Disney+ streaming service is coming to Xbox One consoles and Windows devices

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

During the company’s 2019 Investor Day presentation this morning, The Walt Disney Company unveiled a host of information relating to its upcoming video streaming service, Disney+.

Disney+ will launch in the United States, this year, on November 12th and will cost $6.99 a month. It was confirmed that the streaming service would expand to all major markets outside of the US but this rollout will happen over the course of the next two years, not in the immediate future.

Like Netflix and Hulu, official apps are planned for smart devices, smart TVs, and video game consoles. Interestingly, it was said that Disney is currently in the process of securing deals with video game console companies to release Disney+ apps on their hardware. No consoles were specifically mentioned but a visual (see above) was shown featuring the Nintendo Switch, Sony’s PlayStation 4, and Microsoft’s Xbox One which suggests that an official Disney+ app will be launching on all three popular platforms.

An image of a Windows 10 laptop was also shown in the graphic which means that Disney+ will be accessible for Windows users as well. Whether this will be via an app or simply through a web browser remains to be seen.

It’s unclear if the Windows 10 and Xbox One Disney+ apps will be available on November 12th or if they’re planned to launch soon afterwards.

“Disney+ marks a bold step forward in an exciting new era for our company—one in which consumers will have a direct connection to the incredible array of creative content that is The Walt Disney Company’s hallmark,” Bob Iger said in a statement. “We are confident that the combination of our unrivaled storytelling, beloved brands, iconic franchises, and cutting-edge technology will make Disney+ a standout in the marketplace, and deliver significant value for consumers and shareholders alike.”

Disney+ will provide users with access to literally hundreds of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic films and television series. A collection of Fox titles will also be available on the streaming service including all 30 seasons of The Simpsons which will be exclusive to Disney+.

Are you excited for Disney+ and would you prefer to watch it on a Xbox One console or Windows device? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more geeky content.

KB4493464 triggers invalid Wi-Fi IP errors on some PCs

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

KB4493464 seems to be a stable update, as users reported very few bugs so far. Furthermore, Microsoft also acknowledged two bugs in this update.

You can check out Microsoft’s official update page for more information about the complete changelog,

Today, we are going to list some of the issues that you might experience after installing KB4493464. Let’s have a quick look at these bugs.

KB4493464 reported issues

1. Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration

One of the users reported that his PC is having problems while connecting to Wi-Fi. The bug started appearing after the installation of Windows updates KB4493464 and KB4493478 (Windows 10 Version 1803).

“Wi-Fi” doesn’t have a valid IP configuration’ error

You can try one of the following workarounds to resolve the issue.

Click Start, and type “cmd”. 
– Right-click Command Prompt and run it as administrator. 
– Copy and paste the below one line at a time, pressing enter each time: 
netsh winsock reset – and press Enter. 
netsh int ip reset – and press Enter. 
ipconfig /release – and press Enter. 
ipconfig /renew – and press Enter. 
ipconfig /flushdns – and press Enter. You could also try resetting your DNS service.

Alternatively, if the problem is not resolved, you can uninstall and block the problematic updates.

2. Application startup bugs 

Microsoft acknowledged another bug that affects Internet Explorer. Microsoft states that some corresponding applications for Internet Explorer’s trusted and local sites may not be started by Custom URI Schemes for Application Protocol handlers. 

Microsoft is working to resolve the issue but Microsoft has suggested a temporary fix to the problem.

Enable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer for local intranet and trusted sites.

  1. Go toTools>>Internet options >>Security.
  2. WithinSelect a zone to view or change security settings, selectLocal intranetand then selectEnable Protected Mode.
  3. SelectTrusted sitesand then selectEnable Protected Mode.
  1. Select OK.

Keep in mind that a system reboot is required so that the changes can be applied.

As you can see, KB4493464 is a pretty stable update and technical issues are a rare thing.

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How to fix Totally Accurate Battle Simulator bugs on PC

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Totally Accurate Battle Simulator or T.A.B.S. is, as the title states a battle simulation game.

It features ragdoll physics, and the tactical matters are left to the player, to place his troops on the battlefield.

T.A.B.S. is currently in public alpha on Steam, and it features a 20 mission campaign and a sanbox mode. With more content to be added in the near future.

Even though the game is in early access, numerous users were quick to point to bugs in-game on various Steam threads. With some instances of crashes, or lock-ups during gameplay.

Other key aspects of things that need to be polished in the game are game units that don’t function as intended. We’ve created a list of common bugs discovered so far, so let’s begin.

Common TABS bugs

  1. Ranged units bugs
  2. Loading error 3:0000065432
  3. Game crashing
  4. Slow framerate

1. Ranged units bugs

Many have pointed out that ranged units do not fire normally, leading to some very weird situations, where the archers are shooting above other units heads but dealing no damage.

i tested this with Muskets and Poachers I seen the archers shoot arrows over there heads, after a while they would hit but it would take a while. Also I seen 2 Muskets take out 6 Archers because of this, so please fix this error.

2. Loading error 3:0000065432

Some users have reported this type of error occurring during their playthroughs. It seems to be related to the Steam client not working properly.

i got the same thing after the new update. i tried a couple things, but it still doesn’t work.

3. Game crashing

There have been reports that the game crashes at various intervals during gameplay. For some it crashes during exiting, for some it crashes when in the midst of battle.

For me, the game ALWAYS crashes on exit. This is a new problem since the last patch. But OTOH, the patch did solve a lot of random crashes during play, so now nearly the only crashes I get are on exit.

4. Slow framerate

Nobody likes it when a game begins to drop frames. Not the most ideal situation, but some players have experienced this.

I opened the game as usual but when i started playing something went wrong, the game was stuck on slow motion. I have reinstalled the game couple of times already and et the game is still buged.

Now that we’ve had a look at the bugs at hand, let’s go ahead and try some fixes, shall we?

How to fix TABS game issues

Fix T.A.B.S game crashes

If you experience lock up or the occasional freeze, you may try to force the game in running in DirectX 11. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Steam Library.
  2. Find the game and right-click it, then select Properties.
  3. Under the General Tab, click Set Launch Options and a dialog box will appear.
  4. Type in the dialox box at the end of the target string -force-d3d11 and click OK;
  5. Close the Properties window;
  6. Run the game.

Fix TABS error 3:0000065432

This error might be related to corrupted files in your Steam library. This solution works just as fine for glitching units that you might be encountering in the game. In order to do the check-up, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Steam;
  2. From your Library section, right-click on the game and select Properties from the menu;
  3. Select the Local files tab and click the Verify integrity of game files button;
  4. Steam will now verify your game‘s files;
  5. Once it’s done launch T.A.B.S.

TABS Framerate drop fix

Try updating your graphic card with the latest drivers. Another good solution is disabling the vertical sync, since it can reduce graphical tearing.

If after this, you are facing tearing while playing T.A.B.S., we suggest you toggle vertical sync to back on in your game settings. Or alternately, you can switch from a higher detail setting to a lower one.

We hope that these fixes were of some help to you. We know that the game is in early alpha, but we would love to know on your feelings related to T.A.B.S. in the comment section down below.

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KB4495666 gets your PC ready for Windows 10 May 2019 Update

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Microsoft recently rolled out a new cumulative update for Windows 10 v1903. Update KB4495666 takes this OS version to build number 18362.53.

The Windows 10 May 1903 Update is currently available in the Preview ring. Microsoft is expected to roll it out to the general public next month.

In other words, this new update is also only available to Insiders enrolled in the preview ring who are using Build 18362.30 of the Windows 10 May 2019 Update.

KB4495666 changelog

This new update adds only security fixes and it’s a part of the April Patch Tuesday edition. As the company confirmed, “This update also includes security updates that come as part of the normal monthly Patch Tuesday release cycle.”

Moreover, Microsoft also highlighted an issue that users may encounter after installing this update. The company explained why this issue occurs and how users can fix it.

After installing this update (KB4495666), users may experience error “0x800705b4” when launching Windows Defender Application Guard or Windows Sandbox. As a workaround, you can enable the following registry keys on the Host OS and reboot:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Containers\CmServicePolicy]
“DisableClone”=dword:00000001
“DisableSnapshot”=dword:00000001
If you are in the preview ring, you can check for this new update by going through Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

So, if you’re an Insider and you already installed this update on your machine, do tell us more about your experience in the comments below.

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KB4493509 fails to install for some, triggers BSOD errors and more

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

April Patch Tuesday is here and Microsoft already started rolling out KB4493509 to Windows 10 v1809 systems. This update brought many bug fixes that will make your OS more stable and less prone to technical issues.

As Microsoft explained, the update addresses many security vulnerabilities and app launch problems. However, it also brings four new bugs to the table including system functionality and installation issues.

KB4493509 reported issues

1. System not working correctly

One of the users reported that his system didn’t work as desired after installing KB4493509. However, the user managed to fix this issue by uninstalling the update.

This issue seems to affect all the systems that have been updated to KB4493509.

One of the quick workarounds is blocking the update by using the Show/Hide Updates tool.

2. Installation failure

Other users also reported that the installation failed to advance beyond 94%. Running the update troubleshooter did not fix the issue. If you are one of those users who are experiencing this issue, you can manually download the updates. 

3. Custom URI Schemes bug

Microsoft already acknowledged this bug. The tech giant states that the corresponding application for local intranet and trusted sites on IE might fail to start by Custom URI Schemes for Application Protocol handlers. 

Microsoft suggested a temporary fix but its engineers are also working on a permanent fix.

Enable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer for local intranet and trusted sites.

  1. Go toTools>Internet options>Security.
  2. WithinSelect a zone to view or change security settings, selectLocal intranetand then selectEnable Protected Mode.
  3. SelectTrusted sitesand then selectEnable Protected Mode.
  4. SelectOK.

You must restart the browser after making these changes.

4. WDS server connection termination issues

The is the second bug acknowledged by Microsoft. Users may experience issues while starting a device from a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server configured to use Variable Window Extension. This device startup issue triggers by using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).

Microsoft suggests the users to disable the Variable Window Extension on WDS server using one of the following workarounds:

Option 1:
Open an Administrator Command prompt and type the following:

Wdsutil /Set-TransportServer /EnableTftpVariableWindowExtension:No

Option 2:
Use the Windows Deployment Services UI.

  1. Open Windows Deployment Services from Windows Administrative Tools.
  2. Expand Servers and right-click a WDS server.
  3. Open its properties and clear the Enable Variable Window Extension box on the TFTP tab.

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Windows 10 v1607 KB4493470 fixes BSOD errors and app launch issues

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Windows 10 v1607 users received cumulative update KB4493470 on April  Patch Tuesday. The release took the existing OS to build to version 14393.2906.

At the same time, this patch put an end to Windows 10 v1607’s delta updates. 

Additionally, Microsoft also added quality updates for all the other Windows 10 versions.

The complete update package is available for download through Windows Update section. You can also manually install the update by navigating to Settings, Update & Security and then Windows Update.

In this post, we are going to discuss some general improvements and fixes you will get after installing this update. KB4493470 bring many quality updates to Windows 10 systems and we’ll list them below.

KB4493441 key changes and improvements

Let’s discuss some of the key changes available in this update.

  1. Windows 10 v1607 systems now meet GB18030 standard certificate requirements.
  2. Microsoft resolved the issue for certain apps that use MSXML6. These apps reportedly stop responding when an exception is thrown during node operations.
  3. Another issue that caused the group policy editor to stop responding has also been fixed.
  4. The company has also fixed a BSOD issue that affected some PC configuratons.
  5. The big M added some security updates to Windows & Microsoft Graphics, Microsoft Scripting Engine and Filesystems, Windows Server, and Windows Input and Composition.
  6. The company resolved an issue that causes authentication issues for apps using WININET.DLL such as Internet Explorer 11. The issue was restricting two or more people use the same user account.

Before downloading the update, you need to install KB4485447 on your system so as to enjoy a smooth update process. If you have already installed the update on your system, you can go ahead with KB4493470.

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FTP is Not Working in Windows 10: How to Fix it

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Whenever you find the Windows 10 FTP Client not working, it could be brought about by several reasons. One of these is when you don’t have permission from the owner of the FTP site.

No matter the reason, you can always get things up and running. Keep reading to find out the solutions!

What can I do if FTP is not working in Windows 10?

Before we start with the slightly complex solutions, here are a few quick tricks to try:

  • Disable the configured firewall or security software.
  • Restart the computer and the modem/router.

If none work, move to the solutions listed next.

1. Use passive FTP

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, and select Internet Options.
  2. Go to the Advanced tab, and tick the checkbox for Enable FTP folder view.enable folder view
  3. Similarly, tick the checkbox for Use Passive FTP, and save the changes.

When FTP is not working in Windows 10, your primary approach should be to make sure that it’s enabled in Internet Options.

2. Open in Compatibility View

  1. Launch Internet Explorer, select Tools, and click on the Compatibility View settings.
  2. Go to Add this website.
    Windows 10 ftp client not working
  3. Enter the URL of the website you want to add.
  4. Click Add.

If you do this and the problem persists, it may not be compatible, in which case you can remove the site from the list.

Sometimes the problem could persist due to a compatibility hitch between Internet Explorer and the website you are on. This could be solved by adding the site to your Compatibility view list.

3. Reset Internet Explorer

  1. Open Internet Options.
  2. Select the Advanced tab.

    Windows 10 ftp client not working

  3. Select Reset.
  4. Go to Reset Internet Explorer Settings.
  5. Select Close once default settings have been applied.
  6. Click OK.

If the FTP is not working in Windows 10, you can try resetting Internet Explorer.

This action, however, is irreversible and may reset security or privacy settings added to the list of Trusted Sites, including parental control settings, so note the sites before you do the reset.

4. Allow FTP connections

  1. Right-click Start, and select Control Panel.
  2. Click System and Security.
  3. Now, click Windows Firewall.
    Windows 10 ftp client not working
  4. Click Change Setting.
  5. Go to the Exceptions tab.
  6. Add a checkmark next to FTP port 21 to allow connections to FTP sites.
  7. Click OK on firewall settings, then close other windows.
  8. Restart your PC.

5. Disable unwanted add-ons on Internet Explorer

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Select Tools and choose Manage add-ons.
    Windows 10 ftp client not working
  3. Under the Show tab, select All add-ons.
    Windows 10 ftp client not working
  4. Now, select the add-on you want to turn off.
  5. Select Disable.
    Windows 10 ftp client not working
  6. Click Close.

Add-ons are apps used by Internet Explorer to interact with web content, such as games or videos, and these apps can be toolbars and extensions, like Adobe Flash or Quicktime Player. However, you can only install and use add-ons in Internet Explorer for desktop computers.

Add-ons can sometimes cause the FTP client not to work in Windows 10 and pose a security or compatibility risk. You can turn off specific ones if you suspect they’re causing the Windows 10 FTP client not to work.

Before you leave, find out how to speed up the Internet in Windows.

KB4493441 is the last Windows 10 v1709 update, install it now

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Patch Tuesday has arrived, and Windows 10 v1709 systems received cumulative update KB4493441 which takes the OS build to version 16299.1087.

Multiple improvements have been added in order to fix Group Policy editor issues, stop error for SSH client programs, and many other fixes.

Microsoft also confirmed it’s working on a resolution to fix one known issue regarding Custom URI Schemes.

You can download KB4493441 automatically via Windows Update. You can also visit the Microsoft Update Catalog to download the standalone package.

KB4493441 changelog

The update adds the following improvements:

  1. Microsoft fixed the issue for certain apps that use MSXML6. These apps reportedly stop responding when an exception is thrown during node operations.
  2. Another issue that caused the group policy editor to stop responding has also been resolved now. It occurred during an editing session for a GPO that contains policy preferences for Internet Explorer 10.
  3. The company also fixed a BSOD issue generated by the use of per font EUDC.
  4. Windows & Microsoft Graphics, Microsoft Scripting Engine and Filesystems, Windows Server, and Windows Input and Composition have got security updates. Microsoft has updated core apps such as Windows MSXML, Windows App Platforms & Frameworks, Windows kernel, and Microsoft JET database engine.
  5. Microsoft fixed a stop error associated with running the Secure Shell (SSH) client program. This error has been reported with the use of a configuration setting or a command line switch (ssh –A).

KB4493441  known problems

Microsoft lists that some appropriate local intranet application and trusted Web sites in Internet Explorer cannot be launched with custom application log handler URI schemes.

You can resolve the problem by trying this workaround.

Right-click on the URL link to open it in a new window or tab. 
Or 
Enable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer for the local intranet and trusted sites. 
Go to Tools> Internet Options> Security. 
Under Select a zone to view or change security settings, select Local intranet and then Enable protected mode. 
Select Trusted Sites, and then select Enable Protected Mode. 
Choose OK. 
After these changes you have to restart the browser. 
Microsoft is working on a solution and will release an update in an upcoming release.

As a quick reminder, Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 v1709 this month. So, hurry up and get this update as soon as possible.

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Here’s how to fix slow performance on Xbox Live

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Xbox Live is a gaming community that unites gamers across Xbox One and Windows 10. Microsoft proudly boasts that Xbox Live is the best gaming network in terms of speed and reliability, offering the fastest multiplayer experience possible with cross-device multiplayer allowing users to play the latest games with others.

Xbox Live is indeed a powerful gaming platform, but it’s not a bug-free one. Sometimes, Xbox Live is affected by slow performance issues and users experience lag when playing games.

Fix Xbox Live slow performance

If you’re experiencing slow performance issues when playing Xbox One games on Xbox Live, you can use Microsoft’s dedicated troubleshooting tree. Start the troubleshooting process, answer the questions and perform the suggested actions.

1. Check the status of Xbox Live services

The first step is to check the status of Xbox Live services. There’s this dedicated website with the real-time status report about Xbox Live. There you can find out about network status and other related online features. Navigate here to find out about those.

2. Run the Xbox speed test

  1. Press the Menu button on the Xbox One controller
  2. Select Settings > Network > Detailed Network Statistics
  3. The results should appear in a few seconds. The troubleshooting tree will then ask you if your internet speed meets the necessary requirements.

xbox live internet speed connection troubleshooter

3. Select the type of connection you use: Wired or wireless.

fix xbox live connection wired or wireless connection troubleshooting xbox

4. If you use a wired connection, try a different cable or port.

If you use a wireless connection, you should disconnect third-party headsets and check for other devices causing wireless interference.

5. Power cycle your console and network hardware

  1. Unplug the power cable from the back of the router, modem, or gateway
  2. Restart your Xbox One console
  3. Wait for five minutes
  4. Plug in the router and the rest of your hardware

6. Change your firewall settings

You may experience connection issues if your firewall restricts necessary traffic, which blocks your Xbox One from connecting to Xbox Live.

7. Enable perimeter network (DMZ) to remove restrictions to the internet.

8. Try a direct-to-modem connection

Connect your Xbox One console directly to your modem instead of connecting it to your router in order to detect the cause of the issue.

9. Contact your internet service provider to solve this problem because there may be an issue with your ISP’s network.

fix xbox live troubleshooting

10. Contact Xbox Support.

For more information on how to fix slow performance on Xbox Live, launch Microsoft’s dedicated troubleshooting tree.

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How to enable Reading View in Microsoft Edge Insider

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft’s current Insider build of its upcoming Chromium-powered Edge release has a number of missing features compared to the existing EdgeHTML browser. One such absentee is the fairly popular Reading View, which makes it easier to read webpages by cutting down the clutter.

Reading View is actually already present in Edge Insider. It’s hidden behind an experimental flag, so you need to enable it manually before use.

Enabling Reading View in Edge Insider

Navigate to “edge://flags” in the Dev or Canary build of Edge. Search for “edge-reading-view” and then set the flag which appears to “Enabled.” You’ll be prompted to restart Edge. If you run into any issues with this process, you can refer to our complete guide on setting flags in Edge Insider.

With the browser reopened, Reading View will now be available. To try it out, head to a page where Reading View can enable, such as an article on a news site. If Reading View is compatible with the page, you should see its icon appear in the address bar within a few seconds of page load.

Enabling Reading View in Edge Insider

Click the book icon to open Reading View. The page will reload in Reading View, with all extraneous elements stripped away.

At present, this is still an unfinished and experimental implementation. It’s clear there’s more work to do before feature parity is achieved with EdgeHTML’s reading view. There’s currently just the one sepia theme and no font options, so you’re restricted when it comes to reading style preferences. We expect to see Microsoft implement more settings here before Reading View is enabled by default in Edge Insider.

[Updated] Xbox One to get another system update in May

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

If the Xbox One 1904 system update should now be pretty close to public release, the Xbox team revealed yesterday that there will be a 1905 update for the console in May. According to Xbox Insider Program Manager Brad Rossetti, the first Xbox One 1905 build will ship to Xbox Insiders on the Alpha ring later today.

The Xbox One 1904 update finally hit the Preview Omega ring last week, but Microsoft has continued to ship additional fixes to Xbox Insiders on the Preview Beta, Delta and Omega rings this week. As usual, Microsoft will start testing the 1905 Update with Preview Alpha Insiders before expanding the pool of testers to other rings.

We still don’t know what’s in the pipeline for the Xbox One 1905 system update, but this will likely be a minor update following the April (1904) update. The latter is the first major update for the Xbox One in 2019, and it will bring a new virtual mini keyboard, improvements to Xbox Live Messaging, as well as a new Suggested Uninstall feature to help you save space on your console.

As a reminder, the Xbox team has also started testing the Xbox One 1910 update with Insiders on the Preview Alpha Skip Ahead ring, but the first 1910 preview builds didn’t bring any new features so far. To our knowledge, this will be the first time that Microsoft is testing three separate Xbox One system updates with Xbox Insiders, but this shouldn’t last long as the 1904 update should be released to the public very soon.

Update: The first Xbox One 1905 preview build will be available to download on April 12 at 6:00PM PDT, and the release notes only mention a fix for a bug related to media apps such as Youtube/Hulu. “This first update is meant to lay the groundwork for what’s to come in 1905,” the Xbox team said, adding that new features announcements will be made in future preview releases.

Microsoft Edge Insider will use Fluent Design for form controls (and you can enable it today)

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has now released the first public builds of its Chromium-based Edge browser remake. Although this early preview doesn’t deviate too far from Chromium’s default design, there’s evidence that Microsoft is planning to further differentiate the look and feel of its implementation.

Enabling Fluent Controls in Edge Insider

Buried in Edge Insider’s flags menu is a “Fluent Controls” option. Per its label,

If enabled, form elements will be rendered using an alternative style to align with Microsoft’s design language to improve touch and keyboard accessibility.

Evidently, Microsoft is planning to bring its Fluent Design language into the browser, making forms in Edge look more like their counterparts in Universal Windows apps. Currently, Edge Insider uses Chromium’s built-in, silver-tinted controls (pictured below) for all form components.

Chromium's default controls

You can enable the flag today (it’s called “Fluent Controls”) to get a first look at the Fluent-themed inputs. However, we wouldn’t recommend it, as it seems the implementation is far from finished. Only a handful of controls are changed by enabling the flag, with most retaining Chromium’s built-in styles.

Enabling Fluent controls in Edge Insider currently makes things look a little broken... (April 2019)

Those that do change (pictured above) still look nothing like Fluent Design’s Windows controls. Overall, the flag tends to make things look broken, with select boxes in particular gaining an odd silver background colour.

Enabling Fluent controls in Edge Insider currently makes things look a little broken... (April 2019)

None of this can be criticised at this stage – Edge Insider is still a long way off release, and it’s clear the implementation of Fluent Design within Chromium has only just begun. This flag will be one to watch in the next Edge Dev builds, as Microsoft begins to bring Chromium into visual parity with EdgeHTML.

How to Access the “Edge://flags” Menu in Edge Insider builds

Posted on by davew

Microsoft introduced Microsoft Edge Dev and Canary Channels, which are the Microsoft Edge browser builds based on Chromium. Eventually, a combination of these two new incarnations of Edge will replace the current version of Edge that is installed by default on Windows 10. These Edge Insider builds are more similar to the way that Google Chrome functions and the Edge Insider builds include support for Chrome extensions too.

These two new Edge Insider builds also include a “flags” settings page, which is normally hidden from regular users, but can be easily accessed by more advanced users by typing “Edge://flags” in the address bar. For the uninitiated, the flags settings are another way to refer to developer settings. Similarly, if you type “Chrome://flags” in the address bar on Google Chrome, you will be able to access the developer settings. The flags menu allows you to enable or disable experimental features, as well as add or remove functionalities to the Edge Insider build you use.

However, it’s important to note that these features may disappear or be changed by updates to the Edge Insider builds without notice. Microsoft may decide to permanently integrate the feature or functionality in the final version of Microsoft Edge. While Microsoft tunes the Edge Insider builds, you will find a list of developer settings and experimental features within the flags menu.

If you want to take a look at the flags menu for yourself, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Edge Insider browser (Beta, Dev, or Canary Channel).
  2. Go to the address bar and enter (or copy and paste) Edge://flags
  3. Press Enter to load the flags menu.

Once you enter Edge://flags, you will find the following menu as seen in the screenshot below.

Microsoft, Edge Insider, Windows 10
Edge Insider Canary (left) and Dev (right) flags menu

There is not much of a difference visually in what is displayed in the flags menu for both Edge Insider Canary and Dev Channels. At the time of this writing, there are too many settings to list, but you have control to enable and disable settings, and you will notice some settings are marked as default for the Edge Insider browser, when using either the Edge Insider Canary or Dev builds, but that is to be expected as they are different browsers that have different testing purposes.

You can change the settings as you wish, but be warned, any changes you make in the flag menu, may cause unexpected errors or crashes in the web browser. There is an option at the top of the screen to search through the different settings, as well as an option to reset the settings back to default. If you are unable to reset any changes you made, you may be forced to uninstall the Edge Insider Dev or Canary build if you are unable to access the flags menu to reset the changes you made.

It’s important to keep in mind that the features and functionality in flags are constantly changing, and even the version of Windows 10 may effect how the Edge Insider builds behave. Both Edge Insider builds are working well for me, but I am not on a Windows Insider Preview build, so I can’t speak on if that changes how the flags in the Edge Insider browsers behave.

Microsoft, Edge Insider, Windows 10

The Microsoft Edge Insider FAQ is growing, with new topics appearing almost daily. If you have something that you want to add to the FAQ, you can submit a request to Microsoft. Overall, the Microsoft Edge Insider support website is still in its infancy as far as official documentation is concerned. The Microsoft Edge Insider community forum is the best resource to connect with other users, and to “join the conversation and make your voice heard” as Microsoft wants you to share your opinions, ask questions, and find answers to questions about the new Edge Insider builds.

Hybrid sleep missing after Windows 10 update [EXPERT FIX]

Posted on by Ivan Jenic

While Windows 10 major updates brought many various improvements, they also caused quite a stir in the Windows community due to the many faulty features and bugs that emerged after the update. It seems that Hybrid sleep is missing in Windows 10 after an update.

As you’re probably aware, this feature is a symbiosis of Sleep and Hibernation. It surpasses Sleep in power saving and Hibernation in loading speed by storing everything in RAM so you can continue from the same point.

If the Hybrid sleep feature is missing from your Windows options, make sure to check the list of possible fixes below.

How to reclaim missing Hybrid sleep in Windows 10

  1. Check BIOS and support
  2. Update drivers
  3. Restore default settings in Power Plan
  4. Tweak Registry
  5. Use recovery options

1. Check BIOS and support

Sadly, certain motherboards and notebooks/2-in-1s don’t support the Hybrid sleep feature. Older motherboards are produced and optimized feature-wise to Sleep and Hibernate, but not for the mix of those two. So, the first step you should take is to check for the availability of a given sleep state. That can be done by following these instructions:

  1. Right-click Start and open Comand Prompt (Admin).
  2. In the command line, type the following command and press Enter:
    • powercfg –availablesleepstatesHybrid sleep missing
  3. If the Hybrid state is available but still missing, you should check other steps.

However, if it’s not, you won’t be able to use Hybrid sleep state. Additionally, there may be some options hidden within the BIOS that you should take into consideration.

This will allow you to see if your motherboard does support Hybrid sleep but has certain related functions disabled by default. In order to enable these features, you’ll need to navigate to BIOS settings and look for the ”Suspend to RAM” feature. Make sure that it’s enabled before you continue with additional steps.

2. Update drivers to restore Hybrid sleep

In addition, drivers, including an up-to-date version of your BIOS, are indispensable. It doesn’t always matter if the issue at hand isn’t exclusively related to drivers. For all-around system stability and functionality, it’s vital to have proper software support.

Hybrid sleep missing

Because of that, make sure that all of your drivers are properly installed and up-to-date. Right-click Start and open the Device Manager. There, you can check each driver individually and update them.

Moreover, you should check your BIOS version and update it, if needed. But, keep in mind that flashing a BIOS is a complex operation, and quite risky too. So, act with caution and fully inform yourself before you start the procedure.

Another effective method to update any driver safely is by using dedicated software. With driver update software, your hardware devices can be optimized by automatically updating drivers in your PC.

⇒ Get Fortect Driver Updater

3. Restore default settings in Power Plan

There are multiple reports that the Windows Update changed some of the default/custom settings, affecting certain system features. The same goes for Power options, including the Hybrid sleep state. So, for that purpose, we advise you to navigate to Power plan settings and reset those to default values.

If you’re not sure how to do it, follow the instructions below:

  1. Right-click the Start menu and open Control Panel.
  2. Open Hardware and Sound in the Category View.
  3. Select Power Options.
  4. Highlight your active Power Plan.
  5. Click Change Plan Settings.
  6. At the bottom, click Restore default settings for this plan.Hybrid sleep missing
  7. Confirm changes.
  8. Now you can click Change advanced power settings > expand Sleep > expand Allow hybrid sleep and set it On for both Battery and Plugged In options.

This is the standard way of retrieving Hybrid sleep on the available sleep state list. However, people who are still unable to resolve the issue this way may turn to some minor registry tweaks.

4. Tweak GPE to restore Hybrid sleep

As we mentioned above, updates tend to change some of the vital system’s settings. As seen above, some of those can be restored by simply resetting to factory settings. But, occasionally, you’ll need to utilize a more advanced approach. Namely, you’ll need to navigate to the registry and make sure that the Hybrid sleep state is enabled.

In order to do so, follow the instructions below:

  1. In the Windows Search bar, type Policy and open Edit group policy.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Sleep settings.
  3. Open the Turn off hybrid sleep (on battery) option and confirm that’s either disabled or not configured. If it’s enabled, disable it.Hybrid sleep missing

However, if this wasn’t enough to get the Hybrid sleep state option back and you’re quite fond of that power-saving mode, your only remaining options are drastic.

5. Use recovery options

In the end, you may want to turn to recovery options and get rid of the latest update. Yes, while it may be feature-rich or even better optimized to some extent, this or similar problems were enough for some users to make some decisive moves.

We advise you to use some of the restore/reset functions before you finally decide to perform a clean reinstall. For that purpose, we’ll lead you through the Reset this PC procedure, retaining your data and resetting just your settings.

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
  2. Open Update & Security option.
  3. Choose Recovery from the left pane.
  4. Click Get Started under the Reset this PC.reset this pc
  5. Choose Keep my files.

Some users are quite disappointed that Hybrid sleep is missing after Windows 10 update, and we hear them. The Hybrid sleep state option is amazing, especially for laptop users who require as much battery life as possible. However, it’s occasionally difficult to resolve update-instigated issues and as such, may be forced to use old sleep state features Sleep and Hibernate.

Don’t forget to tell us about your experience or post any subject-related questions. The comments section is below!

KB4493474 fixes some nasty Windows 10 v1703 bugs

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

The April Patch Tuesday updates are here. Cumulative update KB4493474 for Windows 10 version 1703 is now available for download. The update bumps the OS build to version 15063.1747.

The Redmond giant released this patch to enhance the security and overall functionality of the OS.

A quick note for users of version 1703 is that all the editions, except the Education and Enterprise editions have reached their end of service deadline.

To receive the updates, you must upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible.

KB4493474 improvements and fixes

Major Security updates 

As Microsoft explains, KB4493474 brings some important security updates for Windows Server, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Virtualization, Windows Kernel, Windows Graphics, and more.

Applications not responding 

KB4493474 addresses another important issue related to MSXML6 some applications that stopped responding and threw exception errors.

Blue Screen of Death bug fix

Microsoft fixed a bug that affected previous released and caused blue screen of death errors. As a result, computers would stop working. Update KB4493474 fixed this issue and you should no longer get BSOD errors.

KB4493474 known issues

Surprisingly, unlike other Windows 10 cumulative updates, KB4493474 brings only one known issue to the table. The install process may take longer than expected or stall altogether.

Microsoft is working on a permanent solution to fix this problem. Meanwhile, you can try some of the temporary workarounds mentioned on Microsoft’s Blog.

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You can now unplug USB devices without hitting Safely Remove Hardware

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Most PC users get annoyed when they have to safely remove a USB drive from their system — me included.

Sometimes, we simply don’t care about losing data and we unplug USB drives without letting Windows about our intention.

However, experts have always been warning users about unexpected transfer termination issues as you might end up losing your data. Even if you disagree, there really is a genuine risk attached to it.

Microsoft also noticed that users don’t care about that risk. As a result, the tech giant finally decided to change Windows 10’s default USB settings.

New Windows 10 versions now feature the Better Performance option aimed at increasing data transfer speed. It does this by allowing Windows 10 to cache write operations to the external device. 

You can remove USB drives without safely removing them

The Safely Remove Hardware option actually protects your data by making sure Windows has finished all cached operations.

However, this option has been removed now and disk write operations are no longer cached by the system. This has been made possible by changing the default settings for USB drives so that users don’t need any mouse actions.

The quick removal feature has been implemented in the October 2018 Update (1809).

It will somehow reduce PC performance but it is still unclear to what extend. It won’t affect low data transfer speeds, but you might notice the change as far as the big data transfers are concerned. 

How to revert the changes for better performance

If you want to revert these changes, you can still enjoy better performance on your own USB drive. You can simply follow these steps:

  1. Open Disk Management, select your USB drive and right click on it.
  2. Go to Properties>>Hardware>>Properties, now switch to the Policies tab.quick hardware removal option
  3. Here you can change the default removal settings for that particular USB drive.

This feature was initially rolled out as a part of October 2018 update last year. However, most of users had no idea it existed. That might be the reason why the Redmond giant has now decided to notify users about i on a large scale.

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Windows 10 KB4493509 fixes some Blue Screen of Death issues

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

This month’s Patch Tuesday Edition came with a new round of Windows 10 cumulative updates. Microsoft released tens of cumulative updates for all the Windows server and Windows 10 versions currently supported.

If you’re running Windows 10 version 1809 also known as the October 2018 Update, you can now download KB4493509 to boost your PC‘s performance.

Microsoft has been working really hard to get rid of the bugs annoying Windows 10 v1809 users. The tech giant didn’t introduced any new features, In other words, KB4493509 brings only fixes and improvements. 

KB4493509 changelog

Blue Screen of Death error fix

Microsoft fixed a bug related to per font end-user-defined characters in KB4493509. It appeared when per font end-user-defined characters (EUDC) were enabled by users.

This issue caused Blue Screen of Death errors and made systems completely unresponsive.

IE 11 authentication bug fix

Windows 10 users reported they were experiencing authentication issues with WININET.DLL based applications including Internet Explorer 11 and few other.

The bug was triggered as soon as users attempted to use one Windows Server machine for multiple, concurrent login sessions.

Security updates

KB4493509 brings some important security updates for Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Server, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Virtualization, Windows Kernel, Windows Graphics, Microsoft JET Database Engine and Windows MSXML.

Microsoft also listed some known issues affecting KB4493509. Windows 10 users who are running IE might experience browsing issues on specific sites.

The good news is that Microsoft is working to fix these bugs. However, it seems that users will have to wait for the bug fix to be released with the upcoming updates. You can expect a fix in the May 2019 Patch Tuesday release.

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Windows 10 KB4493464 comes with a bunch of security updates

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Microsoft recently rolled out a new cumulative update, KB4493464, as part of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. The update takes the existing OS version to build 17134.706.

As a quick reminder, the company already announced this OS version would no longer receive new delta updates in the future. However, Microsoft promised it would keep on offering quality and security updates. 

The big M didn’t introduce any new system features this time but KB4493464 came with a handful of improvements alongside some bug fixes.

If you’re interested in updating your system, follow the download link below.

And now let’s take a look at what’s new in KB4493464.

KB4493464 improvements and fixes

A bundle of security updates 

KB4493464 brings some important security updates for the Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Server, Windows Storage, Windows Virtualization, Windows Kernel, Windows Graphics, and other system components.

Fix for unresponsive apps

KB4493464 addresses another important issue related to MSXML6 applications. Previously, applications that were using MSXML6 were not responding in a few situations. This issue usually occurred during node operations as a result of an exception.

Stop error fixes

A stop error has also been fixed in KB4493464 that was introduced by the previous builds. Users experienced this error when they tried to start the Secure Shell (SSH) client program from Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

IE 10 bug fix

Users reported an issue regarding the Group Policy editor. When a user attempted to edit a Group Policy Object (GPO) that specifically contained  Group Policy Preferences (GPP) for Internet settings of IE10, an error occurred. You should no longer experience such issues after installing KB4493464.

KB4493464 known issues

Furthermore, Microsoft also listed some known issues related to KB4493464. For example, users might experience some launch issues for custom URI schemes for application protocol controllers.

Other users might also experience a premature disruption issues in connection to the WDS server.

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You can now read Outlook desktop app messages in dark mode

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has finally integrated dark mode in Office 2019 Edition. You can now enable dark mode in your desktop Outlook app.

The Dark mode feature was previously available to Outlook UWP app and Outlook Web app users. Microsoft confirmed that the feature is now available to Microsoft Office users who are running Office 2019 and Office 365 on their systems.

The desktop application informs the user about the change in the form of a pop-up note when you open the Office app.

In Black Theme you can now read your messages with a dark background.

The change was identified and then shared by a Windows user Florian B on his Twitter account.

When another user inquired about the build, Florian responded by sharing more screenshots and adding this was an internal dogfood build. He further added that the build would be available to Fast Ring insiders starting May 15.

It seems like Windows users are big fans of the dark theme, that is the reason Microsoft is expanding the dark theme to other applications. The company recently introduced dark mode to File Explorer to comply with the built-in dark mode of Windows 10.

Additionally, dark mode support is also available on Google Chrome.

The built-in dark mode basically adds a shadow effect to each and every UI component. Text and icons on your screen are changed to lighter colors and your windows are turned to black.

This feature is perfect for users who like contrasting appearance and enjoy working with darker UI tones.

If you are not a dark mode fan and you want to switch between both modes from time to time, there is an option for you as well. Similar to the UWP app users, you can use the Sun and Moon button to switch from dark to light and light to dark mode as per your requirements.

All the Office 2019 users out there! Are you excited about the new dark mode? Let us know in the comments below.

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How to reset World of Warcraft’s user interface

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

World of Warcraft is a fun game to play, but sometimes your adventure may be interrupted by various technical issues. If you’re looking for a quick fix to solve simple WoW bugs, you can first try to reset the game‘s user interface and see if this action alone solves your problem.

Here’s how to reset WOW’s user interface

Resetting your UI to default settings will fix a series of WoW issues in no time. This solution also allows users to fix corrupted game settings. Here are the steps to follow to reset WoW’s UI:

  1. Exit World of Warcraft
  2. In the Battle.net desktop app > go to Options > select Show in Explorer
  3. Open the World of Warcraft folder
  4. Rename the Cache, Interface, and WTF folders to CacheOld, InterfaceOld, and WTFOld
  5. Launch World of Warcraft again so as to enable the changes
  6. Uninstall add-on managers to make sure they’re not causing any unwanted game interference
  7. Delete specific files in the Virtual Store directory
    1. Set Windows to show hidden files and folders
    2. Go to C:Users%username%AppDataLocalVirtualStoreProgram FilesWorld of Warcraft
    3. Delete the Cache, Interface, and WTF folders >close Windows Explorer > restart your system
    4. Launch WoW again.

Speaking of WoW’s UI, many players choose to customize their interface, highlighting the elements that are useful to them. Blizzard’s UI offers limited features and the overall design leaves a little to be desired. As a result, gamers prefer to use different user interfaces that support more functions.

ElvUI is one of the most popular WoW UIs among gamers, is highly customisable, allowing users to turn off any feature they don’t want and use a separate addon.

Using mods is a great way to improve on the overall experience by customizing it in any way you deem the best. However, some of them, especially after a major game update, might get broken. If that’s the case, make sure to navigate to UI mod developer’s page and update the add-on accordingly.

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How to improve Hollow Knight performance in Windows 10

Posted on by Ivan Jenic

Hollow Knight is one of those beautiful indie games that draws as much attention as some major titles. The game is beautiful in design, very playable, and the first critics are overwhelmingly positive.

Even though you don’t need a beast computer to play Hollow Knight, some players have recently reported certain performance problems. Mostly on Windows 10 laptops. That’s not a major issue, as everything can get in its place with a few corrections.

In this article, we’ve collected a few useful tips that should help you improve the overall performance of Hollow Knight, in order to provide you the best possible experience while playing this artistic masterpiece.

How to improve Hollow Knight performance

  1. Use your dedicated graphics card
  2. Disable Vsync
  3. Run the game in D3D9 mode
  4. Update the game

1. Use your dedicated graphics card

If you have a computer/laptop with two graphic cards (an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU), make sure to always use the dedicated AMD/nVidia card for playing Hollow Knight.

In case of a nVidia card, to use your dedicated card, do the following:

  1. Right-click the Hollow Knight icon on your Desktop
  2. Choose Run with graphics processor > High-performance NVIDIA processor (default)

As for AMD cards, follow these instructions:

  1. Open Catalyst Control Center
  2. Now, go to the Switchable Graphics tab, and browse for seratovideo.exe
  3. Set it for High Performance
  4. Do the same for – Scratch Live, Serato DJ or ITCH

2. Disable Vsync

You’ve certainly heard about this one before. Vysnc can cause various issues like stuttering and lags, especially on Windows 10 computers. You can turn Vsync off in the game settings.

It’s also recommended to use a software like RivaTuner to limit FPS manually, in order to avoid overheating and more potential problems. To find out how to limit FPS with RivaTuner, check out this article (section: Locking framerate with V-Sync off).

3. Run the game in D3D9 mode

Another thing you can try is switching from the D3D11 mode to the D3D9 mode. The game is designed to work in D3D11 mode by default, so changing modes will likely result in performance changes. On the other hand, that change isn’t positive every time, as you can easily end up with even worse performance. However, if performance doesn’t get any better, you can always revert to original settings.

To run the game in the D3D9 mode, do the following:

  1. Open your Steam Library, and locate Hollow Knight
  2. Right-click Hollow Knight select Properties and click Launch Options
  3. Paste the following: -force-d3d9
  4. Start the game

In case you don’t notice any performance improvements, just negate the above-mentioned command, to revert your settings back to D3D11.

4. Update the game

Finally, a lot of users reported a significant update to graphics and much better optimization for low-specs PCs after an update. So, make sure your game is up to date. We already said that Hollow Knight is, by no means, a demanding game. However, with these updates, the things should get even better for gamers with underwhelming PC configurations.

That’s about it, we hope at least one of these tricks helped you to improve the performance of Hollow Knight, because this game certainly deserves your attention. If nothing, the future updates and patches are ahead, so maybe the problem will get fixed by itself.

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Fix: Gears of War 4 error 0x00000193

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

The concept behind Xbox Live online gaming is clear: you pay for the game, you pay a hefty subscription value and, in return, you get the access to multiplayer gaming. Seemingly, not for Gears of War 4.

Namely, after the Bigelowe error that emerged months ago, some users are still experiencing problems with an online segment of the popular shooter but nowadays it goes by the 0x00000193 code.

So, the same issue but it’s named differently. As stated by some troubled users, issues start only when trying to connect to the dedicated multiplayer servers. Some of them are ‘kicked’ with a sudden crash while others aren’t able to connect at all.

Nonetheless, we prepared some troubleshooting steps that should, at least, let you confirm that the error isn’t invoked by your side. Make sure to check them out before posting your issues on the forum and reporting the problem.

How to fix error 0x00000193 (Bigelowe successor) in Gears of War 4

  1. Check your account permissions
  2. Check the connection
  3. Reinstall the game and wait

Solution 1 – Check your account permissions

As reported, users that are plagued by the ”0x00000193” error are mostly able to do everything within the game except to play online. Now, as we already stated below, these solutions are more like reminders and should be treated as such. The main reason for this occurrence is probably lying in server issues that emerged after the September update.

On the other hand, since some users are able to play and others not, it’s worth to check on some things and move from there. After that, you can be certain that TC is responsible for the aforementioned error.

Firstly, as stated by their support team, make sure that your account permissions are properly set. This includes your Xbox Live Gold subscription and parent permissions since the game needs both in order to access the online content. You can check your Xbox Live Gold subscription by following these steps:

  1. Navigate to Payment & billing page here.
  2. Check the expiry date of your Xbox Live Gold subscription and renew it if needed.
  3. Wait for some time and start Gears of War 4 again.

Furthermore, this game is rated M (Mature) so you’ll need to check is the online play and M-rated games permitted. Once you’re certain that everything is properly set, try accessing the online mode within the Gears of War.

Solution 2 – Check the connection

Another possible reason for connection-related errors is, presumably, misconfigured connection settings. Of course, this troubleshooting step applies to rare individual problems (most users can play other games online and Gears of War 4 is an isolated case) and it’s mostly derived from the developer’s inability to address issues on their side. However, since it won’t cost you to try some troubleshooting steps and check for improvements.

Here are some actions you should take in order to troubleshoot the connection issues and confirm that everything is neatly configured:

  • Reset your console or PC and modem/router.
  • Test network connection on Xbox or run Windows Connection Troubleshooter.
      1. Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
      2. Choose Settings.
      3. Tap All Settings.
      4. Choose Network.
      5. Select Network settings.
      6. Select “Test network connection“.
  • Disable connection-dependent programs working in the background.
  • Check are Xbox Live servers down.
  • Use wired connection (LAN cable) instead of the wireless.

If, in spite of these steps, you still can’t access the Gears of War 4’s online mode, make sure to try the final workaround.

Solution 3 – Reinstall the game and wait

Finally, the only thing you can do is to reinstall the game, sign in again with your credentials and wait. Yes, the last advise is probably redundant since some users are waiting for months and the online issues are still present. However, as stated by the team behind Gears of War franchise, they’re putting an effort to address this problem.

We can only hope that some of these steps helped you resolve the ‘0x00000193’ error on your PC/Xbox. If that’s not the case, don’t forget to send a ticket to TC support or post on a dedicated forum. That’s the only way they’ll hear about your issues and longer you wait…

In case you found the way to address this issues, be kind and share it with us in the comments section below.

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Microsoft, others to turn London’s famous Bletchley Park into an Institute of Technology

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft, along with seven other organizations that are part of the consortium to convert a portion of the Bletchley Park into an Institute of Technology, have been awarded government funding for the project. The companies will refurbish Block D of the building, which was formerly the home of the Britain codebreakers in World War II, thanks to the £28 million grant.

According to Microsoft’s blog post, approximately 1,000 young adult students are expected to attend the new Institute each year to gain technical qualifications and training in areas such as cybersecurity. The company also estimates that there will be more than 500,000 positions for highly skilled workers to fill digital roles by the year 2022, which is about three times the number of students that graduate computer science in the UK over the last 10 years.

Construction plans for the Institute of Technology at Bletchley Park

According to the General Manager of the Customer Success Unit at Microsoft UK, Derrick McCourt:

“In a world being transformed by technology, many of the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow will require skills and expertise rooted in technical aptitude. This new Institute of Technology at Bletchley Park will offer a much-needed pathway for young people to develop digital skills and practical expertise so vital to building a fulfilling career as well as addressing the digital skills gap across the UK.”

Various other consortiums of universities, colleges, and companies have also been invited by the UK government to bid £170 million of funding to build a network of twelve technology institutes. The Prime Minister Terresa May announced the funding plan, saying that:

“I firmly believe that education is key to opening up opportunity for everyone – but to give our young people the skills they need to succeed, we need an education and training system which is more flexible and diverse than it is currently.

“New technologies are transforming the world of work, and to harness the opportunities on offer we must equip our future workforce with the technical skills they need to thrive, and that the economy needs to grow.

“These new Institutes will help end outdated perceptions that going to university is the only desirable route and build a system which harnesses the talents of our young people.”

The group that Microsoft is in will also be led by the Milton Keynes College, and includes other members such as McAfee, KPMG, Evidence Talks, VWFS, Activate Learning, and the Cranfield University, and will be supported by the Bletchley Park Trust.

How to delete and fix Astroneer corrupt save game files

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

When you install a game on your Windows PC, there are various useless files that pile up and affect the overall gaming experience. In this case, the best solution is to simply delete the save game files you no longer need or are corrupted.

Usually, each game has its own SaveGames folder where you can find all the save files that have accumulated over time. Basically, all you need to do is delete the content of that folder.

If you’re playing Astroneer and you want to delete the save game files, follow the steps listed below as described by one user on Steam.

How do I remove and fix Astroneer corrupted save game files

Astroneer: How to delete save game files

1. Type %appdata% in the Search Menu
2. Go to the Astro folder
3. Open the SaveGames folder
4. The files with the .sav extension are the save game files. Select the file(s) that you want to delete and press the Delete key on the keyboard.

Fix: Astroneer corrupt save game files

Many Astroneer players report that some of the save game files are corrupted, causing various bugs including game crashes: “Seen a bunch of folks with this issue, happened to me this morning with the game crashing to an Unreal4 engine bug report“.

Fortunately, there’s a quick workaround that you can use to fix corrupt Astroneer save game files.

1. Go to AppDataLocalAstroSaveGame folder
2. Copy – paste the save game file to desktop > change the last two numbers of the file. Example:  AUTOSAVE_8_2017.01.06-02.02.11 changed to  AUTOSAVE_8_2017.01.06-02.02.22
3. Copy the newly renamed file to the save folder. Your lost/ corrupt save game file should now load without any problem.

Speaking of Astroneer, players also report the game is affected by huge FPS issues that severely limit the gaming experience. It is good to know that Astroneer is an Early Access game, meaning that this game is still work in progress and technical issues are normal.

The good news is that there are three workarounds that you can use to fix Astroneer FPS issues:

  1. Change a series of game values from the Config file
  2. Change the FPSRateLimit file from 144 to your monitor’s refresh rate
  3. Enable the NOSOUND command.

If you have any other issues to report or have alternative ways to Astroneer issues, feel free to tell us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Latest Xbox beta update for Android brings improvements to messaging and notifications

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has released an update to the Xbox beta app for Android devices. The company has been working on improving the user experience of messaging, and now users are able to see those enhancements live in the beta app.

Additionally, the update also moves to Google’s new push notification platform, so users who wish to continue to receive notifications are encouraged to update “as soon as possible” before the older now deprecated notification system is shut down next month.

Via Reddit.

Microsoft has been working on improving the often slow messaging system for a good minute now, as the company has recently also released performance improvements in a recent Alpha build of the upcoming 1904 Xbox One update. Additionally, improvements are also expected to make their way to the iOS app sometime soon.

If you’re interested in giving the Xbox beta update a try, you can download it from the Google Play Store. Interestingly, Microsoft has chosen to make this a separate app from the main one, as opposed to allowing users to subscribe to become beta tester as it has chosen to do with Microsoft Launcher and Edge on Android.

Xbox beta
Xbox beta
Download
QR-Code

Xbox beta
Developer:
Microsoft Corporation
Price:
Free

Monster Hunter World, Prey, and Life is Strange 2 episode 2 are coming to Xbox Game Pass in April

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has just announced the next six new games coming to Xbox Game Pass this month. First of all, Arkane Studios’ survival horror game Prey will join the catalog tomorrow, April 11, along with The Golf Club 2. Prey will be the latest Bethesda game to join the Xbox Game Pass line-up after Doom, Fallout 3 and 4, and The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

The other big new game coming to Xbox Game Pass this month is Monster Hunter: World, Capcom’s critically-acclaimed action RPG title released back in January 2018. The game will be available on Game Pass on April 18, along with The Walking Dead: A New Frontier. The latter is the third season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead series of episodic games, and we remind you that the seasons one and two are already available on Xbox Game Pass.

The episode 2 of Life is Strange 2 will also be available on Game Pass on April 24, three months after the first episode was added to the catalog. Square Enix said back in January that all future episodes will be added to Game Pass three months after their official release, which means that the upcoming episode 3 (to be released on May 9) should join the Xbox Game Pass catalog in August.

Lastly, Resident Evil 5 will be available on Xbox Game Pass on April 25. A couple of Resident Evil games have left the catalog in recent months, so it’s nice to see a new episode being added to the game subscription service. That’s six new Xbox Game Pass games in total that Microsoft announced today, but as asual, there may be a few more surprises coming later this month.

Microsoft increases its presence in the UK by doubling the size of its local Azure regions

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has announced that it has expanded its UK Azure regions by as much as double their original size thanks to the addition of Availability Zones within the South region. This adds up to a whopping fifteen times the computing power since they were first made available back in 2016.

According to the company’s blog post, the zones will give businesses increased protection, as businesses leasing at least two zones within the same region (either West or South) are guaranteed to have access to at least one 99.99% in case of a failure of another area. As Microsoft UK’s chief executive, Cindy Rose, states,

“The Microsoft cloud has become a core component to the strategies of thousands of UK organizations since the launch of services from our UK cloud regions in 2016. We continue to make significant investments to ensure that our customers are able accelerate their digital transformation journeys and their adoption of cloud services. By doubling our UK regions and increasing our compute capacity by more than 1,500%, our customers can have the confidence they can access any Azure services available in UK regions whenever they want. The launch of Availability Zones takes Azure to a new level in the UK by offering customers increased reliability, business continuity and peace of mind for their data and services.”

In addition to the new Availability Zones, the company has also announced the general availability of Azure DevOps in the South Region. This will allow users residing in the area enhanced access to the company’s suite of software development tools.

Microsoft has long been invested in the UK, and notes its customer base of as many as tens of thousands of businesses invested in their platform from within the country. One of these customer’s is ClearBank, with its COO Nigel Walder noting that: “We welcome Availability Zones in UK South as it will enable us to provide improved resilience and scalability more effectively as ClearBank continues with the launch of new products. Since the inception of ClearBank, Azure has been a core component of our platform and the enhanced zonal resiliency will ensure we can serve our customers even more effectively.”

Reset to Device \Device\Raidport0 Was Issued: How to Fix it

Posted on by Matthew Adams

If your system freezes, you might get Reset to device, DeviceRaidPort0, was issued error in the Event Viewer.

This issue is related to SATA controllers, and to fix the freezes and other disruptions, today we’re going to show you how to fix that.

Why does Reset to device device raidport0 was issued message appear?

  • Corrupted system files can sometimes lead to this error message.
  • If your power settings aren’t configured properly, you might encounter this issue.
  • In some rare cases, outdated drivers will cause this problem.

How can I fix Reset to device device raidport0 was issued error?

1. Run a System File Checker scan

  1. Click the Cortana or Start menu button to open your Windows search box. Enter the keyword cmd in the search box.
  2. Right-click the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  3. Enter the following command and run it: sfc /scannow
  4. When the SFC scan has finished, restart Windows if it has fixed any files.
  5. If the SFC has no impact, run a DSIM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan by entering DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  6. Then, scan with the SFC tool again.

For more information, check our guide on how to fix corrupted system files. You can also try using a good repair tool to avoid further errors.

2. Run a Check Disk scan

  1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Input the following command: chkdsk /r
  3. The Command Prompt will request that you schedule the volume to be checked when you restart Windows. Press the Y key to confirm.
  4. Restart your desktop or laptop. Check Disk will scan and repair volumes during the restart.

3. Adjust the Power settings

  1. Open Run by pressing its Win key + R keyboard shortcut.
  2. Enter regedit in Run’s text box and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
  3. First, you can back up the registry by clicking File > Save and selecting All. Enter a file title in the text box, and press the Save button.
  4. Now open
    Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM
    CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\
    012ee47-9041-4b5d-9b77-535fba8b1442b2d69d7-a2a1-449c-9680-f91c70521c60
  5. Right-click Attributes on the right of the window and select Modify to open the Edit DWORD window.
  6. Enter 2 in the Value data box, and press the OK button.dword set value to 2
  7. Next, navigate to this Registry Editor location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
    \Control\Power\PowerSettings\
    012ee47-9041-4b5d-9b77-535fba8b1442dab60367-53fe-4fbc-825e-521d069d2456    reset to device device raidport0 was issued registry
  8. Right-click the Attributes DWORD and select Modify from its context menu.
  9. Input 2 in the Edit DWORD window’s text box, and click the OK button. 
  10. Now you can close the Registry Editor.

Now adjust the power settings by doing the following:

  1. Enter powercfg.cpl in Run to open the window below.reset to device device raidport0 was issued control panel power options
  2. Click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings to open the Power Options window.
  3. Double-click Hard disk to expand its options.
  4. Double-click AHCI Link Power Management – HIPM/DIPM and switch both its On battery and Plugged in options to Active.AHCI Link Power Management – HIPM/DIPM
  5. Next, double-click AHCI Link Power Management – Adaptive and switch the On battery and Plugged in settings to 0.
  6. Double-click Turn off hard disk after and adjust it is On battery and Plugged in options to Never.reset to device device raidport0 was issued turn off hard disk after never
  7. Press Apply > OK to apply the settings and close the window.

4. Configure the power plan settings

  1. Press the Windows key + S and type power. Select Choose a power plan.
  2. Select the High Performance power plan.
  3. Close the Power options window.

5. Update the AHCI Driver

  1. Press the Win + X hotkey, and select Device Manager on the menu.
  2. Double-click IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers on the Device Manager window.reset to device device raidport0 was issued device manager
  3. Right-click your listed AHCI driver and select Update driver from the context menu.
  4. Click the Search automatically for updated driver software option to install an updated driver.update drivers
  5. Alternatively, you can manually download a suitable AHCI driver from the manufacturer website. For example, this is the update Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) Driver for Intel systems.
  6. After downloading the driver, select the Browse my computer for driver software option on the Update Drivers window directly above. Then click the Browse button to select the driver to install.

To learn more about drivers, we have a great guide on how to update outdated drivers.

6. Turn off the Fast Startup Option in Windows 10

  1. Press the Win key + X hotkey and select Power Options on the menu.reset to device device raidport0 was issued power plan
  2. Click the Additional power setting to open the tab directly below.
  3. Click Choose what the power buttons do on the left of the window to open the System Settings tab below.
  4. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable to configure the Turn on fast start-up option.power plan system settings disable fast startup
  5. Deselect the Turn on fast start-up (recommended) checkbox if it’s selected.
  6. Press the Save Changes button at the bottom of the tab.
  7. Then restart the Windows OS.

Those remedies might resolve the Reset to device Raidport0 error, so Windows doesn’t freeze. You could also try changing your SATA drive port and replacing the SATA or ATA cable.

Raid errors can be serious, and many reported Rcraid.sys BSoD failure, but we tackled that issue in a different guide.

We want to hear from you. Did you use a different method to fix this problem? If so, share it with us in the comments below.

Windows 10 May 2019 Update hit by install issues

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

The long-awaited Windows 10 May 2019 Update is now available to Insiders enrolled in the Release Preview Ring.

So, if you can’t wait to test the new OS features, go ahead and install the Windows 10 May 2019 RTM build on your computer. However, don’t be surprised if the build won’t install.

Many Insiders reported they can’t download and install Windows 10 May 2019 Update as their devices are not yet eligible for the build.

The error message that appears on the screen is the following: This PC can’t be upgraded to Windows 10. Although you are enrolled in the Windows Insider Program this device isn’t yet eligible for this build.

And this is a screenshot of the error:

This PC can't be upgraded to Windows 10 Although you are enrolled in the Windows Insider Program

Anti-cheat software might be the culprit

Fortunately, the OP was able to quickly fix this problem by uninstalling games protected by anti-cheat software solutions.

I figured out the problem its happens if you have battleeye anti cheat software in your system, it my case it was bundled with a game called planetsides 2 which I don’t play anymore so I just removed it and it worked. Looks like there are still problems with battleeye software and this update is not yet for everyone

Indeed, it seems there may still be some blocks in place related to BattleEye and anti cheat software. Hopefully, Microsoft will have fixed all these technical limitations by the time the new OS version is available to all users.

Some users suggested that uninstalling BattleEye or anti-cheat software and then installing the May 2019 Update RTM might fix this problem. Once you’ve installed the latest build, you can then reinstall BattleEye.

However, keep in mind that you may encounter various issues while playing online games on Windows 10 May 2019 Update PCs, such as memory corruption issues.

If you already downloaded the Windows 10 May 2019 Update RTM build on your computer, tell us more about your experience in the comments below.

This is why Skype appears offline and what you can do to solve it

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

In order to understand why Skype appears offline, you need to grasp the meaning of the different statuses in the app.

There are 8 possible statuses at any one given time on Skype.

Here’s what each of these eight types means:

  • Online: this is the default setting once you’re signed in to Skype. It lights up a green dot with a white checkmark in it that lets your contacts know you are online and they can contact you.
  • Away: this shows your contacts you are signed in but may not be on your computer or desk at the time. You can get instant messages and calls though. It is indicated by a yellow clock icon.
  • Offline: this is when you’re not signed in to Skype. However, you can click on the status icon and select Offline as your status but you won’t be able to send messages or make/receive calls. Skype for Web doesn’t have this option.
  • Invisible: this status neither shows you as online, or away, but your contacts see you as offline, though you can still contact them or use Skype normally. It is marked with a blank circle.
  • Do not Disturb: this is marked by a red circle with a white line across it like a stop sign of sorts. Your contacts see you online, but they get the message – you don’t want disturbance. You can still get messages and calls but with no sound alerts.
  • Calls forwarded: this status can be used when you’re not available but set call forwarding or voice messaging to your phone, or home so that you never miss a call. It is only available on Windows Desktop though, and is marked by a white circle with a green lining and a little green arrow inside it.
  • Contact Request pending: this appears next to a contact you requested to add, but they’ve not accepted your request yet. It is indicated by a grey lined circle with a question mark.
  • Blocked: this is for contacts you don’t want to communicate with or reach for one reason or another. It is marked with a red lined circle with a diagonal line inside it.

We’ve written extensively about Skype issues before. Bookmark this page in case you need it later.

Now that you know what each of these statuses means, let’s see the reasons why Skype appears offline yet you are signed in, and what to do about it.

Why Skype appears offline and how to solve it

  1. Your status is set to invisible
  2. You’re signed in but not connected to the Internet
  3. Check whether you have the latest version of Skype
  4. Check Skype for Web
  5. Uninstall and reinstall Skype
  6. Check Skype settings

1. Your status is set to invisible

Probably your contacts have tried to engage you on Skype and they’re asking why you appear as offline, yet you can still communicate.

This is one of the most common reasons why Skype appears offline, and all you need to do to resolve it is change from Invisible to Online, if you’re signed in to your Skype account.

2. You’re signed in but not connected to the Internet

Sometimes you may have logged in to your account, but still your Skype appears offline.

In this case, you may need to check whether your internet connection is working, because if it is down or goes off, your contacts will see your status as offline, even though you hadn’t signed out.

3. Check whether you have the latest version of Skype

You can update this by going to Windows Store, plus ensure your supported operating system is also up to date.

4. Check Skype for Web

You can use Skype for Web to check whether your status on Skype appears offline there as well, or it is just on other devices. If they appear as online, then restart the application, ensuring you’re using the updated version.

5. Uninstall and reinstall Skype

If your Skype appears offline, sometimes uninstalling the app may help.

You can do either of two things:

  • A simple uninstall and reinstall
  • A complete uninstall and reinstall

Before you do either of the two, back up your chat history and personal files so that you can restore them at a later point in time.

Here’s how to back up your history:

  1. Right click Start
  2. Select Run
  3. Type %appdata%skypeRun %appdata%skype
  4. Press Enter or click OK
  5. Copy the My Skype Received Files folder and the Skype Name folder (if using a Microsoft account, check for a folder that starts with live#3).
  6. Paste the copied folders to a different location like the desktop for later use

Need more ideas on how to uninstall Skype? Check out this guide.

How to perform a simple uninstall and reinstall of Skype

Follow the steps below to do this:

  1. Quit Skype by logging out and closing it
  2. Go to your taskbar and right click on the Skype icon
  3. Select Quit
  4. Right click Start
  5. Select Run
  6. Type appwiz.cplappwiz.cpl run
  7. Click OK or press Enter
  8. Find Skype in the list
  9. Right click on it
  10. Select Remove or Uninstall
  11. Download and install the latest version of Skype

If you still experience the Skype appears offline issue, try to completely uninstall and reinstall Skype.

How to perform a complete uninstall and reinstall of Skype

Follow the steps below to do this:

  1. Quit Skype by logging out and closing it
  2. Go to your taskbar and right click on the Skype icon
  3. Select Quit
  4. Right click Start
  5. Select Run
  6. Type appwiz.cpl
  7. Click OK or press Enter
  8. Right click Start
  9. Select Run
  10. Type %appdata%skypeRun %appdata%skype
  11. Press Enter or click OK
  12. Right click Skype folder and click Delete
  13. Go to C:Program Files (x86)
  14. Delete the Skype folder and SkypePM if they’re there
  15. Right click Start
  16. Select Run
  17. Type regedit
  18. Press Enter or click OK
  19. Back up the registry, then delete any Skype entries from it
  20. Right click Start
  21. Select Run
  22. Type regeditregedit find skype
  23. Press Enter or click OK
  24. Go to Edit in the registry

 

  1. Click Find Next  and type Skype
  2. For each result, right click on it and select delete
  3. Download and install the latest version of Skype
  4. Restore your personal information
  5. Quit Skype again
  6. Right click Start
  7. Select Run
  8. Type regeditregedit find skype
  9. Press Enter or click OK
  10. Type %appdata%skype
  11. Press Enter or click OK
  12. Copy the two folders you saved previously on the desktop and paste them into this folder

Note: Reinstalling Skype can outdate your firewall settings, thus affect your audio calls on Skype. In order to fix this, update your firewall settings.

6. Check Skype settings

Follow these steps to do this:

  1. Go to your Skype account and sign in
  2. Click on Tools then click Optionsskype tools
  3. Click General Settings tab on the left pane
  4. Check the Show me as Away when I’ve been inactive for box, and change your status to online

Skype appears offline

Did any of these solutions help resolve why Skype appears offline? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Download Windows 10 May 2019 RTM on your PC

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to Release Preview ring Insiders. If you want to install the new OS version, hit the Check for updates button.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced it would use the stable channel to release Windows 10 May 2019 builds to the general public. The roll out to the general public should start in late May.

Keep in mind that Microsoft plans to release the build in different phases. This means that the new OS version won’t be available to all Insiders at the same time.

Download Windows 10 May 2019 RTM build

You need to be enrolled in the Windows Insider Program to download the build.

  1. Go to Settings >> Update & Security >> Windows Insider Program and hit the Get started button to join Windows Insider Program.windows insider program
  2. At this step, you will have to Sign-in to your Microsoft account.
  3. You can join the Release Preview ring by clicking Just fixes, apps, and drivers in the Settings app.
  4. Now you will have to follow the instructions available on the screen and reboot your system to apply the new settings.
  5. Double check the Windows Insider program setup after your PC has been rebooted.
  6. Navigate to Settings >> Windows Update and then click check for update. 

You can install the Windows 10 May 2019 Update on your computer.

Microsoft has made the right decision to push the May 2019 Update to the Release Preview ring and have the build tested for about one month.

The company is heading towards a public release in late May.  This allows Insiders to identify additional bugs in the build. Microsoft wants to go for a bug-free update as Windows 10 version 1809 release was hit by a major setback due to technical glitches.

At this point, we can not say that all the bugs will have been fixed by the time the final OS version is available for all users.

New OS version for Fast Ring Insiders

As a quick reminder, Microsoft is also pushing 20H1 builds to the Fast Ring so that Insiders can start testing the upcoming OS. Furthermore, the company is also merging the Skip Ahead and Fast rings in the coming weeks. 

As far as these changes are concerned, users can now decide if they want to install the update or not. Microsoft will force users to install the update only if your version is heading towards the end-of-service timeline.

Apart from this situation, Windows 10 cumulative updates and feature update will be available as separate downloads.

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Best Antivirus Solutions For Windows 10 [AV Tested]

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

A recent research study conducted by an independent German institute confirmed that Windows Defender is everything you need to keep your Windows 10 PCs safe from cyber threats.

AV-TEST institute examined 15000 pieces of malware by conducting a series of in-depth experiments.

The institute detected Zero-Day malware by carefully analyzing Web and attachments during the first phase. The second phase involved the study of known vulnerabilities. AV-TEST created a frame of reference for carrying out the tests.

The research methodology involved assessing three basic factors usability, system load, and detection capacity. Researchers examined the standard configuration of 19 security products that are being used in Windows 10.

We focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged the products against real-world threats. Products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.

These tests were conducted during the months of January and February. The results of these tests were published online to rank security products including Symantec Norton Security, McAfee Internet Security and F-Secure.

All of these suites scored 6 points in protection, performance and usability and thus got the maximum of 18 points.

So, if these solutions ranked high in February, they can definitely fully protect your PC in March as well. So, check out these results to learn what are the best antivirus solutions to use in 2020.

Antivirus performance results on Windows 10

AV TEST antivirus test results
You might be surprised to learn that Kaspersky Internet Security did not achieve the highest score.

Bitdefender also did not manage to reach within the top positions and the score for both of these products was recorded to be 17.5 and 16.5, respectively.

AhnLab V3 Internet Security and Microworld eScan Internet Security Suite also obtained 16.5 points. Bitdefender can improve in all areas as it obtained 5.5 points for protection, 5.5 points for performance, and 5.5 points for usability.

Another candidate of the top positions Trend Micro Internet Security also scored 16.5 points. This product was rated by the researchers as 5.5 points for protection, 5.0 points for performance, and 6.0 for usability.

However, the lowest score of 14 points was obtained by Malwarebytes Premium. The security solution got 4.5 points for protection, 5 points for performance, and 4.5 points for usability.

Windows Defender got a pretty high score

This research proved that Windows Defender left behind many security products and scored a total of 17 points.

It scored high in protection (5.5 points) for both performance and usability. These results prove once again that Windows 10 users have been underestimating the capabilities of their system’s default antivirus solution.

Speaking of cybersecurity issues, you may also want to check out these posts:

Microsoft merges Fast Ring and Skip Ahead Insider rings

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Microsoft is planning for some major changes in its Windows Insider Program. These changes are related to the Insider Rings as the company will soon merge the Fast Ring and Skip Ahead rings.

The announcement was made just before Microsoft shipped Windows 10 May 2019 Update to the Release Preview ring.

As you all know, before the May 2019 Update is available to the general public, it will stay in the Release Preview Ring for about a month for testing purposes.

The company announced that Windows 10 19H1 builds would no longer be available to Fast Ring Insiders. Moreover, Microsoft plans to move Fast Ring Insiders directly to Windows 10 20H1 builds.

With the Windows 10 May 2019 Update being shared to the Release Preview ring soon (see this blog post for details), we’re planning to move Windows Insiders in the Fast ring forward to 20H1. We will also be merging the small group of Insiders who opted-in to Skip Ahead back into the Fast ring. We are looking to make this change in the coming weeks.

As a quick reminder, Windows 10 20H1 will be available to all Windows 10 users next year.

Microsoft has not shared any information about the exact release date of 20H1 update to Fast ring Insiders. However, the tech giant confirmed the change is expected to arrive in the next few weeks.

It should be noted that Microsoft has not shared the reason behind this decision. Rumors suggest that Microsoft has some master plan that forced the company to push Insiders to the next year’s builds. We will have to wait for an official statement from Microsoft in this regard.

The trend was initially broken by the tech giant when Skip Ahead Ring Insiders spotted Windows 10 20H1 in mid-February. The latest changes suggest that Microsoft is essentially moving towards merging the Skip Ahead and Fast rings.

Microsoft already started warning Insiders about its 20H1 builds by stating that the builds may come with some bugs.

20H1 builds are from our development branch (RS_PRERELEASE) and as is normal with builds early in the development cycle, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you are in the Fast ring and your PC gets updated to 20H1, you won’t be able to switch your ring to the Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC and starting over.

What do you think about Microsoft’s decision to merge the two Insider rings? Let us know in the comments section below.

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How to enable Focus Mode in Chromium-based Edge browser

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

A Reddit user recently spotted Focus Mode in Chromium-based Edge browser. Are you curious to learn how to use this new feature? Then read on.

Microsoft is currently working on perfecting its Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser. The browser already reached the final stages of development. Most of the users are still unaware of the benefits that come along with this browser version.

As a matter of fact, the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser will inherit many features of both Google Chrome and the original version of Edge.

Moreover, the browser supports Chrome’s collection of extensions. In other words, Microsoft Edge is compatible with all of Chrome’s add-ons.

Furthermore, Chromium-based Edge offers a couple of additional features apart from the extensions. Recent reports confirmed the browser will also support Focus Mode.

The feature has been recently spotted by a Reddit user stating that Microsoft is currently testing Focus Mode as an experimental feature in Chrome Canary.

Understanding Focus Mode

This feature has been introduced to minimize distractions for users while reading any content. When a user enables the Focus Mode, a simplified interface for a particular tab will be enabled.

Most of the users are unaware of the fact that the Chromium Edge leaked version 75.0.111.0 has been spotted with a Focus Mode feature. If you are interested in this feature, you can enable the Focus Mode flag in the browser.

If you don’t know how to do that, follow the instructions listed below.

How to turn on Focus Mode in Chromium-based Edge

  1. As a first step, you will have to download and install the Chromium-based Edge version Microsoft Chromium Edge version 75.0.111.0.
  2. Now navigate to browser‘s address bar, type edge://flags/#focus-mode and press the Enter key.
  3. You will see that the Focus mode flag will be highlighted with a Yellow color. Change the settings by using the drop-down button from Default to Enabled.
  4. At this step, the browser needs to be restarted to apply these changes. Hit the Relaunch Now button to apply recent changes.
  5. Finally, you can now right-click on your current tab to use the Focus mode feature. Click Focus this tab from the context menu. 

You will see that the Focus Mode for your desired tab has now been activated. 

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Windows 10 Creators Update Mouse Issues: How to Fix Quickly

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

If you’ve experienced various mouse problems after installing Windows 10 Creators Update, you’re not alone – this is a recurring issue for many users, ranging from minor lag to general unresponsiveness.

Our readers complained that the mouse is not working in a lower resolution fullscreen application. They see the cursor moving for 1-2 seconds, and then it stops responding.

How do I fix mouse issues in Windows 10 Creators Update?

1. Run the new native hardware troubleshooter

  1. Press the Windows + R key combination to start the Run console.
  2. Type the following command and press Enter to run it: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
  3. Wait for the troubleshooting process to complete then test your mouse.
  4. If the issue is still present, unplug your mouse and plug it back in.

2. Update your NVIDIA drivers

Many users noticed that mouse problems in Creators Update are prevalent for NVIDIA drivers. Try installing the latest motherboard driver after you’ve upgraded your PC. You can manually download the available drivers for your NVIDIA computer from the company’s official website.

We also have a full guide on what to do if you can’t download the Windows 10 Nvidia driver.

Additionally, you could as well manage all the PC drivers with the right tool. We’re happy to introduce you to standalone driver software with an extensive database and strong updating functionality.

⇒ Get Fortect Driver Updater

3. Perform a Clean Boot

  1. Go to Start, type msconfig, then select System Configuration.
  2. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box and then click Disable all.
  3. On the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  4. On the Startup tab, for each startup item, select the item and then click Disable.
  5. Close the Task Manager, Click OK, then restart the computer.

Other third-party apps and programs may also be causing mouse issues in Windows 10 Creators Update. Place the system in Clean Boot in order to identify any third-party applications or startup items causing the issue.

4. Roll back to the previous version of Windows 10

  1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
  2. Choose Update & Security.
  3. Open Recovery.
  4. Click Get Started under Go back to the previous version of Windows 10.
  5. Follow instructions.

Finally, if you’re unable to deal with the problem and it’s something you can’t ignore for the time being, there are some radical options at your disposal. Thanks to built-in Recovery options, you can roll back to the previous iteration of Windows 10.

That’s it! We hope that now, your mouse works in Windows Creators Update, and everything is back to normal.

Scripted diagnostics native host has stopped working [Fix]

Posted on by Matthew Adams

The Scripted diagnostics native host has stopped working error message is one that can pop up for some users when utilizing troubleshooting utilities in Windows.

In addition, the error message states, A problem caused this program to stop working correctly. Some users have also stated that the error message pops up more randomly in Windows 10 every few hours. These are resolutions users have fixed the Scripted diagnostics error with.

What to do if Scripted diagnostics native host is not working?

  1. Run a System File Checker Scan
  2. Run the Check Disk Utility
  3. Clean boot Windows
  4. Open the Reliability Monitor
  5. Roll Back Windows Updates

1. Run a System File Checker scan

A few users have said that they fixed the Scripted diagnostics error with the System File Checker. The SFC utility will scan for and fix corrupted system files. Follow the guidelines below to run an SFC scan in Windows 10.

  1. Open Cortana’s search box by pressing the Windows key + Q hotkey.
  2. Enter the keyword cmd in the search box.
  3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  4. First, enter DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth in the Prompt; and press the Enter key.
  5. To initiate a system file scan, enter sfc /scannow and press Return.sfc scannow Scripted diagnostics native host has stopped working
  6. The scan will probably take at least 30 minutes. Thereafter, restart Windows if the scan results say that WRP repaired files.

2. Run the Check Disk Utility

  1. Users have also confirmed that running the Check Disk utility fixed the Scripted diagnostics error for them. To do so, open the Cortana app.
  2. Enter cmd in Cortana’s search box.
  3. Open an elevated Command Prompt by right-clicking it and selecting Run as administrator.
  4. Next, input CHKDSK /R in the Command Prompt and press Return.chkdsk Scripted diagnostics
  5. If prompted for a restart, restart Windows as requested.

3. Clean boot Windows

The Scripted diagnostics error can often be due to third-party programs or services that users don’t really utilize themselves. Remember that the error message states, A problem caused this program to stop working correctly.

Clean-booting Windows will remove superfluous programs and services that might be generating the error. So, that’s another potential resolution for it. Users can clean boot Windows 10 as follows.

  1. First, launch Run with the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
  2. Input msconfig in Run’s text box, and click the OK button.
  3. Select the Services tab shown directly below.system configuration Scripted diagnostics native host has stopped working
  4. Select the Hide all Microsoft services option, which will exclude those services.
  5. Then press the Disable all button.
  6. Next, select the General tab on the System Configuration window.system configuration selective startup Scripted diagnostics
  7. Click the Selective startup radio button.
  8. Select both the Load system services and Use original boot configuration checkboxes.
  9. Deselect the Load startup items option.
  10. Click the Apply and OK buttons.
  11. Then click Restart on the dialog box that opens.system configuration restart native host has stopped working

4. Open the Reliability Monitor

The Reliability Monitor is a Control Panel utility that can come in handy for fixing the Scripted diagnostics error. That utility documents program & system crashes.

That utility might show users what program or process generated the Scripted diagnostics error message. Users can open the Reliability Monitor as follows.

  1. Open Run with its hotkey.
  2. Enter perfmon /rel in the Open box and click OK to open the Reliability Monitor shown directly below.performance monitor Scripted diagnostics
  3. Then select the red cross for the Scripted diagnostics error. That will show users what program or process stopped working within the Source box.
  4. Click View technical details to get further info that will include a path for the program.problem details Scripted diagnostics
  5. Users can uninstall any third-party program that generated the error via the Programs and Features Control Panel applet.
  6. If the Source box references a system process, users might need to disable the service for it via the Services or Task Manager windows.

5. Roll Back Windows Updates

The Scripted diagnostics error can also arise after Windows updates. Some users have even said that uninstalling certain Windows updates fixed the error for them.

So, the System Restore utility, which will roll back cumulative updates after a selected restore point, might fix the Scripted diagnostics error. Follow the guidelines below to roll back Windows.

  1. First, open the Run accessory.
  2. Input rstrui in the Open text box and click OK to open System Restore.
  3. Click Next and select Show more restore points.system restore native host has stopped working
  4. Choose a restore point that will roll back recent updates. Some of the restore points might even be listed as Windows Update.
  5. Click Next and select the Finish option to confirm.

Those are a few of the confirmed resolutions for the Scripted diagnostics error. However, there isn’t necessarily a guaranteed resolution for the issue.

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