Fix NO_USER_MODE_CONTEXT in Windows

There are instances when instead of fixing problems the Windows Update brings you problems on your Windows 10 computer. You might even see some pending Windows Updates which for some reason, refuse to install no matter what you do. The good thing is you won’t have to deal with those failed and pending updates that are incompletely downloaded to your PC as you can actually delete them. Follow the instructions prepared below to delete the failed and pending Windows Updates.

Step 1: The first thing you have to do is delete all the contents in the Temporary folder

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type in “%temp%” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Temporary folder.
• From there, select all the folders and files within the Temporary folder and then delete them all.

Note: %temp% is one of the many environment variables in Windows that could open the designated folder by Windows as the Temporary folder which is usually located at C:\Users[username]AppDataLocalTemp.

Step 2: Next, remove the pending.xml file

• Go to the C:\Windows WinSxS folder.
• Once you’ve opened the folder, look for a file named “pending.xml” file and right-click on it and you can either rename it or delete it.
• After that, the Windows Update should delete the pending tasks and build a fresh new update.

Step 3: Delete all the contents of 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. Aside from that, it also contains all the Windows Update History files and once you delete them, you will most likely lose the Update history. As a result, the next time you run the Windows Update, it may result in a longer detection time.

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

net stop wuauserv net stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• Next, got to the C:\Windows\Software\Distribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

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

Step 4: Try resetting the catroot2 folder

You can also try resetting the catroort2 folder as it is known to fix tons of Windows Update issues. Both the Catroot and catroot2 are Windows operating system folders that are required for the Windows update process.  So when you run the Windows Update, the catroort2 folders stores the signatures of the Windows Update package and helps it in the installation. It makes use of the “%windir%System32catroot2edb.log” file in the updating process. Afterward, the updates are stored in the SoftwareDistribution folder which is used then by the Automatic Updates in order to execute the updating process. Keep in mind that you must not rename or delete the Catroot folder. Although the Catroot2 folder is recreated automatically by Windows, the Catroot folder isn’t.

It is common knowledge that when you open a file that contains viruses, it will automatically infect the operating system. This is why most antivirus programs like Windows Defender won’t allow the opening of a file or execution of any associated program if they detected that the file or program could potentially harm the computer. In situations like this, you may get an error stating, “Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus”. In addition, it is also possible that this error message can pop up even for known programs. To open the program or file that triggered the error, you will be given a couple of options in this post but make sure that the program or file is really safe to open and does not contain any virus. You can open the file or execute the program by disabling the Windows Defender or any antivirus program temporarily. You could also try to add an exclusion in your antivirus program or repair File Explorer or run the Disk Cleanup tool. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to temporarily disable the Windows Defender program

Although you could encounter this error with any antivirus program, it is more common in Windows Defender. Thus, you can try to disable it for a while when you open the file or execute the program. To do so, follow these steps:

• First, click on the Start button and go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Security.
• Here, select the “Open Windows Security” option located in the right pane.
• After that, click on the “Virus and threat protection” option.
• Next, click on Manage settings under the Virus and threat protection settings.
• Then turn off the switch for both Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection.
• Now restart your computer and try to open the file or execute the program again and see if it works.
• Note: Do not forget to enable the Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection back in Windows Defender.

Option 2 – Try adding an exclusion in the Windows Defender program

• Open the Windows Defender Security Center from the system tray area.
• Next, click the “Virus & threat protection” option and then open the “Virus and threat protection settings”.
• After that, scroll down until you find the “Exclusions” and click on the “Add or remove exclusions” option.
• Then click the plus button and select the type of exclusion you want to add and from the drop-down list, select Folder.
• Next, navigate to the path where the file or program is located.
• When a User Account Control or UAC prompt, just click on Yes to proceed.
• Now try to run the program or file again and see if it worked. If it did, then make sure to turn on your antivirus. However, if it didn’t work, proceed to the next given options below.

Option 3 – Try to run a System File Checker scan

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the errors 0x8024a11a and 0x8024a112. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• 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.

 Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 4 – Run the Disk Cleanup tool

You can also try using the Disk Cleanup tool. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type “cleanmgr” in the field and hit Enter to open the Disk Cleanup window.
• After that, select the drive you want to clean.
• Now click OK to clean the disk and restart your computer.

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.

Website breaches and stealing user data is nothing new in the world of the internet. Although a very unpleasant experience it still happens even on some high-quality websites. In this article, we will not focus on how can you not be the target of this kind of attack, because you really cannot. Weel you can kind of if you decide not to have your data on websites at all, but let's just say that is not something you are willing to do.

So, in this case, you have some social, forum, or gaming accounts but you heard that service has been breached and that your email or password might be stolen. Well in this case all you need to do is of course to login into the service and change your password. But, what happens if you are not aware at all that service has been compromised?

Mozilla foundation has asked themselves this same question it seems and they have decided to help us out. They have placed a free online service where you can just by typing in your email address find out if your email or data has been compromised in any way.

Go to https://monitor.firefox.com/ and check it out, if you find out that there is some website that you did not know was breached, change your password right away, and if you have used the same password for anything else (I hope not), change them as well.

When you update or upgrade your computer to Windows 10, the setup will look for the compatibility of both the hardware and software. And in this process, if suddenly got an error message saying, “Some apps need to be uninstalled” or “You need to uninstall a program in order to continue”, you have to look for the program(s) that might be causing the compatibility issues. But worry not as this post will help you resolve the issue. Simply follow the given suggestions below.

Option 1 – Look for the incompatible programs

There are times when Windows 10 will point out the programs that are incompatible with Windows 10. In this situation, just click on the Uninstall and continue button and then wait for the process to be completed. For more information, you can check out the official site Ready for Windows by Microsoft. This site can help you determine which software versions are compatible with Windows 10 and which ones are not. All you have to do is select the Windows 10 version and type your App name, after that, you will see the results about its compatibility. Thus, it’s now easier for you to figure out which software is causing an issue and if there is a new updated version available that you can install instead.

Option 2 – Try to install the Windows Update in a Clean Boot State

Putting your PC in a Clean Boot state can also help you install Windows Updates or Upgrades without any trouble because, during this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

• 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” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.

Option 3 – Try creating a new user account

Creating a new user account can resolve the “Some apps need to be uninstalled” error when upgrading or updating your Windows 10 PC. All you have to do is create a new admin account and initiate the setup. And this is a new user account, there will be no third-party applications installed on your computer. Thus, the installation should go through without any trouble. And in case you’ve already installed programs for that user, you just have to uninstall them all and then re-run the setup.

Option 4 – Perform a clean install

If none of the options worked, you can try to clean install Windows 10. Just make sure that you have the ISO from the official Microsoft Website and then a bootable USB drive to install Windows 10 again. Take note that this will delete all the data from your drive where Windows 10 was installed previously.

Booting the Windows computer system includes loading it from the various boot devices such as drivers, network as well as USB drives when the computer is turned on. The instant the startup sequence is done loading the operating system the system hardware will be ready to perform some complex operations – in this process, the Boot Log in Windows 10 is a record that maintains the list of success or failure of many pieces of Windows 10 system during the booting process. In other words, the Boot Log is the one that keeps a record of all that has happened while loading from the computer storage system to the memory during the boot process. It is available for several devices like network, hardware devices, and the operating system which assist in detecting issues during the boot process and other issues with regards to troubleshooting. Through Boot Log, you’ll know which drivers were unloaded and loaded from the start of the system during the boot process. You have the option to either disable or enable this feature on your Windows 10 PC. Named as “ntbtlog.txt”, the log file lists all the successfully loaded processes and the unsuccessful ones during the boot process. It is saved to the drive C:Windowsntbtlog.txt. As mentioned, you can enable or disable this feature in two ways – the first one is by using the System Configuration or MSConfig while the second one is using the Command Prompt. In this post, we’ll show you how you can enable or disable Boot Log in Windows 10 either way.

Option 1 – Enable or Disable Boot Log using System Configuration

Enable Boot Log:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in “msconfig” and click OK to open System Configuration.
• After that, go to the boot tab and check the checkbox labeled “Boot Log” under the Boot options so that you can enable the Boot Log feature.
• Then click on OK to save the changes made.
• Next, click on the Restart button in the prompt window to get started with the Boot Log process.
• After restarting your PC, go to C:Windowsntbtlog.txt to open the boot log.

Note: As pointed out earlier, the log file contains a list of all the successfully loaded drivers and also the list of drivers that failed to load during the boot process and every time you restart the system, the boot log file will keep on updating and will eventually increase the list of entries. For you to locate the drivers and make your troubleshooting a lot easier, I advised disabling the boot log after troubleshooting. To disable the boot log using System Configuration, refer to the steps below. Disable Boot Log:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in “msconfig” and click OK to open System Configuration.
• After that, go to the boot tab and unmark or uncheck the checkbox labeled “Boot Log” under the Boot options so that you can disable the Boot Log feature.
• Then click on OK to save the changes made.

Option 2 – Enable or Disable Boot Log using Command Prompt

Enable Boot Log:

• Go to the Start Menu and then type in “command prompt” in the search bar.
• After that, right-click on the Command Prompt option and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in “bcdedit” and tap Enter.

Note: You have to find the Identifier of the current operating system first to enable the Boot log. You can find it under the Windows Boot Loader section in the “Description” field and in this case, it’s Windows 10. You can also find the operating system identifier under the Windows Boot Loader section next to the field name identifier.

• To check if the boot log entry is disabled or enabled, go check the “Bootlog” field under the Windows Boot Loader. And if it turns out that the “bootlog” entry is enabled, the entry will be “Yes”. Otherwise, the entry will be “No”.
• Next, type in the following command with the operating system identifier to enable the boot log.

bcdedit /set {identifier} bootlog Yes

Note: In the command given above, make sure that you replace the given system identifier with your computer’s system identifier. For instance: In this example, the identifier was replaced with the actual operating system identifier as current.

bcdedit /set {current} bootlog Yes

• Afterward, restart the system to start the Boot log process.
• After the restart, go to C:Windowsntbtlog.txt to open the boot log.

Note: Every time you restart your computer, the boot log file will keep on updating which will increase the size of the log eventually. So if you want seamless and easier troubleshooting, it is advised to disable the Boot log after you troubleshoot. To disable it using the Command Prompt, here’s what you have to do. Disable Boot Log:

• Go to the Start Menu and then type in “command prompt” in the search bar.
• After that, right-click on the Command Prompt option and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• Once the Command Prompt is opened, type in the following command and then tap Enter to disable the boot log feature.

bcdedit/ set {identifier} bootlog No

Note: In the command given above, you need to replace the given system identifier with your computer’s system identifier. For instance: In this example, the {identifier} was replaced with the actual operating system identifier as {current}.

bcdedit /set {current} bootlog No

• Now close the Command Prompt.

What is Mastodon? Mastodon is an open-source microblogging network very similar to Twitter. You can make 500 characters post messages called toot (tweet), share videos or images, and follow other people. But unlike Twitter, Mastodon is decentralized, meaning the entire Mastodon is not run by a single company pulling all strings.

Mastodon can be used directly in your web browser or through a mobile client on a smartphone or tablet. It includes features that seem copied from Twitter-like replies, boosts (retweets), favorites (loves), a timeline view, blocking, and voluntary content warnings that hide sensitive content.

Mastodon also has some great features that Twitter does not have like automated post deletion for the older post of a certain age, requiring approval for follows without restricting your account, and opting out of search engine indexing.

Currently, there are also no ads on Mastodon meaning no ad tracking or ad network surveillance.

How Does Mastodon Work?

Mastodon is a social media network made of nodes called servers or instances each running special software meaning anyone can run their own Mastodon instance (if they have a proper dedicated server). When you have your own instance it can be linked in the federation or remain private, so individuals or companies can have control over individual Mastodon servers.

The software itself is open source based on the social networking protocol ActivityPub which was developed by WWW Consortium.

While using Mastodon, people sign up for accounts with specific instances. Once logged in, you can view a local timeline (of posts from that instance only) or, if the instance is federated with others, see a federated timeline comprised of toots from people in other instances. Mastodon users can send messages to each other using their Mastodon account names that are similar to email addresses in that they feature the server address as well as the user name.

It is a fact that Google Chrome is one of the world’s most used web browsers and it’s because this search giant is focused on following the standards of the web. Although this web browser has become quite bloated over the years, it still remains at the top of the list of browsers used most by users. If you are a user of Google Chrome for a long time now, you have most likely come across a couple of issues in the past while using this browser. In this post, we’ll help you fix one of the issues commonly encountered in Chrome which is the “No Data Received – ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” error. This kind of error message in Chrome pops up when you try to log into a website. It isn’t clear what’s the cause of this error but worries not, for there are several ways you can try to fix it.

Option 1 – Try checking if your network connection is working

The No Data Received – ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE error is not usually related to a downed network. However, anything is possible so you need to check if your internet connection is working just fine or not as it might be the reason why you’re getting this error in Chrome.

Option 2 – Try resetting the network

There are instances when a network goes into haywire because of a bad DNS. Thus, a bad DNS might be the one that’s causing this headache so it’s time for you to reset the entire network to resolve the issue. To reset the network, here’s what you have to do:

• Click the Start button and type in “command prompt” in the field.
• From the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After opening Command Prompt, you have to type each one of the commands listed below. Just make sure that after you type each command, you hit Enter
  • ipconfig /release
  • ipconfig /all
  • ipconfig /flushdns
  • ipconfig /renew
  • netsh int ip set dns
  • netsh winsock reset

After you key in the commands listed above, the DNS cache will be flushed and the Winsock, as well as the TCP/IP, will reset.

• Now restart your computer and open Google Chrome then try opening the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 3 – Try to clear the browsing data of Google Chrome

If your browsing data in Chrome hasn’t been cleared for some time now then that might be the reason why you’re suddenly getting the ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE error when you browse the web. To fix this error, you need to clear your web browsing data. Refer to the following steps to do so.

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Delete buttons to go to the Clear browsing data section in Chrome.
• Next, set the time range to “All time” and tick all the boxes and then click on the Clear data button.
• After that, restart the Chrome browser and try to open the website you were trying to open earlier.

Option 4 – Reset Google Chrome

If none of the options given above worked, you can try resetting the Chrome browser. To do that, follow these steps:

• Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
• After that, click on Settings.
• Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
• After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up an option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Restart Chrome and check if you can now open the webpage or not.

Hello everyone and welcome to how to fix Windows when it is not starting tutorial. Here we will tackle some common problems and solutions in order to help you to get back both your computer and Windows in working order. Windows not booting and loading is an annoying issue that can even result in complete loss of your data and can also consume a lot of time if no other solution than clean install remains. Also if you are not tech-savvy, this issue can cost you as well since you will have to hire a professional to solve this problem for you. Here at Error Tools, we aim to help so you can overcome your PC issues yourself by providing you daily with tutorials, tips, and tricks and helping you with all of your Windows issues. All of that being said, let's see what are issues that can prevent your computer or Windows from booting up and get around them so everything is back in working order.

1. Use repair tool

   Windows 10 comes with a startup repair tool that has the goal to repair and fix errors preventing Windows from booting up. To use this tool however you will need Windows 10 bootable USB stick. You can create a bootable USB directly on the Microsoft site. Once you have it ready, plug it in and reboot your computer, choose to boot from USB. When you are on the Windows setup screen, click on next and then on Repair your computer. Go to troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup repair. When Startup repair is clicked, Windows will boot, scan files for issues, and if they are found he will automatically fix them.

2. “Windows Failed to Start” 0xc00000f error

   If you get this error on your boot of Windows, then you have corrupted boot configuration data. In order to fix this error, you will also need a bootable USB with Windows 10 on it. Make one on the Microsoft site if you don't have it and reboot your computer, boot from USB, on the setup screen click on next and then on Repair your computer. Click on Troubleshoot and then on the command prompt. In the command prompt type the following: bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd exit Reboot your PC without a USB

3. Boot into safe mode

   Safe mode for Windows loads only its core without drivers and with minimal services. If you can boot into safe mode then the issue is with some application or driver causing the problem. Try the selective boot option to eliminate what is causing the error.

4. Make sure your hardware is connected

   Some RAM or hard drive out of socket can cause Windows not to be able to boot, check all connections just in case.

If everything else fails, perform a clean Windows installation. The reason for Windows not booting up can be caused by various viruses and malware also if that case it would be best to format and perform a clean install.

Runtime Error 429 - What is it?

Error 429 is a type of runtime error. It sometimes occurs when you use the new operator or the CreateObject function in Microsoft Visual Basics to create an instance of a Microsoft Office application. The error code is displayed on your computer screen in the following format:

Runtime Error ‘429’: Active X component Can’t Create Object

Solution

Error Causes

The runtime error code 429 is triggered for several reasons. These include:

• Mistake in the application
• Incorrect system configuration
• Missing ActiveX components in the application
• Damaged Active X and class application components
• DLL required by the application is damaged
• Active X object was not registered properly
• Corrupted applications
• Corrupted Windows registry
• Class ID issues

The runtime error code 429 not only causes you inconvenience as it hampers your ability to access programs but delays in repairing this error code can lead to serious PC damages such as system freezes, crashes, and failures.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the runtime error 429 on your PC, try the following recommended solutions:

1. Re-register the Application Causing the Error

Identify the Office application causing the error and re-register it. For instance, if Office Excel is the prime cause of the error message pop up, simply re-register it. Click on the start menu and then run. Then type this in “: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office/Excel.exe /regserver” and press OK. This will hopefully resolve the issue.

2. Go to The Microsoft Windows Script Update Page and Download Microsoft Updated Installation File

This will also assist you in repairing runtime error 429. Simply follow the installation wizard and update your MS Office Applications. The corrupted files and missing components in them would be easily corrected by the update file. However, if this doesn’t work, then this means that the cause is more crucial than you think. It is either related to damaged Active X objects or a corrupted Windows registry.

3. Repair the Active X objects and the Registry

To repair both the registry and the Active X objects in one go, it is advisable to download Restoro. This is an advanced, next-generation, highly and multi-functional PC repair tool. It is deployed with powerful and numerous utilities like a registry cleaner, Active X and class scanner, privacy error detector, and system stability module. The registry cleaner embedded in this repair tool enables you to wipe out obsolete, unnecessary, malicious, and invalid files and registry entries saved in the registry. It frees up your disk space, repairs damaged DLL files and the registry thus resolving the runtime error 429 on your system. The Active X object and Class feature identifies and scans Active X issues on your PC and resolves them right away. Besides this, with this error tool, you can also scan for viruses and also improve your PC performance.

Why Total System Care?

Total System Care is a one-stop solution to resolve all kinds of PC-related issues including the runtime error 429. To run it on your system, you don’t have to be a computer programmer. It is very easy to operate. It has easy navigation and a user-friendly interface. There is nothing complex about it. It is safe and efficient. It resolves all PC issues in a few seconds. You can run it in the background while performing other tasks on your system. Furthermore, it is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Total System Care and resolve the Runtime Error 429 on your system today.