Windows could not start Update service

As you know, Windows Hello offers you quick access to computers since you can log in to your Windows devices three times faster compared to passwords with the help of the camera via Face recognition and fingerprint reader. This way, Windows Hello will recognize you right away. However, there are also times when you might encounter some problems when using Windows Hello. For one, if you are trying to add the PIN method to Windows Hello on your Windows 10 computer but you suddenly encountered an error code of 0x801c004d or if you are trying to use your existing pin and you encounter an error code of 0x80070490 along with an error message that says, “Not recognized”, then read on as this post will guide you on how you can fix both of these errors. Here is the complete content for both errors:

• “0x801c004d – Unable to enroll a device to use a PIN for login”
• “0x80070490 - Not recognized, Pin and fingerprint are no longer options for signing in”

If you got any of these two errors, there are several potential fixes you can check out to resolve them. You can try to check for any Windows Updates or create the PIN again or check the CNG Key Isolation Service. You could also try to reset the TPM or create a new User Account. For more information, follow the instructions provided below.

Option 1 – Try checking for any available Windows Updates

The first thing you can do is to check for any available Windows Updates. It is possible that your computer may be outdated and is the reason why you’re having troubles with Windows Hello. To check for Windows Updates, just go to Settings and from there, head over to the Update and Security section and click on Windows Updates located on the left pane, and then click on the Check for Updates option. Wait until the process of checking updates is completed and if it finds new updates, install it. After you install the new Windows Updates, check if you can now add the PIN on Windows Hello or not.

Option 2 – Try creating the PIN again

The next thing you can do is to create the PIN again by signing out and signing in again and then try creating the PIN once more. If this does not work, you can try restarting your computer and creating the PIN again. You could also try removing the PIN and then change it.

• Remove the PIN by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
• From there, go to the PIN section and click on the Remove button.
• You will be asked to verify your account to proceed in removing the PIN, enter your credentials.
• Restart your computer and then set up a new PIN.
• Once you’re done, restart your computer and check if the error is gone now.

Option 3 – Try checking the CNG Key Isolation Service

The CNG Key Isolation Service is the one that stores and uses long-lived keys in a secure process complying with the common criteria requirements and it is possible that the error could be related to this service. This service is hosted in the LSA processes and provides key process isolation to private keys and associated cryptographic operations as required by the common criteria. Thus, you need to check this service to see if it’s the one that’s causing the error.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• Next, locate the “CNG Key Isolation Service” and once you find it, double click on it to open its Properties box.
• After opening its Properties, check its Startup type and select Manual. This is the default setting and if it is Disabled, then it’s no wonder why you’re getting errors with Windows Hello, thus, you need to enable it.
• Once done, restart your computer and check if you can now add the PIN to Windows Hello. If you still get the error, then you might want to try setting the CNG Key Isolation Service from Manual to Automatic and then click on the Start button and see if it fixes the error or not.

Option 4 – Try to reset the Trusted Platform Module or TPM

You might also want to try resetting the Trusted Platform Module or TPM to fix the error. You can do this by opening Windows PowerShell and then executing the “Clear-Tpm” command. After that, check if the error is now resolved.

Option 5 – Try to create a new User Account

You could also try to create a new User Account on your Windows 10 computer to fix the Windows Hello error. Once you have created a new local user or administrator account in Windows 10, check if you are now able to add the PIN from this newly created user account.

Mozilla Firefox has introduced a new feature known as Restart with Windows which allows the browser to automatically start when your Windows 10 computer boots. This means that if you leave the Firefox browser opened while shutting down your computer, Firefox will re-open automatically along with the tabs that were opened right before you shut down your computer. Although some users may find this feature convenient, there are others who do not approve at all as it could be a nuisance. So if you’re one of the latter, then read on as this post will show you how you can disable the Restart with Windows feature in the Firefox browser on your Windows 10 computer. Refer to the instructions laid out below to get started.

• Step 1: Open Mozilla Firefox and if it’s opened already, just open a new tab and then type the following text in the address bar:

about:config

• Step 2: After typing the text given above, hit Enter and if a prompt with a warning message pops up, simply click on the “I accept the risk!” button to proceed.
• Step 3: Next, type “Restart” in the search filter which should display the following preference in the window:

“toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart”

• Step 4: After that, check for the preference value and then see if it’s set to true or not. If it is set to true, then it means that the Restart with Windows feature is enabled so obviously, to disable it, you need to set its value to false.
• Step 5: Now restart your computer without closing Firefox. After restarting your computer, you should no longer see Firefox starting automatically.

The Restart with Windows feature by default is disabled for most users. On the other hand, Mozilla will have this feature enabled as the default configuration in the coming weeks so it’s best that you now know what to do when that time comes since the newer versions of Mozilla Firefox are already being shipped with the Restart with Windows feature. However, if this post did not help you, then you might want to check if the feature has been added to the Startup folder, and from there, you can disable this startup program using the Task Manager > Startup tab.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 have automatic dynamic screen brightness depending on the surrounding light inside the room. Please take note that this option is available only on devices with build-in screens like laptops, tablets, and all in one desktop PC. If you are connected with your PC via an external monitor you will not have these settings available and probably feature is not even working.

Some computers will also allow automatic brightness changes also on what is displayed on the screen. This option is meant to save battery life on devices. Microsoft calls this automatic brightness feature Content adaptive brightness control. In order to change this setting, we will go to settings inside Windows.

Disabling automatic brightness inside Windows

Open Settings inside Windows, in Windows 11 press WINDOWS + I to open settings, then click on the system in the sidebar and then go to Display. Click on the small arrow beside the Brightness slider in order to expand a small menu and then uncheck Help improve battery by optimizing the content show and brightness. If you see Change brightness automatically when lighting changes, uncheck that as well. Close the settings and you are good to go, now brightness will always be as set in settings.

Inside Windows 10, go to Settings and then go to System and then in Display under the Brightness and Color section look below and locate the box that says Automatically adjust contrast based on the displayed content to help improve battery and uncheck it, if the box below with text Change brightness automatically when lighting changes exists, uncheck it as well. Close settings and you are done.

There are times when the Windows Search doesn’t work and you wouldn’t have a clue as to why it happened since it does not give any error codes. In such cases, you have to check the error logs in the Event Viewer to find out more about the problem. From there, look for an error with the Event ID 3104 in the Windows error logs and if you see an error message that says, “Enumerating user sessions to generate filter pools failed”, read on as this post will guide you in fixing the problem. Apart from the error message, you might also see more information in the details section of the log that says, “(HRESULT: 0x80040210) (0x80040210)”. This kind of error is most likely caused by something that prohibits the search function from initializing. A lot of users assumed that it could be due to Cortana but it’s actually not. While some users also reported that they encounter the issue after they restarted their computers. This error was also reported with the same event ID 3104 on the Windows Server. According to security researchers, this error could be caused by problems in the Registry entry of Windows search. It could also be due to an issue with the SYSTEM account where it hasn’t been added to the DCOM Security. It is also possible that the Windows Search function has not been initialized. To fix this error, you can try to rebuild the Search Index manually or run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter. You can also check the startup type of the Windows Search service or try some registry tweak.

Option 1 – Try to rebuild the Search Index manually

The first thing you can do to fix the problem is to manually rebuild the Search Index. You can do that by going to Control Panel > Indexing Options and from there, click on Advanced. After that, go to the Index Settings tab and then click on Rebuild > OK. Once you’re done, check if it fixed the problem.

Option 2 – Try running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter

You could also run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter in Windows 10 as it checks whether the settings are in place and automatically corrects any issues with the Windows 10 search function. To run this troubleshooter, just click on the Start button and select Settings > Updates and Security > Troubleshoot. From there, select the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter. Once the troubleshooter is done, restart your computer and see if it fixed the error.

Option 3 – Try checking the startup type of the Windows Search Service

In this option, you have to check the startup type of the Windows Search service since the service won’t start. To do so, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Services Manager.
• Next, from the list of services, look for the Windows Search Service or WSearch. Once you find it, right-click on it and select Properties.
• After that, change the Startup type to Automatic and click on the Start button if the service is in the Stop state.
• Now click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made and then restart your computer.

Option 4 – Try changing the Registry entry for Windows Search

Before you apply some registry tweak, you need to create a System Restore point first. Once you have that covered, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• If a User Account Control prompt appears, just click Yes to proceed.
• After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows Search
• From there, click on Windows Search and look for the key named “SetupCompletedSuccessfully” and change its value to “0”. Just right-click on it and select Modify.
• Then input “0” as its value data and click on OK to save the changes made.
• Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
• Now check if the Enumerating user sessions to generate filter pools failed is fixed or not.

The feature that was originally planned for now scrapped Windows 10X is included in Windows 11. You will be able to customize your Virtual desktop with different wallpapers for each screen. In order to fully customize your virtual desktops with different wallpapers follow this easy step-by-step guide.

1. Click on the Task View button in the taskbar
2. When the Task View opens, select the desktop on which you want to set wallpaper
3. The view will switch to the selected desktop. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select personalize
4. In personalization settings, click on the background
5. Select wallpaper which you would like to have on the desktop by clicking on browse and navigating to the desired one
6. Close the settings
7. Repeat for each virtual desktop you would like to customize

If you are running Windows Update on your Windows 10 computer and you suddenly encounter error code 0x8000FFFF, E_UNEXPECTED – Unexpected failure then read on as this post will give you a couple of suggestions to resolve this problem. Note that you can encounter this error not only on Windows Update but also on Microsoft Store apps at times. Follow the options given below to fix error code 0x8000FFFF, E_UNEXPECTED – Unexpected failure error on your Windows 10 PC.

Option 1 – Try to reset the Microsoft Store cache

Just like browsers, Microsoft Store also caches as you view apps and games so it is most likely that the cache is no longer valid and must be removed. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on the start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator).
• Next, type in the command, “wsreset.exe” and tap Enter. Once you do, the command will clear the cache for the Windows Store app.
• Now restart your PC and afterward, try opening Microsoft Store again.

Option 2 – Check 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 Cryptographic Service. Then right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
• After that, check if the service is started by checking the Service status. If it is started, click on the Stop button to stop the service and if it is already stopped, leave it as it is, at least for now.
• Next, make sure that the Startup type menu in the Service’s properties is set to Automatic before you go on.
• Now confirm any dialog boxes that may appear as you set the Startup type and then click on the Start button located in the middle before you exit Properties.

Option 3 – Delete the contents in the Software Distribution folder and Catroot2 folder

• 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 4 – Check the Root Permissions

You might also want to check the permissions on the root of C: and make sure that “BUILTINUsers have read access because if it doesn’t, then no wonder why you’re getting the error code 0x8000FFFF.

Option 5 – 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.

Option 6 – Try installing the updates in a Clean Boot State

It could be that some third-party application is the one that’s causing the problem so it’s best if you put your computer in a Clean Boot state. During this state, you can start the system with a minimum number of drivers and startup programs that will surely help you in isolating the root cause of the issue.

• 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” checkbox 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” checkbox.
• 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.)
• After that, try to install the Windows app again.

Note: If you are able to install the app without any trouble at all then it means that the error is caused by some third-party application in your computer. You need to look for the culprit and uninstall it once you found it.

Option 7 – 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 code 0x8000FFFF. 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.

If Error Code 0xc00000e9 appears on your screen, there is no cause to panic yet as there are different ways to fix this. Here, I will list down different methods to get your computer back on track:

1. Check peripheral connections
2. Check your SATA cables
3. Check your hard drive
4. Check your BIOS settings

Quick Fix 1. Check Peripheral Connections

1. Turn off your computer.
2. After the computer has been shut down, take off all the peripherals or the USB cables that are connected to your USB ports. This includes even the keyboard and the mouse. We just need to have only the monitor plugged in for this one.
3. Turn on your computer and see if it starts as it normally does.
4. If it does, try connecting back your external devices or peripherals one by one until you find the one that causes the error.
5. Once you trace the device that’s causing the error, you will have to change its USB cable and update its driver to support your operating system.

Quick Fix 2. Check your SATA cables

It is possible that what causes a barrier between your operating system and your hard drive from communicating is the SATA cable used. For example, if you’re using an older SATA with a SATA III port, there might not be adequate support for the transfer of data from one another. Or, the problem might be a loose SATA cable which would still require you to buy a new one to replace your loose or damaged cable. To check if your SATA cables are causing the error, simply follow these steps:

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Carefully open its case.
3. Check the hard drive and the SATA port where it’s connected.
4. Try to use a newer cable and connect it to your SATA port. (If you used a SATA II cable, you can see if a SATA III cable is more compatible.)
5. Replace your SATA cable with a newer one if Step 4 proves to be successful.

Quick Fix 3. Check your hard drive.

1. Try to use a different hard drive and see if error code 0xc00000e9 still appears.
2. If it works out just fine, then the problem might be physical damage to your hard drive and would need to be repaired depending on the case. Just simply take it to a technician and let him know about the issue.

Quick Fix 4. Check your BIOS settings

1. Restart your computer.
2. Once your computer starts, press and hold the ESC, F2, F12, or DEL key to go to BIOS settings.
3. You will then be redirected to the BIOS Setup Utility screen. From here, go to Boot options.
4. In the Boot Options, see if your first boot device is your hard drive. If it isn’t, press the arrow key to select the hard drive and move it to the top of the boot device list.
5. Save the settings.
6. Reboot your computer.

Note: If all the methods above do not work, the problem might be on your drivers and you might need to update them. You can update your driver in two ways: Manual driver update and Automatic driver update. You can find procedures online in updating your drivers.

Error Code 38 – What is it?

Error Code 38 is a device driver error that users encounter on any Windows 2000 operating system and its following versions.

It occurs when the peripheral device that you connect to your PC cannot be accessed due to an inability of the Windows system to acknowledge the driver as a previous record of the driver being loaded is found in its memory.

It is a common error that users come across and appears on your PC with the following message:

“Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)”

Solution

Error Causes

Error Code 38 is prompted when incomplete program files are left in the Windows system which damage or corrupt its files. There are various factors that contribute to this, some of which are:

• An incomplete program installation
• An incomplete program uninstallation
• Hardware is not removed properly
• System recovery from viruses
• An improper system shut down

The above triggers are very likely to create incomplete files within the Windows registry thereby leading to its damage and corruption.

This is especially true in the case of your PC when it has recovered from viruses when using anti-virus software. The anti-virus in its effort to remove the virus also could remove the files which contain them thereby increasing the risk of the error code.

These damaged files can severely impact the health of your PC and are imperative to fix it immediately to prevent further problems.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Although this error code may pose serious problems for your PC, thankfully, it is very similar to other PC driver errors and thus is an easy one to get rid of. Here are various methods that you can use to get your PC running smoothly again.

Method 1 – Restart your PC

The easiest method you can use to solve your PC error code is to simply restart your PC. It may be that the error prompted upon connecting the device you have connected is merely a temporary problem, and upon restart, will resume functioning smoothly.

Method 2 – Run the Troubleshooting Wizard

If restarting your PC does not help, you will have to find the exact nature of the problem by running the troubleshooting wizard for the device and then address the problem accordingly. To do this, proceed with the following steps:

1. Run Device Manager on your PC
2. Click on the program under the installed programs that is creating problems for you
3. Click on the ‘General’ Tab
4. Click ‘Troubleshoot’
5. Upon opening, the Troubleshooting Wizard will ask a series of questions regarding the error. Answer the questions and follow its directions for solving the error code.

After following the directions of the Troubleshooting wizard, make sure to restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Now check if your device is still causing problems.

Method 3 – Use System Restore

If the error persists, you can use system restore to eliminate the problem. Here is how to do so:

1. Log in using an Administrator account
2. Click ‘Start’ button and select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore
3. Click ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’ and click ‘Next’
4. Select the last Windows to restore point from the ‘On this list, click a restore point’ list, and click ‘Next’
5. Click ‘Next’ on the confirmation window to proceed
6. Restart your PC after restoration is complete

By restoring the system via a last saved system checkpoint, you can obtain undamaged Windows system files that can help resolve the error code.

Method 4 – Manually uninstall and reinstall the device driver

If using system restore does not work either, you may have to resort to manually uninstalling and then reinstalling the device driver causing the problem.

This would be necessary since the remaining incomplete files due to a partial removal or installation of programs are responsible for the error code. By uninstalling and reinstalling the device driver program, it would lead to the completion of the files.

You can do this by firstly logging in as Administrator and opening Device Manager. Select the device that is causing the problem and double click it; make sure that the peripheral is connected properly to the PC.

Upon opening, click on the ‘Driver’ tab and then select ‘Update Driver’. Make sure to refer to the system documentation that you received with your PC or computer to check for the motherboard details and driver specifics.

Method 5 – Use software to automatically download the driver

Manually uninstalling and reinstalling the driver will do the trick; however, it may be time-consuming especially when you would have to resort to your hardware user manual.

Using a program such as DriverFIX can save you a lot of time and frustration in having your device to work properly on your computer.

DriverFIX, with its user-friendly approach to help you fix your PC issues, comes with an integrated database that detects which drivers you need to reconfigure within just a few seconds and downloads it automatically.

It further ensures that your drivers are installed in their entirety leaving no room for any incomplete files to remain that create Error Code 38, or any other driver-related errors for that matter.

It also has the added advantage of being able to backup and restores your files should there be the slightest possibility of system file damage. DriverFIX is the answer to fixing your PC error codes accurately and quickly.

Click here to download DriverFIX to fix Error Code 38 quickly and effectively!

Shortcut virus is an easily spreadable and annoying combination of Worm and Trojan that hides all of your files and folders and then replaces them with shortcuts that look identical to replaced files and folders. Once disguised it will wait patiently for a user's click and once that happens it will replicate itself and further infect the system. This rapid spread can lead to stolen personal data, some system hick-ups, and other system-related issues. This malware mainly affects physical file transfer devices like for example and most USB drives, hard drives, and SD memory cards and it can easily transfer itself to the computer. The advantage of this shortcut virus comparing it to others is that it is mostly undetected by a vast variety of antivirus software. So running just anti-virus software maybe not be enough to remove it from your system. Luckily for all unfortunate users that have caught this annoyance, it can be easily removed fully manually in a short time.

How to Remove Virus from USB and other removable media

Firstly plugin USB, SD, or removable drive. The infection will transfer to your computer when the infected drive is plugged in so before we go to clean the computer itself, clean each removable drive that you have. Also know that infection will spread from computers into removable devices as well if it is not cleaned. Open the File Explorer and remember under which letter is removable drive registered. Open Command prompt but with administrator privileges and go to infected rive by typing its letter followed with “:” (for example D:) and press ENTER Once you have successfully gone to infected drive type in command prompt: Attrib -s -r -h /s /d *.* This will unlock all original files back into removable storage, next copy all files to your computer, and format the removable drive. Once the format is complete, unplug the removable device. Continue to clean all devices with the same method.

How to Permanently Remove a Shortcut Virus from Your PC

Now once we have cleaned all removable devices it is time to fully clean the PC Firstly open the task manager ( CTRL + SHIFT + ESC ), in the process tab find wscript.exe or wscript.vbs, right-click on it (or both if present), and select End Task. Now close the task manager and press Start. Inside start typing in registry editor to search for it and once found open it. Find the following key inside the registry editor: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run In the right panel, look for any strange-looking key names, such as odwcamszas, WXCKYz, OUzzckky, etc. For each one, run a Google search to see if it's related to shortcut viruses. If any returns a positive match, right-click on them and select Delete. !!! Accidentally deleting an important key can cause Windows to become unstable, so double-check everything !!!. Close the Registry Editor Now press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in it Msconfig followed by ENTER. Once the System Configuration window opens go to the Startup tab. In the Startup tab, look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS programs, select each one and click Disable. Close the Window. Once again open the run dialog and type inside %TEMP% and press ENTER in order to open the Windows temp folder. Inside this folder delete everything. Next in the File explorer go to C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup Look for any strange-looking .EXE or .VBS files and delete them.

For PC users that are blind or have low vision, the Narrator accessibility feature in Windows 10, lets you use your PC without a display or mouse to complete common tasks – it reads and interacts with things on the screen, like text and buttons. The narrator can be used to read and write an email, browse the internet, and work with documents. In Windows 10, there are a lot of options for Narrator that you can customize. You can change its keyboard shortcuts, personalize Narrator’s voice, enable Caps Lock warnings, and more. You can choose the voice for the Narrator, adjust the speaking rate, pitch, and volume. To change the default audio output device used to play the voice of the Narrator in Windows 10:

• Press the ⊞ WINDOWS + I
• From the Settings menu, click Ease of Access.
• Click Narrator on the left pane.
• In the Narrator window, on the right pane, toggle the button to On to enable Narrator if required.
• Scroll down to the Personalize Narrator’s voice section.
• For the Select where you hear Narrator’s voice option, click the drop-down and select the audio output device you want from the list. Please know that you will not be able to choose if you do not have multiple audio output devices connected to your Windows 10 computer.
• Exit Settings when done.

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