If VirtualBox suddenly displays a black screen without any text or mouse cursor when you are trying to boot a guest operating system, then read on as this post will guide you in fixing such an issue. This black screen occurs when Windows 10 failed to provide a specific setting that VirtualBox requires. Consequently, you will not be able to install or use any guest operating system in VirtualBox even if your PC has virtualization support, the best thing you can do now is to fix this black screen issue.
There are two ways you can fix this black screen in VirtualBox, you can either try to disable Hyber-V or disable 3D Acceleration. For more details, refer to each one of the given options below.
Option 1 – Try to disable Hyper-V
Hyper-V is a built-in virtualization tool available in Windows that helps users in creating a virtual machine as well as install a guest operating system without using any third-party tool like VMware, VirtualBox, and many more. However, the problem with this virtualization tool is that some systems cannot run it and VirtualBox simultaneously which is most likely why the screen abruptly turns into black. Thus, you have to disable Hyper-V to resolve the problem. How? Refer to these steps:
In the Start Search, type “Turn Windows features on or off” and then click on it from the results.
Once you’ve opened the Windows Features window, remove the checkmark from the Hyper-V box.
Click the OK button and then restart your computer.
Now try to use VirtualBox again and see if the problem is fixed.
Option 2 – Try to disable 3D Acceleration
The guest operating system will use the host computer’s GPU to render 3D graphics if you enable the 3D Acceleration for the virtual machine. To simply put it, it will enhance the graphics of the virtual machine and will let you use 3D graphics. Although it may seem nice, it can actually cause the black screen to appear as well so you might have to disable it to isolate the problem. In fact, a lot of operating systems have failed to use the 3D Acceleration for the guest operating system because of this black screen issue. To disable it, follow these steps:
Open VirtualBox on your computer and select the virtual machine.
Next, click on the Settings button and go to the Display section.
After that, look for a checkbox named “Enable 3D Acceleration” located on your right-hand side and then uncheck it.
Save the changes you’ve made and reboot your PC and see if you can now run the virtual machine without any problem.
If your printer has been working just fine and you suddenly get an error message saying, Printer not activated, error code 30”, then something is definitely wrong and it’s not good especially if you have lots of things to do. Worry not, as this post will help you resolve the printer issue. Simply follow each one of the given options below carefully.
Option 1 – Try running the Printer Troubleshooter
The first thing you can 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 – Check if the concerned printer is set as the default one
It could be that the printer you are trying to use is not set as the default printer. This is mostly the case so to fix the issue, you need to set the concerned printer as default. To do that, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings app.
After opening Settings, select Devices from the menu and then click the Printers and scanners option.
From there, look for the printer you are using among the list of options. After you find it, click on it and select the Manage option.
Now click on the “Set as Default” option to set the printer as default.
Option 3 – Try updating the driver for USB Composite Device
The problem with your printer might also be caused by the USB Composite Device. It could be that the USB Composite Device is acting up. Thus, you need to remove and reinstall it. How? 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.
Now uninstall and remove the printer driver software and reinstall it then refresh.
Option 4 – Try updating all the drivers for your Printer
Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. Look for Print queues from the list of drivers displayed and click on it to see all the Printer drivers.
Next, right-click on each one of the drivers and select “Update driver” to update the driver. Do it for all the Printer drivers
After that, select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC and try printing a document again and see if the “Printer not activated, error code -30” no longer pops up.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your printer manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.
Creating a System Restore point is definitely a must especially when you are about to make some changes to your computer. This will help make sure that the system settings and files can go back to an earlier point, should something go wrong, without affecting any personal files. However, there are cases when creating a System Restore Point does not go smoothly and you encounter an error that says, “The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process the specified operation ( ox8004230F )”. Aside from creating System Restore Point, you can also encounter this error when you create a system image or backup.
According to reports, this error pops up when the required services are not running or not properly responding. And to fix it, there are several recommendations that will be provided in this post to fix the Error 0x8004230F when creating System Restore point in Windows 10. You can try to check the Volume Shadow Copy Services status or run the VSSADMIN tool. You could also check the status of the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service or create System Restore Point in a Clean Boot State. For more details, refer to the provided options below.
Option 1 – Try checking the status of the Volume Shadow Copy Service
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
From the list of services, look for the Volume Shadow Copy service and double-click on it.
After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start) and then click on the Start button underneath it.
Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save the changes made.
Now try creating a System Restore Point again and see if the error is already fixed or not.
Option 2 – Try to run the VSSADMIN tool
In case you don’t know, the shadow copy provider is sensitive and some other backup, disk cloning, etc. can make it malfunction. To fix this, you can run the VSSADMIN tool by following these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
Next, execute this command to check if you have other third party VSS admin providers: vssadmin list providers
After that, if it finds any, you need to disable them but if it does not find anything, then proceed.
Option 3 – Try to check the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service status
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
From the list of services, look for the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service and double click on it.
After that, this will open the Properties where you have to make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start).
Once done, click Apply and OK to save the changes and then try creating System Restore Point again.
Option 4 – Troubleshot the problem in a Clean Boot State
It is possible that some third-party program installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing the ox8004230F when you try to create a System Restore point. Thus, you can try to boot your computer in a Clean Boot State and then try to perform the task again.
Log onto your PC as an administrator.
Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
Clear the “Load Startup items” check box and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
Next, click the Services tab and select “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
Click Disable all.
Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
Once your computer has restarted try to create a System Restore Point again and if it now works, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Developed by Interesting Solutions, Webguard is a tool supposedly used for tracking those online who’ve developed a habit of tracking you. The application would provide logical analysis into a user’s website history, providing insight on what websites you’ve visited and also how persons are able to track your every move while browsing.
While Webguard is unable to dispose of who specifically is tracking your computer usage, they’re able to determine what computer installed tracking codes or cookies on your computer system. In this case, it’s then left up to the user’s discretion to determine who they want to allow or block from tracking their online use. Overall, this application allows the user some measure of freedom and control over their online experience. Like any other application, however, which has landed themselves a spot on Virus Total, Web guard has hidden agendas. At a distance, Webguard installs a service for Windows but later distributes advertisements.
Technical details about Webguard include:
Assessment of Webguard Potentially Unwanted Program
While Webguard claims to track your computer usage, information reported by the application isn’t sufficient for the common computer user. This brings us back to the ulterior motive or principal objective of developing Webguard – to advertise and generate revenue from clicks made by users on Ads displayed on Internet Browsers – namely Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Why should a computer user remove Webguard? Simply, it compromises one's Internet privacy and security and it keeps abreast of your Internet history.
If you’re online for an extended period, you’ll see what Webguard does. While the publishers behind the application did not alert users to the use of web beacons, cookies for tracking, and other related tracking technology, that’s not why Webguard is considered unwanted. The program is potentially unwanted because of the unpredictable advertisements it displays. Not all sites are trusted and so it’s difficult to determine, in some cases, what websites are legit for business.
Remove Webguard with Spyhunter
In most cases, at least from what I’ve seen, Webguard is installed as a single application. After it was installed for this assessment, it could be found in ‘All Programs”. This meant that one could manually delete the application from their computer system (see manual steps below). However, is that really sufficient to completely rid your PC of Webguard’s blueprints? While you might opt to remove Webguard manually – maybe because it’s more economical – an automated process is able to completely eradicate hidden threats from Webguard.
In comparison to manually removing Webguard, Spyhunter penetrates your computer system for all infections. In most cases, nasty threats are unable to be removed manually. Additionally, Spyhunter not only removes installed threats, but it detects incoming ones – hence, acting as a preventative tool. Furthermore, Spyhunter detects cookies placed on your computer by Webguard. These are all undetectable threats and so an automated tool, as Spyhunter, should be used to remove Spyhunter effectively from your computer.
Manual Steps for Removal of Webguard
I found this removal pretty simple. Depending on your Operating System, there will be slight discrepancies in the manual removal steps. Using the Windows 8 (8.1) OS on your computer:
Step 1: Locate the CONTROL PANEL on your computer using the SEARCH option.
Step 2: Once the search box appears , input 'CONTROL PANEL'.
Step 3: The Control Panel option will then appear. From the menu, choose the "Programs" option.
Step 4: Another menu will appear. Select "All Programs and Features".
Step 5: From the 'Programs list', search for the Webguard application.
Step 6: Right-click on Webguard when it's found.
Step 7: Choose the "Uninstall" option.
Step 8: Follow the uninstall wizard instructions until the Webguard application is fully removed.
To completely remove Bandoo from your computer, click here to download and install Spyhunter
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.
To understand this error, first, it is important to understand what Flash.ocx actually is. Flash.ocx is basically a flash plug-in or ActiveX file that is responsible for the adobe flash player to work on the system.
The Flash.ocx error triggers due to issues in the Adobe flash player.
Solution
Error Causes
The error Flash.ocx may occur due to many reasons. These include:
Flash player corruption
Corrupted and broken Active X components
To this error code is not fatal but nonetheless it is still advisable to fix it right away to avoid inconvenience when using Flash player.
The inability to run the Flash Player smoothly will hinder you from watching videos on your PC and playing exciting web-based games.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve this error on your system, you don’t have to hire a professional and spend hundreds of dollars. This error code is quite easy to fix. You don’t need to be technically sound to resolve this error code.
Simply follow the methods give below to fix the Flash.ocx error code in a few minutes.
Method 1: Reinstall the Flash Player
If the error occurs due to the corruption of the Flash Player, then it is advisable to reinstall the player on your PC. However, before you do that first remove the previous versions of Adobe Flash Player on your system.
If the previous corrupted version is not removed properly, then you will be unable to re-install it properly on your PC again.
Go to the Add/Remove Programs and find the Flash Player and uninstall it. Make sure the files are also removed from the registry.
Once you have successfully uninstalled the corrupted version, now go to the official website of Adobe Flash Player and download the utility from the website. Install it and run it on your system.
If it works, then this means the error is resolved. However, if the error still persists, then try method 2.
Method 2: Download Restoro to Fix Active X components
Another reason for Flash.ocx error code can be broken or corrupted Active X components.
If this is the issue, then the best way to resolve it is to download Restoro. This is a multi Reimagefunctional and advanced PC Fixer deployed with multiple high-performance scanners including Active X and Class scanner.
The Active X and Class scanner perform an entire PC scans for corrupt and broken Active X entries along with missing software paths and invalid combinations. After the scanning process is complete, it repairs and restores the components back to normal.
Thereby resolving the Flash.ocx error right away and ensuring smooth video browsing over the web.
Restoro is an efficient and a safe program. It has a user-friendly interface and easy navigations. It can be used by all level of users.
Besides the Active X scanner, it includes 5 more value-added utilities like a registry scanner and an antivirus to name a few. It is compatible with all Windows versions
Click here to download Restoro on your PC and resolve Flash.ocx error code now!
What is Windows Update Error 0xC1900209? Before you can install any updates on your Windows 10 computer, there are a lot of conditions that have to be fulfilled and one of these conditions is software compatibility. It is one of the important factors in installing Windows Updates. So if one of the software in your computer is not compatible with the new Windows Update for your OS, then the Windows 10 setup will not proceed and will block the installation of the new update. This both applies to the cumulative updates and feature updates. In such cases, you will get the following error message when you run Windows Update:
“0xC1900209, Incompatible software is blocking the upgrade process. Uninstall the application and try the upgrade again.”
This error message comes under the umbrella of the Windows 10 pre-upgrade validation using Setup.exe. And for you to identify the incompatible app, you need to grab a Windows 10 install image using the Windows Media Creation tool to download the suitable Windows 10 version and mount it. After that, execute the setup.exe file that’s located in the root folder of the Windows 10 install image. Once you execute the setup file, the upgrade wizard will give you a list of incompatible apps.
Once you have determined which software is not compatible with the Windows Update, there are two options you can try to resolve the Windows Update error 0xC1900209 – you can either try to update the conflicting software or uninstall it. For more details, follow the given options below.
Option 1 – Try to update the conflicting software
If you are using an older version of the software that’s in conflict with the Windows Update, you might want to update it to its latest version and then try to apply the updates again to your Windows 10 computer. You can update the concerned software by visiting the official website of the software or any of its distribution sources. On the other hand, you can also use the Check for updates feature of that particular software if it’s available.
Option 2 – Try to uninstall the conflicting software
If updating the problematic program didn’t work, the next option you can try is to uninstall it. All you have to do is follow these steps to uninstall it successfully:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Next, arrange the list of installed programs in the order of the installation date.
After that, look for the problematic program and right-click on it, and then select Uninstall.
Once the uninstallation process is done, restart your computer and see if the Windows Update error 0xC1900209 is fixed or not.
Strange and anxious message no internet, secured can happen even during when everything is ok and you do indeed have internet. So in order to fix this issue please keep on reading.
Reset Router
Most a simple and most straightforward solution and 80% of the time it works like a charm. Before trying other solutions, try this simple one.
Run the Networking Troubleshooter
Run the build-in Windows 10 troubleshooter for networking.
To do this, right-click Start then select Settings
In the Settings window, click Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Internet Connections > Run the troubleshooter then follow the instructions
Device Manager solution
The Windows device manager is the place where you can update, disable and re-enable, and reinstall your devices, including the network adapter which is most likely the cause of this issue.
In Device Manager, click Network adapters then locate your network adapter and right-click on it
Do the following things in order presented:
Update driver.
Disable device, enable Flight mode in the taskbar, reboot PC, then Enable device and turn off Flight mode.
Uninstall device, reboot PC, reinstall the device if it was not installed automatically
Refresh IP Configuration
Refreshing your IP configuration reassigns your IP address, which will fix the problem if it was down to your IP allocation issues
Open the Command Prompt, then enter the following commands:
ipconfig /releaseipconfig /renew
Reset Winsock
There are a couple of other things you can try in the command prompt. The Winsock protocol controls a big chunk of your computer’s communication with network services and resetting it will reset many of those under-the-hood elements to their default settings.
Enter the following into the command prompt:
netsh winsock reset catalog
Fix Connection’s Properties
Click the Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) connection icon in the taskbar, then Network & Internet Settings.
In the new window, click Change adapter options then right-click the affected connection and click Properties.
In the Properties window, make sure all the following boxes are ticked:
Client for Microsoft Networks
File and Printer Sharing
Internet Protocol Version 4
Internet Protocol Version 6
Link-layer Topology Discovery Responder
Click OK and restart PC.
Disable iPv6
IPv6 is the relatively new Internet protocol that more and more PCs are using due to the fact that the number of available IPv4 addresses is simply running out. Not all networking equipment and ISPs play nice with iPv6, however, so if you have this switched on, then it could be interfering with your connection. If you suspect this might be the issue, uncheck the IPv6 box under your connection’s Properties.
Sometimes, some applications after they are installed will put their shortcut in the context menu (right-click on desktop) for easy access, most of the time these are some system tied applications like AMD and Nvidia control panels or archives like WinRAR or 7ZIP but it can happen even for some usual application to do this.
There are some applications that you use frequently and they could be worth putting in the context menu, if you want to avoid clutter on the desktop or in the taskbar this is the third place that you should consider placing shortcuts.
Doing this will require some playing and tweaking in the Windows registry editor so be careful when editing the registry since bad entries can lead to system crash or instability. Follow step-by-step instructions.
Adding apps to the context menu in the registry
Creating entry
Open the registry editor by searching Regedit and pressing enter than inside of the registry editor search for the next key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell
Select shell and right-click on it, hover over New and in the submenu click on Key. In the next step, you need to name a key, this name will be the thing that will be shown in the context menu when you right-click on a desktop so type in the name that you would like or the name of the application that you wish to add to the menu.
If you wish you can even add a keyboard shortcut to launch this specific application. To do this select entry that you have created and edit the default value, inside the edit string in the Value data field type first & and after that key that you would like as a shortcut. Now after right click if you hit your shortcut key app will be launched right away.
Adding command
The next task is to create a command key that will actually hold the command to launch the application. Right-click on the entry that you have created, hover over New, and click on Key.
Next, you’ll need to create the command key that will actually hold the command used to launch the application. Right-click on the new Notepad key, and then choose New \ Key from the menu. Name this key 'command', all in lower case and without hyphens.
Now in order to finish setting the launcher, you need the full path of the file that you would like to run. Locate your file in file explorer or in another tool and copy its path by SHIFT + right-clicking on the file itself and choosing copy as path option.
Now click on the command key and double click on the default key on right to edit it, inside the field value data paste your path to executable. close and save the registry and you are done.
Error code 80073712 is one of the dozens of error codes affecting Windows 10 users. It occurs when users attempt to upgrade their operating system but experience a failure. The error code usually results from problems associated with missing or damaged files within Windows Update. Common symptoms of this error code include the following:
The inability of Windows Update to successfully complete the upgrade process
Message box highlighting the presence of error code
Solution
Error Causes
In the case of error code 80073712, the issues preventing Windows Update from completing the upgrade process are most likely due to problems with files within Windows Update. For instance, there may be corruption within the Component-Based Servicing (CBS) manifest.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Manual repair methods offer solutions to Microsoft users who are experiencing Windows error codes like the upgrade error code 80073712 in Windows 10. The manual repair methods in this article are not guaranteed to fix problems unrelated to this error code. Thus, be certain you are experiencing error code 80073712 before you attempt to implement the solutions provided below.
Method One: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
Since issues related to Windows Update may be causing error code 80073712 to occur, one of the best solutions you can consider is to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. This troubleshooter will be able to detect and fix corruptions within Windows Update files or any other issues directly related to Windows Update. To implement this manual repair method, follow the steps listed below:
Step one: Open your Internet browser
Step two: Type www.microsoft.com/downloads
Step three: Type Windows Update Troubleshooter in the search bar at the top-right corner of the Microsoft website.
Step four: Select Windows Update Troubleshooter then wait for the webpage to load.
Step five: Select Run troubleshooter
Once you run the troubleshooter, you should be able to verify and fix any errors within Windows Update files. Restart your machine after the troubleshooting process is complete them proceed by checking Windows Update to see if you are able to complete the upgrade. If Windows Update downloads the upgrade and the installation of the upgrade occurs, the problem has been resolved. Otherwise, error code 80073712 will reoccur, in which case you will need to move to manual repair method two.
Method Two: Run DISM Tool
Another option available to Windows users experiencing error code 80073712 is to download and run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. This tool checks for inconsistencies or corruptions that may be preventing Windows Update services from functioning correctly. To download and run the tool, follow the instructions below:
Step one: Type Command Prompt in the search box near the Start button
Step two: Right-click Command Prompt, then click Run as administrator, providing administrator password or confirmation where necessary.
Step three: Select Allow
Step four: Press Enter after typing the following command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Wait a few minutes to ensure that the process is complete. Once you’ve run the DISM tool, it will detect errors, for instance within registry data, and correct or replace them. Restart your machine after running this tool then check Windows Update. Attempt to download the upgrade to see if you have successfully resolved error code 80073712. If you experience an upgrade failure, move to the next manual repair method mentioned below.
Method Three: Perform a Clean Install of Windows 10
The issues related to error code 80073712 may also be resolved by performing a clean install of Windows 10. This manual repair method ensures that any previous versions of your Windows operating system are removed before you attempt to access an upgrade. This can prove effective as it helps users avoid issues that would otherwise cause error codes or poor PC performance in cases where errors are present on one’s system.
To successfully perform a clean installation of Windows 10, be prepared to follow step-by-step procedures that include the following:
Step two: Click Run, then select Create installation media for another PC
Step three: Select changes to the installation options, then select Next
Step four: Choose USB flash drive or ISO file, then click Next
Step five: Select drive, then Next
Step six: Select Finish, then restart your computer, ensuring that the media option you choose, whether USB flash drive or DVD, is in your machine before you choose to reboot.
Step seven: Press any key then follow the prompts provided to set up Windows 10.
Method Four: 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.
NDIS or Network Driver Interface Specification is a programming interface for the network interface cards that aids in the proper functioning of a system driver in a computer network. The NDIS helps the computer system in order to communicate with other connected devices and hardware components on a computer network. In relation, the ndis.sys file is a critical system file developed by Microsoft for the Windows operating system. As you know, sys files or system files are important parts of the Windows operating system as well as a repository of system driver settings used by Windows to communicate with the connected hardware and devices.
The ndis.sys files are stored mostly in a driver folder at C:/Windows/System32/drivers and as mentioned, these files are essential for the system to function properly. Although the presence of ndis.sys system file is not yet known to affect the normal functioning of the Windows OS, some of the Windows 10 users reported that they encountered ndis.sys blue screen errors on their PCs. Blue Screen of Death errors or Stop errors usually occurs when you open a program or a function. Moreover, it could also occur when the driver gets loaded during the system startup or during system shutdown.
It isn’t yet clear what really causes the ndis.sys blue screen error. However, like other Stop errors, it may occur due to corrupted files, misconfigured device drivers, bad drivers, corrupted Windows Registry, missing or damaged system files, and malicious programs. Aside from the aforementioned reasons, the ndis.sys blue screen error might also occur if your hard disk is damaged and if the RAM is corrupted. In such cases, a lot of users usually disable the ndis.sys file. However, it won’t really resolve the issue since the file is required for the normal functioning of the operating system and even when you disable the file, it’s pretty useless as the file will start all over again. In addition, you might want to disable security programs or firewalls and antivirus programs in the meantime to check if these programs are the ones that are causing the error. And if you’ve determined that none of the security programs or firewalls and antivirus programs are to blame, refer to the options below that might help you resolve the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or ndis.sys Blue Screen of Death error.
Option 1 – Try to update or reinstall the PC device driver
The Ndis.sys Blue screen error can occur when the device driver in your computer is outdated or corrupted. Thus, you either have to update or reinstall it to fix the issue.
Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
Restart your PC.
Option 2 – Rollback your Network drivers
If you have updated the driver software as of late and you suddenly got this BSOD error, you might have to roll back the device driver – in other words, switch back to the previous working version. To do that, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “devmgmt.msc” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the Network Adapters and expand it.
Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately other than anything in the context of the WAN Miniport.
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 your Network adapters.
Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.
Option 3 – Try running the System File Checker
The SFC or System File Checker scan could detect and automatically repair damaged system files that could be causing the ndis.sys Blue Screen of Death error. SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files with good system files. 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 and hit Enter.
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:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Option 4 – Try running the CHKDSK utility
Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the Netwtw04.sys failed BSOD error. If your hard drive has issues with integrity, the update will really fail as the system will think that it’s not healthy and that’s where the CHKDSK utility comes in. The CHKDSK utility repairs hard drive errors that might be causing the problem.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
After opening Command Prompt, execute the following command and hit Enter:
chkdsk /f /r
Wait for the process to be completed and then restart your computer.
Option 5 – Run the DISM Tool
The DISM tool is another command-line tool in the Windows operating system that could help users fix various corrupted system files. To use it, follow these steps:
Open the Command Prompt as admin.
Then type in this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The DISM command you entered will repair the corrupted system image. Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.
Restart your PC.
Option 6 – Perform a System Restore
Performing a System Restore on your computer can also help you fix the ndis.sys Blue Screen of Death error. You can do this option either by booting into Safe Mode or in System Restore. If you are already in the Advanced Startup Options, just directly select System Restore and proceed with the next steps. And if you have just booted your PC into Safe Mode, refer to the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
