Windows got stuck on Preparing Windows screen

The error 0x0000001 also known as APC_INDEX_MISMATCH is one of the fatal errors that users encounter upon starting their computers. This error appears when there is a sequence mismatch in the driver or system file when it is disabling or re-enabling Asynchronous procedure calls. The mismatch happens maybe because of a virus or malware attack, not shutting down your computer properly and incomplete installation of the system files. There are many ways to fix this error. The easiest way is to download a repair utility program. The use of these programs perfectly fits those that are not so technical. All you have to do is download the program and install it on your computer. As soon as it is installed, the program will now scan and diagnose your computer for any errors. After it identifies the errors, it will then repair your PC through either manual or automatic tools. To those who are techie and enjoy the manual resolution, you may take advantage of Microsoft’s analyze debug extension which tells you the cause of the error. After determining the cause then you can now start fixing the error. Check if Hardware is functioning properly. If the cause is due to a hardware malfunction, you will have to make sure that all the pieces you are using are working. All the wires should be attached to their respective ports. Not only that, but you also must make sure that before installing the hardware, it is compatible with the Windows version that is installed into your computer. Use Compatible software. If the problem was caused by software or a driver, you can uninstall and reinstall it. Always make it a rule that whenever you install a program or new software to your computer, make sure it is compatible with your operating system and never skip a step during the installation process. You also have to see to it that the program you are installing does not contain any viruses, malware, or spyware that can be harmful to your computer. Update your Drivers Regularly. In most cases though, the cause of the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error are outdated device drivers. To resolve this, you will have to go to your Control Panel then look for Device Manager. As soon as you are in the Device Manager window, you can now see the different devices running on your computer. You right-click on each device and check the Properties.  In the Properties window, click on the Driver Tab and look for the date when it was last updated. You can then go to the manufacturer’s website and compare the dates. For a new Windows operating system, you no longer have to go to the manufacturer's website though. All you have to do is click on Update Driver and it will automatically search for updates online. Use a Genuine Operating System. There are also cases where the 0x0000001 error won’t allow you to access your computer. In this case, we have to suspect that the problem could be in your Operating system. To resolve this, you can reinstall your Operating System or update your current operating system. Only use a genuine licensed Windows Operating System because this will not only protect you from Malware and Viruses but it allows you to get all the recent update available from Microsoft. Update your Windows 10 regularly by going to Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates. You may also turn on the Automatic Update by going to the Advanced options is found on the Windows Update Page. You can always get help online but it really helps to know the basics and determining the root cause of the error.

Although the Windows Updates do bring in new features and improvements, there are times when they also introduce issues as well. The main cause for these arising bugs is the incompatibility between the old and new software components. One of the issues brought in by such bugs is Clock is missing, invisible or black This problem was experienced by users after they recently installed a feature update. This particular bug can make the Windows clock in the taskbar appear to be black or invisible which makes it hard for users to read the time on their computers. According to experts, this bug has something to do with the Windows Themes and Aero styling. To fix this issue, here are some suggestions that could help but before you get started, you have to restart Explorer first and see if it can help in resolving the problem – if it didn’t, follow the options given below carefully.

Option 1 – Try to disable Custom Theme

It could be that the reason behind the black or invisible Windows Clock can be an old or an incompatible theme. You might have a custom theme in place and it became incompatible after an update. Thus, you can try switching to one of the default themes and then recreate your custom theme afterward. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
• Next, select Themes from the left menu and then select Windows 10 as your theme.
• After that, you can delete all the other custom themes and create them again from scratch. This should fix the black or invisible Windows 10 Clock.

Option 2 – Try to edit your existing themes

If you don’t want to get rid of your existing themes, there is an alternative solution you can try to fix the missing Windows 10 Clock albeit it’s a bit of a complex one. Follow the given steps below to modify the existing themes and fix the missing or black Windows Clock.

• First, you need to save your existing theme. Just simply right-click on your desktop and select Personalize and select Themes from the left menu.
• Next, click on the Save Theme button below your custom theme to save it. You can name the theme anything.
• After that, you can now modify the saved theme by going to C:/Users/UserName/AppData/Local/MicrosoftWindowsThemes.
• From there, look for the file with the theme name you just saved, and then right-click on the file and open it with notepad or any other text editing app.
• Now you have to look for the line that says, “Path=%SystemRoot%resourcesthemesAeroAeroLite.msstyles” and change it to “Path=%SystemRoot%resourcesthemesAeroAero.msstyles” and then save the file and rename it with some other name.
• Afterward, go back to themes and select the new theme you’ve created. This should resolve the Windows Clock issue as well as other Themes and Taskbar issues.

Option 3 – Try disabling the small icons in Taskbar

This option should help you fix any Windows Clock cases. So if your Windows Clock is nowhere to be found, you can try to disable small taskbar icons on your Windows 10 PC.

• Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
• From there turn off the toggle button for the “Use small taskbar buttons” option. Note that this solution is only a temporary one and it may or may not work in some cases.

Getting errors while trying to update your Windows 10 computer is not an uncommon occurrence. Although some of them are easy to fix, there are others that need a lot of time and research in order to resolve. One of these tough Windows Update errors is Error 0x80244007. This kind of Windows Update error halts the process of Windows Update and a simple system restart won’t help much to fix it. When you encounter this Windows Update error, you will see a description that says, “SOAP client failed because there was a SOAP fault for reasons of WU_E_PT_SOAP_* error codes”. One of the main causes of such an error is that Windows was not able to renew the cookies for Windows Update. To fix this error, here are some suggestions that might be useful.

Option 1 – Clear up temporary or junk files

The error could be caused by some temporary or junk files in your computer and so you need to clear them up to fix the problem. You can achieve that using the Storage Sense feature.

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space. Make sure that Storage Sense is on.
• Next, find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
  • Windows Upgrade Log Files
  • The system created Windows Error Reporting Files
  • Thumbnails
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Previous Windows Installation Files
  • Delivery Optimisation Files
  • DirectX Shader Cache
• Choose the files you want to get rid of and then click on the remove files option. Note that you’ll have an idea of the total size as you select any of the junk files listed above.
• Now go to the “Free Up Space Now” section and click the Clear Now button. This will get rid of all the temporary or junk files in your computer and should hopefully fix the Windows Update error 0x80244007.

Option 2 – Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows 10 have various troubleshooters that can help you resolve many system issues. So if you’re dealing with Windows Update errors like Error 0x80244007, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to resolve it. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 3 – Try to reset the Windows Update components

If by any chance that the second option didn’t work, resetting the Windows Update components could also help you resolve the problem. How? Refer to the following steps:

• Open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After that, type each one of the following commands and hit Enter after you key in one after the other.
  • net stop wuauserv
  • net stop cryptsvc
  • net stop bits
  • net stop msiserver

Note: The commands you entered will stop the Windows Update components such as Windows Update service, Cryptographic services, BITS and MSI Installer.

• After disabling WU components, you need to rename both the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders. To do that, type each one of the following commands below and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type one command after the other.
  • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  • ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• Next, restart the services you’ve stopped by entering another series of commands. Don’t forget to hit Enter after you key in one command after the other.
  • net start wuauserv
  • net start cryptsvc
  • net start bits
  • net start msiserver
• Close Command Prompt and reboot your PC.

If you suddenly encounter a PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error, then this post can help you out. The PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR BSOD usually occurs when any new hardware that is mostly the Plug and Play type is attached. In such cases, when the device is plugged, and the driver for that device crashes or isn’t found or is not compatible, you will most likely encounter this particular BSOD error. There are several error codes that come under this category, some of them are 0x000000CA (0x01681690, 0xEA96A7BE, 0x938A81AD, 0xF8362881. This BSOD error can also occur at any time. However, the only constant thing here is when you plug a PNP device like earphones, microphones, USB drives, and many more. The PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR bug check has a value of 0x000000CA which indicates that the Plug and Play Manager encountered some severe error which is most likely have something to do with a problematic Plug and Play driver. To fix this error, here are some possible solutions that could help.

Option 1 – Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter

The Blue Screen troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that helps users in fixing BSOD errors like PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. It can be found on the Settings Troubleshooters page. To use it, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings panel.
• Then go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• From there, look for the option called “Blue Screen” on your right-hand side and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and then follow the next on-screen options. Note that you might have to boot your PC into Safe Mode.

Option 2 – Try disabling or removing newly installed hardware

In this option, you will have to disable or remove the hardware you’ve just installed recently since external devices could be the one that’s causing the Blue Screen of Death error to appear. To do that, just disconnect any external device that’s connected to your computer physically and then check if it fixes the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error.

Option 3 – Try disabling BIOS Memory options namely Caching Shadowing

Disabling the BIOS Memory options such as Caching and Shadowing can help you in fixing the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen error. All you have to do is enter the BIOS first and then use the Arrow and Enter keys to select your choices. And if you can’t seem to find it, look for specific instructions from your OEM or you could also look out for instructions from the manufacturer of your motherboard.

Option 4 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility

Running the CHKDSK utility might also help you resolve the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen 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 – Try to uninstall programs you’ve installed recently

Chances are, some programs that you just installed might be the one that’s causing the BSOD error. Thus, you need to uninstall the program to resolve the problem.

• In the search box, type in “control” and then click on Control Panel (desktop app) among the search results.
• After that, select Programs and Features from the list which will give you a list of all the programs installed on your computer.
• From there, look for the concerned program and select it and then uninstall it.

Option 6 – Update the Device drivers

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

Option 7 – Perform a System Restore

Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen 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.

Steam is one of if not the largest online store for the digital distribution of games on the PC platform. The game gets downloaded to your PC when you are planning to play it and its saves are synched in the Steam cloud. They get automatically downloaded when you install the game but you can also get your saves by directly downloading them from Valve's website in your browser. If Steam isn’t automatically downloading your old save games after you install a game, ensure Steam Cloud is enabled for that game within Steam. Locate the game in your Steam library, right-click it, and then select Properties. Click the Updates tab and ensure the Enable Steam Cloud synchronization option is checked for the game. If this option isn’t checked, Steam won’t automatically download your cloud saves. If you don’t see a Steam Cloud option for a game here, that game doesn’t support Steam Cloud. Not all games on Steam do, it’s up to each game developer.

Download the Files in Your Web Browser

Valve lets you download your Steam cloud save files via a web browser, too. You can download just your saved files without re-downloading the entire game. To find your saved files, visit Valve’s View Steam Cloud page in your web browser and sign in with your Steam account. You’ll see a list of games using your Steam Cloud storage. Locate the game in the list and click Show Files to see all the files for a game. Each game has a page showing all the files it’s storing in Steam Cloud, as well as the date they were modified. To download a file, click Download. Download all the save files for your game, and you’ll have a copy of its save games. This feature is especially useful for multi-platform games that don’t automatically synchronize save files between platforms.

The SearchUI.exe file is the one that manages the search feature of Cortana. However, a number of users have recently reported that this feature stops responding within minutes of booting their Windows 10 computer. This kind of problem could be caused by missing system files or some issues with the Cortana program itself. And so if the SearchUI.exe file is not responding, then you wouldn’t be able to use the search feature of Cortana. But worry not for this post will walk you through fixing this problem. Before you troubleshoot the problem, you can try to restart your computer and see if it helps, if it doesn’t, then proceed to the given options below.

Option 1 – Try to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter

You might also want to run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter in Windows 10 as it checks whether the settings for Cortana are in place and automatically corrects any issues if the update or software installation has changed the settings. To run it just click on the Start button and select Settings > Updates and Security > Troubleshoot. From there, select the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.

Option 2 – Restart Cortana’s process in the Task Manager

Restarting Cortana’s process in the Task Manager could also help you resolve the problem. Refer to the steps given below to do so.

• Tap the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys to open the Security options window.
• From there, look for the Task Manager in the given list and open it.
• Next, look for the process of Cortana and right-click on it, and then select the End Task option to end its process.
• After that, the Cortana process will restart by itself and re-initialize.

Option 3 – Try resetting Cortana

• Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

Option 4 – Try running the DISM tool

You can try running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management or DISM tool to fix the Windows Upgrade problem. Using this built-in tool, you have various options such as the “/ScanHealth”, “/CheckHealth”, and “/RestoreHealth”.

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

Option 5 – Try to reinstall Cortana

If none of the options given above works, you must consider reinstalling Cortana.

• First, right-click on the Start button and click on the Windows Powershell (Admin) option from the list.
• Next, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

• Restart your computer and check if Cortana is now able to connect.

Option 6 – Try troubleshooting the problem in a Clean Boot State

There are instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the one that’s causing some issues with Cortana or causing the SearchUI.exe process to stop. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.

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

Kernel32.dll Error - What is it?

To understand Kernel32.dll error properly, here’s what you need to know first: in the Windows operating system, the system32 directory plays a vital role. Inside this directory, there is an element called Kernel32.dll. A DLL (dynamic link library) is a library that contains codes and data that are used by more than one program at the same time. The role of the Kernel32.dll file is to handle memory management and I/O (input and output) operations. Malfunctioning of this file results in a Kernel32.dll error message which leads to program or application failure.

Error Causes

Kernel32.dll files can be attributed to several reasons like:

• Missing or damaged Kernel32.dll files
• Registry corruption
• .Dll files misconfiguration if programs are installed or uninstalled.
• Viral infection or malware attack

It is advisable to repair the Kernel32.dll error immediately to avoid inconvenience and serious computer damages like program lockouts, system failure, freeze, and crash.

Further Information and Manual Repair

All causes for the Kernel32.dll error are linked with the registry. The registry is the major database of your system that stores all the activities you perform on your system. It saves both important data and unnecessary files in the RAM (Random Access Memory) including the junk files, temporary internet files, and obsolete files such as files of the deleted/uninstalled programs. These files accumulate a lot of memory space. It leads to disk fragmentation, data overload, missing and damaged DLL files, and eventually registry corruption. Other reasons for registry issues that trigger Kernel32.dll errors on your system could be malicious software like viruses, adware, and malware. These also corrupt the registry and damaged DLL files.

Kernel32.dll Error Solutions

There are two ways to resolve the Kernel32.dll error on your PC, one is to install two separate tools registry cleaner and an antivirus and run them individually to scan your system and repair it. This option is time-consuming and besides if antivirus software is notorious for slowing down systems. So by downloading a separate antivirus you may have to sacrifice your system’s speed.

LINUX has become more than just a dedicated server Operating system, more and more it is gaining ground in home computers as well and as services like Steam and Gog are offering their titles for LINUX it is gaining more and more ground daily.

Why LINUX?

So, what makes LINUX so good? First of all security, no other Operating system has that high level of security like LINUX and that is the reason why it is widely used as a server. Other advantages are it is less resource hungry and its architecture is made in such a way that it does not has applications remains and traces which remain in the system, once an application is deleted from OS, it is deleted and every trace is removed from OS. Apple OS is based on LINUX kernel but made specifically for their hardware.

LINUX popularity

So naturally, the question pops up why LINUX is not more popular? One of the reasons is its difficulty, to work in LINUX you need to have some level of computer knowledge, Windows is more user-friendly and a lot of people prefer the ease of use to features. This is somewhat been fixed sort of speak in last years since we have LINUX distributions which aim to be more simple and user friendly but it is far from easy of use of one Windows. Another big reason was software support. Altho some powerhouse software has its LINUX versions and works just fine, even better than on Windows, your typical user applications lack and games were almost non-existent making LINU users rely on Windows emulation software for simple applications, and often it did not work properly. This has also changed for the better in later years but as with the previous point, it is still far from being Windows wide.

What is LINUX distro?

Linux comes in different versions called distributions. What this means is that the basic core of the Operating system is the same though all LINUX versions and all LINUX drivers and software will work on anyone, they will visually and feature-wise be different. Also, they will be more complex for use or they will have different hardware requirements. Choosing the right LINUX distribution is no easy task and we are here to help you by offering you certain points and guides in hopes to direct you on the right path.

What Do You Need the Distro for?

This might be perhaps the most crucial question when trying to decide which LINUX distribution you want to install. Depending on your preferences and goal like work, games, security, media you will need to consider the best distributions in the field of your preference. A very good place to get this kind of information is on DistroWatch. When on-site, navigate to the Distribution category search filter and choose the option best suited to your needs.

What Kind of Software Will You Be Using?

Like the previous question, this one is also your personal preference but it will make difference if you are planning to use a different type of software. If your plans are gaming for example you will want the latest and greatest LINUX kernel version for maximum hardware compatibility. If you are a regular desktop user you will aim for a distro that is updated constantly so you are working with the latest versions of Chrome or Firefox. In some cases, depending on your software you might want to run older but faster distribution.

What Kind of Hardware Will You Be Using?

If your computer is up to date you can run any distribution that you like but if it is an older rig your options might be a little limited. Now depending on the technical characteristics of your computer and its age it may come down to just a few available distributions which are specially tailored to run on old hardware. These kinds of distributions are lightweight and do not take much space but sadly can not offer you the latest and greatest in software but for usual everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, email viewing, etc they work perfectly fine. You can have a great office machine with proper lightweight distribution offering you all that you need to be able to work.

How Much do you know about computers?

As stated before, LINUX is not as user-friendly as WIndows and your overall technical knowledge can play a big role in deciding which LINUX you want to adapt. If you are more of a casual user then avoid technical distributions which will require to manually tweak tons of stuff, go for more automated ones. If you are a power user however and enjoy wrestling with each detail then perhaps some distro with more command-oriented nature.

What Kind of Community Are You Looking For?

Now you might ask what does community has to do with the operating systems but the same as Windows, LINUX also can have some issues, and sometimes installing drivers will require certain steps to be taken. How it is much easier to find a solution when having a great community surrounding the project I suggest not dismissing this part when choosing your distro. Every community is helpful, but they’re all helpful in different ways. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.

If you got an error message saying, “Windows Update failed to install error 0x80240034” when trying to update your Windows 10 then it’s probably due to some update services that are failing at some point. In addition, you might also see Error constant WU_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILED with the description that “Update has failed to download”. The Windows Update failed to install error 0x80240034 might be caused by some connection problem or there might be a duplicate update or that installation is not allowed and so on. And so to fix the problem, we’ve prepared some options that could help. Make sure to follow them accordingly but before you proceed, you need to verify if you have a stable internet connection.

Option 1 – Restart your computer and try installing the Updates again

Restarting your computer can also help in fixing the Windows Update failed to install error 0x80240034. There are cases where the issue resolves on its own as it could just be some simple network or PC error.

Option 2 – Try to disable your antivirus program

The Windows Update failed to install error 0x80240034 might be caused by the antivirus program installed in your computer which is why disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.

Option 3 – Clean up temporary and junk files

• Open Setting > System > Storage from the WinX Menu.
• From there, you will see a list of all the local and connected storage devices along with the details on the free space.
• Now make sure that the Storage Sense feature is turned On then go find a link that says “Free Up Space” and click it to open.
• After that, a screen which is the built-in program in Windows 10 will appear and will scan your computer for the following junk files so you can free up disk space:
• Windows Upgrade Log Files
• The system created Windows Error Reporting Files
• Thumbnails
• Temporary Internet Files
• Previous Windows Installation Files
• Delivery Optimisation Files
• DirectX Shader Cache

Note: Once you’re done freeing up space on your drive, try to run the setup file again.

Option 4 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the things you can first check out as it is known to automatically resolve any Windows Update errors like error 0x80240034. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.

Option 5 – Delete Files from Software Distribution Folder & Catroot2 folders

The downloaded Windows Updates are placed in a folder called “SoftwareDistribution”. The files downloaded in this folder are automatically deleted once the installation is completed. However, if the files are not clean up or if the installation is still pending, you can delete all the files in this folder after you pause the Windows Update service. For complete instructions, refer to the steps below.

• Open the WinX Menu.
• From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.

net stop wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
• Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.

After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:

• Type each one of the following commands.

net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver

• After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer, and then try to run Windows Update once more.

Option 6 – Run the DISM tool

If the first five options didn’t work, then running the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management tool might help as it can repair the Windows System Image as well as the Windows Component Store in Windows 10.

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

Option 7 – Run System File Checker

Running the SFC scan or System File Checker might also help in fixing error 0x80240034.

• 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.
• Restart your PC.

Option 8 – Try to use the Media Creation tool

The Media Creation tool in Windows allows you to use the ISO installation file to make a bootable device that you can use to install Windows on your PC. Note that this is kind of different from the usual installation process as it could erase your computer’s current settings and data on the primary drive. Thus, before you proceed, you need to backup all your data into some removable drive and then use the Media Creation Tool to make a bootable drive.

• After making the bootable drive, you need to plug it into your computer and then reboot.
• Next, tap the F10 or Esc key to open the boot options.
• Now set the boot priority of the removable drive the highest. Once the setup comes forth, follow the next onscreen instructions and install Windows without any problems.

One of the most common hardware issues with any PC usually has something to do with the hard drive so if your hard drive experiences some errors, you could end up losing a lot of important information that’s stored in your computer. This is why Windows provided users with the CHKDSK utility which helps in looking for bad sectors on the drive. However, there are times when the CHKDSK utility could also face issues like the following error:

“Failed to transfer logged messages to the log event with status 50.”

According to security experts, this error is most likely due to the hard drive or RAM being in a “Read-only” state. It could also be due to some physical issues with the hard drive. On the other hand, it could be that the system is prevented from creating logs by some drive, service, or malware. To fix this error, you have to check if the hard disk is writable. You could also try to run the CHKDSK utility in Safe Mode or you could also check the physical status of your hard disk or external drive.

Option 1 – Check if the hard disk is writable

Although the CHKDSK utility checks for bad sectors in the hard drive, it also has to create logs of the result. And as states in the error message, the CHKDSK utility is not able to log the logged messages. This kind of error occurs when the log can’t be written to an installation disk. You can find the log in this location, “C:WindowsSystem32LogfilesSrtSrtTrail.txt”. Now you have to check if the drive writable by following these steps:

• Log in as administrator and right-click on the system drive.
• Select Properties and then go to the Security tab. Here, check if you are allowed to modify the drive. If not, click on Edit (as an administrator).
• Now edit the permissions for the SYSTEM and Administrators group. Note that these are the only default settings for these two groups or usernames.
• Then click on the Apply button save the changes made and exit.

Option 2 – Run the CHKDSK utility in Safe Mode

You could also try to run the CHKDSK utility in Safe Mode as this might solve the error.

• Boot your computer in Safe Mode.
• Next, open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• Then type and enter this command to execute it: chkdsk c: /f /r
• Wait until the process is completed and boot your computer normally and then run the CHKDSK utility again and check if the “Failed to transfer logged messages to the log event with status 50” error is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try to check the hard disk or external drive physically

If the first two options didn’t work, you might want to check the physical status of your hard disk or external drive as the problem could root from there. You can try to tighten the wires that connect the hard disk to the motherboard. However, if it doesn’t help, you should seek out assistance from a hardware technician.