Over the years, the Windows 10 updates have smoothened but that does not mean that it no longer encounter some issues. One of these issues is when it gets stuck. As you know, Windows automatically checking for updates regularly or when you click the “Check for updates” button. However, if the Windows 10 update is taking forever and seems to be stuck, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve the problem.
This kind of scenario in Windows Updates can be quite confusing especially since there is no response or any indication of what is really happening since you don’t know if the update is still downloading or if it’s already getting installed. To resolve this problem, there are several options you can check out. You can try to exit settings and restart your computer. You could also try to restart the services related to Windows Update or clear both the Software Distribution and Catroot2 folders, as well as run a System File Checker scan. For more details follow each one of the given steps below.
Option 1 – Restart your computer
The most basic thing you can do to fix the problem is to restart your computer. It usually works in fixing common issues like the Windows Update getting stuck at the “Checking for updates” screen. However, if it didn’t work, proceed to the next given options below.
Option 2 – Reset Windows Update components
If the first two options did not work then you might want to reset the Windows Update components manually. Follow the steps below to reset them.
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.
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.
Option 3 – Try checking Services Dependencies
Dependencies of a Windows Service in Windows 10 are when windows services depend on other services. Such is the case with the Windows Update service – it also depends on three different services such as the Remote Procedure Call or RPC service, DCOM Server Process Launcher, and the RPC Endpoint Mapper. Meaning to say, if two of these services are not working as expected, then the dependent service will also be affected. This could be the reason why the Windows Update service could not start.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open Windows Services.
From the list of Services, look for the following services:
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Service
DCOM Server Process Launcher
RPC Endpoint Mapper
After you find these services, double click on each one of them and check whether the Startup type for all is set to Automatic and the Service status is set to Running or not.
If the service status is not running, then click the Start button. Afterward, check if you can now run the Windows Update service.
Option 4 – Check the Background Intelligent Service and the Cryptographic Service
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
From the list of Services, look for the following services and make sure that their Startup type is as follows:
Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
Cryptographic Service – Automatic
After that, check if the Service status of the listed services above is set to Running. If they’re not, click on the Start button to start these services and then check if you can now enable the Windows Update service or not.
Option 5 – Try running the System File Checker
System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why your screen is stuck at “Checking for updates”. 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:
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.
rtf64x64.sys Blue Screen error happens in random intervals but it is a regular occurrence, it can happen when playing games, when watching movies, or even when the computer is idle. in this article we will guide you on how to resolve this error from the most simple steps you could take and do not worry, altho the error seems dreadfully and scary, it is nothing to worry about.
If you can boot Windows normally after error great, proceed with instructions, else reboot into safe mode or use installation media to boot.
Use official Microsoft online troubleshooter
Microsoft has an online blue screen troubleshooter that was made specifically for this kind of situation. Go to Troubleshoot screen error and answer questions needed. Most of the time this will be enough to solve any blue screen issue.
Update network and sound drivers
How is this error traced back to Realtek devices, go to the Realtek website and download drivers. Install them and reboot the system.
Use a dedicated software solution
DRIVERFIX is an application made for these and other kinds of driver issues and problems, it is one click automated solution for driver fixing. Visit the Driverfix site and download the application
Perform system Restore
If you have not managed to fix the issue with previous steps roll back to a previous restore point when everything was working.
Replace network or sound card
If everything failed including system restore then it is likely that it is a hardware malfunction. Replace faulty components and you should not receive errors anymore.
We have all been there, unfortunately, the application freezes, and sometimes it can even freeze whole windows.
Well if the whole Windows freezes because of the application there is not much we can do except hard reset but if only the application freezes we can still kill it and return the PC in working condition.
The first thing you can try is to press ALT + F4, this shortcut is for closing the program, if the application is frozen Windows will try to close it when using this shortcut, and if it succeeds you will find yourself on the desktop environment in Windows with non-responsive application taken care of.
If however, this fails and the application is not closed, try ending it in the task manager. To open task manager press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC, locate unresponsive application select it, and click on the end task button on the bottom right.
Next-generation of RAM, DDR5 supposed to hit shelves around late summer or fall in 2021if everything goes as planned.
Its goal is to increase speed and efficiency, wants to pack more memory in a single stick, and have better power management.
Hardware requirements for DDR5
Using the latest memory technology will require other hardware to follow certain standards and the first ones that will need to follow are CPUs and Motherboards.
Intel is already prepared with its Alder Lake CPUs that suppose to come out also later this year. AMD on other hand has not stated anything at the time of this writing but it is a bet that their next generation that will come in 2022 will have full support.
It is speculated that bot companies and their respective CPUs will have both support for DDR4 and DDR5.
A story about motherboards is a little different. Motherboards will support DDR4 or DDR5 memory banks, not both, so make sure that your motherboard will support the memory you plan on getting.
Capacity of memory
The goal and aim for the DDR5 memory stick are to reach a whopping 126GB per stack. This will be done by using a dual in-line module or DIMM enabling larger capacity.
That being said, the first modules that we will see are more likely to be 16GB as standard and 8GB as low entry ones.
Power consumption of DDR5 memory
The standard voltage that DDR4 operates under is 1.2V. DDR5 wants to lower this to 1.1V without sacrificing speed.
Voltage regulation on modules themselves will be now integrated on memory banks instead of leaving that to motherboards which will help to detect memory errors directly on the memory bank.
Speed of memory
The most common speed of DD4 memory banks is 2,666MHz, more expansive ones go from 3,600 to 4,000MHz.
DD5 aims to raise this bar to 4,800MHz and offers greater speed.
Should you get it right away?
Hardware is ever-evolving, we have PCIe 3.0 to PCIe 4.0, and taking into account that sometimes the newest tech can cause some unexpected behavior it is always the best strategy to wait for a little.
Price for the newest tech has also been in its heist just when it is released and seeing how DDR5 will benefit mostly servers mostly since even today memory, processors, and other available equipment can tackle all daily tasks.
One of the most critical errors inside your Windows operating system is The Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error. This error means that your operating system has been corrupted and it may produce many annoying issues like for example time lags, random crashes, and even freezing of the system when running multiple applications.
There are a lot of reasons for this error, from the registry to faulty application installations to sometimes even hardware issues like bad RAM memory or bad hard drive. Mostly issue is due to corrupted files inside Windows and most often people only think that resetting the PC or complete reinstallation is the only way to fix this problem.
Although reinstalling the system or resetting the PC will solve this error for sure there are other less time-consuming ways to fix this error.
In this guide, we will show you common ways in fixing Extended Attributes are inconsistent errors inside your Windows that are easy to do and less time-consuming than complete reinstallation of the system.
Fixing Extended Attributes Are Inconsistent error
Run SFC scan
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
Click on command prompt (admin)
In command prompt type in SFC /scannow and press ENTER
Wait for the operation to complete
Reboot your PC
Use System Image Repair Tool
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
Click on command prompt (admin)
In command prompt type in Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press ENTER
Wait for the operation to complete
Reboot your PC
Change all user accounts to the administrator
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
Type in netplwiz and press ENTER
Select a first user account and click on Properties
Click on the Group Membership tab
Choose Others from the options
Select administrator (if all accounts are already administrators change all to users)
Repeat process for all other accounts
Click OK to save settings
Change Windows Sound scheme to default
Right-click on the sound icon in the taskbar
Click on Sound options
Go to the Sounds tab
In Sound Scheme click and choose Windows Default
Under Program Events choose Windows User Account Control
Click on the drop-down menu and choose None
Click on Apply
Click on OK
Downgrade the Sound driver
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
Click on Device Manager
Find your Audio driver and right-click on it
Click on uninstall and then on OK
Reboot your system
Do System Restore
If none of the provided solutions have worked, perform a system restore to the last point where everything was working fine.
Reset PC
If even system restore has not solved the issue or you do not have valid point in system restore time, perform Reset this PC and hopefully, the error will be finally fixed.
Conclusion
If all of the provided methods have not managed to repair this error that checks your hardware, your computer might have some faulty components if after complete PC reset error persists.
User32.dll is a Dynamic Link Library file. Windows stores instructions for graphical elements such as dialog boxes and Windows in this file.
This file is a crucial file, necessary to run Windows operations.
If this file is damaged, deleted, or removed from the system you may not be able to run the programs on your system that use and share the User32.dll file thereby causing you inconvenience.
The User32.dll file error is displayed in the following format:
“This application has failed to start because USER32.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.”
Or
“[Program] illegal system DLL relocation”
Program here refers to the name of a program that caused the User32.dll error message.
Solution
Error Causes
User32.dll errors are triggered by the following reasons:
Missing and damaged .dll files
Viral infection
Registry corruption
User32.dll error is also referred to as C0000135 blue screen of death error. When the User32.dll error occurs it not only locks you out of your desired program but also turns your computer screen blue.
If the error is not repaired timely it may expose your PC to serious threats such as abrupt system shutdowns, system failure, and crash.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve the User32.dll error on your PC, try the following solutions:
1. Reinstall Programs Causing User32.dll errors
Sometimes User32.dll error may occur due to missing DLL files. This happens when you delete a program from your PC and accidentally the DLL file also gets deleted which is shared by other programs on your system.
Therefore to resolve this first find out what programs on your system use User32.dll to load and run on your system. To do this use the Tasklist command-line tool. It displays the names of all the programs that currently use the User32.dll file.
After this, reinstall the programs that use User32.dll files on your system. This will hopefully resolve the error.
2. Install and Run Restoro
If it doesn’t, then this probably means that the damage is deep-rooted. It is related to the damaged DLL files, registry corruption, or viral infection.
To resolve all of these causes in one go, it is best to download Restoro instead of downloading 3 different software to resolve each cause for the error separately.
This is basically an advanced, innovative, and multi-functional PC repair tool embedded with multiple powerful utilities including a registry cleaner, and a system optimizer. It is a one-stop solution for all your PC-related problems including the User32.dll error.
The registry cleaner wipes the clutter and obsolete files damaging the hard disk and simultaneously repairs the DLL files and the registry. The antivirus feature removes all the viruses on your system while the system stability utility boosts the PC speed significantly.
It is safe, user-friendly, and compatible with all Windows versions including Windows Vista, XP, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.
Click here to download Total System Care to resolve the User32.dll error right away.
PFN_LIST_CORRUPT is a blue screen of death error code. It occurs when the PFN (Page Frame Number) list becomes corrupt. The Page Frame Number is basically used by your hard drive to determine your location of each one of your files on the disk.
This error may occur when starting up the program or while using it. Blue screen of death errors occurs without any warnings. The program disrupts all of a sudden and the computer screen turns blue.
Solution
Error Causes
PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error may occur due to multiple reasons. Some of the common reasons include:
Hardware problems
Device driver issues
Registry problems
Viral Infection
It is recommended to resolve the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error immediately without any delay virtually because this error can be quite fatal to your PC.
It can pose serious threats to your system like system freeze, crash, failure, and valuable data loss. Furthermore, if the error is related to viral infection, it can expose you to privacy issues, data breaches, and cybercrime too.
Further Information and Manual Repair
This is a critical PC error but easy to resolve. You don’t need any technical expertise to fix this error on your PC. Here are some quick and easy methods to resolve PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error:
Method 1: Install Compatible Device Drivers
Sometimes when new hardware is added to the PC, you need to install updated versions of the device drivers to ensure there are no incompatibility issues.
Incompatibility between the hardware and device drivers may generate PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of death error on your screen. To resolve, it is advisable to download and install the latest updated versions of the device drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
Method 2: Scan for Viruses
PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error may occur due to viral infection too. Viruses and spyware enter your PC when you log on to unreliable websites and download programs from there or open phishing emails on your PC.
These viruses corrupt and damage programs and files resulting in such errors. To fix the issue, you need to install a powerful antivirus and ensure all kinds of viruses and spyware are detected and removed from your system.
Method 3: Clean and Restore the Registry
PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen error indicates poor PC maintenance. When you don’t clean and remove unnecessary and obsolete files like junk files, bad registry keys, cookies, internet history, temporary files, and invalid entries from the registry, the registry overloads and gets damaged.
These files accumulate taking up a lot of disk space and also corrupt system files. If these files are not removed timely, it results in registry issues like a blue screen of death errors and run-time errors. To remove these files and clean the registry, you need to install a powerful registry cleaner.
Whether the underlying cause for PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error on your PC is viral infection or registry issues, to resolve the BSOD error code in seconds download Restoro.
This is a cutting-edge and multi-functional PC fixer deployed with both an antivirus and a registry cleaner. Additional features include a system optimizer too. It is user-friendly and easy to operate. You can download it on all Windows versions without any hassle. It is safe and bug-free.
The registry cleaner feature scans and removes all unnecessary files, cleans and repairs the registry while the antivirus utility simultaneously removes all kinds of malicious software including spyware, viruses, Trojans, and malware.
Click here to download Restoro now and resolve the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT Blue Screen of Death error immediately!
Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator.
The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful.
The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks.
The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.
Other Windows 11 apps
A new snipping tool will be delivered with this latest update as well packed with new functionality. We have covered new features of the snipping tool in another article, if you are interested you can find the article here: https://errortools.com/windows/new-snipping-tool-redesigned-in-windows-11/
Mail and Calendar apps will also get a redesign, sadly all redesign that they will include will be of visual nature to fit in the overall Windows 11 theme, functionality will remain the same.
It really sucks when you can’t fully enjoy the newest version of your favorite OS.
Windows 11 is still relatively fresh and consequently has some annoying little bugs that really ruin our experience. The good news is that you’re not alone and most of them are easy to fix.
Here are 5 commonly reported Windows 11 issues and what you can do to get rid of them.
1. Windows 11 audio problems
One of the absolute most irritating things in the world is struggling with the sound on your computer. Windows 11 users have reported facing the issue of low or no sound. If you’re currently experiencing the same frustration, you can be relieved. Chances are fixing it will only take a few minutes.
The first thing to check would be whether you accidentally muted your device by pressing the mute button on your keyboard. Yes, we know it sounds a lot like the old “have you tried turning it off and on again?” But it’s important to leave no stone unturned, and the most obvious things are usually the ones we easily overlook.
Moreover, if you have several audio output sources, check whether the right one is selected. You can do this via the Action Center or through Settings. If you want to use the same source every time, we also recommend you set it as the default one.
It’s also important to have a good, up-to-date audio driver. More often than not, this will be the true cause of your audio struggles. Make sure to update your driver, and if that doesn’t work out, you can always un- and reinstall it or install a different one.
Lastly, if all attempts remain unsuccessful, run the audio troubleshooter to figure out what’s actually going wrong.
2. Unable to find files
Such a powerful new operating system, yet it can’t seem to do the simplest thing imaginable? The File Explorer not responding on Windows 11 is one of the most frustrating and most common problems with Microsoft’s newest iteration of its awesome OS.
However, 9/10 times it can be fixed by simply restarting your PC. You could also try killing the Windows Explorer process in the Task Manager and then rerunning it.
If these don’t help, check whether there are any pending Windows 11 updates. A single missing update can compromise your PC’s functionality, so always make sure to install them all on time.
Should none of that work, then there are other ways to solve the File Explorer problem. However, then the issue is probably a bit deeper and it’s no longer in the ‘easy fix’ territory.
3. Start menu not working
Just like the File Explorer, the Start menu is a fundamental element of your OS. So, it’s only natural that its malfunction grinds your gears. It may be more customizable than on previous Windows versions, but it doesn’t always work smoothly.
If you’re facing the so-called Start menu critical error, there are a few things this could be caused by. Usually it means you turned off your system while an important update was still being installed, there is a corrupt file on your PC, or Windows forcefully stopped a program.
Whatever the reason, the solution should be pretty simple. Try the basic steps: restarting your File Explorer (like we explained above) and signing out and back into your account. If that doesn’t do anything, you may want to try uninstalling third-party start menu apps (if you have any), since they can interfere with your default programs’ functionality.
Now, those are the easy fixes. If you get nowhere with them, you might need to identify the root cause and search for more complex solutions than that.
4. Snipping tool not working
Our beloved screenshot tool was introduced with Windows 10 and Microsoft decided to keep it. However, you were probably just as disappointed as us when you tried to run it and failed.
Normally, this can be fixed by installing the latest Out-of-band (OOB) update, or even pending updates in general. Even if your system appears to be up-to-date, run the checker just in case.
Another cool thing Windows 11 lets you do is ‘Repair’ and ‘Reset’, which is the easiest way to troubleshoot your Snipping tool. If this fails, you can also try the good old un- and reinstall method. Simply uninstall the tool through the Control Panel and reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.
Furthermore, in the case of an upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, it may be that the old Snipping tool version is interfering with the launch of the new one. If you don’t care that much about the additional options available with the enhanced screenshot tool, you can use the old version instead.
Simply go to your C Drive, find the Windows.old folder, search for the tool and open it from there. Make sure to pin it to your taskbar as well, if you know you’re going to use it often.
5. Can’t install the latest update
The latest Windows 11 version, 22H2, has brought tons of enhancements to our dearest operating system. Unfortunately, a lot of users still haven’t had the opportunity to experience it. A mere update of your OS version should be the one thing that goes smoothly, but sometimes that’s not the case.
Failure to install 22H2 can be caused by a few things. Most commonly, the issue is caused by lack of storage space or corrupted files, but there could be other culprits.
There are a couple of things you could try. For example, it’s crucial that your drivers be up-to-date and some important services be enabled. These are: Windows Modules Installer, Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Cryptographic Service, Windows Update services.
To enable them, search ‘Services’, find the service you need and right-click on it. Open ‘Properties’ and select the startup type ‘Automatic’.
It may also be necessary to unplug all peripherals that aren’t crucial and disable third-party antivirus tools until after the update is finished.
Ultimately, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter to detect and fix other possible issues.
Summary
Tiny bugs like these are nothing out of the ordinary. That said, we still all hate when they happen.
Hopefully some of our solutions have helped you to a smoother Windows 11 experience. But if you’re still struggling, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help!
Microsoft has been bringing new lock-screen features with every iterative feature release of Windows 10 in order to improve user experience. However, Windows 10 users have different opinions regarding it. Some users are pleased with it while some users simply do not like it. So if you are one of the users who seem to not approve of this feature, read on as this post will be about enabling or disabling the Console Mode sign-in feature in Windows 10.
Before you proceed, take note that you will not be able to use your mouse pointer in this Consol Mode login screen and you can only use your keyboard to navigate around various options. You might also want to create a System Restore point just in case.
To enable or disable the Console Mode sign-in in your Windows 10 computer, refer to the given steps below.
Step 1: Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Step 2: Then type in “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 3: Next, navigate to the following registry path:
Step 4: From there, look for a DWORD named “ConsoleMode”. If you don’t see this DWORD, you can just create a new DWORD and name it as “ConsoleMode” and make sure that its base is set to Hexadecimal.
Step 5: After that, double click on ConsoleMode and change its value to “0” to disable it and “1” to enable it.
Step 6: Now restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Like pointed out, you can only use your keyboard when you’re in the Console Mode login window or screen. You can just use the ESC button to go back to the menu while you can utilize the arrow keys so you can go through the options that are mostly vertically arranged and the Enter key to select an option. In the Console Mode, sign-in using the Passwords and PINs worked efficiently.
The new Windows 10 update has brought some fixes, improvements, and little things to personalize our computer more. One of these personalization updates we have received is that we can now finally change the color of our START menu and taskbar and it is easy as 1,2,3.
In order to change and personalize your START menu and/or title bars all you have to do is click on your windows icon to bring the start menu up and then click on settings.
Once you are in setting windows go to personalization settings.
When the personalization setting opens go-to color tab on left and scroll down until you find 2 checkboxes under "show accent color on the following surfaces:"
check ones you wish to apply the effect to and you are done. Now your START menu and/or title bars are using the color scheme of your choice.
Next-generation of RAM, DDR5 supposed to hit shelves around late summer or fall in 2021if everything goes as planned.
Its goal is to increase speed and efficiency, wants to pack more memory in a single stick, and have better power management.
In this guide, we will show you common ways in fixing Extended Attributes are inconsistent errors inside your Windows that are easy to do and less time-consuming than complete reinstallation of the system.
Windows 11 will bring some old applications in new looks and some will get additional features as well. One of the old apps that will get new stuff is a calculator.
The calculator was always a way to go application for quick calculations but Microsoft aims to expand on that and make the calculator a little more useful.
The first thing that you will notice is the calculator look, the calculator has now an application theme setting that allows you to change the look of the application. It comes in standard and professional mode as usual but this time calculator will come with features that will enable it to handle some programming and engineering tasks.
The new calculator features a full graphing mode that lets you visually analyze a graph to identify key features. It also packs a deep converter that can switch between more than 100 units and currencies.
Once you are in setting windows go to personalization settings.
When the personalization setting opens go-to color tab on left and scroll down until you find 2 checkboxes under "show accent color on the following surfaces:"
check ones you wish to apply the effect to and you are done. Now your START menu and/or title bars are using the color scheme of your choice. 