Can’t type in Win apps, Search, Cortana, etc.

Windows 10 is has a lot of features that help a user in optimizing a computer. So when the operating system encounters a problem, it is able to provide users with proper resources to get the problem fixed. There are even times when a user is not notified and an issue is either being repaired or dodged in the background. This kind of feature is known as the Diagnosis of the Automatic Repair feature that starts when your computer is booting. In such times, you will either see the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” message on your screen. Although this feature is useful and has proven to be effective, some users reported that the process gets stuck. If you experience the same problem, read on as this post will guide you on what to do to fix it but before you start troubleshooting the problem, you might want to perform a Hard Boot first. All you have to do is to power down your computer, remove the battery and the AC adapter and then reconnect them. After that, tap and hold the power button for about 20 seconds and see if your computer boots up properly. If it doesn’t, follow the given fixes below.

Option 1 – Try disabling the automatic Startup Repair

The Automatic Startup Repair window will automatically open during boot when you have some system driver-related problem. So if you think that this is where the problem lies, you can try to disable the automatic Startup Repair.

• Click on Troubleshoot and go to the Advanced options.
• After that, select Command Prompt and execute the following command:

bcdedit /set recoveryenabled NO

• Restart your computer after that and then check.

Option 2 – Run 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 you’re facing this problem. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Type “cmd” in the Start search and then right-click on the appropriate search result.
• Next, select “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

• Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 3 – Run CHKDSK to check your disk for errors

When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system.

• Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
• Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
• After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:

chkdsk /r /f

• Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your computer, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
• If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
• After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
• Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
• Once your computer has restarted, try accessing the file and check if the error persists.

Option 4 – Run the DISM tool

The next thing you can do is run the DISM tool. This tool is known to repair potentially corrupted files in your system as having them could also system issues like your computer getting stuck in the “Diagnosing your PC” or “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen.

• Tap the Win + X keys and click on the “Command Prompt (Admin)” option.
• After that, input each one of the commands listed below sequentially to execute them:
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Once you’ve executed the commands given above, restart your computer and check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 5 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer

Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:

• You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
• After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
• Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
• Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.

The GameStream is an NVIDIA service that allows users to stream games from their Windows 10 computers to other supported devices which includes the NVIDIA SHIELD devices. However, a number of users reported that the NVIDIA GameStream is not working on their Windows 10 computers. This kind of issue is most likely caused by improper installation, some glitches with the network, and many more. To fix this issue in the NVIDIA GameStream, there are several options you need to check out to fix the problem. You can try to lo logout of GameStream and try logging back in again. You could also try to update or uninstall and reinstall the drivers related to NVIDIA or fix some network glitches or update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. For more details, you can refer to each one of the given potential fixes below.

Option 1 – Try to logout and log back into NVIDIA GameStream

The first thing you can do is to log out and then log back into NVIDIA GameStream. Some users claimed that by doing this simple task, they were able to resolve the problem. This is probably because with the re-login, the entire cache of the system and service is rebuilt and any bad sectors of that data will be replaced with the fresh one so this should resolve the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream, if not, refer to the other given options below.

Option 2 – Try updating the drivers from the official site of NVIDIA

If both the first and second given options didn’t work, you can also try updating the drivers from the official NVIDIA website. And in case you don’t know the type of Nvidia graphics card that your computer is on, follow the steps below:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Next type in “dxdiag” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
• From there, you can see what type of Nvidia graphics card that your system is on.
• Take note of your graphics card information and then look for the best drivers for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the file, restart your PC.

Option 3 – Try to roll back the driver to the previous version

If updating the NVIDIA display drivers didn’t work for you, then it’s time to roll back the device drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh.

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run window and then type in the “MSC” command and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
• Under the Device Manager, you will see a list of drivers. From there, look for the NVIDIA Drivers and expand it.
• Next, select the driver entries that are labeled appropriately.
• Then select each one of them and double click to open a new mini window.
• After that, make sure that you’re on the Driver tab and if you are not, just navigate to it then click the Roll Back Driver button to switch back to the previous version of the NVIDIA Drivers.
• Now restart your computer to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 4 – Try fixing your network

The next thing you can do to fix the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream is to fix the glitches in your network. Make sure that you connect both of your devices to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network and you also have to ensure that the Wi-Fi connection you’re connected to is strong enough for both the devices for the latency to go down. Once you’ve covered all of these things with your network, restart your computer and change the Wi-Fi channel both devices are connected to. This should resolve the problem.

Option 5 – Try to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device

You might also want to update the NVIDIA SHIELD device. There are times when an outdated NVIDIA SHIELD device can result to several issues like the problem with the NVIDIA GameStream. Thus, you need to update NVIDIA SHIELD and check if it fixes the problem or not.

If you got an Activation Error 0xC004F211 after having installed or upgraded your Windows 10 PC, then this indicates that some hardware in your computer has changed which’s causing the error to pop up. Windows might not be able to determine if the key is used on a new computer or if it’s still the same one if you have just removed or upgraded old hardware. But worry not for this post will guide you in fixing the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211 on your Windows 10 computer. When you encounter this error, you will see the following error message on your screen:

“Cannot activate Windows 10. Try activating again later. If that doesn’t work, contact support. Error code: 0xC004F211.”

Note that although hardware changes cause this error, the minor ones don’t really cause any issues with activation, however, if you have made any significant hardware change such as replacing your motherboard, it will most likely cause the activation error. In such cases, the Windows Activation system will treat this as new hardware and you will need a new license for that. Even if your Windows 10 computer has a genuine key, it might still fail to get activated which results in the Windows Activation Error 0xC004F211. Thus, before you do other troubleshooting steps, you need to run the Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter first. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings and then select Activation.
• After that, click on the Windows Activation and then troubleshoot. This will help you address most of the commonly found activation issues in Windows devices.

In addition, there is an exception offered by Microsoft – if you are connected to a Microsoft account prior to the hardware change, then you can most certainly use the same license key to reactivate Windows 10 again. Microsoft calls this an “Exception path” which should be fixed easily by the Windows Activation Troubleshooter as pointed out earlier. However, if the Windows Activation Troubleshooter isn’t able to resolve the error you can try purchasing a new license. In such rate case, even if you do have a Microsoft account available on your Windows 10 computer, and if Windows was never activated, this solution will not work. And if you haven’t connected your Microsoft account with your Windows 10 computer prior to the major hardware change, then your only option left is to purchase a new license. For you to do that here are some steps you can follow.

• To purchase a new Windows license, the first thing you have to do is click on the Start button > Settings > Update & Security.
• From there, go to Activation and select the “Go to Microsoft Store” option.
• After receiving your new license, you need to go back to Update & Security then go to Activation and select the “Change product key” option.
• Now update your Windows 10 computer using the new key and it should automatically activate your computer.
• Next, you have to create a Microsoft account or connect your existing local account to your online account.
• Once the system links the key and the account, you need not buy a new license in case something like this happens again.

Note: If you are an IT administrator, you need to keep in mind that there is a limit to the number of times you can reactivate Windows on your computer. Moreover, if you don’t see any option to reactivate the license, and it is a work computer, you need to contact your organization’s tech support.

Although it’s easy to set up wired printers in most cases and they have their charm, you don’t have to be around the printer if you are connected to the same network. So in this post, you will be guided on how you can install and set up a wireless printer on your Windows 10 computer. The idea here is to ensure that your Wi-Fi printer and your Windows 10 computer are connected on the same network and to do that, you need to carry out the following steps:

• You have to connect the printer to the Wi-Fi network.
• You have to add the printer or scanner to Windows 10.
• You have to install the printer software.
• You have to change the default printer.
• And troubleshoot the printer.

For more details, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Connect your printer to the Wi-Fi network. In this step, you need to turn on your printer and look for the option to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Note that the step to connect to the Wi-Fi network depends on what kind of printer you use as well as its OEM since there will be a user interface or a Wi-Fi button that will get the job done for you. Once your printer is connected to the Wi-Fi network, you need to keep it turned on until the setup is completed. Step 2: Next, add a printer or scanner to Windows 10

• Since you’re already connected to the Wi-Fi network, you now have to go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
• From there, click on the Add a printer or scanner option.
• After that, the scanning process will begin as Windows 10 looks for the printer and once it finds it, it will display the printer in the result.
• Choose the Wi-Fi printer from the results and click on the Add device option. Once you click this option, Windows will install the drivers via Windows 10 update. Note that this process will apply to all the printers – connected, wireless, and so on.

Step 3: You have to install a printer software In this step, you need to use the driver software from the OEM even though the default printer software works since in most cases, the driver software from OEM works better compared to the default ones and offers much better functionality like ink-saving modes, and many more. Step 4: You now have to change the default printer After installing the printer software, you now have to set or change the default printer in your computer. If you have not installed any printer, the default printer in Windows is the one that saves the files. Now since you have already installed your printer, all that’s left for you to do is to change the default printer of Windows 10 to the one you installed earlier. To do that, follow these sub-steps:

• Go to Settings and navigate to Devices > Printers & scanners.
• From there, check the checkbox labeled, “Let Windows manage my default printer” if there are many printers. This will recommend you to use the most used printer. But if you don’t want to switch to the most used printer, then uncheck the checkbox.
• Once done, click on the printer you want to set as the default one and go to Manage, and then click on the Set as default button.

Step 5: If you have any issues with your newly installed printer, then you need to troubleshoot it One of the first basic troubleshooting you can perform to resolve the printer issue is running the Printer Troubleshooter. This built-in troubleshooter can detect and automatically fix the problem for you. To use it, follow these steps:

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

The Control Panel is one of the most important tools in Windows which allows users to control and change various settings. However, there are cases when it experiences some problems like when users aren’t able to open it. Recently, a lot of users complained about not being able to open the Control Panel. To be more specific, users were able to open it but only lasted for a second, and then it’s gone. This is not just some issue you can ignore as this will prevent you from accessing some major settings in your computer and you won’t be able to perform some important task without it. According to security experts, this issue is most likely caused by a bug in the Windows Update. If you have installed an update recently, then it’s most likely the culprit. Aside from the Windows Update, there are also other things that can cause this issue. Some of them are the IDT audio panel and a control panel file that causes conflicting issues with the control panel that leads to this problem. Aside from these aforementioned cases, the Windows Error reporting services could also be one of the causes of this issue. As you can see, since there are a lot of possible causes for this problem, this post prepared a lot of options as well which you have to check out. Follow each one of them and see which one worked best for you.

Option 1 – Try updating your Windows 10 PC

If you haven’t updated your PC to the latest version of Windows 10, then you should. A lot of users found that the issue with the Control Panel was fixed right after they updated their Windows 10 PCs. This is probably because Microsoft has probably released a fix on one of the latest updates.

Option 2 – Try uninstalling the IDT Audio Panel

For some users, uninstalling the IDT Audio Panel from their PCs did the trick. You can also try doing the same thing to fix the vanishing Control Panel. According to these users. The IDT audio panel was the one that’s causing the issue. To uninstall the IDT audio panel, here’s what you have to do:

• Tap the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the “Uninstall or change a program” screen of the Control Panel.
• From there, look for the IDT audio panel, select it and then select the Uninstall option and follow the next on-screen instructions that appear.

Note: If you are unable to locate the IDT audio panel or you simply can’t access the Uninstall or change program screen or you can’t keep Control Panel open for a long time, here’s what you can do:

• Tap the Win + R keys at the same time once again to open the Run dialog box.
• And in the field, type in “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open the Device Manager.
• After opening the Device Manager, look for the “Sound, video and game controllers” option and double-click on it.
• From there, locate the IDT audio panel or “IDT High Definition CODEC” and select Uninstall and follow the next instructions that appear.

Option 3 – Try deleting or renaming IDTNC64.cpl

IDTNC64.cpl is a control file in the control panel. However, it might be the one that’s causing the problem as it could be conflicting with the control panel. As a result, the control panel crashes after a second or more. Many users have fixed the problem by either renaming or deleting this file – the safer option would be is renaming it.

• Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
• In the address bar located at the top, type in “C:\Windows\System32” and tap Enter to open this folder.
• From there, look for the IDTNC64.cpl file, right-click on it and select the Rename option.
• You can name the file anything you want but it’s better if you rename it to “oldcpl”.
• After you rename the file, try opening the Control Panel again. It should work fine now.

Option 4 – Try to disable the Windows Error Reporting Service

As mentioned earlier, the Windows Error Reporting Service is also known to cause the issue so some users disable it and got the issue fixed.

• Tap the Win + R keys.
• In the field, type in “MSConfig” and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
• After opening System Configuration, go to the Services tab and look for the Windows Error Reporting Service and uncheck its checkbox.
• Click the Apply button and click OK. You should now see a date in the Disable Date column. Then check if the Control Panel is now working properly if not, restart your computer and check once more. That should fix the problem.

Option 5 – Try opening Control Panel via Run

This option is more of a workaround than a solution as it does not really fix the issue with the Control Panel but rather helps you in accessing the controls at the very least.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open Run.
• Type in “appwiz.cpl” in the field and tap Enter to open the Uninstall or change program screen of the Control Panel.
• Next, copy and paste “Control panel all control panel items” on the address bar located at the top-mid part of your screen. You must not type the given address and simply copy and paste it. After that, you will see a list of control panel controls you can use.

In this post, we will discuss what the “ bootres.dll ” file is in the Windows 10 operating system and where it’s also located. In addition, you will also be guided on how you can replace or fix a corrupt bootres.dll file which may prevent you from booting to your Windows desktop and will display an error message instead saying, “Boot critical file resourcescustombootres.dll is corrupt”. There are times when this error might also boot your PC to the Automatic Repair screen. DLL files, also known as Dynamic Link Libraries are external parts of applications that run on Windows as well as other operating systems. Almost all applications are not complete in themselves and store code in different files so if there is a need for the code, the related file being called by a certain application is loaded into memory and used. If the software or the operating system is unable to find the concerned DLL file or if the DLL file ends up getting corrupted, you will most likely get an error message. In case you don’t know, the bootres.dll file is a critical system OS file, size 90KB, and can be found in the Windows folder. It is a part of the Boot Resource Library and portrays an important role in making sure that your PC boots properly. So if it ends up getting corrupted, your PC may fail to boot correctly and you’ll get an error message instead. To resolve this problem, here are some suggestions that might help. If your PC automatically boots to the Automatic Repair screen, you need to click on that option to run the Automatic Repair. If it doesn’t work, you have to boot into the Advanced Startup options to manually access and run the Automatic Repair. Once you’re in the Advanced Options, you will be able to:

• Run Automatic Repair
• Use System Restore
• Start Windows from an external device
• Access Command Prompt
• And use the System Image Recovery to restore Windows from a Factory image.

If the Automatic Repair fails to fix the problem, you may have to use System Restore or the Command Prompt to carry out further troubleshooting steps. Refer to the guide below to use these tools.

Option 1 – Try running the System File Checker in Safe Mode

Running the System File Checker is the safest way to fix DLL file missing or corrupted errors are thrown up by the Windows operating system as it could give you better results. 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 with good system files that might be causing the Machine Check Exception BSOD error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode.
• Tap Win + R to launch Run.
• Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
• After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow

The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:

1. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
2. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.

Option 2 – Try running the DISM tool to repair the System Image

To repair the System Image, you need to use the DISM or Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management tool. The DISM tool is another command-line tool in the Windows operating system that could help users fix various corrupted system files. To use it, follow these steps:

• Open the Command Prompt as admin.
• Then type in this command: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Do not close the window if the process takes a while as it will probably take a few minutes to finish.

Note: The command you executed will check for Windows component store corruption and will restore its good health. The scan might take up to 15 minutes. Once it is done, you have to restart your computer.

Option 3 – Try to repair the MBR and rebuild BCD

To repair the MBR and rebuild BCD, follow these steps: The problem might boil down to the Master Boot Records since the previous case has already been isolated. There are times when the Master Boot Records can get corrupted and even though it is a serious issue, it can still be rectified by repairing the Master Boot Record.

• Tao the F8 key while booting the system to go into the Windows Recovery Menu.
• Next, click on Troubleshoot.
• Then click on the Advanced options to get into the Automatic Repair menu.
• After that, you have to use the bootrex.exe tool, so click on the command prompt and type in the following commands, one after the other:
• bootrec /RebuildBcd
• bootrec /fixMbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• Exit and then go ahead and restart your PC.

Option 4 – Try running the ChkDsk utility

One of the best options you must try is running chkdsk as it will check the disk for any errors and repair them automatically. To use it, follow these steps:

• Boot your PC to the Advanced Options menu and click on Command Prompt.
• Once you’ve opened an elevated Command Prompt, type in the following command and tap Enter to execute it:

chkdsk C: /f /x /r

Note: “C” is the drive root drive so it could be changed if you’re using a different one.

Option 5 – Try resetting your PC

Go to the Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > and select the Reset This PC option from the menu and then select Keep my files.

Still sitting on the fence about upgrading to Windows 11 because you don’t know what to expect? Interestingly, the new edition somehow manages to be both a total revamp and still very similar to its predecessor in many ways. It’s really something to experience for yourself.

We do want to give you a sneak peek, though. So here’s an overview of the biggest changes Windows 11 brings to the table.

What’s different in Windows 11?

1. Visual changes

The first thing anyone will notice after switching to Windows 11 is the striking visual difference. The entire interface is smoother, cleaner and more minimalistic than on Windows 10, even resembling the macOS in some instances.
Perhaps the most obvious change in appearance is the Start menu and Taskbar location, which is now at the bottom center. It’s actually very neat, but if you’re someone who loves familiarity, don’t worry, you can move it back to the left.

Moreover, you’ll notice that the Taskbar includes a Microsoft Teams icon by default (which you can, of course, remove) and that Live Tiles are gone. The News and Interests section has also been removed - or, shall we say, replaced. As opposed to Windows 10, news, weather forecasts and other information are now displayed as widgets.

To add to the cleanliness of the UI, Microsoft also enhanced the ‘Snap Layouts’ feature to help you better organize your windows and maximize screen real estate. It’s similar to app grouping on your smartphone. In Windows 10 this feature is slightly restricted, as it requires some manual resizing and dragging. In Windows 11, you can just hover over the minimize/maximize option on a window, select a layout and throw the windows in there. 

2. New accessibility features

Microsoft has certainly paid attention to accessibility with Windows 10, but Windows 11 takes this to a whole new level.

One of the ways Windows 11 has taken things up a notch is by adding the long-awaited ‘Live Captions’ feature and advanced Narrator options.

Live Captions apply both to media played on your PC as well as your own speech when you’re using the microphone. Keep in mind that, as with almost all kinds of subtitles, you have to be prepared for a potential delay. However, it’s barely noticeable and doesn’t take away from the usefulness of this awesome new feature whatsoever.

As for the Narrator, there are three new voice packs to choose from. Microsoft has tried to put emphasis on a more natural voice than we are used to. So, now you can choose between Aria, Jenny and Guy, who will read pretty much anything off your screen out loud. Aside from this, Microsoft has also expanded the list of braille displays supported by the Narrator feature. 
For users with anxiety or trouble concentrating, a welcomed addition is the Focus app, which is no longer part of the Clock app. It’s now separate and called ‘Focus Sessions’, automatically triggering the Do Not Disturb mode when activated. It blocks all pop-ups and flashes and lets you work in peace until you’re ready to switch it off.

3. Android apps

Android users may rejoice! Windows 11 supports the use of your favorite applications now. 

Microsoft has done this by integrating the Amazon Appstore to the Windows 11 Microsoft Store. From there, you can download your favorite Android apps and use them on your PC in a smartphone-like window.

Unfortunately not too many apps are supported at this time, but Microsoft is working on making the emulation possible for many more. Also, the option is only available in specific regions at this moment - check out if you’re one of the lucky ones.

4. Improved gaming performance

Avid gamers will be happy to hear that Microsoft has put some effort into streamlining Windows 11 for their gaming needs.

To give gamers a supreme visual experience, Windows 11 offers the ‘Auto HDR’ feature. As long as your monitor is HDR-compatible, this feature will automatically adjust the colors, brightness and contrast of games without any input from you. 

Another update is DirectStorage, which we were introduced to in Windows 10 already. In Windows 11, it’s been improved to tweak loading times and overall gaming performance efficiency even better. The predisposition for it to work optimally is that your device has an NVMe SSD. 

The Xbox Game Bar also helps gamers towards a smoother experience. It allows in-game screenshots, viewing processes that are running (similar to the Task Manager), monitoring the CPU and GPU performance and frame rate, integrating the Xbox App and more. There’s also a number of widgets you can now use with the Game Bar, for example the Spotify widget.

Another cool addition is the Xbox Game Pass, which unlocks hundreds of games to play on your Xbox App, with new additions coming in every month.

5. Smart App Control

Aside from a sleek new look and better accessibility for all users, Windows 11 also comes with a security power-up. Bear in mind that this feature is only available on clean Windows 11 installs. 

Smart App Control (SAC) is an AI-powered new feature designed to protect your PC from potential threats. It blocks untrustworthy apps and adware and helps detect potentially unwanted apps, maintaining your PC’s performance and keeping your system safe.

It comes with an ‘Evaluation’ mode, which you should definitely select when running SAC for the first time. That way, the app monitors your usage and assesses whether you’re a candidate for SAC. Some users need it to be on all the time, for others it might be too distracting. Evaluation mode will turn SAC on or off based on your usage.

Don’t disable SAC again unless you’re absolutely sure you don’t need it, since reenabling it will require a fresh install. We recommend you don’t turn it off, as it is a neat feature protecting your data and files from malware at all times.

Summary

Have we piqued your interest in trying Microsoft’s latest OS? It’s a pretty exciting new iteration, but we’ll let you find out for yourself. We hope you like it!

When trying to run Computer Management, or when running mmc.exe or compmgmt.msc from a command prompt you get the error that the application has been blocked for your protection then keep reading in order to solve the issue. This is a permission issue where if a regular user tries to run such system tools will result in saying that it has been blocked. Along with this, you may have a Group Policy issue. This can be fixed, but you will need admin permission to achieve it. It’s because when they are run from the command prompt with elevated privileges, it works.

1. Change Group Policy Settings

   If your account is an admin account, and you are still facing the issue, then change the group policy settings: Open Group Policy Settings by typing gpedit.msc in the run prompt followed by pressing ENTER Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Management Console > Restricted/Permitted snap-ins Locate Computer Management policy, and double click to open it Enable it, exit Group Policy. When Enabled: The snap-in is permitted and can be added into the Microsoft Management Console or run from the command line as a standalone console. When Disabled: The snap-in is prohibited and cannot be added into the Microsoft Management Console or run from the command line as a standalone console. An error message is displayed stating that the policy is prohibiting the use of this snap-in.

2. Temporarily disable UAC

   UAC is the user access control panel, and if you need to run the command right away, you can choose to disable it for some time. Click on the Start button, and then type UAC to find the User Account Control Settings. Click to open, and then slide down the notification setting at the bottom. It will temporarily allow launching the application as there is no check. However, make sure to switch to default once you are done.

If you are trying to update your Windows 10 computer but encounter the Windows update error 0x80244019 instead, read on as this post will help provide you some possible fixes to resolve the problem. This kind of Windows Update error is usually caused by your Windows Update settings or the Windows Update components. Many users who encountered this error reported that the update fails with the said error which keeps them from enjoying the latest features that the Windows Update brings. In such cases, some of the common culprits for this Windows Update error are the Windows Update settings, Windows Update configuration, third-party antivirus programs, and so on. To resolve this error, you can check out the options provided below.

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

You can restart your computer and then try installing the updates once again. There are instances when a simple restart resolves Windows Update errors. Aside from that, it would also be better if you make sure that your internet connection is working and that it’s stable. And so after you restart your computer, check for updates once again and see if you’re still getting the error or not.

Option 2 – Try to change the Windows Update settings

You might also want to try tweaking the Windows Update settings. This will prevent other Microsoft products from being updated and besides, you can always turn the option back on afterward. To change Windows Update settings, follow these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• Next, go to Updates and Security and click on the Advanced Options.
• From there, turn off the “Get me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows” option.

Option 3 – 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 0x80244019. To run it, Refer to these steps:

• Tap the Win + I keys to open Settings.
• From there, click Update and Security and go to the Troubleshoot section.
• Next, select Windows Update and click the “Run the troubleshooter” button and wait until it’s finished, and then try to run Windows Update again.

Option 4 – Try to disable the third-party antivirus program

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. There are times when you encounter Windows Update errors like 0x80244019 due to interference of third party antivirus programs. 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 5 – Try to manually install the Windows Updates

Windows Update Error 0x80244019 might be due to a Windows Update that has failed. So if it is not a feature update and only a cumulative update, you can download the Windows Update and install it manually. But first, you need to find out which update has failed, and to do so, refer to the following steps:

• Go to Settings and from there go to Update and Security > View Update History.
• Next, check which particular update has failed. Note that Updates that have failed to install will be displayed under the Status column which has a label of “Failed”.
• After that, go to the Microsoft Download Center and look for that update using its KB number and once you find it, download and then install it manually.

Note: You can also use the Microsoft Update Catalog, a service from Microsoft that provides a list of software updates that can be distributed over a corporate network. With the help of this service, it can be easier for you to find Microsoft software updates, drivers as well as fixes.

Option 6 – Restart some Windows Update services

The first thing you have to do is to restart Windows Update-related services. Refer to the steps below to do so.

• 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 stop bits

• After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
• 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.
• Once all the contents in the Software Distribution folder are deleted, restart your PC and then go back to Command Prompt and input the following commands again.

net start wuauserv net start bits

 Since the folder has already been flushed, it will be populated afresh the instant your restart your computer and open Windows Update. Now try to update your computer again and see if the error is fixed or not.

There are several kinds of errors you could encounter when you are running Windows 10 on a virtual machine. The Windows OS knows the difference between booting up in a standalone computer or in a virtual machine. This is why some specific drivers and system capabilities are used while emulating the Windows OS on software and during this phase, there are times when the System Preparation may throw up an error that says, “A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine”. This kind of error arises due to a race condition wherein the Sysprep command tries to stop the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator or MSDTC service and the VMware tool tries to start the MSDTC service. You may also see the following messages logged in the Setuperr.log file:

• [0x0f0082] SYSPRP LaunchDll:Failure occurred while executing ‘C:Windowssystem32msdtcprx.dll,SysPrepDtcCleanup’, returned error code -2146434815[gle=0x000000b7]
• [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = -2146434815[gle=0x000000b7]
• [0x0f00a8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep cleanup providers; hr = 0x80100101[gle=0x000000b7]

To fix the 0x0f0082, 0x0f0070, 0x0f00a8 Sysprep errors, you can check out two potential fixes. First, you have to check the status of the MSDTC service and the second one is to check the settings in the Windows Registry. Note that these fixes are proven to be effective on many users and apply to several versions of Windows, including Windows 10.

Option 1 – Check the status of the MSDTC service via Command Prompt

As mentioned, the error could be caused by the malfunctioning of the MSDTC service or it. Thus, you have to uninstall and reinstall the MSDTC service to resolve the problem and you can do that using Command Prompt. Follow the steps below.

• In the Start Search, type “command prompt” and from the results, right-click on Command Prompt and then select the “Run as administrator” option to open it with admin privileges.
• If a User Account Control or UAC prompt appears, just click on Yes to proceed.
• Once you’ve opened Command Prompt, execute this command: msdtc –uninstall
• The command you just entered will uninstall the MSDTC service. After that, you need to execute this second command to reinstall the service: msdtc –install
• Now exit Command Prompt and check if the error is now fixed.

Option 2 – Check the Registry settings

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and click OK or hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• After opening the Registry Editor, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionSoftwareProtectionPlatform
• From there, look for a DWORD value that’s named “SkipRearm” and double click on it.
• Then change its value data to “1”.
• Restart your computer to apply successfully apply the changes made and check if it was able to fix the error.