – Invalid Product Key or Version mismatch. When you see any of the aforementioned error codes above, it indicates that you are either entering a wrong product key or you are using an incorrect ISO when installing it on your computer. In such cases, you may see either of the following error messages:

“You are running Windows 10 Pro, but you have a valid digital license for Windows 10 Home.” Or: “The specified product key is invalid or is unsupported by this version.”

If you got the error code 0xC004F00F then it means that you’ve entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Home. It could be that you have a key from your work and you accidentally use it on your Home PC. If you got the error codes 0xC004E016, 0xC004F210, then it means that you have entered a product key that is meant for a different edition or version of Windows. On the other hand, if you got the error code 0xC004F034 instead, then it means that you have entered an invalid product key or a product key for a different Windows version. Whichever error codes you have, refer to the possible solutions given below to fix the Invalid Product Key or Version mismatch Activation Error in Windows 10.

Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to resolve this Activation error is to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.

Option 2 – Try purchasing a new license

There is an exception offered by Microsoft – if you are connected to a Microsoft account prior to the hardware change, then you can most certainly use the same license key to reactivate Windows 10 again. Microsoft calls this an “Exception path” which should be fixed easily by the Windows Activation Troubleshooter as pointed out earlier. However, if the Windows Activation Troubleshooter isn’t able to resolve the error you can try purchasing a new license. In such rate case, even if you do have a Microsoft account available on your Windows 10 computer, and if Windows was never activated, this solution will not work. And if you haven’t connected your Microsoft account with your Windows 10 computer prior to the major hardware change, then your only option left is to purchase a new license. For you to do that here are some steps you can follow.

• To purchase a new Windows license, the first thing you have to do is click on the Start button > Settings > Update & Security.
• From there, go to Activation and select the “Go to Microsoft Store” option.
• After receiving your new license, you need to go back to Update & Security then go to Activation and select the “Change product key” option.
• Now update your Windows 10 computer using the new key and it should automatically activate your computer.
• Next, you have to create a Microsoft account or connect to your existing local account to your online account.
• Once the system links the key and the account, you need not buy a new license in case something like this happens again.

Note: If you are an IT administrator, you need to keep in mind that there is a limit to the number of times you can reactivate Windows on your computer. Moreover, if you don’t see any option to reactivate the license, and it is a work computer, you need to contact your organization’s tech support.

Option 3 – Try activating Windows 10 via mobile phone

Activating Windows 10 can also be done using your phone. Just note that you have to call Microsoft to do so.

• In the Start Search box, type in “Slui 4” and tap Enter.
• Next, select your country and click on Next.
• Keep the window open and call the toll-free number of the country you’re from.
• Afterward, a confirmation ID should be given by the automated system which you must take a note of.
• Finally, in the box on the window, type in the confirmation ID and click on the Activate button. That should do it.