Windows 11 different sounds for dark theme

Recently, a number of users reported that they were not able to run PLEX and other similar streaming services ever since a Windows Update was automatically installed in the system. The error in these streaming services has something to do with a missing Mfplat.dll DLL file from the Windows Media Feature Pack. On the other hand, some users also reported that the mfplat.dll error occurred on several games as well which used the Media Feature Pack. Usually, the mfplat.dll error is caused by the missing Media Feature Pack in Windows 10. Although most of the time the Media Feature Pack is installed by the application that needs it or through Windows Update automatically, there are just certain installers that do not have it. It could be that the Media Playback service was disabled by a particular Windows Update. Aside from that, the error might be because your computer is using Windows 10 N – a Windows 10 version that does not include the Media Feature Pack by default. Whatever the cause may be, you can troubleshoot the problem with the help of the options given below. But before you go on, keep in mind that downloading the missing DLL file and copying it to the folder of the program where you encounter the error won’t really help and will only make things even more complicated.

Option 1 – Install the Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N version

As mentioned, the Windows 10 N version does not come with Windows Media Player. Meaning to say, the Media Feature Pack is also not installed by default or won’t be updated by the Windows Update component. So if you are not quite sure what Windows 10 version you currently have installed, refer to these steps:

• Tap the Windows key + S and then type “about” in the search box.
• From the search results, click on the “About your PC” to open the About tab of the Settings app.
• Afterward, scroll down to the Windows specifications and check your Windows version under Edition.

Note: If you’ve determined that your computer is using the Windows 10 N version, you need to install the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your computer. How? Refer to the steps below:

• Click this link to download and install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft’s official website.
• Upon installation, select the edition you want to install using the drop-down menu and then click on Confirm. Take note that there are few reasons why you’d want to install the older version since most streaming services like PLEX and most games usually require version 1803.
• After that, wait until the request is validated. The download should begin in a few minutes automatically.
• Once the download is completed, open the installation executable file and follow the next on-screen instructions to install the Media Feature Pack on your computer.
• Restart your computer. After your computer has rebooted, open the application where you’re getting the mfplat.dll missing error and then check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 2 – Enable Media Playback via Command Prompt

If you encounter the mfplat.dll missing error when you attempt to run PLEX or other similar streaming service and you’ve already verified that the Media Feature Pack is indeed installed, you might want to try enabling it using an elevated Command Prompt. There are cases when a particular Windows Update ends up disabling the feature and creates the grounds which results in the mfplat.dll missing error. Thus, you can have to enable the feature via Command Prompt.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “cmd” in the field and hit Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Next, click on Yes if a User Account Control prompt pops up.
• After opening Command Prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter to execute it:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MediaPlayback

• Close Command Prompt and then open the app once again to check if the problem is now fixed.

Option 3 – Try extracting a copy of the mfplat.dll file from the windows.old directory

If you encounter the error shortly after you just upgraded to Windows 10 from an older version, the best thing you can do to resolve the problem is to use windows.old directory to fetch an old copy of the mfplat.dll file. To do so, follow the steps below.

• Go to the Windows drive and then look for the windows.old directory where it preserves a copy of your old operating system as well as associated files in case something goes out of hand during the upgrade process.
• After that, open the windows.old folder and then go to the syswow64 folder.
• Next, from the syswow64 folder, copy the mfplat.dll file and paste it to C: windows syswow64.
• Restart your computer and check if the error is now resolved or not.

What Is Error 2032?

Error 2032 is essentially the hexadecimal format of the error caused. This error code is actually a code format used by the Windows operating system. Manufacturers use this code to determine the cause behind the problem. This error is usually the result of the issues that arise with different applications. When this error occurs, individuals are not able to view multimedia content on their PC. They may also experience system crashes and this makes it crucial to resolve it.

Solution

Error Causes

Error 2032 is caused by problems in Windows system files. Improper registry entries may also cause this problem. Some of the common causes that trigger Error 2032 are improper deletion of hardware or applications. Similarly, incomplete hardware or application installations or uninstallations may also cause issues. These file errors are actually caused when a computer has recently been attacked by a virus, spyware, or malware or if the system is trying to recover from an unanticipated shutdown. Such activities often result in the corruption or deletion of registry entries in Windows system files. The corrupt files will obviously cause problems and the application will fail to perform correctly.

Further Information and Manual Repair

While there are several ways to solve this problem, some of the most useful and practical solutions are listed below as follows.

• If you are an advanced user, this workaround is for you. First and foremost, restart your computer and log on to it as the administrator. Now click on the ‘Start’ button.  Now follow this path: All programs ->Accessories-> System Tools->System Restore. Once you choose to perform System Restore, you will come across options where you can select to ‘Restore your computer to an earlier time’. This option will appear in a new window. Click on it and then click Next. Click on the Next button again that appears in the confirmation window. Restart your computer after the restoration is finished. You have just resolved the error.
• Another easier alternative to fix Error 2032 is for novice users. Download an Error 2032 repair utility. Install this program as you are most likely to come across a Scan button. If there is an option to fix and repair an error, select it after the scan is complete. You can then restart your computer again. Look for the error and you will realize that it has disappeared and that your system is now ready to use.

There are some new generation motherboards for laptops and PCs that bring in support for both the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI as well as the Basic Input Output System or BIOS. The main advantage of UEFI over the traditional BIOS is the fact that UEFI supports a hard drive that has a capacity of more than 2 terabytes. However, the disadvantage of UEFI is that it only supports the x64 Windows operating system versions and that the hard drive is supposed to use the GPT structure. So if your PC is compatible with and supports UEFI and you want to change from Legacy to UEFI, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can exactly do that without having to reinstall it. There are two ways to change Legacy to UEFI. You can convert MBR to GPT using either the built-in utilities in Windows or using the Recovery Environment. Before you proceed, make sure that your computer fulfills the following prerequisites:

• Your PC’s motherboard should support both Legacy and UEFI.
• Your PC should be running at least the 1703 Windows 10 version or newer on an MBR partition.

Once you’ve made sure that your computer covers the aforementioned prerequisites, refer to the given options below.

Option 1 – Convert MBR to GPT via Windows built-in utilities

• In the Windows Search box, type “command prompt” and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that, execute this command: exe /convert /allowfullOS
• Now, wait until the process is completed since you can track its process on your screen.
• Once it’s done, go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Startup options and from there, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer and give you advanced options.
• Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options where you will see further options including System Restore, Startup Repair, Go back to the previous version, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Now select the UEFI Firmware Settings. This will take you to the BIOS. Boot Mode is typically available under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI and then save the changes you’ve made. After that, your computer will restart.

Option 2 – Convert MBR to GPT via the Recovery Environment

• When the message appears on your screen while running Windows Setup, you need to tap the Shift + F10 keys to open Command Prompt.
• Make sure to run Command Prompt as admin and then execute this command: exe /convert
• After that, wait until the process is completed. When it’s done, you have to go to the BIOS just like in the first given option above.
• As mentioned, you can usually find the Boot Mode under Boot > Boot Configuration. Once you’re there, set it to UEFI.
• Now save the changes made and exit as your computer will restart.

Error Code “Windows 10 isn’t activated after upgrading for free” – What is it?

Windows 10 isn’t activated error occurs when Windows users attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 for free and end up in a non-activated state. It is a Windows 10 activation error affecting PC owners who attempt to upgrade their Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 operating systems. A message box will appear with the following message: “Windows 10 isn’t activated after upgrading for free from Windows 7 SPI or Windows 8.1 update.”

Common symptoms of this error code include the following:

• Inability to upgrade for free to Windows 10
• The appearance of activation error code in the message box

Solution

Error Causes

To understand the cause of this activation error, users will need to understand activation within Windows. Activation is a process that allows Windows to verify that you are upgrading your operating system based on the Microsoft Software Licensing Terms. These terms specify, for instance, the number of devices upon which you can use Windows.

Once you have a genuine copy of Windows and you are following the terms mentioned earlier, you should be able to activate and complete the upgrade to Windows 10. However, the activation fails when these conditions are not met. Note also that the error may occur if users fail to upgrade to Windows 10 before reinstalling, requiring them to repeat the installation process by first going back to the previous version of Windows present on their system. Once the upgrade process is not done as should, you might encounter other Windows 10 errors such as error code 0xc0000142

If you see this error code, “Windows 10 isn’t activated after upgrading for free” proceed to rectify it using manual repair methods below.

Further Information and Manual Repair

To fix this activation error code in Windows 10, users will need to employ at least one manual repair procedure. This process can successfully be completed by non-technical Windows users. However, you may also consider getting assistance from a Windows repair technician if you are not certain you have the requisite skills needed to complete the manual repair tasks below.

The main methods to resolve the error code “Windows 10 isn’t activated after upgrading for free from Windows 7 SPI or Windows 8.1 update” is as follows:

Method One: Manually Activate Windows

If you attempted upgrading for free to Windows 10 and ended up with the activation error you will need to first perform a manual activation. Follow the steps below to complete the process.

• Step one: Tap or click the Start button
• Step two: Select Settings then Update & security
• Step three: Select Activation
• Step four: Once activation status is Connect to the Internet to activate Windows, click or tap Activate

The steps above enable users to successfully activate Windows 10 if the issue involves a connection problem. However, if Windows is not activated, it may mean your copy of Windows is not genuine. This may require you purchase a copy of Windows to rectify the issue. However, if you have a genuine copy of Windows proceed by applying the steps found in method two.

Method Two: Use Product Key to Verify Copy of Windows

A valid product key is one way you can verify your copy of Windows is genuine. This will enable you to complete activation and allow you to access the free upgrade to Windows 10. Follow the steps below.

• Step one: Click or tap the Start button
• Step two: Select Settings then Update & security
• Step three: Click Activation
• Step four: Select Change Product Key then type in the product key. (Ensure you type the 25 characters in the correct order.)

Method Three: Use an Automated Tool

Error codes in Windows often occur due to poor maintenance of one’s PC. To improve your system and reduce your machine’s risk of experiencing error codes, download a powerful automated tool. This tool is both powerful and user-friendly, making its benefits accessible to even the most non-technical Windows users.

REevil is one of the most active and successful hacking groups connected to Russia and operating all over the world. The group recently demanded a huge bitcoin ransom for an attack targeting IT firm Kaseya in the USA. Since Tuesday blog and payment site run by REvil group cannot be longer reached without any kind of explanation or why. The reason behind the disappearance is unknown but has sparked speculation that the group may have been targeted deliberately by authorities. US President Joe Biden said he raised the issue with Vladimir Putin during a phone call on Friday, after discussing the subject during a summit with the Russian president in Geneva last month. Mr. Biden told reporters that he had "made it very clear to him...we expect them to act" on information and also hinted the US could take direct digital retaliation on servers used for intrusions. The timing of Tuesday's outage has sparked speculation that either the US or Russian officials may have taken action against REvil - though officials have so far declined to comment and cyber experts say sudden disappearances of groups are not necessarily uncommon. The development comes after a series of high-profile ransomware attacks which have hit major US businesses this year. The FBI accused REvil - also known as Sodinokibi - of being behind a ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company JBS last month.

Crash Dump is a type of malfunction that can happen when a few portions of the processor's data or RAM memory are erroneously copied to one or more files. It is common among Windows PCs. It used to be most prominent on the Windows 95 edition but subsequent versions have mostly remedied the situation. Even with the remedies over time though, this error still occurs.

Error Causes

A Crash Dump usually points to some serious and critical errors with your Computer. Below are some of the possible causes for this error:-

• Corrupt memory
• Incorrect configurations on hardware
• Programming errors.
• Incompatible drivers
• Faulty Operating system

Despite the listed causes for Crash Dumps. Nobody is ever ready for them. A crash dump is classified as an unexpected error simply because it can happen anytime.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Most PC users get scared and anxious when a crash dump happens. Which need not be the case. You can easily repair a Crash Dump without necessarily requiring a computer technician. Follow these simple steps and the malfunction will soon dissipate:

a) Re-Install the Operating System

Put the setup CD into the computer disk drive. Once you've completed this, reboot the pc.

b) Push F8

Push the F8 function key on your keyboard while the pc is re-booting. This takes you to a menu where you should choose “Advanced Boot Options”

c) Click "Repair My Computer"

As soon as you push the F8 option, and do what's suggested in the last measure above, you must click on "Repair My Computer" and press the "Return/Enter" key.

d) Click on the "Startup Repair"

Search for the start-up repair option, and choose it. Subsequently, move to Next. Using this method, the cause of the Crash dump will undoubtedly be recognized and ended after a thorough scan of your system. Additionally, it is smart to take note of the whole Crash Dump information that appears on your screen. Windows supplies you with detailed error messages. Write down each of the error codes in hexadecimal values as well as capital characters as displayed on the screen.

• Disconnect Hardware  and Un-Install all Drivers

Disconnect and remove any new hardware that is causing your PC to crash dump. Uninstall any drivers you used to install the hardware. If this solves the problem, contact the hardware manufacturer and request the latest and updated device drivers. At length, prior to starting panicking, see the error information that appears on your own display. Browse to see whether it includes info on a certain driver that you ought to search for and install. Bottom line, remain calm when your computer crash dumps and use the mentioned steps to repair it.

Program and features are Control panel section where once accessed contains all programs installed on the operating system. From these windows, any logged-in user can modify applications, uninstall them, etc. If for whatever reason you want to limit this access to users and remove this group from the control panel please do keep reading as we show you how you can achieve this desired result using two methods: via policy editor or registry editor. Feel free to use any provided method as both works (except on Windows 10 Home edition) and achieve the same thing, it all comes down to preferred preference on how you wish to do things.

Local group policy editor method

This method is more straightforward and easier perhaps than its counterpart but it has one significant drawback, it will not work on Windows 10 Home edition which does not have in itself a policy editor included. If you are using Windows 10 Home edition then feel free to skip this method and do it via registry editor. That being said let's start:

• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
• Inside run dialog type in gpedit.msc followed by ENTER to open Group policy editor
• Go to User Configuration\ Administrative Templates\ Control Panel\ Programs\
• Double-click on the setting named Hide Programs and Features page
• Change the toggle option from Not Configured to Enabled
• Click on the Apply button and then the Ok button to save the changes
• at this point, everything is supposed to be applied and your changes should take effect immediately. However, it has come to our attention that sometimes this is not the case. If you are one of these users which for whatever reason have not experienced applying to set momentarily do not despair and follow this quick guide on how to refresh settings and apply them right away.
• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the hidden menu
• Click on command prompt (admin)
• In command prompt type in gpupdate /force and press ENTER in order to force update and set setting right away

Registry editor method

The registry editor method is a more complex one but it will be your only way of doing it if as mentioned you are running Windows 10 Home edition. As always it is highly recommended to make a backup of the Windows registry before tempering with it.

• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog
• Inside run dialog type in regedit and press ENTER to open the registry editor
• If you would like to make a backup of the Windows registry go to File > Export and save the backup on a secure location naming it as you wish
• Locate the following key inside the registry editor HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Programs
• Right-click on the right pane of the Programs key and choose the New > DWORD (32-bit) Value option
• Name the value as NoProgramsAndFeatures
• Double-click on the NoProgramsAndFeatures value to open it
• Change the value data to 1
• Save the changes
• Reboot the computer in order for changes to take effect.

note: you can always change values back in order to show again panel by changing the value to 0 in registry editor or choosing Not Configured or Disabled in the local group policy editor

There are not many applications for creating mind maps, even fewer that are completely free, so it is with great pleasure to present you with Freeplane. Freeplane is mind mapping, Knowledge Management, and Project Management software completely free and open source. You can it here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/freeplane/files/latest/download

And from developers git page and I quote:

Freeplane is a free and open-source software application that supports thinking, sharing information, and getting things done at work, in school, and at home. The core of the software is tools for mind mapping (also known as concept mapping or information mapping) and using mapped information. Freeplane is written in Java using OSGi and Java Swing. It runs on any operating system that has a current version of Java installed. It can be run locally or portably from removable storage like a USB drive. We use Github only as of the main code repository, all other project parts are hosted at the source forge. So all bugs and feature requests are managed in a separate issue tracker. There is a drop-down box for selecting different types of issues. Other sources of inspiration are our new forum and old forum. Some users write their ideas there. Every contributor and every team member freely decides what task he is going to work on, but for making the best decision we can communicate our self-set goals in the above forum. It is supposed to enable early discussions and community feedback and also to motivate you and other people.

How to start hacking and contributing

People new to the project can start with implementing a new small feature or doing some refactoring or documentation and not with the bug fixing. Not all bug reports seem to be equally important, and if there are important bugs they usually get fixed by people who broke the functionality. I think you should first get there :). For internal developer discussions, there is a private mailing list. It is held private to avoid spam mails. If you want to be subscribed let us know what mail address you are going to use with it. This list is the preferred way to ask all code-related questions because they usually get answered soon and by the most competent team member. Some documentation for new developers is available in Freeplane wiki https://www.freeplane.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_build_Freeplane and also here and here. It is written for new guys and should also be maintained by the new guys to stay up to date. Looking forward to any questions and contributions, Freeplane development team

As you know, the Google Drive service is a Backup and Synchronization service provided by Google. It was launched way back in April 2012 which provides users with the options to synchronize, store and share files by uploading them to Google’s servers where they stay until they are deleted personally by the users and can be accessed anywhere using the Google Account that’s used to upload them. Recently, a lot of users reported that they were unable to connect to Google Drive from their Windows 10 computers. This kind of problem has been noticed in the middle of the upload process and can be seen at times after the app launches. If you also experience the same issue, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you in fixing it. There are a lot of possible reasons why this kind of problem occurs. It could be that the app was not able to launch properly or the internet got disconnected when the app was about to launch. It is also possible that the Firewall has blocked the app from connecting to the internet or that the antivirus program is preventing the app from making contact with its database. Aside from that, it is possible that the account you are using on your computer is preventing Google Drive from connecting to the internet due to some configuration errors. Follow the suggestions provided below to fix the connection issue with Google Drive.

Option 1 – Configure the Firewall

As mentioned, the Windows Firewall might be blocking the app from contacting its database so, in this option, you have to allow Google Drive through the Firewall. To do so, follow these steps:

• In the Windows Start Search, type “firewall” and click on the “Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall” option from the search results.
• After that, you will see a list of apps, and here, click on the “Change Settings” button.
• Next, scroll down and make sure to check both the “Public” and “Private” options for Google Drive.
• Now click on Ok to save the changes made and then try to launch Google Drive again.

Option 2 – Try to launch Google Drive again

Google Drive might have not launched properly that’s why it can’t connect to its servers so you can try to launch it again and see if it helps.

• Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
• Next, go to the Processes tab and click on the “View” option located at the top.
• After that, uncheck the “Group by Type” option and click on the “Google Drive Sync” from the list of processes.
• Then click on the “End Task” option and close the Task Manager.
• Launch Google Drive again and see if the issue is now resolved.

Option 3 – Temporarily disable third-party antivirus

Aside from Firewall, antivirus programs, especially the third party ones, are also known to block files applications the instant it detects a threat to the system. Thus, your antivirus program might be the reason why you can’t download anything on your Windows 10 computer. To fix this, you can try to disable the antivirus program on your computer in the meantime and then try to launch Google Drive again. Do not forget to enable them again as disabling them can leave your computer vulnerable to cyber threats.

Option 4 – Try to create a new account

There are times when a certain configuration for a user account might be blocking some elements of the Google Drive app. In such cases, you can try to create a new account to fix the problem.

• Click on the Windows key and then click on the icon for Settings.
• From there, click on the Accounts button and select the “Family & Other People” option from the left pane.
• Next, click the “Add someone else to this PC” option.
• After that, click on the “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” option and select the “Add a user without a Microsoft Account” setting.
• Type in the credentials for the new account you are creating and click on Next.
• After the account is created, click on the account and then select the “Change account type” option.
• Click on the drop-down menu and select the “Administrator” option and then click on OK.
• Now sign out of the current account and sign in to the new one and then open Google Drive again.

Code 21 - What is it?

Code 21 is a Device Manager error code that appears when you try to use a hardware device attached to your computer and the Windows prohibits you from using it.

This is due to the Windows experiences problems loading the device driver. This error message is displayed in the following format:

“Windows is removing this device. (Code 21)”

Solution

Error Causes

Error code 21 means that Windows is in the device removal process and the device has not been completely removed. It occurs when you set a device to be removed and then select the same device to run on your system.

Upon your instructions, Windows start to remove that device and when you on the other hand try to use/access the same device that you selected for removal, it kicks up Code 21.

Further Information and Manual Repair

If you are experiencing error code 21 on your PC, it is advisable to resolve it immediately.

Though this error will not damage your system, but will significantly lower the performance of your PC which is definitely something you don’t want especially if you work on your computer daily and use it to perform important time-sensitive errands.

To repair and resolve, try the methods given below:

Method 1 - Wait for a Few Seconds and Then Press F5

This is one of the best and easiest ways to resolve code 15 on your system. Wait for a few seconds, and then press the F5 key. This will update the Device Manager view and the error will most probably go away.

Method 2 - Restart Your PC

Sometimes error codes may pop up due to temporary glitches. To resolve such errors, a simple reboot of your PC is enough. Shut down Windows and then restart your system.

This is most likely to resolve Code 21. However, if the error still persists then this means the underlying problem for code 21 is deeper than you think. Try method 3 to resolve.

Method 3 - Install DriverFIX

As mentioned earlier, the error code 21 may occur if you have selected a device to remove and then you try to reuse it.

To resolve, you may have to install the device again and the driver for that the reinstalled device. To reinstall the driver without any hassle, simply download DriverFIX.

It is a smart, user-friendly, and intuitive software program designed to resolve driver problems. The program is embedded with intelligent device identification technology which:

• Automatically detects all the appropriate system drivers
• Matches them with the latest available versions
• And then updates drivers according to their compatible versions on a regular basis

Furthermore, it enables accurate installation and ensures that your system is running at its optimal speed.

Other features that this program boasts are full backup and restoration, safe USB management, and ejection.

If nothing works, you can try the full backup and restoration feature and restore your PC to its previous state when it was functioning properly before the error occurred.

DriverFIX creates a backup of all your files and data hedging keeps you from disasters like data loss. It restores the system to the time when it was working properly.

Click here to download DriverFIX on your system and resolve error code 21 today.