Fix Kernel Power Blue Screen in Windows

In the latest news, Microsoft has reached a deal to purchase Activision Blizzard for 67.8 billion. Now franchises like Warcraft, Starcraft, Overwatch, Call of duty, Diablo are now the property of Microsoft and I am sure that some of these games we can expect to be included in the Xbox game pass. This is the second large game company acquisition by Microsoft, Acquiring Bethesda first and a big hit to Sony since Xbox will now have more games in its catalog and as exclusives. Of course, the sale has to go through the standard closing conditions and completion of regulatory review and Activision Blizzard’s shareholder approval before it’s finalized. Assuming that all goes well, the deal is slated to be completed during the fiscal year 2023, which is July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Error Code 0x8024001b- What is it?

At its most basic level, Error Code 0x8024001b is an error that can cause problems with the installation and updates of software and operating system updates. The most common version of this error appears in Windows 10, but a similar error with a matching code number has been present in previous versions of the operating system, back through Windows 7.

Common symptoms include:

• Programs freezing or locking up during use
• The appearance of an error message regarding installation difficulties
• Computer shutting down or freezing during operation
• Difficulty in running multiple programs at the same time

Solution

Error Causes

There are two main causes for Error Code 0x8024001b, both of which are fairly simple:  Updates needed for the Windows Update tool itself and software that causes Windows Update to fail during installations through conflicts in system files. While these may seem like technical issues, these problems are actually easily resolved with a few simple steps. The average user can use the methods listed below to fix the problems on their own.

Further Information and Manual Repair

For users who want to address Error Code 0x8024001b for themselves, the steps below can be followed to address the two primary causes for the error. If you have difficulty in completing these steps or are not confident in your computing skills and ability to follow the listed steps, contact a Windows repair technician.

Here are the top methods to resolve Error Code 0x8024001b on your own:

Method One:  Check for Updates to Windows Update

In some cases, the Windows Update tool may need an update for itself. When you attempt to run updates or install wizards for other software, it can cause conflicts with the Windows Update process, slowing down your computer or causing it to freeze.

If you are attempting to run multiple installations or updates at the same time, it may also cause Error Code 0x8024001b to arise on your computer.

To resolve this issue, close out all programs, with the exception of the Windows Update tool. Within the tool, select “Check for Updates” and install any updates that are needed. When finished, you should restart your computer to ensure that all updates have been fully applied before attempting any other installations or updates.

Method Two:  Uninstall Conflicting Software

Another problem that can cause Error Code 0x8024001b is the presence of conflicting software. If Error Code 0x8024001b has only recently appeared on your computer, consider removing any software that has been added to your computer, running the Windows Update process, and restarting your computer before attempting to reinstall the problem software.

With any method that you use, it is important to remember to keep your Windows Updates current at all times. This is the best way to avoid the appearance of Error Code 0x8024001b and similar errors in the future, as stacked up updates are more likely to cause issues and conflicts with your other installed software and operating system.

While there are some tools out there that claim to be able to fix Error Code 0x8024001b for you, it is important to always thoroughly investigate the publisher and distributor of such software, as some of the tools available on the Internet will actually introduce malware and adware on your computer in the name of “protecting” your computer or resolving an error.

If you have tried to use both methods above and have not fully resolved Error Code 0x8024001b, get in touch with someone who is a qualified computer repair professional and is familiar with your particular version of the Windows operating system to assist you in finalizing your resolution.

Method Three: 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.

Today most people have Facebook accounts where they keep in touch with friends and family. But large Facebook network of users is also very interesting to another party as well, hackers. There are many ways hackers can steal your data via direct hacks, trickery, and social engineering in order to get your credentials, emails, and many other things using them to wreak further havoc. Once a hacker has needed information it is very difficult to minimize impact and all of your information could be compromised from a list of friends to credit card numbers. Keep on reading to learn how can you protect yourself against these attacks and learn about common practices that hackers use in order to steal your data.

Stealing Facebook data via email

A couple of years ago there was a lot of talk about not opening suspicious emails. Well, it still holds today. The difference is that today’s fake emails have become very difficult to differentiate from official ones since hackers put the effort into creating them copying fonts and layout, making them identical to original ones. So if emails look and feel like original ones how do you know if it is fake? Very simple, you do not click anything in it. If Facebook or for that matter any company wants to contact you they will do via their platform. Clicking inside a hacker's email will lead you probably to a fake Facebook website replica where you will have to type in your username and password providing an attacker with your login credentials, etc. If you receive this kind of mail where there are threats about terminating an account, missing payments, etc. it is always the best thing to go directly to Facebook and see if you have any kind of notifications there. Do not trust any emails that ask for account information, request money, or threaten to suspend your account.

Phishing attacks

As stated previously if you click on the link inside fake mail it will probably lead you to a website replica of the original. Although hackers can pretty much copy all things from an original website like layout, fonts, colors, etc. There is one thing that he cannot, web address. Take a good look into your browser address bar to see if there is a typo or anything strange in the address of a website. Also, make sure to check for the secure icon in the web address before signing in.

Fake Facebook buttons

If by any chance and for whatever reason, you end up on a fake Facebook site be vary careful about like and other buttons since buttons themselves behave and act like links inside your browser. IF when you click on like you get a prompt to sign in, it is almost 100% that you ended up on a phishing fake website.

Password brute force attack

Having complex and long passwords is a must. If your Facebook password is 12345 there is a very high chance that if a hacker wants he can easily guess it via trying out the most used and simple passwords via simple guessing. To avoid being hacked just for having poor passwords try to think of something longer, combine letters and numerical characters, place special characters inside it or just simply as the best solution use a password manager and create passwords with it.

Password grab outside Facebook

If you use the same password for multiple accounts which is a big no-no and you should not do it then hackers can use passwords from other services and login into your Facebook in order to steal data. Avoid these situations by having different passwords for different accounts or use a password manager to keep everything in order.

Hacking via key logger

Some time ago we have made an article which explained in detail everything you need to know about key loggers here: https://errortools.com/windows/how-to-know-if-you-have-keylogger-in-windows/ Anyway, this is a more advanced hacking technique in order for hackers to steal your data and it includes placing malicious applications into your system that records your keystrokes and sends them directly to hackers. Since this is an application best protection against this type of attack is to have a security suite installed and active on your PC or device you use to go to Facebook.

Connecting and surfing on an unsecured network

Using no password and unsecured WI FI or any other type of network is risky at least. You can have all protection installed on your device and have a strong password but hackers also logged in to the same network can track all outgoing stuff going through mentioned network leaving you again exposed to attacks. It is better to connect to your mobile operator network than on free WI FI, at least there is some level of security in your operator network while free WI FI is completely unsecured. Getting a virtual private network or VPN is also one thing you could think about for protection since almost all VPN services will encrypt your data thus providing you with a security layer even on unsecured Wi-FI.

Conclusion

Hacking and stealing have come a long way from their infant stages and in today’s world when we use a lot of gadgets and have plenty of online presence taking some steps for security is a must. I hope that you have found anything here informational and helpful so you can avoid getting your data compromised.

Hello and welcome to our user account notifications in Windows 10 tutorial where we will dive a little more into how you can control notification and behavior settings for your or someone else's user account in your Windows 10. If you are annoyed with confirmation windows each time you start a new application or install one please keep reading and I am sure you will find just the right setting for you. User account options are a little hidden and not so obvious, well at least not in Windows 10 compared to previous Windows versions. Since we will not be able to find them under typical and standard settings we will need to do few tricks in order to get to them.

Opening control panel

First thing is to press ⊞ WINDOWS + R on your keyboard so the run dialog window pops up on your desktop. Once run dialog is shown type in it control panel as shown in the picture and press OK If you have followed the steps precisely, you should be now in the control panel of Windows 10. Click on the top-right view and choose large icons. The Control panel will switch to a grid-like view, in the current view go to the far-right and almost bottom icon where it says User Accounts and click on it.

User account settings

Once the user account opens click on the bottom link which says Change User Account Control settings. Please note that you will need to be logged in as an administrator or have administrator privileges in order to change this setting. Once you click on the link you will be presented with a User account control slider on the left and a brief explanation on the right Here in the picture, we see Windows default setting and an explanation of when and how he will notify you. If you wish to turn all notifications linked to programs changing computer or you making windows changes, click on the left slider and bring it all the way to the bottom where it says never notify me. If you prefer some notifications try to find which of the remaining 3 settings best suit your needs. Once you are done and satisfied with your choice click on OK.

In this post, we will discuss what the “ bootres.dll ” file is in the Windows 10 operating system and where it’s also located. In addition, you will also be guided on how you can replace or fix a corrupt bootres.dll file which may prevent you from booting to your Windows desktop and will display an error message instead saying, “Boot critical file resourcescustombootres.dll is corrupt”. There are times when this error might also boot your PC to the Automatic Repair screen. DLL files, also known as Dynamic Link Libraries are external parts of applications that run on Windows as well as other operating systems. Almost all applications are not complete in themselves and store code in different files so if there is a need for the code, the related file being called by a certain application is loaded into memory and used. If the software or the operating system is unable to find the concerned DLL file or if the DLL file ends up getting corrupted, you will most likely get an error message. In case you don’t know, the bootres.dll file is a critical system OS file, size 90KB, and can be found in the Windows folder. It is a part of the Boot Resource Library and portrays an important role in making sure that your PC boots properly. So if it ends up getting corrupted, your PC may fail to boot correctly and you’ll get an error message instead. To resolve this problem, here are some suggestions that might help. If your PC automatically boots to the Automatic Repair screen, you need to click on that option to run the Automatic Repair. If it doesn’t work, you have to boot into the Advanced Startup options to manually access and run the Automatic Repair. Once you’re in the Advanced Options, you will be able to:

• Run Automatic Repair
• Use System Restore
• Start Windows from an external device
• Access Command Prompt
• And use the System Image Recovery to restore Windows from a Factory image.

If the Automatic Repair fails to fix the problem, you may have to use System Restore or the Command Prompt to carry out further troubleshooting steps. Refer to the guide below to use these tools.

Option 1 – Try running the System File Checker in Safe Mode

Running the System File Checker is the safest way to fix DLL file missing or corrupted errors are thrown up by the Windows operating system as it could give you better results. 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 with good system files that might be causing the Machine Check Exception BSOD error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
• 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 2 – Try running the DISM tool to repair the System Image

To repair the System Image, you need to use the DISM or Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management tool. The DISM tool is another command-line tool in the Windows operating system that could help users fix various corrupted system files. To use it, follow these steps:

• Open the Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in this command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Note: The command you executed will check for Windows component store corruption and will restore its good health. The scan might take up to 15 minutes. Once it is done, you have to restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to repair the MBR and rebuild BCD

To repair the MBR and rebuild BCD, follow these steps: The problem might boil down to the Master Boot Records since the previous case has already been isolated. There are times when the Master Boot Records can get corrupted and even though it is a serious issue, it can still be rectified by repairing the Master Boot Record.

• Tao the F8 key while booting the system to go into the Windows Recovery Menu.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot.
• Then click on the Advanced options to get into the Automatic Repair menu.
• After that, you have to use the bootrex.exe tool, so click on the command prompt and type in the following commands, one after the other:
• bootrec /RebuildBcd
• bootrec /fixMbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• Exit and then go ahead and restart your PC.

Option 4 – Try running the ChkDsk utility

One of the best options you must try is running chkdsk as it will check the disk for any errors and repair them automatically. To use it, follow these steps:

• Boot your PC to the Advanced Options menu and click on Command Prompt.
• Once you’ve opened an elevated Command Prompt, type in the following command and tap Enter to execute it:

chkdsk C: /f /x /r

Note: “C” is the drive root drive so it could be changed if you’re using a different one.

Option 5 – Try resetting your PC

Go to the Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > and select the Reset This PC option from the menu and then select Keep my files.

Video Download Converter is a potentially unwanted toolbar distributed by Mindspark Interactive network. This toolbar offers users the ability to download and convert youtube and other online videos.

While this may seem useful at the start, this toolbar monitors user browsing activity and records visited websites, clicked links, and even personal data, that it later uses to display injected ads through your browsing session. When the toolbar is installed, it will automatically hijack your home page and search engine setting them to MyWay.com. This search engine uses google to display your search results, however, it injects ads into the search results to generate ad revenue. Several anti-virus scanners have detected VideoDownloadManager as a Browser Hijacker, and are therefore not recommended to keep on your computer.

About Browser Hijackers

Browser hijacking is actually a form of unwanted software, commonly a browser add-on or extension, which then causes modifications in the browser’s settings. There are lots of reasons why you might experience a browser hijack; however commercial, marketing, and advertising are definitely the key purposes for their creation. Usually, it will force users to predetermined sites which are looking to increase their advertising campaign earnings. It may seem naive, but the majority of these sites are not legitimate and can pose a major threat to your online safety. Browser hijackers can also allow other harmful programs without your knowledge to further damage the computer. How to determine if your browser has been hijacked There are many symptoms that indicate the internet browser has been hijacked: the home page of your browser is changed suddenly; you find yourself constantly directed to a different web page than the one you intended; the main web browser settings are modified and unwanted or insecure resources are added to the trusted websites listing; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; you may find numerous pop-up adverts on your computer screen; your browser has instability issues or exhibits frequent errors; you can’t navigate to certain websites, such as computer security software related websites.

So how does a PC get infected with a browser hijacker?

Browser hijackers can enter a PC by some means or other, for example via file sharing, downloads, and e-mail too. Many web browser hijackings originate from add-on applications, i.e., toolbars, browser helper objects (BHO), or extensions added to browsers to provide them additional features. Some browser hijackers spread in user’s computers using a deceptive software distribution method called “bundling” (commonly through freeware and shareware). Some of the popular hijackers are VideoDownload Converter, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, OneWebSearch, Sweet Page, and CoolWebSearch. Browser hijackers might record user keystrokes to gather potentially invaluable information leading to privacy concerns, cause instability on computers, drastically disrupt user’s browsing experience, and eventually slow down the PC to a point where it becomes unusable.

The best ways to remove browser hijackers

Certain kinds of browser hijackers can be easily removed from your PC by uninstalling malicious software programs or any other recently added shareware. However, many hijacking codes are not very easy to get rid of manually, since they go deeper into the operating system. Moreover, manual removal demands you to do many time-consuming and complex procedures which are very difficult to carry out for beginner computer users. You can go for automatic browser hijacker removal by simply installing and running reliable anti-malware software. Safebytes Anti-Malware has a cutting-edge anti-malware engine to help you prevent browser hijacker infection in the first place, and clean up any pre-existing issues. Together with anti-malware, a PC optimizer tool, similar to Total System Care, could help you resolve registry errors, remove unwanted toolbars, secure online privacy, and improve overall system performance.

What to Do if Malware Stops You From Downloading Or Installing Anything?

Every malware is detrimental and the magnitude of the damage will vary greatly depending on the type of malware. Some malware sits in between your PC and the internet connection and blocks a few or all internet sites which you want to visit. It would also block you from adding anything to your system, particularly anti-malware software. If you are reading this article, chances are you’re stuck with a malware infection that is preventing you to download and install the Safebytes Anti-Malware program on your computer. There are a few steps you can take to circumvent this problem.

Eliminate viruses in Safe Mode

In the event the malware is set to load at Windows startup, then booting in safe mode should prevent it. Just bare minimum required programs and services are loaded when you boot your computer into Safe Mode. Here are the steps you need to follow to take out viruses in Safemode. 1) After switching on the computer, press the F8 key before the Windows splash screen begins to load. This would invoke the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. 2) Make use of the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) When you are into this mode, you should have an internet connection once again. Now, utilize your web browser to download and install Safebytes Anti-malware. 4) Right after installation, run a complete scan and let the software remove the threats it detects.

Obtain the security program using a different browser

Some malware mainly targets particular browsers. If this sounds like your situation, employ another web browser as it could circumvent the virus. If you appear to have a trojan attached to Internet Explorer, then switch over to a different browser with built-in security features, such as Firefox or Chrome, to download your favorite anti-malware program – Safebytes.

Install security software on a USB drive

Here’s yet another solution which is utilizing portable USB anti-malware software that can scan your computer for viruses without the need for installation. Adopt these measures to use a USB drive to fix your corrupted computer system. 1) Download Safebytes Anti-Malware or Windows Defender Offline onto a clean PC. 2) Mount the pen drive on the same PC. 3) Double click on the downloaded file to run the installation wizard. 4) Choose a thumb drive as the location when the wizard asks you where you wish to install the application. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. 5) Transfer the pen drive from the uninfected computer to the infected computer. 6) Double-click the EXE file to run the Safebytes program from the thumb drive. 7) Click on the “Scan” button to run a full system scan and remove viruses automatically.

Detect And Remove Viruses With SafeBytes Anti-Malware

If you’re looking to purchase anti-malware for your computer system, there are lots of brands and applications for you to consider. Some of them are good and some are scamware applications that pretend as legit anti-malware programs waiting around to wreak havoc on your personal computer. Make sure you choose a company that builds industry-best anti-malware and it has attained a reputation as reliable. One of the recommended software by industry analysts is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, the most dependable program for Windows computers. SafeBytes anti-malware is really a powerful, highly effective protection tool made to help users of all levels of IT literacy in detecting and removing harmful threats from their PC. Using its cutting-edge technology, this application will assist you to remove several types of malware including computer viruses, trojans, PUPs, worms, ransomware, adware, and browser hijackers. SafeBytes has got a plethora of amazing features which can help you protect your computer from malware attack and damage. Here are some of the features you will like in SafeBytes. Active Protection: SafeBytes offers a completely hands-free real-time protection that is set to monitor, block and kill all computer threats at its very first encounter. It will continuously monitor your computer for hacker activity and also provides end-users with sophisticated firewall protection. World-class AntiMalware Protection: This deep-cleaning anti-malware application goes much deeper than most antivirus tools to clean out your computer system. Its critically acclaimed virus engine locates and disables hard-to-remove malware that conceals deep inside your personal computer. Fast Scan: SafeBytes Anti-Malware possesses a multi-thread scan algorithm that works up to 5 times faster than any other antivirus software. Web Protection: Through its unique safety ranking, SafeBytes tells you whether a website is safe or not to visit it. This will make sure that you’re always certain of your safety when browsing the web. Light-weight: This software is not “heavy” on the computer’s resources, so you’ll not find any performance troubles when SafeBytes is working in the background. 24/7 Support: You could get high levels of support around the clock if you are using their paid software. To sum it up, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is pretty great for securing your computer against all sorts of malware threats. There is no doubt that your PC will be protected in real-time once you put this software program to use. So if you’re looking for the best anti-malware subscription for your Windows-based PC, we suggest the SafeBytes Anti-Malware software program.

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you do not want to use malware removal software and like to remove VideoDownload Converter manually, you may do so by going to the Add/Remove Programs menu in the control panel and deleting the offending software; in cases of web browser extensions, you could uninstall it by going to the browsers Add-on/Extension manager. You may even want to reset your internet browser settings, and also delete temporary files, browsing history, and cookies. Finally, examine your hard disk for all of the following and clean your registry manually to remove leftover application entries following an uninstallation. Please keep in mind that this is for advanced users only and could be difficult, with wrong file removal causing additional PC errors. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating or preventing removal. Doing this malware-removal process in Safe Mode is recommended.

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”.

In the Windows ecosystem, MS Surface laptops are among the best laptops on the market, they are regarded as equivalent to Apple MAC laptops but for Windows. Microsoft Fall 2022 Event will be held on October 12th at 10 AM. The event itself will be held right before it kicks off its annual, developer-focused Ignite event in Seattle from that same day through October 14.

This event is the first in-person event that Microsoft has held since the beginning of the pandemic. We expect the launch of the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5, and maybe Surface Studio 3 as well. There are also some rumors about products themselves like choices between an ARM or x86 CPU but nothing is confirmed so far, we can just wait and see.

RocketDock is one of the most popular app launchers as it has been used excessively back in several windows versions. This was modeled based on the Mac OS X launch bar and offers an animated response when you hover the mouse over the apps gathered on the Dock. This is perched at the top of your screen, and you can easily drag your favorite app icons to have them in one place. The dock keeps all your most favorite shortcuts intact for faster and easy access. Like other apps, you can easily customize the dock with skins and other add-ons. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

Error Code 0x8007267C – What is it?

Error code 0x8007267C is specific to Windows 10. This error is triggered when no DNS server is currently configured in your network settings during the Activation process. If you are fairly confident in your ability to address command-line tools and networking issues, you can follow the steps below to try to remedy the error code on your own. If not, you may need to contact a qualified technician in order to resolve the error successfully.

Solution

Error Causes

The cause of Error Code 0X8007267C within the Window 10 system is fairly straightforward. Windows Activation requires a valid DNS server to be configured in order to complete the Activation process; if one is not available or properly configured, then you may see this error code and Activation will fail.

Further Information and Manual Repair

The following methods may help you to resolve this error, but you’ll need to have some familiarity with command-line tools to complete the steps successfully. If these methods do not work or if you are uncomfortable in using the command prompt, you may need to consult a technician to fully resolve this particular error code on the Windows 10 system.

Method 1: Register a DNS server within your network properties and test the connection.

In order to resolve this error code, client connectivity to a DNS server must first be established. The following steps may help you to determine the root problem with your connectivity status:

1. Open a command prompt, after which you'll run IPCONFIG /all
2. Verify the following values: The IP address that has been assigned, the DNS server, the subnet mask, and the default gateway. Compare each to ensure that all are set with the values that correspond to your specific environment
3. Check for basic IP connectivity to the DNS server using the PING command. In using the PING command, utilize the address of the DNS server found in Step 1

ping <DNS Server IP address>

If basic connectivity to the DNS server in question is failing, then you will need to resolve that issue before going further in the process.

After troubleshooting the above basic connectivity issues to the DNS server, you can reattempt Windows Activation by using the command below from within an Elevated Command selection:

cscript windowssystem32slmgr.vbs -ato

If the steps above did not work for you, you may want to try the steps found in method 2.

Method 2: Use phone-based authentication with a MAK (multiple activation key).

If a DNS server is not connected to your network, you can use an alternative method to complete the Windows Activation process. Bypass Method 1 by using a MAK product key instead to activate the volume license installation. Certain MAK product key providers have a variation on the specific key numbers that you will need to use. If you are using TechNet media or MSDN media, you will have to change the product key listed to the product key provided. The product keys provided by either TechNet media or MSDN media for Windows Server 2008 or for Windows Vista Enterprise will be the MAK product key that you will enter in a later step.

Like the previous method, you will need to have some familiarity or confidence in your ability to operate Command Line tools before proceeding. Once you have found your MAK product key, you’ll need to open a command prompt and use the following command to change the product key to match the MAK product key, which should look something like the example below:

            slmgr –ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

After completing the product key change, use the following command to initiate the phone activation wizard, thereby completing the activation of the system:

            slui 04

The activation wizard should be able to walk you through the remainder of the process in a step-by-step manner. In addition to appearing as an error code in Windows 10, this particular error may apply to multiple versions of Windows, including:

• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Enterprise E
• Windows 7 Enterprise N
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Professional E
• Windows 7 Professional N

Steps to address the error code may be different in any of these other versions of Windows. If you have difficulty in resolving the error effectively, seek professional technical help.