Setting a default printer in Windows 10

Error 1512 - What is it?

Error 1512 is a type of runtime error code. This error may hamper your ability to run and load your desired programs on Windows PC. There are increased chances of runtime error 1512 occurring when system files go missing or get corrupt. Symptoms of this error code include:

• Slow PC speed
• Window System freeze

Solution

Error Causes

There are several for the occurrence of runtime error 1512. These include:

• Faulty or outdated drivers
• Poor Program installation
• Damaged Windows Registry
• Viruses tampering the system settings/memory
• Broken or incorrect Registry entries
• Damaged Windows registry

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve this issue you don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. Here are some of the best and easy do-it-yourself methods to repair error 1512 on your system in a few minutes. These methods are very easy to work around and do not require any kind of technical expertise.

Method 1 - Uninstall and then reinstall the Same Program

Sometimes this runtime error may pop up due to poor program installation. In such an event, it is advisable to uninstall the program and then reinstall it again properly. To do so, go to the start menu, and click on control panel. Now select the program & features option. Here you will find the option Add/Remove Program. Remove the program causing error 1512. Once the program is removed, reinstall it again.

Method 2 - Run an Antivirus Program

Computer viruses are capable of tampering with system settings. Due to this reason you might experience runtime errors like 1512 on your PC. These malicious programs usually enter the system through phishing emails or website downloads. To resolve the issue, you need to run a powerful antivirus program. An antivirus removes all sorts of malicious programs hiding in your PC like malware, spyware, and malware that are responsible for generating runtime errors.

Method 3 - Update the Outdated Drivers on your PC

If the error still persists, then it is suggested to update outdated drivers. Faulty and outdated drivers can also trigger runtime error 1512. To do this, go to the Device Manager. Here use the Driver update wizard to make updates.

Method 4 - Remove the Invalid Registry Entries and Repair the Damaged Registry

The best way to perform both tasks is to download Restoro. It is embedded with a registry cleaner that is quite easy to use. The registry cleaner removes all invalid entries in seconds, cleans the cluttered registry by wiping out all the redundant and unnecessary files. The damaged registry is then repaired and resumes its normal function. Click here to download Restoro and resolve runtime error 1512.

One of the worst problems users can encounter on their computers is Blue Screen of Death errors as some of them are quite hard to fix. One of them is the “The driver detected a controller error” Blue Screen error. It could be followed by “DeviceIdeIdeport0 OR”, “on deviceharddisk0dr0”, or “DR3” or the name of the drive or port that’s causing the problem. If you are one of the users who encountered this error, then the suggestions provided in this post would definitely help you in fixing the problem.

Option 1 – 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 2 – Update the device drivers

Updating the outdated device drivers in your computer can also help in fixing the problem. To do so, refer to these steps:

• 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 any outdated device drivers and click on each one of them.
• After that, right-click on each entry of the device drivers 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.

Option 3 – Try to update the BIOS

Updating the BIOS can help you fix the ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY BSOD error 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.
• Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try running the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Blue Screen troubleshooter. It is one of the built-in tools in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing system issues including Blue Screen errors. It can be found in the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Option 5 – Try running the Memory Diagnostic Tool

The Memory Diagnostic tool in windows can help resolve the “The driver detected a controller error” Blue Screen error by checking and automatically fixing any memory-based issues. To run it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type mdsched.exe and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
• After that, it will give two options such as:
  • Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)
  • Check for problems the next time I start my computer
• Once your computer has restarted, perform a basic scan or you could also go for the “Advanced” options such as “Test mix” or “Pass count”. Simply tap the F10 key to start the test.

Note: After you select your preferred option, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues. If it finds any issues, it will automatically fix them and if there’s no issue found, then it’s most likely not a memory-based issue so you should try the other options given below.

Option 6 – Replace your motherboard

If your computer is still under warranty, you should consider replacing your computer’s motherboard in case the options given above failed to work in fixing the Blue Screen error.

Microsoft Designer, a new application developed by Microsoft will bring design backed with DALL-E 2, an AI image creation open-source software. The new app is shown as a dedicated graphic design tool that will help you in the creation of stunning social media posts, invitations, digital postcards, graphics, and more, all in a flash.

Use of the application will be by typing headings and then typing text into the prompt to generate a background image. Since Microsoft uses DALL-E 2 for image creation output should be fairly good but if you wish you will be able to use your own images instead of using AI to generate one.

The designer will be a free application once it is ready and it already has a web preview version, also free but with a waitlist. There will be premium features inside the app once it is released that will be available to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. Microsoft also wants to add a version of a designer directly to the Edge browser as well.

Error Code 0x8007007b – What is it?

This error code occurs when users fail to activate their Windows operating system. It is one of the more popular Windows error codes since it affects many versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. Error code 0x8007007b has common symptoms which include the following:

• Inability to activate a Windows installation
• Message box highlighting error code 0x8007007b

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 0x8007007b in Windows 8.1 usually results due to one or more main clauses. Windows 8.1 users may experience this error due to the use of volume-licensed media. The error code may also arise if the activation wizard is unable to connect to Key Management Service (KMS) host computer or if corrupted system files are present on your computer.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Windows error codes such as Error code 0x8007007b can be a complicated issue, requiring the use of technical knowledge and skills. For this reason, we have listed instructions in the simplest of forms to enable even average users to successfully complete manual repair methods that will resolve error code 0x8007007b.

The same approach has been applied to all our error code solutions. See also Error Code 0x00000024 and Error Code 0x80004005.

Below are the two main methods for correcting this issue.

Method One: Use Multiple Activation Key (MAK) to Activate Windows

This method involves the use of a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) instead of the Key Management Service (KMS) to activate the Windows operating system you intend to use on your PC. This manual repair method requires the use of Command Prompt so ensure you follow the instructions provided carefully so as to avoid the risks of causing harm to your system.

• Step one: Select Windows log key + X.
• Step two: Click Command Prompt, then Admin
• Step three: Type in admin password if Command Prompt requests it
• Step four: Type slmgr -ipk followed by the MAK product key. Note that the product key should have 25 characters with dashes between them like this xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Attempt to activate your Windows installation once you’ve completed the exact instructions above. If you are unable to complete this process, consider getting help from a Windows repair technician or simply move to the next manual repair method listed below.

Method Two: Run System File Checker

System File Checker (SFC) enables Windows users to scan and repair errors or corruption on system files. Since such errors within your system files can cause error code 0x8007007b to occur, follow the steps below to fix this error code.

• Step One: Go to Start and type Command Prompt or CMD.
• Step Two: Run as Administrator
• Step Three: Type sfc /scannow with a space between “sfc” and “/scannow”.

The System File Checker tool will begin scanning your machine for corrupted or missing files in need of repair. If these files are found on your system, the tool will repair and replace them. Once this is done, restart your computer then check to see if you can now activate your Windows operating system.

Method Three: Use an Automated Tool

If you wish to always have at your disposal a utility tool to fix these Windows 8 and other related issues when they do arise, download and install a powerful automated tool.

As of late, a number of users reported experiencing a problem where their Windows 10 computers get stuck on Airplane mode for some unknown reason. According to the affected users, they were unable to turn off the Airplane mode which means that their computers are also not able to connect to the internet. One of the possible reasons why this kind of issue occurs is that there could be a bug with the airplane mode or it could also be the doing of faulty network drivers or physical switch that’s turned on, and so on. If you are one of the few users who experience the same issue, then read on as this post will guide you on what to do if your Windows 10 computer gets stuck on Airplane mode. There are a couple of suggestions you can check out to resolve the problem. You can try to check the status of the Radio Management service, flush the DNS cache or you could turn off the airplane mode via system settings. You could also update the network drivers or turn off the physical switch for airplane mode or make some adjustments in the Windows Registry. For more details, refer to each one of the suggestions provided below.

Option 1 – Try to check the Radio Management Service status

• First, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field, and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• Next, look for the Radio Management service and select Properties.
• From there, change its Startup type to Disabled and click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
• Once done, restart your computer and check if you can now turn off the airplane mode.

Option 2 – 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 3 – Try turning off the airplane mode via System settings

If flushing the DNS cache did not help in fixing the problem, then you might want to turn off airplane mode via system settings.

• In the Windows Search bar, type “airplane mode”.
• From the search results that appear, click on Airplane mode.
• After that, a window will appear where you have to turn off the toggle button for Airplane mode.

Option 4 – Try to update, rollback or reinstall the Network adapter drivers

The next thing you can do to resolve the problem is to update the Network Adapter drivers by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand them.
• Look for the Broadcom Network Adapter and right-click on it, as well as other network adapters that have an exclamation icon, and update them all.
• Restart your PC and see if it helped in fixing the problem.

Note: If updating the network drivers didn’t help in fixing the problem, you can also try to roll back the very same drivers from their previous versions and restart your Windows 10 PC. After that, the system itself will reinstall the drivers you just uninstalled. Alternatively, you can also download and install the drivers from the manufacturer’s website directly. To reinstall the network adapter drivers, refer to these steps:

• Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
• Then locate the device drivers and right-click on them to open the Properties.
• After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
• Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
• Finally, restart your computer. It will just reinstall the device drivers automatically.

Option 5 – Try to turn off the physical switch for Airplane mode

If your computer has a physical switch to turn on or off the airplane mode, then you might want to check that switch if you have one. Chances are, it could be the reason why you’re unable to turn off Airplane mode on your computer.

Option 6 – Try to make some adjustments in the Registry

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility.
• Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetControlClass
• From there, edit the registry value of “RadioEnable” to “1”.
• Exit the Registry Editor once done, and restart your computer.

Error Code 52 – What is it?

Error Code 52 is a device driver problem that users experience on any Windows 2000 operating system and later Windows systems.

The error occurs when the operating system prevents the peripheral device connected to the computer from functioning properly and is usually displayed by the following message:

“Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source. (Code 52)”

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 52 is triggered by the following factors:

• An incomplete program uninstallation
• An incomplete program installation
• Hardware is not removed properly
• System recovery from viruses
• An improper system shut down

Further Information and Manual Repair

Error Code 52 can pose severe risks to the overall health of your PC and any negligence in fixing it can be disastrous for your computer.

However, since the error code is like other device driver errors, resolving the error is relatively straightforward. Here are a few methods to resolve the error code.

Method 1 – Use System Restore

You can use system restore to roll back the system to a time when there was no error to eliminate the problem. Here is how you can use it:

1. Log in using an Administrator account
2. Click ‘Start’ button and select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore
3. Click ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’ and click ‘Next’
4. Select the last Windows restore point from the ‘On this list, click a restore point’ list, and click ‘Next’
5. Click ‘Next’ on the confirmation window to proceed
6. Restart your PC after restoration is complete

By restoring the system via a last saved system checkpoint, you can obtain undamaged Windows system registry files that can help avert the error code.

Method 2 – Run the Troubleshooting Wizard

If restarting your PC does not help, you will have to find the exact nature of the problem by running the troubleshooting wizard for the device and address the problem accordingly. To do this, proceed with the following steps:

1. Run Device Manager on your PC
2. Click on the program under the installed programs that are creating problems for you
3. Click on the ‘General’ Tab
4. Click ‘Troubleshoot’
5. Upon opening, the Troubleshooting Wizard will ask a series of questions regarding the error. Answer the questions and follow its directions for solving the error code.

After following the directions of the Troubleshooting wizard, make sure to restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Then check if your device is still causing problems.

Method 3 – Manually uninstall and reinstall the device driver

Uninstalling and then reinstalling the device driver can help solve the error.

You can do this by firstly logging in as Administrator and open Device Manager. Select the device that is causing the problem and double click it and make sure that the peripheral is connected properly to the PC.

Upon opening, click on the ‘Driver’ tab and then select ‘Update Driver’. Make sure to refer to the system documentation that you received with your PC or computer to check for the motherboard details and driver specifics.

Method 4 – Use software to automatically download the driver

Manually uninstalling and reinstalling the driver will do the trick, however, it may be time-consuming especially when you would have to resort to your hardware user manual.

Therefore, using a program such as DriverFIX can save you a lot of time and frustration in having your device work properly on your computer.

DriverFIX, with its user-friendly approach to help you fix your PC issues, comes with an integrated database that detects which drivers you need to reconfigure within just a few seconds and downloads it automatically.

It further ensures that your drivers are installed in their entirety leaving no room for any incomplete files to remain that create Error Code 52.

It also has the added advantage of being able to backup and restores your files should there be the slightest possibility of system file damage. DriverFIX is the answer to fixing your PC error codes accurately and quickly.

Click here to download DriverFIX to fix Error Code 52 quickly and effectively!

STOP 0x00000000 Error Code - What is it?

Stop 0x00000000 error code is a type of a Stop error popularly known as a blue screen of death error code. This is a critical error. It can pop up while loading or using the Windows program on your PC. When this error occurs, the computer screen turns blue and you, the user, get locked out of the program. Furthermore, it can also result in sudden system shut down or system freeze. If not fixed timely, the error may start to pop up more and more frequently which then may lead to complete system corruption and system crash.

Solution

Error Causes

The two most common causes for the STOP 0x00000000 error code are:

• Malware infection
• Registry corruption

This is a fatal system error and must be resolved immediately. Delay may lead to system crashes and data loss. And recovering lost data is not easy.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Though this is a fatal error the good news is that it is easy to resolve. To repair the STOP 0x00000000 error on your system, here are some methods that you can try:

Method 1 - Use System Restore to Bring Your Computer Back to its Previous State

To resolve this error on your system, try using the System Restore tool. Use this tool to bring your computer back to its previous state. The Windows System Restore utility is one of the most valuable recovery tools. To use it, simply type System Restore in the search box. Once you find it, click on it and select a restore point to bring your PC back to its normal state. To activate changes, reboot the PC.

Method 2 - Scan for Viruses

If the underlying cause of the Stop 0x00000000 error code is related to malware infection, then you must download a powerful antivirus to resolve it. Run it to scan your entire PC. Make sure you remove all types of malware including adware, spyware, viruses, and Trojan. Once your PC is malware-free, the error will be fixed in no time.

Method 3 - Clean and Repair the Registry

The registry is an important part of the PC. It stores practically all the activities you perform on your system. It saves all the files including both important and unnecessary files such as junk files, cookies, internet history, bad and invalid entries. If these obsolete and unnecessary files are not deleted frequently and keep on accumulating it takes up all the registry space and corrupts it. This results in registry errors like runtime and BSoD errors and sometimes may also lead to disk fragmentation. To resolve it is advisable to repair the registry. This can be done manually but that will take too much time and also require technical expertise. However, another way to resolve it is to download Restoro. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer with a powerful registry cleaner. It removes all obsolete and unnecessary files, cleans the registry and repairs the damaged files, thereby removing the error right away. Click here to download Restoro and resolve Stop 0x00000000 today!

Microsoft has cut out Russia from downloading ISO files for Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well as installation tools without any explanation or reason behind this.

If you connect via VPN to a Russian server and try to download either ISO files or installation tools you will be greeted with the error 404 and an explanation of File or Directory not found or There was a problem with your request.

At this time you can still download Windows 11 Media creation tool but once you run it will throw a 0x80072F8F-0x20000 error with text: For some unknown reason, this tool failed to run on your computer.

People in Russia can still download files if they connect via VPN and go to a server located outside Russia.

Microsoft has not published any explanation why is this happening, it might be technical difficulty or it could be on purpose.

Other histories of Microsoft vs Russia

Since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine Microsoft has been putting restrictions on Russia starting with a suspension of all sales in March, next month in April Microsoft started suspending developer's accounts on GitHub linked to sanctioned companies and the suspension was even if the developer is not working for a given company or left it.

At the beginning of this month, Microsft laid off 400 employees inside Russia as they began scaling back operations in the country but has also stated that they would continue to provide services to all contractors and customers inside Russia so this sudden blocking of downloads is unexpected and it goes against their statement.

What is MSVCR100.dll Error?

Msvcr100.dll is a dynamic link library file. This file is loaded into the memory at runtime for successful program execution. This process is also referred to as runtime dynamic linking. The Msvcr100.dll belongs to the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library. It is a core Windows component used by numerous Windows-based applications to load and run smoothly on Windows PC. Msvcr100.dll error occurs when the process of runtime dynamic linking fails. Due to this error, you are unable to access the desired application. The error code is displayed in either of the following formats:

• “Msvcr100.dll Not Found"
• "This application failed to start because msvcr100.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem."
• "Cannot find [PATH]msvcr100.dll"
• "msvcr100.dll  is missing from your computer"
• "XXX.exe - System Error - MSVCR100.dll is missing from your computer."

Solution

Error Causes

Narrowing down the cause of the Msvcr100.dll error is not possible as this error can occur on your PC due to multiple reasons. However, here are some of the most common causes of Msvcr100.dll error code on Windows PC:

• Msvcr100.dll file corrupt and damaged
• Missing Msvcr100.dll file
• Corrupt runtime code library
• Registry issues
• Malware attack and viral infection

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best ways to resolve this error on your system:

Reinstall the application causing the error

As dll are shared files used by multiple programs to load and run, there is the possibility of it getting deleted when uninstalling a certain program. If so, then the best way to fix it is to reinstall the application that is causing the error to pop up on your screen. This way you’ll be able to set up the program again and install the Msvcr100.dll file back on your system.

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package

Another way to resolve this error is to download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package. To do this, first, see if you are running a 32 bit or 64-bit copy of Windows. XP users go to the start menu and click run then type winver and press enter. In Vista and Windows 7, go to the start menu and type computer and click properties. The information you require is under Windows Edition. Once you find out whether you are using a 32 bit or a 64-bit version, accordingly, download the correct version of Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package directly from Microsoft’s official website. Simply download and install the software. Then follow the prompts to add the toolbox to your PC. After that, restart your computer; most likely the error message will be gone. If it still persists, then this means the error is either related to the registry or malware.

Download and Run Restoro

Restoro can be used to resolve both malware infection and registry issues on your PC that could be triggering Msvcr100.dll errors. Restoro is a next-generation and multi-functional PC repair tool embedded with powerful utilities like an antivirus, a registry cleaner, and a system optimizer. The registry cleaning feature detects all registry issues and Msvcr100.dll errors. It removes unnecessary and obsolete files on the disk, like junk files, cookies, internet history, and temporary files cluttering the disk and damaging dll files. It repairs the damaged and corrupt dll files and restores the registry. Simultaneously the antivirus feature scans and removes all malicious software on your system. These include spyware, viruses, Trojans, adware, and malware that can damage dll files. This software is efficient and resolves the Msvcr100.dll error in seconds. It is easy to use and has a simple navigation. It is compatible with all Windows versions. Click here to download Restoro on your PC and resolve the Msvcr100.dll error today!

Things have stirred lately with Chinas ban on crypto mining and many used GPUs will flow the market probably. But should you buy a used GPU? Short answer: NO, long answer: keep on reading to find out why.

GPU shortage and its cause

As you all know by now, we live sadly in a world struck by a global Pandemic. Due to this awful disease and measures taken against it, many people are either working from home or are at home making the manufacturing of new chips problematic while demand on the market has raised. Throw into that mix crypto mining which has raised in popularity and you have, well today's market where we have GPU shortage. Now with the latest news that China has banned the mining of cryptocurrency, there is to be expected that at some point in time mining cards used there will fit the market in the whole world. Sadly even with a large quantity of GPUs that will become available, the overall price of cards will not be much lowered I am afraid since demand is still very high and many people would not want to purchase used mining cards and neither should you.

Be prepared for the worst scenario

Although this sounds very pessimistic and in most cases, it will not turn out to be true, you should always prepare yourself mentally that you might be in that lower percentage that will end up with a really bad GPU. What has come up to be absolutely true when considering GPU that were mining is that if anything at all can be done to GPU in order to increase performance, it has been done. Miners want to optimize and almost every GPU if could be overclocked, it was overclocked. Extensive mining also means that thermal paste has been dried and it is pretty useless at this point and there is a very high chance that fans and heat sinks will need much cleaning or even replacement raising the price of the card itself for mentioned paste, fans, and heat sinks. There's no way to tell what the previous owner might have done with a graphics card when you're shopping online, so our advice is to assume the worst. Don't trust the seller to give truthful information. Any listing that says it was "never used for mining" at this point is probably a lie.

Age of the GPU matters

Date when GPU itself has manufactured really matters. Newer cards even if used extensively have been used for a much shorter period of time and are not so damaged were ones produced a few years ago have seen a lot of action. Let’s say that you get RTX 3060, In the worst-case scenario it has been mining since late February of 2021 and basically, it is still under warranty so it should behave OK and put some good work in gaming even in that state. On another hand, if we take for example GTX 1080Ti which is 4 years old GPU things start to change drastically. 4 years GPU could be worn out even if it was used just for extensive gaming sessions let alone for mining.

No return policy and seller rating

Most of the time you will run into a product that cannot be returned or no refunds policy. This should bring a red flag right away and deter you from purchase. Sellers with the highest ratings are more trustworthy since many of them will not want to destroy their reputation but these will probably not even have these kinds of merchandise in their store. Buying with a poor rating seller and no return policy on a product is just asking for trouble. And although some stores do have arbitration and will stand on the customer side there is no guarantee for that and it will take too much time to process.

If you really must buy a second-hand GPU

Of course in these troubled times sometimes due to malfunction or any other reason, there would not be another choice than to buy a second-hand GPU. In this case, if there is no other option consider sellers with many positive ratings. If you can buy locally that would even be better or the best-case scenario would be if you could visually see and inspect GPU itself in order to see in what state it is. Look for warranty stickers to see if they are thorn and the card has been tampered with. Also take a good look at screws, if they have scratches card has been opened, probably to replace fan or heating sinks which means that it has worked a lot.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to give the best possible advice on this situation since of GPU shortage, but I would much prefer a new GPU with lower performance than a hi-performance one which was mining.