There is No Sleep Option in Power Menu

The author of the famous software library mode-ipc that gets over a million downloads per week found that it has some questionable code inside. The code itself behaves like this: if it finds out that your location is within Russia or Belarus it will try to replace the contents of all files on the computer with a heart emoji.

One important thing is that we here are not supporting the current Ukrainian situation and are against any type of violence or war but we also do not support this kind of behavior as well. If we look at this only from a technical perspective, we would then classify the mode-ipc library as malware and a harmful piece of code no matter the motivation behind it.

So this so-called protestware is well basically malware, but not always, it will protest when certain conditions are met. The issue with this is that companies and users should not be placed under harm if they do not share the personal view of the code author. Imagine if, for example, I would publish code to delete all pictures from your computer if my code found out that you do not like metal music. I guess you not liking metal music and war in Ukraine are two very different things but the source is the same, unreliable code that invades your privacy in order to serve one purpose, punishment for disagreeing with my personal views and that should not be allowed.

Not all protestware are equal, some will not harm your computer on purpose, they will just annoy you with some messages like viruses did in their infancy stages, others might place some developer sanctions but no matter the outcome basic principle is the same, it does something without user consent and without informing the user that something like that might happen.

On the internet, many blog posts and discussions were open about this issue and its morality. Discussion is still active with different takes on the situation and how to prevent it. Our take on this matter is that professional developers should have standards and not submit to doing harm for the sake of personal views and feelings.

In the long run, this kind of behavior and practice can only harm developers involved in this kind of entanglement. Infected libraries will in time stop being used since people would not trust them and authors will have a stain on their name as impulsive or not trustworthy.

Like in Windows 10, Windows 11 will also support God mode to be enabled and used. For those readers that do know what God mode is, let me explain it in simple terms. God mode is the icon on the desktop that once clicked will open and let you adjust every option in the control panel and some hidden features for Windows inside one application. There are a lot of advantages to having this one-click fast access to features, especially if you are a power user. Luckily creating such an awesome icon and enabling God mode is very easy to accomplish, all you have to do is:

1. Create a new folder where you want to have the God mode icon
2. Rename folder exactly: {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
3. Enjoy God mode

As you can see creating and accessing all settings at your fingertips is much easier than most people think. Enjoy your ultimate access to Windows 11 features and if you wish you can drag and drop sections from it into the desktop or anywhere for easy access to that specific topic.

If you have suddenly run into a problem when trying to connect or pair your Bluetooth keyboard with your Windows 10 computer, read on as this post will guide you on how exactly you can resolve the problem. This kind of problem typically occurs when you’ve disabled the Bluetooth option. However, this option is already enabled and you still encountered the same error message saying, “Check the PIN and try connecting again”, then you need to troubleshoot the problem further. In most cases, this kind of issue can be fixed when you restart your computer and go to the Windows Settings and select the “Add Bluetooth or other devices” option and then put the keyboard into pairing mode. And when the keyboard appears in the “Add a device” dialog box, just select it. On the other hand, if your Bluetooth keyboard won’t get connected to your Windows 10 computer and you encounter an error that says, “Can’t pair Bluetooth keyboard, Check the PIN and try connecting again”, then you need to check out the options provided below but before you do so, make sure that you create a System Restore point first as some of the troubleshooting options provided involves the Windows Registry.

Option 1 – Try to use the Device Pairing Wizard

The Device Pairing Wizard is the one that allows your computer to look for any new devices and display them underneath it. All you have to do to use this wizard is to follow its instructions to connect your Bluetooth device to Windows 10. To get started, follow these steps:

• First, tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “devicepairingwizard” in the field, and then hit Enter to run the Device Pairing Wizard.
• After that, wait for a couple of seconds until the devices appear. Once they do, select the Bluetooth device you wish to add.
• A new screen with a passcode should appear instantly. You need to take note of the given passcode and type them on your Bluetooth keyboard.
• Once done, tap Enter. This should help in pairing your computer to your Bluetooth keyboard.

Option 2 – Try to use the Registry Editor

The next thing you can do to resolve the pairing issue with your Bluetooth keyboard is to use the Registry Editor by following these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Bluetooth/ExceptionDB
• From there, look for the folder named “Addrs” and expand it. If you see any folders or keys under it, select them and delete them. These keys represent the MAC address of your Bluetooth devices.
• Once you’re done, restart your computer and try to pair your Bluetooth keyboard once more.

Option 3 – Try running the Bluetooth Troubleshooter

As you know, Windows 10 has various troubleshooters with user-friendly interfaces where you can utilize them to fix issues in your PC. And since you’re dealing with some Bluetooth problem, you have to run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter.

• Open the Windows 10 Settings.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• You should find the option for Bluetooth on your right-hand side – click on it then click on the “Run the troubleshooter” option.
• Now follow the next screen options.

Option 4 – Try to reinstall or update the Bluetooth driver

The issue might have something to do with the Bluetooth drivers. It could be that it is outdated and needs to be updated or that you recently updated it and since you have trouble pairing your Bluetooth keyboard, you can update, rollback, or uninstall the Bluetooth drivers. How? Follow the steps below.

• Tap the Win + X keys to open the Device Manager.
• Next, look for the Bluetooth device and right-click on it.
• Select the option “Update driver”.
• After that, a new popup window will appear. In there, select the option, “Search automatically for updated driver software”.

Note: Checking the update may take a few minutes so you’ll have to wait until it finishes. If it is able to find an update, you must install it.

Error Code 0x801901F7 – What is it?

Error code 0x801901F7, also known as “The Server Stumbled” error because it shows a message saying “The Server Stumbled. We all have bad days” is associated with Windows Store. Server Stumbled Error 0x801901F7 is an error related to the MS server. The error occurs due to damaged registry files, malware, virus, and corrupted data. You should fix this error to prevent a system crash or a BSOD error. There are some things you can do to fix it. These are not so complex. So, anyone can try these methods to fix error 0x801901F7. Common Symptoms for error 0x801901F7:

• Problems with Windows startup
• System becomes very slow or the system freezes
• Blue screen of death appears
• Windows fails to start some process due to Stop error code 0x801901f7

Solution

Error Causes

• This error is generally caused by corrupt registry files.
• Virus infection can cause this problem.
• Outdated driver, missing .DLL files may also cause this error.
• Microsoft server overload may cause this problem as well.
• Incorrect configuration may cause this problem.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix error 0x801901f7, there are four methods listed below. Some might work for you and some might not. Please try all of them to fix this error.

Method 1:

Basic method to fix error code 0x801901F7: Resetting Windows Store Cache Most of the time clearing or resetting the cache helps. It doesn't always work, but you should try this first before moving on to some advanced methods which are mentioned below. To reset the Windows Store cache please follow the simple steps below

• Open RUN by searching or pressing "Windows Key + R"
• Type "wsreset.exe" and press Enter or click on OK.
• Windows Store will open automatically along with a command prompt.
• This will reset Windows Store and you might see it loading as it should.

This method might work but if it fails to solve Error 0x801901F7 then follow the method below.

Method 2:

Advanced method of fixing error code 0x801901F7: Deleting Windows Store database file. By using this method, you will be deleting the database file for Windows Store. This file is located on your C drive or the drive where you installed your Operating System. Follow the steps below.

1. Navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDataStoreDataStore.edb.
2. Delete DataStore.edb file from there.
3. Now Open Windows Store and see if you still get error code 0x801901F7.

The Datastore.edb file that you deleted will be automatically created once you perform Step 3 which is launching Windows Store. If you still cannot get this error away then Close Windows Store and Reboot your PC then Launch Windows Store Again.

Method 3:

Modifying Windows update properties: Perform the steps below only if the above-mentioned methods fail. You will be tweaking a few things in the Windows update to see if it helps.

1. Open Task Manager by right-clicking on Taskbar, then click on Task Manager.
2. Go to Services Tab. Click on Open Services at the very bottom of the Window.
3. Now a new window will pop up. Scroll down & find "Windows Update" from the list.
4. Double click on Windows update to open up its Properties.
5. Now from the Startup Type drop-down list, select Automatic. Click on Apply, Start, and then Ok.

Now you need to perform just one more step. Reset Windows Store again (Refer to method 1 for Steps). This should fix your Windows Store error that shows The Server Stumbled with 0x801901F7 Error Code.

Method 4: 

If the error is due to a problem with a driver, then follow the method below to uninstall the current driver:

1. Open the Run command and type “sysdm.cpl” in the text box.
2. Click Enter.
3. Open the Hardware tab on the system properties dialog box.
4. Then press on Device Manager.
5. Double press on Device type and then press on the hardware device that is reporting error code 0x801901F7.
6. Go to the Driver tab and press on Uninstall button to uninstall the device driver completely.
7. Now, install the new driver on your computer.
8. Restart your computer.
9. Run virus scan of your PC
10. Try using a different USB port.

If you do not possess the technical expertise required to accomplish this yourself or do not feel comfortable doing so, download and install a powerful automated tool to get the job done.

Modem Error 633 error is a dial-up error that usually occurs when using a USB modem with a Windows computer. The Modem Error 633 error message is displayed as the following:

“Error 633: The Modem is already in use or not configured properly.”

Solution

Error Causes

This error can be triggered due to several reasons such as:

• A software program conflicts with the USB modem
• The modem is not configured properly
• The Telephon.ini file is missing or damaged
• There is some issue with the way Windows is managing the communication (COM) ports on your computer.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you experience the Modem Error 633 on your PC, you don’t have to panic. Though this error does not pose any major threats like data loss, it may hamper your ability to use the internet therefore it is advisable to resolve the error. Repairing the Modem Error 633 is quite easy. There are a number of ways to fix this error. So, let’s get started:

Solution 1: Delete Incompatible Software and Non-Present Modems

• Click on the start menu and go to the ‘Control Panel’. Now choose the option ‘Phone and Modem’.
• Here you will see three tabs, the dialing rules, modems, and advanced. Choose the tab ‘Modems’. As you click on it, you will see modems installed on your PC. To repair the Modem Error 633, select and remove all the incompatible software and modems that are not present and click ‘OK’.
• Now to bring the changes into effect, restart your system with the modem plugged in and try connecting to the internet again.

Solution 2: Change the Communication Ports

If the error occurs because the modem is not properly configured, then this solution is possibly the best way to resolve this error. Here’s what you need to do:

• Click on the Start menu and choose My Computer.
• Now click on the option ‘Manage’ to open the Computer Management Window.
• Once it opens, click the option ‘Device Manager and then expand the option modems. Click on Properties, then the Advanced tab, and the Advanced Port Settings button.
• As you click on the Advanced Port Settings, then click on the COM Port Number drop-down box.
• Choose a new Communication Port. However, make sure it is not already in use.
• Once you make changes, click ‘OK’ and then restart your PC.
• Now Open Device Manager again. Open the Modern Properties Window and then Click the Diagnostics tab.
• After that view the command response window to verify if the error is fixed. If yes, then create a new dial-up connection and connect to the internet with ease.

Solution 3: Disable the Startup items

• Another way to resolve Modem Error 633 on your PC is to go to the start menu and type ‘msconfig’ into the search box and then press ‘enter’.
• Open the misconfig.exe program. As you open it, you will see 4 tabs, General, Boot, Service, Start-up, and Tools.
• Now click on the ‘Start-up’, ‘Disable All’, and then press Apply.
• After you press Apply, a window will pop up asking to restart the computer.
• Confirm it and click restart.
• Once the computer restarts now try connecting to the internet again. This will hopefully resolve the Modem Error 633.

When Windows 11 update is available but you do not wish to restart right away because you are in the middle of using a computer, you can schedule a restart for up to 7 days. It is very easy and we will show you how to do it.

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Click on Windows Update
3. At the top, under the Restart required to click on Schedule the Restart
4. Click the switch under Schedule a Time to turn it ON
5. Use the Pick a Time and Pick a Day menu to set time and day when you want to update
6. Go back to one screen and visually confirm that the date is set
7. Close the settings

The scheduled restart will be confirmed in a message on the Windows Update page.

If you’ve been using your Windows 10 PC for a long time now, you might have come across a couple of issues – from minimal ones to critical ones like the Blue Screen of Death or BSOD stop errors. One of these BSOD errors you can encounter is the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Blue Screen error. This particular BSOD error is caused by iaStorA.sys, iaisp64 sys, Netwtw04.sys, nvlddmkm.sys, ndis.sys, wrUrlFlt.sys, and other driver files on Windows 10. This error indicates that a kernel-mode driver tried to access pageable memory at a process IRQL that was too high. When you encounter this error, just like a typical BSOD error, your computer will abruptly stop and you will see a blue screen with an error message saying:

“Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you. (100% complete) If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (wrUrlFlt.sys)”

The iaStorA.sys file is a software component that’s related to the Intel Rapid Storage Technology by Intel. It is a software solution supported by Intel Smart Response Technology which allows the PC to communicate with the hardware as well as externally connected devices. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology enables the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express or PCIe storage support, serial ATA RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks 0, 1, 5, and 10 support, and the PUIS or power-up in standby is also supported. To resolve this kind of BSOD error, you have to update, roll back or fresh-install the problematic driver. Refer to the options laid out below for detailed instructions.

Option 1 – Try removing the Intel Rapid Storage Technology or IRST drivers

The first thing you can try is to fix the Wi-Fi driver or the Ethernet driver on your computer to resolve the BSOD error. Take note that this option works not only on Windows 10 but also other Windows versions.

• Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, click on the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller” entry and expand it.
• Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click on Uninstall device.
• Now restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed or not. If not, proceed to the next given option below.

Option 2 – Try updating the Intel Rapid Storage Technology or IRST drivers

If you’ve already tried uninstalling the IRST driver but you’re still getting the DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL Blue Screen error when you use your Windows 10 PC, then this means that the drivers might be corrupted or not compatible with the operating system version that you are using right now. So to fix the problem, you have to update your drivers. To do that, follow the steps below.

• The first thing you need to do is to go to your OEM’s website.
• Once you’re already on the OEM’s website, go to the Drivers section and get the latest version for your device and then try to overwrite it.

Alternatively, you can also update the drivers via the Device Manager:

• Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, click on the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller” entry and expand it.
• Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
• Now restart your PC and check if the BSOD error is fixed or not.

Option 3 – Try using the System File Checker via Command Prompt

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 causing the DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL 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.

If an error suddenly pops up that states, “A problem prevented the document from being scanned” when you’re scanning a document in your computer, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how exactly you can fix the problem. A lot of users have reported that they receive a two-layer error message when they try to scan their documents – the first screen throws an error message that says, “Error applying Settings to Driver” while the next error message states, “A problem prevented the document from being scanned”. As a result, the scanning won’t be completed which defeats the whole process of buying a printer with a scanner. As you can see the two error messages point to two different situations, while the other one is pointing at the driver, the second one points to the scanning problem. To resolve these issues, there are several suggestions you need to check such as follows:

Option 1 – Run the Printer Troubleshooter

One of the first basic troubleshooting you can perform to resolve the printer issue is running the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter can detect and automatically fix the problem for you. To use it, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next, type “msdt.exe /id PrinterDiagnostic” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Printer Troubleshooter.
• Then click the Next button and follow the next on-screen instructions to fix the issue with the printer.

Option 2 – Try updating the Printer drivers

You might also want to try updating your printer drivers. All you have to do is locate the USB Composite Device. For complete details, follow the steps below.

• First, click the Start button and type “device manager”.
• Then click on the “Device Manager” from the search results to open it.
• From there, look for the USB Composite Device option and right-click on it, and select the Update Driver from the options.
• Restart your PC and then click the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.

Note: You also have the option to download the latest version of your Printer from the manufacturer’s website.

Option 3 – Try to reset the settings of the Printer or reinstall it

If none of the two options given above worked, you can try to either reset the printer settings or reinstall the printer so that it can go back to its default state. However, if it doesn’t work, you can try to uninstall the printer as well as its related drivers. To do so, follow these steps:

• First, go to Settings > Devices > Printer and Scanners.
• After that, select the printer and select the Remove Device option.
• Once done, restart your computer and check again and see if the error is now fixed.

Option 4 – Try to modify the Registry settings for the Still Image devices

In case you don’t know, Windows has Registry settings for the Still Image devices like Scanners and Printers. And these devices have vendor-specific settings that if ended up getting corrupted or misconfigured then you will most likely encounter errors like “A problem prevented the document from being scanned”. Thus, to fix this error, you can try modifying the Still Image devices registry settings, and to do that, you need to follow the instructions below but before that, make sure that you create a System Restore Point first.

• Once you’ve created a System Restore point, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field, and then hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStillImage
• From there, right-click on the “StillImage” registry key and delete it.
• After that, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, Windows will recreate the settings of the Still Image devices back to their default settings.

Windows Updates are important and though it is not recommended for any user to turn it off completely, there are just some remote cases where you might have to keep it off. Such are the cases when you want to use your Windows 10 computer just for gaming and you don’t want Windows Update to interrupt it because of some messy driver update. A lot of users have in fact want to disable Windows 10 updates completely. Although you can always use the built-in option to delay Windows Updates or make Windows 10 inform you before downloading the updates, however, there are instances when Windows 10 Update may enable itself even after you turn it off or delay it. To resolve this issue, read on. You may have to disable the Windows Update Medic Service if Windows Update just keeps on starting and turning itself back on even after turning it off in Windows 10 on top of turning off the Automatic Windows Update Service or wuauserv and setting a Guest Log on. To get started, refer to the instructions prepared below.

Option 1 – Change the Log on account of the Windows Update Service

It appears that one of the major upgrades in Windows 10 has made sure that Windows 10 enables back the Windows Update Service all on its own even if the service has been set to disable by the administrator. And that’s the important thing here, Windows 10 uses admin credentials in order to ensure that it can re-enable the Windows Update Service each time it is in a disabled state. So in this fix, you can prevent the Windows Update Service from changing the account credentials used to run it.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type “services.msc” and click OK or hit Enter to open Services.
• After that, locate the Windows Update Service from the list. Once you see it, double-click on it to open its Properties.
• From there, click the Stop button to stop the service.
• Next, go to the Log On tab and select the “Log on as ‘Guest” option which is the Guest account.
• Just leave the password blank and then click Apply to save the changes made.

Note: After you made the changes, every time the Windows 10 Update Service attempts to run, you might get an error message that states, “Windows could not start the Service” or “The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process”. This is what makes this fix a lot better compared to other software or batch file to keep turning off the Windows Update Service. You did not exactly disable the service but you just changed the account used to run the Windows Update service and since there is a password, the service never really works. On the other hand, Windows Defender can’t be stopped using this trick as it will keep getting an update.

Option 2 – Try to disable the Windows Update Medic Service using the Windows Update Blocker

Aside from changing the Log on account of the Windows Update Service, there is also another way you can prevent the service from enabling itself after you disable it. This alternative you can use is the Windows Update Blocker. This is a new Windows Service that was introduced in the recent Windows 10 versions. You can use this service to disable the service.

Oh, gamers rejoice, the Steam autumn sale is just around the corner!!!

The sale starts on November 22nd and lasts until November 29th. A great deal for any gamer, especially for ones that have plenty on their wishlist. Speaking of wishlists now would be a good time to place some interesting titles on them so you can be notified about discounts on them.

If you by any chance are unavailable to participate in the Autumn sale, do not worry, Steam winter sale is coming on December 22nd and it will last until January the 5th so you can save for it.

The best tactic for sale is not to jump on the train right away, it is best to wait until a few days, maybe even until the last 2 days since some games can go even lower on discount in the last days of the sale. Also, there might be also some packages that include games you wish to buy but are packed with other ones in a bundle and even with a higher discount.

So get prepared for the upcoming sale and treat yourself to something nice!