Headphones are not visible in playback devices

Disk cleanup is part of Windows 10 tools and it is essential in keeping your computer up and running in optimal settings and to free so much needed space as well as remove temporary files that can accumulate over time. Using disk cleanup from time to time is recommended and a very useful habit that will save you some headaches and optimize your computer running time, speed up boot sequence, etc. Think of it like cleaning up your desk, from time to time it can get too overwhelmed with junk and non-important things and if you are keeping it tidy all the time each time you need to find something it will be much faster and easier, same goes with computers, so if you do not have it, try to develop a habit that once per month you start disk clean up and remove trash from your hard drive. In order to do so, press ⊞ WINDOWS + E to bring File Explorer up Once File Explorer is up and running right-click on the hard drive you wish to run disk cleanup on and click on properties. Properties Windows will open on the general tab, on that tab you have disk cleanup on the lower right part of properties, click on it. Wait for Windows to gather information about your hard drive and files on it. After it is finished you will be greeted with the next screen: Here you can thick and mark which items you would like to get rid of and which ones you would like to keep. Note that you can freely tick all of them and remove them since removing these files will not break WIndows in any way. make your choices and click on ok. You can also click on Clean up system files to run system files cleaner and get rid of junk there, you will not be able to choose any options there, Windows will alone clean up what is not needed. After disk cleanup is finished least thing you will have is more free disk space, but like mentioned, keeping your Windows and computer healthy goes a long way in its usability, speed, and performance.

Windows 11 is released and its adoption goes slower than Microsoft would like but nevertheless, it is slowly getting adopted, especially among new computers. Windows 11 has brought us a new modern look of OS but if you would like to personalize it a little more you can. Follow the guide on various things that you can change inside Windows 11.

Personalize list of recently added apps, opened items, folders

The recommended section that shows recently added apps and recently open items can be turned off and hidden now to be shown. In order to do this follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing WINDOWS + I
2. Click on personalization in the sidebar
3. Click on START and go through the options
4. Turn OFF switch beside recently accessed files
5. Additionally, you can also change which folders appear on the Start menu.

Remove apps or change app order on the Start Menu

To remove application not to be shown in the Start menu at all follow this simple guide:

1. Right-click on app
2. Choose unpin
3. To place the application on Start click on All Apps, right-click on the app and choose Pin to Start
4. To drag and rearrange apps, simply click on them and drag them to the new place.

Change the Start Menu location

When Windows 11 was first released Start Menu could only be located in the middle of the screen but thanks to plenty of backlash from users now it is possible to move it on a more traditional left side.

1. Press WINDOWS + I to open the settings app
2. Click on Personalization
3. Look for taskbar behaviors
4. Inside taskbar behaviors look for Taskbar alignment
5. Change alignment to left

Change the Start Menu color

In order to change the color of the Start Menu follow the next steps:

1. Open Settings app
2. Go to personalization settings
3. Go to Colors
4. Switch to custom
5. Under accent color pick a color you like or make your custom one.

Anytime when a new folder is created in Windows name "New Folder" is offered and set as the default name. If by any chance you would like to change this and set your own default name instead of the standard one, follow this guide. Please be aware that this guide will require you to change the registry of Windows, it is common practice to make a backup of your registry each time you want to manually change any values in it, just in case something goes wrong.

• In order to change the default new folder name first press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog, type in it RegEdit, and press ENTER
• In registry editor find the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

• Select the NamingTemplates key. If it is not present, you’ll need to create one.
• Right-click the NamingTemplates key to add a String Value.
• Assign it the following name: RenameNameTemplate.
• Double-click on the RenameNameTemplate data value to open the Edit String dialog box.
• In the Value Data field enter the new text you want to appear when you create a new folder. You have to make sure you are not using any of the following characters: \ / ? : * " > < |
• Close the Registry Editor and Exit.
• Now, when you create a new folder, it will be named Whatever you chose instead of the New folder.

And that is all to it, you now have your own personal new folder naming template.

When performing a Windows Backup to the NAS device (backup to a network share) that is running Samba, fails with an error message The backup failed, The version does not support this version of the file format (0xC03A0005). The problem occurs because of a conflict with the VHD file that is created by Windows Backup and is mounted during the process. There are three types of VHD files:

1. Fixed,
2. Expandable
3. Differencing

If the VHD file is a sparse file that is not supported by the native VHD driver, the mounting will fail, and you will get this error. An example VHD file is one that keeps expanding depending on the backup size. The problem occurs only in the case of  File Level backup (file/folders in a volume) but not on the block level backup as the vhd file is never mounted. However, in the case of File Level Backup, the vhd is mounted, created by Windows Backup, which does not support the mounting of sparse files.

The solution is to use Strict Allocate: option in the smb.conf file

Login to SMB using SSH. Open the configuration file using the VI editor located at /etc/samba/smb.conf. If the option is not there, you can manually add strict allocate = yes which will make sure there are no sparse file that is created.

Why combining hard drives with storage spaces? Ok, I will admit it, I am a modern digital hamster when it comes to digital goods. I like to collect stuff and more than anything else I like to have all of that at the tip of my fingers. And how digital goods grow in size themselves (movies on Blu-ray are like 50GB each) and the collection grows in size single hard drive is starting to be completely obsolete when it comes to storage. Sometimes we will need large storage for these kinds of personal collections, sometimes we will need it for work reasons. Whatever your reason might be Windows 10 is offering us a solution via Storage spaces. Storage spaces is an integral part of Windows and it is meant as a tool to provide you with a RAID environment without a RAID controller. Of course, combining multiple hard drives via storage paces instead of RAID will not be so fast or stable but for home use of storing a large quantity of data is perfectly enough. With Storage Spaces you will also have an option to reduce some space for increased security of data loss if by any chance one of your HDD fails.

How to Create a Storage Space

To create storage space in Windows, press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog. In the run box type in Control Panel and press ENTER In Control Panel find Storage Spaces and left-click on it. Once storage spaces open, left-click on Create a new pool and storage space Once you click on create new, you will be greeted with a list of hard drives you can use for this operation. Please note that all hard drives you choose will be completely erased and formatted and then assign a single drive letter. Click on Create pool. You will find yourself in new storage options where you can assign a drive letter, give storage space a name, etc.

Storage spaces types

One thing I would like to focus on here is resiliency type, when you expand the resiliency type drop-down menu you will see 4 options inside. Simple, Two-way mirror, Three-way mirrors, and Parity. Simple: If you choose Simple as an option, you will have maximum hard drive space but no resiliency at all, meaning that if by any chance any of your hard drives malfunction, you are losing your data from that drive completely. Two-way mirror: This option will save your data if one of your drives fails but you need at least 2 drives and storage space will be limited since some of it will be a safe backup option for the case of a drive failure. However if one of your drives fails, you can replace it in a second and keep on working as nothing happened. Three-way mirror: This option similar to the previous one will offer you safe data-keeping from a hard drive failure. this option will save your data even if 2 hard drives malfunction but it will require having 5 of them connected in order to be able to choose this option. Parity: Maybe the most popular option among people who want to have 2 or 3 drives merged but do not want to lose too much space of the two-way mirror option. It offers some protection and it does not take so much space as two-way does, let us say it is a kind of win-win situation.

Conclusion

I personally go for simple and have an important backup on optical drives but only for reason I could use more space, know that this way is requiring from me to always have a backup in optical media and that I will need to restore all of it back if even one HDD fails which could take time. But if this way is ok with you, go for it, you will have more space to use.

Error Code 0xc004f210 – What is it?

Error code 0xc004f210 occurs when Windows 8 users fail to activate their Windows operating system. Users will be able to identify error code 0xc004f210 because of the following common symptoms which occur:

• Inability to activate Windows 8 operating system
• Message box with error code 0xc004f210

Solution

Error Causes

If you enter an invalid product key or do not have a digital entitlement for the edition of Windows you are attempting to activate, you may experience error code 0xc004f210. Since this error usually occurs due to these main reasons, you will most likely find success resolving this issue by ensuring you use a valid product key or activate an appropriate edition of Windows based on the edition of your digital entitlement.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Error codes can be resolved through manual repair procedures that seek to fix the underlying issues causing the error. In the case of error code 0xc004f210, you should be able to resolve this error by using the methods below. You may also consider contacting a Windows repair technician if you have difficulty resolving the error code.

Method One: Enter Valid Product Key

To successfully activate your operating system and resolve error code 0xc004f210, you will need to enter a valid product key in the Update & security section of Windows. Follow the instructions below to enter the product key.

• Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
• Step two: Select Update & security then Activation
• Step three: Click the Change product key
• Step four: Enter a valid product key

If the issue causing error code 0xc004f210 is related to the use of an invalid product key, you should be able to successfully activate your Windows operating system. Should the problem persist, however, you will need to attempt the next manual repair method explained below? Note: Failure to fix this error code might result in other Windows 10 error messages.

Method Two: Ensure Edition of Windows Matches Your Digital Entitlement

Digital entitlement allows Windows users to access activation without using a product key. This digital entitlement only affects Windows 8 users who are attempting to activate versions of Windows 10 that include Windows 10 Pro. Once you are using a genuine copy of Windows 8.1 and your edition of Windows matches your entitlement, you may proceed with the instructions below.

• Step one: Click the Start button then select Settings
• Step two: After selecting Settings, click Update & Security
• Step three: Select Windows Update then the Check for updates tab
• Step four: Click activate Windows 10 update

You should be able to activate your Windows update once you follow the instructions above. Remember error code 0xc004f210 is an activation code related to product keys or your digital entitlement so once these issues are rectified, you should have no problem activating your operating system of choice and enjoying the benefits it offers. If, however, the problem remains unresolved after you have attempted both manual repair methods, there may be unusual issues affecting your system. Contact Microsoft to rectify the issue or get help from a Windows repair technician.

Method Three: Download 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 you know, one of the basic apps in the Windows 10 operating system is the calculator and it can even be extended to a scientific calculator which makes it really useful for users. However, there are instances when you might encounter some issues while using this app. One of the issues about the Calculator app that’s been reported recently is that the Calculator app is not working. If you encounter the same problem, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what you can do to fix the problem. Based on the reports, users claimed that the issue with the Calculator app occurred right after they’ve installed a feature update, while other users claimed that the Calculator app never really worked on their computers and there are also cases where the app opens but it either freezes or crashes. According to researchers, the main causes of the problem include a feature update that could’ve altered the settings. It could also be due to problems with the login account or corrupted and missing files, or the problem could also with the calculate app itself. To resolve this problem, here are some suggestions you can follow.

Option 1 – Run the System File Checker Scan

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 to good system files that might be the reason why the calculator app is not working properly. 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.

• Reboot your computer.

Option 2 – Run the DISM tool

You can also run the DISM Tool as it helps in repairing the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth” that could help in fixing the Calculator app.

• Open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type in the following commands and make sure to hit Enter right after you type each one of them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • Dism (.)exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Option 3 – Try logging into your computer using a different User Account

You might want to try logging into a different User Account since it is possible that the issue could have something to do with your log-in account. Thus, you can isolate this possibility by logging into a different user account. If you don’t have any other user account, simply create a new one by clicking on the Start icon and then go to Settings > Account > Family & other users. From there, go to the Other user's section and click on the Add someone else to this PC option, and then inputs all the needed information and restarts your computer. Once your computer has restarted, log into your computer using the newly created user account.

Option 4 – Try to reset or reinstall the Calculator app

If the first three given options didn’t work, you might want to reset or reinstall the Calculator app. To do that, follow these steps:

• Click on the Start button and go to Settings > Apps > Apps and features.
• Next, look for the Calculator app from the app list and click on it to see its other options.
• After that, select the Advanced options and go to the Reset section and then click on the Reset button to reset the Calculator app.

Note: You also have the option to reinstall the Calculator app. All you have the option to visit Microsoft Store and from there, uninstall the Calculator app.

When it comes to computer peripherals first thing that comes to people's minds is probably Mouse and Keyboard. Also when discussing peripherals brands, Razer is not a stranger and over the years it has built its name and cult following. Razer’s mechanical keyboards have been always in the upper field of quality and trust from users and Huntsman is no different.

Tech specifics of Huntsman keyboard

1. Mechanical optical switches Razer has introduced their new optical technology switch with this keyboard. These switches are faster and more accurate than typical mechanical switches and if tests are to be believed this is the fastest keyboard currently on the market.
2. Multi-functional digital dial A multi-function digital dial with three tactile media keys gives you instant access to everything from brightness to volume in seconds. All programmable and customizable through Synapse 3, so you can set your preferred configurations right at your fingertips.
3. 10-key rollover Anti-ghosting technology that enables 10-key simultaneous presses at the same time
4. 4-side underglow with Razer chroma Go crazy and personalize lighting effects any way you want with a full 4-side underglow and 38 customization zones. Powered by Razer Chroma

Feel and noise

In the department of noise, well it is the mechanical keyboard so naturally, it will be louder than membrane ones but in terms of comparing it to other mechanical keyboards it is within the same noise range, maybe just a tiny bit silenced. The keyboard comes with 2 different types of switches, purple clicky ones that are louder and have that *click* sound for sound feedback, and red ones, that are not equipped with clicky sound but are linear providing slightly faster performance. If you choose the Huntsman elite model of the keyboard it will come with a nice hand resting mat that is very comfortable and feels right. Using a keyboard feels like using a Razer keyboard, it is responsive and gives that superior mechanical feeling.

Conclusion

Razer Huntsman mechanical keyboard is not the cheapest nor the best on the market but it is the fastest one out. It is in the top tier of keyboards and worth the investment.

As you know, Excel sheet is frequently acclaimed as one of the most useful software that allows users to create spreadsheets, crunch numbers as well as prepare a business report. Usually, tapping the arrow keys to move from one cell to another. However, there are times when you might experience trouble in tapping them – for instance, they won’t work when you tap them. This kind of problem can be quite frustrating since no matter what you do, especially when you tap the arrow keys, instead of a single cell, it moves the entire spreadsheet. If you are one of the users who experience this problem, worry no more for this post will guide you on what you can do to fix it. When arrow keys won’t function as intended in Excel spreadsheets, it could be due to unintended behavior of the Scroll key or it could be related to some issues with the keyboard driver. Whatever the cause is, here are some suggestions you can check out to fix it.

Option 1 – Try to disable the Scroll Lock

The first thing you can do to fix this problem with arrow keys is to disable the Scroll Lock. Although doing this is easy, newer laptops don’t actually come with it so if your keyboard does not come with a scroll key, all you have to do is tap the Fn key and disable Scroll Lock. Aside from that, you could also use the on-screen keyboard to turn off the Scroll Lock. You will see its status on the Excel sheet which will help you to double-check. Moreover, you could also tap the Shift + F14 keys to toggle off the Scroll Lock. To use the on-screen keyboard to turn off Scroll Lock, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Windows key and type “on-screen keyboard” and then tap Enter.
• Once the on-screen keyboard is opened, you should see that the Scroll Lock is on the “On” position since the ScrLk keys are in blue.
• Like pointed out earlier, you can utilize the Scroll Lock indicator located in the status bar as well as disable or enable the scroll key by using this feature on Microsoft Excel.

Option 2 – Try turning on the Sticky key

If disabling the Scroll Lock did not fix the problem, you can try turning on the Sticky Key instead. A lot of users reported that this option fixed the problem for them. So you should try to turn on the Sticky key and to do that, follow the steps below.

• First, type “control panel” in the Start Search and click on Control Panel from the search results.
• Next, select the “Turn On Sticky Keys” option and click on OK.
• After that, go back and uncheck the “Turn On Sticky Keys” option. This should fix the malfunctioning arrow keys on Excel.

Option 3 – Try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is by running the Hardware Troubleshooter. Although it won’t make much of a difference, there’s still a possibility that it could automatically fix the problem with these function keys. To use it, refer to these steps:

• 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.

Option 4 – Update the keyboard driver

You can also update the keyboard driver to fix the problem. There are cases when an outdated or corrupted driver can fix the problem. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• From there, look for the keyboard driver and click on it.
• Next, right-click on the keyboard driver and select the Update driver option.
• After that, click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option to proceed.

Option 5 – Reinstall the keyboard driver

If updating the keyboard driver didn’t help, then you might want to reinstall it. How? Follow the steps below.

• 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 keyboard driver, right-click on it and then select “Uninstall device”.
• After that, unplug the device and restart your PC.
• Then plug your device back in. Assuming your device is connected to your PC, open the Device Manager again.
• Next, click on the Action button and click the Scan for hardware changes button. That should fix the problem

Note: You could also completely uninstall the driver and go directly to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver for your hardware and then install it.

If you are trying to start the Microsoft Outlook application on your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly receive a message box with an error message that says, “We are unable to connect right now, Please check your network and try again later”, read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error. This kind of error in Microsoft Outlook could be due to some issues with your internet connection or it could also be due to the VPN software if you’re using one. Whatever the cause is, there are several potential fixes you can check out to fix the error. You have to check your internet connection or try changing it. You could also try to disable your VPN software or restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook and try starting the app again. In addition, you can also try entering your password again or check some settings in the Windows Registry or open Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode. Refer to the guidelines provided below to further troubleshoot the problem.

Option 1 – Try to check your internet connection

The first thing you can do to resolve the problem is to check your internet connection. You have to make sure that you are connected to the internet and that it has a stable connection.

Option 2 – Try to restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook and try again

The next thing you can do to fix the error is to restart your computer or Microsoft Outlook. This simple process can actually help you fix the problem as it could only be a glitch that can be fixed with a simple restart.

Option 3 – Try to enter your password again

You could also try entering your password again to resolve the error. Just click on the Cancel button to open a dialog box and then enter your password again and see if it helps. Note that you might have to do it for all your email IDs in Microsoft Outlook.

Option 4 – Try opening Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode and disabling its add-ins

Putting Microsoft Outlook into Safe Mode can help you identify the problems in it. Safe Mode also helps you fix a certain issue caused by some corrupted add-in. To start your Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode, refer to these steps:

• Tap Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type in “Outlook /safe” and press Enter to run the command.
• After that, it will ask you to select a profile that you want to use. Just simply select a profile from the drop-down menu and click on the OK button.
• Now you have successfully opened Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode. As a result, it will start with disabling the add-ins. Meaning to say, there is some corrupted add-in that’s causing the problem, and that you need to look for that add-in and either disable it or have it permanently removed.
• Once you’ve identified the corrupted add-in, you can disable or remove it by going to File > Options > Add-ins. From there, select the option “COM Add-ins” from the drop-down menu and then click the Go button.
• Finally, close Microsoft Outlook once you’ve covered the given steps above and then try to open it normally.

Option 5 – Try disabling the VPN

As pointed out earlier, if you are using VPN, this could be the reason why you’re getting the “We are unable to connect right now, Please check your network and try again later” error so the most obvious thing to do is for you to turn off the VPN and try to run the Windows Update once more. And if you use a VPN software that works using their software, you can just completely exit or log-off from its account. On the other hand, if you are using a built-in Windows 10 VPN, you can simply turn it off or delete all the settings you have created there.

Option 6 – Try to check the settings in the Registry

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesNlaSvcParametersInternet
• From there, look for the DWORD named “EnableActiveProbing” and make sure that its value is set to “1”. When the value is set to 1, it means that it is Enabled. This is the default setting and is used to identify the status of the network connectivity of your computer.