Can’t pair Bluetooth keyboard, Check the PIN

One of the biggest annoyances in Windows 10 is that it’s upgrading from one version to another. Although these upgrades are necessary to fix some bugs or improve user experience, some of them actually bring bugs into the computers instead. And in one of the recent Windows 10 updates, a lot of issues were found especially for users who use Remote Desktop on a daily basis. The error stacks up as Windows 10 Remote Desktop Protocol client is not working or won’t connect and can’t find the computer HOSTNAME generally. Based on the reports by users who experienced this issue, there are two cases around it:

1. Users who try to reach a specific website or folder on the network

Some users encounter this error when they try to run the Network Troubleshooter. Even when they add the server name inside it, it still won’t identify the problem, and unpredictably, the driver seems to appear and disappear every now and then. And even after connecting, the network commands don’t work at all. This is really troublesome for users who have lots of PCs and all the other systems do not appear on the network.

2. Remote Desktop isn’t able to find the computer HOSTNAME

Some other users reported that the error appeared when they use the classic remote desktop software. It keeps on failing and throwing the error message, “Remote Desktop can’t find the computer “HOSTNAME”. If this is the same scenario you are having, it means that “HOSTNAME” does not belong to the specified network. So you need to verify the computer name and domain where you are trying to connect to. There are times when it used to work after some users tried connecting to the domain a couple of times. However, when users try to use the UWP version of Remote Desktop, it seems to connect most of the time. This kind of problem is definitely a DNS issue. It could be that there are two different records on the DNS server which is why it connects and other times it doesn’t. When it is able to resolve the correct address, the drives connect to the PC however, after a couple of minutes, they will suddenly go missing. Using “nslookup” for the hostname, multiple times, you can check this and see if you’ll get identical results all the time.

nslookup [–SubCommand …] [{ComputerToFind| [–Server]}]

If you’ve determined that the drives disappear each time, you may have to change the DNS server or ask your admin to resolve the problem for you. Alternatively, you can also check out another option that has worked for a lot of users. This second option is disabling the IPv6 on the network adapter. In case you don’t know, Windows 10 prefers IPv6 over IPv4 so if you now have issues using IPv6 to connect to the servers, you can change your computer’s settings so that it’ll only use IPv4 instead of IPv6. To do so, follow these instructions:

• Open Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet > Change Adapter options.
• From there, right-click on the adapter for where you want to disable it and then select Properties.
• Next, look for the checkbox labeled, “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” then uncheck it.
• Now click on OK and restart your PC to save the changes made.

Privacy is a hot topic lately in all circles so naturally themes like private or incognito browsing pop up immediately as discussion topics. Naturally, when discussing private or incognito browsing it is very important to understand what exactly private or incognito browsing is, what does it do and how it works in order to shed some light on is it really private and safe as we are told. So, when you browse the internet normally websites have tendencies to save your browsing data, save cookies, remember passwords, etc in order to provide you with a better surfing experience next time you visit that same site. Private or incognito browsing treats you as a completely new user which is the first time visiting a given website. It clears all your data, including your browsing history, cookies, etc., on exiting. Every website you visit in private or incognito mode treats you as a new visitor, even if you have visited it before in incognito mode. And basically, that's it. So is it really private? No, it is just a non-remembering mode of internet browsing where after your browsing session history and other data is cleared from the browser, but while you are on the internet you are pretty visible to all like any other normal user. There are a lot of misconceptions and wrong thinking about browsing the internet in this mode so let's take a look at some typical ones.

1. The government and other companies can not track me

   Many people think that the Government cannot trace their identity when they surf privately. This is only a myth. There are many ways by which the Government can reach you if you do something illegal. When you surf online, you are connected with an ISP of your area, which helps the officials track your location.

2. Virus and other malware can not infect me while in private or incognito mode

   Many people think that private mode protects them from virus and malware attacks. It is not true because malware and viruses can enter your PC through a software download, phishing email, etc. To protect your PC from virus and malware attacks, you should have good security software.

3. My IP address is hidden when I am in incognito or private browsing mode

   This is not 100% true. If you search “What is my IP” in incognito and standard mode, you will get the same results. This means that websites can view your IP address in private mode also. Using a VPN would be a good option if you want to hide your IP.

4. I can not be tracked via ads

   Since cookies are deleted after exiting private browsing, many people think that ads cannot track them. When you surf in incognito mode, the browser saves cookies in a temporary mode, allowing ads to track you during your entire private browsing session.

5. I am not visible when I am in incognito or private

   You may think if you sign in to your Gmail or other social media accounts in private mode, no one will see you online. This is not true. It does not matter whether you have signed into your account in normal mode or incognito mode; others can always spot you online.

In your regular browsing mode, you may have some addons, extensions, themes, etc installed and you can use them. They may track your activities. The data is deleted when you exit the browser. When you use the private browsing mode, the browser is loaded in its original form, typically without the installed addons, extension, themes, etc. The data gets deleted when you exit the browser. This mode doesn’t save data to disk but keeps it in memory during the current session. If you are really concerned about your privacy we have articles about using DuckDuckGo and deep web where you can be sure that your browsing sessions are encrypted.

If you are using UEFI and you encountered an error message that says, “Selected boot image did not authenticate”, then read on as this post will show you what to do it fix it. This kind of error indicates that UEFI is having an issue in figuring out if the boot image has tampered with. UEFI offers Secure Boot and if the boot image seems to be invalid, you won’t be allowed to boot into your computer. Aside from that, it could be that you may be using endpoint encryption and the software can’t validate the certificate. To fix the “Selected boot image did not authenticate” error in UEFI, you need to first check if the error has given any reference to any software that you might have for encryption. If it has, then you need to disable the Encryption tool to resolve the problem. In addition, you could also try to disable Secure Boot or perform Startup Repair in case the disabling Encryption tool didn’t work. For more details, make sure to use each one of the options provided below as a reference.

Option 1 – Try to disable the Encryption tool

The first thing you can do to fix the “Selected boot image did not authenticate” error is to disable the Encryption tool. Many users reported that some encryption tools like the ESET Endpoint Encryption won’t let them boot into the computer if the system manufacturer does not include the correct certifications as a part of the UEFI BIOS. And since there is no way to bypass this, you have to disable Secure Boot in order for you to boot into your computer.

Option 2 – Disable the Secure Boot in the BIOS

Disabling the Secure Boot in the BIOS settings is definitely recommended to resolve the error. To disable Secure Boot, here’s what you have to do:

• First, boot your computer into Windows 10.
• Next, go to Settings > Windows Update. From there, check if there is anything that you have to download and install if you see any available updates. Usually, OEMs send and update the list of trusted hardware, drivers, and operating systems for your computer.
• After that, go to the BIOS of your computer.
• Then go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options. If you click on Restart Now, it will restart your computer and give you all the advanced options.
• Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options. As you can see, this screen offers you further options including System restore, Startup repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Select the UEFI Firmware Settings which will take you to the BIOS.
• From there, go to the Security > Boot > Authentication tab where you should see Secure Boot. Note that every OEM has its own way of implementing the options so it varies.
• Next, set Secure Boot to Disabled and set Legacy Support to On or Enabled.
• Save the changes made and exit. Afterward, your computer will reboot.

Option 3 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility

If disabling Secure Boot did not fix the problem, you might also want to run the Automatic Repair utility in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.

• You can start by booting into the Advanced Recovery Mode.
• After that, select Troubleshoot > Startup Repair.
• Next, follow the on-screen instructions that appear on the screen and finish the Automatic Repair process.
• Now check if the block is gone once the reboot is completed.

What is Active History? A new feature has been introduced in Windows 10 that allows users to stay connected to their tasks across their devices. This new feature is called “Windows Timeline” and using this feature, users could continue their tasks all over their Windows 10 computers as well as on devices that run Android and iOS as well. This new feature was included in Microsoft Launcher and Microsoft Edge on Android devices as well as in Microsoft Edge for iOS devices. In order for the feature to work, you have to send either Basic or Full data and diagnostics of your computer to Microsoft which would sync it all over your devices with the help of the cloud. And now since all your data is stored on your Windows 10 computer and with Microsoft under your account, it is easier for you to access the back and start where you left off. This kind of option is called Active History. In this post, you will be guided on how you can permanently disable Active History using either the Windows Registry or Group Policy. Before you go on further, it is recommended that you create a System Restore Point first in case anything goes wrong. This is a precautionary measure you must take so that you can easily undo the changes you’ve made. After creating a System Restore Point, proceed to the given instructions below.

Option 1 – Disable Active History via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type in “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem
• From there, check if you can find a DWORD named “PublishUserActivities”. If you can’t find this DWORD, just create one with the same name and make sure that the base is selected to Hexadecimal.
• After that, double-click on the DWORD and change its value from 1 to 0 to disable Active History.
• Restart your computer to apply the changes you’ve made successfully.

Option 2 – Disable Active History via Group Policy Editor

Note that this second option won’t work if you are using the Home edition of Windows 10. This is because the Group Policy Editor does not come with Windows 10 Home. So if you are not using Windows 10 Home, follow the given steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run box.
• Then type in “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to this path: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemOS Policies
• After that, double click on the configuration listing named “Allow publishing of User Activities” to open the configuration page which has the following description:

“This policy setting determines whether User Activities can be published. If you enable this policy setting, activities of type User Activity are allowed to be published. If you disable this policy setting, activities of type User Activity are not allowed to be published. Policy change takes effect immediately.”

• Now you have to select Disabled or Not Configured if you want to disable Publishing of User Activities or Enabled to Enable Publishing of User Activities depending on your preferences.
• Next, click OK and exit the Group Policy Editor and then restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Default Taskbar inside Windows 11 is pretty good if we are talking about its height. Sitting at 48 pixels it is a pretty decent size considering functionality and size ratio but if you want to make it a little larger or smaller know that you can do that as well in order to customize it for your personal needs. Sadly in order to actually change height size, you will have to do it inside the registry editor, but worry not, we are here with you to guide you all the way, one step at a time. Also, note that you can only change Taskbar from normal size of 48px to either small of 32px or large gapping at 72px. Icons will also be scaled proportionally with the taskbar.

Guide

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
2. Inside run dialog type in RegEdit and press ENTER
3. In registry editor locate and find HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. Right Click on it to select it and create a new DWORD (32-bit) value
5. Name the value TaskbarSi
6. Inside TaskbarSi double click in order to set the value to 0 if you want a small size Taskbar, 1 is if you want to revert back to medium (standard one), or type in 2 if you want a large Taskbar.
7. Save and close the Registry editor
8. Reboot PC

And there you go, you have successfully changed Taskbar size inside Windows 11. If you want to revert back to standard size just repeat steps and place 1 as a value in point 6.

Installing Windows updates, installing a new driver from the manufacturer, or even just installing an application or game can cause sometimes certain components of your computer to stop working properly or introduce issues that were not present just before mentioned installation. Luckily for all of us, Microsoft seems aware of this potential issue and we have the option to roll back an older driver which performed well and had no issues at all. In order to do this first press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden start menu and click on Device Manager. From the Device Manager choose the troublesome device and right-click on it, choose properties. Device properties floating Window will appear. Click on the top tab which says, Driver. From the Driver tab, click on Roll Back Driver. Note that if the device is working properly, the Roll Back Driver button will be greyed out and you will not be able to click on it meaning that chosen device is not the issue. If the device is not working properly and you can click on Roll Back driver, do it, choose the previous version, and reboot your computer. You can use this method to get back to the previous driver version for any device that is causing issues in your computer.

What is Error 0xe0434f4d?

Error 0xe0434f4d displays when a remote computer runs an instance of the SQL Server 2005 but it fails to initialize. When the plan is started, this error displays in a status window on the SQL Server. Also, when the Update-OffilineAddressBook cmdlet is started in Microsoft Exchange Server, this error can occur.

Solution

Error Causes

Error 0xe0434f4d can occur for possibly two main reasons. The first one is when the System Attendant Service is not properly running, and the second when you don’t have the permission to run the update. Other causes are when the .NET Framework 2.0 security does not allow sqlplanlaunch access to run from a shared network. Another cause is when the Offline Address Book (OAB) is not found in the Configuration Domain Controller server that the server of OAB generation uses.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In case you didn’t know, the Offline Address Book generation server is a mailbox server, and in order to resolve error 0xe0434f4d, you will have to replicate the OAB object to the Configuration Domain Controller server. In order to do so, follow steps:

• Go to start and click on All Programs, then go and click on Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. Click on Exchange Management Console
• In Exchange Management Console, go to Server Configuration and click on Mailbox
• In the details, go to mailbox server that generates Offline Address Book and right-click it, then go to Properties
• In the Properties, click on System Setting and locate the domain controller name in the box that reads Domain controller servers being used by Exchange

Make sure the OAB object is reproduced in the Configuration Domain Controller Server. Follow these steps to do that:

• Go to Start and click on Run. Type Adsiedit.msc in Open box and press Enter. Right-click on ADSI Edit and click on Connect to
• Locate a list reading Select a well-known naming context, and from there select Default naming context. In a Select or type a domain or server window, type FQDN (fully qualified domain name) of the Configuration Domain Controller server which was determined in step 1, and click OK
• Expand Configuration [dc.domain.com], expand CN=Configuration, DC=domain, DC=com, expand CN=Services, expand CN=First Organization, and expand CN=Address Lists Container
• Click on CN=Offline Address Lists and make sure the OAB object is listed on the details pane

When the OAB generation server receives this, then it will connect to the Configuration Domain Controller server and will locate the OAB object. If the OAB generation server is unable to find the OAB object, then the error will return on the cmdlet. On SQL Server, you should change the .NET permissions to allow sqlplanlaunch application access to run from shared administration. For that, follow these steps:

• On ArchiveIQ Server, open System from the Control Panel and note down the computer name
• On SQL Server, log in as administrator and open the command prompt
• On the command prompt type, ‘C:windowsmicrosoft.netframeworkv2.0.50727caspol.ece –m –ag l – url file:\[Archive IQServer Computer Name]AlQRemote$*FullTrust and Press Enter. Type yes and press Enter again to confirm the permission changes.

If you have a USB that has stopped working and does not show any signs of life do not throw it away just jet. Hello and welcome to another great tutorial on errortools.com, today we will explore how to bring back to life dead USB memories.

Detect a Corrupted  Drive:

If your computer is still able to detect your USB drive, you might want to know if it’s been corrupted. Select the Properties of the drive folder and check the device status. If it says This device is working properly this USB drive is worth saving. There’s no need to worry if you can’t see the USB drive folder.

Erase the USB Drive with Diskpart Tool

Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X top open start menu and choose Command prompt (admin) Type diskpart and press ENTER Type in list disk and press ENTER Locate your USB drive by size and type in select disk#, where # is the number of removable disks.

Reallocate the USB Drive Volume

Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in diskmgmt.msc Select the USB drive and Right-click on it and select create simple volume. It will lead to a new simple volume wizard window. Once you click next, you can specify the volume size for the pen drive. Select the maximum volume, which is shown as a default unit in MB. As soon as you see the next step, select assign drive letter which will help you view your pen drive once again. Format the partition in the next step. This may be just an extra step because you have already wiped the data clean. But it is always better to be sure. Click Finish to complete the new simple volume wizard which will now be allocated to the USB drive. After you reallocate the unallocated USB drive space, you will be able to view the USB drive storage once again.

SmartScreen is a cloud-based anti-phishing and anti-malware component that’s come packed in all Windows 8 (8.1) and Windows 10 versions. This security component is also used in several browsers and programs like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Outlook.com. Although this program is quite useful, there’ve been reports that SmartScreen is apparently blocking Microsoft’s own apps from opening. According to some users, they only get the “Windows SmartScreen can’t be reached right now” error message every time they try to open apps from the built-in Windows suite like Photos, Mail, Alarms, Maps, etc. Whenever Windows SmartScreen is either down or unreachable on an end-user PC, your computer won’t be able to download anything in both official and unofficial channels. This error might be due to a corrupted Windows account, or it could be that SmartScreen is disabled from the Windows Defender Security Center or it might be down due to an MS issue. In addition, the error might also be caused by a proxy entry.

Option 1 – Make sure that SmartScreen is enabled

Before anything else, the first thing you must do is to check if SmartScreen is even enabled as it might be the reason why you’re getting the error. You can verify this by simply going to the Windows Defender Security Center. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “ms-settings:windowsdefender” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• After that, click on the Open Windows Defender Security Center button located under Windows Security.
• Then click on App & browser control.
• From there, make sure that the Check apps and files toggle is set to Warn and then check the same thing for Microsoft Edge and SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps.
• If it turns out that SmartScreen is indeed disabled, you have to restart your computer after making some changes and then check if the issue is fixed upon the next startup.

Option 2 – Check if SmartScreen is down for maintenance

Another possible reason why SmartScreen is not working is that it might be scheduled for maintenance. When SmartScreen is scheduled for maintenance, it will become unreachable for a lot of users at the same time and so before you go over unnecessary troubleshooting steps, you need to verify if SmartScreen is down for maintenance or not.

Option 3 – Try to disable the proxy server

If applicable, you can try to disable the proxy server to fix SmartScreen. There are some users who reported that they’ve fixed the problem after they’ve disabled the use of a proxy server using the built-in way. In some instances, certain proxy servers can interfere with the SmartScreen component and cause it to become unusable. However, if you are not using a proxy server, just skip this option and proceed to the next one, otherwise, follow the steps below to disable the proxy server.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “ms-settings:network-proxy” in the field and hit Enter to open the Proxy tab under Settings.
• After that, scroll down to the Manual proxy setup and make sure that the toggle button of the “Use a proxy server” option is turned off.
• Now restart your PC and check if the problem is fixed upon the next startup.

Option 4 – Try to create a new Windows user account

There are some users who were able to fix the problem by simply creating a new Windows user account. Although this solution will make you lose a couple of settings enforced through your user account, it’s actually effective in circumventing the “Windows SmartScreen can’t be reached right now” error. To create a new Windows user account, here’s what you have to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• And then type “ms-settings:otherusers” in the field and hit Enter to open the Family & other people tab under the Accounts menu.
• After that, click on the “Add someone else to this PC” option and then click on “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
• Next, insert the user credentials like emails, password, birth date, etc., and then click Next. Take note that if you want to create a new local user account, just click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
• After you’re done creating the new Windows user account, click the start icon and then click the account icon and choose to Sign out.
• After you’re logged in, check if SmartScreen now works properly or not.

Spying via some malicious app on the target phone is not a new thing but it can be very uncomfortable and even against the law in some countries.

Infecting the target phone can be done in various ways, another person can intentionally download and install applications on it, and you can install them via some phishing attacks or by an online scam. Once installed this piece of software presents a very serious invasion of privacy since it can track text messages, track phone location in real-time, record calls in real-time, eavesdrop on calls, take control of the camera and microphone, and many other applications.

Here are some common symptoms of mobile phones infected with spyware.

Symptoms of spyware

Random reboots
Slow performance
Strange text messages
Overheating
Unusual high data usage
Non-familiar apps in the app list
The fast drain of the battery
Long shutdown time
Strange interference and sounds during calls
Signs of activity during standby mode

If your phone exhibits any of these symptoms you might have a spyware app installed and running on it.

Common spy apps

There are many apps that have been designed to spy on people that can be downloaded in the app store or on Google Play today. Most of these spyware apps are aimed at parents wanting to keep an eye on and protect their children. However, these can be used by anyone in order to spy on a target person via their phone.

Below is a list of common apps that can be used to spy on you. Many spyware apps require a phone to be ‘jailbroken’ or ‘rooted’ before being installed, this is when the phone’s operating system is changed to allow the phone to become unlocked and customizable.

mSpy : An undetectable spying app for iOS devices. It can be used to read your chats, see your location, view your email, check your call history, record your keystrokes, and more.

Spyera : This app requires rooted and jail-broken iPhones to work. It can go undetected and monitors phone calls and your call history. It even allows call recording and eavesdropping on live calls.

Flexispy : Flexispy prides itself as the #1 phone monitor for parents and can monitor everything from calls to social texts.

Umobix : This powerful spyware app has a dashboard that allows users to easily monitor someone’s location, calls, texts, keystrokes, all major social media, and more. You can detect Umobix because it heats up the infected phone and greatly affects the battery life of the infected device.

Ikey Monitor : Although it requires the device to be rooted for Android or jailbroken for iPhones, this spy app captures keystrokes, passwords, and screenshots, allows for call recording and supports multiple languages.

Clevguard : Available for both iOS and Android, Clevguard allows users to track GPS and Wi-Fi locations, capture screenshots remotely, and more. Due to a recent update, the spy app drains the target phone’s battery significantly.

Remove spyware from your phone

If any of the beforementioned apps are present on your phone you need to remove them right away.

Go to your phone settings and remove the malicious applications, then download some protection suite and scan the whole phone for any other trace of software remains or other malware apps.