Xbox One S All Digital Edition will reportedly come with a 1TB hard drive and three games, with a possible May 7 launch

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft is launching a disc-less version of its Xbox One S console this Spring which could be the most affordable Xbox One console ever. Windows Central previously revealed that the console would be named “Xbox One S All-Digital Edition,” and the reputable blog is reporting today that the console could be announced in April with a possible May 7 launch.

Windows Central has also seen the box for the new Xbox One S All Digital Edition, and they published the following mockup today. “The product shots we received seem to indicate that it will come with a 1TB HDD and with Forza Horizon 3, Sea of Thieves, and Minecraft digital codes bundled into the box. It doesn’t look as though it will be bundled with Microsoft’s Netflix-like subscription service for games, Xbox Game Pass,” the report says.

If this mockup is accurate, it looks like this disc-less version of the Xbox One S will keep the same design but in a slightly smaller form factor. The Xbox One S is already one of the best-looking consoles on the market, so Microsoft is probably right not to deviate from a winning formula.

Pricing for the Xbox One S All Digital Edition is still unknown, but Microsoft may well use the next Inside Xbox episode in April to officially announce the new console. That’s not the only new Xbox hardware that the software giant could reveal this year, as the next-gen “Scarlett” consoles could also be a big part of Microsoft’s E3 2019 conference.

Edge’s Personal Shopping Assistant just updated its icon to the new Microsoft design aesthetic

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant browser extension for the Windows 10 Microsoft Edge browser is the latest Microsoft property to update its icon to the new design aesthetic the company revealed back in November of last year.

While the original icon for Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant was a fairly basic outline of a shopping bag, the new icon (see above image) features two shades of blue, that add the illusion of depth, and a white down arrow.

This new look for Microsoft apps and services has been rolling out gradually rather than one massive launch, which is admittedly unusual. Office.com began using the new icons last month and the Outlook app for Apple’s iOS devices updated with its new look icon just a few days ago.

We actually liked the new design aesthetic so much that we even revamped this site’s social media icons to match it. (Give them a click!)

Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant is a free extension for Microsoft Edge that lets users add products from stores to a built-in collection board. After an item is added, the extension compares its price across online retailer websites and can actually tracks price changes and notify the user.

Do you use Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant? Do you like the new icon? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Microsoft content.

Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant
Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant
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Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant
Developer:
Microsoft Corporation
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Microsoft’s Office desktop apps are now available on Windows Store

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft’s Office desktops apps just reached the Windows Store, coinciding with the launch of the brand new Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S.

The Office suite was brought to the Windows Store by Microsoft’s Project Centennial desktop app bridge and is available to all the Surface Laptop users who are part of a preview install and update process. The news was brought to the public via an Office on Windows 10 S FAQ which was originally spotted by Microsoft enthusiast and leaker known as the WalkingCat.

Available apps for the Surface Laptop owners running Windows 10 S

Microsoft made it very clear that even if the install and the update processes are still in preview, the apps themselves are not. Here are the applications that are currently available:

  • Excel
  • Word
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote for Windows 10
  • Outlook, Access, and Publisher (which are not available in preview for Office 365 Education plans)

The apps are the 32-bit versions and the 64-bit versions are still not available in the Windows Store.

Regarding the Office Mobile apps, they were previously the only versions of the Office apps available on the Windows Store. Now, the company repositioned them in tablets and smartphones featuring screens under 10.1-inches. If we take into consideration Microsoft’s Mobile designation for the apps, this probably makes more sense.

It’s important to note that the preview period limits the Office apps to Surface Laptops running Windows 10 S. The apps will become available for purchase and installation on other Windows 10 devices after the end of this preview.

Microsoft is offering Surface Laptop owners a cool bonus, consisting of a year of free Office 365 Personal for laptops that arrive during the preview period.

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Microsoft Teams gets customized backgrounds, live subtitles and more

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Microsoft rolled out new features to Microsoft Teams — an enterprise chat-based collaboration solution.

Enterprise users will find there is a new Microsoft Whiteboard integration option during meetings, customized backgrounds during video call, and secure private channels among with others.

Migration to Microsoft Teams

The Redmond giant surprised its users by announcing its transition from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams within four months. About 180,000 employees and vendors have been successfully migrated to the platform within a short span of time.

Currently, all the meetings, calls and chat communication are currently being conducted via Teams.

The software is currently available to the users 181 countries and supports 44 languages.

The company also plans to release support for nine additional languages including Filipino, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, and Telugu.

New features added to Microsoft Teams

1. Customized backgrounds for video chat

That user who is working from home has to attend a video call or a meeting can set a custom background. It is possible with the latest intelligent background blur technology introduced by Microsoft.

This feature is expected to be released later this year. It aims to minimize the distractions and definitely enhances the effectiveness of remote meetings.

2. Content cameras and Intelligent Capture support

Most of the users are interested to capture tricky content like the information on analog whiteboards. The good news is that you can capture this type of content with an additional camera offered by Microsoft Teams Rooms.

The technology makes use of the latest Intelligent Capture processing in order to focus, capture, enhance and resize the whiteboard images and text. The whiteboard brainstorming sessions can be improved to a great extent specifically for the remote attendees.

This feature is also expected to arrive later this year.

3. Microsoft Whiteboard Support

This feature allows the participants to use an infinite digital canvas so that they can directly work in teams. Furthermore, the contribution from the in-person attendees is possible with the whiteboard support in Microsoft Teams Rooms.

Surprisingly, you won’t have to recreate the content from scratch by directly adding content from a physical whiteboard onto the Whiteboard canvas.

The active participation by the participants is possible either remotely or from the meeting room via Whiteboard in Teams.

The public preview is currently available for Windows 10 users.

4. Live captions & subtitles available

The participants who either have different levels of language proficiency, deaf or hard of hearing or they are connecting from a loud location can actively participate in Team meetings.

They will be able to read real-time speaker captions. The English preview will be rolled out in the next few months.

5. Protect private channels

Microsoft is currently testing a highly requested feature that is going to be launched this year. The customization feature for each team member now lets you provide them access to the files and conversations.

You will no longer have to limit the visibility of the channel as the channel participation and exposure can be restricted as per your requirements.

6. Avoiding conflicts with Information barriers

Another feature in Microsoft Teams allows you to limit the communication and collaboration to avoid organizational conflicts of interest.

This feature is releasing soon with the aim to control the communication among the colleagues by limiting the disclosure of information.

In this way, the organization will be able to stick to their industry standards and regulations.

7. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in chats and conversations

The customers will be able to detect, automatically screen and protect the sensitive information during channel and chat conversations. The sensitive information can no longer be unintentionally leaked or shared within or outside the organization with the DLP policies.

The feature has been rolled out to all Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans that are equipped with Office 365 Advanced Compliance.

8. Microsoft 365 Live and on-demand events

Organizations can encourage compelling communications between partners, customers, and employees, by creating live and on-demand events. The interactive and video-based discussions can be conducted across Stream, Teams and Yammer through Live events.

The feature allows the real-time participation of up to 10,000 participants. Moreover, the automatic transcription and other powerful artificial intelligence (AI) features allow the participants to catch up later. The feature is available to the general public.

As a matter of fact, the Microsoft Teams has successfully completed its two years as it was announced in March 2017. Its extreme popularity is encouraging more and more enterprise users to skip Skype for business.

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Dark Souls 3 Issues: How to Fix Them All in One Go

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game that takes players into a universe filled with colossal enemies and hostile environments, with fast gameplay and intense combat. But issues tend to affect Dark Souls 3 more than you would imagine.

This ranges from low FPS to controller bugs in Dark Souls 3. Today, we’re going to list a series of workarounds that will help you fix some of the most frequent Dark Souls III bugs.

How do I fix common Dark Souls III issues?

1. FPS drops on NVIDIA

  1. Install the latest NVIDIA driver updates.
  2. Edit the Dark Souls 3 profile on NVIDIA’s control panel, disable all FXAA and Texture filtering options
  3. Choose the maximum performance on every option, enable only triple buffering, VSync, segmented optimization, max of pre-rendered FPS = 4, VR pre-rendered FPS = 1.
  4. In the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Manage 3D Settings, select your Dark Souls 3 profile, and change the Power Management Mode to Prefer Maximum Performance.prefer max performance to fix dark souls 3 issues
  5. Change your OS power management settings to maximum performance as well.

These changes will fix FPS drops and other performance-related Dark Souls 3 issues in no time.

2. FPS drops on AMD or Intel

  1. Install the latest driver updates.
  2. Start the game, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager, right-click on Darksouls3.exe, hover the cursor over Set priority, and select High from the menu.high
  3. Increase the FPS of the main thread, go to your computer’s BIOS, and disable the Intel H.E.I.S.T or SPEEDSTEP, or in the case of AMD, the Cool & Quiet option.
  4. If you’re using a quad-core, hexacore, or octa-core CPU, disable Hyper-Threading.
  5. If you’re using a CPU with dual-core CPUs, enable Hyper-Threading.

3. Dark Souls 3 crashes

  1. Go to the game’s settings, and put the Effects, Shadow, and Light quality on Low.
  2. Disable Steam Overlay. To do that, go to the Steam menu, choose Settings, select the In-Game Settings tab, and uncheck the box next to Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game, then click OK.overlay
  3. Uninstall the game and then download it all over again.

4. Fix game stutters in Dark Souls 3

Move the GameOverlayRenderer.dll and GameOverlayRenderer64.dll from the Steam installation folder to another folder, and transform GameOverlayRenderer.log into a read-only file.

Also, consider updating your GPU drivers. Alternatively, in the dual-GPU configurations, we suggest disabling the onboard graphics.

5. Dark Souls 3 controller won’t work

  1. Update the controller drivers. When doing so, make sure you also check the official website for the latest version.
  2. If you’re using a DS4 controller, go to the DS4 Windows settings, and check the first option to Hide DS4 Controller. Then,  launch the game. The controller should now work.

This should fix most Dark Souls 3 issues in no time. Also, it’s bound to improve the PC’s performance in general.

Before you leave, do check some quick tips to improve the gaming performance in Windows.

If you’ve come across various solutions to fix other Dark Souls III bugs that we didn’t mention in this article, list the troubleshooting steps in the comment section below.

Microsoft Solitaire error 102: Use these 3 solutions to fix it

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

We all love to unwind from time to time, whether between breaks or just honing our card skills. Let’s face it, we all tried Solitaire every once in a while. But when we receive error code 102, the card are off the board.

The problem with this error is most the time it’s related to a pending update or the game‘s internal connection to the internet.

You should check Microsoft Updates and see if there are updates pending for installation. Follow up with installing those updates and restart your computer once you’re done. But sometimes, that won’t do the trick.

Steps to fix Microsoft Solitaire error 102

Before going ahead with these steps, try clearing your Windows Store Cache by typing wsreset.exe into the Run window and pressing Enter.

1. Launch the Windows App Troubleshooter

  1. Run the Windows App Troubleshooter and then installing any missing required, recommended, or optional updates.;
  2. Restart and see if that works;
  3. If that doesn’t work, try running the Windows App Troubleshooter.windows apps troubleshooter

2. Create a new user account

This easy solution involves you creating a new user account, and logging in with that account.

  1. Select the Start button, then select Settings, then Accounts , and next click on Family & other people
  2. Click Add someone else to this PCadd someone else to this PC limited access
  3. Type a user name, password, password hint, and then select Next
  4. Login with this new account and see if the problem is solved.

3. Reinstall Solitaire

If the issue persists, we suggest you uninstall and re-install the Microsoft Solitaire Collection app from the Windows Store .

Steps to uninstall Microsoft Solitaire

  1. Go to the Start menu and search Microsoft Solitaire Collection
  2. Right-click on it, then select Uninstall.uninstall microsoft solitaire collection

Reinstalling Microsoft Solitaire

  1. Go to the Store and search for Microsoft Solitaire Collection and press Enter
  2. Click on Microsoft Solitaire Collection tile to visit its official page on the Store
  3. Click the Free button to download and install the game.

In the event that none of these steps work, there may be a more serious issue with your Store. Try contacting Windows Store support.

In the meantime what are your solutions to this issue and what’s your all-time highscore in Solitaire?

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Write to Disk Error in uTorrent: 3 Ways to Fix it

Posted on by Ivan Jenic

There are many great torrent clients available, and uTorrent is the most popular choice. However, even popular software has issues, and many reported Write to disk errors in uTorrent.

This can be a problem since you won’t be able to download anything, so today we’re going to show you the best ways to fix this problem on your PC.

Why am I not able to download from uTorrent?

  • You don’t have the necessary privileges to access the save directory.
  • Your hard drive might be damaged, and that’s causing the issue.
  • Antivirus or firewall might be blocking uTorrent and preventing downloads.

How do I fix the Write to disk error in uTorrent?

Before we start fixing this issue, there are a few preliminary checks that you can perform:

  • Check HDD health using Disk Repair to ensure your hard drive is working properly.
  • Make sure that your download location is properly set because you might not have permission to save to certain locations.
  • Disable the antivirus or make an exception for uTorrent to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with the download.

1. Run the software with administrative privileges

  1. Right-click the uTorrent shortcut on the desktop and choose Properties.
  2. Open the Compatibility tab.
  3. Check the Run as Administrator box.
  4. Confirm the selection and look for changes.

2. Check the firewall settings

  1. Press Windows key + S and type windows firewall. Select Windows Defender Firewall.
  2. Now click on Allow an app or a feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
  3. Click on Change settings.
  4. Click on Allow another app and select uTorrent.
  5. Locate uTorrent on the list and make sure that both Private and Public checkboxes are checked.

After doing that, check if the Write to disk error uTorrent is gone.

3. Delete update files

  1. Press Windows key + R and enter %appdata%.
  2. Open the uTorrent directory.
  3. Delete the updates.dat file.

These steps should help you address the Write to disk error uTorrent. For more solutions, perhaps our System cannot write to the specified device guide can help you.

That should do it. If you have any questions or suggestions, well look forward to hearing from you. The comments section is just below.

How to fix Something went wrong Cortana error message

Posted on by Matthew Adams

Cortana is a virtual assistant app that’s an integral part of Windows 10. Yet, some users have said that they can’t set up Cortana after upgrading to Win 10. One user stated: “I’m trying to set up Cortana on Windows 10. Every time it wants to log in to my Microsoft account, it loads and then says Something went wrong.” Consequently, those users can’t fully utilize Cortana.

The above error is actually linked with a Something went wrong sign up error for Microsoft accounts. It occurs when Windows 10 can’t establish a connection with Microsoft servers. Thus, fixing that issue can also resolve Cortana’s Something went wrong error. Here are a few resolutions for fixing the Something went wrong error in Windows 10.

Here’s how to fix Cortana’s Something went wrong error

  1. Reinstall Cortana
  2. Check the Microsoft Account Sign-in Service is Enabled
  3. Set Up a New Admin Account
  4. Update Windows 10
  5. Reset Windows 10

1. Reinstall Cortana

  1. Users have confirmed that they’ve fixed the Something went wrong error by reinstalling Cortana with PowerShell. To do that, press the Windows key + R keyboard hotkey.
  2. Then enter powershell in Run, and click the OK button.
  3. Input Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} in the PowerShell window as shown directly below.
    Something went wrong powershell
  4. Press the Enter button.

2. Check the Microsoft Account Sign-in Service is Enabled

Some users might need to enable the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service. Cortana can’t log in to MS Accounts with that service off. Users can turn on the MS Account Sign-in Assistant service as follows.

  1. Open the Run text box with the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
  2. Input services.msc in the Open box.
  3. Double-click the Microsoft Account Sign-in Service to open the window in the snapshot directly below.
    microsoft account sign-in assistant service Something went wrong
  4. Press the Start button if required.
  5. Then click the Startup type drop-down menu and select Automatic.
  6. Click the Apply button. Select the OK option to close the window. Thereafter, restart Windows.

3. Set Up a New Admin Account

The Something went wrong error is often due to a specific user profile issue. Thus, the “Something went wrong” error message might not pop up within an entirely new account. Users can set up a new user account with the Command Prompt as follows.

  1. Press the Windows key + X hotkey.
  2. Select Command Prompt (Admin) to open the Prompt’s window.
  3. Input net user <user name> <password> /add in the Command Prompt, and press the Enter key. Remember to replace <user name> with an actual user account title.
    net user add command prompt Something went wrong
  4. Then input net localgroup Administrators <username> /add and press Return to turn the new user account into an admin one.
    net localgroup administrators Something went wrong
  5. Thereafter, restart the desktop or laptop; and log back in with the new admin account just set up.
  6. Set up Cortana within the new user account.

4. Update Windows 10

Some Microsoft updates include fixes for Cortana issues. Users have also stated that Windows updates fix the Something went wrong error. So, check that Windows 10 isn’t missing any updates as follows.

  1. Click Settings app on the Start menu.
  2. Select Update & Security to open the options shown directly below.
    check for updates Something went wrong
  3. Then click the Check for updates button.
  4. Press the Download button if there are updates available.

5. Reset Windows 10

Resetting Windows 10 is the last resort for fixing the Something went wrong error. That will reinstall the platform without deleting your files. Users can reset Windows 10 as follows.

  1. Press the Settings button on the Start menu.
  2. Click Update & security > Recovery to open the options shown directly below.
    recovery Something went wrong Cortana
  3. Click Get started to open the window shown directly below.
    reset this PC window Something went wrong Cortana
  4. Select the Keep my Files option.
  5. Click Next > Reset to reinstall Windows 10.

Some of those resolutions might fix the Something went wrong error so that users can sign in to Microsoft account to set up Cortana. Users who have discovered other fixes for the error message are welcome to share them below this post.

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Windows 10 20H1 build 18860 ships to Skip Ahead Insiders with 39 new SwiftKey languages, more bug fixes

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The 20H1 development branch for Windows 10 is getting another minor update today. Windows Insiders on the Skip Ahead ring can now download the 20H1 build 18860, which brings support for the following 39 new languages in the built-in SwiftKey touch keyboard:

Afrikaans (South Africa),  Albanian (Albania),  Arabic (Saudi Arabia),  Armenian (Armenia), Azerbaijani (Azerbaijan), Basque (Spain), Bulgarian (Bulgaria), Catalan (Spain), Croatian (Croatia), Czech (Czech Republic), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Netherlands), Estonian (Estonia), Finnish (Finland), Galician (Spain), Georgian (Georgia), Greek (Greece), Hausa (Nigeria), Hebrew (Israel), Hindi (India), Hungarian (Hungary), Indonesian (Indonesia), Kazakh (Kazakhstan), Latvian (Latvia), Lithuanian (Lithuania), Macedonian (Macedonia), Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian (Bokmal, Norway), Persian (Iran), Polish (Poland), Romanian

Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard uses AI to improve the accuracy of autocorrections and word predictions, and it replaced the previous touch keyboard in Windows 10 version 1809. The new supported languages is the only new features coming in this new 20H1 build, though the new bits also bring the following list of bug fixes and improvements:

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

  • We fixed a Microsoft Edge crash encountered when interacting with combo boxes in PDF forms.
  • We fixed an issue that could result in night light being on after an upgrade, even though all the settings showed that night light should be off.
  • We fixed an issue where using the slider to adjust the night light strength could result in night light getting stuck on.
  • We fixed an issue where night light was skipping the fade transition when it was turned off (manually or scheduled).
  • We fixed an issue resulting in increased battery drain while the screen was on in recent builds.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in the “…” menu contents being clipped for certain apps like Voice Recorder and Alarms and Clock when the app was full screen.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders experiencing bugcheck green screens citing a KERNEL_SECURITY_VIOLATION error.
  • We fixed an issue preventing certain VMs from being able to install or update Windows Insider Preview builds – the VM would hang on the black screen with the Windows logo.

Known issues

  • Launching games that use anti-cheat software may trigger a bugcheck (GSOD).
  • When performing Reset this PC and selecting Keep my files on a device that has Reserved Storage enabled, the user will need to initiate an extra reboot to ensure Reserved Storage is working again properly.
  • Some Realtek SD card readers are not functioning properly. We are investigating the issue.
  • Creative X-Fi sound cards are not functioning properly. We are partnering with Creative to resolve this issue.

Known issues for Developers

  • If you install any of the recent builds from the Skip Ahead and switch to either the Fast ring or the Slow ring, optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings.

Microsoft has yet to introduce a major new feature in the 20H1 development branch, and this may wait until the company is finally done with the 19H1 update. In the meantime, Skip Ahead Insiders can also enjoy cool app updates like the latest version of Sticky Notes with multi-desktop support.

Cuphead arrives on the Nintendo Switch with Xbox Live integration to follow

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft and Nintendo are becoming a bit cozier these days as they walk hand in hand advocating cross platfom gaming and are now ready to start sharing exclusive titles.

Nintendo just announced an Xbox exclusive headed to its wildly popular Switch platform. According to Xbox Wire, the details of the exchange are as such:

Growing out of these recent discussions, we are partnering with StudioMDHR to investigate bringing Xbox Live features beyond Xbox and PC to Nintendo Switch. Yes, this means that fans will now have the opportunity to experience StudioMDHR’s award-winning debut game on Nintendo Switch with Xbox Live! We’ll be working with StudioMDHR to implement Xbox Live features into Cuphead on the Nintendo Switch in the coming months. Given the early stage of our work with StudioMDHR, the Xbox Live features will appear in a post-launch update to Cuphead on Nintendo Switch. We’d like to thank Studio MDHR and Nintendo for their help in this investigation!

Seems as though Microsoft’s gambit with expanding Xbox Live beyond the Xbox console could be paying off for game developers soon. While the release date for Cuphead on the Switch is slated for April 18, 2019, Microsoft’s Xbox Live integration may be a ways off from that date and come via an additional update to the game.

Microsoft and Cuphead studio MDHR have obvious incentives to work deligently on getting the Xbox Live integration pushed out as quickly as possible as both a proof of concept but also keep players engaged with the game as the move across a growing list of potential gaming devices in the near future.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 SDK build 18356 and Windows Server vNext build 18356.1

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has just announced the release of the Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 18356, which developers can now use in conjunction with Windows 10 19H1 build 18356 or higher. This new version of the SDK brings more bug fixes and API changes, and we invite you to check the full blog post for more details.

In addition to this new SDK build, Microsoft also released yesterday the build 18356.1 for Windows Server vNext. The release notes mentioned no new features, but that’s not completely surprising as this Semi-Annual Channel release of the Server OS is near.

As usual, you can download the new preview SDK from developer section of Microsoft’s Windows Insider website, and the new Windows Server build is available from this page. Stay tuned to OnMSFT as there will probably be more news coming from the Windows Insider team this week, including new Windows 10 builds and maybe the new Chromium-Edge browser.

Leonardo drawing app comes to the Windows 10 Microsoft Store

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

If you are the proud owner of a Surface tablet, or any other Windows 10 tablet for that matter, the Leonardo drawing app has made its way to the Microsoft Store. It has been available for Windows 10 users via the development company’s website for some time now, but now that it’s on the Microsoft Store, it should be easier to discover for new Surface artists.

The app normally runs at $79.99, but if you decide to go ahead and get it today, you can get it for half off at $39.99. It comes with all the same features as the desktop version of the app available on its website, including the infinite canvas, the same user interface, and all the same tools and performance that other Leonardo users get.

Leonardo screenshots

If you’re interested in downloading the app, you can go ahead and buy it from the link below. The developers have also promised to update the app just the same as it does the third party download version of it, so there should be no risk involved in getting it from the Microsoft Store.

Leonardo
Leonardo
Download
QR-Code

Leonardo
Developer:
Xade Software AB
Price:
$39.99

Post nuclear-war survival game Vigor will be free to play this weekend on Xbox One for Xbox Live Gold members

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Subscribers of Xbox Live Gold can play Vigor for free this weekend, as the game will be available starting tomorrow (March 21st) and ending March 24th. The game offers “shoot ‘n’ loot” style of play, and players must survive by gathering resources and building a shelter in the post-war Norway.

The game development company, Bohemia Interactive, mentioned that the free trial weekend will give players a chance to try the recent 0.8 “Signal” beta update of the game. It adds numerous features such as new player lobby, gestures system, as well as other new content and various improvements to enhance the overall experience in the game.

The development company is also planning to release the full 1.0 version game later this year, which will use a free to play model as opposed to making players by the game. However, the developers also encourage those wishing to play the game immediately to go ahead and buy the game now, which will give them access to exclusive in-game items not available in the free version. Keep in mind though that when the game is officially released, all progress that was in the beta will be erased.

Something that also might be worth mentioning, Vigor was one of the Xbox One games that recently received keyboard and mouse support. This gives users the full advantages that keyboard and mice offer, and the Razor Turret that will be released at the end of this month could make the experience all the better.

Konami Anniversary Collection series will bring all classic games to Xbox One this year

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Japanese video games company Konami is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and for the occasion several classic Konami games will be re-released on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Switch. The first game in the Konami Anniversary Collection series will be the Arcade Classics collection, to be released on April 18.

This $19.99 bundle will includes 8 arcade classics from the 80s: Haunted Castle, Typhoon (A-Jax-, Nemesis (Gradius), Vulcan Venture (Gradius II), Life Force (Salamander), Thunder Cross, Scramble and TwinBee.

Coming in early summer 2019 are the Castlevania Anniversary Collection and the Contra Anniversary Collection. Several Castlevania and Contra games have been previously ported on the Xbox 360, and some of them are currently available on Xbox One via backward compatibility, but it’s certainly a good to bring back these old classics to the spotlight. In case you missed it Square Enix is doing the same this year with its Final Fantasy series, with several old episodes being ported on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The Konami Anniversary Collection series will only be available digitally, and Konami will also offer in-game bonus books showing concept sketches from the development of these games.

Latest Minecraft Bedrock update brings crossbows and lanterns, adds new Xbox Achievement

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The next major update of the Minecraft Village and Pillage series of upgrades is already out now for the Bedrock Edition of the game. Several note-worthy new features have been added, including Shields, which have long been in the Java edition Minecraft since version 1.9 more than 2 years ago.

The crossbow is now also fully available in the game. Previously, it was an experimental feature that had to be manually turned on in the game settings. Now, it appears that the weapon’s development is finally complete, as anyone can enjoy the feature without having to turn it on.

Additionally, for all those Xbox One users out there, a new achievement can be earned in the game. Titled Fruit of the Loom, a player can earn 20 Gamerscore points for creating a banner using at the Enchanted Apple Stencil.

There are also many other new features in the update, such as the new cat skin which has been named Jellie by the developers. The new skin was part of a contest in which players voted before the best one, and Jellie proved to be the winner in the end.

Other noteworthy new features include Lanterns (which have also been removed from the Experimental Gameplay settings), Looms for additional banner pattern creation, Lecterns for allowing multiple players to read the same books, and the new hostile mob called the Pillager (which strangely is only available in creative mode for the time being).

The update is available today and will roll out to all the operating systems that the Bedrock Edition is available on, including the Xbox One, Windows 10, Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. For users on mobile devices, the devs recommend not using any HD textures right now, as there is presently a bug in the game that causes it to crash when using them.

Minecraft
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Xbox One consoles to add spatial sound functionality to basic TV sets

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles have been supporting spatial audio since 2017, with more and more games like Forza Horizon 4 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider coming with Dolby Atmos mixes providing a much more immersive experience. Unfortunately, not all consumers want or can afford an expensive home theater or sound bar, but an upcoming Xbox One update will soon make it possible to add spatial sound functionality to any TV speakers.

Microsoft revealed some details about its spatial sound for TV speakers technology at the Game Developers Conference this week. Here’s the information, via Forbes:

Apparently this process is broadly similar to the feature delivered to Windows 10 last year enabling spatial audio via built-in laptop speakers.

Microsoft can’t or won’t say at the moment which of the audio systems on the Xbox One’s common spatial audio API (Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, or DTS:X) will carry the new TV speakers utility. It has confirmed to me, though, that it has already got an implementation up and running in internal demos.

We’re looking forward to see how effective this spatial audio technology will be on basic TV speakers, though you probably shouldn’t expect any miracle. Microsoft hasn’t officially announced this new functionality yet, but it will likely ship first to select Xbox Insiders.

Anyway, it’s worth reminding that Xbox One consoles already make it possible to enjoy spatial audio using any pair of headphones. Microsoft has built its own Windows Sonic audio technology for Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, but you can also set up Dolby Atmos for headphones after installing the Dolby Access app from the Windows Store.

New Alliance Intelligent Cloud will bring the power of Azure to Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi cars

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has released its new Alliance Intelligent Cloud, a service that will use the cloud, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things technologies to power connected vehicles from the three automotive companies. As a result, the automotive alliance will use the Azure to power these services, which Microsoft says will allow them to capture and analyze the data in a secure manner, and use it to deliver intelligence services. Additionally, with Microsoft infrastructure, the alliance will be able to provide diagnostic services, firmware update, and infotainment services.

Microsoft says that the new Renault Clio along with the Nissan Leaf will not only be the first cars to use the Alliance Intelligent Cloud technology, but will also be the first vehicles powered by the Microsoft Connected Vehicle platform available immediately to consumers at sale. The vehicles in question will be sold in either Japan or Europe, but hopefully it won’t be long before these services reach the other 200+ markets where the vehicles are sold. Microsoft’s EVP and president of Global Sales, Jean-Philippe Courtois, stated that:

“Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is a longstanding partner and our first strategic partner for the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform. Today’s production release of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud enables a new generation of connected services powered by Microsoft Azure to come to market.”

In addition to this smart the benefits that we just mentioned, Microsoft says that multiple vehicles across the automotive companies in the alliance will be able to benefit from the same shared technologies. These might include monitoring, connected navigation and assistance, remote services, as well as firmware updates and other services.

While the partnership is certainly interesting, it isn’t exactly new for the automotive companies. A couple years back, Renault and Nissan signed a global multiyear contract to use Azure services to power it’s connected vehicles.

 

Fix Windows 10/11 error code 0xc0000034 with these solutions

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Most of us often encounter the annoying Blue screens of death problems on our different versions of Windows.

You will see that the screen will simply turn blue or the system will completely fail to boot. 

What causes error 0xc0000034?

1. Bad sectors on Hard drive

All the critical system files will not be readable if you have bad sectors on your hard drive.

2. Corrupted Windows installation

You might have a corrupted installation of Windows as your OS crashed due to a malware or other reasons.

3. Missing boot files

Damaged BCD is a possible cause of the 0xc0000034 error. It occurs because your boot-related files are either corrupt, missing, misconfigured and damaged.

4. Compatibility Issues

Some of the users face the error because the recently changed hardware or software has compatibility issues with their PCs.

If you are a Windows 10 user you will see the following error message on your blue screen:

Recovery. Your PC needs to be repaired.
The Boot Configuration Data file is missing some required information.
File: \BCD
Error code: 0xc0000034
You’ll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media. If you don’t have any installation media (like a disc or USB device), contact your system administrator or PC manufacturer.
Press ESC for UEFI Firmware Settings.

How to get rid of  Windows 10 error code 0xc0000034?

  1. Run Windows automatic repair
  2. Manually repair the error
  3. Refresh Your PC

1. Run Windows automatic repair

automatic repair error code 0xc0000034

Windows provides an Automatic Repair tool that uses the Windows installation media (DVD, CD or USB drive) to fix the issue in a few steps. Here are some simple steps that you need to follow:

  1. Insert the Windows 10 DVD or USB stick and restart your system.
  2. Make sure to boot your system using the Windows installation media instead of your hard drive. You need to constantly press the specified key (F8 or F11 key depending upon your system) and choose the correct boot device.
  3. You will be navigated through the startup menu, select Next > Repair your computer.
  4. On the next screen select Troubleshoot and then click Automatic Repair.
  5. You will see a list of operating systems, select the one you currently have. A repairing process will start to check your Windows for problems and fix them.
  6. Wait patiently until the end of the process.

If the first solution fails to fix the error, try the next solution. 

2. Manually repair the error

error code 0xc0000034 command line

This method requires a Windows 10 setup bootable media, so you can fix the error by following these steps.

  1. First, plug in Windows 10 DVD or USB stick after starting your PC. The system will prompt you to select your keyboard and language settings.
  2. Select the Repair your computer option.
  3. On the next screen select Troubleshoot and then click Advanced Options.
  4. You will now see a Command Prompt option.  Click on it.
  5. As soon as you see a Command Prompt window, enter the following commands and press Enter key after entering each of them.
    • bootrec /fixMBR
    • bootrec /fixBoot
    • bootrec/scanos
    • bootrec /rebuildBCD
  6. At this step add the installation to the boot list by typing A and pressing the Enter key.
  7. Finally, exit the setup by closing the Command Prompt window and click the Continue button.
  8. In the end, you will proceed to the Windows 10 home screen.

As you have finished the entire process the Windows 10 Error Code 0xc0000034 should be fixed and your system should boot normally. If the problem still persists try the next solution.

3. Refresh Your PC

When you are unable to repair your PC using any of the above-mentioned solutions you can use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to perform Automatic repair.

Please follow the following steps to refresh your Windows 10 PC:

  1. At the first step, you have to Reboot your PC.
  2. Next, you need to hit the F8 or F11 key (depending upon your system) to open Advanced boot options.
  3. On the next screen select Troubleshoot and then Refresh your PC. 
  4. Follow the instructions to complete the process.

How can I avoid the error in the future?

You have to care about the health of your Windows OS if you want to avoid this error in future. You should avoid downloading any suspicious programs that can be potentially harmful to your system. In case your system gets infected with any malware, scan your PC with antivirus software.

Most importantly, regularly updating your PC is the best solution to keep your system bug-free. Microsoft regularly releases updates including bugs and fixes to protect your PC. Following these simple steps can protect your PC from unnecessary damage and future issues. 

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Apex Legends’ first season is now live on Xbox One consoles

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The first season event for the hit Apex Legends video game, Wild Frontier, is now live on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles.

Apex Legends is a free-to-play video game which means that some of this Season 1 content is available to free players while other content needs to be unlocked through gameplay after purchasing the Season 1 Battle Pass. It’s similar to how Fortnite’s events work.

Free players will be able to unlock one Wild Frontier Legend skin, five Apex Packs, and 18 stat trackers during Season 1 in addition to the new Legend, Octane who launched alongside the event.

Players who buy the Battle Pass (which costs 950 Apex Coins) will continue to unlock new items each time they level up during the course of the event. Up to 100 items can be potentially unlocked including skins, banner frames, and XP boosts. A purchase of the Battle Pass will also immediately unlock 3 Wild Frontier-themed Legend skins, no gameplay required.

Apex Legends has been a massive success story. Launching with next to no pre-launch promotion, the game managed to reach 50 million players in its first month online and has also been well-received by gamers and critics alike.

Are you playing Apex Legends and will you buy the Season 1 Battle Pass? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

Disney Magic Kingdoms video game updates on Windows 10 with new characters and more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The Windows 10 video game, Disney Magic Kingdoms, received an update today that added a variety of new characters, several new attractions, and some new land for players to use for all of their unlocked content.

The main focus of this update was the addition of Dumbo, Timothy Q. Mouse, and The Ringmaster from the classic Dumbo Disney movie. These three characters will now be part of the game’s main continuing story mode which means that players can work towards unlocking them with no time restrictions. The Dumbo-related attractions and concessions such as the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, The Barnstormer, Western Arcade, Dumbo Hat Stand, and Peanut Concession are also permanent content additions.

Beauty and the Beast’s LeFou was added to the game with this update, however he’s a limited time character that can only be unlocked in the new Tower Challenge event which begins tomorrow.

Here’s the full official list of all of the new content that was added to Disney Magic Kingdoms:

Characters

Dumbo

Timothy Q. Mouse

The Ringmaster

LeFou

Attractions

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

The Barnstormer

Western Arcade

Concessions

Dumbo Hat Stand

Peanut Concession

Slushies Stand

Cup of Tea Stand

Decorations

Choose Your Costume

Circus Banner

Great Goofini Cannon

Float

Dumbo Float

Disney Magic Kingdoms is a fairly popular Windows 10 game that’s frequently spotlighted in the Microsoft Store and is often pre-installed on new Windows 10 devices in many regions. It’s a free-to-play video game that tasks players with clearing an evil curse from the Disneyland theme park and welcoming new characters from classic and modern Disney films.

Do you play Disney Magic Kingdoms? Let us know what you think of this new content in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Windows 10 content.

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Mozilla Firefox browser adds Windows Hello authentication support

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The Mozilla Firefox internet browser updated to Version 66.0 and, with this update, added support for Microsoft’s Windows Hello authentication. This means that after installing the latest update, Firefox users on a compatible Windows 10 device will be able to use their face, fingerprint, and external security keys for authentication on supported websites.

Other noteworthy changes made with the update to Version 66.0 include a new setting that disables autoplay sound on websites, improvements to search, better scrolling on web pages, redesigned certificate error pages, and general performance improvements.

Here’s the full release notes:

New

  • Firefox now prevents websites from automatically playing sound. You can add individual sites to an exceptions list or turn blocking off. To learn more about block autoplay, which will be rolled out gradually to all users, visit the Mozilla blog.
  • Improved search experience:
  • Find a specific webpage faster when you have a lot of tabs open: You can now search within all of your open tabs from the tab overflow menu
  • Easier search via a redesigned new tab in Private Windows
  • Smoother scrolling: Scroll anchoring keeps content from jumping as images and ads load at the top of the page
  • Improved performance and better user experience for extensions:
  • Extensions now store their settings in a Firefox database, rather than individual JSON files, making every site you visit faster
  • A redesigned keyboard shortcuts section in about:addons makes it easier to view and adjust default shortcuts
  • Redesigned certificate error pages help you better understand and resolve issues, including identification of certificate issuers for anti-virus software
  • Added basic support for macOS Touch Bar
  • Experimenting with an improved Pocket experience in New Tab with different layouts and more topical content
  • Improved performance and reduced crash rates by doubling web content loading processes from 4 to 8
  • Easier, passwordless security: Added support for Windows Hello on Windows 10, allowing you to use your face, fingerprint, or external security keys for website authentication

Fixed

  • The Dark and Light Firefox themes now override the system setting for title bar accent color on Windows 10
  • Linux users: Resolved an issue that caused Firefox to freeze when downloading files
  • Various security fixes

Changed

  • System title bar is hidden by default to match Gnome guideline for Linux users

Developer

  • DevTools Inspector is now fully usable when the Debugger is paused
  • Lowered priority of setTimeout and setInterval during page load to improve overall page load performance
  • Fixed: <button> element is no longer special cased in event dispatch, per latest specifications

Do you use Firefox on your Windows 10 device and will you take advantage of Windows Hello? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Windows content.

KB4489890, KB4489888 and KB4489889 bring tens of bug fixes

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

If you’re running older Windows 10 OS version, you may want to check for updates. Microsoft released new updates for Windows 10 v1709, v1703 and v1607: KB4489890, KB4489888 and KB4489889, respectively.

These three updates bring tens of bug fixes and improvements to the table, fixing some major technical issues affecting the OS.

You can download these patches automatically from Windows Update. Alternatively, you can get the stand-alone update package from the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

Update changelog

These three update share many common fixes and improvements. We’ll list some of them below:

  • Addresses an issue with a Microsoft Access 97 database that stops a requested operation when a table or column has custom properties.
  • Updates time zone information for Buenos Aires, Argentina, Kazakhstan,  São Tomé and Príncipe. 
  • Addresses an issue with Microsoft Office Visual Basic for Applications that fails to use the Japanese Era registry settings for dates in the Japanese format.  […]
  • Addresses an issue with the Group Policy, “Turn off app notifications on the lock screen”. 
  • Addresses an issue that may prevent users from signing in and cause account lockouts when using the App-V client to start applications. […]
  • Addresses an issue that prevents App-V applications from starting and generates error “0xc0000225”. […]
  • Addresses an issue that prevents the authentication credentials dialog from appearing when an enterprise web server attempts to connect to the Internet. […]
  • Addresses an issue that removes the ALLOWCLSIDS policy from the policy XML file when you run the Add-SignerRule for Windows Defender Application Control. 

For more information, you can check out the complete update changelog pages listed below:

Keep in mind that these updates also bring issues of their own. Make sure to check the support pages first before hitting the check for update button.

KB4489894 fixes update install issues and black screen errors

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

If you’re running Windows 10 v1803, you can now install cumulative update KB4489894 in order to fix a plethora of issues affecting your system.

Windows 10 KB4489894 fixes the annoying Microsoft Office update issues that may prevent you from installing the latest patches on your machine.

At the same time, the update fixes the black screen issues that may occur after you wake up your device from Sleep mode.

It is worth mentioning that KB4489894 also addresses the lock screen issues that may be preventing your from unlocking your device.

Without further ado, let’s see what are some of the most important changes that this update brings.

KB4489894 changelog

  • Addresses an issue with a Microsoft Access 97 database that stops a requested operation when a table or column has custom properties.
  • Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Office updates from downloading from the Microsoft Store. […]
  • Addresses a reliability issue that may cause a laptop screen to remain black after resuming from Sleep if you close the lid when disconnecting from a docking station. 
  • Addresses an issue with the Group Policy, “Turn off app notifications on the lock screen”.
  • Addresses an issue that may prevent users from signing in and cause account lockouts when using the App-V client to start applications. […]
  • Addresses an issue with the Windows lock screen that prevents users from unlocking a device after multiple smart card users have used the same device. 
  • Addresses an issue that prevents the authentication credentials dialog from appearing when an enterprise web server attempts to connect to the Internet. […]
  • Adds a new Group Policy setting called “Enable Windows to soft-disconnect a computer from a network”. This determines how Windows will disconnect a computer from a network when it determines that the computer should no longer be connected to the network. […]
  • Addresses an issue that prevents the “Turn off app notifications on the lock screen” policy from working. The path is “Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logo”.

These are only some of the most important improvements brought by the latest Windows 10 v1803 update. For more information about the full changelog, you can check out KB4489894’s support page.

Download KB4489894

You can automatically download KB4489894 on your computer via Windows Update. If you want to download the stand-alone package, go to Microsoft’s Update Catalog website.

Have you download KB4489894 on your Windows 10 computer? Tell us more about your experience in the comments below.

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Windows was unable to create a required installation folder [SOLVED]

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

System Update is an important task that should be done by all Windows users on a regular basis. It is the best way to fix potential vulnerabilities in your Windows OS.

You might have encountered an error that often appears during Windows Updates and is generally caused due to the lack of permissions of file or registry. The full error message you get looks like “Error: 80070005 – Windows was unable to create a required installation folder“. 

If you tend to ignore the error you might have to face system slow down or even crashes. You can easily troubleshoot the issue through these simple solutions. 

What to do if Windows was unable to create a required installation folder

  1. Allow user full control
  2. Use a third-party system repair tool
  3. Configure Windows Update Settings
  4. Windows Update Troubleshooter
  5. Reset the Permission Settings (Windows 7)

1. Allow user full control

Folder permissions might be the reason behind the error if it’s being caused by a specific application.

You can follow the following steps to get rid of the error on your system.

  1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
  2. Now type the following command and click OK.
    • C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData
      appdata Windows was unable to create a required installation folder
  3. You need to replace USERNAME with the username of your account and replace C: with the letter of your Windows installation drive. 
  4. Find the Local folder right click on it and click Properties.
    local folder Windows was unable to create
  5. Navigate to Security > Edit > Add and then type Everyone in the textbox provided below.
    security permissions Windows was unable to create a required installation folder
  6. Click the Check names button that is available on the right side and click OK.
  7. Click Everyone and set its permissions to allow Full control.
    full control Windows was unable to create a required installation folder
  8. Now just save the changes by clicking OK.
  9. Finally, you have to restart the computer to apply the recent changes.

2. Use a third-party system repair tool

A specialized repair program that scans your PC and repairs your Windows OS without harming the user data is recommended.

This type of software identifies Windows files in critical condition and fixes them right away. Moreover, in case the files have been severely damaged and affect the stability of your system, the program will replace them with healthy ones from an online database. 

These tools can significantly improve the performance of your PC. They come with additional features such as registry repairing utilities, DLL file restore, and more.

You can even use these tools to clean your browser and remove junk files that may slow down your PC.

3. Configure Windows Update Settings

One of the easiest ways to fix the error is to allow automatic updates on your system.  You can configure Windows Update settings by following these steps.

  1. Open the Start menu and type update in the search box.
  2. You will see a list search results below, click Windows Update from the list. It will open Windows Update in the Control Panel.
  3. Now click Change Settings that on the left-hand side. 
  4. You will be navigated to the Choose your Windows Update Settings window. Head towards the Important updates section and select Install updates automatically (recommended). 
  5. You can also set a schedule to install these automatic updates by clicking Updates will be automatically installed during the maintenance window.
  6. Finally hit the OK button to save the changes.

You might face the error if your Windows Firewall Settings are not allowing Windows Update settings to take effect. You can adjust the Windows Firewall Settings by following these steps:

  1.  Click the Start menu and type Firewall in the search box.
  2.  You will see a list of search results, select Windows Firewall from the list.
    firewall Windows was unable to create
  3. On the left-hand side, you will find Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall click on it and select Allow another program.
    allow another application Windows was unable to create a required folder
  4. Next, click the Browse button and you have to locate the svchost.exe file on the disk.
    browse application Windows was unable to create a required installation folder
  5. After locating the file click the following buttons Open > Add.
  6. Now you will be able to see a new program in the list called Host Process for Windows Services. 
  7. Finally, save the changes by clicking the OK button.

4. Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows Update Troubleshooter is a handy tool that helps to automatically fix various issues while running Windows Updates. Microsoft offers two separate versions for Windows 7 & 8 and Windows 10. You need to download the version that is compatible with your PC. 

You have to run the downloaded troubleshooter file on your PC. It will automatically perform some fixes and finally, you will have to restart your device. If required, you can again run the troubleshooter to fix some additional issues.

5. Reset the Permission Settings (Windows 7)

This solution is specifically for those who are running a Windows 7 OS. This tool is used to reset the Permission Settings on Windows machine. 

  1. Download the subinacl.msi file on your Desktop and open the downloaded file. 
  2. Once the installation process starts you need to select C:\Windows\System32 as the destination folder. 
  3. Open Notepad by pressing Windows + R key on your keyboard and typing notepad.
    notepad Windows was unable to create a installation folder
  4. After pasting the following commands in your Notepad file and Save it on your Desktop with the name reset.bat.
    • @echo off
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f
    • subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=system=f
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=system=f
    • subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=system=f
    • subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=system=f
    • @Echo =========================
    • @Echo Finished.
    • @Echo =========================
    • @pause
  5. Now head to the Desktop,  right-click the reset.bat and select Run as administrator.
  6. It will open a window processing similar to the DOS.
  7. You will wait to wait for a few mins until you see the following message Finished, press any key to continue. 

If the issue is not resolved yet you need to use the Built-in Administrator to run the upgrade.

  1. Navigate to the Start button and locate Command Prompt.
  2. You have to right-click the Command Prompt, select Run as administrator and click Continue. 
  3. Press the Enter key after pasting the following command net user administrator /active:yes.
  4. Now login to the Administrator Account by restarting your system.
  5. Finally, run Windows 7 Upgrade and it is expected to successfully run without any issues. 

If the error still persists, you need to disable your antivirus program for a specified time period. By the end of this post, you must have resolved “Error: 80070005 – Windows was unable to create a required installation folder” by correctly following each step. Let us know in the comments section below if you still face any issues. 

New Sticky Notes version brings multi-desktop support

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Last year, Microsoft released an update to Sticky notes (version 3.0). The tech giant introduced various features in that update including an ‘always on top’ option, Microsoft Launcher support and a web client.

Recently, Microsoft launched a new major update to enhance the existing capabilities of the app. The update bumps the current version to 3.6 and brings Image and Multi-Desktop Support.

In other words, the update comes with support for multiple desktops and image embedding. Currently, only the users running the Windows 10 Insider build 18855 and higher can install the update.

Photo embedding support

The photo embedding feature aims to target those Windows users who are interested in importing screenshots, mind-maps and similar important information.
Furthermore, users need to navigate to the Sticky Notes toolbar and right click on the image icon. They will now be able to select the image in Windows Explorer.

Multi-Desktop support

You might not have heard about the multiple desktop feature of Windows 10. If you have multiple desktops. Sticky Notes now reminds you about incomplete tasks by sharing notes across multiple desktops.

In order to use the feature, you need to head towards the Task View to select the note and check the show on all desktops option.

Secondly, the Sticky notes app now supports various hotkeys so that the users can switch to their notes. While using a different application, you can either use Win + Tab or Alt + Tab keys to switch to a specific note.

The multi-desktop support now allows the users to efficiently organize their activities. While toggling between different desktops, they can use the feature to separate personal and work applications.

Microsoft has introduced a couple of other improvements and fixes. Users can enjoy a smoother experience as a result. You will now find icons in the context menu and the text selection is now a lot faster. 

Most of the Windows users find the Sticky Notes to be a pretty useful application. It seems like it will take some time until the update goes live to the Windows 10 users.

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How to fix common The Division 2 bugs and errors on PC

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Fans of the original title, we’ve got some good news for you. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, has been freshly launched by Ubisoft.

The game didn’t have a flawless launch, requiring constant internet connection optimization as it makes use of Easy Anti Cheat.

Many players have reported various bugs and technical issues along their playthroughs.

We hope to see Ubisoft addressing them as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, we compiled this list of common bugs and errors and their corresponding workaround to help you out.

How can I to The Division 2 bugs?

1. Game freezes

Many users have reported their game freezing while in the middle of the action, with threads dedidcated to this issue on reddit.

Reporting no sound in the actual game after CC and have trouble completing the prologue due to freezes, occasionally only will unfreeze when alt tab. Very disappointed Ubisoft and not impressed.

How to fix The Division 2 game freezes

With reports coming in on game freezing even on high-end machines, a solution is to reduce your overall graphics settings for the game.

Also keep in mind to have the latest GPU drivers installed. Until the issue is fully addressed it seems that this could work for the time being.

We have a small guide for Nvidia users to tweak their settings to avoid the game freezing up. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open Nvidia Control Panel;
  2. Click on Manage 3D settings, and go to Program Settings and locate TheDivision2.exe;
  3. Set Max Pre-Rendered Frames to 1;
  4. Set Monitor Technology to G-Snyc (only if available);
  5. Enable Threaded Optimization;
  6. Set Power Management to Highest Performance;
  7. Set Multi-Display/Mixed GPU Acceleration to Single display performance mode.

2. No In-Game Sound

We all love the kick from a good soundtrack or just avoiding the chaos of gunfights. But when there’s no sound to begin with, we can’t stick to the subtitles alone.

Various users on Ubisoft forums have reported this issue, mostly being associated with Logitech headsets.

My 2 friends that had the problem changed their windows sound standard away from logitech (if you don’t have another device try pluggin out your headset) and it worked for both. So it seems there is definitly something wrong with logitech and the game.

How to fix sound issues in The Division 2

With so many users pointing out to Logitech headsets being the culprit here, we can only suggest testing out different manufacturers.

For good measure, go to the settings of The Division 2 and look for the Audio menu. Switch the Voice Chat option to anything that isn’t related to your Logitech headset and this could do the trick.

Also, we’re gonna leave this tiny tip for disabling Logitech services:

  1. Start Task Manager, select Processes, press the L key, find Logitech Surround Service, and end this process;
  2. In the event this doesn’t work, end the Logitech Game Software process for safe measures;
  3. Restart your PC.

3. The Division 2 Error Messages

Issues related to Echo, Delta, Bravo, are closely tied to connection issues that Uplay faces.

Ubisoft advises re-connecting to your account after you restart your internet connection. With no other fixes being discovered so far, we can only wait.

In the meantime, how do you like The Division 2 so far? We’d like to know.

Have you experienced any bugs or glitches? And what is your solution to them? Let us know.

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Download Microsoft Edge Chromium-based installer on your PC

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

We have recently spotted the first version of the upcoming Chromium-based Edge browser when a support page was discovered by users. Recently, Microsoft published a new list of add-ons.

All of them are expected to be available in the upcoming version of Windows which should land in April.

As a part of the Edge series, Microsoft also released the installer on its servers. You can now download the installer file but you won’t be able to run the Setup just yet.

The company has restricted the installer to only those users who have Azure Premium accounts and Microsoft employees. The regular user categories won’t be able to run the installer‘s version on their systems.

Microsoft Edge Chromium online installer shows up

The latest developments are an indicator that the upcoming Chromium-based Edge will be released to the public very soon, maybe within the next few months.

It seems like the new installer is going to be similar to Google Chrome’s regular installer as it is 1.5MB in size. The small size makes it clear that the installer is going handle most of the download on its own during the installation process.

However, if you are one of those who likes to use an offline installer, Microsoft has not yet shared any plans to release one. Initially, the installer will be released just for Windows 10 users.

If the browser meets the expectations, it will then be rolled out to the other version of Windows and platforms.

Release expected at Build Developer Conference

It is not clear that either the company will keep its promise to maintain the look and feel of the Edge browser. It is expected that the company plans to remove some of the features as well as add some new ones.

It seems like Microsoft is currently testing the latest version of the browser and users have to wait until the testing phase is done.

Let’s wait until the new Microsoft Edge version is now up and running. According to recent speculations, the new Edge browser might be heading towards its official launch at the Build developer conference that is going to be held in May 2019.

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Got VR problems on Windows 10/11? Here’s how to fix them

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Are you experiencing VR problems Windows 10? No doubt, the infusion of Windows Mixed Realities into the VR platform has resulted in a whole lot of expansion. Setting up a virtual reality can spring issues that could be rather frustrating. Hence certain recommendations and suggestions might come in handy when VR problems arise. Whatever the VR issue is, here is a useful guide in resolving some of the most common VR problems in Windows 10.

Best solutions to fix common Virtual Reality problems

  1. PC Troubleshooting
  2. VR Problems with Audio
  3. VR Problems with the Controller
  4. VR Problems with Wireless Receivers
  5. VR Problems with the Headset

1. PC Troubleshooting

VR PC troubleshooting VR problems

All VR problems under this category require the following procedure to optimize PC setting for SteamVR.

  1. The process begins with clicking the Windows key at startup, and then type power to search for the power option. Select the power option and next click on the High performance option.
  2. NVIDIA Power Management should be set to Prefer maximum performance.
  3. Ensure that the latest driver for AMD or NVIDIA graphics is installed.
  4. Default audio playback device should be HTC-VIVE-0 and ensure that Steam is running with administrative privileges.

2. VR Problems with Audio

VR issues windows 10 headphone jack

Audio VR problems in Windows 10 are easily tackled as they do not pose a serious or permanent issue. Follow these steps to solve specific problems:

No sound, even when plugged to the Vive’s headphone jack

  1. First, ensure the headphones are well plugged in.
  2. Test the positioning of the stereo by right-clicking on the volume icon in the tray task. Choose Playback devices and highlight the default audio device- 2-USB-Audio device or the HTC-VIVE-0. Finally, right-click the highlighted device and choose Test. This should take care of the sound issues.

When the sound can’t be heard

Simply do the following:

  • Right-click within the SteamVR and choose the Settings option, select Audio then Audio device. This will help you identify whether the audio device is selected or not.

No sound on USB headphone while connected with Vive’s extra USB port

Ensure that the correct playback device is receiving audio from SteamVR.

  • To check that, go to SteamVR choose Settings > Audio > USB headphone.

Ensure that audio transmission is on-going from the USB headphone device connected to the headset.

  1. Right-click the volume icon at the bottom.
  2. From the menu select the Playback device.
  3. Click on the desired output device and set as default device.
  4. If you can’t see USB headphones on the list, right-click on an Audio device and check the Show Disabled Devices and the Show Disconnected Devices options.

When the audio stops suddenly

  1. Set the default audio device to speaker 2-USB Audio Device.
  2. Ensure that SteamVR is still running.
  3. Ensure that the headset isn’t sleeping. Just move it to correct this.

3. VR Problems with the Controller

VR Headset VR not working

Different problems require appropriate solutions. Here are some controller VR issues that users reported:

Issues with the controller track pad

  1. Ensure the controller firmware is the latest. To check the firmware, go to SteamVR > Devices > Update Firmware.
  2. Hold down the System button to turn off the controller.
  3. Hold down the Trigger and Grip button, and then press the System button.
  4. A different noise other than the power noise would be heard. This is an indication that the controller is on.

Controller LED should be in the right state

LED light VR problems

  • Green color indicates the ready state for Vive (fully charged and on).
  • Blue color indicates the connecting process. Controllers can be paired in this state.
  • Blinking blue indicates paring mode.
  • White indicates the ready state for Vive pre-development kit (fully charged and off).
  • Orange is an indication that the controller is charging.
  • Blinking red indicates low battery

 Unconnected controller issues

  • First, ensure that the controller is charged and turned on.
  • Ensure the controllers are well plugged into the outlet and power adapter.
  • Check the LED colors and make sure that everything is in order.
  • For a solid red light, restart the controller. Hold down all buttons except the System button and plug the controller into the computer with a micro USB cord.
  • Release the buttons after several seconds.

4. VR Problems with Wireless Receivers

The Vive headset comes with two inbuilt wireless receivers. These are necessary for communicating with the controllers. Various issues can arise while using them. See the troubleshooting VR problems windows 10 and the solutions.

Not recognizing USB

  1. For this problem contact Steam support.
  2. Send a copy of the system Report as well.

Wireless receiver not detected

  1. Go to the StreamVR and select Settings, then USB.
  2. Click the Refresh button before the status update.
  3. Ensure that the wireless receiver 1 and 2 is highlighted by checking the appropriate buttons. If not, unplug the device from the PC. Use a different USB port to connect the wireless receiver.
  4. Wait for the device to refresh the status again.

Just reset the USB devices

Sometimes resetting the devices can help take care of some basic setting problems. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Ensure to unplug all cables from the computer before commencing.
  2. Go to SteamVR > Settings then the Developer.
  3. Click on Yes to uncheck all SteamVR USB Devices.
  4. Connect the cables and re-launch the SteamVR.

5. VR Problems with the Headset

VR not working headset

Like every other device, the headset comes with its problems. These problems range from, headset not being detected, and state of the headset LED and so on. Here are some solutions to these problems on Windows 10 devices.

Headset not detected

  1. Make sure the headset is plugged in.
  2. Connect the three orange headset tethers properly to the orange ports in the Link Box. It should override the problem afterward.

Blurry headset

This might be an issue with the Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD). Images get blurry when the IPD does not correctly calibrate the distance it has measured between the eyes. To resolve this issue:

  1. Place a ruler on the nose just slightly aligning close to the eyes.
  2. Keep the left eye closed while looking directly through the right eye.
  3. Align the end of the ruler, lined up to the center of the eyes without moving it.
  4. Try to calculate the distance.

Once measured, change the IPD measurement manually in the WMR setting by:

  1. Right-clicking the Right button > Settings > Mixed reality > Headset display.
  2. Click measurement field ( the calibration section) > type the IPD value.

Headset and tracking issues

Headset tracking issues, particularly in a room-scale situation could be quite challenging. To solve the problem of the headset losing track, make sure the light in the VR room is on. This help ensures that the cameras have a good view of what’s around.

When dealing with pop up error messages, the boundary set up should be re-run with this step.

  1. From the start menu or Taskbar > launch the Mixed Reality > click the Boundary button.
  2. Click on the Run Setup > Set me up for all experiences. Follow the on-screen steps.

In the case where the HMD’s display freezes completely simply restart the Mixed Reality portal or the PC.

With the above guide, fixing VR problems Windows 10 shouldn’t be so difficult anymore, so be sure to try all of our solutions.

READ ALSO:

Groove Music OneDrive track streaming ends March 31st

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 users will no longer be able to use the Groove Music app to stream music from OneDrive. 

The decision will impact Windows 10 Xbox One consoles, phones and PCs along with Forza Horizon 3.

Notably, users were able to play their favorite games while enjoying music through Groove. However, it is worth mentioning that change applies only to music streaming options.

You will be able to enjoy your music files stored on OneDrive if it is synced to your PC. Otherwise, by the end of April, you can continue to play the music through the OneDrive app but you will lose all the data that is stored with Groove services. 

The decision sparked anger among users

Furthermore, as we already know, Microsoft has retired the Groove apps for iOS and Android.

This time. the company moved a step further by removing the streaming ability from OneDrive music folder to Groove. Most users are still concerned about how the change will affect the Xbox users.

They have various questions in mind so it resulted in a conversation in a Reddit thread. 

The decision sparked anger among the users who are used to playing music while playing their favorite games. One of the users stated:

Man this really bugs me. I use this feature all the time. There are certain games i only play while streaming my own music. I dont want to either use or pay for Spotify. It’s not like local streaming works properly like it used to on the Xbox 360, it never behaves itself properly.
Seems dumb that MS is pushing streaming with things like Xcloud but they’re taking streaming options away from people who pay money for Onedrive storage options. Not impressed.

Some of the users even went on to suggest some possible workarounds to continue using the Xbox version of Groove beyond April 2019.

You can stream from PC to Xbox, by finding the files in File Explorer, right-clicking, Play To > Xbox. It will start up Groove on the Xbox and play the songs over your local network.
Not very elegant or intuitive though, because you need to keep the PC on, and use it to select songs. Groove + OneDrive was such a simple and useful solution.

Moreover, another user suggested using Spotify, to listen to the albums you have bought on Amazon via the Prime Music app. 

Groove will continue to work

Groove users don’t need to worry as the app will continue to work normally. Users will just not be able to access the OneDrive music inside the app’s library. You will still be able to access the OneDrive music outside of the Groove app.

It seems like a permanent workaround is on the way as a user has claimed to work on it.

I’m currently playing around with an app that can do local playback, since that’s simple enough to set up. OneDrive playback seems to require a new Graph API, which I am trying to figure out. Ideally I’d like it to handle local, OneDrive, network…

Will put all the code and a download (AppX) on GitHub once it’s mostly functional, and if it works well enough, I’ll look into a Store release, so it can be used on Xbox without dev mode. Can’t offer any sort of ETA, as this is a side project I literally just started, but it’s something I’ll be using myself, so I’ll be sure to get something working.

The users have to wait and watch until a reliable alternative is rolled out to the Windows 10 users.

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Could Not Find This Item. This is no Longer Located [Fix]

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

The main question we look forward to answering today is How to delete the undeletable folder or file in Windows. The situation arises when you get the Could not find this item This is no longer located error.

If you’ve bumped into a hurdle and there’s no obvious solution for the problem, make sure to check the steps we provided below. They should help you.

What is the error file not located?

This peculiarity is mostly provoked by, believe it or not, unsupported characters in files’ or folders’ names. Even though it seems like a minor inconvenience, Windows won’t be able to access the files it can’t read.

Therefore, most of the time, the presence of an awkward sign or letter can, so to say, corrupt the path, thus preventing you from deleting the folder or file.

Of course, you can’t use unsupported signs or letters while naming files or folders, but that doesn’t apply to downloaded files or files you transfer from other systems.

How do I delete a file that says no longer located?

1. Rename the folder or file

Simply locate the problematic file or folder, right-click on it, and choose Rename. Alternatively, you can double-click the file name and enter the new one. Make sure not to use any special characters this time.

The GUI method to rename a file works in most cases when you get the Could not find this item This is no longer located error. But if that doesn’t work, use Command Prompt.

2. Rename via Command Prompt

  1. Type cmd in Search bar, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run an administrator.run command prompt
  2. Find your way to the folder or file location.
  3. Click on the blank space in the address bar and press Ctrl + C to copy the path. We’ll use the following path as an example: C:\Users\LenovoZ570\Downloads 
  4. Don’t forget to replace our path with yours.
  5. In the command line, type the following lines and press Enter after each: cd C:UsersLenovoZ570Downloads dir /xcould not find this item this is no longer located in
  6. You should see the list of all available files stored in the following folder. You should look at DOS names in the first column and locate the troubling folder or file.
  7. Enter the ren command first, then the current name, and afterward, the new name. That should look like this example: ren TEST1~1 TEST2could not find this item this is no longer located in
  8. Press Enter, and you should be good to go.

With that, you should be able to remove the file or folder permanently. Remember that the deleted files aren’t stored in Recycle Bin after the Command Prompt deletion. After that, you should be in the clear.

We know that this second method isn’t exactly what you usually want to do when a file won’t delete. Luckily, there are not many files acting weird and repellent, or it would be quite a drag using Windows, wouldn’t it?

And once done, the Could not find this item This is no longer located error shouldn’t appear again.

Before you leave, find out how to recover deleted files in Windows.

To share additional fixes, drop a comment below.

How to permanently remove Continue to watch message on Netflix

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

After signing up for a subscription to Netflix, you let yourself get carried away by the excitement and start episodes on episodes. You leave many in the middle, waiting to find that series that could capture your heart and, of course, your attention . After some time, however, you realize that all those unfinished episodes remain there, on the Netflix playback list. They are ready to be resumed by simply pressing the Play button.

You have decided to take the situation in your hands and understand how to remove continue to watch on Netflix. You want those “suggestions” to disappear forever.

In this article, we will explain to you how to complete this operation on both versions of Netflix.

  • based on the browser (for computers)
  • base on the apps available for the various devices.

The steps that you will read in this article do not provide any kind of modification or unofficial procedure. The deletion of content from the lists of vision is a feature already integrated into Netflix.

Delete Continue Watching on Netflix with these solutions

  1. Remove Continue to watch on Netflix from PC
  2. Remove Continue to watch on Netflix from smartphones, tablets and other devices

1. Remove Continue to watch on Netflix from PC

continue watching NETFLIX

As you well know, it is possible to take advantage of Netflix content even from the most modern computer browsers. You have the possibility of using all the features offered by the app, including the management of the profile and of your personal account.

To remove Continue to watch on Netflix using your computer, you need to act on this last aspect. In other words, you have to access the account page from your browser. From there, delete from viewing activities that you want to disable.

  1. Access the main Netflix page from the Internet browser you usually use.
  2. Press the red Login button located in the upper right corner of the page.
  3. Type the credentials associated with your Netflix account in the Email and Password boxes.
  4. Click on the Login button to enter your personal area.

If you no longer remember the password to access the service, follow the next steps:

  1. Click on the link Help us located in the lower right corner of the access box.
  2. Choose the reset option for your password.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions carefully to proceed.

If you no longer have access to the email or phone number with which you registered, follow the next steps:

  1. Click on the link I do not remember my email address or my phone number.
  2. Specify your name, your surname and your credit card number on Netflix.
  3. Click the Find Accounts button
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the recovery process.

Once you have access to your account, follow the next steps:

  1. Click on the user from which you want to delete the viewing activity (eg Tom).
  2. Press the image of the profile located at the top right.
  3. From the menu that opens, select the Account item.

When you reach the next window, follow the next steps:

  1. Scroll down to find the My Profile section,
  2. Click on the Content Activity link
  3. Identify, on the next page, the episode to be deleted from the “keep watching” list.
  4. Click on the icon in the form of a bin on the far right, to delete it from the viewing activity. If it is your intention to eliminate from your “keep watching” the entire series, click on the link Hide series? which appears later in the box.

Please note that deleting the episode / series from viewing activity will affect all devices associated with the account. To re-add the episode or series in the “keep watching” section, all you have to do is start playing it again in Netflix.

remove series continue watching

2. Remove Continue to watch on Netflix from smartphones, tablets and other devices

You don’t use Netflix from your computer but instead you rely on apps for smartphones, tablets, consoles or Smart TVs? Do not worry, erasing episodes and entire series from watching is very easy! We will explain it to you in the following steps:

  1. Start the Netflix app from the device you want to act on
  2. Access it by tapping the Login button located at the top right.
  3. Complete this operation, choose the profile on which you intend to operate by tapping the relative image placed on the next screen.
  4. Tap the icon ☰ placed at the bottom right
  5. Choose the item Account from the menu displayed on the screen.
  6. At this point, it should automatically open a default browser window, which shows the account management page. Scroll down the latter, until you find the box My profile.
  7. Touch the entry Watch content and wait for the summary page containing the episodes to be shown on the screen.
  8. Touch the icon in the form of a bin placed next to the episode that you intend to remove from the “keep watching” on Netflix.

Even in this case, the propagation of the change could take up to 24 hours. If your goal is to delete the whole series from the watch list, touch the Hide series link.

You do not have the Netflix app installed but you still want to remove “keep watching on Netflix”? You can follow the next steps:

  1. Browse on this page using the browser that suits you best (eg Google Chrome for Android).
  2. Log in to Netflix.
  3. Press the ☰ button located at the top left.
  4. Select the Account item (located just below the account name and profile picture).
  5. Follow the same instructions we gave you earlier.

We hope that our guide was useful. You can leave us your comments in the “Comments” section below.

HP announces new hardware, including a new Windows Mixed Reality headset at Reinvent conference

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

HP has announced their new Reverb Virtual Reality Headset as part of their their Reinvent event, which will support Windows Mixed Reality, as well as Steam VR for gaming, both right out of the box. The new devices includes upgraded specs, including the much larger 2160 x 2160 per eye screen resolution and an expanded 114-degree field of view.

HP is offering a Consumer Edition of the device for $599, but given the lack of games and entertainment apps for the Windows Mixed Reality platform as well as its lack of manufacturer support, the more significant device is likely the Professional version—which comes with an additional 2-foot cable and fabric mask. Microsoft has been pushing Windows Mixed Reality for businesses, which is especially clear with the announcement of the upcoming HoloLens 2 headset.

The recently announced headset isn’t the first from HP, with the first generation device having been released over a year back. However, the new device greatly increases the screen resolution and also slightly expands its field of view for a vastly improved viewing experience. It’s expected to released late next month on its website, and will include the same Bluetooth controllers as the previous generation device.

In addition to the VR headset that was revealed, HP has also announced multiple Envy branded laptops for small businesses, with 13- and 17-inch versions of the traditional laptop formfactor powered by either the 2nd generation AMD Ryzen processor or an 8th gen Intel Core i5 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphic card, respectively. If the 2-in-1 formfactor is more your style, the new x360 line of laptops are also available in 13- and 15-inch variants, with both powered by AMD processors, although the latter size has the option of an Intel Core processor instead.

As far as pricing and availability goes, the devices are supposed to go on sale gradually between April and June on HP’s website, with the cheapest model coming with an asking price of $699. The larger 15- and 17-inch devices mentioned are also expected to see their way to Best Buy stores beginning in May.

Microsoft to store native Teams data in France

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft is making a change to Teams users in France, as data from within the app will now be stored within the country for new account holders. The company says that the change will help regulated businesses, such as banks, schools, healthcare agencies and the government to comply with their data residency requirements.

As described in their blog post, Microsoft stores teams data, including chat logs, images, voice messages, contacts, and files in an Azure server from the user’s tenant country, with available locations being the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, India, Japan, and others. If the user resides in a country that is not yet available, Microsoft will store most of the data in one of three locations—the U.S., Europe, or the Asia-Pacific region—depending on which is closer to the datacenter.

New customers who sign up will now have the option to store their Teams data in one of two of the French Azure datacenters, either in French Central (Paris) or French South (Marseille). While the change doesn’t yet apply to new users, Microsoft says that current users will soon be able to migrate their data from the old European datacenters over to the local datacenters sometime this year.

Microsoft Teams is the latest of the Microsoft 365 apps to join the French datacenter party, as the company’s other Online services such as Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business already use them. Microsoft says it’s working on making all Office 365 files stored locally in all of the correct countries, with the United Arab Emirates and South Africa (both of which also store data in Europe) coming soon.

Microsoft celebrates half a million organizations using Teams, announces upcoming Microsoft Whiteboard integration and more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft Teams is celebrating its second anniversary this week, and the software giant has just announced a new milestone for the Slack competitor. There are now more than 500,000 organizations using Microsoft Teams across 181 markets (up from 200K organizations a year ago), including 91 Fortune 500 companies.

The company also said that 150 organizations using Teams have 10,000 or more active users, which shows that the app can fit the needs of both SMBs and very large organisations.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced some important Teams updates including a customizable mobile Teams experience and a schedule management tool called Shifts. Today, the Redmond giant announced more new capabilities coming later this year, including customized backgrounds for video calls. This is an evolution of the intelligent background blur technology that debuted in Teams last year.

Animated image showing customizable backgrounds utilized in Teams.

Microsoft Teams is also getting live captions and subtitles, a feature that recently launched in both Skype and PowerPoint. “Live captions & subtitles make your Teams meetings more inclusive for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing, have different levels of language proficiency, or are connecting from a loud location,” the company explained.

Image showing live captions and subtitles utilized in Teams.

Microsoft Teams is already a solid option for conference calls, but Microsoft announced today that the Live events feature that supports up to 10,000 attendees is now generally available. This feature also integrates with other Microsoft 365 tools like Stream or Yammer, and it also uses AI to provide automatic transcriptions.

Microsoft Teams Rooms, the company’s complete meetings and calling solution previously known as Skype Room Systems is also getting a new features. Today’s blog post mentioned an upcoming Microsoft Whiteboard integration, as well as support for additional cameras for capturing content. “Using any USB camera, Microsoft Teams Rooms leverages Microsoft’s new Intelligent Capture processing to capture, focus, resize, and enhance whiteboard images and text, so remote attendees can clearly see whiteboard brainstorming in real-time, even when someone is standing in front of the whiteboard,” the company explained. You can see how it will work in the GIF below.

Animated image showing Intelligent Capture utilized in Teams.

Other updates coming to Microsoft Teams later this year are secure private channels, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in chats and conversations, as well as Information barriers for preventing conflicts of interest in an organisation. Lastly, Microsoft announced this week that Microsoft Teams now provides data residency for France using to the two data centers that recently opened in the country.

Microsoft Launcher set to unveil 5.3.0 beta with multiple time/weather widgets, work accounts, more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft Launcher beta testers will be able to enjoy a new update today, as the team behind the app have announced the release of version 5.3 for those who sign up to try early releases. The update seems to mostly focus on aesthetic changes at first glance, with the company redesigning the time/weather widget, replacing the Segoe UI font with Android’s own Roboto font, among other unnamed UI improvements.

Of course, UI improvements aren’t the only new additions, with the new time and weather widget now supporting multiple sizes, and now allows user to place multiple widgets each with a different custom locations. Microsoft has also added support for work accounts to be used, which the company says will give those users access to their work apps. Here’s the full list of changes:

– Time/Weather widget redesign- Now you can have multiple widgets in multiple sizes in multiple styles for multiple locations! Also check out the updated and more detailed L2 page with hourly and 10 day forecast.
– UX refinements to the Home Screen, Dock and Search widget
– Tasks card now supports “My Day” and “Flagged Emails” from Microsoft To Do
– News tab now supports “Technology” as a news interest
– Font type changed from Segoe UI to Roboto
– Work profile customers can now get access to their work apps
– Beta community link in Settings changed to lead to Microsoft Tech Community

Interestingly, with the downfall of the Google+ social media service, the company has moved its official Microsoft Launcher community for the Android app over to the company’s own Tech Community. This means that those beta testing the app and wishing to provide feedback will now need to do so from there, as Google+ will be officially retired from consumers as early as next month.

The beta update will rollout to users gradually, with the launcher’s blog post saying that the update will need “a couple of hours or a day to propagate” before the update will be available for all users. Those who aren’t signed up to test the app can do so from the launcher’s Google Play beta testing page.

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Xbox Game Pass’ Twitter is teasing another big video game announcement

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account has once again begun teasing video games that are coming to the service in the near future.

In the tweet (see below), readers are told that two new games will be coming to Xbox Game Pass this week. The title of one is teased by the inclusion of two male head emoji.

Over on Reddit, quite a few gamers are speculating that this clue could be hinting at Deus Ex Mankind Divided while others think it could be a reference to the next episode of Life is Strange 2 or A Way Out though.

Of course, the Xbox Game Pass Twitter is known for its sense of humor and this clue could just be one big troll or a hint at a title only vaguely connected to the emoji.

What do you think the game will be? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.