Chrome update failed error 3, 4, 7, 10, etc

Windows 11 has brought some bad reviews for its inability to change the taskbar location to the screen. Luckily we can still hide it if needed. In order to hide the taskbar from the screen follow these simple instructions:

1. Right-click the taskbar itself and select “Taskbar Settings” in the tiny menu that pops up or open Windows Settings and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar
2. Click on Taskbar Behaviors
3. Check the box next to Automatically hide the Taskbar
4. Close settings

As soon as you click on the box to hide the taskbar Windows 11 will apply your settings and hide the taskbar, you will get one line at the very bottom of the screen indicating that the taskbar is still present, just hidden. When you reach the bottom of your screen with the mouse it will pop up and be visible again, just like in all Windows so far.

On September 18th, 2017, Cisco’s Talos announced that CCleaner, a popular utility with billions of worldwide users, had been compromised by hackers, and was used to unwittingly distribute hidden malware in its installer. Later in the day, Piriform, the publisher of CCleaner, confirmed the problem.

Undetected by all but 1 major antivirus including CCleaner’s own parent company, this occurred for over a month and impacted over 2.7 million users. Users of CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 for 32-bit Windows are affected. These downloads were live on CCleaner’s official site from August 15th to September 12th, 2017. Anyone who downloaded the program during this time could be affected. The company claims that while the hackers set up the backdoor and many users were impacted, that the perpetrators have been arrested and that the malware never successfully performed its full task and compromised user’s PCs or sent out their data; in the wake of recent security breaches such as Equifax, users are understandably worried. Given the severity of the threat of hacking and data theft, users should take action immediately if they have CCleaner.

Technical Details of CCleaner Malware Injection

First reported by Talos, the malware, which was hidden in the CCleaner installer without the publisher noticing (despite them being owned by Avast, a massive Anti-virus company), modified a core program DLL file to evade detection, and creates several registry keys. Not only were these files not flagged by any major Anti-Virus, but they were also even digitally signed by Piriform via their Symantec certificate, meaning your PC and security program would likely whitelist and trust the malicious installer. The malware gathers personal information on a user’s PC, including IP address and running programs, and sends it to a remote server. In our testing, the program sent data to IP 216.126.225.148.

Restore Your PC (If Possible)

As of the publication of this article, there have been no assurances given that updating or even uninstalling CCleaner will remove the malware is installed. The only action thus far has been shutting down the remote server where user data was being sent has been shut down by authorities. For this reason, it is best to remove the underlying malware separately, as its presence represents a serious security threat. Unfortunately, as this could have been installed as far back as August 15th, 2017, your System Restore points may not go back that far, or even if they do, restoring to such an outdated point may cause unintended problems with other programs you use and potentially lost files and data. Manually backing up files and doing a full format or clean Windows installation would likely be successful in fully removing the malware, but is extremely time-consuming and can be difficult for many PC users. Unfortunately, this makes a PC Restore or format an unattainable option for many.

Update CCleaner to the Latest Version

While CCleaner has told users to update to the latest version of the program. Prior to doing so, we recommend fully uninstall CCleaner, ensuring you check its program files folders and registry keys, manually deleting any remnants, and then re-downloading the latest version from the official site and reinstalling clean.

There are times when you try to open a file, an executable file for instance, but were unable to do so since you encounter an error in an Open File – Security Warning dialog box that says, “This publisher has been blocked from running software on your machine, You must unblock this publisher to run this software”. This kind of error is most likely thrown by your operating system because it considers the file to be unsafe and could potentially harm your computer. However, if you’re certain that the file is harmless, read on as this post will walk you through fixing the error so you can open the file without getting an error. There are various options you can check out to fix the error. You may run the program using Command Prompt or unblock it using File Properties. You could also try turning off SmartScreen or use the unblock file command in Windows PowerShell.

Option 1 – Try running the program via Command Prompt

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Next, tap the Shift key and right-click on the program or the executable file, and then select the “Copy as path” option.
• After that, paste this path in the Command Prompt window and tap Enter to open the program.

Option 2 – Try to unblock the file using File Properties

• Right-click on the file you were trying to open and select Properties.
• Next, click the Unblock button and then click on the Apply and OK buttons.
• You should now be able to open or access the file without getting the error.

Option 3 – Turn off SmartScreen

The next thing you can do is to turn off SmartScreen temporarily. All you have to do is open the Windows Defender Security Center and from there, go to the App & browser control section. After that, click on the radio button for Off under Check apps and files. Once you’re done, try opening the file again. Don’t forget to enable the SmartScreen back on.

Option 4 – Try to use the Unblock-File command in PowerShell

You might also want to utilize the Unblock-File command in Windows PowerShell as it will unblock the file so you can open it. To execute this command, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + X keys and then click on Windows PowerShell.
• After opening PowerShell, type or copy and paste this command and tap Enter to execute it: Get-ChildItem -Path 'C:Users<username>Downloads' | Unblock-File
• The command you entered will unblock all the files in the Downloads folder, assuming that’s where the file you were trying to open is stored. If it’s not, then replace the path with the path where the file is located. Take note to also replace “<username>” with your Username.
• Now check if the file has been unblocked by accessing or opening it.

It is no secret that Fortnite is one of the most played games in the world. Epic has done a great job offering it to plenty of other platforms with cross-play feature meaning that you can play with your friends no matter on what platform they are on. But how Fortnite is a piece of software which is constantly updated and maintained it is pretty normal to have some bugs or issues from time to time. One of the before-mentioned issues is a connection issue or unable to connect to game servers. In our article, we will go through common fixes and solutions in order to get you back in-game as fast as possible. Keep on reading.

Check the Epic Games Status page

Check the Epic Games Server Status page to make sure all systems are operational. If the issue you’re experiencing is related to an outage or system-wide issue, you won’t be able to connect to the Epic Games Launcher or Fortnite until it's resolved.

Use a wired connection

Wireless connections are not as stable as wired connections. This means that the signal can be unreliable and result in packet loss, connection problems, or higher latency or ping. Connect directly to your modem or router with an Ethernet cable to eliminate this possibility and have the fastest connection possible.

Disable your firewalls

Often the quickest way to fix connection problems due to firewalls is to temporarily uninstall and/or disable it.

Windows Firewall disable guide:

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Click on System and Security.
4. Click on Windows Firewall.
5. Click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off (You might need to provide the Administrator password at this step)
6. Under each Network location, select the Turn off Windows Firewall option

Uninstall any other firewalls

Using a third-party firewall may prevent you from being able to connect to the Epic Games Launcher, Fortnite, or another Epic Games product. We recommend removing any third party firewalls temporarily to see if this resolves your issue. If it does resolve the problem, make sure to add the following executables as exceptions to your firewall:

Epic Games Launcher

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Engine\Binaries\Win64\EpicGamesLauncher.exe
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Engine\Binaries\Win32\EpicGamesLauncher.exe

Fortnite

• C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe
• C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping_BE.exe
• C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping_EAC.exe
• C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteLauncher.exe

Contact your firewall manufacturer for instructions on how to add these as exceptions to it as this varies between them.

Unblock your network ports

Network ports allow certain types of data to be successfully sent over a network that is used by our services. If you have any of these blocked, it may result in you being unable to connect to our games or use our services properly. To unblock your ports on your router do the following:

Windows

First, you will need to get your default gateway and internal IP address:

1. Click on Start.
2. Type cmd and press Enter.
3. Type ipconfig and press Enter.
4. Take note of your Default Gateway and IPv4.

Configuring your router to unblock the ports

1. Open your web browser.
2. Type your Default Gateway into the address bar and press Enter. (A common Default Gateway is 192.168.1.1)
3. You may be asked for a username and password. This varies for each router. Before entering anything, try just hitting OK. If that doesn't work, try the common default username and password below: Username: admin Password: password If these don't work, you can check this website for a list of usernames and passwords based on your router model.
4. Locate the Port Forwarding page in the administration tool and click on it.
5. Make sure you have Port Forwarding selected and not Port Triggering as this is completely different.
6. On this screen, you will need to enter the ports and port ranges below with the correct protocol and local IP of which you took note of above: 80 (TCP/UDP), 433 (TCP), 443 (TCP), 3478 (TCP/UDP), 3479 (TCP/UDP), 5060 (TCP/UDP), 5062 (TCP/UDP), 5222 (TCP), 6250 (TCP/UDP), and12000-65000 (TCP/UDP).

If you have any trouble doing the above on your router, make sure to check out the router manufacturer's support site for additional instructions as these will vary from router to router.

VPN and Proxy Servers

Do NOT use VPN or Proxy Servers. These cause issues that can't be resolved by us without having you disable them. Check out this article for information on how to disable your proxy server.

Switch Domain Name Systems (DNS)

Switching your DNS can result in better connectivity and performance for your internet connection. There are two different DNS services we recommend to have you try if you are having issues with your connection. Below are the followings links with instructions on how to change your DNS:

• GoogleDNS
• CloudflareDNS

Epic Games Launcher: Edit your Engine.ini file (Windows only)

Editing these settings can result in better download speeds using the Epic Games Launcher:

1. Click on Start.
2. Type %localappdata% and press Enter.
3. Open the EpicGamesLauncher
4. Open the Saved
5. Open the Config
6. Open the Windows
7. Open ini and add the following lines to it: [HTTP] HttpTimeout=10 HttpConnectionTimeout=10 HttpReceiveTimeout=10 HttpSendTimeout=10[Portal.BuildPatch] ChunkDownloads=3 ChunkRetries=20 RetryTime=0.5
8. Save the file and open the Epic Games Launcher.

Error Code 0x80072F8F - What is it?

Error Code 0x80072F8F manifests in one main way. It is known to appear as early as Windows 7, and mainly deals with an error that occurs in the update process, or when the computer is trying to connect to the online activation service. It can appear when the activation fails to verify the product key. The error code will present itself when the system realizes that the PC's date and time are incorrect. Error Code 0x80072F8F will also appear if the computer has determined that the time zone settings on the computer are not accurate.

When Windows is going through the installation process and is verifying all of the information associated with the computer, Error Code 0x80072F8F will arise, indicating that the information in the computer's settings is not valid. Correct times and dates are necessary when using serial validation keys to install Windows. When these settings are outside of the tolerated window, the problem will arise.

Error Causes

There is only one main symptom to look out for, and it will manifest during a Windows installation. In the midst of the installation, the computer will not be able to proceed with the installation if Error Code 0x80072F8F has popped up. Because the information cannot be verified, Windows will not be able to continue the installation process when the time settings are not accurate. This interrupts the process, causing the need to edit the settings, restart the computer, and try again. It is imperative to be sure that the date and time on the computer are inside of the tolerated window for the serial key.

• This error code will not give any information on how to correct it.
• Windows Error 0x80072F8F is displayed on the screen.
• The error code appears when typing the Windows serial key and proceeding.

Further Information and Manual Repair

When experiencing Error Code 0x80072F8F, the date and time need to be corrected in the computer settings menu, and then verify the correct time zone settings.  There are a few different ways to edit the time and date settings, and one may need to even edit the time zone settings. After this, restarting the computer may be needed. When booting into Windows, the validation code should be activated within 30 days of obtaining the serial number.

• Method One

Check the time and date settings.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Select Settings, then Time and Language, then Date and Time.
3. Check and make sure that the PC is operating at the correct time and date.

• Method Two

Ensure that the computer is connected to the internet.

1. Enter “network troubleshooter” into the search box located on the taskbar.
2. Select “Identify and Repair Network Problems”.
3. Follow the instructions that are given on-screen. This will fix any problems that the network is experiencing.

• Method Three

Review the timezone.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Select Settings, then Time and Language, then Date and Time.
3. Check to make sure that the correct timezone is selected from the drop-down menu.

• Method Four

Reboot the PC and check if that fixes the problem. This may help in the event that the network troubleshooter does not detect a problem.

After completing these steps to edit the time, date, and time zone settings, it may be necessary to restart the computer. This is to ensure that the computer will save and recognize the new settings. After restarting, continue the process as intended and enter the product key. The computer will now be able to verify the product key since the time and date will be recognizable. The Windows installation should proceed as normal and complete successfully when the time, date, and time zone are inside of the parameters for the Windows product key.

In short, if it is not, the computer will not be able to recognize the product key, thus will not be able to install the Windows product. Generally, the fix is quite simple and does not take much time at all, but it is very important.

What is Webguard?

Developed by Interesting Solutions, Webguard is a tool supposedly used for tracking those online who’ve developed a habit of tracking you. The application would provide logical analysis into a user’s website history, providing insight on what websites you’ve visited and also how persons are able to track your every move while browsing. While Webguard is unable to dispose of who specifically is tracking your computer usage, they’re able to determine what computer installed tracking codes or cookies on your computer system. In this case, it’s then left up to the user’s discretion to determine who they want to allow or block from tracking their online use.  Overall, this application allows the user some measure of freedom and control over their online experience. Like any other application, however, which has landed themselves a spot on Virus Total, Web guard has hidden agendas. At a distance, Webguard installs a service for Windows but later distributes advertisements. Technical details about Webguard include:

Product Version: 1.0.0.0 Original File Name: crss.exe Entry Point:  0x000C5AAE

Assessment of Webguard Potentially Unwanted Program

While Webguard claims to track your computer usage, information reported by the application isn’t sufficient for the common computer user. This brings us back to the ulterior motive or principal objective of developing Webguard – to advertise and generate revenue from clicks made by users on Ads displayed on Internet Browsers – namely Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Why should a computer user remove Webguard? Simply, it compromises one's Internet privacy and security and it keeps abreast of your Internet history. If you’re online for an extended period, you’ll see what Webguard does. While the publishers behind the application did not alert users to the use of web beacons, cookies for tracking, and other related tracking technology, that’s not why Webguard is considered unwanted. The program is potentially unwanted because of the unpredictable advertisements it displays. Not all sites are trusted and so it’s difficult to determine, in some cases, what websites are legit for business.

Remove Webguard with Spyhunter

In most cases, at least from what I’ve seen, Webguard is installed as a single application. After it was installed for this assessment, it could be found in ‘All Programs”. This meant that one could manually delete the application from their computer system (see manual steps below). However, is that really sufficient to completely rid your PC of Webguard’s blueprints? While you might opt to remove Webguard manually – maybe because it’s more economical – an automated process is able to completely eradicate hidden threats from Webguard. In comparison to manually removing Webguard, Spyhunter penetrates your computer system for all infections. In most cases, nasty threats are unable to be removed manually. Additionally, Spyhunter not only removes installed threats, but it detects incoming ones – hence, acting as a preventative tool. Furthermore, Spyhunter detects cookies placed on your computer by Webguard. These are all undetectable threats and so an automated tool, as Spyhunter, should be used to remove Spyhunter effectively from your computer.

Manual Steps for Removal of Webguard

I found this removal pretty simple. Depending on your Operating System, there will be slight discrepancies in the manual removal steps. Using the Windows 8 (8.1) OS on your computer:

• Step 1: Locate the CONTROL PANEL on your computer using the SEARCH option.
• Step 2: Once the search box appears , input 'CONTROL PANEL'.
• Step 3: The Control Panel option will then appear. From the menu, choose the "Programs" option.
• Step 4: Another menu will appear. Select "All Programs and Features".
• Step 5: From the 'Programs list', search for the Webguard application.
• Step 6: Right-click on Webguard when it's found.
• Step 7:  Choose the "Uninstall" option.
• Step 8:  Follow the uninstall wizard instructions until the Webguard application is fully removed.

To completely remove Bandoo from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter

As you know, both the Windows Update and Windows Store are inter-dependable services in Windows 10 operating system. So when one of these services encounters an error like the “0x80070424, ERROR_SERVICE_DOES_NOT_EXIST”, the other service will most likely get this error as well. Note that this kind of error can occur to both the Windows Update Standalone Installer and to the Windows Update section in the Windows 10 Settings app. Some users also reported getting this error while trying to update Windows Defender as well. You can see the following error message in the Windows Update Standalone Installer:

“Installer encountered an error: 0x80070424, The specified service does not exist as an installed service.”

While you’ll see the following error message in the Windows Store:

“The were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: (0x80070424).”

To fix this error, you can try to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file or run the Windows Update and Store apps troubleshooters. You can also reset the Windows Update-related folders or the Microsoft Store or fix the Windows Update files by using the DISM tool. On the other hand, you can also use the Registry Editor or check Windows Services. For more details regarding these potential fixes, refer to each one of the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file

You may have to re-register the Background Intelligent Transfer Service DLL file using the regsvr32.exe before you can successfully install the program and fix ntdll.dll file crash error. The Regsvr32 tool is a command-line utility that can be used to register and un-register OLE controls as DLL and ActiveX (OCX) controls in the Windows operating system. Follow the steps below to use it.

• Open Command Prompt as admin from the WinX menu.
• Next, type the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt and hit Enter to execute the command. This will re-register the affected DLL file using the Windows operating system tool, regsvr32.exe.
  • regsvr32 Qmgr.dll /s
  • regsvr32 Qmgrprxy.dll /s

Note: Replace “[DLL file]” with the name of the DLL file that was pointed out in the error.

• After you execute the given commands, you should see a message saying, “DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded” if the Regsvr32 tool was able to run successfully.
• Now restart your computer and check if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to run the Windows Store or the Windows Update Troubleshooters

The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the Error code 0x80070424. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app installation issues. So this is worth a try to solve the problem. This built-in tool also helps you fix the Windows 10 Store if it isn’t working. To use the Windows Store Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.

• Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
• Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
• On your right hand side, scroll down to find the Windows Store Apps and then click on Run the troubleshooter option and see if it fixes the problem.

Note: You can also try running the Windows Update troubleshooter to fix the error. You can run it under the Windows Update section of Update & Security.

Option 3 – Delete the files from Software Distribution Folder & Catroot2 folders

The downloaded Windows Updates are placed in a folder called “SoftwareDistribution”. The files downloaded in this folder are automatically deleted once the installation is completed. However, if the files are not clean up or if the installation is still pending, you can delete all the files in this folder after you pause the Windows Update service. For complete instructions, refer to these steps.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic and the MSI Installer
• Next, got to the C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files there by tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 4 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “wsreset.exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterwards, try opening Microsoft Store again and then see if Error Code 0x80070424 is resolved or not.

Option 5 – Try to check the Windows Update or WU setting in the Registry

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate
• Here, look for the DWORD named “DisableWindowsUpdateAccess” and double click on it and then set its value data to “0”.
• Exit the Registry Editor once you’re done and restart your computer.

Option 6 – Try to check the status of some Windows Update Services

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
• From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
  • Windows Update Service – Manual (Triggered)
  • Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
  • Workstation Service – Automatic
• After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above are set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.

Option 7 – Run the DISM tool

You can also run the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the error code 0x80070424. 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.
• Once it’s done, reboot your computer and check if it has fixed the error.

Windows has a lot of built-in tools that help you fix tons of system-related issues. One of them is the System File Check which is the tool you can use to conveniently replace potentially corrupted or missing system files with good ones. But what happens when it does not work? Well, you’ve come to the right place as in this post, you will be guided on how you can replace a corrupted single Windows system file manually with a known good copy of the file if the System File Checker scan is not working. When you encounter this issue with the System File Checker, it will be unable to replace the corrupted system files and returns an error message instead. And so to fix and replace corrupted system files in your Windows 10 computer without the help of System File Checker, you can refer to the instructions provided below. Step 1: First, you need to open the log files listed below and identify which particular file has been corrupted:

• %userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt
• Log %WinDir%LogsCBSCBS.log

Step 2: You will see all the details on the given log files. Once you find out the name and the path of the file, you have to take ownership of this corrupted system file. Step 3: To take ownership of the corrupted file, you need to pull up Command Prompt by tapping Win + R keys on your keyboard and then type “cmd” and tap Enter. Step 4: After opening Command Prompt, type and enter the command below to execute it:

takeown /f FileNameAndPath

Note: In the given command, “FileNameAndPath” represents the name and the path of the corrupted file. For instance, the corrupted file is named “wuapi.dll”, then you need to type “takeown /f C:/Windows/System32/wuapi.dll” Step 5: Next, you need to grant administrators full access & control to the corrupted file and you can do that via Command Prompt again. Step 6: In the elevated Command Prompt, type and enter the following command to execute it:

icacls FileNameAndPath /GRANT ADMINISTRATORS:F

Note: We’re going to use the wuapi.dll again as an example. So the command should be like this: icacls “C:/Windows/System32/wuapi.dll /grant administrators: F”. Step 7: Now all that’s left to do is replace the corrupted system file with a good copy from a trusted source. Once you have a copy, open an elevated Command Prompt again and execute the following command:

copy NewFileLocation FileNameAndPath

Note: In the command given above, the “NewFileLocation” is the location where you have saved the copy of the file. For instance, if you’ve saved it on your desktop, this is how it should look: “copy C:/Users/<username>/Desktop/wuapi.dll C:/windows/system32/wuapi.dll”

The latest Windows 11 update has brought with it not so popular widget from Windows 10, the weather widget that will reside into the taskbar and constantly show stuff like temperature, weather conditions, etc. The weather widget is not a bad thing but most users found it a little annoying and turned it off in Windows 10. If you wonder how can you do the same but this time inside Windows 11 please keep reading. The first step is to right-click  anywhere on the taskbar (in empty space) and choose Taskbar settings Once the taskbar settings are opened, find Widgets and click on the switch on the far right to turn it off, immediately no more information will be shown on the taskbar and it will be free again. And that is all there is to it.

Location services is a built-in tool in Windows 10 is a useful tool that offers users location information even when your laptop or desktop computer does not have a GPS since it uses Wi-Fi positioning as well as your device’s IP address. However, there are instances when you might encounter some problems when using this service. One instance is when you suddenly find the toggle button for Location service greyed out. This kind of program could be due to some glitch in the system or some third-party application on your computer. Because of this problem, you won’t be able to toggle the Location service on or off and you won’t be able to make any changes in its settings. Worry not, for this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the greyed-out toggle button of Location services in Windows 10. Before you perform some troubleshooting steps, you might want to restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem. If it didn’t, then this problem is not just some minor glitch. Thus, you have to follow the potential fixes provided below to fix the problem but before you do that, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. After that, follow each one of the following options.

Option 1 – Put your PC in a Clean Boot State

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. It could be that there is a third-party program that’s preventing the toggle button from functioning. To isolate this possibility, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State.

• 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 check if you can now use the toggle button of the Location service or not.

Option 2 – Try to use the Registry Editor

If putting your computer in a Clean Boot state didn’t fix the problem, you might want to make some adjustments in the Windows Registry via Registry Editor.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServiceslfsvcTriggerInfo
• From there, select the Key (folder) named as “3” and right-click on it, and then delete it.
• Once done, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to use the Windows Services Manager

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
• Next, look for the “Geolocation Service” entry from the list of services.
• Once you find it, right-click on it and select Properties. This will open a new mini window.
• From there, make sure that it is “Running” and its Startup Type is set to “Automatic”.
• After that, close the Services Manager and check if the problem is now resolved.

Option 4 – Try to use the Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
• After that, navigate to this path: Administrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsLocation and Sensors
• Next, double click on each one of the following settings and select the “Not configured” or “Disabled” option.
  • Turn off location scripting
  • Turn off location
  • Turn off sensors

• Once done, navigate to this path: Administrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsLocation and SensorsWindows Location Provider
• From there, double click on the “Turn off Windows Location Provider” policy setting and set its configuration to either “Disabled” or “Not configured”. You should see the following description of the policy setting in the window:

“This policy setting turns off the Windows Location Provider feature for this computer. If you enable this policy setting, the Windows Location Provider feature will be turned off, and all programs on this computer will not be able to use the Windows Location Provider feature. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, all programs on this computer can use the Windows Location Provider feature.”

• Now restart your computer.