Stopping automatic redirects in Browsers

Microsoft store is ready and prepared for Windows 11 official release on October 5^th and it is coming with some surprises. It has officially confirmed that many open source and free applications will be in it like Opera, VLC, discord, Libre office, etc. It seems that Microsoft wants to place its store as one place to go for all of your software needs. Another great surprise is the coming of Epic games store implementation. It was officially confirmed but not explained in detail, will we have Epic store opened in Windows store or we will only get installer as a package we will see but this is some great news. As for how it states now, it seems that the Windows store aims to eliminate searching the web for applications and bring them all into one environment with reviews and ratings so you know which one to install and use. It also features a great search engine to find proper applications for your needs. The new store will come to Windows 10 as well but after all Windows 11 has been mostly released and adopted. So expect it via update in two or three months' time. It would be great if some larger companies decide to join MS stores like Autodesk, Adobe, the Foundry, etc so you can install everything you need from it but one can only hope.

If the display of your Windows 10 computer turns on all of a sudden no matter how put it to sleep over and over again, it always wakes up, read on as this post will guide you in resolving this peculiar issue. In case you don’t know, the Windows 10 computer Sleep state is made in such a way that if it’s really important, it wakes up. You may have configured this kind of behavior or there could be some hardware component that’s interrupting its Sleep state. Thus, this post will give you some troubleshooting tips to fix the Sleep state issue caused by the Legacy Kernel Caller. The Legacy Kernel Caller points to the external hardware that’s causing your Windows 10 to wake up even when it’s in a Sleep state. Step 1: Find out what’s keeping your computer from going to sleep. To figure out what really is keeping your computer from going to sleep, you can execute the “powercfg –requests” command instead of checking the power configuration of your computer. This command will look for requests from applications and drivers that prevent the computer from turning off the display or from going to sleep. To execute the command, simply open Command Prompt and type “powercfg –requests” and hit Enter. After that, you will see part of the result that looks like this:

“SYSTEM [DRIVER] USB AUDIO DEVICE An audio stream is currently in use [DRIVER] Legacy Kernel Caller.”

Step 2: The next thing you have to do is remove all the external hardware connected to your computer. In this step, you have to disconnect external hardware from your computer. Based on reports from users who experienced the same issue, the “TV card” is the culprit so make sure you remove that one. Once you’ve removed it, open Command Prompt and run the “powercfg –requests” command again and you’ll see that the “Legacy Kernel Caller” will no longer be on the list. In addition, your computer will get into its regular sleep mode once the hardware is removed. Once you do that, the driver gets hung and won’t release the power request despite being used. Step 3: Try using the request override option The powercfg command also offers a request override option which allows users to disable the requests from applications and services to wake the computer from sleep mode. To run this command, simply open Command Prompt with admin privileges. After you open Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter to disable requests from applications and services that causes the computer to wake from sleep state.

Powercfg -requestsoverride Driver "Legacy Kernel Caller" System

Step 4: Check the streaming and media applications You also have to check if your computer is running an audio or video service in the background. In such cases, your computer won’t be able to go to sleep mode if these services are running in the background. You might have noticed that when you play a video or audio, your computer never goes to sleep. And if you have put it to sleep in between watching the video, then it’s probably why your computer is waking up. Thus, you have to stop these services. Step 5: Check the devices that can wake your computer If you didn’t see the Legacy Kernel Caller in the result after you execute the ”powercfg –requests” command, then you can try to execute the following command instead.

powercfg –devicequery wake_armed

After you enter this command, it will give you a list of all the devices that can wake your computer. So if there is anything other than the mouse, keyboard, touchpad, you have to check the power configuration of that device. To do that, go to the Device Manager and disable the device’s “Allow this device to wake the computer” option in its Properties Step 6: Check the Sleep Advanced Settings

• Click on the Windows key and type “control panel” in the field and select the related search result.
• Next, select the Security and Maintenance option and click on the Power Options.
• After that, you have to select the Change Plan Settings but keep in mind that this option is barely readable so you need to read each option carefully.
• Now click on the Change advanced power settings button and a new window will appear.
• Then look for the “Sleep” option and expand it. Make sure that the “Allow hybrid sleep” option is on.
• Reboot your computer and check if your computer now functions properly. If it still didn’t work, you may have to reverse the changes you’ve made.

On the other hand, you could also run the Power Troubleshooter to resolve the Sleep state issue. This built-in troubleshooter will automatically fix any power-related issues in your computer.

Windows Setup in Continuous Reboot Loop – What is it?

After upgrading to Windows 10 operating system from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, a lot of Windows users are complaining about the Windows setup in a continuous reboot loop. The computer would just keep on rebooting every time the machine is booted and this incites frustration for a lot of Windows users.

Solution

Error Causes

When Windows launched the third update for Windows 10, users trying to upgrade to Windows 10 encountered an endless reboot loop problem. The computer will crash repeatedly. The KB3081424, which is a roll-up of bug fixes of Windows 10, continuously fails once you start the update process and then triggers a message showing: “We couldn’t complete the updates, undoing the changes.” The undoing process will then cause a system reboot mandatorily.

Once you log back on your computer again, the Windows 10 update will try to reinstall KB3081424. You will not be able to stop the update which will cause your Windows setup in a continuous reboot loop.

The KB3081424 will not be successfully installed since if it fails for the first time, that initial failure can be detected to create a bad entry in your Windows 10 registry. This will then prevent your subsequent attempts to reinstall KB3081424 to make it work correctly.

Further Information and Manual Repair

In order to fix the problem of Windows 10 setup in a continuous reboot loop, there are a few methods you can try. Try following these simple steps and you’ll be able to get rid of the problem.

Note: If you’re not highly confident to solve this issue on your own, it is highly recommended to consult an authorized computer technician who would be knowledgeable enough to fix the issue for you. In addition, you can also use a system optimizer to resolve the issue.

Method One: Check For Windows Update

Microsoft Windows released an updated fix for the Windows setup in continuous reboot loop problem. You can try fixing the issue through Windows Update.

1. Open Settings
2. Go to Update & Security
3. Select Windows Update then choose Check for updates

At this point, an additional update will be installed and downloaded to your operating system to resolve the continuous reboot loop problem.

Method Two: Eliminate Bad Registry Entry

Before KB3081424 attempts to install again, you can try doing this solution:

1. Click on the Start menu then type regedit
2. Once the window opens, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
3. Create a backup for your registry key (since this process is a bit risky). Select ProfileList then click on File and Export then choose your backup name.
4. From the ProfileList IDs, remove anything with ProfileImagePath in it.
5. Close Regedit then reboot. By this time, the KB3081424 should properly install.

Method Three: Perform A Startup Repair

Another thing you can try to solve the Windows setup in continuous reboot loop problem is to perform a startup repair from a working computer.

1. Ensure that all unnecessary devices are disconnected from your computer as your computer might detect them.
2. If you are connected to a network, you need to disconnect from this as well.
3. On a working computer, download the Windows 10 ISO then you can perform a startup repair.
4. Boot your computer from the Windows 10 DVD.

To change your BIOS option to boot from the Windows 10 DVD, follow these steps:

1. Boot your computer then press the F2 function key to enter setup.

NOTE: You must do this quickly since the BIOS loads rapidly.

2. Once you’re inside the BIOS, navigate to the Boot Configuration screen. On this screen, you’ll be able to change the first device to be loaded.
3. Go to Removable Devices then hit Enter. Removable devices could either be a thumb drive or DVD. Select DVD to put it at the top and be the first boot device.
4. Save your changes by pressing on the F10 function key. A setup confirmation box will appear with a message Save configuration changes and exit now. Select Yes.
5. Exit BIOS by pressing on the ESC key. You should be prompted to boot from the Windows 10 DVD at this point.

If you're not able to execute the aforementioned processes on your own, get help or download and install a powerful system optimizer to assist with the windows continuous reboot loop process and other Windows 10 error messages.

In case you don’t know, there is a built-in tool in Windows 10, known as Reliability Monitor that provides a day-to-day snapshot of the health of your system. It warns users of any looming issues or disasters before your computer breaks down finally. So obviously, Reliability Monitor is useful, however, there are times when it could behave incorrectly. For instance, it might fail to show you any updates even when they are installed. Thus, if you experience any malfunctions with the Reliability Monitor tool in Windows 10, read on as this post will guide you in updating or working in Windows 10. To fix the problem with the Reliability Monitor, there are several fixes you can check out. You can try to enable the data collection for Reliability Monitor or reset it, as well as put your computer in a Clean Boot State. For more information, refer to each one of the options given below.

Option 1 – Try to enable the Data Collection for Reliability Monitor

The Reliability Monitor tool uses data provided by the RAC Agent scheduled task and it will start to display a Stability Index rating and specific event information 24 hours after the system installation. The RACAgent scheduled task, by default, runs after the operating system is installed. And if it is disabled, it must be manually enabled from the Task Scheduler snap-in for MMC or Microsoft Management Console. Thus, you need to enable the Data Collection for Reliability Monitor to fix the problem.

Option 2 – Try to reset the Reliability Monitor

The next thing you can do to fix the issue with the Reliability Monitor might want to reset it to resolve the problem. If the Reliability Monitor is already open, you have to close it and open it again. After the reset is done, it may take up to 24 hours for the Reliability Monitor to display results again. This should fix the problem.

Option 3 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the Black border issue. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• 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.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Device drivers are needed in order for the hardware and software to communicate in an operating system. Some of these drivers are digitally signed. These kinds of drivers are drivers that are signed by their issuing authority in a way that the end-user or any third party won’t be able to modify them. And there are times when you encounter an error that says, “Windows requires a digitally signed driver” when you try to install or update device drivers. Driver Signing is the process of associating a digital signature with a driver package. Digital signatures are used in Windows device installations to verify the identity of the vendor providing the driver packages as well as to verify the integrity of the driver packages. All the drivers you usually install on your PC from Windows Update, Original Equipment Manufacturers, or some other third-party driver download software and so on must be verified digitally by Microsoft through the digital signature. A digital signature is an electronic security mark that verifies the publisher for the driver and all the relevant information related to it. That’s why Windows won’t run a driver if it isn’t certified by Microsoft, be it a 32-bit or 64-bit system – this is called the Driver Signature Enforcement. The only Kernel-mode drivers that Windows 10 will load are the ones that are digitally signed by the Dev Portal. However, the changes only affect the new installations of the operating system with Secure Boot on while the non-upgraded fresh installations would require drivers that are signed by Microsoft. The “Windows requires a digitally signed driver” error indicates that the driver you are trying to update or install hasn’t been signed digitally by the issuing authority, preventing you from installing or updating it. To resolve this issue, you can try to update the drivers directly from the manufacturer’s site. You could also disable driver signing via Group Policy Editor.

Option 1 – Update the device drivers directly from the manufacturer’s site

The reason why you’re getting the “Windows requires a digitally signed driver” error in the first place is that you might have downloaded the drivers from external media. It could also be that the drivers didn’t update for some time now and the issuing authority changed its policies. Thus, you can try to update the drivers straight from the manufacturer’s website and install them. If this option didn’t work, then you’ll have to disable the driver signing or its recognition in Windows 10. Keep in mind that doing so is not advisable if you have to use the concerned driver.

Option 2 – Disable driver signing via Group Policy Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “gpedit.msc” in the field and tap Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• After that, navigate to this policy setting: User configuration > Administrative templates > System > Driver installation
• Next, double click on the “Code signing for device drivers” entry located on the right pane to open its properties where you’ll see the following description:

“This setting determines how the system responds when a user tries to install device driver files that are not digitally signed. It establishes the least secure response permitted on the systems of users in the group. Users can use the System in Control Panel to select a more secure setting, but when this setting is enabled, the system does not implement any setting less secure than the one the setting established. When you enable this setting, use the drop-down box to specify the desired response. “Ignore” directs the system to proceed with the installation even if it includes unsigned files. “Warn” notifies the user that files are not digitally signed and lets the user decide whether to stop or to proceed with the installation and whether to permit unsigned files to be installed. “Warn” is the default. “Block” directs the system to refuse to install unsigned files. As a result, the installation stops, and none of the files in the driver package are installed. To change driver file security without specifying a setting, use System in Control Panel. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Driver Signing button.”

• Now select the radio button for “Enabled” and select Ignore from the drop-down menu under “When Windows detects a driver file without a digital signature”.
• Then click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made. This will get rid of the “Windows requires a digitally signed driver” error but take note that this will also make your system less secure.

Error Code 0x80070424 - What is it?

The error code 0x80070424 is a Windows PC error. It may occur when using Windows Update, Microsoft Update or while trying to change Windows Firewall settings. This error does not allow you to enable or disable the Firewall on your PC. It is quite common on Windows 7 and Vista. Symptoms of error code 0x80070424 include Windows Firewall may not be listed on Services.msc, inability to change Windows Firewall settings and you may come across this error message when restarting your PC, “Base Filtering Engine Service could not be found in the system”.

Solution

Error Causes

Some of the common causes of the error code 0x80070424 include:

• Base Filtering Engine Service file corruption
• Registry issues

When you encounter this error code on your system, it is recommended to fix it immediately as this error can lead to serious PC damages.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To resolve the error code 0x80070424 here are some of the best DIY solutions for you. By following these solutions, you can fix the error all by yourself. These are simple, easy, and quick PC fixers that require no technical expertise. Just follow the simple steps and the error will be resolved in the shortest time.

Re-Install Windows Firewall & Filtering Engine

If the underlying cause of the error 0x80070424 is Base Filtering Engine Service file corruption, then the best way to resolve it is to download the Firewall and register file from a reliable website. Once you download it extract the zip on your desktop.

• Double click on both files one by one to confirm their installation on your PC. Once installed, restart your PC and click on the start button. Search file type and run and then press enter.
• When the Run window opens, type REGEDIT and click OK. After that, from the left sidebar navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesBFE.
• Now simply right-click on BFE folder and choose permission. Once that’s done, click on add button and type everyone then press OK to confirm settings.  Here you will see the ‘everyone’ added field.
• After that in the below permission panel, tick the box that says Full Control and confirm. Now close the window and go to the menu and type services MSC.

This will open the service window. From the list search for ‘Base Filtering engine file’ right-click on it. Now search for Windows Firewall and see if you can change the settings. This procedure is most likely to resolve the error code 0x80070424 on your PC. It is time-consuming but worth it.

Use a Registry Cleaner

None the less, if the error is triggered by registry issues, then it is advisable to download Restoro. This is an advanced and highly functional PC fixer integrated with multiple utilities including a powerful registry cleaner. The registry cleaner utility detects all registry issues on your system and fixes them in seconds. It wipes out the excess, unnecessary, and obsolete registry entries and files corrupting your system cleans, and restores the registry. It is user-friendly and compatible with all Windows versions. So whether you are using Windows 7, 8, XP or Vista, you can run it on all versions with ease and resolve the error code 0x80070424 generated by registry issues. This software also includes other functional and value-added features like antivirus and a system optimizer. Click here to download Restoro and resolve error code 0x80070424  on your PC today!

Skinning of applications is not new to PC users, but did you knew you could skin Steam? With skin, you can customize the UI and style of the client to what you want making it more personal and to your liking. First thing is to find the skin that you would like to install. There are a lot of sites where you could find custom made Steam skins but we would recommend steamskins.org The site itself is organized in tabs with different sections, once you click on the tab you will get a list of skins available for chosen section. If you click on the skin you will be taken to skin page detail where you can find what skin is aiming for, its legibility, a record of how the skin has been altered over time, or some mix of these aspects. Note that some skins might have issues like some buttons might be missing from big picture mode but so far none of the skins has any kind of client breaking feature, only functionality one.

Downloading skin

Once you have chosen desired skin and while on the skin details page, scroll to the middle of the page just above the Related Skins sections with two options: Direct Download and External Download. Now usually I would recommend Direct download but in this case, I would advise going with External Download for the simple reason that the External link will send you to the developer's website where there is a higher chance to get the latest updated skin.

Installing it in Steam

Once the skin is downloaded you will first need to create a skin folder inside your Steam installation location. Navigate to your Steam installation folder (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam) and create a new folder inside it. Give new folder name Skins and confirm. Extract the skin zip file in the newly made folder. Once the file is extracted you can delete the ZIP file if you wish. Go to your Steam client and go to Steam>Settings. In settings select Interface on the left bar and on the right part then click the Select the skin you wish Steam to use the drop-down menu and select the skin that you wish to use. Confirm and restart your Steam client

Reverting to old skin

If you found skin unappealing or, unfortunately, has some functions missing you can always choose another skin or revert back to default Steam skin. Default Steam skin is named in the drop-down menu as < default skin >.

Isn’t it annoying when you get an error message pop up stating ‘Cannot find propsys.dll” or “propsys.dll not found” when you start your computer or open a particular program? The propsys.dll file is crucial to the Windows operating system. This file is located in one of the following locations: "C:\Windows", C:\Program Files, C:\WINDOWS\system32, or C:\Program Files\Common Files". And the propsys.dll error indicates that the propsys digital library file is damaged and corrupt. The propsys.dll error may lead to a very unstable operating system. It may also hamper your ability to access many programs on your computer, lead to program and system crash and slow down the system’s performance. Therefore, to avoid these system threats, it is advisable to fix the error immediately.

Solution

Error Causes

The common causes of propsys.dll file error are:

• Registry problem
• The propsys.dll file is damaged due to a virus or spyware
• Improper software removal
• Hardware Failure

The propsys.dll error message is displayed in either of the following forms:

• Propsys.dll not found
• Cannot find [Path]propsys.dll
• This application failed to start because propsys.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem
• The propsys.dll file is missing

Further Information and Manual Repair

There are many ways to fix the propsys.dll error. However, for optimum results from the fix, you must first identify the cause of the error and then choose the solution accordingly.

• Recommended Solution for Registry Issue

If you use your system daily the resulting wasted/invalid/junk entries may dilate the registries. This can result in registry malfunctioning which may result in a propsys.dll error on your screen. When this happens, it is advisable to use a registry cleaner to fix the problem. Registry cleaner helps clean up the junk entries and repairing the corrupted registries. For this, you will first have to download a registry cleaner repair tool. Download and install the software on your computer. After downloading it, click the start scan button to run. This helps scan and diagnose system errors on your computer in seconds. Once the scanning is complete, click on the fix button to repair the registry problem.

• Recommended Solution for File Damage and Corruption

Use the ‘System Restore’ option to restore corrupt and damaged files.  The ‘System Restore’ function will help you get a fresh copy back and simultaneously help fix the error. Here’s how to use and access the ‘System Restore’ function on your computer: Simply go to the start menu and in the search box type restore. Once you type, it will show you the system restore option. Now select ‘choose a different restore point’. After this, you will be presented with a list of restore points. Choose a point that you believe happened before the propsys.dll error. Confirm your selection and restart. Another alternative solution for file damage is to run a virus scan of your entire system; the damage could be related to a virus or malware infection.

• Recommended Solution for Hardware Failure

If a propsys.dll error occurs due to hardware failure, then it is advisable to update the drivers for hardware devices that you think are related to propsys.dll. For example, if you receive the propsys.dll error when you play a 3D video game, then try updating the driver for your video card.

If you got the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error on your Windows 10 computer then it is most likely caused by various factors. It could be caused by an incomplete installation or uninstallation of some applications or program, or it could also be caused by some exploit that intervenes with the normal functioning of the computer, as well as bad sectors on the hard disk, damaged system files, malfunctioned system drivers, modified Windows Registry files, or a Blue Screen occurrence during a Windows Update and many more. Getting this bug check means that a single-bit error was found on this page. It also indicates that this is a hardware memory error and to resolve it, you need to follow the suggestions laid out below but before that, it is recommended for you to create a System Restore Point first so that if anything goes wrong, you can always go back to the previous state.

Option 1 – Run a Memory Check to test RAM

Since the problem might have something to do with hardware memory, you need to test RAM by running a Memory Check using the Windows Memory Diagnostic. Refer to these steps to do so.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “mdsched.exe” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic.
• After that, the Windows Memory Diagnostic will give out two options such as:

1. Restart now and check for problems (recommended)
2. Check for problems the next time I start my computer

• Select any of the given options. After that, your computer will restart and check for memory-based issues upon the restart. If there are any issues, it will automatically them.

Option 2 – Run the System File Checker

System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 3 – Check for conflicting or incompatible programs by putting your PC in a Clean Boot state

As mentioned, the FAULTY_HARDWARE_CORRUPTED_PAGE Blue Screen error might be caused by some problematic programs that clash with your existing operating system. Several users reported that numerous programs that are supposedly designed to enhance computer performance are causing conflict in the system instead. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Log onto your PC as an administrator.
• Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
• From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
• Clear the “Load Startup items” checkbox and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
• Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” checkbox.
• Click Disable all.
• Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.

Option 4 – Update or rollback drivers

If the first few options didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated your device drivers then you need to roll back the drivers to their previous versions. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.

• 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.

Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.

When your computer boots up or when it just woke up from sleep but it suddenly encounters a Blue Screen of Death error, saying, “HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED error with STOP CODE 0x0000005C”, then read on as this post will give you some fixes that might help in resolving the problem. You will see the following error message on your computer’s screen when this error pops up:

“Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you. If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED 0x0000005C”

This kind of Blue Screen error indicates that there is a hardware or device driver problem in your PC. Aside from that, it also signifies that the initialization of the Hardware Abstraction Layer or HAL has failed. This happens only during the relatively short period that the Windows operating system is being initialized, specifically during phase 4 of Windows startup. What’s worse about this kind of Stop error is that it does not just go away after a computer reboot. You may have to boot your computer into Safe mode with Networking using the Advanced startup options which you can access by tapping the F2 or F8 key. Once you’ve accessed the Advanced startup options, follow the fixes prepared below.

Option 1 – Run CHKDSK command to repair hard disk errors

Running the Chkdsk utility could help you resolve the HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED error with STOP CODE 0x0000005C. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the Chkdsk utility comes in. The Chkdsk utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.

• After you access the Advanced Startup options, select Command Prompt by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
• After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /f /r

• The command you entered will scan the hard disk for any errors and will automatically fix it if it finds some issues. Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.

Option 2 – Run the DISM tool

If the first option didn’t work, then running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management tool can help you resolve the HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED error as it will repair the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10.

• After you access the Advanced Startup options, select Command Prompt by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
• Next, type in this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 3 – Update the Device drivers

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
• Type in 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. Look for the device driver you and then select either “Update driver” or “Uninstall device”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
• Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
• If you have chosen to uninstall the driver, follow the screen options to complete the process and then restart your PC.
• Connect the device and Scan for hardware changes – you can see this option under Device Manager > Action.

Option 4 – Try removing any external hardware

You might also want to remove any connected devices and external hardware in your computer as it might help in fixing the BSOD error.

Option 5 – Disable Fast Start-up

If you want your computer to boot faster, then you might have enabled Fast Start-up. This feature is ideal for computers that are using a hard disk drive. However, turning on this feature also means that when the computer boots, it might lag some drivers that are loaded when it initially boots up. Thus, it might be the potential cause of the UNEXPECTED STORE EXCEPTION BSOD error. Thus, you need to disable Fast Start-up. To do that, follow these steps:

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
• Then tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type in “control” to open Control Panel.
• After that, select Hardware and Sound and click on Power Options.
• Select “Choose what the power buttons do” from the left side menu pane and click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Afterward, uncheck the “Turn on fast startup (Recommended)” entry and click on Save Changes.
• Now restart your PC for the changes to take effect and then check if the problem’s fixed afterward.

Option 6 – Disable your antivirus program

There are times when the antivirus program installed in your computer blocks file access and even disk access. Thus, disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 7 – Perform a Clean Boot

There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED error. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

• 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.)
• From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.