As you know, System Restore is a useful tool in Windows operating system that helps users in fixing system issues by undoing any recent changes to the computer that may have caused the problem. However, there are times when you might encounter some issues when running this tool and one of these issues is when System Restore suddenly gets stuck or hangs up on initializing the restoration of the Registry in Windows 10. If you encounter a similar problem, read on as this post will guide you on what you can do in such cases.
There are several things you can do when you face this kind of problem in System Restore. First, you can try to wait it out, give it more time to load, which should not take longer than 5 minutes. And if it’s still stuck after that time, give it another hour. However, if nothing changed after an hour, then you need to troubleshoot the problem further. Keep in mind that you must not interrupt System Restore by shutting it down abruptly, it could result in an unbootable system.
To get started in troubleshooting the problem, you need to follow each one of the suggestions offered below.
Option 1 – Try to use the Windows Recovery Environment
The first troubleshooting option you need to try is to simply tap the power button for about 10 seconds. This is what you have to do when you have to interrupt System Restore or reset your Windows 10 computer. Tapping the power button for 10 seconds will perform a hard shutdown and once your computer shuts down, restart your computer again and follow the steps below but before you do that, make sure that you have a Windows bootable USB or DVD.
First, insert the bootable USB or DVD and boot into it, and select the “Repair your computer” option.
Next, once you see the manufacturer logo on your computer, tap the key to enter into Windows Recovery Environment.
After that, change the Boot sequence to DVD drive under the UEFI Firmware settings and restart your computer.
Once your computer has restarted, select the boot order and make changes accordingly as displayed in the BIOS.
Option 2 – Try to run the Automatic Repair Utility
You might also want to use Automatic Repair in fixing the error. To do so, follow the steps below.
You can start by creating and booting from a bootable Windows 10 USB Stick.
After that, click on Repair your computer located on the bottom left corner when you are on the initial Windows Startup screen.
Next, click on Troubleshoot, and then on the other screen, click the Startup Repair option.
Now select the operating system you want to repair. Once you do that, it will start to repair your operating system. Wait until the process is completed and then check if the problem’s now fixed.
Option 3 – Try to run System Restore in Safe Mode
If you can’t boot into your Windows 10 computer, you can try to run System Restore again in the Advanced Startup Options.
Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
After that, select an option > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
Once your computer has restarted, tap the F6 key to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt and to run System Restore from there.
Now in Command Prompt, type the “rstrui.exe” command to run System Restore in Safe Mode. This will help in fixing the problem since it would be safer to perform System Restore of the computer.
Runtime Error 217 can be a big problem if you use your computer for business purposes and you have confidential data/documents stored on your system.
This runtime error is quite dangerous. It can slow down your PC performance, lead to system failure and crash, make your system vulnerable to hacker’s attack, and also corrupt important files on your system.
Solution
Error Causes
There is no one particular cause behind the Runtime Error 217. This error can be attributed to several factors such as:
Corrupt, missing, or faulty register DLLs of programs. This is usually the cause for Runtime Error 217 when installation is unsuccessful and the crucial system files fail to be registered within the registry.
Exposure to Viruses like malware, adware, and spyware. Once a virus (es) gain access to your PC, you may experience Runtime Error 217. These malicious programs can damage your hard drive, boot sectors, memory banks, and registries.
Outdated Msvcrt.dll (a Microsoft Visual C++ file) file called.
Incorrect Regional settings
Further Information and Manual Repair
If you see Runtime Error 217 message pop up on your computer screen, you must fix and repair it right away before it becomes a big threat to you and your PC.
Though Runtime Error 217 is alarming this does not mean that you need to panic. Keep calm and follow the recommended solutions to fix Runtime Error 217 given below.
If the error occurs because you called the outdated Msvcrt.dll file, then you must update the file. This can be easily done by clicking the start menu, accessing the control panel, and then hitting the Windows update tab.
When you experience Runtime Error 217 due to incorrect regional settings on your PC, then to resolve this issue simply go to the start menu and select Control Panel. Now in the control panel, you’ll find the option clock, click on it and go to the language and region settings. Choose your specific regional settings and save.
If the cause of the Runtime Error 217 is incorrect registry entries and DLL files corruption, then to fix the error, you need to download a Runtime Error 217 fixer. After you download this repair tool, run it on your PC. It scans and detects corrupted files and repairs the error swiftly.
Nonetheless, if the cause of this problem is a virus, then you need to install a powerful antivirus program. When you run it, the antivirus scans your PC for viruses. Once the scanning is complete the results are displayed on the screen. The results show exactly how many viruses you have on your PC. Once the scan is complete, delete all the files and click repair.
Regardless of whether you have experienced the Runtime Error 217 on your PC or not, it is advisable to install a powerful antivirus and run it every time you use your PC.
By running it regularly, you can make sure that you are not exposed to viruses, malware, and spyware programs.
Even if your PC gets infected by them, you can delete and remove them timely before the damage is done.
Anxiety from all these digital threats lurking everywhere? An antivirus program can help put your mind at ease.
What can a virus do to your device?
A virus is malicious software that can affect pretty much any device and does so in a variety of ways. Be it your computer, your phone or your smart lightbulb - as long as there’s access to the internet, malware can get to it.
How exactly does this kind of attack manifest itself? Well, there’s a wide variety of effects ranging from mild to severe. Among other things, they depend on which type of malware attacks your device - a virus, spyware, ransomware, adware or something else.
These are some of the things you can expect to happen:
Slow performance
System crashes
Theft of data and sensitive information
Connectivity issues
Constant browser redirects
Strange messages sent to your contacts
Interference with files
It really can be the stuff of nightmares. So, if you want to sleep peacefully knowing that your devices are completely safe, you should definitely consider getting an antivirus.
P.S. don’t let its name fool you - an antivirus does indeed protect your devices against more than just viruses.
What is antivirus software exactly?
Antivirus software is designed to help you battle and ward off malware. Basically, it scans your device to detect any suspicious activity and offers tools to get rid of the culprit.
At first, antiviruses were developed to fight against viruses only, but nowadays they cover a lot more ground. Here are some of the biggest benefits of getting yourself a powerful defender.
Advantages of antivirus software
1. It fights those pesky ads
Look, constant ads that pop up everywhere aren’t the absolute worst thing that can happen on your computer. If anything, they are annoying, like when you’re trying to sleep but that one fly in your room just won’t stop buzzing.
Now, there’s a free, well-established solution for that - installing an ad blocker. And we’re about a hundred and ten percent sure you’ve already done that on each and every browser you use.
However, “if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” isn’t the most ideal approach for your online safety. Ad blockers can’t block everything and they won’t protect you from potential adware. An antivirus on the other hand offers that layer of protection against malware snuck into pop-ups and spammy websites.
2. It protects you from hackers
Hackers don’t target government institutions only. They’ll target regular people too if they have something to gain.
Credit: Clint Patteron (Unsplash)
There are different types of hacking, such as phishing e-mails, transmission of malicious programs, credential reuse, denial of service and more. In any case, they take control of your device and hijack your data.
The good thing is that, as threats evolve, antiviruses evolve too and there are tons of quality programs on the market that can keep you secure for an affordable price.
3. It keeps your files and data safe
When malware enters your device, it can target pretty much any file and get access to any and all data.
Installing an antivirus program will make sure that every single file, new or old, is monitored at all times, warning you against threats immediately. That way, you can make sure to react before your other files become infected and data is lost or stolen.
Another great thing for data protection is that the best antivirus software normally comes with a password manager, so no one can use malware to steal your passwords.
4. It blocks all kinds of malware
As we already stated, malicious attacks can be performed in many ways and malware comes in in different shapes an sizes, such as:
Trojan horse
Spyware
Ransomware
Adware
Rootkit
RAT (remote access Trojan)
Keyloggers
Worms
Botnets
Credit: Growtika (Unsplash)
Nowadays, antivirus software is designed to fight against all of these types. That’s why more often than not we hear the term 'antivirus' used interchangeably with 'anti-malware,' like in this article.
5. It keeps your children protected
You can’t keep your eyes on your kid every second of the day and you can’t protect them from everything. But at least you can limit their exposure to the threats they can encounter at every corner of the digital world.
An antivirus program will block harmful or suspicious websites and ads, which is great both for you and your children. To take it a step further, though, many such programs come with special parental controls and offer monitoring as well. It’s a great solution for keeping your kids safe online without sounding like the irritating, overbearing, controlling parent who “just doesn’t get it!”
How to pick one
There are definitely lots of different antivirus programs out there, both free and paid. We recommend you look for a paid option, since free ones are unfortunately a lot more susceptible to being compromised through malicious attacks.
Now, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the right software. If you use your PC for basic things then a basic antivirus will suffice. However, the more complex your use and the more sensitive the data you deal with, the stronger it needs to be.
It’s also crucial that you take into account the features it includes. As we already mentioned, some programs have additional security options. For example, depending on the package you select, Bitdefender provides:
Some are included in plans and some are separate products, so make sure to check out all the offers.
And don’t worry if you have multiple PCs or you’re looking for protection for your smartphone or tablet as well; Bitdefender has suitable solutions for your needs. Of course, you can also just pick their classic antivirus software if you’re not in need of advanced protection.
Another important point is how regularly the software is updated and enhanced. The more frequent the updates the better, as bugs can make the program more vulnerable. Other things we advise you consider are user-friendliness, impact on performance, reputation (user reviews especially) and, of course, price.
The bottom line
Fact is: anyone can be a malware victim. Don’t let it be you.
You can’t put a price on peace and security, so don’t be reluctant to pay for yours - especially since a lot of options out there are extremely affordable. Is $159.00 a year really too much to pay for cross-platform protection for up to 10 devices? We don’t think so.
Explore your options and protect your files and data before it’s too late.
When it comes to downloading and installing games in the Windows operating system, Steam is one of the well-known sources. You can find many big titles in Streams such as PUBG, Heaven Vaults, and a whole lot more. It is undeniably a great source of getting games in the Windows operating systems. However, just like other software, Steam is not immune to errors as you could encounter errors while using it. This isn’t caused by a bad code but also due to reliance on various factors in both respects to the software and hardware. One of these errors is the Application Load Error 5:0000065434. This kind of error can appear when you launch numerous game titles on your Windows 10 computer like Skyrim, Oblivion, Bully, Morrowind, Vortex, and many more.
To fix this application error in Steam, you can try to copy the Steam executable file or use the Command Prompt. You could also try to verify the integrity of the game files feature or delete any conflicting files on your computer.
Option 1 – Try copying the Steam executable file
The first thing you can do to fix the error is to copy the executable file of Steam.
First, right-click on the desktop shortcut of steam located on your Desktop and click on the “Open file location” option.
After that, copy the executable file for Steam and navigate to the folder of the library of the games which is usually located in SteamSteamAppsCommon
Now paste the Steam executable file you just copied inside the folder of the game and see if it fixes the error or not.
Option 2 – Try to use the Command Prompt
In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and then select the “Run as administrator” option.
After opening Command Prompt as administrator, execute the following command:
cd "C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon"mklink "steam.exe" "C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteam.exe"
The command you entered will create a link between the executable file of Steam to the operating system. Once you see a message that states, “Operation completed successfully”, restart your computer.
Option 3 – Try to use the “Verify integrity of the game files” feature
The next thing you can do to get rid of the error is to use the “Verify integrity of the game files” feature. How? Refer to these steps:
Open Steam and right-click on the entry of the game where you encountered the error in the Library and then select Properties.
After that, navigate to the LOCAL FILES tab and click the “VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES” button.
Wait for the process to be completed and see if the feature has helped in fixing the error or not.
Option 4 – Try to delete any conflicting files
The error might be caused by some conflicting files on your computer which is why you have to delete them. To do that, follow these steps:
Open the Documents folder and look for the folder created by the game that’s throwing the error. For instance, it could be stored in the “My Games” folder.
Next, delete the folder and then try to launch the game again and see if the error is now fixed.
Enter Cooler Master XG850 PLUS PLATINUM, a new, in-house designed power supply from Cooler Master. I will admit that in last years I was a big fan of Cooler Master and their components, well not all but power supply and PC cases were always products from them that I liked and used. The latest power supply from them does not disappoint and I must say that I like it very much, it is hi-quality, it is silent, it has a large LCD display where you can see its current state and also has some RGB lights so it looks cool in your case.
Technical specifications
So without further detours here are the technical specifications and then we will talk a little about it.
If we put aside the technical characteristics of the power supply itself we are left with visual and real working experience. Now real working experience will not be covered here since yea it is working great but it needs some time and a long period of testing in order to be able to say that it is indeed reliable and great but considering I have never had any issues personally with power supplies from Cooler Master I will assume that this one is also very reliable and hi-quality.
That leaves us basically with looks and feels of supply itself and I must say that I like it, and I mean I like it a lot. It feels hi-quality and it looks hi-quality. The LCD display is very good looking and it is very crisp and readable. With power supply some proprietary software so you can choose what you want on display on the screen and also you can control RGB and display colors with it.
I have not opened the power supply to see how it looks inside but from what I could see I think this would be my new power supply if I were building a new PC now. I recommend it and if you decide to get it I hope it will serve you long long time.
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next time.
Microsoft has started to use group along with every open window in the Taskbar ever since the release of Windows 10. Early on, they used to show an individual entry for each one of the windows after grouping them which makes the taskbar look cleaner and organized. However, the main issue lies in the fact that you have to hover on your desired window to get on to them. At the time of writing, you need to tap the Ctrl key and click on the taskbar icon to open the last active window but you have to only click on the program’s taskbar icon after you apply the tweak given in this post for the last active window to open. Take note that the “Last Active” windows feature will only work if the taskbar buttons are combined.
Before you get started doing the instructions given below, you need to create a System Restore Point first since you will be dealing with registry files and modifying some of the critical settings in Windows 10. Once you’ve done this, proceed to the given steps below.
Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed to open the Registry Editor.
Step 3: Next, navigate to the following registry path:
Step 4: From there, right-click on the right side of the panel and select New > DWORD (32-bit) and then name it “LastActiveClick”.
Step 5: After that, double click on the newly created DWORd to modify its value. Put “1” as its value data.
Step 6: Then click OK and close the Registry Editor.
Step 7: Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Note: In case you want to revert back to the default configuration, all you have to do is set the value data of LastActiveClick to “0” or simply delete that DWORD and restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
The new razer modular table looks like something that came out from Star Trek. Project Sophia is a desk but, it is a special kind of desk. It comes with modules that attach themselves underneath the table itself for customization purposes so each user can somewhat create a layout on the table itself as he or she desires. The table itself comes packed with intel CPU and Nvidia GPU but it is said that this component and PC parts will overall be easily upgraded to different ones as users desires.
The table itself looks very basic and it comes with a very large OLED screen between two different sizes depending on your table choice. You can choose between 65” or 77” screen sizes and OLED is mounted on the table itself so you cannot move it or adjust the angle of it that I somewhat find annoying but that comes from th4e fact I am used to adjusting my screens, but for this large screen maybe you do not need to adjust its rotation in order to get best viewing angle.
Modules themselves will offer some on-the-fly information and quick settings for the PC itself while being modular in a sense they could be mounted in different positions on the table itself providing some customization and order to suit users needs. Modules, for now, are: THX Spatial Surround Sound Controls, system monitoring, programmable hotkey module, Thunderbolt™ Powered eGPU, RAID Controller, Network Performance Module, 15W Wireless Charger, Thunderbolt™ 4 Hub, Media Controls.
Of course table, itself will have Razer chroma RGB on its surface and Razer says it will have a total of 13 different modules available on launch for a true level of personalization.
Conclusion
Is this Razer table something that you really need or just another expensive toy? Personally, I would not mind this table at all but I would choose modules for work, not gaming. Having some things like media controls or RAID controllers all the time at your fingertips is a great time saver and productivity asset. Razer also advertises some modules and setup already for streamers, creators, or team members and has some according modules like touch screen digitizer with stylus and similar.
The GameStream is an NVIDIA service that allows users to stream games from their Windows 10 computers to other supported devices which includes the NVIDIA SHIELD devices. However, a number of users reported that the NVIDIA GameStream is not working on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue is most likely caused by improper installation, some glitches with the network, and many more.
To fix this issue in the NVIDIA GameStream, there are several options you need to check out to fix the problem. You can try to lo logout of GameStream and try logging back in again. You could also try to update or uninstall and reinstall the drivers related to NVIDIA or fix some network glitches or update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. For more details, you can refer to each one of the given potential fixes below.
Option 1 – Try to logout and log back into NVIDIA GameStream
The first thing you can do is to log out and then log back into NVIDIA GameStream. Some users claimed that by doing this simple task, they were able to resolve the problem. This is probably because with the re-login, the entire cache of the system and service is rebuilt and any bad sectors of that data will be replaced with the fresh one so this should resolve the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream, if not, refer to the other given options below.
Option 2 – Try updating the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA
If both the first and second given options didn’t work, you can also try updating the drivers from the official NVIDIA website. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.
Option 3 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version
If updating the NVIDIA display drivers didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “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 NVIDIA Drivers and expand it.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 4 – Try fixing your network
The next thing you can do to fix the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream is to fix the glitches in your network. Make sure that you connect both of your devices to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network and you also have to ensure that the Wi-Fi connection you’re connected to is strong enough for both the devices for the latency to go down. Once you’ve covered all of these things with your network, restart your computer and change the Wi-Fi channel both devices are connected to. This should resolve the problem.
Option 5 – Try to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device
You might also want to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. There are times when an outdated NVIDIA SHIELD device can result to several issues like the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream. Thus, you need to update NVIDIA SHIELD and check if it fixes the problem or not.
Shortcut virus is an easily spreadable and annoying combination of Worm and Trojan that hides all of your files and folders and then replaces them with shortcuts that look identical to replaced files and folders.
Once disguised it will wait patiently for a user's click and once that happens it will replicate itself and further infect the system. This rapid spread can lead to stolen personal data, some system hick-ups, and other system-related issues.
This malware mainly affects physical file transfer devices like for example and most USB drives, hard drives, and SD memory cards and it can easily transfer itself to the computer.
The advantage of this shortcut virus comparing it to others is that it is mostly undetected by a vast variety of antivirus software. So running just anti-virus software maybe not be enough to remove it from your system. Luckily for all unfortunate users that have caught this annoyance, it can be easily removed fully manually in a short time.
How to Remove Virus from USB and other removable media
Firstly plugin USB, SD, or removable drive. The infection will transfer to your computer when the infected drive is plugged in so before we go to clean the computer itself, clean each removable drive that you have. Also know that infection will spread from computers into removable devices as well if it is not cleaned.
Open the File Explorer and remember under which letter is removable drive registered. Open Command prompt but with administrator privileges and go to infected rive by typing its letter followed with “:” (for example D:) and press ENTER
Once you have successfully gone to infected drive type in command prompt:
Attrib -s -r -h /s /d *.*
This will unlock all original files back into removable storage, next copy all files to your computer, and format the removable drive. Once the format is complete, unplug the removable device. Continue to clean all devices with the same method.
How to Permanently Remove a Shortcut Virus from Your PC
Now once we have cleaned all removable devices it is time to fully clean the PC
Firstly open the task manager ( CTRL + SHIFT + ESC ), in the process tab find wscript.exe or wscript.vbs, right-click on it (or both if present), and select End Task. Now close the task manager and press Start. Inside start typing in registry editor to search for it and once found open it.
Find the following key inside the registry editor:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run
In the right panel, look for any strange-looking key names, such as odwcamszas, WXCKYz, OUzzckky, etc. For each one, run a Google search to see if it's related to shortcut viruses.
If any returns a positive match, right-click on them and select Delete. !!! Accidentally deleting an important key can cause Windows to become unstable, so double-check everything !!!.
Close the Registry Editor
Now press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in it Msconfig followed by ENTER. Once the System Configuration window opens go to the Startup tab. In the Startup tab, look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS programs, select each one and click Disable. Close the Window.
Once again open the run dialog and type inside %TEMP% and press ENTER in order to open the Windows temp folder. Inside this folder delete everything.
Next in the File explorer go to
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS files and delete them.
Resource hogging is a term when one single application or few of them are taking all system resources for themself causing extreme slow down in the computer and nonresponsiveness. It can be a very frustrating and time-consuming experience and it can cost you money if you can not finish work on time due to this effect.
I believe that everyone has experienced at least one slowdown in their IT carrier because of resource-hogging applications and most users do not know how to deal with this. We are here to help you with this issue.
Just to be aware that this method shown here is not a method to miraculously speed up your PC or anything similar, this is to be able to detect and recover from extreme slowdowns. Hardware components are still very important and if you can upgrade your computer if it is outdated, please do it because new applications will require a more modern system, and not any kind of tips and tricks will save you from outdated hardware.
Identifying resource hogging app
Now when we got that out of the way let's talk about slowdowns, it is no secret that sometimes an application has bugs and memory leaks that can cause this kind of behavior, and sometimes the application simply takes up too much memory for any other application to work normally. The most simple and straightforward way is to bring up a Windows task manager and inspect running applications and services.
You can bring task manager by the key combination of CTRL + SHIFT + ESC
If the system is in deep memory deficit you will have to wait for the task manager to open and show itself on-screen. Once opened, click on more details if that view is not opened by default. Once the view expands you will see all running applications with how much RAM memory have they taken and how much CPU they are using.
What to do with app?
Now you are presented with a choice on what to do with the problematic application. If you press the end task button on the bottom right, Windows will kill the application and its processes but any unsaved work inside the application will be lost and unrecoverable in most cases. Or you can try to remove smaller applications running to free up more memory and CPU in order for the computer to catch up.
Any choice you make is up to you, but be very careful not to kill Windows essential service by mistake, that will cause immediate system instability with high chances of a system crash.
Some users wanting to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 experienced errors with installation. One of these errors is CPU Not Compatible. When you click and run the “Get Windows 10” from your system tray bar, you’ll receive the “CPU is not compatible with Windows 10” error. When this happens, it might be good to check if there’s a bug or if your NX feature (a requirement for the Windows 10 installation) is enabled.
Solution
Error Causes
The “CPU is not compatible with Windows 10” error normally occurs when:
NX feature is not enabled
You experienced the Windows 10 bug
Further Information and Manual Repair
To successfully upgrade to Windows 10, your CPU must support Physical Address Extension (PAE), SSE2, and NX features. If any of these features are not activated on your system, it’ll cause the CPU not compatible error. However, some users still reported experiencing this error even though their CPU has these features activated. Normally, this is due to the bug that Windows acknowledged.
If any of these two scenarios apply to your computer, the following methods will help you fix the problem:
Method 1 – Check for bugs
The bug applies to some Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 systems. The bug occurs when the “Get Windows 10” app fails to recognize CPUs as being compatible. This produces a false negative result with a message, “Here’s why Windows 10 cannot be installed on this PC: The CPU isn’t supported”. To fix this bug, Microsoft released an update.
Unfortunately, the patch update (KB2976978 for Windows 8/8.1 and KB2952664 for Windows 7 SP1) to fix the bug may not be automatically downloaded to your computer. If this is the case, you need to verify first if the patch was installed correctly. To do this, follow the steps below:
Click ‘Start’ and type in View Installed Updates. The “View installed updates” icon should appear. Click the icon.
Go to the Search bar (Top right portion) then type the patch name for your system. Make sure that you type the correct patch name for your system since Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 have different names. If you find the patch, it means it’s already installed. You can now upgrade to Windows 10 without the CPU not-compatible error.
But, if you can’t find it you need to install the patch manually.
Go to Windows Update then click the “Check for Updates” button.
Browse through the available updates and look for KB2976978 for Windows 8/8.1 or KB2952664 for Windows 7 SP1
Download the right patch. You may need to reboot your system once it’s done.
The downloaded patch should be applied after a day or two with the Windows Task Scheduler. Once the patch is applied, you can now upgrade to Windows 10.
Method 2 – Check CPU features and activate them if needed
A major requirement for Windows 10 upgrade is for the CPU to have Physical Address Extension (PAE), SSE2, and NX features enabled on your system. If you receive the CPU not compatible error, one possible cause is that any of the mentioned features are not available OR not enabled on your system. Here’s how you can fix this:
Verify if your CPU supports the three instruction sets. You can use software that provides information like this. If all three are available, proceed to the next step.
Go to your computer’s BIOS. To do this, reboot your computer. You will need to press a key specific to your computer’s manufacturer (usually it’s F12, F8, F2, or DEL).
Look for the NX (No Execute Bit) settings. This is normally found in the “Advanced Configuration” menu, or something similar to this. Just take note that the NX setting can be named differently in BIOS. Some other names include EDB (Execute Disabled Bit), EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection), Execute Disabled Memory Protection or No Excuse Memory Protect.
Once you’re in the NX settings, make sure that it’s enabled.
Exit the BIOS and SAVE your changes.
Boot your computer normally, then try upgrading to Windows 10 again through the “Get Windows 10” app found in the system tray.
Method 3 – Force enabling NX Bit
If changing the settings in your BIOS doesn’t do the trick, your final option is to force enable the NX bit in your Windows system. However, this is only applicable IF and ONLY IF your CPU does support it. To force enable NX bit, do the following:
Click Start and go to command prompt (Type “cmd” – no quotes) and press enter.
Copy and paste the text below to the command prompt.bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOn
Execute the command. You will need to reboot your computer once this is done.
Download and install Windows 10
Method 4 – Use a trusted automated tool
If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.