Fix ERR TUNNEL CONNECTION FAILED error

If you got an Activation Error 0xC004F211 after having installed or upgraded your Windows 10 PC, then this indicates that some hardware in your computer has changed which’s causing the error to pop up. Windows might not be able to determine if the key is used on a new computer or if it’s still the same one if you have just removed or upgraded old hardware. But worry not for this post will guide you in fixing the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211 on your Windows 10 computer. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“Cannot activate Windows 10. Try activating again later. If that doesn’t work, contact support. Error code: 0xC004F211.”

Note that although hardware changes cause this error, the minor ones don’t really cause any issues with activation, however, if you have made any significant hardware change such as replacing your motherboard, it will most likely cause the activation error. In such cases, the Windows Activation system will treat this as new hardware and you will need a new license for that. Even if your Windows 10 computer has a genuine key, it might still fail to get activated which results in the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211. Thus, before you do other troubleshooting steps, you need to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter first. To do so, follow these steps:

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

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

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

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

Error 501 - What is it?

Error 501 is an error code that sometimes may occur while you are using Internet Explorer on your Windows PC. The error message is displayed as:

'Error 501: Not implemented or not supported.'

Solution

Error Causes

It is difficult to narrow down the ultimate cause of error 501. This is because this error code can be triggered by multiple reasons such as:

• Third-party confliction or due to an incorrect HTTP 1.1 setting
• Improper program installation
• Changes in the “LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy” registry key
• Corrupted Registry Database

Further Information and Manual Repair

The occurrence of this error regardless of what the cause is may cause a lot of inconvenience to you. And if not fixed on the time it can lead to system failure too. To repair the error 501, identifying the cause for the error really helps. By identifying the cause, you can easily select the most suitable solution to fix it.

Let us walk you through the solutions to fix error 501 timely:

Cause: Third-party conflicts or due to an incorrect HTTP 1.1 setting

Solution: If the above cause is the reason for error 501, this means the Local Policy Rights Settings have been altered. And because of that, Windows is not running your desired program. To solve this error simply log on to Windows as an administrator. Then run local computer policy snap-in. Open it and click on the computer configuration. Here you will see the Windows settings option. Click on it and then open security settings, local policies, and click on properties. Now in the add users section select the user which you want to add to the policy and save by pressing OK. After you’ve made changes, now try using internet explorer again. If this is the cause for the error pop, the error will not occur. If it still occurs then this means there is some other underlying cause for the error. Read on to find out.

Cause: Improper Program Installation

Solution: Error 501 may also occur due to improper program installation. The best way to resolve it is to uninstall recently installed programs.

Cause: Changes in the “LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy” registry key

Solution: Sometimes during installation registry keys also get damaged or changed. If changes in the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy” registry key is the issue, then you need to alter the registry key ‘LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy settings and its value. This key inside the registry database allows Windows to control the various access options that you have. However, due to wrong settings, it denies access and shows error 501 when you open Internet Explorer. To alter registry key settings can be tricky and complex if you are not a computer programmer. In such as scenario it is advisable to download Restoro. This is a user-friendly and multi-functional repair tool embedded with a powerful register cleaner. In addition to this, it also functions as anti-virus and a system optimizer.

Restoro Solution

Restoro is simple and easy to use. To operate this tool on your PC and to reset registry settings you don’t need any technical expertise or sound knowledge. Its smooth navigation makes it easy for users to scan and repair errors like 501 due to registry misconfiguration in seconds.  With this helper, you don’t have to modify Windows registry settings manually. It will do it automatically. Furthermore, if Error 501 is triggered by a corrupted registry database, you can run it to repair this issue too. It cleans and wipes out all the unnecessary and obsolete files that could be corrupting your registry. This includes junk files, internet history, and invalid registry entries. It clears up your hard disk space and repairs your corrupted registry. If your PC’s registry is damaged due to malicious software like viruses and malware, then it uses advanced antivirus to remove them from your system. It has a value-adding backup feature that enables you to create a backup of your files for data safety and recovery in case of loss during repair. Restoro is compatible with all Windows versions.

Starting with Restoro

Here are 3 simple steps to get started:

1. Click here to download Restoro.
2. Once the installation is complete, run it to scan for errors
3. After scanning the errors, simply click repair to resolve the issues including the error code 501.

Along with fixing error code 501 triggered by registry damage, it also repairs all other PC-related issues. It helps maintain a stable and error-free system for the longest time.

As you know, Microsoft Store is the ultimate source of applications for Windows 10 devices and it’s turning to be the hub for various applications. In fact, aside from applications, it has also become a source for movies, books, TV and even buying hardware directly from Microsoft and many more. Although downloading goes smoothly most of the time, depending on your internet connection, there are also times when you might experience slow download speeds while downloading apps and other things in the Microsoft Store. There are several factors that could be causing this kind of issue. It can be due to the Microsoft Store app itself or it could be enforced speed limiter on the application or it could be due to a corrupted Microsoft Store cache, or it could be due to the Windows Update service running in the background, and so on. To fix this problem, you can try to reset the Microsoft Store cache, or set the bandwidth limit for downloads, or try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell. Before you proceed with the troubleshooting options provided below, make sure that your internet connection is stable enough to download apps and games. You also have to check if there is an update or a massive download in progress. Once you have these things covered, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – 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, “exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again and then try to install your app or update your computer again.

Option 2 – Try to set the bandwidth limit for downloads

• Tap the Win + I key combination to open the Windows Settings app.
• After that, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update.
• From there, select the Advanced options located on the right-side panel.
• Next, select Delivery Optimization and check the box for “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background under the Download settings section and then set the slider to 100%.

Option 3 – Try to re-register the Microsoft Store app via Windows PowerShell

• Tap the Win + X key combination or right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed and open the Windows PowerShell window.
• Next, type in or copy-paste the following command to re-register the Microsoft Store app and tap Enter:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRootWinStoreAppxManifest.xml

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

Faraday bag is a new take on security and privacy for people using a lot of electronic devices and credit cards. So what is exactly a Faraday bag?

Faraday bag explained

Faraday bag is designed in the same manner as the Faraday cage which was invented by Michael Faraday, who was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis.

The idea of the Faraday cage is that anything inside a cage that is made of specific grid size is completely isolated from outside current and magnetic fields since the cage itself will pick up everything upon itself. This means that for example, a human could be inside a cage that is struck by lightning and be perfectly safe and fine.

This idea led to the Faraday bag design, which takes this concept and places a wiring pattern inside clothing in order to isolate all magnetic fields from the outside so your devices and cards are completely cut off from any kind of influence and electromagnetic waves. If the pattern and quality of material for the bag are good, you have a fully safe placeholder for your stuff.

Advantages of Faraday bag

The main advantages, of course, are the privacy and safety of mobile phones and credit cards from outside influences and this is why this bag has been designed in the first place. If the bag is designed properly your phone would not be able to be hacked nor accessed from any outside source, GPS tracking will also be disabled and your phone location will not be visible. Credit cards will also be completely safe from any malicious attack via wi-fi signals.

Disadvantages of bag

Well, the disadvantage of using this bag is a very simple one, since your phone is isolated from outside influence that will also mean that you will not be able to take messages or calls on it while it is in the bag. Notifications from the internet would also be disabled so it is security vs usability deal.

DuckDuckGo has risen in the public eye as a private search engine offering searches without tracking. A less known fact about DuckDuckGo is that they have their own browser, well they have it for the Android platform and it was stated that it is coming for desktops soon.

People were excited for this new browser for a few reasons, one of them being privacy and another that it is built from scratch, not using existing chromium runtime that assured users that privacy is the main focus. Still, lately, things got a little out of control. Duckduckgo is under fire from users since a security researcher has discovered that there is an exception for Microsoft trackers inside Browser.

The main feature of their browser is that it blocks tracking scripts and most online advertising with the goal of preventing servers from collecting data about your online behavior. Of course, tracking protection is never 100% effective since it requires a lot of manual labor from people to add sites and links to blocklists but it was discovered that DuckDuckGo has a defined exception in the browser for Microsoft owned ad networks and tracking scripts giving them free pass even when they are related to privacy compromisation.

Zach Edwards first pointed out the exception in a series of tweets, after noticing DuckDuckGo on iPhone and Android wasn’t blocking LinkedIn and Bing advertisements on Facebook’s Workplace site.

You can capture data within the DuckDuckGo so-called private browser on a website like Facebook's https://t.co/u8W44qvsqF and you'll see that DDG does NOT stop data flows to Microsoft's Linkedin domains or their Bing advertising domains.

iOS + Android proof:
👀🫥😮‍💨🤡⛈️⚖️💸💸💸 pic.twitter.com/u3Q30KIs7e

— ℨ𝔞𝔠𝔥 𝔈𝔡𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 (@thezedwards) May 23, 2022

DuckDuckGo’s CEO and founder, Gabriel Weinberg, replied with his own series of tweets.

Most of our other protections also apply to MSFT-owned properties as well. This is just about non-DuckDuckGo and non-Microsoft sites, where our search syndication agreement prevents us from stopping Microsoft-owned scripts from loading, though we can still apply protections post-load (like 3rd party cookie blocking). We are also working to change that.

DuckDuckGo says it uses over 400 sources for search engine results, including the company’s own web crawler, but typical link results are sourced most commonly from Bing. According to Weinberg, DuckDuckGo’s ability to use Bing search results depends on a carved-out exception for Microsoft’s ads in the mobile browser. A representative from DuckDuckGo told that third-party cookies from Microsoft services are still blocked.

Of course, the main aim and campaign of DUckDuckGo's rise was private search and private browsing so this kind of news did not go well among long supporters. The latest statement from them is as follows:

We have always been extremely careful to never promise anonymity when browsing, because that frankly isn’t possible given how quickly trackers change how they work to evade protections and the tools we currently offer. When most other browsers on the market talk about tracking protection, they are usually referring to 3rd-party cookie protection and fingerprinting protection, and our browsers for iOS, Android, and our new Mac beta, impose these restrictions on third-party tracking scripts, including those from Microsoft.

What we’re talking about here is an above-and-beyond protection that most browsers don’t even attempt to do — that is, blocking third-party tracking scripts before they load on 3rd party websites. Because we’re doing this where we can, users are still getting significantly more privacy protection with DuckDuckGo than they would using Safari, Firefox and other browsers. This blog post we published gets into the real benefits users enjoy from this approach, like faster load times (46% average decrease) and less data transferred (34% average decrease). Our goal has always been to provide the most privacy we can in one download, by default without any complicated settings.

If your Windows 10 computer is having problems connecting to a wireless network and it takes too long to respond and only keeps on displaying the “Checking network requirements”, then you’ve come to the right place as this place will walk you through fixing the problem. There are two things that can happen when your computer connects to a wireless network. Windows can either connect to the wireless network successfully or return an error message that says, “Cannot connect to the network. However, if none of these things happened, and it only remains at the “Checking network requirements” message, then it could be due to obsolete or incompatible drivers in your computer, particularly the network adapter drivers. To fix this problem, you can try to update or reinstall these drivers, reset the TCP/IP, or run the Network Adapter troubleshooter, as well as reset the Network. For more information, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Update the Network Adapter drivers

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to update the Network Adapter drivers by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand them.
• Look for the Broadcom Network Adapter and right-click on it, as well as other network adapters that have an exclamation icon, and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the problem.

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

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

Option 2 – Try to reset the TCP/IP

As you know, the TCP/IP or the Internet Protocol is the most important thing if you want to use the internet on your computer. That’s why if it ends up getting corrupted, you need to reset the TCP/IP to fix the problem. To reset TCP/IP, refer to these steps:

• In the Windows start the search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results.
• Then select the “Run as administrator” option to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, execute this command: netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt
• Once it’s done, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer and then check if the error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Run the Network Adapter troubleshooter

To run the Network Troubleshooter, refer to these steps:

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

Option 4 – Try to perform Network Reset

You can also try to perform a Network Reset to resolve the problem. This will reset the entire network configuration including your IP address. To perform Network Reset, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• From there, go to the Network and Internet section.
• Next, scroll down and look for “Network Reset” under the status pane.
• After that, click on Network Reset and then on Reset now to start resetting the network configuration. Once done, check if it is able to fix the error or not.

What is Error 0x8007042c?

0x8007042c is a Windows Firewall error code. This error hampers your ability to turn on Windows Firewall on your PC. Firewall is a network security system. It establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another network (the internet) that is assumed unsecure. Error 0x8007042c is displayed in the following format: “0x8007042c” error message when you try to start Windows Firewall

Solution

Error Causes

Error 0x8007042c may pop up on your computer screen because of many reasons. These include:

• Firewall service is disabled
• Malware infection
• Registry corruption

Further Information and Manual Repair

The good news is that this error code is easy to resolve. To repair, you don’t to be technically sound or hire a professional for the job. Try our DIY methods illustrated below to fix the problem by yourself in a few minutes.

Method 1 - Start Firewall Manually

This method allows you to start Windows Firewall service manually and then make sure that it starts automatically in the future. This can be done by following these steps, first, go to the start menu and then type services in the search box. Right-click services and then click RUN as Administrator. Now scroll down until you see Windows Firewall. Then double click on it. After that, click the startup type box and then click Automatic. If ‘Service Status’ is stopped, then click Start. Now click ‘Apply’ and then press OK. Scroll until you see ‘Base Filtering Engine’, double click it. If again the ‘Service Status’ is stopped, click start. Press Apply and then OK to activate changes. Now restart Windows, Firewall will be enabled.

Method 2 - Remove Malware

If the error cause is a malware infection, use the Microsoft Safety Scanner to remove malware immediately from your PC. Download it from Microsoft’s official website, install, accept terms and then run it to perform a quick scan. The Microsoft Safety Scanner will scan and remove all malware infecting your PC. Once this is done, click Start and then type Windows Firewall in the Search box. Click Windows Firewall and the navigation pane of Control Panel; Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off. Click Turn on Windows Firewall for each network location and then press OK to activate changes.

Method 3 - Repair the Registry

Sometimes the underlying cause can be registry corruption. In such a situation, download Restoro. It is a PC Repair Tool deployed with a registry cleaner. It scans and removes all the bad entries and files infecting your PC, cleans and repairs the registry in a few minutes. Click here to download Restoro.

Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator. The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful. The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks. The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.

Other Windows 11 apps

A new snipping tool will be delivered with this latest update as well packed with new functionality. We have covered new features of the snipping tool in another article, if you are interested you can find the article here: https://errortools.com/windows/new-snipping-tool-redesigned-in-windows-11/ Mail and Calendar apps will also get a redesign, sadly all redesign that they will include will be of visual nature to fit in the overall Windows 11 theme, functionality will remain the same.

Windows users need to be on high alert. Microsoft has confirmed a critical vulnerability has been found in all versions of Windows which presents an immediate threat, and you need to act now. A critical new zero-day hack has been found which affects all Windows versions. Tracked as CVE-2021-34484, the “zero-day” flaw enables hackers to breach all versions of Windows (including Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022) and take control of your computer. Microsoft mistakenly thought it had patched the vulnerability (which was first found in August) when it was publicly disclosed in October. But the fix itself was found to be flawed, something the company admitted, and this drew even more attention to the vulnerability. Microsoft subsequently promised to “take appropriate action to keep customers protected” but two weeks later, a new fix has still not arrived. Luckily the third-party security specialist 0patch has beaten Microsoft to the punch with a ‘micropatch that it has now made available for all Windows users “Micropatches for this vulnerability will be free until Microsoft has issued an official fix," 0patch confirmed. You will need to register for a 0patch account and install its download agent before the fix can be applied, but with 0patch fast becoming a go-to destination for hot fixes which beat software companies to the punch this is a no brainer. Hopes will be high that Microsoft can release an effective patch sooner rather than later but, until then, all Windows users must act now if they want to be safe. Download 0patch here: https://blog.0patch.com/2021/11/micropatching-incompletely-patched.html

The win32kfull.sys file is one of the kernel-mode device drivers in your Windows 10 operating system. In case you don’t know, there are two kinds of device drivers – the first ones are the normal drivers that communicate between your hardware and the operating system while the second ones are the kernel-mode drivers. The latter is necessary for booting your OS. And there are times when you encounter the win32kfull.sys error while booting your PC. Here’s the full context of the win32kfull.sys error:

“SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (win32kbase.sys) APC_INDEX_MIXMATCH PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA”

This error could be caused by corrupted or outdated drivers with incomplete files or it could be caused by some driver or software installed on your computer. To fix this error, here are some troubleshooting options you need to check out.

Option 1 – Try updating all the Drivers

As pointed out, the win32kfull.sys error can be due to outdated or corrupted drivers that are not compatible with your hardware. These drivers include but are not limited to display, network, sound, hard drive, and more. If you are not able to access the internet, you can just manually download the update using another PC. To update your drivers, here’s what you need to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
• Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
• Restart your PC.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it. After that, you could also check if there’s a new update of the game you’re getting the issue of the black bar.

Option 2 – Identify and uninstall problematic programs by putting your PC in a Clean Boot State

One of the main causes of BSOD errors like win32kfull.sys is a problematic program that could clash with your existing operating system as well as computer architecture. There are tons of programs that are either incompatible or conflict with the existing drivers or software in your system. To identify such programs, you need to put your PC in a Clean Boot state. How? Follow these steps:

• 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” checkbox 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” checkbox.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)

After putting your PC in a Clean Boot State, try creating a system restore point and see if the problem still occurs. Clean Boot troubleshooting is designed to help you isolate the problem. For you to execute a clean boot troubleshooting, you must do a couple of actions (the steps are given above) and then restart your PC after every action. You might have to disable one third-party app after the other to really isolate the issue. And once you’ve narrowed down the problem, you can either disable the third-party app that’s causing the problem or remove it. Note that you must switch your PC back into the Normal Startup mode after you’re done troubleshooting the problem. Here’s how you can do it:

• From the “Start” menu, go to System Configuration.
• After that, switch to the General tab and click the option for “Normal Startup”.
• Next, go to the Services tab and clear the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft services”.
• Then find and click “Enable all” and if prompted, you have to confirm.
• Afterward, go to the Task Manager and enable all the Startup programs and confirm the action.
• Restart your PC when prompted.

Once you have identified the program causing the problem, uninstall it right away from your Control Panel.

Option 3 – Perform an SFC scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the win32kfull.sys error. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

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

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

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.