Fix CompareExchange128 error

The feature that was originally planned for now scrapped Windows 10X is included in Windows 11. You will be able to customize your Virtual desktop with different wallpapers for each screen. In order to fully customize your virtual desktops with different wallpapers follow this easy step-by-step guide.

1. Click on the Task View button in the taskbar
2. When the Task View opens, select the desktop on which you want to set wallpaper
3. The view will switch to the selected desktop. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select personalize
4. In personalization settings, click on the background
5. Select wallpaper which you would like to have on the desktop by clicking on browse and navigating to the desired one
6. Close the settings
7. Repeat for each virtual desktop you would like to customize

One of the cool and interesting features in Windows is the Screensaver which allows users to display animation or change the wallpaper automatically when the computer is not being used. This feature can also time out and lock your computer when it remains idle for quite some time. However, if you notice that the screensaver of your computer turns on a lot earlier, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can change the timeout settings of the screensaver of your Windows 10 computer. Usually, the screensaver in Windows 10 is turned off by default, however, if some other user has turned it on or if you have turned it on, you can actually change the timeout settings of the screensaver using several methods. You can do it through the Personalization settings, Registry Editor, as well as the Group Policy Editor. Before you proceed with the instructions provided below, make sure that you create a System Restore point first. Once done, follow each one of the suggestions carefully to successfully change the Screensaver timeout settings in Windows 10.

Option 1 – Modify the timeout settings of Screensaver via Personalization settings

• Open the Start menu and type “screen saver” in the field.
• On the search results that appear, click on the “Change Screen Saver” option.
• From there, you have the option to change the screen saver type, preview, open settings, change the wait time, as well as choose to display lock screen on your resume.
• Now to change the timeout settings of your screensaver, you have to increase the wait time from 1 to 15 or anything that works for you.
• Once done, click OK and exit to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Try to change the screensaver time via Registry Editor

The next option you can try to change the timeout settings in the screensaver is using the Registry Editor. To get started, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows
• From there, right-click on Windows located in the right pane and select New > Key.
• Name the key as “Control Panel” and right-click on it and select New > Key and then name it as “Desktop”.
• Once done, click on the newly created Desktop key to highlight it.
• After that, right-click on any empty space in the right pane and select New > String Value and then type “ScreenSaveTimeOut” and hit Enter to save it.
• Now right-click on ScreenSaveTimeOut and select Modify and then set its value data in seconds.
• Click on OK and exit the Registry Editor to save the changes made.

Option 3 – Change Screensaver timeout settings via Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
• Then look for a policy setting named “Screen saver timeout” and double click on it and then click on the Enabled option to enable it.
• Add the screen timeout in seconds and click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes.
• Restart your computer.

Note: If you want to disable the screensaver feature in your computer, you can always do so by disabling a policy setting named “Enable Screen Saver”.

Windows and Devices chief Panos Panay has revealed new focus sessions feature that will be in Windows 11 on his Twitter account today. He himself is referring to it as a game-changer especially with Spotify integration.

So what is a focus session?

From the video clip provided on Twitter, we can see that focus session users will be able to choose a specific task from the previously made task list, choose songs that will play in the background while the task is active, and set a timer for the chosen task with breaks. Maybe the best comparison and explanation would be a desktop google calendar task with music, basically, that’s it. A neat and good organizer inside your Windows 11 operating system. I think that this is generally a good idea and for sure it will find its audience.

Code 34 - What is it?

Code 34 is one of the several Device Manager error codes. This error code indicates that a hardware device on your PC is not properly configured.

This usually occurs when the device installed on your system is a non-plug and play. Non-plug and play devices don’t configure automatically and require manual configuration from the users end.

Error code 34 is usually displayed in the following format:

“Windows cannot determine the settings for this device. Code 34”

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 34 may be triggered due to several reasons like:

• Improper device configuration
• Missing or outdated drivers

Device Manager error codes like code 34 are easy to fix. These error codes don’t indicate any serious PC problem, nor are they fatal like blue screen of death error codes.

Nonetheless fixing it immediately is advisable to ensure the proper functioning of the plugged-in hardware device. If you don’t resolve it, you may not be able to use the device.

Further Information and Manual Repair

When PC users experience error codes like code 34, they instantly think of hiring a professional for repair especially if they lack technical understanding.

If you are not a technical whiz and you are also thinking of hiring a professional for the repair job, then don’t! Here’s why, to begin with, Device Manager error codes can be resolved easily, better yet you can fix it by yourself without spending a dime even if you are not technically sound.

To help you, below is a list of easy and effective repair solutions for error code 34. Try them to resolve the issue.

Method 1 - Configure the Device by Using Device Manager

This is one of the best ways to resolve error code 34 on your system. The procedure will take 5 to 7 minutes. Simply follow the steps illustrated below to configure the problematic device on your PC.

1. First off, go to the start menu
2. Now type Device Manager in the search bar and press enter to continue
3. Now in the Device Manager locate the problematic device and click on it
4. Click on the resources tab to change the resource settings
5. Now click on the Use Automatic Settings check box
6. After that click on the Settings based on the tab and then click on the hardware configuration of the device you want to change
7. Press resource type in the resource settings box to make further changes
8. Once that is done, click change settings and type a new value for the resource type

Method 2 - Consult the Hardware Manufacturer for Resource Settings

You may not be able to configure resource settings for some devices in such an event it is advisable to consult your hardware manufacturer. Your hardware manufacturer can provide you with specific resource settings. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to repair error code 34.

If the error continues to persist even after device configuration, then the problem may be linked to driver corruption. In that case, try method 3.

Method 3 - Download DriverFIX to Update Drivers Automatically

Whether code 34 is caused by outdated or corrupted drivers, simply download DriverFIX to resolve. DriverFIX is an advanced and user-friendly software program deployed with an intelligent programming system.

The software scans your PC to detect all problematic drivers. It finds and matches the latest and compatible versions and then updates the drivers accordingly that too automatically and on a regular basis.

Click here to download DriverFIX to repair Device Manager error code 34 on your PC automatically.

Microsoft wants to escalate the situation from Australia to the EU, what a surprise. Hello all and welcome to another news article, this time we are focusing on Microsoft pushing the EU to accept law proposition from Australia. For all of you who are not familiar with the given situation let me quickly explain. The feud began when the Australian government proposed a new law that targeted Facebook and Google specifically. The government said that it believed that both of the tech giants were using content from news outlets without paying. Have you ever seen the little news snippets that Google or Facebook sometimes show its users to keep them up to date? These are lifted directly from news websites, and the Australian government claimed that this practice meant that people didn't bother visiting the news website. This then staved news websites of revenue. As such, the government put forward a new law that would mean Google and Facebook would have to pay the source website for every time they displayed a news snippet. Facebook responded by removing its Australian news coverage in light of the law. Google, however, put up a fight. It argued that its snippets encouraged people to click on it to read more, thus driving more traffic to the news website. It also said that such a law would be too expensive to maintain in the long run. As such, Google threatened to remove itself from Australia if the law passed. This was likely a scare tactic, as 95 percent of Australian web users use Google; however, it actually opened the door for its rival, Microsoft. Microsoft saw how it could push its own search engine BING to replace google. It of course went and reached the Australian government to assure them that BING is more than capable to fulfill its needs and fully abide by the proposed law. Now Microsoft knows that if this law passes it could see a similar situation happening in Europe and it is pushing it. US News reported on how Microsoft plans to encourage EU countries to adopt this new law too. The company has teamed up with the European Publishers Council and News Media Europe to make the following statement: Publishers might not have the economic strength to negotiate fair and balanced agreements with these gatekeeper tech companies, who might otherwise threaten to walk away from negotiations or exit markets entirely

You might have experienced a situation where your Windows computer was interrupted due to some battery issues or power failure. It could be that the upgrade process was interrupted because you’ve signed out of your computer or you restarted it by accident. In this case, you will most likely get a Windows Update or Upgrade error 0x80200056. If you are getting this error, read on as this post will guide you in fixing it. This kind of error pops up when the upgrade process was interrupted and could be caused by anything but the baseline here is that your computer was restarted accidentally or someone could have signed out your PC. To resolve the problem, here are some fixes you ought to try:

Option 1 – Try updating or upgrading your computer again

This is the basic thing to do since the process was suddenly interrupted. Just log in to your account and restart the Windows Update or Upgrade process but make sure that your internet connection is stable and that you don’t touch anything so as not to interrupt the upgrade/update process again.

Option 2 – Check if your PC is plugged in or if the battery is full

It is always best to update your computer always when you’re really sure that the power won’t fail. If you’re using a desktop computer, make sure that everything is plugged in. And if you’re using a laptop when this error occurred, make sure that its battery is at 100% but it’s better if you just plug it into power just in case as there are times when the Windows update or upgrade gets stuck for too long like for hours so it will really help if your device is connected to power.

Option 3 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows Update errors as well as the error 0x80200056. 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.

Option 4 – Delete the contents in the SoftwareDistribution folder

The Software Distribution folder in the Windows operating system is a folder that can be found in the Windows directory and is used to store files temporarily which might be required to install the Windows Update on your PC. Thus, it is required by the Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent. A lot of users tried deleting the files in this folder to fix the problem and so far it has worked. Like them, you can try clearing the Windows Update cache by simply deleting the contents of the folder named “SoftwareDistribution” since Windows apparently can’t clear and re-download the update contents once they are corrupted. Thus, deleting the contents of this folder will make Windows download the contents again which will fix the problem. To do that, follow the steps below.

• 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 stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• Next, got to the C:\Windows\Software\Distribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby 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.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update.

Option 5 – Try running the System File Checker scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be causing the error 0x80200056. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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

Option 6 – Run the Chkdsk utility to repair hard disk errors

You can also run the Chkdsk utility to resolve the Windows Update error 0x80200056. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the Chkdsk utility comes in. The Chkdsk utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter right after you type in each one of them and if you have installed Windows to some different directory, you must replace “C” with the name of the drive you’ve installed Windows with.
• chkdsk C: /r /x
• chkdsk C: /f

Option 7 – Run the DISM tool to repair the Windows Update client

The Windows update/upgrade error 0x80200056 might be caused by some issues in the Windows Update client so you need to run the DISM tool to repair it. Note that you have to use another computer or another Windows from a shared network to fix it.

Having a PC is a great thing, more often we are enjoying it than we have issues, but as time passes it seems that our computer is slowing more and more as new applications and games are coming which demand more powerful computers. Before you decide to throw away your computer and buy a new one because you feel it is a bit slow, read through this guide where we will guide you to common tips & trick to make your PC run faster:

1. Keep your PC clean and tidy

   Slowdowns and many other issues, even hardware failures can come from dirty PC. Make sure your PC is clean and tidy for maximum performance.

2. Optimize airflow through PC casing

   Airflow is very important so your GPU and CPU and overall all hardware components can be kept in optimal working temperatures. If any device inside the casing is working in abnormal temperatures you will experience slowdowns and freezing on daily basis. Make sure that all fans are working and that your temperatures are in the optimal range to prevent overheating and make sure to have maximum performance.

3. Check PC for malware

   Viruses, worms, and overall all malware can drastically reduce system performance. Make sure that your protection software is up to date with the latest definitions and that you have the latest Windows updates installed.

4. Create a Hi-Performance power plan

   Windows power plans can be a very useful feature, especially if you are working on laptop but in order to boost performance and drain maximum, you will need to switch to a hi-performance power plan.

5. Free space on the system drive

   Having little to no space on your Windows system drive can lead to extreme slowdowns, make sure that your hard drive is not on red when viewed from File explorer or you will experience even 50% poorer performance.

6. Choose startup applications

   If you have many applications starting up with your Windows and many of them running in the background you will experience performance issues. Each application that runs in the background is taking RAM and CPU time for themselves which could be free and used for the program that you need.

7. Do not open too many tabs in Browser

   Having too many tabs in Browser while working on a computer can also cause slowdowns, each tab is taking RAM for itself and even can cause Browser poor performance if a tab is LIVE and refreshing with new content all the time.

8. Remove browser extensions

   Speaking of browser, having too many installed extensions which are active as soon as the browser is up and running can also lead to poor performances. Remove all which you really do not need and your computer will gain in speed.

9. Make hardware upgrade

   Sometimes your system is just a little outdated, upgrading more RAM or switching to a new SSD with the greater speed can cause a world of difference in PC performance. Check to see how RAM is standard and upgrade accordingly, you can also upgrade the CPU and other bottlenecks in your system this way instead of completely buying a new PC.

10. Format and reinstall system

    Drives, application traces, registry entries, etc. are piling up in your system over time, and if enough time is given it will clog your computer. From time to time it is a good idea to backup files and do a completely clean full format of HD and install a new and fresh copy of Windows with new and clean copies of applications and drivers.

That's it, 10 tips on how to make your Windows and PC perform better and speed it up. I hope that you found the read informative and helpful and I hope that I will see you soon.

The Boot Configuration Data or BCD files have the instructions required by the Windows operating system in order to properly boot the computer. So if you experience any trouble when you boot your computer, then it is possible that it is due to some misconfiguration or even corrupted Boot Configuration Data files. And if you also encounter an error saying,

“The boot configuration data store could not be opened”

while you try to carry out any command on the bcedit.exe, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error in Windows 10. This kind of error could pop up if the system is not able to locate the specified file. It is also possible that the requested system device can’t be found or that the boot configuration data store could not be opened. In addition, when you open the System Configuration or MSConfig, you might notice that there is no Boot data, and according to the reports, is that when you try to dual boot the computer, the installer will replace the default bootloader.

Explanation

In case you don’t know, Windows’ earlier versions were stored in the “Boot.ini” file. You can find the entry in the EFI firmware boot manager of the EFI-based operating system which is located at EFIMicrosoftBootBootmgfw.efi. Whatever the cause of the error is, there are several suggestions you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to set an entry option value in BCD or enable the Advanced options menu, as well as rebuild the BCD. Before you proceed with the troubleshooting options provided below, make sure that you boot your computer into the Advanced Recovery Mode first since that’s where you can find Command Prompt under the Advanced Options. In addition, you also have to suspend or disable BitLocker and Secure Boot on your PC.

Option 1 – Try to set an entry option value in BCD

• Once you’re in the Advanced Options, select Command Prompt.
• Next, execute this command to set an entry point: bcdedit /set {current} Description "TheNameYouWant"
• After the command has been executed, it will enable the system to trust a version of Windows that is not trusted by default. This should fix the problem, if not, follow the next given options below.

Option 2 – Try to specify the BCD file

• In the elevated Command Prompt, execute this command: bcdedit /store c:BootBCD
• Once done, the command will give you a list of options and then execute this next command: bcdedit /store c:BootBCD /set bootmenupolicy legacy
• After that, restart your computer and select your Windows and then tap the F8 key right away.

Note: When you select the legacy option, the Advanced Options menu will be available during the computer boot up and then you can select into which operating system you can boot your computer into.

Option 3 – Try to rebuild the BCD files

The first thing you can do to resolve the issue is to Rebuild Boot Configuration Data or BCD files.

• You can start by booting into the installation environment for Windows 10 from an installation media.
• After that, click on Repair your computer and on the blue screen, select Troubleshoot and then select the Advanced options menu.
• From there, select Command Prompt and once you open it, enter each one of the commands given below by sequence.
  • bootrec /FixMbr
  • bootrec /FixBoot
  • bootrec /ScanOS
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
• Once you’re done executing the commands given above, type “exit” to close the Command Prompt window and then restart your computer and see if it fixed error code 0xc000014c.

EhRecvr.exe Error Code - What is it?

EhRecvr.exe is an executable file located in a subfolder of C:\Windows (usually C:\WINDOWS). An executable file is denoted by the filename extension .exe. You should only run executable files from the publisher you trust because .exe files are prone to errors. Executable files can potentially change your computer settings and harm your computer.  These files can easily get corrupted. Similarly, when the EhRecvr.exe fails to run on the computer and gets corrupt, you experience an EhRecvr.exe error on your system. This error code may pop up while playing games on the PC or using any other program. EhRecvr.exe error may be displayed in any one of the following formats:

• “ehRecvr.exe cannot be found."
• “There was a problem starting [path]ehRecvr.exe. The specified module could not be found."
• "Runtime Error. ehRecvr.exe pure virtual function call."
• "This program can't start because ehRecvr.exe is missing from your computer."
• "Unable to launch the software located at path: [path]ehRecvr.exe"
• "This application requires the file ehRecvr.exe, which was not found on this system."
• "ehRecvr.exe is missing."
• "Access Violation File [path]ehRecvr.exe"

Solution

Error Causes

There are plenty of reasons why this error may occur these include:

• EhRecvr.exe file is mistakenly deleted
• EhRecvr.exe file is corrupted and damaged
• Viral/Malware infection
• Bad registry entries
• Outdated drivers

Though this error code is not fatal but nonetheless it is advisable to fix it immediately because EhRecvr.exe error not just hampers your ability to run and access different programs on your system but it also triggers issues like viral infection and registry problems which if not resolved can put your big at greater risk like system failure, freeze, and crash.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the EhRecvr.exe error on your system, you don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars in repair. Here are the best and easy DIY methods that you can try to fix this error. To work around these methods you don’t need to be a technical whiz. Let’s get started:

Method 1 - Restore EhRecvr.exe from Recycle Bin

In the case of EhRecvr.exe file deletion, it is advisable to check the recycle bin. Search through the bin for the file. If you find it, then simply restore it, if not then if you have access to the internet, then download it from a trusted website.

Method 2 - Reinstall the Associated Software That Uses EhRecvr.exe File

If you receive this error when you want to use certain software on your PC, then try reinstalling that software again on your PC. This will be very helpful to obtain the EhRecvr.exe file that is not provided by Microsoft. To re-install, first, uninstall the program. Go to Add/Program in the control panel and find the program and then uninstall it. Once uninstalled, simply follow the same steps but this time round install the software. This will hopefully help resolve the EhRecvr.exe error code.

Method 3 - Update Drivers for Hardware Devices

Sometimes the error may pop up due to outdated drivers. If this is the cause then the best way to resolve the issue would be to update the driver. Use the wizard within the Device Manager to update the outdated drivers.

Method 4 - Scan for Viruses

Viruses and malware can disguise as executable files. These usually enter your PC through downloads from unreliable websites and phishing emails. In such an event, it is recommended to install a powerful antivirus. Scan your entire PC and remove all viruses to repair the issue.

Method  5 - Clean and Repair the Registry

Another method is to clean and repair the registry. If you don’t clean the registry regularly it may get accumulated with obsolete files and get corrupt. This may generate EhRecvr.exe error codes. To resolve, simply download Restoro. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer with a powerful registry cleaner. It scans for all registry errors, wipes out all the invalid entries and obsolete files and repairs corrupted DLL and .exe files in minutes. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the EhRecvr.exe error now!

As you already know, the Windows Sandbox is one of the new features in Windows 10. However, just like other new features, it also throws up errors and one of them is the error that states,

“Windows Sandbox failed to start, Error 0x80070057, The parameter is incorrect”.

This particular error in Windows Sandbox occurs due to its dependence on numerous components of Windows 10 that are related to Hyper-V and Virtualization mainly. To fix this error, there are several options you can check out. You can try to install any pending updates on your Windows 10 computer, as well as make sure that all the services related to Windows Sandbox are enabled.

Option 1 – Try to run the Windows Updates to install pending updates

The first thing you can do to resolve the “Windows Sandbox failed to start, Error 0x80070057” is to check Windows Updates in your computer and see if there are any pending Windows Updates you have to install. All you have to do is go to the Windows 10 Settings app and then go to the Windows Updates section and click on the “Check for updates” button to check if there are any pending updates that are needed to be installed. This could fix the Windows Sandbox error.

Option 2 – Ensure that all the supporting processes and services are running properly

If running Windows Sandbox as an administrator didn’t fix the error, you have to ensure that all related processes for Windows Sandbox are running properly. To do that, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• Next, from the list of services, look for the following services in the given order:
  • Network Virtualization Service
  • Virtual Disk
  • Hyper – V Virtual Machine
  • Hyper – V Host Computer Service
  • Container Manager Services
• After you find the aforementioned services, make sure to check if they are enabled or not and then restart each one of them.
• Once done, try to open the Windows Sandbox again and see if the error is fixed or not.