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What is Backup Error 0x80070002?

Error 0x80070002 shows once you’re done backing up files through the Windows Backup program on a system running Windows 7, you see a notification that pops up with a message that reads something like: “Check your backup results. The backup completed but some files were skipped.” You try finding out the reason and you hover over to the Options button beside the message, then you get to read the following lines: “Check your backup results. The backup completed but some files were skipped. View skipped files.” Upon clicking the “View Skipped Files” option, the backup error 0x80070002 pops up on your screen and you’re left scratching your head, wondering what you’re going to do now.

Solution

Error Causes

There are multiple error logs that you will encounter in backup error 0x80070002 as per different conditions. The two most common cases in which this error shows up are stated below:

Case 1

You will see the following message when you press “View skipped files”: “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C: Windows/System32/config/systemprofile. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” You will face this case if you have backed up a library that included custom folders that were located in your user profile.

Case 2

Upon pressing “View Skipped files” you will encounter the below-mentioned messages: “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>AppDataLocalLow. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>Contacts. Error: (The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” “Backup encountered a problem while backing up file C:/Users<User>Searches. Error:(The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002))” You are likely to encounter any of these messages in case:

• The Windows Backup program is trying to back up your files in either one or all of these folders (LocalLow, Searches, Contacts).
• All three of these folders don’t exist in your system.

Keep in mind that all three of these folders exist due to the installation of certain programs and applications on your system.

Notes

The backup error 0x80070002 is also found to occur while using USB devices instead of storage devices. Other occurrences include the times when input/output (I/O) operations are performed on the USB device, which results in failure.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To make sure this issue is resolved, you will have to follow either one of the following solutions as appropriate to your situation:

Solution for Case 1

1. Ignore the error. The store files of the custom library in your user profile will not be created as backups.
2. Transfer the library folder from where it currently exists to a place outside its current folder (user profile). For instance, you can move the library folder to an entirely new destination such as “C: My Folders”
3. Remove the library folder from the list of files that you are backing up using the Windows Backup program. Then, add the original place of the library’s content in the list.
4. Go back and check step two. If carried out successfully then add a link to the folder you moved from the library. Check to see if the backup includes the library folder. To make sure, you have to do as follows:

• Go to Start and select your username.
• Hover across to the folder you wish to move, right-click on it and select “Cut”.
• Head to the navigation pane and search for the area you will store the folder in, right-click and select “Paste” so that the folder is moved to that location.
• Right-click on the folder that you just moved and select “Copy”.
• Go back to Start, select your username, right-click any vacant space in your folder and select “Paste Shortcut”.

Note: If you want to store the folder in a different place other than the folder in which it currently exists (user profile), you will need to create a new folder. In order to do so, go to the Windows Explorer menu and look up the root of the drive. Hit “New Folder” and then choose edit to change its name. You can set it as any name for instance, “My Folders”.

Solution for Case 2

You can ignore this error safely. However, if you wish not to see this error in the future during your backup operations then you will need to carry out the following steps:

1. Create all the folders listed in the error message including LocalLow, Contacts, and Searches.
2. Remove all of these folders from the Backup settings to make sure they aren’t being backed up then add the folders which are in their original place. To carry out this procedure, you will have to follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Head over to the Control Panel and open “Backup & Restore”.
• Go to the Backup section and select “Change Settings”.
• Click Next in the Setup backup dialog box.
• Select “Let me choose” in the dialog box termed “What do you want to back up” then proceed by clicking Next.
• Expand Data Files, expand <user> Libraries, expand Additional Locations then proceed by clearing out the AppData Folder, searches, and Contacts checkboxes.
• Expand Computer as well as the item for your system drive (expand Local Disk (D:)), expand users, expand <user>, then go to AppData, Searches and Contacts and mark them if they are present.
• Proceed by clicking next and select “Save Settings” then exit.
• Back to Backup & Restore, select Back up now and your new backup will begin proceeding. The entire process will be complete without any errors now.

As you know, games with good graphics and fast play are definitely resource-intensive and can consume a lot of storage space on your computer. Because of that, they have to be compressed before it gets downloaded to your computer and then unpacked to the hard drive before it gets installed. However, if an error occurs in your computer’s RAM during the installation process or if your hard disk does not have enough memory to handle the process, then you might encounter the isDone.dll error which states:

“An error occurred when unpacking, Unarc.dll returned error code -1, ERROR: archive data corrupted (decompression fails).”

If you encounter the isDone.dll error message on your Windows 10 computer, then read on as this post will show you how you can fix it. This error has something to do with the incomplete installation of PC games or files of larger size. The ISDone.dll error appears due to faulty Unarc.dll file residing in the System32 folder on 32-bit operating systems and the SysWOW64 folder on 64-bit systems. So, if you see this error message, then, it means your computer was not able to read installation archive files.

What is Unarc.dll file?

Unarc.dll is a dynamic link library for Windows. Some applications or games require this file to function properly. So, if it goes missing or, an error occurs when you start a game or an application, you may get various kinds of errors. ISDone.dll error while playing games on PC

Option 1 – Try to reinstall the game

The isDone.dll error could also be caused by the installation of an unknown application. Or it could also be caused by an outdated or corrupted application. In other words, if the game you are trying to install is broken or corrupted, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting the isDone.dll error. To fix this, make sure that you download the latest updated version of the game and then try to install it again and see if the problem is resolved or not.

Option 2 – Try to re-register the .dll file using the Regsvr32 tool

• The first thing you have to do is to locate the DLL file named dll on your computer and rename it to Unarc-bak.dll.
• Next, copy the Unarc.dll file from another well-functioning computer and save it on your desktop.
• After that, move the DLL file you just copied to the System32 folder if you are using a 32-bit operating system, or the SysWOW64 folder if you are using a 64-bit operating system.
• Now you have to register the new DLL file and you can do that using Windows PowerShell.
• Open Windows PowerShell and then execute this command if you have placed the DLL file in the System32 folder: regsvr32 %systemroot%System32unarc.dll
• On the other hand, if you have placed the DLL file in the SysWOW64 folder, then execute this command: regsvr32 %systemroot%SysWOW64unarc.dll
• Once you’re done, a message will be displayed saying that the DLL file was registered.
• Restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Troubleshoot the isDone.dll error in a Clean Boot State

You can also troubleshoot the isDone.dll error in a Clean Boot state. It could be that there are some third-party applications in your computer that're preventing the application from getting installed and to isolate this possibility, you need to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try installing the program again. Putting your computer in this state can help you identify which program is the culprit and thus isolates the problem. In a Clean Boot state, your computer will start using only the pre-selected minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Note that you have to disable and enable one process at a time.

• 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” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• After you’ve set your computer into a Clean Boot State, make sure that you’re signed in as administrator and then try to install the application again.

Option 4 – Try updating or reinstalling your Graphics drivers

Updating or reinstalling the Graphics drivers in your computer can also help in resolving compatibility issues between the operating system and the driver that might have caused the isDone.dll error.

• First, boot your computer into Safe Mode.
• After that, tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. From there, look for the Display Adapters and click on them.
• After that, right-click on each entry under the Display Adapters and select the “Uninstall Device” option from the menu.
• Now restart your computer.
• After restarting your computer, go to the Settings app and Check for Updates in the Windows Update section.

Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturers like NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD and go to the section called Drivers then check if there’s a new available update – if there is, download and install it.

Option 5 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender

The isDone.dll error might also be infected with malware or virus and to eliminate it, you have to scan your computer using security programs like 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.

Microsoft starting as of today will block its Office 365 users if they are using Internet Explorer or early versions of Edge browsers. So if you are using older non Chromium Edge versions of Microsoft browsers you can no longer access Office services until you switch. Now normally I would fully support this kind of decision since Internet explorer is a slow and vulnerable browser and the edge is similar in that regard. The new edge browser is great and it should be used but the issue I have is that Office 365 is not free, it is a premium feature and I am wondering how Microsoft plans to deal with people that have already paid for service but suddenly cannot access it anymore.

System Interrupts are operating system processes that function as an alert system for the CPU. So whenever a scenario needs the attention of the CPU, it alerts the CPU about it. In turn, the CPU suspends what it is doing, saves it, and then takes care of that important job and once that job is completed, it resumes back to what it was doing. This indicates that although System Interrupts appears as a process, it’s actually not. As a matter of fact, it is like a manager that reports to the CPU about all interrupts that happen on a hardware level, e.g. hardware interrupts. And if there are lots of interrupts, this means that there might be various errors occurring on a hardware level. As a result, it may take a lot of system resources. And if you consider disabling System Interrupts, stop right there as your computer will almost become useless without it. So if you see System Interrupts consuming high CPU usage in your Windows 10 computer, you can fix it without having to disable it and cause more problems. If System Interrupts takes up more than 5 to 10% of CPU, then you definitely have a problem. This could be happening due to some hardware or driver issue. The first thing you can do is to try rebooting your computer once and see if the issue comes back or not. High CPU usage of System Interrupts is a huge backlog for the CPU and it stays in the loop. If a simple system restart didn’t fix this issue, here are some suggestions you can try.

Option 1 – Try to update the hardware drivers

As stated, the problem might have something to do with hardware drivers so you can try to update these drivers and see if it works.

• Reboot your computer into Safe Mode with networking support.
• Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, update all the outdated Hardware drivers on your computer.
• Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
• Now restart your PC and check if the BSOD error is fixed or not.

Note: On the other hand, if a recent update has caused the System Interrupts high CPU usage, then you might want to roll back your hardware drivers to their previous versions. You can check with the Windows Update History to check out any recent updates as well as the previous ones.

Option 2 – Try to disconnect and reconnect all hardware and cables

A lot of users reported that they were able to fix the problem by disconnecting and reconnecting cables and hardware like scanners, printers, cameras can help in fixing the problem. In addition, you can also boot your computer in a Clean Boot State so that you can find the problematic hardware by hit and trial method. Refer to the steps below to do so:

• 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” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)

Option 3 – Try to enable or disable Hardware

If you do not want to remove hardware, you can just disable them using the Device Manager. Note that this can also be applied to the internal hardware.

• Tap the Win + X + M keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, navigate to the device you want to disable.
• Then right-click on it and choose to disable the device.

Note: Make sure that you disable one device at a time and then give it a couple of minutes and check if there are any changes in the CPU usage to pinpoint the hardware. And if there is no change, you need to enable the device you’ve just disabled and then proceed to disable the next hardware device. If there are changes, then it’s probably the culprit. Just keep in mind that you must no disable any device that is needed to keep your system up and running.

Option 4 – Try to update the BIOS/UEFI

Updating the BIOS/UEFI can help you fix the high CPU usage of System Interrupts but as you know, BIOS is a sensitive part of a computer. Even though it is a software component, the functioning of the hardware depends on it largely. Thus, you must be careful when modifying something in the BIOS. So if you don’t know much about it, it’s best if you skip on this option and try the other ones instead. However, if you are well-versed in navigating the BIOS, then follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “msinfo32” in the field and press Enter to open System Information.
• From there, you should find a search field on the bottom where you have to search for the BIOS version and then press Enter.
• After that, you should see the developer and version of the BIOS installed on your PC.
• Go to your manufacturer’s website and then download the latest version of BIOS on your computer.
• If you are using a laptop, make sure that you keep it plugged in until you have updated the BIOS.
• Now double click on the downloaded file and install the new BIOS version on your computer.
• Restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 5 – Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter or the Performance Troubleshooter

Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter:

• The first thing you need to do is click on Start and then on the gear-like icon to pull up the window for Settings.
• After opening Settings, look for the Update and Security option and select it.
• From there, go to the Troubleshoot option located on the left-hand side of the list.
• Next, select Hardware and Devices from the list and open the Troubleshooter and run it. Once it is doing its job, wait for it to complete the process and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, check if the problem’s now fixed. If not, refer to the next option given below.

Performance Troubleshooter:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type “exe /id PerformanceDiagnostic” in the field and hit Enter to open the Performance troubleshooter.
• Then click on Next to get started. Wait until the process is completed.

Recently, a number of users reported that their Google Chrome browsers keep on opening new tabs no matter what they do. This issue could be due to lots of reasons but the main ones are corrupt installation, background applications, adware, dubious browser extensions, malware, and so on. Although there are a lot of possible causes for this particular issue in Chrome, its potential fixes are straightforward so you should not have any problem following the given options below.

Option 1 – Get rid of any conflicting browser extensions

As mentioned, shady browser extensions can cause unusual behavior in a browser. Chances are, these extensions or toolbars might be conflicting with the loading of the website. Thus, you have to get rid of these unwanted extensions and toolbars to fix the issue.

• 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.

Option 2 – Try to disable applications from running in the background

• Open Google Chrome and then click on the menu button located in the top-right corner.
• From the drop-down, select Settings and then scroll down until you see the Advanced button. Click on it.
• Next, turn off the toggle for “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” under the System section.
• Now restart Chrome and check if it is working properly.

Option 3 – Try to configure the search settings of Chrome

• Open Google Chrome and type any search query in the address bar and then tap Enter.
• After that, it will open the Google search engine. From the top-right corner, click the Settings button.
• Next, select Search settings from the drop-down menu.
• Then scroll down to the new page that appears and make sure that the “Open New Window for each result” option is set to Uncheck.
• Once you’re done, save the changes made and restart Google Chrome.

Option 4 – 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.

Option 5 – 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 6 – Try scanning your computer using Windows Defender

As mentioned, the error when accessing the security settings or properties of a folder or file might be due to a virus or malware. It could be that it had made some modifications that prevents you from accessing security settings or properties. To eliminate it, you have to scan your computer using security programs like 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.

Microsoft sent an email to users on the Dev build channel saying that the company intends to push some builds that don’t represent what consumers will receive with Windows 11 when it officially releases. In other words, these are going to be some rather buggy builds that won’t be too enjoyable to use. The company recommends users switch from the Dev to the beta channel if they aren’t prepared to deal with the instability. We’ll have to wait and see just how buggy these builds are, but if Microsoft is actually sending out a warning about them it is very likely that builds will be plagued with issues and maybe even stability problems.

Back to Windows 10

How we can expect some buggy build of Windows 11 if you prefer a stable system over new features maybe best decision would be to switch back to Windows 10 until the new OS hits official release.

Switching from dev build channel to beta channel

Another solution, if you do not want to deal with too many issues, is to switch from Dev build channel to beta where things will be more stable. Follow the guide below in order to quickly switch to the beta channel. Following instructions only apply to Windows 11 installations that are linked up to the Windows Insider program, not clean installation of OS.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Inside settings click on Windows update
3. In Windows Update click on Windows Insider Program
4. Inside click on Choose your Insider Settings
5. Click on the button next to Beta Channel to select it (you can switch back to the Dev channel here if you change your mind)

The setting will be saved automatically and from now on you will only receive beta channel updates.

In case you don’t know, Windows 10 supports installation and use of a number of removable devices which includes plug and plays mouse, keyboard, and other USB-based devices. But this could actually pose a threat to the integrity of a computer system and thus, some organizations pose a restriction in using these kinds of devices. the restriction on these devices is also useful especially if you keep on leaving your computer idle and someone tries to mess it up by plugging in a removable device. In such situations, the restriction will defend the user against data theft. Thus, in this post, you will be guided on how you can prevent the installation of removable devices on your Windows 10 computer. There are two options that can help you in preventing the installation of any removable devices on your computer – you can either try to use the Registry Editor or use the Group Policy Editor instead. Follow whichever option you want to use the instructions given below but before you start, don’t forget to create a System Restore Point first.

Option 1 – Prevent installation of Removable Devices via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsDeviceInstallRestrictions
• From there, look for a DWORD named “DenyRemovableDevices” and set its value to “0”. On the other hand, if you can’t find this DWORD, just simply create it and set its value to 0.
• Once done, exit the Registry Editor and reboot your PC to apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Prevent installation of Removable Devices via Group Policy Editor

Keep in mind that the Group Policy Editor is not available in the Home Edition of the Windows operating systems. Thus, if you are using one, just stick to the first option, otherwise, proceed to the following steps.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” and click OK or tap Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• After that, go to this policy setting: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemDevice InstallationDevice Installation Restrictions
• Next, look for the “Prevent installation of removable devices” entry and once you find it, set it as “Enabled”. From this window, you should see the following description of this policy setting:

“This policy setting allows you to prevent Windows from installing removable devices. A device is considered removable when the driver for the device to which it is connected indicates that the device is removable. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device is reported to be removable by the drivers for the USB hub to which the device is connected. This policy setting takes precedence over any other policy setting that allows Windows to install a device. If you enable this policy setting, Windows is prevented from installing removable devices and existing removable devices cannot have their drivers updated. If you enable this policy setting on a remote desktop server, the policy setting affects redirection of removable devices from a remote desktop client to the remote desktop server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows can install and update device drivers for removable devices as allowed or prevented by other policy settings.”

• Then click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
• Now restart your computer to save the changes made. This should prevent the installation of any removable devices in your Windows 10 computer.

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:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRootWinStoreAppxManifest.xml

• Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

Option 6 – Try contacting Microsoft

If none of the options worked, you might also want to contact Microsoft for further assistance in fixing the error.

In today's modern world many households have internet access, most of the connection nowadays is done via Wi-Fi or wireless but there is a high probability that you have also a few devices connected via cable. There are of course many disadvantages and advantages between cable connection and wireless connection.

The main advantages of a hard cable connection are of course faster speed and stability compared to Wi-Fi. But if we look into the cables themselves there is also a big difference between them. Not all cables are the same and quality as well as speed vary a lot between them. Choosing the right cable is essential in order to make a maximum of your internet and we have some great tips and explanations of what cables do so you can make the right choice and enjoy your full internet potential.

Not all cables are the same

Cheap cables and expensive ones are not the same no matter what everyone tells you. The old proverb you get what you pay is true and more expensive cables will be made from better materials and will have a higher transfer rate.

Quality network cables are separated into different categories with proper markings and when buying one you should always look for these markings on the cables themselves, do not buy cables that do not have markings since they will often provide lower transfer rates or will not be shielded from outside influences resulting in packet drops and instability in a network.

Categories and what they mean are:

• Cat-5 with a maximum speed of 100Mbps, typically unshielded.
• Cat-5e with a maximum speed of 1Gbps, available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
• Cat-6 with a maximum speed of 10Gbps for runs under 55 meters (around 180ft), available in both shielded and unshielded varieties.
• Cat-6a with a maximum speed of 10Gbps, shielded.
• Cat-7 uses a proprietary GG45 connector rather than the standard RJ-45 connector seen on other cables for speeds of 10Gbps, shielded.
• Cat-8 with a maximum speed of 25Gbps (Cat-8.1) or 40Gbps (Cat-8.2) at a distance of around 30 meters (around 100ft), shielded.

Unless stated, these standards are typically rated at their quoted speeds for a run of around 100 meters (around 330 ft) and use a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. Each generation of cable is designed to be compatible with the generations that came before it, so it’s possible (for example) to use a Cat-6a cable with a router that only supports speeds of 1Gbps.

Shielded cables

When purchasing higher quality cable you might not be able to choose if you have shielding or not since some standards like Cat-6a, Cat-7, and Cat-8 are always shielded. But if you do not have the need for these and you are satisfied with Cat-5e for example you can choose.

Shielded cables are a little more expensive but they will provide you with a coating that will eliminate interference from outside waves making cables more reliable. Of course, if the cable will go through a room that does not have many radio waves or some other interferences then buying a shielded cable is a waste of money.

Cable platings

Usually, there are two types of connector platings on connectors, silver, and gold, and people usually think that gold is much better but there are major differences between silver and gold platings and truth to be told there is no better one, both are different and should be considered depending on your need.

Silver plating will provide you with faster speed since its conductivity is larger than gold, but gold is slower on the oxidation front so its life span is longer. On the other hand, if your cables are always connecting and disconnecting gold will be first to be scrubbed off from the surface since the gold coating is much thinner.

Overall if you would only connect cable once and have slower internet than cable capacity gold is the way to go, in another case if you would use the cable as always connecting and switching and your internet plan is the same as cable transfer capacity you might want to go with silver one.

Cable material quality

Network cables are made from copper, your standard conduction material but even here there are differences in quality and therefore the chance of pocket losses over it. More quality less loss and more stable connection and this will depend on the purity of copper that is used in the cable itself. More purity in copper, more stability, simple as that.

Conclusion

So as you can see, there are a lot of different things that will influence your pick of proper network cable but the overall best advice is to get one that will fit well into your needs and setup. pair it up with your router and your internet plan since just simply buying something that you can not use is really a waste of money.

The Internet has become an essential human right as stated in many countries around the world. Among many benefits that the internet offers are various sites selling Stock photographs for all of your needs. No matter are you working in the design industry or just want to make something for yourself there is a high chance that you will eventually need some photos for your work. In this article we are going to go through the best Stock Photo sites BUT, we will focus on ones that give you royalty-free Photos, so no paying stuff here, just the best of the free world.

Adobe Stock free collection

https://tracker.tradedoubler.com In the last year of 2020, Adobe has made more than 70000 photos, videos, illustrations, and templates completely free. You are free to use provided material for personal, commercial, and creative work. Since this is adobe’s collection, well part of it, all of the given material is of high quality. You can also upload pictures to do a visual search to find similar ones.

Unsplash

https://unsplash.com/ Unsplash is a place where you will go if you want to find free-quality pictures. Since a lot of photographers are donating their selected work there you will find always consistently high-quality work there. Unsplash also has applications for Android and iOS so you can go through their stock on your mobile device as well. Photos are organized into categories that make searching much easier.

Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/ Pixabay is maybe well known due to its huge collection of both images and illustrations. There are tons and tons of stuff in there all royalty-free for use. The bad side is due to its strongest one, since there are so many images on its site, quality is not always top-notch like on Unsplash for comparison but you might find stuff here that you will not be able to do it anywhere else.

Pexels

https://www.pexels.com/ This is a great choice for web or app developers since you can find various UI ideas and designs on it. Many UI ideas ready for implementation will be found here and a decent amount of photos as well. The overall site is great for that purpose but please do read the license on each image since some of them are limited in use and cannot be used in commercial projects.

Pikwizard Stock

https://www.pikwizard.com/ Stock photography from Pikwizard is a place where you will go if you need high-quality pictures of people. There are a lot of images of people in natural poses doing things, nothing cheesy or unnatural, just pure and great-looking ones. Among other things is also a vast selection of cityscapes. Sadly as in the case of Pexels, not all pictures have the the same license so make sure to check terms of use before using one.

Gratisography Stock photos

http://gratisography.com/ Last on our list is a Stock site with a strange name and if you visit it you will see that it is not just the name that is strange. Gratisography is a stock site that aims to provide you with high-quality photographs but in different take from another site. These images are more artistic and surreal than other competitor sites. Images are uploaded almost on daily basis but since thematic is somewhat niche collection itself is relatively small.

Conclusion

That’s it, we hope that we have helped you in any way to find some material for your next project and I hope to see you soon back on errortools.com. Take care and all the best.