As you know, each one of the Windows 10 versions is priced differently and one of the considered more expensive compared to the Windows 10 Home version is the Windows10 Pro. The good thing is, Microsoft allows its users to upgrade from the Windows 10 Home version to the Windows 10 Pro version at a reasonable cost instead of buying the entire license again.
However, upgrading your Windows 10 computer is not always that easy and you might encounter some errors along the way. One of the reported errors you could encounter is an error message that says, “Something happened, and we couldn’t start the upgrade”. This kind of problem is due to the problems with the Microsoft Store or the key authorization and to fix it, there are several options you can check out. You can try to run the built-in troubleshooters such as the Windows Update troubleshooter, Windows Store Apps troubleshooter, or Microsoft Accounts troubleshooter. You could also try to reset the Windows Store cache or re-register the Windows Store app. For more details, refer to each one of the given options below.
Option 1 – Try to run the Microsoft Accounts troubleshooter
Since the Microsoft Accounts troubleshooter is not built-in into the Windows operating system, you can download this troubleshooter by clicking on this link.
Option 2 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the “Something happened, and we couldn’t start the upgrade” error. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 3 – Run the Windows Store App troubleshooter
The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the problem in Microsoft Store. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app issues. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.
Option 4 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache
As you know, like any other apps, 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, “wsreset.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 5 – 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:
Windows update issue may come up when the configuration for windows update service is not properly configured or this error can also come up when there is corrupt windows installation. Before trying any of the given solutions to this error try first to clean boot your Windows and turn off any 3rd party utility application. If this method fails move to the provided solutions.
Change startup type of UOS service to automatic
UOS or The Update Orchestrator Service is essential for proper Windows updates. If this service is by any means turned on manual it could be the reason for error since it can create incompatibility between OS modules, if this is the case, setting it to automatic will solve the issue.
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC on your keyboard to bring the task manager up and click on the services tab.
In the services find orchestrator service, right-click on it, and from the list of startup types choose automatic.
Click on APPLY and reboot your computer.
Try to fix it in the command prompt
If the above method failed, try fixing the issue via command prompt.
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to bring up the secret menu and start command prompt (administrator)
In the command prompt write these lines one after another as they are finished:
net stop bitsnet stop wuauservnet stop appidsvcnet stop cryptsvcRen %systemroot%SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bakRen %systemroot%system32catroot2 catroot2.bakNet Start bitsNet Start wuauservNet Start appidsvcNet Start cryptsvc
After all this, reboot your system and check if updates are working properly.
Try to fix it via registry editor
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to bring run and type in it RegEdit, press ENTER
find Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsoSvc
in the right part, find key START and change its value to 2Reboot your system
Try with a new user account
If by any chance user account data is corrupted this may be the reason why we have this error.
Create a new administrator user account
Shut down your computer
Turn in back ON and log in with the new account
Perform SFC scan
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X and choose command prompt (administrator)
type in: sfc /scannow
This may take a while, sit back, let it finish, and try again windows update
That is all considering this particular error, we certainly hope that you have managed to fix it using any of provided solutions!
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 wuauservnet 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 wuauservnet 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.
Windows 11 is a good-looking operating system but people love to make things personal and to their liking so we decided to help you in this mission with small customization of changing default system fonts inside Windows 11.
Since there is no really easy way to just switch the font windows is using for itself we will have to tweak a registry a little so before we start please do make a backup of the registry file and follow the steps as they are presented in order to avoid any errors and break the system.
So, if all precautions are made and you are ready to change your Windows appearance let's dive right into it:
Find and/or install the font that you wish to use
There are vast free font sites on the internet where you can find fonts that you like and wish to use but be very careful with your desired font selection. The font that you choose needs to be a complete typeface, meaning that it has to contain all glyphs, large and small font sizes, all special characters, etc or you will experience that in certain areas nothing will be displayed.
Once you have found the font that you like and made sure it is a complete font, install it on your system (you can skip this step if you just want to change the system font with one already installed on your system)
Create REG file
Open notepad or a similar plain text editor in order to create a file that will apply changes directly into the registry and create a new file. Inside the file paste this text:
All the way to the bottom where it says: "Segoe UI"="NEW-FONT", change NEW-FONT with the font name that you have chosen or installed in the previous step. For example: "Segoe UI"="Ubuntu".
Now go to File > Save As and name your file however you want but give it REG extension so it looks like: my_new_windows_font.REG
Apply changes
Now that you have your registry entry saved, locate it and double-click on it, at this stage Windows warning will probably pop up, you can just ignore it and click on YES since you wrote the file and know what it is. After registry entry is applied reboot your PC in order for changes to take effect.
Rolling back
If you want to change the font to another one, just repeat this procedure again. If you want to roll back to using the default Windows font, repeat the process but with this code instead of the one provided in the REG file:
The docking station was promised upon release of the Deck but it was pushed back and now the official statement is that it is delayed again.
Valve said in an announcement on June 1:
“Due to parts shortages and COVID closures at our manufacturing facilities, the official Steam Deck Docking Station is delayed. We’re working on improving the situation and will share more info when we have it.”
Valve
The docking station was presented at the same time as Deck itself and the whole idea was to make Steam Deck work like a laptop docking station. It has ports for USB devices, displays, and network connections that became functional the moment Deck is placed on it. Docking supports a mouse, keyboard, and external display making it an almost full PC station if needed.
Valve confirmed that its official dock station will not improve performance so while you wait for its release you can use another docking station with a USB Type-C connector.
Recently, a number of Windows 10 users reported that they were not able to use Cortana properly because it wasn’t able to connect to the internet. According to these users, Cortana won’t connect to the internet even when their internet connection is stable. According to security experts, this issue is confirmed to occur only with Microsoft accounts.
This problem might have something to do with a proxy server that interferes with Cortana. There were reports that this issue was caused by a proxy that was filtering the network connection which also happens to interfere with Cortana’s ability to adapt search results and queries based on the user’s location. It could also be caused by some glitch in the home network or your Microsoft account information is inconsistent or your Microsoft account has to be verified.
Here are some suggestions that could help fix the connection issue in Cortana, just start with the first one and work your way down until you encounter an option that fixes the problem.
Option 1 – Restart or reset your modem or router
The first thing you can try is restarting or resetting your modem or router. All you have to do is unplug the power cable of the modem and then plug it back in after a few seconds. You could also use the reset button of the modem at the back if it is one. But before you press the reset button, keep in mind that it will erase all the connection credentials and it will be set back to its default settings. After rebooting the network, you can restart your computer to force your modem or router to reassign an IP address to your computer.
Option 2 – Restart Cortana
Restarting Cortana can help you resolve the issue.
To restart Cortana, open the Task Manager, right-click on Cortana and select the “End process” option.
Then go to the File tab and select “Run new task”.
After that, type in “cortana.exe” and press Enter to restart the process.
Option 3 – Try to remove Proxy
Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the connection issue in Cortana. Here’s how you can do it:
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 4 – Open another app that uses a Microsoft account
This might seem like an odd fix, however, a couple of users tried doing this and it worked for them as it allowed Cortana to connect to the internet again. In this option, you just have to launch another app that uses your Microsoft account information in the same way as Cortana, for instance, the Store app. Once you open the app, a prompt should appear along with a dialog box that allows you to update your Microsoft account with the information required. After that, restart your computer and check if Cortana is now able to connect to the internet or not.
Option 5 – Verify your Microsoft account
In some cases, Cortana might not be able to connect to the internet because your Microsoft account is no longer verified. This usually happens when you use a two-step authentication system with your Microsoft account. To verify it, just open Settings and click on Accounts. After that, check if you have a Verify hyperlink under your Microsoft account or not then click on Verify. Afterward, follow the next on-screen prompts to verify your Microsoft account. Once your account is verified, restart your computer.
Option 6 – Reset Cortana settings
Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
Restart your PC.
After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.
As you know, the Microsoft store is a built-in tool in Windows 10 where you can find a variety of applications. It helps users in downloading or updating apps in the system. However, there are instances when you could encounter issues while using it. One of the issues that you could face when using the Microsoft Store app is when it keeps on offering apps you have just updated or when you are not able to update any apps at all.
This kind of issue in the Microsoft Store app might be caused by other issues like a damaged Windows Store cache. There are several options you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to check the registry setting or run the Windows Store apps troubleshooter or clear the Windows Store cache manually or reset its settings. You could also try to re-register the Microsoft Store app. For more details, refer to each one of the options provided below but before you troubleshoot the problem, make sure that you create a System Restore point.
Option 1 – Run the Windows Store App troubleshooter
The Windows 10 Store Apps Troubleshooter will help you in fixing the problem in Microsoft Store. This is a great built-in tool from Microsoft that helps users fix any app issues. To use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, follow the steps below.
Tap Win + I keys again to open the Windows Settings panel.
Go to Update & Security and then go to Troubleshoot.
Under the Troubleshoot section, on your left-hand side, scroll down to find Window Store Apps.
Then click on the Run the troubleshooter option and follow the on-screen instructions and then see if it fixes the problem.
Option 2 – Try checking the settings in the Windows Registry
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to check the Registry settings for the Windows Store.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionCurrentVersion
From there, look for the DWORD named “CurrentVersion” and make sure that its value data is set to 6.3, but if it’s not then change its value data to 6.3
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer and then see if it fixed the problem with the Microsoft Store app.
Option 3 – 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 4 – 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:
Browsing the internet doesn’t always go smoothly, you might encounter ads, pop-ups, viruses, malware, and even errors. In this post, we’ll walk you through how you can fix the 502 Bad Gateway error that you might encounter in browsing the internet. This kind of error suggests the server which is the one that’s acting as a gateway to facilitate in taking your request to the server and bring some response back has received an invalid response or even no response at all. It could be that the connection is broken or that there is an issue on the server-side that returns an invalid response. Even though the 502 Bad Gateway error is a server-related error, there are still a few things you can try that might help resolve it, if tapping the Ctrl + F5 keys does not resolve the problem.
Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter what website you open as this error can appear on any website. To resolve the problem, you need to follow the options prepared below.
Option 1 – Check the network cable connections and restart your router
As with other connection problems, this is the most basic thing to do before you try other troubleshooting options because the root cause of the problem might be as simple as a cable not connected properly or a router that just needs to be restarted. Thus, checking the network cable connection to see if there is anything out of order can help as well as restarting your router.
Option 2 – Reset Winsock, TCP/IP & Flush DNS
Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP, and flushing DNS might help you resolve the issue. To do so, follow these steps:
Right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator) so you can pull up an elevated Command Prompt.
After that, execute each one of the commands listed below. And after you typed in one after the other, you have to hit Enter.
netsh winsock reset – type in this command to reset Winsock
netsh int ip reset resettcpip.txt – type in this command to reset TCP/IP
ipconfig /flushdns– type in this command to flush the DNS cache
Next, restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed.
Option 3 – Change the DNS
Changing the DNS server for your network can also help you fix the 502 Bad Gateway error. You can use a public DNS like the Google Public DNS, Open DNS, Yandex DNS, Comodo Secure DNS, and many more. All you have to do is to override the default DNS settings on your PC so that you can specify which DNS server is used as well as which IP address should be used for a specific domain.
Option 4 – Try updating the Network Adapter Driver
Follow the steps below to update your Network Adapter Driver:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
From there, expand the list of all the network drives and update each one of them.
Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to uninstall the very same drivers and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly.
Option 5 – Try a Network Reset
When all else fails, you might have to consider resetting your entire network settings. Simply follow the steps below to do so.
Click on the Start button and then click on the gear-like icon for Settings to open it.
Next, select Network and Internet.
Then scroll down and look for “Network Reset” – click on it and then click on the Reset now button.
Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator.
The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful.
The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks.
The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.
Other Windows 11 apps
A new snipping tool will be delivered with this latest update as well packed with new functionality. We have covered new features of the snipping tool in another article, if you are interested you can find the article here: https://errortools.com/windows/new-snipping-tool-redesigned-in-windows-11/
Mail and Calendar apps will also get a redesign, sadly all redesign that they will include will be of visual nature to fit in the overall Windows 11 theme, functionality will remain the same.
Many users would probably agree that the Windows Media Player, in most cases, is a lot better than the Groove. Although it is understandable why the Groove Music app was created, it may be time for Microsoft to bring its focus back on Windows Media Player. Even more, so that some users are experiencing an issue where they were not able to play their playlist in the Windows Media Player on their Windows 10 PCs.
One particular user claimed that when he removed his music from the C drive and transferred them to the C drive for some reason he didn’t state. Right after he did that, any attempts to play songs in the Windows Media Player just don’t seem to work. Transferring music to a different location shouldn’t cause any issue but for some unknown reason, it did. According to security experts, the reason why the Windows Media Player didn’t play the playlist is that it still believes that the songs are still located in the C drive when they’re really not. So the question here is, how can you get the Windows Media Player to recognize the exact and correct location of the songs? Worry not, for this post will show you how exactly you can do that.
Carefully follow each one of the instructions given below to fix the Windows Media Player issue.
Option 1 – Try running the WMP Troubleshooters
In case there are any issues with the Windows Media Player, you can always count on the WMP Troubleshooters to fix the problem for you. These built-in troubleshooters, namely, Windows Media Player Library and Windows Media Player DVD Troubleshooters can help you fix the problem, so run them both and see if you can now play those songs or not.
Option 2 – Try rebuilding the Windows Media Player Database
If the first option didn’t work for you, you might have to rebuild the Windows Media Player database. You can do this by following the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
After that, copy and paste this command in the field: %userprofile%Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftMedia Player
Once you’ve pasted the command, hit Enter then you will see a new File Explorer which is the folder for the Media Player. You will have to delete every item in this folder, except for the folders. Meaning to say, you must only delete the individual contents inside but not the folders.
Now launch the Windows Media Player again and watch as it rebuilds the music library automatically.
If you have a laptop that is slowing down and some usual tasks are sluggish you probably mean that it is time to change it and get a new one. Altho it is a good solution and it will guarantee that you will be able to do your tasks with more speed and comfort, straight purchasing is not always the best thing to do.
There are things you can do and some upgrades that are cheaper and will bring your laptop back into the game and extend its usage for a few more years.
1. Clean it
The most common issue for slowing down of computer is dust and dirt that accumulates over time and usage. If the laptop has not been properly cleaned in a while, cleaning it and placing new thermal paste on the CPU can do wonders. If you are not keen on doing this yourself or do not possess the required skillset take it to your local IT center for cleaning.
2. Uninstall software that you are not using
Various software can have speeding effects on computers, it can have some services running in the background and thus take precious resources slowing the whole system. If you are not using software, uninstall it.
3. Do not install the latest software
If you are using your computer for basic tasks there is no really need to install the latest and best. A lot of new software will require new hardware and things that offer are not so much better nor even required to justify the upgrade. Let us take office, for example, if you are using it to just write some text and not using any advanced options there is really no need to switch to a newer version, the old one will do just fine tasks that you are in need of.
4. Replace HD
Now this fits in the domain of upgrading your hardware but still it is much cheaper than replacing the whole laptop. Windows 10 works much better with SSD and SSD itself is faster than your standard HD, especially if it is slower model spinning in only 5400RPM. Operation of HD replacement is simple and straightforward and anyone can do it but the benefits of replacement will be visible right away. With a new SSD instead of an old mechanical one, you will have the feeling that you actually bought a new laptop.
5. Add more RAM
This is basically the last thing you can do in order to speed up your old laptop that will not break your bank account. Upgrading RAM was always the thing that can push your computer to have more power and to behave better while you are doing tasks. One important thing here is to first see how much RAM you have in your computer. If you are packing already 8GB then upgrading will not do much but if you have only 4GB, raising it to 6GB or 8GB will be beneficial. Also, check if the model of the laptop supports more RAM in the first place.
Conclusion
We have covered here a vast array of options in order to get your laptop back into the game with variability between hardware upgrades to taking care of your software. Whatever option you choose to do it will speed up your computer but among all of them, replacing the hard drive will do the most.
Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator.
The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful.
The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks.
The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.
