Page 1209 • Windows Report

Discounted Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and 10 Apps & Games This Week

Posted on June 6, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has kickstarted the Red Stripe Deals on apps and games from the Windows Store just like it does it for Windows Phone. Here are the discounted Windows 8 apps and games for this week.

The Red Stripe Deals on Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows RT apps and games from the Windows Store is now available for users and Microsoft will be publishing each week usually three of them – one Xbox game, one indie game, and one top-rated app.

But we’re also reaching out to Windows 8 developers to contact us and inform them of their discounts, if some. This way, we will have more discounted games and apps to choose from the Windows Store

Reckless Racing Ultimate

Original Price: $4.99. Sale price: $2.49

There seems to be a problem with this discount because a lot of people still see the previous five dollars price and I can confirm this, as well. Guys, do fix it as soon as possible, because Reckless Racing Ultimate is one Windows 8 racing game we don’t want to miss!

Einstein Brain Trainer HD

Original price: $5.99. Sale price: $2.99

Brain training apps on Windows 8 are pretty awesome as you get to keep your memory and logic fit. Einstein Brain Trainer HD comes with 30 levels to stimulate your brain’s activity, from the most easy to hard levels.

Joining Hands 2

Original price: $3.49. Sale price: $1.49

Joining Hands 2 sequel builds on the success of the first version and comes with more than 140 fun and challenging levels where you will play with 8 kinds of adorable Peablin characters.

Let’s hope that future Red Stripe Deals will include free apps and games from the Windows Store, as well. For now, I am sure that there are developers who have discounted their apps, so feel free to reach out.

Other discounted Microsoft Store apps and games [Update]

Since this article was written, many other offers for interesting apps and games appeared. Every week there are different promotions on Microsoft Store but some games remain ‘appealing’ even if they’re not discounted this week. Here’s are some lists of games and apps that can be found on Microsoft Store and work on :

Let us know which games you found and played at the best price in the comments section.

Dell and AlienWare introduce new Inspiron Gaming Desktop, Alienware accessories and gaming programs ahead of E3

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

Dell and its gaming subsidiary Alienware are getting ready for E3 2018 with a couple of interesting announcements today. First of all, Dell has updated its Inspiron Gaming desktop with 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors (up to 8 core, 16-thread), a USB Type-C 3.1 port, up to six USB 3.0 ports and a high-capacity hard drive, all within a nice chassis with Polar Blue LED lighting. The new gaming desktop will start at $849 USD with optional dual-drive and SSD, and Dell says it will be available in US, Australia, New Zealand, China and South Korea mid-June.

Dell also announced some new Alienware accessories today, including the first Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset that will be available in the US on June 11. The premium gaming headset will be priced at $229, and for this price you’ll get a noise-cancelling microphone, support 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound and a “durable yet lightweight” design.

Also new is the next-gen Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse that will feature two interchangeable side wings, 11 programmable buttons and five configurable DPI levels. The new $89.99 gaming mouse will be available in the US starting July 31.

Last but not least, Dell also announced the Alienware Academy online training platform today, which will provide lessons to aspiring esports pros. Created in partnership with Tobii and Team Liquid, the training portal will be available as a closed beta later this month with a first series of online lessons focused on the popular shooter Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Additionally, Alienware is transforming its Arewa Rewards Program with a new mobile app that will allow gamers to earn Arena Rewards Points and Dell Advantage Rewards though games and challenges. The Alienware Arena app will launch on the Google Play Store on June 12, and you’ll have to sign up for both Arena and Dell Advantage to join the fun

Microsoft Solitaire is now optimized for Windows 10/11

Posted on June 6, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The Microsoft Solitaire Collection app from the Windows Store hasn’t been updated to Windows 8.1 right after Microsoft made available the update to Windows 8. Now, the Solitaire app has been officially made compatible with Windows 8.1

The good old Microsoft games that many of you know, such as Solitaire, Mahjong (which is now TapTiles), FreeCell or Spider have been given a serious revamp in Windows 8.1. That’s why all of them look so great on your Windows 8 tablets. Now, the beloved Microsoft Solitaire Collection has finally been optimized for Windows 8.1 in the latest update.

The release note for the Microsoft Solitaire Collection Windows Store app say that it is now optimized for Windows 8.1 and that general bug fixes and optimizations have been put in place. Also, the ability to reset the game statistics has been added. But what I know is that the release note don’t cover what the users are saying.

So, looking through the reviews I’ve seen that many of the sound problems with Microsoft Solitaire Collection after the upgrade to Windows 8.1 have disappeared, as well as other crashing problems. The Microsoft Solitaire Collection should come built-in with your Windows 8.1 system, but if it is not, for a certain reason, then follow the link from below to download it.

Download Microsoft Solitaire Collection for Windows 8

Microsoft Solitaire Collection after optimization for Windows 10, 8.1 [Update]

After this optimization that continued Microsoft’s old games revamping processes, Redmond giant has released iOS and Android versions for Microsoft Solitaire Collection. Apparently, there are many users that still like these games and want them functional on other devices.

However, after this optimization many issues still occurred, for example, display issues: driver errors caused by Pyramid and Tri Peaks for Intel Graphics based users or blank board appearing in daily challenges window. But do not worry, Microsoft fixed these glitches and now you can play Solitaire collection without any problem.

Windows 10 Insider build 17686 brings new Region page in Settings, Privacy and Windows Mixed Reality improvements

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

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The Windows 10 Insider build 17686 is now available to download for Fast and Skip Ahead Insiders, and this new release is a pretty minor one. The most important addition is the new Region page in the Windows 10 Settings app, which will make it easier for Windows 10 users to change default regional format settings and download Local Experience Packs from the Microsoft Store. You’ll also find new pop up notifications when apps require access to your microphone (only if your privacy settings blocked access to it).

The release notes also mention a couple of improvements for Windows Mixed Reality, such as the ability to access the portal without having a monitor connected to your PC. You can find more details about what’s new below:

Improved Local Experience

We have introduced a new Region page that allows overrides to default regional format settings such as Calendar, First day of the week, Dates, Times, and Currency. Please go to Settings App – Time & Language – Region and give it a try.

Local Experience Packs are Microsoft Store apps that deliver Windows display language quality improvements. You can now access them easily via the Settings App. Please go to Settings App – Time & Language – Language. Once here click on Add a Windows display language with Local Experience Packs link to download a Local Experience Pack from the Microsoft Store and start enjoying Windows in your preferred language.

Privacy Improvements

We wanted to let you know that if access to the microphone has been disabled in your privacy settings, we’ll now pop a notification the first time an attempt to use the microphone is blocked so you can review the settings if desired.

Windows Mixed Reality Improvements

This build includes several improvements for Windows Mixed Reality users:

This build no longer requires a physical monitor to be connected while running Mixed Reality in cases such as backpack PCs. Setting up WMR for the first time in Mixed Reality Portal and unlocking the PC on the sign in screen still, require a monitor to be connected initially. However, you can configure auto login to prevent needing to sign in for subsequent usage here. Using Windows Mixed Reality while standing requires setting up a room boundary.

Apps running in Windows Mixed Reality can now make use of the Camera Capture UI API to capture images of the mixed reality world using the system capture experience. Try running Mail in the Cliff House and inserting an image from your camera in a new message to share an image of the scenic view.

We’ve also made some adjustments to the mixed reality video capture experience in this build to make it easier to stop videos from the Start menu.

As usual, this build also comes with a couple of bug fixes and improvements, including a more polished black theme for the Windows 10 File Explorer. You can download this latest build right now from Windows Update, let us know in the comments if you encounter any issues after proceeding.

Microsoft wants more women to return to the company after taking leave

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft’s track record with women and inherent business division policies have been in long-standing contention that has been recently highlighted by several reports of bullying, harassment, and discrimination all culminated in a potential class-action lawsuit for the company.

Perhaps, in an attempt to combat the negative impact of its recent gender oriented turmoil, Microsoft is in the midst of expanding its efforts to hire women looking to rejoin the workforce after taking personal leave for various reasons.

According to Reuters, Microsoft will be boosting its “returnship” programs which make up a portion of its LEAP diversity initiative to focus on reintegrate women into workspaces through trainee and contract work.

“Not only do we want to empower women’s come back but also tap into non-traditional talent pools,” said Microsoft Human Resources Manager Belen Welch in a May 31 LinkedIn post promoting the program, which is the second iteration of a program first established in 2017.

According to the job posting by Microsoft, the current crop of returnship trainees will be shipped to Vancouver, Canada as part of a two-division team focused on virtual and augmented reality and the other as part of a video game studio.

Despite the mounting complaints from current and former female Microsoft employees, the company maintains a 26 percent female workforce across its worldwide presence and 19 percent in its leadership positions within the business according to the company’s own self-published diversity figures.

The returnship program is yet another small initiative by Microsoft to address past and present discriminatory practices that are embedded within the company and have put its employees in uncomfortable working environments or flat out caused them to leave the company.

The issue of gender discrimination isn’t unique to Microsoft, but the way the company chooses to address it is. Thus far, 20 employees associated with the 84 complaints of gender discrimination have been fired, but Microsoft has a long way to go judging by the 238 internal complaints filed by employees.

Microsoft announces Windows 10 IoT Core Services at Computex, promises 10 years of updates for OEMs

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

In addition to announcing a new product category called Windows Collaboration Displays at Computex yesterday, Microsoft also unveiled a new service offering for OEMs creating commercial IoT devices running Windows 10 IoT. Called Windows 10 IoT Core Services, the paid offering will provide Microsoft’s IoT partners 10 years of support for their devices, as well as the ability to manage updates and check their health.

“This new service offering enables partners to commercialize a secure Internet of Things (IoT)-device backed by industry-leading support, explained Rushmi Malaviarachchi, Partner Group Program Manager, Windows 10 IoT. “It provides device makers the ability to manage updates for the OS, apps, settings and OEM-specific files, and is backed by 10 years of support.”

Microsoft announced back in February that the next releases of Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise would offer 10 years of support, but Windows 10 IoT Core Services is aiming commercial IoT devices that “need to be supported and in service for far longer than their consumer counterparts,” the company said today. The new paid offering is currently in limited preview and it will be generally available later this year.

Full Fix: System Restore error 0x80070091 on Windows 10, 7

Posted on June 6, 2018October 3, 2025 by Madalina Dinita

Windows 10 is a reliable OS, but this doesn’t mean that it’s never affected by any issues. Sometimes, due to severe issues, users are left with no option but to perform a system restore. In this manner, the PC is taken back to an earlier point in time, called a system restore point when the OS worked perfectly fine.

Many Windows 10 users have recently reported that the system restore process fails to complete. More specifically, the process launches, but then suddenly freezes and an error message appears on the screen.

Many first thought that this error was caused by the latest Patch Tuesday updates, but this is not the case. The first wave of reports arrived in February.

System Restore error 0x80070091

Here’s how one user describes the issue:

I tried SysRes from two points, both with same failure.
System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer’s system files and
settings were not changed.
Details:
System Restore failed while restoring the directory from the restore point.
Source: AppxStaging
Destination: %ProgramFiles%WindowsApps
An unspecified error occurred during System Restore. (0x80070091)
The two attempts were from: choose a different restore point>show more restore points type Backup. I really need this function to work. Any solutions out there?

The good news is that Microsoft has recently acknowledged this issue. The company promised it would roll out a hotfix as soon as possible.
At the same time, it has also offered a temporary workaround that advanced users can use to fix error 0x80070091.

System Restore Error 0x80070091 can prevent you from fixing certain issues on your PC. Speaking of this error, here are some similar issues that users reported:

Windows 10 System Restore did not complete successfully – This message usually appears if there’s an issue with System Restore. However, you should be able to fix this problem with one of our solutions.
0x80070091 Windows 7 – This error can appear on older versions of Windows as well. Even if you don’t use Windows 10, you should know that almost all of our solutions can be applied to Windows 7 and 8 alike.
System Restore encountered error, unexpected error, unknown error – Sometimes you might encounter certain errors while trying to perform System Restore. In most cases these issues are caused by corrupted system files, so be sure to check for file corruption.
System Restore failed due to antivirus – In some cases, this issue can appear due to your antivirus. Antivirus can interfere with your operating system and cause this issue to appear, so be sure to disable it and check if that solves the problem.

1. Rename the WindowsApp folder from Safe Mode

Boot into Safe Mode.
Right click on Start and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
Type these commands below one by one:
- cd C:Program Files
- takeown /f WindowsApps /r /d Y
- icacls WindowsApps /grant “%USERDOMAIN%%USERNAME%”:(F) /t
- attrib WindowsApps -h
- rename WindowsApps WindowsApps.old
Reboot back into Windows.
Run System Restore.

2. Check your antivirus

Using an antivirus is rather important if you want to protect your PC from online threats, however, sometimes your antivirus can interfere with your system and cause this error to occur.

If you’re having error 0x80070091 on your PC, you might want to try disabling certain antivirus features. Sometimes your antivirus can block other applications from accessing certain directories, and that can lead to this issue.

If the problem is still present, you might have to completely disable your antivirus. In the worst-case scenario, you might even have to uninstall your antivirus. Once your antivirus is removed, check if the problem is resolved.

If your antivirus was the issue, it might be a good time to consider switching to different antivirus software. There are many great antivirus tools on the market, but the best is Bitdefender, so feel free to try it.

You can as well choose from a multitude of compatible antivirus programs that will not interfere with other services and cause System Restore errors.

3. Remove problematic applications

Sometimes this problem can occur due to certain applications. If you installed any new applications recently, it might be a good idea to remove them and check if that solves the problem.

There are many ways to uninstall an application, but the best way is to use uninstaller software. These applications are specially designed to remove all files and registry entries associated with the application you want to remove, so be sure to try them out.

Hence, in order to entirely delete problematic software or junk files, you can perform the task using a famous cleanup software like CCleaner.

4. Use Linux Live CD

If you’re having problems with System Restore and error 0x80070091, you might be able to fix the problem using Linux Live CD. To do that, simply download any version of Linux and create bootable media.

Once you boot from the bootable media, choose the option to Try Linux without installing. Now go to C:Program Files and rename WindowsApps directory to WindowsApps.old.

After doing that, restart your PC and boot to Windows. Take ownership of WindowsApps.old directory and try to perform System Restore again.

5. Run chkdsk scan

According to users, sometimes file corruption can cause error 0x80070091 to appear while performing System Restore. To fix the problem, you need to perform chkdsk scan. This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:

Open Command Prompt as administrator.
Now enter chkdsk /f X: command. Be sure to replace X with your system drive. In most cases that would be C. Now press Enter to run the command.
You’ll be asked to schedule a disk scan at the next reboot. Enter Y and press Enter to confirm.
Restart your PC.

Chkdsk scan will now start. The scan can take about 15 minutes or more depending on the size of your system drive. Once the scan is finished, check if the problem still appears.

6. Keep your system up to date

According to users, this issue can appear if your system is out of date. However, you can easily solve this issue by updating your operating system. In most cases, Windows automatically installs the missing updates, but sometimes you might miss an update or two due to certain issues.

However, you can always check for missing updates manually. To do that, just follow these steps:

Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
Now go to Update & Security section.
Click Check for updates button.

Windows will now check for available updates. If any updates are available, they will be downloaded in the background. Once the updates are downloaded, you just need to restart your PC to install them. After updating your PC to the latest version, check if the issue is resolved.

7. Use third-party tools

According to users, a 0x80070091 error can appear due to problems with your WindowsApps folder. However, you might be able to solve the issue by using a third-party tool such as Unlocker. To fix the issue, you need to do the following:

Download and install Unlocker.
Now navigate to C:Program Files. Right-click WindowsApps folder and choose Unlocker from the menu.
Select Rename from the dropdown menu and change the name of the directory to WindowsApps.old. Click OK to save changes.
If you get a message asking you to rename the object at boot, choose Yes.

After doing that, you should be able to perform System Restore without any problems. As you can see, this solution is rather simple, and if you’re not too fond of the command line, you might want to try this solution out.

8. Remove problematic updates

If this issue started appearing recently, it’s rather likely that an update caused it. Windows 10 installs updates automatically, and sometimes certain updates can lead to issues such as this one. If you suspect that an update caused this issue, we recommend removing problematic updates.

Removing installed updates is rather simple, and you can do it by following these steps:

Open the Settings app and navigate to Update & Security section.
Now select View installed update history.
Now you should see the names of recent updates. Memorize their names or write them down. Select Uninstall updates.
A list of updates will now appear. Double-click the update you want to remove and follow the instructions on the screen.

Once you remove the update, the problem should be resolved. Keep in mind that Windows 10 automatically installs the missing updates, so the update will be installed again and cause the issue to reappear.

To prevent that from happening, we advise you to block automatic Windows updates. By doing that, you’ll stop this update from installing and the issue won’t appear anymore.

And this should help you to get rid of the error 0x80070091.

Sharp & Avocor to make Windows Collaboration Displays, a Surface Hub alternative

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

Today at Computex 2018 in Taipei, Microsoft revealed the Windows Collaboration Displays, a new category of devices designed targeted at businesses.

“These large, interactive displays will let people experience Microsoft 365 collaboration tools: Office, Teams and Whiteboard at room scale, and include built-in sensors that can connect to Azure IoT spatial intelligence capabilities,” Microsoft’s Nick Parker said in an official blog post. “This incredible technology will allow facility managers to utilize environmental data to make real-time decisions.”

Sharp and Avocor are confirmed to be making Windows Collaboration Displays for release later in 2018. No details specifications on models have been revealed yet however the Windows Collaboration Displays made by Sharp (see above image) is confirmed to be 70″ in size.

Windows Collaboration Displays appear to be an alternative hardware solution to Microsoft’s recently revealed, and very impressive, Surface Hub 2 product.

Are you interested in these Windows Collaboration Displays and do you think they can compete with the Surface Hub 2? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to like us on Facebook for more Microsoft news.

Far Cry 5 Snowshoe Error: How to Fix it

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Far Cry is a popular series, however, many reported that they cannot play the game due to Far Cry 5 Snowshoe error.

This is one of many Far Cry 5 issues you can encounter, and in today’s guide, we’re going to show you the best fixes you can use to fix this issue.

But before we start, let’s see what causes this issue.

What is the error code snowshoe?

Far Cry 5 error Snowshoe-110d8569 can be caused by the following:

Network issues – Network connection can cause this error to appear, so check your network and ensure it’s working properly.
Corrupted game files – File corruption can lead to this error, so check your games for file corruption. In some cases, you might have to reinstall the game to fix this issue.
Antivirus settings – Ensure that antivirus software isn’t blocking your game in any way.

How can I fix the Far Cry 5 Snowshoe error?

1. Troubleshoot the connection

Switch to a wired connection. Avoid using wireless while gaming at all costs as it’s unstable, and the latency spikes are quite common.
Restart your modem.
Flash DNS.
- Press Windows key + R to summon the Run elevated command line.
- In the command line, type the following and press Enter: ipconfig /flushdns
Restart Steam or uPlay.
Check the server status. Maybe others are suffering from the same network lag.
Check your PING on different servers.
Update router/modem firmware.
Consider Port Forwarding and UPnP on the router.

2. Verify game files integrity

Open the uPlay client in Online mode.
Choose Games.
Right-click on Far Cry 5 and choose Verify files.

And this is how the procedure looks on Steam:

Open the Steam client.
Select Library.
Right-click on Far Cry 5 and open Properties.
Click on the Local files tab.
Click on the Verify integrity of game files….

The procedure is almost the same on Steam, so it shouldn’t be an issue to find it in the Settings.

3. Delete Saved games and change the save location

Close the uPlay client. Shut it down completely in Task Manager.
Back up the save games from the following directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher
Navigate to Documents and locate the CPY.ini file.
Open the .ini file with Notepad. Run it as administrator if editing requires administrative permission.
Find Save location and change it. You can set any other destination for the saves — even on a different partition.
Save the changes and restart your PC.
Run the game through uPlay and look for changes.

After changing the save game location, check if Far Cry 5 error Snowshoe-3fa3981e is gone.

4. Add antivirus exception for Far Cry 5

Open Windows Defender from the notification area.
Select Virus & threat protection.
Open Virus & threat protection settings.
Scroll down and, under Exclusions, click Add or remove exclusions.
Select a folder from the drop-down menu and choose Ubisoft folder in the Program Files.

The procedure is similar for third-party antivirus solutions, as well. Also, checking the Firewall permission might help if the issue is persistent. Even though the game should be free to communicate to Public networks by default after the installation.

5. Update uPlay and run as admin

Right-click on the uPlay shortcut and open Properties.
In the Compatibility tab, check the Run this program as an administrator box and confirm changes.
Open uPlay and click on the hamburger menu.
Click Go offline.
Try starting the game.

6. Reinstall Far Cry 5

Type control in the Windows Search bar and open Control Panel.
Click Uninstall a program.
Remove Far Cry 5.
Delete the remaining files from App Data and Program Files folders.
Restart your PC.
Use Steam or uPlay and install the game again.

That’s it. If the Snowshoe error (or any of its variations) still troubles you, sending a ticket to Ubisoft’s support team might be useful.

If you’re having further issues, we suggest reading our Far Cry 5 FPS drops guide for more useful solutions.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the subject, post questions or suggestions. You can do that in the comments section below.

PUBG won’t launch on Xbox One [FIX]

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

PUBG is the battle royale shooter in the class of its own. We can’t say with certainty, but there has never been a game which can evoke so much love and hate at the same time.

Love for the impeccable concept, and hate for the underwhelming execution. Xbox One version came out first and it, seemingly, works better than a PC version.

However, there are some issues which are not glitches or bugs. Some users are unable to launch the game on Xbox One after the update.

We prepared a list of possible solutions but don’t hold your hopes high. If the issue applies only to PUBG, the Bluehole should be held accountable.

Nonetheless, it won’t cost you a thing to try out the steps we enlisted below.

PUBG won’t launch on Xbox One? Here’s what to do

Reset the console
Pause all downloads
Check the connection
Stop Game Sharing
Reinstall the game

We’ve written extensively about PUBG bugs on Xbox before. Bookmark this page in case you need it later.

1: Reset the console

We don’t want to trick you into thinking that these are the fully pledged solutions. The problem is so widespread that chances are that’s one of the recent updates causing it.

However, there are various things you can do to confirm that the root of the issue isn’t on your side.

The first thing you should do whenever your console starts misbehaving is a power cycle or hard restart. This should address all minor system halts and clear the system cache. I

t’s a simple procedure and here’s how to perform it:

Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds or so.
Wait until the console shuts down.
After a minute, turn on the console again and look for changes.

2: Pause all downloads

Some users advised blocking all current downloads while playing the game. This implementation should work fine, but, seemingly, certain online-based games suffer because of it.

So, before you start PUBG next time, make sure to pause all active downloads. After that, just resume the downloads.

Updates-wise, you can’t either pause or cancel those, so make sure to install all updates before starting the game.

Here’s how to pause all active downloads on an Xbox console:

Open My games & apps.
Choose Queue.
Highlight active downloads and press the Menu button.
Choose Pause installation from the menu.

PUBG crashing in-game? Fix this annoying issue with our easy solutions!

3: Check the connection

A lot of talks about PUBG’s performance on Xbox One included connection and the vast plague of issues that emerged.

However, we still would say that a large part of PUBG players has more than sufficient bandwidth and conditions to play the game in a seamless manner.

The problem is, of course, on Bluehole’s side.

Nonetheless, here are some common steps you can take to ensure that your connection is up to the task:

Restart the console.
Restart the router/modem.
Use a wired connection if possible.
Run Xbox network connection test. Navigate to All settings > Network > Network settings > tap Test network connection.
Reset MAC address. Go to Settings > All settings > Network > Network settings > Advanced network settings > Alternate MAC address > tap Clear.
Check the NAT. Make sure that the OPEN NAT type is enabled
Enable QoS in router settings.

Xbox not connecting to Wi-Fi? Here’s what you need to do!

4: Stop Game Sharing

In case you’ve shared your Gamertag with someone and allowed them to access your games, try sticking with just your console. For some reason, this nifty option caused errors for a multitude of users.

After they’ve set their console as the Home console and restored the account, the errors were resolved.

This procedure is rather simple. The only thing you should do is sign-in on your console with your account and choose your console as Home.

In addition, don’t forget that you have yearly limitations on Game Sharing.

5: Reinstall the game

Finally, reinstallation of the game only can help, so we suggest reinstalling PUBG on your console. Even the more consistent platforms created for gaming run into problems from time to time.

Luckily, if it’s to be believed to recent reports, PUBG works much better than before on Xbox One. By reinstalling the game, you’ll get the latest, fully-patched version. So there’s that, too.

Here’s how to reinstall the game on Xbox One:

Navigate to My apps & games.
Choose Games.
Select PUBG from the list and press the Menu button.
Choose Manage Game and then Manage All.
Select Uninstall All and then Uninstall.
Navigate to My apps & games and open the ”Ready to install” section.
Highlight PUBG and select Install.

That’s a wrap. Were you able to resolve the issue or it’s still there? Don’t forget to tell us in the comments and don’t forget to send the ticket to Bluehole. Every voice counts.

RELATED STORIES YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

FIX: No items match your search in Windows 10/11 File Explorer

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Matthew Adams

The File Explorer search tool should find the vast majority of files and folders searched for providing that you enter clear and specific keywords. Yet, File Explorer’s search results might still state “no items match your search” for some users even when they are entering specific keywords for files and folders that are saved on HDDs.

If Explorer isn’t finding files and folders that you’re sure are saved on HDD, you might need to fix its search tool. This is how you can fix the File Explorer search tool when it isn’t working in Windows 10.

How to Fix File Explorer’s Search Tool

Open the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
Restart Cortana
Check Your Indexed Locations
Rebuild the Search Index
Check the Windows Search Service is Enabled
Select the Always Search File Names and Contents Option
Select the Allow Indexing Service Option

1. Open the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter

Windows 10 includes a Search and Indexing troubleshooter that you can utilize to fix the File Explorer search tool. To open that troubleshooter, press the Windows key + X hotkey and select to open Settings.
Enter the keyword ‘troubleshoot’ in the Settings app’s search box, and select Troubleshoot to open a list of troubleshooters.

Select Search and Indexing and press the Run the troubleshooter button to open the window in the image below.

Then select the Files don’t appear in search results check box, and press the Next button.

2. Restart Cortana

Some users have found that restarting Cortana, which powers search in Windows 10, can fix numerous search issues. You can do that by right-clicking the Taskbar and selecting Task Manager.
Select the Processes tab in Task Manager.
Select Cortana under Background Processes.

Then press the End Task button to restart Cortana.

3. Check Your Indexed Locations

File Explorer searches for files in indexed folder locations. So it might be the case that you need to add a few folders to the indexed locations. This is how you can check indexed locations in Windows 10.
Press the Windows key + R, enter ‘Control Panel’ in the Open text box and click OK to open the Control Panel.
Click Indexing Options to open the window in the shot below.

Press the Modify button to open the Indexed Locations window.

Then click the C: drive there to expand folders.
Select the folders that you need to add to indexed locations.
Press the OK button to index the newly selected folders.

4. Rebuild the Search Index

File search errors are often due to corrupted search index. As such, rebuilding the index is one of the best resolutions for fixing the File Explorer and Cortana search tools. You can rebuild the search index as follows.

Open Indexing Options as outlined above.
Press the Advanced button to open the window shown directly below.
Press the Rebuild button on the Index Settings tab.

A Rebuild Index dialog box window will open. Click the OK button on that window to confirm.

5. Check the Windows Search Service is Enabled

The Windows Search service provides content indexing. So you might need to switch that service on, if it’s disabled, to fix the File Explorer search tool. You can check the Windows Search service status as follows.

Press the Windows key + X hotkey.
Click Run to open the Run accessory.
Input ‘services.msc’ in the Open text box, and press the OK button.
Double-click Windows Search on the Services window.

Select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down menu.
Press the Start button if Windows Search is not running.
Click the Apply and OK options to close the window.
If Windows Search is already running, restart the service by right-clicking Windows Search and selecting Restart.

6. Select the Always Search File Names and Contents Option

File Explorer’s Always search file names and contents option is not one selected by default. However, selecting that option will ensure that the File Explorer search utility will always search file names and contents when searching non-indexed locations. You can select that option in Windows 10 as follows.

Press the File Explorer on the Windows 10 taskbar.
Select the View tab.
Press the Options button, and select Change folder and search options on the menu.
Then click the Search tab shown in the shot directly below.

There you can select the Always search file names and contents option.
Press the Apply button.

7. Select the Allow Indexing Service Option

If the File Explorer search tool doesn’t find any files or folders on a USB drive, you might need to select the Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed option for the USB storage device. That option should already be selected for the C: drive. This is how you can select the Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed option.

First, insert your USB flash storage device into a USB slot.
Open File Explorer in Windows 10.
Click This PC on the left of File Explorer.
Right-click the USB drive and select Properties to open the window shown below.

Select the Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed.
Then click the Apply and OK buttons to confirm the newly selected option.

Apart from these options, we recommend using professional third-party software with built-in character recognition technology that can help you find the data you’re searching for within seconds.

This type of tool creates an initial index of your hard disk and gives an easy-to-use search interface that returns results immediately after you enter your term.

The results are organized by file type, and they contain image thumbnails for image matches as well as highlighted keywords in the document preview.

Those are a few of the resolutions that might fix File Explorer’s search tool so that it doesn’t return “no items match your search” in its search results for saved files. Remember that there are numerous third-party search tool software that you can also utilize for searches, and some of those utilities might be better than File Explorer’s search box.

Windows 8.1, 10 App Netflix Updated to Fix Streaming Issues

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The Windows Store Netflix app for Windows 10/8.1 and Windows RT users has received yet another update that seems to be fixing some streaming problems for several users. Download and install the app to get rid of them

The Windows 8.1 Netflix app has received a new update in the Windows Store that has no change log as of now. But, according to some forum postings and reviews that I’ve observed on the Windows Store, the update has been made available to fix some streaming issues that several users have been complaining about.

Netflix is one of the best movie apps a Windows 8 user could have in their collection, so it has millions of customers from all over the world. Besides solving the streaming issue, the app now seems snappier, so we suspect a performance improvement has also been made. The app’s description goes like this:

Netflix is the world’s leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies. Get the free app as a part of your Netflix membership and you can instantly watch thousands of TV episodes & movies. If you are not a Netflix member sign up for Netflix and start enjoying immediately with our one-month free trial.

Read also: 5 software to avoid buffering so that streaming never gets interrupted

Currently, the app is available in the following languages and countries: English (United States), Spanish, French, Portuguese, English (Canada), Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, English (United Kingdom), Norwegian (Bokmål). Download and install the updated Windows 8.1/10 Netflix app if have a Netflix movie streaming subscription and own a Windows 8.1/10 or Windows RT device.

Download Netflix app for Windows 10/8.1, Windows RT, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 8/8.1

[UPDATE] Netflix is now available in more than 30 languages, so you can enjoy the programs in so many different countries. Still, if you wish to stream the programs from the US and you live don’t live there, find a reliable VPN to by-pass geo-restriction: Free* VPNs that work with Netflix [2018 Guide].

Many users waited patiently for PiP mode to reach the Netflix app. The good news came recently: Netflix for Windows 10 app finally received Picture in Picture mode. The Netflix app is also 4K compatible, and it has the highest bitrate in both audio and video.

If you encounter some other issues regarding surround audio or stream, you can find the quick solutions in the following articles:

No sound with Netflix? Here are 6 quick fixes to resolve it in Windows
Netflix stream stuck? Here’s how to fix this issue
How to Fix Netflix Problems in Windows 10
VPN won’t work with Netflix: Here are 8 solutions to fix it

Xbox sign in error 0x404? Here’s how you can fix it

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

If you are having an issue known as “Xbox sign in error 0x404” on your Windows 10 PC, then we are here to help. In this article we will discuss three possible solutions that you can use by yourself to resolve this problem.

Fix Xbox sign in error 0x404

Check to see if your Microsoft Store applications are automatically updating
Manually update your Microsoft Store apps
Check for updates for your Windows 10 PC
Disable or uninstall anti-virus programs
Sign in to a different user

Typically, this problem shows up when you try to sign in to the Xbox app, but you’re denied entry. After you are unable to sign in, the error code ox404 shows up. If this is the problem that you are facing, then you should be glad to know that there are several troubleshooting solutions for it. If one solution does not work, then you may want to try another. Also, it is important to note that these fixes are designed for PCs that run the Windows 10 OS.

Solution 1: Check to see if your Microsoft Store applications are automatically updating

Typically, applications from the Windows store will automatically update. That is the default setting. However, for some reason if it is not on its default setting, then you can always change it back.

Here’s how you do that:

Open Microsoft Store. Usually found on the task bar or start menu.
Find the more setting on the top right hand corner of the menu. It is located near the search bar and has the icon of three horizontal dots.
Next click and enter the Settings option.
You should see an option called App updates. Set the Update Apps Automatically settings to on.

READ MORE: How do I fix Xbox error code 80151103? Here’s the solution

Solution 2: Manually update your Microsoft Store apps

Alternatively, you can manually update your Xbox application to try to fix the problem.

Here’s how:

Open Microsoft Store
Click on the more icon again.
This time select the Downloads & updates option
On this page you should see a button on the right side called “Get updates“. Click on it, then you will be good to go. (4)

Solution 3: Check for updates for your Windows 10 PC

If the two solutions above does not fix the Xbox sign in error 0x404, then you will want to see if there are any updates for your device’s OS.

Open Windows Menu. You can do this by pressing on the Windows button on your keyboard or by clicking on the Windows icon with your mouse.
Click on the settings icon which looks like a gear.
In the settings windows select the Update and Security option.
There will be a Windows Update tab on the right click on it, then click on Check for updates.
If there are new updates, download then install them. Note that some updates may require that you restart your computer.

RELATED: Xbox error 8015D000: What it is and how to fix it

Solution 4: Disable or uninstall anti-virus programs

Even though the Xbox app is an official Windows applications, sometimes a third party antivirus program doesn’t recognize it to be safe in some way. Therefore, they may block you from using the app. Therefore, depending on the anti-malware program, you may need to disable or uninstall it for your Xbox app to work.

To uninstall a program you will need:

Go to the start menu.
Open up settings.
Go to the Apps option, then click on the Apps and features tab.
Locate your antivirus program, then uninstall it.

Solution 5: Sign in to a different user

Obviously this solution will only work if you have multiple users accounts on your PC. If so, then here’s how you switch accounts:

Open the Start Menu.
Locate your other user account on the left side of the menu.
Click on it, then try out the Xbox App.

Conclusion

Since there are several factors that could cause the Xbox sign in error 0x404, there are several different solutions. That’s why it’s recommended to try each one until you find one that works. Fortunately, the fixes for this error are relatively easy and even someone who isn’t tech-savvy should be able to use them.

Read More:

FIX: Logitech Gaming Software Doesn’t Work in Windows 10/11

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

More woes continue for fresh Windows users – now, it seems that some Logitech users are reporting issues with the Logitech Gaming Software in Windows

We took a break from reporting Windows 8.1 issues and problems, but we’re back at it again. According to recent forum post on Logitech’s support forums, at least one user is reporting problems in Windows 8.1 with the Logitech Gaming Software. Here’s what he said:

I recently upgraded from Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 to Windows 8.1 Pro x64. This was a clean install. Everything i installed thus far is working without any problems (this includes all my other devices). I own a lot of Logitech products but for this PC (my main PC) i use a Logitech G710+ keyboard and Logitech G400 mouse. Both of them make use of the Logitech Gaming software as a driver and profile manager etc. No matter what i have tried, the Logitech Gaming software will not install correctly, and after some trying… even if it does eventually install the application will crash repeatedly and randomly all over the place. Usually the setup just crashes and freezes the entire PC during step 4 of 5 upon installation. The freeze is so severe that the only resort you have is a hard reboot of the PC.

After the posting was made on the forums, more users have confirmed getting the same issue in Windows 8.1. Some users suggest uninstalling Logitech Gaming Software, and deleting the settings.json file, then reinstall LGS. The settings.json file should normally be located here: C:Users<username>AppDataLocalLogitechLogitech Gaming Software.

For most users experience this issue, even when making a clean install, it seems to stuck at ‘Step 4 of 5’. Also, running the Logitech Gaming Software installer under the Windows 8.1 compatibility mode seems to have solved the issue only for a few users. If you’re having the same issue, let us know in the comments box and we’ll try to search for a fix together.

Quick Fixes: Logitech Gaming Software doesn’t work in Windows 10 [2018 update]

1. Try to disable (not uninstalling) Windows Defender and any antivirus or anti-malware on your system and run Logitech Gaming Software. Some of LGS processes may be seen as harmful even if they aren’t.

2. In case this does not work for you, there is another quick fix to try: Try to launch LGS installer directly from LGS folder. You can find this folder in /user/user/AppData/ or simply search for it with Windows search feature.

3. The last solution, but ONLY for advanced users, is:
– Fix the exact time before launching LGS installer and launch it
– In case LGS restarts your system, open Event Viewer
– Search right before and after the time LGS restarted your system to see what causes the conflict

You can also try to uninstall and delete all data about LGS (we recommend a dedicated tool for that) and enter Safe mode, download it on Desktop and installing it again, that may work as well, but it really depends on your Windows version and system compatibility.

Let us know in the comments if some of these solutions worked for you.

Update – a big thank you to all of our readers who left comments with possible solutions, so just head below and have a look, just in case you might find a working fix for you.

New Nvidia 331.82 GeForce WHQL Drivers for Windows 8.1 Released

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Nvidia has rolled out an updated set of WHQL Game Ready drivers for Windows 8.1 that are meant to increase the gaming performance of such games as Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Need for Speed: Rivals, Metro: Last Light, Crysis 3, and Battlefield 4

Those of you who have an Nvidia video card with your Windows 8.1 devices need to download the latest GeForce 331.82 WHQL Game Ready drivers that Nvidia has made available a few days ago for Windows 8.1. The drivers come bundled with GeForce Experience 1.7.1, adding support for Nvidia’s GameStream and GeForce ShadowPlay features.

The GameStream feature lets you stream PC games from the GeForce GTX-enabled PC directly to a SHIELD devicel ShadowPlay is a game recording tool. The new Nvidia GeForce 331.82 WHQL GameReady drivers offer a 50% performance boost on GeForce 400/500/600/700 series GPUs in several PC games, such as Metro: Last Light, Crysis 3, and Battlefield 4 when compared to the previous 327.23 WHQL drivers. You could also try increasing the FPS in Windows 8 for a better gaming experience.

This 331.82 Game Ready WHQL driver ensures you’ll have the best possible gaming experience in Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag and Need for Speed: Rivals. These Game Ready drivers will also provide performance enhancements in a wide variety of different games. When running at 4K resolutions, SLI performance increases by as much as 50% in key titles like Metro: Last Light, Crysis 3, and Battlefield 4.

In addition, the new 331.65 Game Ready driver is bundled with GeForce Experience v1.7.1 which includes support for two highly-anticipated new technologies. NVIDIA GameStream™ provides end users with the ability to stream PC games from their GeForce GTX-equipped PC directly to a SHIELD device. This update also introduces the Beta version of GeForce ShadowPlay™, an innovated new game capture tool with exceptional features and performance.

The nwe Nvidia GeForce R331 Drivers also come with the SLI Technology that add or update profiles in the following games Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Path of Exile, Natural Selection. Furthermore, it will update the following software parts, as well – new PhysX System Software 9.13.0725, new HD Audio v1.3.26.4 and the new GeForce Experience 1.7.1. Follow the links from below to download the latest Nvidia drivers for Windows 8.1

Download Nvidia GeForce 331.82 Driver 64bit
Download Nvidia GeForce 331.82 Driver 32bit

Nvidia GeForce driver updates for Windows 10 gamers

After this important update, Nvidia released many more drivers in order to support different game releases. After Windows 8.1, Windows 10 came with the best gaming setup ever known, so there were several compatibility updates coming out from Nvidia. Here are the biggest GeForce drivers updates for most played games in Windows 10:

Here are also some important updates that fixed lags, crashes, and other issues for gamers with different Nvidia GeForce models:

Download Windows 8.1 SDK [Direct Link]

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

If you’re interested in creating apps for Windows 8.1, then you are looking to download the Windows software development kit (SDK) for Windows 8.1. Read below to find the download links and hints to the ISO files, as well.
Creating apps for Windows 8.1 is impossible if you don’t have the Software Development Kit for that, so use the link at the end of the article, if you are the TL;DR type, to download the Windows 8.1 SDK. Made available at the middle of previous month, it contains headers, libraries, and tools to make apps for Windows 8.1, but also Windows RT and previous Windows versions, of course.

It also comes with the Windows App Certification Kit 3.1 that developers need to test their apps for the Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 certification programs. Unfortunately, you will have to make the ISO files yourself, if you want to, but with the SDK being so lightweight, it doesn’t make that much sense to do it.

Here’s an important change regarding the Windows 8.1 SDK that Microsoft has shared:

The Windows SDK no longer ships with a complete command-line build environment. You must install a compiler and build environment separately. If you require a complete development environment that includes compilers and a build environment, you can download Visual Studio 2013, which includes the appropriate components of the Windows SDK.

The updated Windows SDK can be used to build apps for the following Windows operating systems: Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Also, you are advised to install the latest updates and patches from Microsoft Update before installing the Windows 8.1 SDK.

Windows 8.1 SDK: what’s new?

Well, now it’s time to list some of the mail tech-features that are really important for those who need Windows 8.1 SDK:

Exclusion of command line interface
Headers, Libraries, Metadatafiles and other tool provided for new Store apps builders
.NET Framework 4.5 needed (previous versions not working)
Supporting DirectX games and applications
Windows Dev Center updated with samples and desktop applications

Windows 8.1 SDK requirements

Here’s what you need as OS in order to develop applications:

Windows 8
Windows Server 2012
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
x86, x64 ARm architecture

You can also read our previous article where we detailed how to manage your Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 apps. Also, if you’re interested in establishing a Bluetooth connectivity between an Arduino device with a Windows 8.1 app, we’ve covered that, as well.

Download Windows SDK for Windows 8.1

Establish a Bluetooth Link Between an Arduino & Windows 10 App [How to]

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

A recent posting from Microsoft’s Developer Network explains how to establish a serial Bluetooth link between an Arduino and a Windows 8.1/10 app so you could send simple or more advanced commands.

If you are a developer looking to learn how to establish a Bluetooth link between an Arduino device and a Windows 8.1 app that you’re creating, then you’re in luck as Microsoft has just shared some precious bits of advice on that. Shared on the highly resourceful Channel9, the guide to create a Bluetooth communication between Arduino and Windows 8.1 has been made available for download in C# and C++ (link at the end).

[UPDATE] If you want to make it work with a Windows 10 app, first of all, you can follow this guide on How to install Arduino software and drivers on Windows 10. And if you encounter any issues while working with that, make sure to check out this article Fix: Arduino problems on Windows 10.

How to create Bluetooth communication between Arduino and Windows 8.1/10

To be able to test the code, you will need an Arduino with Bluetooth capabilities, like Arduino Uno R3 and a JY-MCU Bluetooth module and also a Windows 8.1 device with Bluetooth capabilities. You could also attach a Bluetooth dongle if it lacks Bluetooth on its own.

You will then set up the Arduino with a Bluetooth module, two LEDs and a potentiometer, as seen in this Youtube video.

Communication with the Bluetooth module is accomplished using the SoftwareSerial.h library. The Windows 8.1 app has to declare Bluetooth serial communication capabilities in Package.appxmanifest: To deploy the Arduino code with VisualMicro, right click the Project in the Solution Explorer and select DebugStart new instance. When the Windows 8.1 app starts, you can establish a connection and control the LEDs.

Follow the link from below to download the full guide and see the entire guide on Microsoft’s Developer Network.

Download Bluetooth communication between Arduino and Windows 8.1 guide

[RELATED] You can now learn and test without any restrictions on Arduino simulators without any risk of damaging your board. You can find here a list of 7 best Arduino simulators for PC and check out their features.

Autodesk Eagle, for example, provides a complete set of PCB layout and schematic editing tools, community-driven features and library content. You can check more about these powerful and easy to use tools on Autodesk official website.

How to Change the Windows 8, 10 Currency in Settings

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Changing the currency in Windows 8 is easy if you follow the below mentioned steps. Some users have been reporting that their Windows 8 store is showing the wrong currency, so you need to do the following to fix it.

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, just like in previous versions, you can change the format Windows uses to display dates, times, currency, and measurements. Most of these things are enabled the first time when you install Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 (some might want to uninstall it already ).

However, there might be some glitches or bugs that is affecting your Windows 8 system and for a certain reason you are not getting the right currency displayed. What you need to do is follow the next steps to get the same windows as in the above displayed image.

Open the Search charm bar (windows logo + w or hover your mouse to the top right corner)
Type in the search box “change the way currency is displayed“
In the Region windows that will open, click on Location and change it to your country
If you need to further customizations, then go to Additional Settings and Customize the currency format

That’s it, as easy as that! If you’re also looking for a reliable and free way to perform currency conversions on Windows 8, desktop or tablet, then read our review of the XE Currency app for Windows 8.

Update: If you are interested in finances and currency we would like to recommend you some effective tools and information that might help you calculating and following up with the last market trends:

We hope you will find a good currency converter and will enjoy tracking different currencies right from your Windows PC. Let us know in the comments section what you found and what was useful for you.

Microsoft Azure Stack is now available in 92 countries

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft is full steam ahead with the expansion of its Azure Stack service footprint across the globe.

As of yesterday, Microsoft has now brought Azure Stack to 92 countries which double the number of locales since its launch last year. To highlight the announcement, recently promoted Microsoft executive Talal Alqinawi took to the Microsoft Azure blog to post a number of customer feedback regarding the rollout of Azure Stacks over the past year.

“The inclusion of Microsoft Azure Stack services into our portfolio enhances our value proposition in a number of ways, from DevOps tools, a truly hybrid cloud offering, access for customers to Azure services like Business Intelligence and AI, to a fully managed service for any customer who wants it. Microsoft Azure Stack will bring us customers who wanted to exploit public cloud but were holding back due to data location concerns. In fact, our pipeline already includes about 60 customers we couldn’t have targeted pre-Azure Stack,” said Tiberiu Croitoru, CEO of BinBox.

“At Lenovo, we are committed to solutions that focus on performance. As Microsoft continues to expand the availability of Azure Stack across the globe, we will continue to support this with our unique, industry-leading ThinkAgile SX products and services in many of those regions,” said Per Overgaard, Executive Director, Business Unit, Lenovo Data Center Group, EMEA. “Customers will experience the simplicity of Azure Public Cloud and the reliability of Lenovo’s ThinkAgile SX for Microsoft Azure Stack.

Not only is Azure Stack being rolled out to the rest of the world, but it also comes with a few nifty updates on board such as Machine Learning (ML servers are now available, the development of Azure IoT Hub, Hybrid DevOps, and a unified Azure ecosystem.

For more info on the specifics of the recent Azure updates visit the Microsoft Azure blog.

Official Realtek app spotted in the Windows 10 Microsoft Store

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

According to a report from MSPoweruser, an official Realtek app has been spotted in the Windows 10 Microsoft Store. The app is not yet available for download, but it looks to be a port of the Win32 version which allows users to customize their sound profiles.

According to the app store listing, the Microsoft Store version of the app “provides the best audio experience with the Realtek Audio Codec.” Unfortunately, trying to install it will give an error code for some users, likely due to the app not yet officially being ready for all devices just yet.

Anyway, you can try the download for yourself in the link below. Once its ready it can prove to be a pretty handy app, giving you yet another (more modern) way to control your volume and sound experiences. Let us know in the comments below if you managed to download and get the app working.

Download
QR-Code

Realtek Audio Control

Developer:
Realtek Semiconductor Corp

Price:
Free

Windows 8, 10 App Bitcoin Miner is Your Bitcoin Mining Help

Posted on June 5, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

If you are into bitcoin mining, then you’re also looking for a bitcoin mining tool on Windows 8, or Windows 10 as well. Buying and selling bitcoins, as well as mining them becomes fun and easy with the Bitcoin Miner app for Windows 10/8. Read below to find out more!
To be able to get high yields when mining bitcoins, it is said that you need to have a powerful system. On Windows 8, Windows 10 you can mine bitcoins even from your tablet with the help of this clever app.

The app has also been recently updated to get full support for Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 as well. Here are some other notable improvements: enhanced connection management, support for Stratum client.reconnect and client.get_version, and support for Getwork X-Host-List and X-Switch-To extensions.

Latest version 1.51.0 has fixed the issue where audio settings wouldn’t sync to all audio sessions, while in a previous version the number of mining errors has been reduced through improved Stratum difficulty handling.

Read also: 6 best cryptocurrency VPNs to protect your coins in 2018

Getting started with Bitcoin Miner App in Windows 8, 10

In order to start mining bitcoins on your Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 computer or touch device, you will need to have a worker’s account at one of the following mining pools that are supported within the app: BTC Guild, 50BTC, Slush’s Pool, Eligius, Ozcoin, EclipseMC, deepbit.net or BitMinter. Here’s how GroupFabric Inc, the developer of the Bitcoin Miner app for Windows 8 describes their tool:

Let your computer make you money with Bitcoin Miner, the FREE easy-to-use Bitcoin miner! Earn bitcoins which can be exchanged for real-world currency. Works great at home, work, or on the go. Download Bitcoin Miner and start earning bitcoins today! Bitcoin miners perform complex calculations known as hashes. Each hash has a chance of yielding bitcoins. The more hashes performed, the more chances of earning bitcoins. Most people join a mining pool to increase their chances of earning bitcoins. Mining pools pay for high value hashes known as shares.

Among the most notable features of this awesome Windows 10, 8.1 Bitcoin app we find the following:

Background GPU & CPU mining
Lock screen and live tile mining status
Real-time stats
Resource-smart scheduler
Fast share submission
DirectCompute 11 GPU kernel
SSE2 x86 & x64 and NEON ARMCPU kernel
Easy to use interface
Profitability Reports
Night mode
Power saving mode
Mining pool support
DirectX 10 & 11 GPU mining
SHA-256d & Scrypt support

Run BitCoin Miner on HoloLens

If you own a HoloLens headset, it is worth mentioning that the device is compatible with BitCoin Miner. You can earn virtual money while enjoying the ultimate VR experience.

BitCoin Miner user reviews

BitCoin Miner has a 4-star rating on the Microsoft Store, which means that most users are satisfied with the app.

Of course, some users wish they had the option to block the ads, but that is what happens when the product is free. Ads are part of the package. The most annoying ads are video ads as you cannot mute them.

In version 1.48.0, you can temporarily revoke the webcam permission to workaround a Microsoft Advertising camera issue. Unfortunately, this also disables Payout Address QR code scanning.

Read also: 5 best security software for crypto-trading to secure your wallet

Naturally, the better the CPU, the easier and faster it gets to mine your bitcoins. If your computer is powered by a low-end CPU, perhaps it’s better to simply avoid installing the app or run it when you’re not actively using your computer.

On the other hand, if your computer sports a high-end CPU, you can run BitCoin Miner all day long, while using your computer for personal or work-related tasks.

Nevertheless, we recommend using a cooling pad, as well as a laptop cooling software when running BitCoint Miner. It will heat up your computer while it is running, so the best solution is to prevent such issues.

Patience is key when using this app. It may take a quite a while before you see any significant payout.

Read also:Watch out: Cryptomining malware attacks will intensify in 2018

BitCoin Minter is easy to set up, but it only runs in an open window. If you minimize the window or you lock your screen, it will pause.

This is great for all ages and works well to invest in bitcoin early to make good money that is available in the future for education or every day life use.

Can I get rich with Bitcoin Miner?

The earnest answer is no. However, you can earn a small amount of money every day provided that you have enough patience. Of course, the longer you run the app, the more money you earn.

Overall, installing and running BitCoin Miner is an interesting investment. You can make money just by running a simple app.

Taking into account the current trend, Bitcoin‘s value is only going to increase. As a quick reminder, one Bitcoin had a $1.00 value in 2011, and six years later, it already costs around $6,000 to buy one.

Install BitCoin Miner now and start collecting your bitcoins today.

Follow the link from below to download the Bitcoin Miner app on your Windows 8.1, Windows 10 device and start mining those bitcoins to make real money out of it!

Download Bitcoin Miner for Windows 8, 10
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Xbox One’s Preview Beta 1806 begins testing new narrator languages

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

The new Preview Beta 1806 update for Xbox Insiders in the Xbox One Preview Beta Ring has now begun to rollout.

Numbered, 1806.180531-1920, this update adds more language options for the narrator feature, fixes a bug with the new Games & Apps categories feature, and improves Group navigation within the guide. Here’s the full release notes.

New Features: Additional Accessibility Options – New Narrator languages

Users can now enable the new Narrator languages: Spanish (es-MX, es-AR, es-CO, es-CL), English (en-AU), Portuguese (pt-BR), Polish (pl), Swedish (sv-SE), and Dutch (nl-NL, nl-NB).

Fixes

My Games & Apps: Fixed an issue where users were seeing multiple Games & Apps categories appearing in their category lists.

Groups: Fixed an issue where users would have issues navigating Groups within the Guide.

Localization: Various localization issues fixed in this build.

Search: Pressing Y button anywhere in the dashboard now will bring up search as designed.

Settings: Fixed an issue in which the console would turn back on after a full shutdown.

System Performance: Misc. performance fixes in the platform.

Known Issues

Groups: Enabling Groups after taking the update: Groups may not appear for you on first sign in unless you do a full console reboot after taking the system update. This is being fixed in an upcoming build and should only affect having just taken this system update.

The Groups tab in My games & apps may not show after sign in even though you can access Groups in Guide, or you may see “This group does not exist” on Home on first sign-in for your existing Groups. Workaround: Sign in / out to refresh these pages.

Some changes might not be reflected when editing Groups between multiple consoles after coming out of connected standby. Sign in/out to fix.

Adding the Rewards app to Groups causes you to be unable to access your Groups. This is fixed for an upcoming build.

Using special characters in Group names (e.g. &,”) causes issues during Group creation or using the “Add more” flow. Note: emojis are fine. This is being fixed in an upcoming build.

You may see issues with Groups if you frequently switch between your non-Preview console and your Preview console. Workaround: Reset your Groups locally on the Preview console through “My games & apps” > Groups, then using the “Reset groups” button at the bottom of the page to resync from the service.

Profile Color: Sometimes users may encounter an incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Networking: Work continues on the stability of the Wi-Fi connectivity. If you see any issues please report the problem for investigation by performing a Full system software via the dashboard as opposed to just pressing the Xbox Power button.

YouTube: Some users are encountering an issue where their YouTube account is being signed out whenever they launch the app. Workaround: Uninstall/re-install the app and sign in with your account again.

Xbox Insiders are regular Xbox One console owners who volunteer to help test operating system builds for Microsoft. Are you an Insider and have you tries this build yet? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox content.

Xbox One’s Vampyr video game is now live on consoles

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Radu Tyrsina

The supernatural roleplaying video game, Vampyr, is now available to play on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles. The game is set in 1918’s London and casts the player as vampire in search of a cure. Here’s the official game description and trailer.

London, 1918. You are newly-turned Vampyr Dr. Jonathan Reid. As a doctor, you must find a cure to save the city’s flu-ravaged citizens. As a Vampyr, you are cursed to feed on those you vowed to heal. Will you embrace the monster within? Survive and fight against Vampyr hunters, undead skals, and other supernatural creatures. Use your unholy powers to manipulate and delve into the lives of those around you, to decide who will be your next victim. Struggle to live with your decisions… your actions will save or doom London.

Are you planning to play Vampyr on your Xbox One? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and make sure to follow us on Twitter for more Xbox video game news.

Download
QR-Code

Vampyr

Developer:
Focus Entertainment

Price:
$7.99

Far Cry 5 Error Granite on Windows 10/11 [Successful Fix]

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Lately, it seems hard to put ‘Ubisoft‘ and ‘well-optimized error-free game‘ in the same sentence. The latest AAA title, Far Cry 5 has its share of issues, and one of the gravest and most persistent errors bears the codename Granite.

This error completely disrupts game saves, and users are constantly forced to start from scratch. Luckily, some solutions emerged and we enlisted them below.

If you’re affected by this error, just give them a try.

How to fix Granite error (Granite:2000000) on Far Cry 5?

Verify the game’s integrity
Delete saved games and change Save location
Start uPlay client in offline mode and run uPlay as admin
Reinstall the uPlay

1: Verify the game’s integrity

Since it seems that this error mostly plagues uPlay users (Ubisoft Launcher) and not Steam users, that’s where our focus goes.

The first obvious thing you should try is checking the game installation for corruption.

This can be done within the uPlay desktop client. Once you run the tool, it’ll check for possible corruption and replace the broken files.

Here’s how to run it:

Open the uPlay client in Online mode.
Choose Games.
Right-click on Far Cry 5 and choose “Verify files“.
Once the procedure ends, restart uPlay and run Far Cry 5 again.

2: Delete saved games and change Save location

As the affected users probably are well aware, the Granite error breaks save game progress and users get back to the start every time. Only to get kicked off the new session and get back to start again.

For some reason, this occurs due to the game’s inability to access the Save Games folder. It looks like some limitations are imposed on it, even if that’s not the case for any other game.

READ ALSO: 12 best Windows 10 RPG games to play in 2018

In order to avoid this, you can backup your saved games and delete the save games folder.

Now, you can create it on any other location and use a configuration file to point the game in that alternative direction.

Here’s what you need to do:

Close uPlay completely. If needed so, open Task Manager and kill its process.
Navigate C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames and backup the Far Cry 5 saves.
Navigate to Documents and locate the CPY.ini file.
Open the file with Notepad. In case you’re unable to access it, open Properties > Compatibility, and tick the “Run this program as an administrator” box.
Find Save location and change it. You can set any other destination for the saves — it doesn’t matter.
Save the changes and restart your PC.
Run the game through uPlay and look for changes.

3: Start uPlay client in offline mode and run uPlay as admin

Starting the uPlay client in the Offline mode is another thing you could try. This seemingly helped more than a few users and the Granite error was addressed.

In addition, you can give an extra boost to uPlay permissions since the game, for some reason, avoids saving the in-game progress which leads to crashes.

You can do so by giving the uPlay launcher administrative permission.

Here’s how to start uPlay in the Offline mode:

Open the uPlay client for Windows.
Click on the hamburger menu in the left corner.
Open Settings.
Under the General tab, scroll down and check the “Always start Uplay in offline mode” box.
Restart uPlay, start Far Cry 5 and look for changes.

And this is how to grant it the administrative permission:

Right-click on the uPlay shortcut (or the ‘exe’ file itself) and open Properties.
Under the Compatibility tab, check the “Run this program as an administrator” box.
Confirm changes and start uPlay.

4: Reinstall the uPlay

Finally, if none of the previous steps got you out of the slump, we recommend reinstalling the uPlay client.

Furthermore, in order to avoid possible issues, it’s suggested to clear all remaining associated files and start from a scratch.

Of course, avoid deleting other games or at least move their installations to an alternative partition.

Once you’ve reinstalled the game and uPlay, sign in, point out to Far Cry 5 directory (you won’t need to download the game anew), and start the game.

That’s it. In case you have any alternative solutions or questions concerning the Granite error on Far Cry 5, feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.

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Previous Windows 10/11 version won’t restore? Here’s the fix

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Backing your data and restoring it in the dire need was always an important feature of the Windows platform. However, Microsoft’s meddling with these options made things a lot more complicated. The inability to restore the previous version of files or directories from the recovery points made things a lot harder for users.

For that reason, we decided to shed some light on the matter and provided a few solutions (and workarounds). Make sure to check them out below.

Unable to restore the previous version in Windows 10? Here’s what to do

Make sure that File History is enabled
Check associated services
Create a backup
Use a third-party software

1: Make sure that File History is enabled

In order to load, access, and restore previous file versions on Windows 10, you’ll need to enable this option it in the System Settings. Of course, you’ll need an external device or a network location to backup your data. After that, plug in the external media, right-click on the file or folder you want to inspect and choose Properties > Previous Versions.

READ ALSO: Fix: Windows 10 can’t find a restore point

You can also use backups to restore the previous versions, but versioning (various versions of a single file) won’t be available. You’ll be stuck with a single version.

Here’s how to enable File History:

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Choose Update & Security.
Select Backup from the left pane.
Plug in an external drive and click on Add a drive.
Choose the drive from the drop-down menu.
Click on More options to select the backup schedule and folders you want to backup.

2: Check associated services

If you’ve managed to get the File History protocol up and going but it still fails to deliver, we recommend checking the Recovery points. There are two services which should concern you in this matter. Two services you’ll need to look out for are “Volume Shadow Copy” and “Windows Software Shadow Copy”. Just type Services in the Search bar, and open Services. Once there, navigate to aforementioned services and make sure they’re enabled.

READ ALSO: FIX: Antivirus blocking System Restore in Windows 10

Of course, before navigating to Services, make sure to inspect current System protection is enabled. Here’s where to find it:

Type Create in the Windows Search bar and open “Create restore point” from the list of the results.
Choose the system partition and click Configure.
Enable System protection.
From now on, you should be able to restore the affected files in case they get deleted or corrupted by restoring the system from a restore point.

3: Create a backup

With Windows 10, Microsoft ditched some old backup-based features which were rather useful. Luckily, it retained the option to backup everything on a local drive. This way of cautious data preservation can take a lot of storage space. But, if that doesn’t bother you, you can use this feature to backup and later restore files with rather ease.

READ ALSO: Fix: System backup failed in Windows 10

Here’s how to create a full backup of all your digital belongings in Windows 10:

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Choose Update & Security.
Select Backup from the left pane.
Click on the “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” and backup your data on a data partition.

4: Use a third-party software

Finally, we’re living in the cloud era, where the storage space can be enlarged and accessed from any place. There are a lot of available services you can use to back up the most important files. Some are for Enterprises and some, like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox should be enough to keep the most important files safe and sound.

READ ALSO: How to back up game save files in Windows 10

And, when it comes to interacting with local files without a cloud, we recommend ShadowExplorer. This application can read from Restore points and allow you to access older iterations of files and folders. You can download this nifty utility, here.

That should do it. In case you’re still in need of some extra information or have something to add, feel free to comment in the comments section below.

RELATED STORIES YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

Windows 10 April 2018 Update

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Robert Neagoe

What is Windows 10 April Update?

Windows 10 April 2018 Update or Windows 10 version 1803 code-named “Redstone 4”, is the fifth major update to Windows 10 and the fourth in a series of updates planned under the Redstone code-names. It carries the build number 10.0.17134.

The first preview was released to Insiders on August 31, 2017. The final release was made available to Windows Insiders on April 16, 2018, followed by a public release on April 30, and began to roll out on May 8.

Latest Updates for Windows 10 v1803

KB number	Version (OS Build)	Release date	Notes
KB5003174	OS Build 17134.2208	May 11, 2021	Security Update
KB5001339	OS Build 17134.2145	April 13, 2021	Security Update
KB5000809	OS Build 17134.2087	March 9, 2021	Security Updates
KB4601354	OS Build 17134.2026	February 9, 2021	Security Updates
KB4598245	OS Build 17134.1967	January 12, 2021	Security update
KB4592446	OS Build 17134.1902	December 8, 2020	Security update
KB4586785	OS Build 17134.1845	November 10, 2020	Security update
KB4580330	OS Build 17134.1792	October 13, 2020	Security update
KB4577032	OS Build 17134.1726	September 8, 2020	Security update
KB4571709	OS Build 17134.1667	August 11, 2020	Security update
KB4565489	OS Build 17134.1610	July 14, 2020	Security update
KB4561621	OS Build 17134.1550	June 9, 2020	Security update
KB4556807	OS Build 17134.1488	May 12, 2020	Security update
KB4550922	OS Build 17134.1425	April 14, 2020	Security update
KB4540689	OS Build 17134.1365	March 10, 2020	Security update
KB4537762	OS Build 17134.1304	February 11, 2020	security update
KB4534293	OS Build 17134.1246	January 14, 2020	security update
KB4530717	17134.1184	December 10, 2019	security update
KB4525237	17134.1130	November 12, 2019	security update
KB4519978	17134.1099	October 15, 2019	security update
KB4520008	17134.1069	October 8, 2019	security update
KB4516058	17134.1006	September 10, 2019	security update
KB4512501	17134.950	August 13, 2019	security update
KB4507435	17134.885	July 9, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4509478	17134.860	June 26, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4503288	17134.858	June 18, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4503286	17134.829	June 11, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4499183	17134.799	May 21, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4505064	17134.766	May 19, 2019	Fixes uk.gov website issues
KB4499167	17134.765	May 14, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4493437	17134.753	April 26, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4493464	17134.706	April 9, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4489894	17134.677	March 19, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4489868	17134.648	March 12, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4486996	17134.619	February 19, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4487017	17134.590	February 12, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4480976	17134.556	January 15, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4480966	17134.523	January 8, 2019	Patch Tuesday
KB4483234	17134.472	December 19, 2018	Security update to Internet Explorer
KB4471324	17134.471	December 11, 2018	Patch Tuesday
KB4467682	17134.441	November 27, 2018	Cumulative update
KB4467702	17134.407	November 13, 2018	Patch Tuesday

How to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

If your Windows Update service is enabled, Windows 10 will prompt a notice when the April 2018 Update is available for your device. You can also check for updates manually as follows:

Press Windows key + I and choose Update&Security
Check for updates or follow the instructions on-screen.

When the update is ready, you can select a time to install it.

Another way to check is to see if you already run version 1803 on your system. To check what version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, press Windows Key + I and select System, then scroll down to About.

Windows 10 April Update problems and fixes

There have been reported many issues triggered by the latest update and we have managed to provide solutions to fix these issues. Here is a short list of the errors related to April Update:

Apps can’t access camera/mic
Audio issues
black screen issues
Chrome crashes and RDP issues
Display not working
Explorer crashes
games crashes, stutter and errors
hidden recovery drives
install fails on Alienware laptops
install issues
network problems
Overwatch FPS issues
PC stuck in a boot loop
Timeline not working
Click on the corresponding link to find out how to fix the issues above or check out the full list of articles related to Windows 10 April 2018 Update.

Let us know in the comments below if you encounter any other issues.

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Windows 10 version 1607

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Robert Neagoe

Windows 10 Anniversary Update, or Windows 10 version 1607, code-named “Redstone 1”, is the second major update to Windows 10 and the first in a series of updates planned under the Redstone code-names. It carries the build number 10.0.14393.

Latest builds for Windows 10 v1607 [Redstone 1]

KB number	Version (OS Build)	Release date	Notes
KB5004238	OS Build 14393.4530	July 13, 2021	Security Updates
KB5003638	OS Build 14393.4467	June 8, 2021	Security Updates
KB5003197	OS Build 14393.4402	May 11, 2021	Security Update
KB5001347	OS Build 14393.4350	April 13, 2021	Security Update
KB5000803	OS Build 14393.4283	March 9, 2021	Security Updates
KB4601318	OS Build 14393.4225	February 9, 2021	Security Updates
KB4598243	OS Build 14393.4169	January 12, 2021	Security Updates
KB4593226	OS Build 14393.4104	December 8, 2020	Security Updates
KB4586830	OS Build 14393.4046	November 10, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4580346	OS Build 14393.3986	October 13, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4577015	OS Build 14393.3930	September 8, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4571694	OS Build 14393.3866	August 11, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4565511	OS Build 14393.3808	July 14, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4561616	OS Build 14393.3750	June 9, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4556813	OS Build 14393.3686	May 12, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4550929	OS Build 14393.3630	April 14, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4540670	OS Build 14393.3564	March 10,2020	Cumulative update
KB4537764	OS Build 14393.3504	February 11, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4534271	OS Build 14393.3443	January 14, 2020	Cumulative update
KB4530689	14393.3384	December 10, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4525236	14393.3326	November 12, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4519998	14393.3274	October 8, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4516044	14393.3204	September 9, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4512517	14393.3144	August 13, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4507460	14393.3085	July 9, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4503267	14393.3025	June 11, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4499177	14393.2999	May 23, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4505052	14393.2972	May 19, 2019	Fixes an issue with gov.uk websites
KB4494440	14393.2969	May 14, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4493473	14393.2941	April 25, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4493470	14393.2906	April 9, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4489889	14393.2879	March 19, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4489882	14393.2848	March 12, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4487006	14393.2828	February 19, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4487026	14393.2791	February 12, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4480977	14393.2759	January 17, 2019	Cumulative update
KB4480961	14393.2724	January 8, 2019	Security updates to many Microsoft products
KB4483229	14393.2670	December 19, 2018	Security update to Internet Explorer
KB4471321	14393.2665	December 11, 2018	Cumulative update
KB4478877	14393.2641	December 3, 2018	Addresses an issue with SNAT
KB4467684	14393.2639	November 27, 2018	Cumulative update

What is there to know about Windows 10 Anniversary Update?

The first preview was released on December 16, 2015. The final release was made available to Windows Insiders on July 18, 2016, followed by a public release on August 2. Microsoft ended support on April 2018.

This release of Windows 10 is supported for users of the Current Branch (CB), Current Branch for Business (CBB) and Long-Term Support Branch (LTSB).

What’s new in Windows 10 version 1607?

Windows 10 Anniversary Update brought many new features, and here we will mention the most important ones that changed user’s Windows experience:

The Start screen was redesigned and the “all apps” menu was removed.
Microsoft Edge was updated with support for extensions and many other features.
Windows Hello can be used to authenticate to websites and apps.
Windows Ink was launched, a new suite of tools and apps for digital stylus users.
Interaction between Windows Defender and third-party antivirus software.

What issues users encounter with Windows 10 Anniversary Update?

Still, nothing is perfect, and Windows 10 Anniversary Update makes no exception.

There are several issues with it, including problems with Windows Hello and the most widespread issue appears even before you get Windows 10 version 1607 on your PC: the installation or download failed for many users.

Check out the reported issues for Windows 10 Anniversary Update

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Windows 8 App Dominoes Gets Full Support for Windows 8.1, 10

Posted on June 4, 2018April 21, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Dominoes players can now finally enjoy one of their favorite games in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. The popular Dominoes app has been recently updated in the Windows Store and has received full support for Windows 8.1, 10

Let’s get something clear from the beginning – we are talking about the dominoes game, and not Domino’s Pizza. And yes, Domino’s Pizza also has the same logo that depicts the Dominoes game. But we’re talking about the popular tile-based game dominoes or, how some call it, dominos.

For those that are beginners in Dominoes, here’s its description and we can mention that the app has a built-in tutorial to learn how to play:

The traditional Sino-European domino set consists of 28 dominoes, colloquially nicknamed bones, cards, tiles, tickets, stones, or spinners. Each domino is a rectangular tile with a line dividing its face into two square ends. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called pips or nips) or is blank. The backs of the dominoes in a set are indistinguishable, either blank or having some common design. A domino set is a generic gaming device, similar to playing cards or dice, in that a variety of games can be played with a set.

Read also: Microsoft Revamps its old Games in Windows 8, Windows 10

I’ve been playing this game on my Windows 8 tablet with the Dominoes app (link at the end) and have recently discovered an update that means nothing else than just the fact that it has been updated for Windows 8.1. The game is 100% free and comes with the following playing modes: muggins, block and draw. This Dominoes app lets up to four different Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 players to enjoy the game.

You can also choose to play against a very smart artificial intelligence opponent if you’re lacking friends. The score is very easy to keep and the statistics that are provided are also helpful. Inside this Dominoes game for Windows 8 you will find five different domino styles and game themes. Do you like to play dominoes on Windows 8?

Download Dominoes for Windows 8, 10

[UPDATE] The Dominoes app has received support in Microsoft Store and it is still a great free game to play on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8.

Defraggler is the Best Solution to Defrag Windows 10

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Defraggler is one of the best tools to use if you want to defrag your Windows 8 hard drive or even individual files. I’ve been using it on Windows 8.1, and you can read below what were my impressions

Piriform is a respected company in the software world, probably most known for having released such programs as CCleaner, which is now compatible with Windows 8.1. Piriform is one of the first companies to have released support for Windows 8 for its programs, and Defraggler was made compatible with Windows 8 at the end of January, 2012, even before Windows 8 was released.

The company has respected their schedule and when Windows 8.1 was released, they made Defraggler compatible with Windows 8.1 in version 2.16. But only these days did I install Defraggler as I seriously needed to optimize my Windows 8.1 computer. I’ve used WiseCleaner’s Wise Care 365 software and have also cleaned the Windows 8 registry, but a few more improvements needed to be made.

First of all, what makes Defraggler different than other software that can defragment your system is the fact that besides tweaking your hard drive, it can also defrag individual files. The version that I have used, as I’ve mentioned before, was Defraggler 2.16. Let’s have a quick look at its main features, improvements and what it can do for your computer:

Organizes empty disk space to further prevent fragmentation
Defragments your hard drive, an entire file, a folder, or a single file
Defraggler uses the Windows safeguards to prevent data loss
Defraggler is very lightweight, the installation file is only around 3MB
Defraggler shows you an interactive drive map
Quick Defrag mode
Scheduled defragmentation

Using Defraggler to defrag Windows

Also, here are some of the latest improvements made to Defraggler – minimize to tray, right-click Move File to end of Drive feature, improvements to dree space calculation, fixed exclusions in df.exe, SSD drives are now handled correctly when drives are queued for defrag, improved drive map block calculation for very small drives, shortcuts are now correctly interpreted when calculating fragmentation levels, improved support for /minpercent parameter for df.exe.

With regards to the confusion surrounding SSDs and defragmentation, here’s what Martin Brinkmann from Ghacks explains:

There is still some confusion in regards to SSDs and defragmentation. The general consensus seems to be that you should not defragment Solid State Drives for two reasons: first because of the write operations that the operation causes, since it may impact a drive’s lifespan especially if it is an early generation drive. Second, because Solid State Drives can access data a lot faster than regular hard drives so that the performance gains are minimal at best. Running a Trim command or using the secure erase feature of the hard drive will improve performance by a much larger margin.

In Defraggler, look at the Media Type column to distinguish regular hard drives from Solid State Drives. It is still recommended to defrag platter-based hard drives whenever their fragmentation reaches a level that is affecting performance. Defraggler does not provide you with any recommendations, but if you spot two-digit fragmentation percentages, you should probably run a defrag on the drive in question.

When you will first run Defraggler, an interactive map of your drive will be displayed. You will be able to do the following things – analyze, defrag, quick defrag, and also to defrag folders, files and advanced option as checking the drive for errors and defrag freespace. Before running the analyze, it will ask if you want to empty the recycle bin, which, in my case, was around 20 GB (ouch!). So make sure you’ve recovered all the files you might need.

The analysis will be very swift, and will let you know about your disk’s health. After that, you can choose to view the analyzed files or to benchmark a certain drive. On my computer the benchmark lasted for about five minutes. The Windows 8 disk defragmentation will take much more time, so make sure you can keep the computer open. The time estimate will decrease, though, so don’t be afraid. You can stop the process at any time if something unoccured happens.

After the defragmentation was finally completed, I can tell you that my Windows 8.1 laptop suddenly felt faster and snappier. Therefore, I suggest Defraggler as it seems to be, at least in my opinion, the best way do perform disk defragmentation in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Stay tuned as we will soon talk about the performance of Speccy and Recuva programs on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Let’s hope that some day we will also see a Defraggler app optimized for Windows 8 touch devices, as well.

Download Defraggler for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

Defraggler alternatives in Windows 10

Even though Defraggler might be the best solution for many users, it is not the only defrag tool on the market. In case you encounter any problems while using it, especially on a Windows 10 device, you can switch to these options:

Smart Defrag
O&O Defrag
Auslogics Disk Defrag
Puran Defrag
Disk Speedup

You can find more information about any of these defrag tools and download links in this dedicated article.

Tip: in order to boost your PC’s performance, you can also use a good registry cleaner and optimization tool. You can take a look at the best of them on this list.

Internet Download Manager – How to Download & Install

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Internet Download Manager, or IDM, is one of the best shareware download manager software for Windows users. Now, the tool has finally received Windows 10 support, which means consumers now use it for faster downloading speeds.

Internet Download Manager has recently been updated to version 6.30, enhancing full support for Windows 10. IDM program has first been made compatible with Windows in December 2012, with version number 6.14.

The first time when Tonec Inc, the developer of IDM, has released some sort of support for Windows 10 was back in July with version 6.17 and Build 2, when the software had improved Internet Explorer 11 integration.

Now, version 6.30 of Internet Download Manager brings the following important changes – the critical bug that was affecting users in the IE integration module has been fixed, as well as compatibility issues with Google Chrome.

The video recognition in web players has been improved, and Windows 10 along with Internet Explorer 11 have received full support.

IDM will work just as well on Windows 10, 8, or Windows 8.1, so follow the link below to download it on your systems.

Download Internet Download Manager for Windows 10

Internet Download Manager key features

Universal browser support: IDM is compatible with absolutely all the browsers available on the market, from popular browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to privacy-friendly browsers such as Vivaldi.
Malware scan: When you click on a download link, IDM automatically takes over and scans the respective files and folders for malware.
Download categories: You can quickly organize your downloads using various download categories.
Resume download: If your download got stuck or your internet connection dropped, IDM will resume all the unfinished downloads where they left off.
Download speed 5 time faster than regular downloads due to dynamic file segmentation technology.
Customizable UI: You can add and remove options in the UI, or add various toolbars depending on your needs.

For more information about the complete list of features, go to Internet Download Manager official page.

If you have any other suggestions or questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.

Watch ABC Windows 10/11 app lets you stream ABC TV on PC

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The Windows 8 ABC Live app has been updated and rebranded — it is now called Watch ABC. Read below to discover what are the improvements that this popular TV app comes with in Windows 10, 8.

User from United States should be glad to know that the update to the Windows 10, 8 ABC app finally brings live streaming. The app is also now called Watch ABC and comes with a new look and general bug fixes. The live video feature is available at the moment only for residents of Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, Fresno, Houston and San Francisco.

By using the updated Watch ABC app you can watch your favorite ABC shows and also find when your favorite show is on straight from your Windows 8 tablet. Here’s how the official description of the app sounds like:

WATCH ABC is a new way to experience ABC – anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re at home or out and about, you can enjoy your favorite ABC TV shows, sports, and local news & weather on your smartphone, tablet, or computer – LIVE and ON DEMAND.

Ironically, by anywhere they mean only some cities from the United States. Watch ABC will let you watch from the comfort of your Windows 10, 8 device such shows as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Goldbergs, Scandal, Once Upon a Time, Modern Family, Good Morning America, The View and much more. Besides Watch ABC, there is also the ABC family app that you can use on Windows 10, 8. We are including below download links to both apps:

[UPDATE] ABC added a series of interesting new features and improvements to both apps. If something came up and you didn’t finish your episode, you can quickly pick up where you left off and resume your session. It is also worth mentioning that closed captioning is available on certain shows.

Unfortunately, many users complained about frequent crashes when the app is playing ads. App hangs also occur especially when requesting location access on Windows 10. Hopefully, the next update fix this these issues for good.

How has your Watch ABC experience been so far? Let us know in the comments below.

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How to watch TV on Windows 10 computer

Google Chrome update brings new features for Windows 10

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

A new version of Chrome is out, and it brings essential updates. To be more specific, there are 19 new features that are included in the new version of Chrome.

Google announced that Chrome 67 has just been released to the stable channel for Windows. The update is version 67.0.3369.62 and it contains a few improvements and fixes involving site isolation, sensor support, WebXR API, and WebAuthentication API.

New Google Chrome features

WebXR API

Chrome supports the new WebXR standard for web-based AR and VR applications. Developers can make use of this new WebXR APIs to target mobile devices, Daydream headsets, Windows Mixed Reality devices, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and more.

Sensor support

Chrome 67 supports the new Generic Sensor API which will allow websites to access various sensors such as gyroscope, accelerometer, orientation sensor, and motion sensor. These are available in mobile and desktop devices.

Site isolation

The update brings Site Isolation to a more significant percentage of users. This feature enhances Chrome’s security, and it also helps diminish risks that are posed by the Spectre vulnerability.

WebAuthenticaion API

The Credential Management API used to define a framework for retrieving credentials, and these include semantics for creating, getting and storing them via two credential types: PasswordCredential and FederatedCredential.

Now, what the webAuthentical API brings new is a third credential type called PublicKeyCredential. This allows web apps to create and use strong credentials which are cryptographically attested for authenticating users.

Chrome update availability

The update began rolling out, and it will reach all Chrome users in the next few days and weeks. You can learn more about what this new version of Chrome brings further by heading over here.

Other new features and changes include slots in a flat tree, TransformStream, three new network quality client hints, send mouse back/forward buttons to JavaScript and more.

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Use Miracast to mirror your Windows 10/11 screen wirelessly

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

The Wireless Display with Miracast technology has been made available for Windows 10 devices; read this post to discover how you could make us of it and why it really matters.

The wireless display technology in Windows 8.1 is one of the best new wireless network features, along with the new, faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. This new technology is much more important than we realize and you need to learn more about it to know how to make use of it. Gamers especially will find the Miracast wireless display technology appealing for their “needs”

First of all, let’s explain what Miracast stands and what exactly does it mean:

Miracast is a peer-to-peer wireless screencast standard formed via Wi-Fi Direct connections in a manner similar to Bluetooth. It enables wireless or wired delivery of compressed standard or high-definition video to or from desktops, tablets, mobile phones, and other devices. Both the sending and receiving devices must support Miracast for the technology to work. However, to stream music and movies to a device that does not support Miracast, adapters are available that plug into HDMI or USB ports.

Miracast allows a portable device or computer to send, securely, up to 1080p HD video and 5.1 surround sound (AAC and AC3 are optional codecs, mandated codec is linear pulse-code modulation — 16 bits 48 kHz 2 channels). However, it works only over Wi-Fi and cannot be used to stream to a router access point. It was created by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It allows users to, for example, echo display from a phone or tablet onto a TV, share a laptop screen with the conference room projector in real-time, and watch live programs from a home cable box on a tablet.

Windows 10 brings Miracast wireless display support

The Wi-Fi Alliance group that stands behind this new technology is comprised of big companies, such as Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola and Nokia. Some key sponsors are Apple, Comcast, Samsung, Sony, LG, Intel, Dell, Broadcom, Cisco, Qualcomm, Motorola, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, and T-Mobile. So, we can see that the entire industry has a clear interest in propelling the Miracast use to more consumers.

In Windows 10, 8.1, you can do a lot of things with the Wireless Display by wirelessly projecting your Windows 10, 8.1 device’s screen any Miracast-compatible display: TV, monitor, or projector. Here are some of them:

Play games on a bigger screen from your Windows 10, 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 laptop or tablet
See pictures and videos that you took on your travel
Browse the internet, watch Youtube videos, play online games
See a movie thanks to your Miracast-enabled projector
Run Microsoft PowerPoint presentations

Now that your Windows 10, 8.1 device is Miracast-enabled and makes the most of the Wireless Display technology, you will need to make sure that the TV, projector or monitor you are planning on buying is also Miracast-compatible. Windows Server 2012 R2 users can also benefit from the same Wireless Display technology.

RELATED: How to fix common Miracast issues on PC

Check if your PC supports Miracast

Unfortunately, not all computers are fully compatible with the Miracast technology. You can quickly check if your device supports Miracast by launching dxdiag.

So, go to Start, type dxdiag and hit Enter. Confirm any prompt that appears on the screen and simply wait for the scanning process to end.
Save the information file to your desktop and then open the DxDiag.txt file. Use CTRL + F to locate Miracast. You should find the Miracast: Supported/ Available.

For additional information about Miracast, check out the articles listed below:

FIX: Zimbra Internet Explorer issues in Windows 10

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Zimbra Collaboration Suite, a groupware email server and web client, is apparently causing some problems for users trying to make it work in Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 10, 8.1. Read below to find all the details.
All different types of software seem to be affected by the Windows 10, 8.1 update and now it’s time to talk about Zimbra, a collaboration suite of software that work with other browsers, like Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10, 8.1, for example. Here’s what one affected user is saying:

Zimbra don’t work on Internet Explorer 11 with Windows 8.1. It can’t read my mails on zimbra.free.fr. Free.fr says it’s your fault. Please remove the bug.

According to him, Zimbra isn’t compatible with Windows 10, 8.1 and a number of other forums postings has confirmed the same issue, albeit Zimbra developer says the app is fully compatible with Microsoft’s latest operating system version. Here’s a little more info about what Zimbra does:

The software consists of both client and server components. Two versions of Zimbra are available: an open-source version, and a commercially supported version (“Network Edition”) with closed-source components such as a proprietary Messaging Application Programming Interface connector to Outlook for calendar and contact synchronisation.

If you’re still experiencing Zimbra issues on Windows 10, 8.1, here are some troubleshooting suggestions to help you fix the problem.

Fix Zimbra bugs on Windows 10

1. Update Zimbra/ Windows 10

First of all, make sure that you’ve installed the latest Zimbra version on your computer, as well as the latest Windows 10 updates. Running outdated software versions may trigger a wide array of issue, including the problems described above. So, go ahead and update both Zimbra and Windows, then restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

2. Try a different browser

If the problem persists, try using Zimbra on a different browser. Quite a few users reported this workaround helped them solve the problem.

3. Check Zimbra’s Support Page

If the issue persists, go to Zimbra’s Support page. You can browse through Zimbra’s Knowledge Base Articles or check out the Community articles.

If you’re a Zimbra user, can you confirm that you’ve been having similar issues?

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Microsoft, GitHub and the price behind open source

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Kareem Anderson

For anyone who still refers to Microsoft using the M$ text on social media, forums or blog post, today must feel like a long-anticipated hellscape. As Microsoft declares its intentions to buy the open source developer community GitHub for $7.5 billion (USD), the screams of thousands of pseudo anti-establishment developers can be heard blaring across the internet while they gather on social media to threaten to close up shop on GitHub and rush to the comforting bells of their pre-2002 anti-Microsoft rhetoric as a basis for their wild speculation of the company’s nefarious intentions with the repository.

In a less tribalists reality, Microsoft’s rather substantial acquisition of GitHub should be seen as a move made by CEO and co-founder Chris Wanswrath to seemingly ensure the longevity of an open source developer community. As of now, Microsoft is a leading leader of open source contributions, has the financial structure and capital in place to allow a community to thrive under several different developer circumstances and is actively chasing a multi platform developer experience, by all accounts, the company appears to be a great destination for GitHub developers beyond housing the organized code repository.

Unfortunately, the Microsoft boogeyman theory of years past remains a sticking point for a vocal minority of developers.

Despite an overwhelming desire by some developers to liken Microsoft’s motives and actions to the evil Android consuming Dragon Ball Z villain, Cell, most deals the company enters into are of mutual compromise and thorough financial investigations, and not just another resource for the company to gobble up in its ambitions to become their perfect corporate form.

Fortunately, there is a small minority of resistance developers and industry observers are pointing out some of the rather obvious intricacies that are being considered in the new Microsoft and GitHub acquisition that would suggest the software giant is going into this purchase with the open source community’s best intentions in mind.

Many people seem to be unhappy about Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub. The most common sentiment I see is a preference for GitHub to remain "neutral". But the status quo was not one of the available options. 1/

— Eric Sink (@eric_sink) June 4, 2018

In a rather long-winded but thoroughly informative Twitter storm, developer Erick Sink succinctly illustrates why the rush to judgment of the GitHub purchase by some developers may be misplaced at this time. Similar to Sink’s twitter posts, I find Microsoft’s acquisition of GitHub is, at best, a neutral purchase that benefits both Microsoft and the open source community, and at worst, the least bad alternative. Without a viable revenue and profit platform in place, GitHub was roughly a missing round of funding away from closing up shop for many of its free-tier features. In 2016 GitHub lost $66 million during its fiscal year and in 2017, the community only brought in $110 million in revenue. In addition to its financial problems, competitors such as Atlassian and GitLab were seeing substantially better numbers YoY, putting a target on the back of the community as they began to court the same pool of GitHub’s 13 million developer congregation. Plainly put, GitHub was going to be for sale in the not too distant future, it was only a matter of time before an Amazon, Oracle, Google or IBM bought the community.

With that being said, Microsoft’s GitHub purchase isn’t without some scrutiny or questions.

What’s the company’s monetization proposition going forward? How much integration will follow? What will happen to private repositories? What is the ethical and legal standing for hosting competitor code? How do you stop developers from going to competitor communities? Can they keep Skype, its developers, and designers away from GitHub?

These are just some of the tough questions ahead of Microsoft and former co-founder and new company executive Chris Wanswrath as the two attempt to court new and currently hesitant open source developers as well as maintaining the trust for housing competitor coding. However, what most developers should do is get all the relevant information about the purchase before making rash declarative actions such as shutting down accounts or pronouncing their doom and gloom prophecies based on pre-2002 data and perceptions. Over the past handful of years, GitHub has been increasingly courting enterprise accounts as a way to stay financially viable. With enterprise, accounts come financial stability and long-term revenues for the service.

“Big enterprise software contracts can take months or longer to secure and often require hand-holding, which is where hiring a sales force comes in. Enterprises often want assurances of uptime that carry legal or financial penalties, they need certain features for security and for accountability, and they often want the ability their suppliers to have met certain audits and standards for security, operations and so on. ” -Business Insider

Interestingly enough, Microsoft has some expertise when it comes to serving enterprise accounts. Perhaps, for GitHub to remain a free option while evolving its search, tools and indexing features, some developers will allow Microsoft to charge larger businesses for more vertically integrated experiences with its software stack? Dare we dream, Microsoft may be one of the best-suited companies to offer a set of tools, services, and software in LinkedIn and Azure that can connect hobbyist developers with needy businesses which can offer contract work or a reliable second income for some.

Again, there will be growing pains with this new announcement from Microsoft, but GitHub developers should view the landscape from 30,000 feet before they decided to do anything today, tomorrow or in the near future.

Users Report Issues with Apache OpenOffice on Windows 10

Posted on June 4, 2018October 4, 2023 by Radu Tyrsina

Some users have been reporting problems and difficulties with opening certain Apache OpenOffice documents in Windows 8.1; read to find more about this problem

OpenOffice doesn’t have (yet) an application for Windows 8, so we are using it just like we did in previous Windows versions. What’s even worse is that now, after making the upgrade to Windows 8.1, some users have been reporting several issues while trying to open documents in Apache OpenOffice, the open-source office productivity software suite.

One user has shared this on Apache OpenOffice’s support forums yesterday:

When I downloaded Open Office 3.4.1 in my Asus Windows 8.1 laptop I cannot open any Document in Microsoft Windows.
I get this: “This app can’t run on your PC.”

And he also completes by saying:

The 4.0.1 version didn’t entirely unpack apparently because somewhat through its installation I got the message that it is on a network resource that is unavailable on my Windows 8.1

It seems that the user doesn’t even manage to complete the install in Windows 8.1, so that might be caused by some sort of software incompatibility. From what I’ve managed to find, it seems that reverting and download Apache Open Office 3.4.1 version should do the trick. Follow the link from below to download it securely from OpenOffice’s website.

If the issue persists and you can’t open Apache OpenOffice in Windows 8.1 or you can’t open documents, then, as always, let us know in the comments what your issue is and what errors are you getting and we will try to work together on a solution.

Download Apache Open Office 3.4.1 for Windows 8.1

Apache Open Office alternatives

If you do not want to switch to Office, which is obviously not free, you might consider changing to another open office suite. One of the best after Apache Open Office is Libre Office. It works well on both Windows 8.1 and 10, and it has lots of features. You may also be interested in this list of best Office alternatives to use on a Windows 10 device.

In case your personal or business documents need to be opened only with Apache Open Office from some specific reason, there is an ultimate way: uninstall the software and download the latest version in order to install it properly on your PC. If this solution does not work, just change to other open office software.