Fix Windows Upgrade Error 0x800F081E – 0x20003

SmartScreen is a cloud-based anti-phishing and anti-malware component that’s come packed in all Windows 8 (8.1) and Windows 10 versions. This security component is also used in several browsers and programs like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Outlook.com. Although this program is quite useful, there’ve been reports that SmartScreen is apparently blocking Microsoft’s own apps from opening. According to some users, they only get the “Windows SmartScreen can’t be reached right now” error message every time they try to open apps from the built-in Windows suite like Photos, Mail, Alarms, Maps, etc. Whenever Windows SmartScreen is either down or unreachable on an end-user PC, your computer won’t be able to download anything in both official and unofficial channels. This error might be due to a corrupted Windows account, or it could be that SmartScreen is disabled from the Windows Defender Security Center or it might be down due to an MS issue. In addition, the error might also be caused by a proxy entry.

Option 1 – Make sure that SmartScreen is enabled

Before anything else, the first thing you must do is to check if SmartScreen is even enabled as it might be the reason why you’re getting the error. You can verify this by simply going to the Windows Defender Security Center. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “ms-settings:windowsdefender” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Defender Security Center.
• After that, click on the Open Windows Defender Security Center button located under Windows Security.
• Then click on App & browser control.
• From there, make sure that the Check apps and files toggle is set to Warn and then check the same thing for Microsoft Edge and SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps.
• If it turns out that SmartScreen is indeed disabled, you have to restart your computer after making some changes and then check if the issue is fixed upon the next startup.

Option 2 – Check if SmartScreen is down for maintenance

Another possible reason why SmartScreen is not working is that it might be scheduled for maintenance. When SmartScreen is scheduled for maintenance, it will become unreachable for a lot of users at the same time and so before you go over unnecessary troubleshooting steps, you need to verify if SmartScreen is down for maintenance or not.

Option 3 – Try to disable the proxy server

If applicable, you can try to disable the proxy server to fix SmartScreen. There are some users who reported that they’ve fixed the problem after they’ve disabled the use of a proxy server using the built-in way. In some instances, certain proxy servers can interfere with the SmartScreen component and cause it to become unusable. However, if you are not using a proxy server, just skip this option and proceed to the next one, otherwise, follow the steps below to disable the proxy server.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “ms-settings:network-proxy” in the field and hit Enter to open the Proxy tab under Settings.
• After that, scroll down to the Manual proxy setup and make sure that the toggle button of the “Use a proxy server” option is turned off.
• Now restart your PC and check if the problem is fixed upon the next startup.

Option 4 – Try to create a new Windows user account

There are some users who were able to fix the problem by simply creating a new Windows user account. Although this solution will make you lose a couple of settings enforced through your user account, it’s actually effective in circumventing the “Windows SmartScreen can’t be reached right now” error. To create a new Windows user account, here’s what you have to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• And then type “ms-settings:otherusers” in the field and hit Enter to open the Family & other people tab under the Accounts menu.
• After that, click on the “Add someone else to this PC” option and then click on “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
• Next, insert the user credentials like emails, password, birth date, etc., and then click Next. Take note that if you want to create a new local user account, just click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
• After you’re done creating the new Windows user account, click the start icon and then click the account icon and choose to Sign out.
• After you’re logged in, check if SmartScreen now works properly or not.

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If you connected headphones to your Windows 10 computer to listen to audio but when you check it in the playback devices, you’re not able to find it, read on as this post will guide you in what you can do to figure out what exactly caused this kind of problem and how you can resolve it. This kind of issue could simply be with the headphone itself or the headphone port or your operating system. So if it turns out that the problem is with the hardware, you might have to replace the components. However, it is recommended that you troubleshoot the problem first before doing that. The most basic thing you can do is to try changing the headphone port, although this can be quite difficult since most computers don’t have any extra port for headphones if your computer has one, then give it a go. If it still didn’t work, follow each one of the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to run the Playing Audio troubleshooter

Since the Windows 10 operating system has the Playing Audio Troubleshooter, you can use this troubleshooter to try and fix the problem with the “No Audio Output Device is installed” error. You can access this tool in the Control Panel or in the Taskbar Search and even on the Troubleshooters page of Windows 10. Run this troubleshooter and see if it can fix the issue or not.

Option 2 – Try to update the Audio driver

If the error has something to do with software, chances are it might be related to the audio driver – it could be that the newest version of your Windows 10 does not work well with the old version of the driver. This is why you have to update your audio driver to the newest available version.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in MSC and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• Expand the section of the Audio inputs and outputs.
• And then from the drop-down menu, select the Update Driver option and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest version of the driver.
• Then also click on the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software.
• Restart your PC after the installation.

Note: If updating the Audio driver didn’t work, you can go to the website of your PC manufacturer and look for the support section where you can download the drivers for your computer. You just need to take note of your PC’s correct model and model number so you can find the appropriate driver.

Option 3 – Try enabling the headphones from the playback devices

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type the “CPL” command.
• Tap Enter to open the Playback devices.
• Next, right-click on any open space section and check the boxes for the “Show Disconnected Devices” and “Show Disabled Devices” options.
• After that, this should help in displaying the headphones in the section of Playback devices.
• And if they are disabled, you can just right-click them to have them enabled.

If you encounter errors 1603 and 0x00000643 on your Windows 10 computer while trying to install or update your Google Chrome browser. Although most errors can be fixed by some simple troubleshooting steps, that is not the case for these two errors since they have pretty specific solutions. To resolve errors 1603 and 0x00000643 on your Chrome browser, here are some solutions you need to check out.

Option 1 – Try to run Microsoft Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter

Running the Microsoft Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter could help you fix errors 1603 and 0x00000643 in Chrome as well as the following issue in your Windows 10 computer:

• Corrupted registry keys on 64-bit operating systems.
• Corrupted registry keys that control the updated data.
• Problems that:
  • Prevent new programs from being installed.
  • Prevent new programs from being installed.
  • Problems that block you from uninstalling a program through Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features) in Control Panel.

To use the Microsoft Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter, refer to the given steps below.

• First, right-click on the downloaded MicrosoftProgram_Install_and_Uninstall.meta.diagcab file and run it with administrative privileges.
• Next, it will offer you two scenarios to troubleshoot namely, “Installing” or “Uninstalling” and you have to select Installing to resolve the current errors.
• After that, it will show you a list of available programs on your computer. From there, select Google Update Helper and then click Next.
• It will then start to troubleshoot the problem and will automatically apply the fixes for you. It will offer you to uninstall Chrome if it turns out that it’s the root cause of the problem.
• After that, you need to download Google Chrome again and then reinstall it.

Option 2 – Try to clean reinstall Chrome

There are instances when programs leave files behind after you’ve uninstalled them and the same thing can happen to Chrome so before you reinstall Chrome, you have to make sure that you have deleted the User Data folder. To do so, refer to the following steps:

• Hit the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data” in the field and hit Enter to open the User Data folder.
• From there, rename the default folder and name it something else, e.g. “Default.old”.
• After that, install Google Chrome again and check if the issue is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try running the Chrome Cleanup tool

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

Option 4 – Try to run the Network Troubleshooter

• Open the Search bar on your computer and type in “troubleshoot” to open the Troubleshoot settings.
• Next, scroll down and select the “Network Adapter” option from the right pane.
• Then click on the Run Troubleshooter” button.
• After that, your computer will check for any possible errors and will pinpoint the root cause of the problem if possible.

Option 5 – Reset Chrome

Resetting Chrome can also help you fix the error. This means that you will be restoring its default settings, disabling all the extensions, add-ons, and themes. Aside from that, the content settings will be reset as well and the cookies, cache, and site data will also be deleted. To reset Chrome, here’s what you have to do:

• 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 option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Now restart Google Chrome.

Error code 0xc000021a - What is it?

Error code 0xc000021a occurs when the system is unable to start or there’s a failure in critical system processes. Normally, it would take about several seconds for the system to boot and while on the startup process, error code 0xc000021a may take place to block the system to boot up. Users will get a blue screen of death (BOSD) when this error occurs. When upgrading to Windows 10, be careful; you might encounter other error messages such as error code 8007002c. 

Solution

Error Causes

There are several reasons why error code 0xc000021a occurs. It is important to have a full understanding of what caused the blue screen of death before attempting to fix the error by yourself. See below for a few common causes:

• Computer malware has infiltrated your device.

• Important files such as Winlogon.exe and Csrss.exe are damaged. Winlogon.exe file is responsible for handling the login and logout processes while Csrss.exe is a vital part of Microsoft Client or Server ‘Runtime Server Subsystem’. Once one of these files is damaged or deleted, a stop error will occur.

• When there are mismatched system files installed or system upgrading process failed or still incomplete.

• Premature unloading of Wbemprox.dll

• Newly installed third-party software is not compatible with the operating system.

• There are corrupted, outdated, or incorrectly configured device drivers.

• There’s insufficient space in the system partition. Once the system partition is full, certain errors such as error code 0xc000021a will manifest.

• Windows registry is corrupted or damaged due to a software or system change. This means there are registry entries that are not cleared after uninstalling an application.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In fixing error code 0xc000021a, you might want to try and manually do so. Manual repair methods can give users effective and efficient solutions, addressing the root problems in relation to Windows error codes. Once the manual repair method is correctly implemented, users will be able to resolve issues immediately. However, there might be instances when a Windows professional is needed. In such cases, seek help from a certified Windows expert or you might want to consider using an automated tool whenever necessary.

Method One: Convert the Drive or Partition from NTFS to GPT

In order to fix Error code 0xc000021a in Windows 10, you might need to convert the partition or drive from NTFS to GPT. See below for the procedure: 1. Shut down your device then put in the Windows installation USB key or DVD. 2. Boot your device to the USB key or DVD in UEFI mode. 3. Inside the Windows Setup, open a Command Prompt window by pressing Shift + F10. 4. Type diskpart in the Command Prompt window to open the diskpart tool. 5. Type list disk to identify which drive to reformat. 6. Select which drive to reformat by typing select disk in the command prompt. Afterward, type clean then hit Enter. Once done, type convert gpt to be able to convert the drive from NTFS to GPT. Finally, type exit and press Enter. You can now close the Command Prompt window. 7. Once the partition or drive is converted from NTFS to GPT, the user can now continue the Windows Setup installation. NOTE: Select Custom in choosing which installation type to use. The drive will then appear as a single area of unallocated space. Choose that unallocated space then select Next. At this point, Windows will now begin the installation.

Method Two: Fix System File Errors

There are times when system files get corrupted or damaged which will result in system failure. If this is the case, you can use a Windows free tool to repair corrupted or damaged system files. 1. Right-click on the Start button then selects Command Prompt (Admin) from the list to open a Command Prompt window. 2. Once the Command Prompt appears, type sfc /scannow then hit Enter. Wait until the process completes. If the process is completed and it doesn’t report any error or issues that remain unsolved, you might want to employ the next method.

Method Three: Reset Windows 10

Resetting Windows will delete all software and user accounts installed in the operating system and will reinstall a fresh Windows. 1. Boot your device using a Windows installation USB key or DVD. Select Repair your computer to locate the Troubleshoot option. Afterward, choose Reset this PC. NOTE: If the device is able to boot the system, you can reset Windows without using a Windows installation USB key or DVD. You just have to boot the device then navigate to Settings in the Start button. Choose Update & Recovery then select Recovery found on the left pane. Choose Reset this PC option then select Go back to an earlier build and Advanced startup. Select Get Started button found in the Reset this PC tab. 2. Depending on your device’s condition, you can either select Keep my files or Remove everything. Both options will remove all applications installed in the device and will revert to default settings. 3. Choose either Just remove my files or Remove files and clean the drive depending on the situation. If you choose the Remove files and clean the drive option, the procedure will take longer as it will erase all the files permanently. In this case, deleted files cannot be recovered. However, if you don’t want to remove files permanently, select Just remove my files. 4. Once you’ve decided how to reset your system, click on Next once the Warning screen appears. Afterward, choose Reset once prompted. When the process completed, click on Continue.

Method Four: Download an Automated Tool

Can’t seem to put up with the long and technical manual repair process? You can still fix this error by downloading and installing a powerful automated tool that will surely get the job done in a jiffy!

The new widget's menu inside Windows 11 is generally met with a positive attitude but there are still users which prefer not to have it. Luckily for them, Microsoft included a very easy way to turn the widgets menu on or off. Follow this easy guide to see how. Right-click on the widget button in the taskbar and click on Hide from Taskbar and that’s it Alternatively, you can also turn it off via the setting app. Go to the settings app and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items and flipping the switch beside Widgets to Off. Please note that both methods will only hide the button to toggle widgets menu, at the current state there is no really a way to actually turn it off, only hide it and make it not available to bring it up.

So you just have turned your computer ON only to find out that your device which was working perfectly yesterday is not working anymore. This situation can be very stressful and disappointing but do not despair, before you toss your device through the window know that this kind of behavior can be traced back to a software issue. In this article, we will give you hints on what to do and where to pay attention when something like this happens so you get the device back in working order.

1. Check if it not a hardware malfunction

   To save yourself time and unnecessary frustration with juggling through Windows first inspect the device to be sure that indeed it is working properly, check all led lamps which could indicate that the device is working and receiving power, and if it is an internal device try opening the case and visually check if there are signs of working like rotating fans or led lamps on it.

2. Check Cables

   If it is an external device that has stopped working try checking power cables and cables which go to your computer, see if they are tightly connected. If it is an internal device also check cables, nudge them and if possible disconnect and clean them.

3. Disconnect and reconnect the device

   Try this solution to see will Windows register the device again and start it.

4. Update Windows

   If there is a Windows update not installed, install it and see if the device will start working.

5. Update device drivers

   Go to device manager and update the device driver to its latest version or go to the manufacturer's site and download the latest driver version.

6. Reinstall the device

   In the device manager, uninstall the device driver and reboot Windows. When Windows boots it will recognize the device and install the necessary drivers for it.

7. Disable antivirus and firewall

   Sometimes antivirus can prevent certain devices from working properly, especially if they rely on some system files to which antivirus or firewall has cut access. Try disabling your PC protection to see if this will resolve the issue.

8. Use dedicated error software

   Use DRIVERFIX to automatically search and fix driver issues.

If you are browsing the internet using the Google Chrome browser in your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly encounter an error message that states, “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION”, read on as this post will walk you through in fixing the problem. Here’s the full content of the error message:

“The site can’t be reached, This site on the company, organization, or school intranet has the same URL as an external website. Try contacting your system administrator. ERR ICAN NAME COLLISION.”

This kind of error is caused by an error in a private namespace or a random redirection to an incorrect proxy server. There are several ways to fix this error. You can try to check the integrity of the Hosts file or check the proxy. You could also try to use the Registry Editor and apply some tweaks or remove any conflicting browser extensions or flush the DNS cache, as well as run a malware scan.

Option 1 – Try to check the integrity of the Hosts file

To check the integrity of the Hosts file, refer to the following steps:

• You have to navigate to this path inside File Explorer: C:/Windows/System32/driversetc
• After that, look for a file named “Hosts” and right-click on it, and open it with the Notepad app.
• Next, make sure that you write the block URLs in your computer in the list and then save the file.

Note: There are times when you are logged in with administrator credentials and you may receive an error message. In such case, type “notepad” in the Start Search and right-click on Notepad from the search results, and then select the “Run as administrator” option. After that, open the Hosts file and make the necessary changes and save it.

Option 2 – Try to check the Proxy server

There are some users who reported that they’ve fixed the problem after they’ve disabled the use of a proxy server using the built-in way. Follow the steps below to disable the proxy server.

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

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

Option 3 – Try to use the Registry Editor

Before you apply some registry tweaks, make sure that you create a System Restore point. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParametersDataBasePath
• Look for the default key and double click on it and make sure that its Value data is set as “C:/Windows/System32/driversetc”.
• Now exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made

Option 4 – Flush the DNS cache

You could also try to flush the DNS cache to fix the “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION” error. All you have to do is open Command Prompt as an administrator and then execute each one of the following commands sequentially to flush the DNS cache:

• ipconfig/release
• ipconfig/renew
• ipconfig/flushdns

Option 5 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

• Open Chrome and press Alt + F keys.
• Go to More tools and click Extensions to look for any suspicious browser extensions or toolbars.
• Click the Recycle bin and select Remove.
• Restart Chrome and press Alt + F keys again.
• Proceed to On Startup and mark Open a specific page or set of pages.
• To check if the browser hijacker is still active, click Set pages, if it is active, overwrite the URL.

Note: If removing the browser extensions or toolbars didn’t work, you can also try to reset your Google Chrome browser.

• 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 option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
• Now restart Google Chrome.

Option 6 – Run a malware scan using Windows Defender

It is possible that your computer is infected with malware which could be why you’re getting the “ERR_ICAN_NAME_COLLISION” error. Thus, you need to scan your computer using Windows Defender.

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Update & Security.
• Then click on the Windows Security option and open Windows Defender Security Center.
• Next, click on Virus & threat protection > Run a new advanced scan.
• Now make sure that Full Scan is selected from the menu and then click the Scan Now button to get started.

Plugin.dll Error - What is it?

Plugin.dll is a dynamic link library file associated with Adobe Photoshop CC powered by Adobe Systems Incorporated for the Windows Operating System. DLL are small programs similar to ‘exe’ files which allow multiple software programs to share the same functionality. It is used to call commands, load applications, and successfully execute applications. Plugin.dll error messages may appear during program installation, while a plugin.dll related software program (Adobe Photoshop CC) is running, during startup and shutdown.

Solution

Error Causes

Plugin.dll errors may occur due to multiple reasons such as:

• Missing or corrupt Plugin.dll files
• Viral infection
• Issues in the Windows registry
• Broken registry keys

Plugin.dll errors may appear on a Windows-based computer as the following:

1. “Plugin.dll not found."
2. “The file Plugin.dll is missing."
3. “Cannot register Plugin.dll."
4. "Cannot start Adobe Photoshop CC. A required component is missing: Plugin.dll. Please install Adobe Photoshop CC again."

All the causes of the plugin.dll error code are associated with the registry. It is advisable to repair this error before it causes serious damages to your system.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To repair the plugin.dll error on you system, you don’t have to hire a technician or be adept at computer programming. The best way to resolve this error code is to download Restoro. This is a new, innovative, high and multi-functional PC fixer integrated with powerful and performance-driven multiple utilities. It includes a registry cleaner, and system stability scanner. So, whether the cause of the error code Plugin.dll error on your system is missing DLL files or even broken registry keys, Restoro can help you repair all these issues in no time. It is user-friendly and can be operated by users of all levels. Dll files go missing and registry gets corrupt because of the data overload in the RAM/the hard disk. This happens due to poor PC maintenance. The registry tends to save all the activities performed on the PC this includes even the junk files, invalid registry entries and files from uninstalled programs. If the registry is not cleaned regularly, such files accumulate a lot of disk space which leads to registry malfunctioning. It damages .dll files and eventually corrupts the registry. By scanning your PC with a powerful registry cleaner, you can easily wipe out the files cluttering your PC and clear your disk space. Additionally, it also repairs the damaged plugin.dll files, fragmented disk and corrupt registry.  Thereby restoring your PC to its normal condition and resolving the plugin.dll error code on your system. Besides this, you can also run Restoro on your PC to resolve speed issues and Active X and class errors. It is safe, efficient and compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro and resolve the plugin.dll error.