Fix Windows Updates and MS Store, 0x80240438

Socket Error 10013 - What is it?

Socket error 10013 is an error code that often pops on the screen when you try to access the server. This error code restricts your permission to access. It shows that your permission request was denied. The error message is displayed in the following format:

“Socket.error: [Errno 10013] an attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions”

Solution

Error Causes

Narrowing down a particular reason for the cause of socket error 10013 is difficult, typically because this error code can be generated due to several reasons. Here are some of the common reasons for its occurrence on your PC:

• High-security set up- Firewall or an antivirus program
• Too many functions tied to the same driver confuses the socket
• Outdated drivers
• Malware

The good news is that the socket error 10013 is not fatal. However, it is advisable to fix and resolve the issue to avoid inconvenience.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best, quickest and easiest methods to work around the problem and resolve socket error 10013 without any hassle or delay.

Method 1 - Turn off Firewall

Believe it or not, a high level of internet security measures like Firewalls and anti-virus programs are a common cause of socket error 10013. Firewalls are made to protect a computer from harmful connections but sometimes it may also restrict server connections, considering them as a threat to your system security. Due to this, permission access is adamantly denied. To resolve this issue on your PC, the best way to go about is to turn off your Firewall or any other anti-virus programs installed on your system. Once you turn off these programs, try accessing the server again. The majority of the time the issue is resolved by carrying this step. Nonetheless, if the error still persists, try the methods given below.

Method 2 - Check the Permissions section of the Firewall Program

Another way to resolve this is to check the permission section of the Firewall program and check for the server. If the server is not listed, contact the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask for help in adding the server to the list.

Method 3 - Update Drivers

The outdated driver may sometimes be the reason for the socket error 10013.  The socket may no longer use the drivers installed on your PC which is why permission to access the server is not granted. When this is the reason, try updating the drivers to resolve. For new drivers, visit the software manufacturers’ website, download, and install.

Method 4 - Scan for Viruses and Malware

Another alternative is to scan for viruses and malware. Sometimes the cause for the error is a viral infection. Therefore, remove them to resolve. The best way is to download Restoro. This is a user-friendly and next-generation PC Fixer embedded with 6 scanners including a powerful anti-virus. It scans your entire PC and removes all types of viruses including malware, adware, spyware, and Trojans in seconds. Click here to download Restoro.

Creating a System Restore point is definitely a must especially when you are about to make some changes to your computer. This will help make sure that the system settings and files can go back to an earlier point, should something go wrong, without affecting any personal files. However, there are cases when creating a System Restore Point does not go smoothly and you encounter an error that says, “The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process the specified operation ( ox8004230F )”. Aside from creating System Restore Point, you can also encounter this error when you create a system image or backup. According to reports, this error pops up when the required services are not running or not properly responding. And to fix it, there are several recommendations that will be provided in this post to fix the Error 0x8004230F when creating System Restore point in Windows 10. You can try to check the Volume Shadow Copy Services status or run the VSSADMIN tool. You could also check the status of the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service or create System Restore Point in a Clean Boot State. For more details, refer to the provided options below.

Option 1 – Try checking the status of the Volume Shadow Copy Service

• 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.
• From the list of services, look for the Volume Shadow Copy service and double-click on it.
• After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start) and then click on the Start button underneath it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
• Now try creating a System Restore Point again and see if the error is already fixed or not.

Option 2 – Try to run the VSSADMIN tool

In case you don’t know, the shadow copy provider is sensitive and some other backup, disk cloning, etc. can make it malfunction. To fix this, you can run the VSSADMIN tool by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Next, execute this command to check if you have other third party VSS admin providers: vssadmin list providers
• After that, if it finds any, you need to disable them but if it does not find anything, then proceed.

Option 3 – Try to check the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service status

• 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.
• From the list of services, look for the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service and double click on it.
• After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start).
• Once done, click Apply and OK to save the changes and then try creating System Restore Point again.

Option 4 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State

It is possible that some third-party program installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the ox8004230F when you try to create a System Restore point. Thus, you can try to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to perform the task again.

• 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 “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 to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• Once your computer has restarted try to create a System Restore Point again and if it now works, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Installing or updating Google Chrome does not always go smoothly as there are times when it also encounters some errors like the error code 0x80072EE7. This kind of error in Chrome is most likely caused by the Windows Firewall or third-party Firewall (if you’re using one) that blocks the installation or update process. Aside from this known culprit, there are also other factors to consider such as corrupted or incompatible installation files or it could also be caused by some issue with your internet connection. If you face this kind of problem when installing or updating Chrome, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“An error occurred while checking for updates: Unable to connect to the Internet. If you use a firewall, please whitelist GoogleUpdate.exe. (error code 7: 0x80072EE7 — system level).”

Whatever the cause of this error is, you need to use the options prepared below to fix it.

Option 1 – Whitelist the “googleupdate.exe” in Firewall

If the issue is really caused by the Firewall, you need to whitelist the googleupdate.exe program to fix the error. To do that, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + E keys to open the File Explorer.
• Next, copy and paste the following location in the address bar and tap Enter to go there.

Control Panel/All Control Panel Items/Windows Defender Firewall/Allowed apps

• After that, click on the Change Settings button, and from the given list, look for Google Chrome.
• Now check both Private and Public connections for it and then click on OK and see if it fixes the error or not.

Option 2 – Disable the proxy server for LAN

If the problem has something to do with your internet connection, then you can try disabling the proxy server for LAN and see if that helps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 3 – Check your VPN

If you are using a VPN application, then this option should apply to you, if not, skip this option and proceed to the next one. There are times when VPN software causes some issues like this error. If that’s the case, you can try to disable your VPN temporarily and see if the error is resolved or not and if turns out that your VPN is the culprit, you have to uninstall it and install a new one or its latest version. To uninstall it, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box
• Then type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
• From there, look for the VPN service you are using, select it and then click on Uninstall to remove it.
• After that, restart your computer and try to install the latest version of the program again. It should work now. If not, proceed to the next available option below.

Option 4 – Try to run the Chrome Cleanup tool

You might want to run Google Chrome’s built-in Malware Scanner & Cleanup tool as it could also help in getting rid of any unwanted ads, pop-ups, and even malware, as well as unusual startup pages, toolbars, and anything else that might overtake the network and could affect the performance of the browser.

Option 5 – Reset Google Chrome

Before you proceed, make sure that the Chrome browser is not running anywhere in the background via Task Manager. Once you’ve made sure that it’s no longer running, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and tap Enter to open this location.
• From there, look for the Default folder and then tap the Shift + Delete button and if a confirmation prompt appears, click on Yes.
• After deleting the Default folder, open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots icon located in the top-right corner to open the menu.
• Next, click on Settings and scroll down and then click on Advanced to open the Advanced Settings.
• Then scroll down until you see the “Reset and clean up” section and click the “Restore Settings to their original defaults” option.
• After that, you will see a confirmation box and from there, click on the Reset settings button to reset your Google Chrome browser.

The GeForce Experience on graphics card manufactured by NVIDIA is an advantage for users who loves gaming as it makes enhances users’ gaming experience. However, there are times when it may also encounter some problems. One of the problems users may encounter is the error code 0x0001. This kind of error occurs when users open the NVIDIA GeForce Experience utility. Here’s the full content of the error message:

“Something went wrong, try rebooting your PC and then launch GeForce Experience, ERROR CODE: 0x0001.”

Errors like this one diminish the overall experience of users due to the fact that when this error occurs, the NVIDIA GeForce experience wouldn’t even start which renders its features useless. There are several potential fixes you can check out to resolve this error but before you check them out, you can try to restart your computer first and then open the NVIDIA GeForce Experience once again, if you still encounter the error, then you need to check the NVIDIA Display Driver Services or update your NVIDIA display drivers or switch to the BETA release. You could also try to install and reinstall the NVIDIA display drivers or perform System Restore and see if it helps. For detailed instructions, follow the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to check the NVIDIA Display driver services

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Services Manager.
• From there, look for the following NVIDIA services and make sure that their Startup types are as follows:
  • NVIDIA Display Container LS – Automatic
  • NVIDIA NetworkService Container – Manual
  • NVIDIA LocalSystem Container – Automatic
  • NVIDIA LocalSystem Container – Automatic
  • NVIDIA GeForce Experience Service – Automatic (Delayed Start)
  • NVIDIA Geforce Experience Backend Service – Automatic (Delayed Start)
  • NVIDIA Telemetry Container service – Automatic
• Next, double click on each one of the services and go to Properties. Here, check if the service is running. If it’s not, just click on the Start button. On the other hand, if they’re already running, just click on Stop and then click on Start again.

Option 2 – Try to update the NVIDIA Display drivers

You can also try updating the NVIDIA display drivers as it might help in fixing the error. To update them, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
• From there, you can see what type of NVIDIA graphics card that your system is on.
• Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.

Note: If you want to try out the beta release of the NVIDIA display drivers, click on this link. Beware though that the beta software is unstable and buggy and may cause some different bugs.

Option 3 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version

If updating the NVIDIA display drivers didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “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 NVIDIA Drivers and expand it.
• Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
• Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
• After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
• Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try to run System Restore

You could also run System Restore as it might help fix the error code 0x0001 in NVIDIA GeForce Experience.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
• Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
• After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and then check if the error code 0x0001 in GeForce Experience is now fixed.

Option 5 – Do a clean install on the NVIDIA driver

• Before you do a clean install on the NVIDIA driver, you have to download the latest version of the Display Driver first.
• Boot your Windows 10 PC into Safe Mode.
• After that, double click on the executable file of the Display Driver Uninstaller to run and install it.
• After the installation, open the program. Once you do, you should see the following window on your screen:
• In the program window, click on the “Clean and restart” button.
• After your PC has rebooted, download the NVIDIA drivers.
• Then select your Product Type, Product Series, Product, Operating System, and Language appropriate for your hardware specifications as well as personal requirements.
• Next, click on Search to display the latest available driver as per the information you entered.
• And click on Agree and Download to start downloading the latest driver executable file.
• Run the executable file after you finished downloading the latest driver executable file and then select Custom and click on Next.
• Afterward, select “Clean Install” and proceed. Doing so would install the latest driver on your PC.
• Restart your PC and check if the error’s now fixed. If not, you can try installing an older version of the driver instead.

If you are trying to install a Feature Update in Windows 10 but you got the error code 0x80190001, then it means that there is something wrong with the installation files. The installation files are either corrupted or some of them failed to be downloaded. On the other hand, the issue might also have something to do with a driver issue. When you encounter error 0x80190001, you will see the either of following error message on your screen:

“Something went wrong Couldn’t download Windows 10, please check your network settings and try again. You can contact Microsoft support for help with this error. Here’s the error code 0x80190001”. Or: “An unexpected error was encountered while attempting to download files required for the upgrade”.

Here are some fixes that could help you resolve the error 0x80190001. Follow them carefully.

Option 1 – Run the Network Troubleshooter

As mentioned in the error message the issue might have something to do with the network settings of your computer so you can try to run the Network Troubleshooter and then try updating or installing Windows 10 again.

Option 2 – Update Network drivers

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, look for Network Adapters from the list of device drivers displayed. Once you find it, expand it to see the Network drivers.
• Right-click on it and select the option “Uninstall device” – do the same thing for the other Network drivers.
• Restart your PC so Windows can detect and reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled.

Option 3 – Use Storage Sense to clean up temporary and junk files

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space.
• Now make sure that the Storage Sense feature is turned On then go find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
• Windows Upgrade Log Files
• The system created Windows Error Reporting Files
• Thumbnails
• Temporary Internet Files
• Previous Windows Installation Files
• Delivery Optimisation Files
• DirectX Shader Cache

Note: Once you’re done freeing up space on your drive, try to run the setup file again.

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, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution 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 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it is also known to help users resolve Windows Update errors like error 0x80190001.

Option 6 – Try to disable your antivirus program

Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 7 – Try to use the Media Creation tool

The Media Creation tool in Windows allows you to use the ISO installation file to make a bootable device that you can use to install Windows on your PC. Note that this is kind of different from the usual installation process as it could erase your computer’s current settings and data on the primary drive. Thus, before you proceed, you need to backup all your data into some removable drive and then use the Media Creation Tool to make a bootable drive.

• After making the bootable drive, you need to plug it into your computer and then reboot.
• Next, tap the F10 or Esc key to open the boot options.
• Now set the boot priority of the removable drive the highest. Once the setup comes forth, follow the next onscreen instructions and install Windows without any problems.

Instaling and removing applications from your Windows can sometimes leave some traces that are unpleasant and can cause annoyances. One of these annoyances is the program in the startup section of the task manager.

If you ever opened task manager and went into the startup section trying to disable some of the startup items on your Windows boot there might be a chance that you have experienced and seen a program without any icon or information about it just sitting there.

This is due to some applications being removed from the system but for some reason, it still shows itself in startup and it is quite annoying. So here we will show you how to get rid of this annoyance so your startup is clean again without junk in it.

Removing a program from startup

Locating the source of the issue

The first thing of course is to open the task manager itself and navigate to the startup tab. Inside the startup tab right-click on the column header and tick or enable Startup type and command line. Now you will see the location of the supposed file (that is missing or you could just go there by right-clicking on the item, but here it is greyed).

99% of the time startup type will be registry since the file is missing, if it was a file fix would be just to simply delete the file in the folder but since it was installed and not properly removed registry key is still present but the file cannot be found. After confirmation that the file is indeed missing and that the startup type is registry open the registry editor by typing Regedit in search and pressing enter.

Removing the key from registry

Inside Registry editor navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Inside on right part, you will see all auto-start entries added by installed applications.

Locate one that is causing issues by comparing its path with the path inside the task manager command line and delete the key. Once the key is deleted right-click on RUN on the left part and choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to quickly jump on that key location and repeat the process of key deletion if needed. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will delete startup entry for all users and sometimes entry will not be present here since the application is not installed for all users or there are no other users on the machine.

After the procedure is finished, reboot your systems in order to apply changes.

Error Code 0x800703e3, What is it?

Error Code 0x800703e3 is an error that arises on Windows 10, as well as on many of the past versions of the Windows operating system, dating back to Windows 7. It is an error that is associated with a number of different causes, and therefore, there are many different ways to attempt to resolve the error.

Common symptoms include:

• Programs running slowly or locking up
• Computer freezing or going to a blue screen
• Report of an error message

In most cases, users experience Error Code 0x800703e3 when they attempt to install new software or upgrade their programs and operating systems on their Windows machine. Error Code 0x800703e3 is fairly simple to fix and many of the methods used do not require advanced computer skills or knowledge. However, if you have any difficulty in implementing the steps below on your device, it is recommended that you contact a qualified computer repair technician to assist you.

Solution

Error Causes

There are a number of different causes for Error Code 0x800703e3. The most common ones that Windows users experience are:

• Incomplete installations interfering with system files
• Outdated operating system or programs
• Updates left unfinished for long periods of time
• Manual cancellation of the installation process
• Malware or viruses
• Corrupted files in the operating system
• Redundancy in the installations of a program on the device

Further Information and Manual Repair

As there are many different things that can cause Error Code 0x800703e3 to appear on your Windows device, there are many methods that you can use to attempt to resolve the error. While many of these are easy to complete for basic users, some of the methods below require familiarity with advanced computing techniques. If you have trouble using the methods below, contact a qualified Windows repair technician.

Here are the top ways to resolve Error Code 0x800703e3:

Method One:  Update Your Device Drivers and Registries

The best place to start in resolving Error Code 0x800703e3 is to open up your settings for your drivers and check to see if any updates are necessary. After updating your drivers, it is important to restart your computer to allow any changes to take effect.

Secondarily, you can also run the Windows Registry Repair tool to see if there are any system files in your library that can be fixed, removed, or added automatically by the repair wizard. Again, it is important that you restart your computer after the tool has finished its scan and repair process to ensure that all necessary changes become fully active and recognized by the system.

Method Two:  Check for System and Program Updates

If it has been a while since you last updated your software and operating system, open up the settings for your system updates. Always restart your computer after a system update has been completed to allow the necessary changes to take effect.

Remember that it is important to regularly update both your Windows operating system and your programs to ensure that there is not a backlog of updates to be completed.  This can help to keep your computer in optimum health and eliminate future errors during installations and standard operation of your computer.

Method Three:  Restore Your System

In some cases, the best way to address Error Code 0x800703e3 is to reinstall the Windows operating system on your machine. If the core issue of the error is that there is a missing or damaged system file, this is the best way to address the problem quickly and efficiently. Before you attempt to reinstall the Windows operating on your machine, make sure that all of your programs and information have been backed up in a secure manner so that you can restore these items after the installation is complete.

Method Four:  Remove Recently Added Programs

If you just began to experience the error after installing a new program, try removing the new program from your machine using the “uninstall” process, then restart your computer.

If you have any difficulty in completing the above methods on your own or if the problem has not been fully resolved using these methods, get in touch with a certified Windows technician who can help you to fix the issues at hand and get your computer up and running again.

Method Five: Use An Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 10 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

Pinned Windows 10 Taskbar Items. One of the most used interfaces in the Windows environment is the Taskbar. It is where users like to pin their most-used programs as well as shortcuts with extra privileges and automated tasks. In fact, it’s a lot better than the Start Menu. So if any Windows Update messes up with your computer, or if you’ve just switched to a different computer, setting up the Taskbar with the very same set of programs you used to have is definitely not an easy task. But worry not as this post will guide you on how you can backup and restore the items on your Taskbar either manually or automatically.

Manual Backup:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
• Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the folder where you can see all the shortcuts or pinned items in the Taskbar.
• After that, copy all the files in the folder and paste them somewhere else as a backup. For instance, E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts.
• Next, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt once more, and then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. When the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.
• After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this key – HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband
• Then right-click on the Taskbar folder and select Export.
• Now save the file with the .reg extension to another location like the E:\Pinned Items Backup folder and then name it.
• Close the Registry Editor.

Manual Restore:

Make sure to copy all the files to one of the drives if you are using another computer and then refer to the following steps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt.
• Then type “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” in the field and hit Enter to open the same folder where you just copied all the shortcuts. Make sure to keep it open.
• Then open the backup folder where you saved all the pinned items and copy all the files there.
• Next, go to the Taskbar folder (%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar) and then paste your files in there. If you encounter a problem while doing so, just replace it with your own set of files.
• After that, go to E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts and then double click on tb-pinned-items.reg. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes. This will add the registry file into the main registry hub. You will also get a dialog box that will confirm that data has been added to the registry successfully. Click OK.
• You should now see the items on the Taskbar. You have to restart Windows Explorer. To do so, end its process in the Task Manager.

Automatic Backup:

Backing up and restoring the pinned Taskbar items in your Windows 10 computer can be done automatically as well. But before you get started on the process, you need to understand what’s going on behind the hood first. First, you need to create two bat files and name them “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items” and “Restore Pinned Taskbar Items”. After you have that covered, refer to the following steps:

• Open the Notepad app and paste the following details and save it as “Backup Pinned Taskbar Items.bat.

REG EXPORT HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband “E:\Pinned Items Backuptb-pinned-items.reg” xcopy “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” “E:\Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts” /E /C /H /R /K /Y

• After that, run the newly created bat file with admin privileges.

Automatic Restore:

• Open the Notepad app and paste the following details and save it as “Restore Pinned Taskbar Items.bat”.

REGEDIT /S “E:Pinned Items Backuptb-pinned-items.reg” xcopy “E:Pinned Items Backuppinnedshortcuts” “%AppData%MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick LaunchUser PinnedTaskBar” /E /C /H /R /K /Y

• After that, run the bat file with admin privileges.

Note: Just so you know, there is a drawback to this process as we’ve noticed that any pinned apps that were downloaded from the Windows Store don’t appear in these places and any items downloaded and installed separately from the internet and then pinned.

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

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

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

Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Option 3 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance

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

If you suddenly encountered an error that says, “The Task image is corrupt or has been tampered with”, along with an error code of 0x80041321, read on as this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve this problem in your Windows 10 computer. According to security experts, this kind of error has something to do with a corrupt scheduled backup task wherein each time the task service plans to execute a task, it validates a few things. And if it finds any issue with the integrity or corruption in the registry, it will mark those tasks as corrupt and throws the error 0x80041321. There are several options you can check out to fix the problem. You can try using the Registry Editor to edit and fix the corrupted tasks or you could also delete the schedule keys or the WindowsBackup file, as well as try deleting the task from the Task Scheduler or refresh the User_Feed_Synchronization. But before you of these potential fixes, make sure that you check every option and verify if it’s not associated or trying to run a file which it should not. In addition, make sure that you create a System Restore point as well so that you can undo any changes you will be making if anything goes wrong. Once you have these things covered, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to use the Registry Editor to edit and fix corrupted tasks

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to edit those tasks via Registry Editor, as well as fix the corrupted ones in System32. Before you proceed, keep in mind that since you are dealing with the Backup triggered by the Task Scheduler, you can find the entries for the tasks in different locations. You can find the Task Scheduler at Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Backup, whereas, you can find it in this path in the Registry Editor, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows NT CurrentVersion Schedule WindowsBackup AutomaticBackup. On the other hand, you can find the Windows System folder at C:/Windows/System32/Tasks/MicrosoftWindows/WindowsBackup. You need to ensure that the name of the task name is the same as everywhere and take note of the name. Once you have these covered, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheTreeMicrosoftWindowsWindowsBackup
• From there, take note of the GUID value in the ID entry of the task under the AutomaticBackup and Windows Backup Monitor folder.
• After that, you have to remove the task registry entries related to the ID from these locations
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCachePlain
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheLogon
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionScheduleTaskCacheBoot
• Once done, you have to create a temporary copy of the corrupted task file by going to this location: C:/Windows/System32/Tasks/MicrosoftWindows/WindowsBackup
• From there, look for the AutomaticBackup and Windows Backup Monitor tasks and copy them to a location where you can keep them safe.
• Next, you have to fix the corrupted task by deleting it from this location: C:/Windows/System32/Tasks/MicrosoftWindows/WindowsBackup
• After that, you have to recreate the task by going to Task Scheduler > Microsoft > Windows> Windows Backup.
• Now click on the Action menu and on Import task and navigate to the backup files and import them.
• Once you’ve created the tasks, run them manually and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Try to delete the Schedule keys in the Registry

• Launch the Registry Editor and go to this key: HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrent VersionSchedule
• From there, delete all of its sub-keys.
• Once done, exit the Registry Editor and check if the Backup Tasks are now working.

Option 3 – Try to remove the WindowsBackup file

The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to remove the WindowsBackup file if the first two options didn’t work. It is possible that the problem has something to do with corrupted Task files. The task files are XML files that include parameters, programs to use, and many more. If any of these files end up getting corrupted, the task scheduler will have trouble running it and will throw the “The Task image is corrupt or has been tampered with” error.

• To delete it, go to C:WindowsSystem32TasksMicrosoftWindowsWindowsBackup.
• From this location, get rid of all the files. You could also these files via Command Prompt using the DEL command.
• Once done, go to the Backup and Restore in the Control Panel and set up the Windows Backup again.

Option 4 – Try to delete the task from the Task Scheduler

If you don’t want to delete the files from Windows Explorer, you can delete them instead via Task Scheduler.

• Open the Task Scheduler and go to Task Schedule LibraryMicrosoftWindowsWindowsBackup.
• From there, delete both of the tasks and set up Windows Backup again.
• Once done, go to the Task Manager and run the AutomaticBackup task again and see if it works.

Option 5 – Try to restart the Task Scheduler service

As mentioned, it is possible that the Task Scheduler service could be disabled. You could have disabled it when trying to enhance your computer’s performance and whatnot. Thus, you need to verify if it’s running or not and then restart it.

• First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• You will see a list of Services and from there, look for the Task Scheduler service and double click on it.
• After that, go to the General tab and click on the Startup Type options and then select “Automatically” from the given list.
• Click on the “RUN” option and select the “Restart the Service” option.
• And click on the “After Second Failure” option and then select the “Restart-Service” option again.
• Now click on the “After Subsequent Failures” tab and select the “Restart the Service” option.
• Finally, click on the Apply and OK buttons and then run the Task Scheduler and see if the issue is now fixed.

Option 6 – Try refreshing the User_Feed_Synchronization

According to security experts, enabling and disabling the User Feed sync also known as the User_Feed_Synchronization task can help resolve the problem.

• Tap the Win + X keys and select the PowerShell (admin) option from the menu.
• Next, type the “msfeedssync disable” command and tap Enter.
• Repeat the same process but this time run the “msfeedssync enable” command.