The “Unknown Hard” error that keeps on appearing in Windows 10 can put users in an unpleasant situation. This kind of error leads to the freezing of the taskbar, blackening of the screen, and sudden disappearance of the icons on the Desktop. And each time you try to open Windows, the system will only give you an error message saying that it’s a critical error and some applications like Start and Cortana won’t work.
Upon analysis, it seems that the “sihost.exe” is not responding and that it is the one that’s causing the c000021a Unknown Hard error to pop up. Sihost.exe files represent the Shell Infrastructure Host which is an essential component in the Windows operating system. The Windows Shell Infrastructure Host is primarily responsible for handling some graphical elements of the operating system interface such as the Start menu and the taskbar transparency. And so if the Shell Infrastructure or Sihost.exe has stopped, has been removed, or corrupted, you will most likely have issues with the overall functionality of the Windows operating system and you’ll get the Unknown Hard error
In addition, the ctfmom.exe Unknown Hard error may also occur due to incompatible drivers installed on your PC. Ctfmom is a process that identifies inputs such as handwriting, languages, and many more. It’s the one that controls the functions of background behavior. To resolve this issue, you need to first try to identify which application is the one that’s running the sihost.exe file. And if needed, you need to either update or reinstall or completely uninstall the problematic application.
Option 1 – Try to run the System File Checker
The SFC Scan or System File Checker, us a built-in utility in Microsoft Windows that can be found in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. This tool allows users to scan and restore any corrupted system files in Windows that might be causing the Unknown Hard error to appear. Before you use this tool, make sure to find out whether the sihost.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you have to remove or if it’s a file that belongs to a trusted Windows application. Once you have that sorted out, follow the steps below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Option 2 – Try to use System Restore
You can also try using System Restore. This is one of the ways you can use it to back up your PC. Since restore points are created automatically each week by System Restore, you can use System Restore to restore your computer back to an earlier good point in time.
Option 3 – Try to troubleshoot the error in a Clean Boot State
Putting your PC in a Clean Boot state can help you diagnose and troubleshoot the issues in your system. 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 Unknown Hard Error.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” checkbox and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” checkbox.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
After putting your PC in a Clean Boot State, try creating a system restore point and see if the problem still occurs. Clean Boot troubleshooting is designed to help you isolate the problem. For you to execute a clean boot troubleshooting, you must do a couple of actions (the steps are given above) and then restart your PC after every action. You might have to disable one third-party app after the other to really isolate the issue. And once you’ve narrowed down the problem, you can either disable the third-party app that’s causing the problem or remove it. Note that you must switch your PC back into the Normal Startup mode after you’re done troubleshooting the problem. Here’s how you can do it:
From the “Start” menu, go to System Configuration.
After that, switch to the General tab and click the option for “Normal Startup”.
Next, go to the Services tab and clear the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft services”.
Then find and click “Enable all” and if prompted, you have to confirm.
Afterward, go to the Task Manager and enable all the Startup programs and confirm the action.
Could not connect to the System Event explanation: Although logging into a Windows 10 computer may seem like a simple process, it’s actually not since the Windows operating system has built a mechanism in a way that any third party or malware intervention would not compromise access to the system. This mechanism is supported by numerous services, functions, and DLL files. And Microsoft has been taking this security to a whole new level with the introduction of Windows Hello.
Recently, a number of users reported getting the “Windows could not connect to the System Event Notification Service service. Please consult your system administrator” error when logging into their computers. While some users also reported that although they can log in, they encounter the same error message from the Notification area. There are several options you can check out to resolve the error. You have to check the status of several Windows Services and make sure that they are running. You also have to reset Winsock as well as run the System File Checker scan.
Option 1 – Check for certain Windows Services
First, you need to tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
After that, you will see a list of services and from there, look for the following Windows Services:
DHCP Client
System Event Notification Service
Windows Font Cache Service
Now make sure that the Startup Type of each service is started and running.
Option 2 – Try resetting the Winsock drivers
In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
After opening Command Prompt, execute this command: netsh winsock reset
Note: If you are using IPv4, execute the “netsh int ipv4 reset” instead. On the other hand, if you are using IPv6, execute the “netsh int ipv6 reset”
Now exit Command Prompt and see if the error is now fixed.
Option 3 – Try running System File Checker or SFC scan
You could also run System File Checker or SFC scan to fix the BSOD error. It 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. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
Tap Win + R to launch Run.
Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Each time when you press WINDOWS + PrtScn key on your keyboard a screenshot is taken and saved on your Hard drive, to be more precise, it is saved in a specific folder which is in c:\Users\Your user name\Pictures\Screenshots. Now, this specific location is not anything that's bad but it is a little deep and not so user-friendly for quick access.
Luckily this default location can be changed into any folder that you like.
Changing location
First thing is to open File Explorer and then navigate to your PC. Once you go to your PC, go to Pictures, and inside right-click on the Screenshots folder. If there is no screenshots folder inside, this means that since Windows was installed no screenshots were taken with WINDOWS + PrtScn key combination. Please note that just by pressing PrtScn you will create a screenshot but you will place it inside the clipboard ready to be pasted somewhere, with WINDOWS + PrtScn you are saving the screenshot directly in a file on your hard drive.
So once you clicked on the Screenshots folder, go to the bottom and click on properties. Inside properties go to the Location tab. In the location, tab clicks on MOVE and browse to your new location where you would like screenshots to be saved. Once you select the folder for screenshots, click on the Select Folder button and confirm with OK. After this, Windows will ask you would you like to move existing screenshots into the chosen folder. Click YES or NO, depending on your preference.
After this easy setup, all of your new screenshots will be placed now inside the chosen folder.
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you tomorrow. Take care.
You have probably heard a lot of good things about gaming mice, how they are better feeling, better in any way possible and it is all true, everything you heard is actually true, they are superior in any way to a regular mouse but with one big disadvantage, and that would be the price. While you can find a regular mouse for pocket change, a gaming mouse is in comparison very expensive even for entry-level ones.
In this article we will explore all advantages and compare it with the regular one so you can come up with your own conclusion about do you really need one for yourself or if you are fine with regular.
Price
As stated price is one factor that does not favor gaming mice. Regular mouse for a personal computer goes around 10 or 20 USD, while entry-level in gaming one will be 40 USD and can go up to 250 USD, this large gap in price is usually determining factor why people pick up regular one. If you are on a really tight budget go for the regular one, but if you can afford a gaming one get it without second thoughts.
Software
This is where you will see the big difference between mice. Regular ones when connected are recognized and the driver is automatically installed and you can use it, same goes with gaming ones but with one big difference, you have an option to install additional manufacturers' software specially tailored for your mouse. In the application, you will be able to access some features that are specific to the mouse model that you could not set in typical Windows mouse properties. Beside more options software can also have features like setting your profiles and saving them to be recalled when you need them on the fly.
Sensitivity of mouse
The sensitivity of the mouse is measured in dots per one inch or short DPI, this is directly shown on your screen by how fast your mouse can move, higher sensitivity means your mouse will move faster across the screen and lower means it will move slower. All gaming mice come with buttons and settings that will allow you to change DPI on the fly and you can choose precise DPI settings in the software.
The regular mouse comes with DPI around 800 and goes to 1200 typically and does not have usually the option to change this while gaming mice start at 400 and can go as high as 26000 with the option to change it. Some regular mice can have only 1 option of DPI, usually very cheap ones.
Polling rates in mice
Pooling rate is the measurement of how often your mouse reports where it is positioned on the computer. The higher the pooling rate, the more responsive your mouse will be and vice versa. It is measured in hertz (Hz) and regular mice have them around 125Hz that is enough if you are using a computer for office, internet, and mail work.
If you are working in design or gaming you will need more than 125Hz polling rate, luckily gaming mice come with a minimum of 500Hz as an entry point and some hi-end models are going as far as 8000Hz. This very high pooling rate will get some extra load on your CPU but the mouse itself will be maximally responsive and will respond even to the smallest moves.
Ergonomics
Regular mice are well just mice, they are typical shape and size, gaming mice are made with ergonomics in mind. How they are made for extensive daily use of several hours per day they are constructed in a way to offer a pleasant and pain-free experience.
If you work on a computer for long periods of time consider gaming an ergonomic mouse since it will take the strain from hands and place them in a more natural position.
Macro keys
Gaming mice most of the time come with more keys compared with regular ones and good thing is that via its software you can tie certain actions to these extra keys making work or gaming more pleasant and quicker.
Components and material quality
In order to make regular mice more affordable and cheaper materials and quality of components had to suffer. Gaming mice have millions of guaranteed clicks by companies that make them before they break and regular ones usually do not guarantee a single one. This is due of course quality of materials that have been used in constructing these devices.
In the long term, if you use a gaming mouse for typical daily tasks it will outlive your regular one and on the side offer you more pleasant and responsive use along the way.
This specific Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 error code has to do with the number of times you can use your license number to install windows programs on computers. All windows activation codes are licensed to be used one time for a device, to control piracy, but what happens when your PC crashes, or you have to change a hard drive component and are forced to re-install Windows Operating System. Luckily, there is an easy fix for this issue.
Solution
Error Causes
Basically, when you need to re-install the Windows operating system that you have previously bought and installed on another computer an error code will be displayed with a message telling you that the activation server determined that the specific key could not be used for activation. This occurs because the key has already been used on that computer, or a different one, to install operating systems. There are a few easy fixes for this issue, and most of them should be easily completed on your own.
Further Information and Manual Repair
There aren’t many explanatory ways to repair Error Code 0xc004c008. Below are two methods to go about addressing this issue.
Methods 1:
The first step is to open the “Run” Window. You can do this in two ways. First, press the “Window” key and press the “R” key simultaneously. This will open the “Run” menu. Or you can start the “run” window by going to the Start menu and selecting Run.
In the Run window type “SLUI 4” and click enter.
A Phone Activation window will open up, after which you'll need to select a few options.
First chose the country in which you registered the product for the first time.
Choose your country and a phone number will be displayed specific to your choice. You will now need to call the number provided.
After you’ve dialed you will be prompted to write your “Installation ID”. Type your “Installation ID” on the phone.
After that step, you will be asked how many copies of Windows have been installed using this license. Choose “1”, should anything else be chosen but “1”, this will not work.
After the process is completed, you will be given a confirmation ID and should be able to proceed as normal with installation. You will have a workable product key again.
Install whatever copy of the Windows Operating System you are attempting to with the new product key.
Method 2:
If the first method did not work, the only other option is to call Microsoft and walk through the process with a technician. To do this, dial “1-800-936-5700”. Explain the error that you received and the steps in the update process during which it was displayed. The technician will be able to walk through the steps from getting a new product key to finishing the installation.
If you're not a tech-savvy individual but would like to solve this problem without the aid of a technician, download a powerful automated tool to fix error code 0xc004c008.
In trying to upgrade your Windows 10 computer, you might have come across the error 0x800F0923. This kind of Windows upgrade/update error is caused by an incompatible driver or software that’s installed on your computer. Thus, to fix the problem, you need a working fix which you can choose from below.
As mentioned, you can try updating the concerned application or software to its latest version to resolve the compatibility issue and in turn, fix error 0x800F0923. Note that depending on where you had installed the application, your steps will change. So if you have it installed directly from the website, refer to these steps:
Look for the built-in option to check the updates since the most application has this option.
You also have the option to go to the website of the application and check if there is a new version available. If there is, download and update the app.
On the other hand, if you have downloaded the app from the Microsoft Store, here’s what you have to do:
Open the Store and click on the three dots located at the top-right of the window.
Next, click the Download and Updates option.
From there, check if there is an update available for the store. If there is, update it.
Option 2 – Try to uninstall the application or software
If updating the app or software to its latest version didn’t help and you’re still getting the error 0x800F0923 every time you attempt to install the Windows Updates, you may have to uninstall it. You will need to use the usual Program and Features to uninstall it if you have downloaded it from the website.
In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
From there, look for the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.
Note: If you have downloaded the app from the Windows Store, you can simply right-click on it from the application list and then uninstall it.
Option 3 – Try to disable your antivirus program
Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 4 – Try to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter could also help you resolve the Windows Update error 0x80073712. 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.
Option 5 – Try to do the 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” checkbox.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
After that, try to install the Windows Updates or upgrade again.
Keeping your system updated is a must and Windows updates are definitely a great way to do that. These updates are essential since they provide important security and various fixes for bugs in your Windows 10 computer. However, there are plenty of instances when you encounter issues with Windows Updates and one of them is when the Windows Updates turn off automatically at random times.
Some users reported that they saw a notification about Windows Updates being turned off. Note that the issue is not with the update itself since many users turned on the Windows Update and the system was properly updated. The issue is that the Windows Updates turned off all by itself.
There could be several reasons why the Windows Updates turned off by themselves. It could be due to the antivirus program installed on your computer. Antivirus programs are known to cause issues with other programs, Windows updates components included. This can occur due to false positives as well as odd compatibility issues. Aside from antivirus programs, the Windows Update service itself could also be the root cause of the problem. There could be a corrupted file in the Windows Update folder or it could be that the Windows Update service wasn’t started properly. Any of these issues can be resolved by following the troubleshooting options given below. Make sure to follow each one of them carefully for better results.
Option 1 – Try to disable your antivirus program
Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 2 – Try to make some changes in the Registry
Tap the Wins key once and type in “command prompt” in the field.
From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option to run it with admin privileges.
After that, type the following command and hit Enter again:
sc config wuauserv start= auto
The command you entered will set the Windows Update to auto so you should be good to go.
Option 3 – Try to reset the Windows Update components
If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS, and MSI Installer.
After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.
Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors. 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.
You have the option to choose to configure the Network to Private or Public when you set it on Windows 10 PC. On the other hand, if the option to change the Network from Public to Private goes missing in Windows Settings then this post will surely help. You can find this setting under Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet and appears when you click on it.
If you are not able to see the option to change the network profile, then you either can’t open the settings, or the option to change it has been disabled. To resolve this issue, you can either use the Registry Editor or Windows PowerShell. Refer to the options given below for more details.
Option 1 – Change the Network Profile via Registry Editor
Changing the Network Profile can be done using the Registry Editor. But before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore Point first just in case. Refer to the steps below to do so.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, navigate to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionNetworkListProfiles
Now expand the Profiles key folder located in the left pane to see one or more folders.
Next, expand each one of these folders and look for the “Description” sub-key which should match the name of your network.
After you find the Description sub-key, look for another sub-key named “Category” and double click on it to open it.
Now change its value from “0” to “1” to change the Network Profile from Public to Private.
Option 2 – Change the Network Profile via Windows PowerShell
Aside from the Windows Registry, you can also use Windows PowerShell in changing the Network Profile from Public to Private and so on. Take note that you have to use PowerShell with admin privileges. Just refer to the steps below to do so.
Tap the Win + X keys and then select the “PowerShell (Admin)” option.
Next, click on Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears.
After that, execute the commands listed below. Hit Enter right after you key in each one of them.
There are times when we delete a system files without meaning to on your Windows 10 computer. This happens a lot for users sometimes mistake a system file for a malware-laden file or junk file when it’s actually a system file from the System32 or SysWOW64 folder. In such cases, it could affect your computer. For instance, you might not be able to reboot your PC or open Settings.
If you have removed system files from any of these folders by accident and you desperately want to restore them, read on, as this post will guide you in resolving the problem. Restoring them isn’t actually hard, just make sure that you have system admin access.
The good thing is that there exists Windows Resource Protection which protects registry keys and folders and even critical system files. So if there are any detected changes to a protected system file, the modified file is restored from a cached copy located in the Windows folder. However, if the Windows Resource Protection program fails to restore these files, you need to check out the given fixes below.
Option 1 – Run System File Checker scan
To restore the system files you deleted, you can try running System File Checker or SFC scan. System File Checker is a command utility built into your computer that helps restore corrupted files and missing files. Refer to the following steps to run it:
Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
Hit the Win + R keys 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 while before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Reboot your computer.
Option 2 – Try to run the DISM tool
Aside from System File Checker, you can also run the DISM or Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management Tool as it could help in restoring the system files on your Windows 10 computer. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth” which could help you resolve the problem.
Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
exe /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.
Option 3 – Try performing a System Restore
Running System Restore can also help you bring back the system files. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
Option 4 – Try to run Automatic or Startup Repair
Startup Repair, previously known as Automatic Repair, is an advanced tool in Windows that can help you diagnose various system issues, including this one. This tool will scan system files, configuration settings, registry settings, and so on in order to fix the problem on its own. To run Startup Repair, all you have to do is boot into the Advanced Startup Options and then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced option > Startup Repair and then run it. This will resolve the problem if you have deleted any system file that’s essential to your Windows 10 PC.
Option 5 – Reset your computer
Tap the Win key or click on the Start button located in the Taskbar.
Then click on the Power button at the bottom right portion of the screen.
Next, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and then click on Restart. This will restart your Pc into the Advanced Startup options.
Note: Once you have access to the Advanced Startup options, you have to go to the setting which allows you to Reset your Windows 10 PC. All you have to do is select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC to reach the following screen
Afterward, select either the “Keep my files” option and then proceed to the next on-screen instructions that follow to reset your Windows 10 computer without losing your files.
Microsoft allows its users to download a copy of Windows to install on PCs. However, when you enter the key after the installation and you got the Activation Error 0xC004F212 instead, then it means that the license key and the Windows version you’ve just installed, do not match.
When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:
“The product key used on this PC didn’t work with this edition of Windows. Activation Error 0xC004F212.”
Every time Microsoft generates a license for a copy of Windows, it is associated with one particular Windows variant. Windows comes in many editions like Enterprise, Home, Professional, and so on. For instance, if you bought a license for Windows 10 Enterprise but you have installed Windows 10 Professional instead, then the activation will surely fail and you’ll encounter the Activation Error 0xC004F212.
You will be asked to select which edition you want to install when you reinstall Windows 10 using a digital license. If you opted for an edition other than the one you are licensed to use, then you will most likely get the Activation Error 0xC004F212. If you have purchased your license key from a store or some website, you might want to check back with them about the exact version of Windows. Doing so will help you narrow down the problem. And if you have second thoughts about the license key’s validity, you can just reach out to a Microsoft Support agent to check the validity of the license key.
Also, if have bought it from the store, there should be an option to get a refund. That way you can choose to buy the right version of Windows.
Option 1 – Try running the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter
The first thing you can do to resolve the Activation Error 0xC004F212 is to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter. To do so, follow these steps:
Go to Settings and then select Activation.
After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.
The Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter will determine if your license key is a valid Windows 10 digital license for an edition that is not currently installed. If it turns out that it’s not, then the troubleshooter will show you how to install the correct edition.
Option 2 – Try forcing Windows 10 ISO to use the right version
You can also try to force Windows 10 ISO to use the correct version depending on the product key. Note that this option only works between Windows 10 Home and Professional version since they both have a common ISO. So if it’s Enterprise, then this option won’t work for you.
Extract the Windows 10 ISO files using an extractor.
Then browse to the folder you created and go to the sources folder.
From there, you need to create a text file named “PID.txt” and make sure to follow the exact format given below:
[PID]Value=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Note: “xxxxx” is the KEY to your Windows version.
Next, you need to create the ISO again or bootable media that will repack everything and then create the Media file. You can use the Media Creation tool for this.
Note: Windows will check the key during the installation and will figure out the right version of Windows.
Option 3 – Contact Microsoft Support for assistance
If you’re at your wits’ end in trying to update your Windows 10 computer, you should consider contacting Microsoft Support for help as they can offer you various options that would make fixing Windows Activation Error 0xC004F212 a lot easier and faster.
The GameStream is an NVIDIA service that allows users to stream games from their Windows 10 computers to other supported devices which includes the NVIDIA SHIELD devices. However, a number of users reported that the NVIDIA GameStream is not working on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue is most likely caused by improper installation, some glitches with the network, and many more.
To fix this issue in the NVIDIA GameStream, there are several options you need to check out to fix the problem. You can try to lo logout of GameStream and try logging back in again. You could also try to update or uninstall and reinstall the drivers related to NVIDIA or fix some network glitches or update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. For more details, you can refer to each one of the given potential fixes below.
Option 1 – Try to logout and log back into NVIDIA GameStream
The first thing you can do is to log out and then log back into NVIDIA GameStream. Some users claimed that by doing this simple task, they were able to resolve the problem. This is probably because with the re-login, the entire cache of the system and service is rebuilt and any bad sectors of that data will be replaced with the fresh one so this should resolve the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream, if not, refer to the other given options below.
Option 2 – Try updating the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA
If both the first and second given options didn’t work, you can also try updating the drivers from the official NVIDIA website. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.
Option 3 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version
If updating the NVIDIA display drivers didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “MSC” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the NVIDIA Drivers and expand it.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 4 – Try fixing your network
The next thing you can do to fix the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream is to fix the glitches in your network. Make sure that you connect both of your devices to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network and you also have to ensure that the Wi-Fi connection you’re connected to is strong enough for both the devices for the latency to go down. Once you’ve covered all of these things with your network, restart your computer and change the Wi-Fi channel both devices are connected to. This should resolve the problem.
Option 5 – Try to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device
You might also want to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. There are times when an outdated NVIDIA SHIELD device can result to several issues like the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream. Thus, you need to update NVIDIA SHIELD and check if it fixes the problem or not.
