3 Tips on How to Reinstall the Settings App in Windows 11

The Settings app is one of the most important additions to Windows 11 alongside File Explorer. Settings is a preinstalled app that includes most of Windows 11’s configuration options.

If the Settings app stops working right, you can’t access many Windows 11 options. Some users wonder how they can reinstall the Settings app for the sake of fixing it.

Can I reinstall Settings in Windows 11?

Settings is one of Windows 11’s built-in apps you can’t select to uninstall. The Uninstall option for that app is greyed out. So, you can’t reinstall Settings in the same way as apps on Microsoft Store.

However, there is a command for reinstalling all default apps that come with Windows, which includes Settings. So, running that command would effectively reinstall Settings along with others.

Aside from that, there are also ways you can reset and register Settings in Windows 11. Resetting an app isn’t quite the same as reinstalling it, but it will refresh its data, nonetheless.

How do I reinstall the Settings app?

Before getting into the actual troubleshooting steps, make sure you cover a few methods:

  • Restart your PC and see if the problem reappears. Sometimes, this can be extremely effective.
  • Try to open Settings by pressing Win + A key combination and clicking on All settings afterward. If that works, go to Update & Security and check for any new updates.

If you’ve cross-checked these from your list, fix the Settings problem using the solutions below.

1. Reset the Settings app

  1. Press the Win key + S and type in settings to find that app.
  2. Select App settings on the right of the search tool.
    App settings option reinstall windows settings app
  3. Click Reset to clear data for the Settings app.
    Reset button reinstall windows settings app

2. Re-register the Settings app

  1. Press Start and click inside the search text box at the top of that menu.
  2. Input Windows PowerShell within the app search box to find that command-line shell
  3. Right-click Windows PowerShell to select its Run as administrator option.
    Run as administrator option reinstall windows settings app
  4. Type in this command for registering PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage *windows.immersivecontrolpanel* | Reset-AppxPackage
    Reregister command reinstall windows settings app
  5. Press Enter on your keyboard.

3. Reinstall Windows 11’s built-in apps

  1. Make sure Settings is closed before reinstalling that app.
  2. Launch an elevated PowerShell app as instructed in steps one to three in this guide’s second method.
  3. Then input this command: Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
    Reinstall Settings command reinstall windows settings app
  4. Hit Return to reinstall the Settings app and others.
  5. Wait for the command to finish before closing PowerShell.
  6. Press the Alt + F4 key combination and select Restart on the drop-down menu.
    Restart option reinstall windows settings app

You can also reinstall Settings and other apps for all users with an alternative command. Execute this command to apply the command for all user accounts:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Those are three of the more effective troubleshooting methods for fixing the Settings app. So, try reinstalling/refreshing Settings with any of the methods above whenever it isn’t working right.

Of course, there are also many other ways you can feasibly fix Settings when it’s not opening. Check out our guide to fixing Settings in Windows 11 for full details.

To learn more about Settings app, check out our complete guide on System Settings in Windows 11.

If you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments section below.


How to Fix CAA50021 Login Error in Microsoft 365 Apps

Many have encountered CAA50021 error while trying to use various Microsoft services, so today we’re going to take a closer look at this error and show you how to fix it.

How do I fix Microsoft error code CAA50021?

  1. Hit the Windows key and select Settings.settings windows 11
  2. Select Accounts on the left pane and tap on Access work or school on the right pane.
  3. If you have work or school account connected, disconnect it.
  4. Click on Connect next to Add a work or school account.
  5. Now follow the on-screen prompts to connect your device with Azure.

A few users also suggested deleting your device from the Azure Admin Center, so try that as well.

2. Re-register your device with Azure

  1. Hit the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator.
  2. Type and Enter the following command: dsregcmd /leave 
  3. Navigate to the following location and delete the MS-Organization-Access and MS-Organization-P2P-Access entries: Current User\Personal\Certificates
  4. Go back to the Command Prompt window and type the following command: dsregcmd /status
  5. The AzureAdJoined status should read No.
  6. Go back hit the Windows key, type Task Scheduler in the search bar, and click Open.
  7. Navigate to the Task Scheduler Library and select Microsoft.
  8. Select the Windows option and tap on Workplace Join under it.
  9. Launch the Automatic-Device-Join task by right-clicking on it and select Enable.

3. Change CA policy settings

  1. Open the CA policy settings.
  2. Next, exclude the following from All cloud apps:
    • Microsoft Command Service
    • Microsoft Activity Feed Service
    • Microsoft Directory Device Service
  3. Save changes.

4. Change Azure settings

  1. Go to Azure AD Admin Center and choose Devices. Next, select Devices.
  2. Enable the Users may register their devices with Azure AD.
    users may register their device
  3. Save changes and try again.
  4. Alternatively, select This app only when launching the app if you don’t want to register with Azure.

5. Reinstall Office

  1. Remove your email account from Outlook settings.
  2. Next, press the Windows key + X and choose Installed apps.
    installed apps windows 11
  3. Locate Office on the list, click the three dots next to it, and choose Modify.
    disable onenote startup
  4. Follow the steps to reinstall it.
  5. Open Outlook again and connect to Exchange.

This is a drastic solution, but it can help with caa50021 error in Outlook.

You may also come across an issue where Microsoft Teams status is stuck on updating so be sure to check out our helpful guide on how to proceed.

If you’d like to try out other collaboration software, especially for small-sized businesses, we have a couple that we can recommend.

Other errors you may encounter include CAA30194, CAA50024, and CAA70007, each with its own troubleshooting steps.

Keep in mind that caa50021 can appear in Intune, OneDrive, Teams, and other Microsoft services, but these solutions should help regardless of the service that is giving you the error.

Let us know if you have been able to solve this error in the comment section below.

KB5021304 brings end-of-the-year changes to the Beta Channel

We’ve already peeked at the last Dev Channel Insider Build for 2022, which is Build 25267, so it was only natural we’d also have a look at the Beta Channel as well.

However, before we do, we want to remind you about the latest Patch Tuesday rollout, which you should definitely check out.

As you would have expected, these security updates managed to break features as well as fix some of the vulnerabilities still exploited.

Let’s move on now and look at the most recent release to the Windows 11 Insiders Beta Channel and see what we’re getting these holidays.

What should I look for in builds 22621.1037 and 22623.1037?

You should know that today, Microsoft released builds 22621.1037, and 22623.1037 to the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders.

The 22623.1037 build includes a bunch of new voice access improvements and commands which are listed below so that you can use many aspects of Windows 11 just with your voice.

Before we get into it, keep in mind that Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package.

The above-mentioned enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default.

Furthermore, Microsoft is continuing to tweak Search on the taskbar, trying to make it a much more reliable and stable experience.

Through this recent software release, Microsoft has fixed an issue that might have affected Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption.

In case you didn’t know, the decryption of a certificate private key might have failed, so virtual private network (VPN) and other 802.1 certificate-based authentications might have failed.

The tech giant also specified that this issue might have occurred when you encrypted the DPAPI master key with a wrong value.

In addition, the Redmond-based tech company has added support for the following commands:

To do thisSay this
Close the voice access applicationClose voice access, Exit voice access, Quit voice access
Open a new applicationShow [application name] , e.g., Show Edge
Close an applicationExit/Quit [application name], e.g., Exit Word, Quit Edge
Show grid overlay on your screenShow window grid
Pull up the command help listShow command list, Show commands
Release a held down keyRelease
Move cursor in a text boxMove forward 5 characters, Go back 2 lines, Go to start of document, Move to beginning of line
Select the desired no. of characters/linesSelect forward/backward [count] characters/lines, e.g., Select forward 5 characters
Delete selected text or last dictated textStrike that
Paste text in a text boxPaste here, paste that
Apply bold formatting to specific textBoldface [text], e.g., boldface hello world
Capitalize selected text or last dictated textCap that

Fixes in Build 22623.1037

[Taskbar & System Tray]

  • Updated the Quick Settings icons in the taskbar when using a screen reader so if you set focus to each of the icons it no longer includes the words system state and instead just says what the icon is (for example instead of “system volume state” it just says “volume”).
  • Fixed a few more explorer.exe crashes relating to recent taskbar changes.

[Task Manager]

  • We fixed the issue causing Task Manager to become unresponsive when using the search box at the top of Task Manager.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1037 & Build 22623.1037

  • Fixed a known issue that might have affected Task Manager. It might have displayed certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colors. Some parts of the UI might not have been readable. This issue might have occurred if you had “Choose your mode” set to “Custom” in the Personalization > Colors section of Settings.
  • Fixed an issue that might have affected Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption. The decryption of a certificate private key might have failed. Because of that, virtual private network (VPN) and other 802.1 certificate-based authentication might have failed. This issue might have occurred when you encrypted the DPAPI master key with a wrong value.

Known issues

[Search on the Taskbar]

  • You may see issues with the search box on taskbar not rendering correctly and displaying visual artifacts.

[Task Manager]

  • Filtering by publisher name does not match correctly on the Processes page.
  • Some services may not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
  • If a new process is starting while a filter is set, then that process may appear for a split second in the filtered list.
  • Some dialogs may not render in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
  • The data content area of the Processes page may flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page.
  • The Startup apps page in Task manager does not list any apps for some Insiders. If you are impacted, please use Settings > Apps > Startup for the time being.

What can I do if I can’t install KB5021304?

  1. Press Win+ I to access Settings.
  2. Select the System category and click on Troubleshoot.w11 troubleshoot
  3. Press the Other troubleshooters button.other troubleshooters windows 11
  4. Press the Run button next to Windows Update.windows update troubleshooter

Please be sure to report any other issues you might come across, in order for Microsoft to address and improve the overall OS experience for us all.

This is everything you can expect if you are a Windows Insider for the end of 2022. Leave a comment below if you found any issues since installing this build.

How to Fix “the game couldn’t start” Xbox 360 Game Error

Playing games on Xbox is great, but sometimes certain errors can occur that prevent you from enjoying in your favorite games.

Users reported The game couldn’t start Xbox 360 error on their console, so today we’re going to show you how to fix this error.

“Game couldn’t start” Xbox 360 error, how to fix it?

1 – Delete the latest system update

Users reported this error message while using Xbox Dashboard features, and this usually means that there’s a problem with the latest console software update.

To fix this problem, you need to delete the last update and download it again.

To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings and select System Settings.
  2. Choose Storage.
  3. Now press the left bumper, right bumper, X. Repeat this step one more time.
  4. If you performed the previous step correctly, you’ll see Delete System Update message. Select Yes.
  5. Console will now remove the latest update and restart itself.
  6. After the console restarts, you need to download the latest update again.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to download the update immediately, but you won’t be able to sign in to Xbox Live until you do.

2 – Install the latest Xbox update

If you’re getting Game could not start error, you might want to try updating your Xbox. The easiest way to do that is to connect to Xbox Live.

This is a simple process and you can do it by following these steps:

  1. Press the Guide button on your controller.
  2. Choose Settings > System Settings.
  3. Select Wired Network or the name of your wireless network.
  4. Now choose Test Xbox Live Connection.
  5. If prompted to instal the update, select Yes.

If you can’t access Xbox Live for some reason, you can download the update on your PC and move it to a USB flash drive. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Download the latest Xbox update on your PC.
  2. The update will be stored in a .zip file, therefore you need to extract it first.
  3. After that, copy the contents of the .zip file to the root directory of your USB flash drive.
  4. Connect the USB flash drive to your console and restart it.
  5. After your console restarts the update installation process should start immediately.

If you decide to use a USB flash drive to install the update, keep in mind that you’ll need to use a USB flash drive with FAT32 file system.

Also, if your USB flash drive isn’t FAT32, you’ll need to reformat it as a FAT32 device.

If you don’t have an extra USB flash drive, you can also download the update and burn it to a DVD or CD and install it that way.

The process is almost identical, except you have to use a CD/DVD burning software.

3 – Make sure that you’re using an official Xbox hard drive

If you try to play Xbox games on Xbox 360 you might get Game could not start error. To fix this error you need to be sure that you’re using an original Xbox 360 hard drive.

Most Xbox games will work on your Xbox 360 as long as you have the original hard drive.

If you get an error message while trying to run Xbox games on Xbox 360, it might be that the game just isn’t compatible with your console.

4 – Replace your hard drive

Sometimes this error can occur due to problems with the hard drive, and if that’s the case, you might want to try replacing the hard drive. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your console.
  2. Position your console horizontally.
  3. Locate the hard drive cover and open it.
  4. Remove your hard drive.

After removing the hard drive, try replacing your hard drive with a different one. In these types of situations it might be the best that you borrow a hard drive from a friend and test it on your console.

If the problem doesn’t appear with a different hard drive, you’ll have to purchase a new hard drive for your Xbox.

5 – Try cleaning the game disc

Game could not start error can appear if your disc has scratches, and to fix this problem it’s recommended that you clean your game disc. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Hold the disc by the edges without touching the top or bottom surface.
  2. Use a soft, clean, slightly damp cloth to clean your disc from center to edges.

You can also take your disc to a store that has a disc polishing machine and ask them to polish your disc.

If that doesn’t work you might want to ask your friend to borrow you his game disc and check if it works on your console.

If the other game disc works without problems, it means that your game disc is damaged and you might want to consider replacement.

6 – Check your hard drive

Users reported this error while trying to run backward compatible games on their console.

According to them, it seems that the problem can be caused by your hard drive, especially if you purchased a hard drive from a third-party.

According to users, their hard drive works without any problems with newer games, but backward compatible games can’t run on third-party hard drives.

If you have a third-party hard drive, you’ll have to replace it with original Xbox hard drive whenever you want to play a backward compatible game.

7 – Delete the game from your hard drive and reinstall it

Users reported this issue with certain games, and in order to fix it you need to delete the installed game from your hard drive.

To do that on Xbox One, follow these steps:

  1. From the Dashboard select My Games & Apps.
  2. Highlight the game that you want to remove and press the Menu button on the controller.
  3. Select Manage game option from the menu.
  4. Now you should see the installed game along with its save game files. Select the Uninstall option to uninstall the game from your hard drive.

To reinstall a game on Xbox One simply go to Games & Apps section. You’ll see Ready to install list that includes games that you own but you don’t have installed on your hard drive.

Select the game that you want to install and wait until the game is installed.

To delete a game from Xbox 360, do the following:

  1. Insert the disc of the game that you want to delete.
  2. Select the game in the drive tray on the Home screen and press Y.
  3. Select Delete.

To install the game again, do the following:

  1. Insert the game disc. If the game automatically starts, close it.
  2. On the Home screen select the game in the drive tray and press X on the controller.
  3. Select Install option.
  4. Wait until the game is installed to your hard drive. Keep in mind that installation process can last more than 10 minutes.

If your disc is damaged and you can’t install it to your hard drive, you might want to borrow your friend’s disc and use it for the installation.

After that you just need to insert your game disc and you should be able to run the game without any problems.

8 – Format the hard drive

According to users, you might be able to fix Game couldn’t start error on your Xbox 360 simply by formatting your hard drive. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Guide button and navigate to Settings > System Settings.
  2. Select Storage or Memory.
  3. Choose the storage device that you want to format. Select Format option
  4. You should see a confirmation message on the screen. Select Yes.
  5. You might be prompted to enter your console serial number before you can format the hard drive. You can find the console serial number on the back of the console. After entering the serial number, select Done.
  6. Wait until the formatting process is completed.

Formatting your hard drive will delete all files from your hard drive, including installed games, DLCs and saved games, therefore be sure to back up all important files before formatting your hard drive.

9 – Clear the cache

Sometimes cache files on your Xbox can cause this and many other errors to appear.

To fix this problem, you need to clear the cache, and you can do that on Xbox 360 by following these steps:

  1. Press the Guide button on your controller and choose Settings > System Settings.
  2. Select Storage.
  3. Highlight any storage device and press the Y button on the controller.
  4. Select Clear System Cache. If you get the confirmation message, select Yes.
  5. Wait while your console clears the cache.

To clear cache on Xbox One, you need to do the following:

  1. Press and hold the power button on your console to turn it off.
  2. After the console turns off, unplug the power cable from the console.
  3. Now press the power button on the console few times to drain the battery completely.
  4. After that, connect the power cable to the console.
  5. Wait until the light on power brick changes from white to orange.
  6. Press the power button on your console to turn it back on again.

After clearing the cache, check if the error is resolved.

10 – Remove any USB flash drives

Game could not start error can sometimes appear if you have a USB flash drive attached to your console.

To fix this error you just need to remove any external storage devices and restart your console. After doing that, check if the problem is resolved.

Game couldn’t start Xbox 360 error can prevent you from playing your favorite game on Xbox, but you should be able to fix this error by using one of our solutions.

READ ALSO:

TPM 2.0 chip price: Where to buy & price comparison

With all the excitement present in the air, since the launch of Microsoft’s new operating system, we’ve all ignored an important factor that is about to change the rules of the game.

To be more exact, the new OS reveal has nearly quadrupled prices for a little-known security chip on eBay. The main reason behind this is that this same chip is necessary to run Windows 11.

The price quadrupled in a matter of hours

The above-mentioned chip is called the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. After Microsoft revealed, on Thursday, that PCs will need this in order to run Windows 11, everything changed.

This new hardware requirement is pushing customers to flock to eBay, in order to obtain TPM 2.0 modules for their PCs. Needless to say that at least one vendor is capitalizing on the outrageous demand. 

Thursday, there were two listings for Gigabyte TPM 2.0 modules, posted by an Israeli electronics shop called KSMTop, which increased in price dramatically from $24.90 to $99.00. 

However, that was Thursday. If you are planning on buying one of these chips now, be ready to empty your savings, as the price already increased to $199.90.

And this is just after a few days since Microsoft made the great announcement. Imagine how much these chips will go for in the near future.

Where can I buy a TPM 2.0 chip from?

For those of you looking to get your hands on one of these much desired chips, know that you can do so by visiting:

  1. eBay
  2. Amazon
  3. Gigabyte
  4. MSI

Note that, while some of these stores might still have an available batch of these coveted chips, others can no longer provide them at the moment, as they are out of stock.

Source: Gigabyte

And, as we mentioned above, choose your seller wisely, as the TPM 2.0 chips cost a lot more than they did just a few days ago.

Last week, if you wanted such a piece of hardware, you only had to pay $25. The story is a bit different now, after Microsoft announced Windows 11.

Getting a chip for the same amount of money nowadays is matter of extreme luck. On eBay, a TPM 2.0 chip is now going for as much as $199.90.

Source: Gigabyte

And the prices are much likely to keep growing so you should also keep that in mind while hunting for components.

We will keep an eye out for any changes that may occur, related to the TPM chips, and keep you informed.

Your computer may already have a TPM 2.0 chip installed

Before you panic and throw a fortune out the window, you have to know that your PC may already have a TPM 2.0 chip built in.

As you might know, the technology was first introduced in October 2014, meaning that a laptop or desktop from the last five to seven should have a TPM 2.0 function.

Also worth mentioning is that the security chip isn’t always turned on by default. In order to actually enable it, you’ll need to go into your PC’s BIOS settings and search for this feature.

An easier way to find out whether your PC has the security chip is by going to the Windows 10 search bar and typing in tpm.msc.

If by chance you have the chip, you should see an option for tpm.msc Microsoft Common Console Document.

What a lot of users are more curious about, is whether Microsoft is going to help them in any way, with this whole chip madness.

Just to be on the safe side, you can download and run the PC Health Check app, which tells you if the device is compatible with Windows 11.

We’ll just have to wait and see how this situation evolves in the near future. One thing is sure though, the price for these security chips is not likely to drop anytime soon.

Make sure you keep yourself informed on everything that happens with Windows 11, by checking our Windows 11 news thread.

What is your opinion on this matter? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Fix Folder Keeps Reverting to Read Only with 3 Easy Tips

You have found this article because your folder reverts to read-only constantly; here is all you should know.

Windows keep file and folder attributes in the file system. They are stored in the respective location with the file and folder name, extension, date and time stamp, and other information.

If you right-click on any given time on a folder and go to its proprieties, you’ll see a Read-Only check mark.

Many users reported that the folder reverts to the Read-Only status after they clear the check mark.

This problem occurs after installing Windows 10 updates, sometimes because of account permissions.

Why have all my files changed to read-only?

If your folder constantly reverses to read-only, there could be a few factors responsible, including:

  • A recent OS upgrade – This can happen due to your system’s recent update to Windows 10 since your account rights may have been changed.
  • Your account permissions – Without your knowledge, the problem may sometimes be caused by nothing more complicated than your account permissions, which is the most frequent reason.
Note icon NOTE
A shared folder keeps resetting to read-only.

Speaking about updates, shared folders are more prone to be impacted by this erratic behavior than others.

Thus, if a shared folder keeps resetting to read-only after installing a Windows update, you might want to revert that problematic file.

In addition, running SFC and DISM scans to ensure you address any potential signs of corruption can prove very useful.

An issue like this is very annoying and must be dealt with. Many users wonder: How do I stop a folder from being read-only?

The simplest solution is to change the permissions. Most of the time, some changes in permissions can make a folder read-only.

Additionally, you can log in as an administrator or change the attribute of the folders. For more info on how to do that, check the steps below.

Moreover, here are some error variations that you may encounter, but nonetheless, fix with the solutions below:

  • Windows read-only folder cannot be changed
  • Windows 10 read-only attribute keeps coming back
  • Uncheck read-only, but comes back
  • Unset read only not working
  • Folder keeps reverting to read-only Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 7
  • Folder keeps reverting to read-only Windows server 2016, 2012
  • This folder is read-only; you cannot select it
  • All folders are read-only

Without further ado, let’s jump right into the list of solutions!

How do I get my folder out of read-only mode?

1. Change permissions

1.1 For single users on the PC

  1. Find your C Drive, right-click it, and then choose Properties.
    folder reverts to read only
  2. A new window will appear; click on the Security tab.
    folder reverts to read only
  3. In the bottom right, click Advanced.
  4. Then, click on Change permissions.change permissions folder read only
  5.  Choose the user that interests you, and then click Edit.
    folder reverts to read only
  6. Under Applies to: drop-menu, choose This folder, subfolders and files, then under Basic permissions, check Full control and click OK.

1.2 For multiple users on the PC

  1. Find your C Drive and double-click on it.
  2. You will see a Users folder, double-click on it.users folder read only folder windows 10
  3. Now you should see your user name, right-click it and choose Proprieties.
  4. Go to the Security tab, and in the bottom-right, click Advanced.folder changes to read only windows 10
  5. In the new window, at the bottom-left should see an Enable inheritance button. Click it.enable inheritance folder keeps reverting to read only

After changing the permissions, the issue should be gone; if you still have problems, go to the next solution.

2. Change the attributes

  1. In the Windows search box, type cmd, right-click the result, and choose Run as administrator.folder reverts to read only
  2. Type in the following command to remove the Read-only attribute and set the System attribute. attrib -r +s drive:<path><foldername>
  3. Customize folders, as some programs may not operate correctly with folders that have these attributes. To remove them, type the command below.
    attrib -r -s c:<foldername>

A program can’t save files or change if a particular folder has the Read-only attribute.

Keep in mind that removing the Read-only or the System attribute of a folder can cause some customization loss. Still, it’s not particularly important unless you have something specific in mind.

3. Disable controlled access

  1. Open the Search menu, type windows security, then click on the Windows Security app.
    folder reverts to read only
  2. On the left pane, click on Manage Settings.
    folder reverts to read only
  3. Scroll down and click on Manage Controlled folder access.
  4. Finally, turn off Controlled folder access.

How do I reset permissions in Windows 10?

  1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
  2. Type in the script below and hit Enter. Replacing the full path to your file with the file path.
    icacls full path to your file /reset
  3. Check that the file permission is reset.

In our guide, you can learn more about resetting external drive permission issues in Windows 10.

If you are still experiencing issues with permission to open files, this guide may help you fix the problem.

We hope these solutions worked for you, as many other Windows 10 users confirmed them. Also, note that the issue is not unique to Windows 10, and users have noticed that the folder keeps reverting to read-only in Windows Server 2012.

To fully use File Explorer, consider adding comments to folders in Windows 11.

Don’t forget to leave any other questions in the comments section below, and we’ll be sure to take a look.

Craftopia Keeps Crashing on Xbox: 4 Ways to Fix It

With so many features and upgrades that Xbox has released, it can sometimes be easy to forget that there are still bugs in the game. If you play Craftopia on Xbox, then you might have experienced crashing issues.

Most players who encounter this problem report that the game keeps crashing after a few minutes of playing or even before they get a chance to play. 

Why does Craftopia keep crashing on Xbox One?

There are many reasons why you might be experiencing issues with the game crashing on your console. These include:

  • Outdated game – The game may not be optimized and has a lot of bugs because you’re still using an old version.
  • Insufficient RAM – Make sure that you have enough RAM (memory) for your operating system and any other applications you’re using at the same time as this game. The more RAM you have, the better.
  • Intermittent internet connection – When you are playing online games like this one, an unstable internet connection just won’t cut it.
  • Outdated/old graphics card – Once your GPU goes bad, you’ll start seeing symptoms like Craftopia crashing every few minutes or so. A new graphics card should be on the horizon.
  • Game cache buildup – Games get larger and more complex as they age, which means they require more resources from your console’s hard drive while they’re being played.
  • Overheating – If your console heats up quickly and doesn’t have much airflow inside its case, it can cause it to shut down unexpectedly.

How can I stop Craftopia from crashing on my Xbox?

We recommend that you check the following first before proceeding to the advanced troubleshooting:

  • Make sure your game is updated.
  • Ensure that your router and modem are turned on and that there aren’t any other devices using bandwidth simultaneously.
  • Check whether your console is having trouble connecting to the internet.
  • If you have multiple profiles on your console and you are having trouble with one of them, then you can switch to another profile and see if it helps.
  • Ensure your controller firmware is up-to-date and here’s what to do if your Xbox won’t update.
  • Visit the Xbox Live Service Status page to check if there is downtime.
  • Turn off your console and let it sit for a while. Sometimes all you need is a little fresh air.

1. Update your graphics card

  1. Click on the Windows button type Device Manager in the search bar and click Open.
  2. Navigate to Display adapters to expand, right-click on your graphics card, and select Update driver.update-graphics-driver-device windows 11 graphics driver amd
  3. Select Search automatically for drivers.

Most people don’t know much about upgrading their computers, but they fear messing with their system and breaking something in the process. If you’re one of these people and don’t want to take the risk of upgrading yourself, then Outbyte Driver Updater is here to help.

Outbyte Driver Updater is a simple and powerful tool that can help you update your drivers easily. It can scan and detect outdated or missing drivers on your PC, and then install them for you.

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2. Clear system cache 

  1. Press the Guide button on your controller.
  2. Navigate to Settings and select System Settings.
  3. Click on Storage.
  4. Highlight a storage device then press the Y button on your controller to open Device Options.
  5. Click on Clear System Cache under Device Options screen.

Clearing temporary files can help resolve issues with games and apps crashing or freezing on Xbox One consoles.

3. Reset your Xbox console

  1. On your controller, press the Xbox button and on the menu, click the System tab to open Settings.call of duty errors
  2. Select System then click on Console info and hit Reset console.
  3. Choose Reset and keep my games & apps.

4. Uninstall and reinstall Craftopia

If you’re still having issues with Craftopia crashing on Xbox after trying all these steps, try uninstalling and reinstalling the game from the Microsoft Store. 

This will clear all cached data from your console and may fix this issue for you as well. Make sure that you delete all saved data before reinstalling the game as it can cause more harm than good if not done correctly. 

We may also be able to help you fix error 0x8027025a on your Xbox so don’t hesitate to check out our comprehensive article on the same.

Also, if your Xbox S keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi, we know just how to fix it and you should too once you take a look at our detailed guide.

Let us know what other tips you use to stop your games from constantly crashing in the comment section below.

FIX: Xbox One wireless controller not connecting to PC

The Xbox One controller can be used to play games on the PC. Using a controller on a PC can give you a whole new way to experience your games. In this article, we will discuss issues that are related to the wireless controller and its adapter. If you are having trouble with your Xbox One wireless controller not connecting to PC, then the below fixes will help you.

But first, to ensure that your controller is working properly, we will show instructions on how to properly connect an Xbox One wireless controller to your Windows 10 PC.

How to connect your Xbox One wireless controller to PC

There are two types of controllers that do not use a USB cable to connect to a PC. One type is called a wireless controller while the other type uses Bluetooth to make a connection. Below are instructions on how to set up both your wireless controllers and Bluetooth controllers.

Xbox One controller not connecting to PC

If your Xbox One controller can use a USB cable, then all you have to do is plug it into the PC. Microsoft has optimized Windows 10 to immediately detect your controller. However, if you are using a wireless controller, then you will need to take a few extra steps. Here’s how you connect a wireless controller to your Windows 10 PC:

  1. Go to settings. Do this by pressing the windows key and then clicking on the geared icon located on the left side of start menu. This will bring up the settings window.
  2. Next, click on the device section in the settings window.
  3. On the top of the Window you should see an option called ‘Add Bluetooth & other device’. Select that option.
  4. Once you are inside the new dialog, select the option called ‘Select everything else‘. There should be a large plus sign next to it. Click on it.
  5. You should see your Xbox One controller device, click on it and press done.

It is important to note that you can only connect up to 8 normal controllers at a time to one PC. If your controllers have Xbox Chat headsets then you can only connect 4 controllers at a time. Furthermore, if they have stereo Xbox headsets, then you can only connect two at a time.

Xbox One wireless controller not connecting to PC

It is important to note that only certain controllers have Bluetooth capabilities. If you are unsure whether or not you have a controller with Bluetooth features then you can look at the picture below for reference.

In the picture, the bottom controller has Bluetooth capabilities. Notice how the Xbox button on the bottom is part of the controller’s face. While, the one on top has it’s Xbox button on the top part of the controller. This is how you differentiate between a normal wireless controller and a Bluetooth wireless controller.

It is essential to know that you will need to have the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on your PC in order for Bluetooth controllers to work. You also might only be able to connect one Bluetooth controller at a time. Here is how you can connect your Bluetooth controller:

  1. Update your PC to the Anniversary update if you haven’t already.
  2. Turn on your controller by pressing the big Xbox button in the middle of your controller.
  3. There will be a controller bind button on the top of your controller. You will need to press and hold it for about three seconds.
  4. On your computer you will need to go to Settings>Device> Bluetooth & other device
  5. Click on add Bluetooth, then on the Bluetooth section on the new Window.
  6. You should be able to find your Xbox One Controller if it is turner on.

How to fix common Xbox One wireless controller connection issues on Windows 10

Now that you know how to connect your controllers to your Windows 10 PC properly, we will discuss other issues that you may face when your Xbox One controller is not working. The majority of the time, a connectivity issue is caused by the wireless adapter not working properly. So, below is a list of troubleshoots that will help fix adapter issues you may have on your Windows 10 PC.

  1. Install the latest updates and reinstall your drivers
  2. Check your settings and make your wireless adapter turn on by default
  3. Test the controller on another device
  4. Check for interference from metallic objects.

The wireless adapter didn’t automatically install

If your wireless adapter doesn’t automatically install on your Windows 10 PC, then you will need to first see if your computer is connected to the Internet and has the latest updates. You will also want to try reinstalling your drivers just in case they are not completely installed.  To reinstall your drivers take these steps:

  1. Access your Device manager(Type it in when your start menu is opened).
  2. locate the section called ‘Network adapters’.
  3. Expand it, and locate ‘Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows’ or something similar to that. Click on it.
  4. You should have a properties dialog open up for you. Select the ‘driver‘ tab in the window and you should see an uninstall option located at the bottom of the dialog. Click on uninstall.
  5. A confirmation window should appear. Check the box next to the words ‘Delete the drivers’ software for this device’.
  6. Press OK.
  7. Unplug the wireless adapter for Xbox and then restart Windows.
  8. Plug in your adapter once it has restarted and your wireless adapter should reinstall.

Xbox Wireless adapter is not responding anymore

If your Xbox wireless adapter was working before but is not responding anymore, then you may have certain settings improperly configured. For example, there is an option that does not wake your adapter after waking your computer. You can of course make your wireless adapter turn on by default. You can simply try unplugging and re-plugging your adapter back in. But if that is unsuccessful, then you will just need to follow these easy steps:

  1. Go to Device manager again.
  2. Select the Wireless Adapter for Window option, which is located in the section called Network adapters.
  3. Locate the Wireless Xbox Adapter for Windows option and click on it to bring up a properties dialog.
  4. You should see a tab called ‘Power management‘ located on the dialog.
  5. Go to that tab and you should see an option that says ‘ Allow the device to wake up the computer’. Select it and press OK.

Binding you controller

A good way to determine whether or not your connectivity issues have to do with your adapter or your controller is to bind your controller to an Xbox One console. If you successfully bind your controller to your console, then your connectivity issues are probably caused by your wireless adapter. Try rebooting your device, and unplugging and plugging it back in. It is also important to note that Wireless adapters typically only have a max range of 6 meters. Therefore, make sure you are close enough to the adapter in order for it to work properly.

Frequent disconnects

This issue can also be remedied by playing closer to your adapter. Furthermore, you will want to ensure that there isn’t any interference from metallic objects. In fact, it is advised not to even put your adapter on a metal object. Your controllers will also need a good line of sight in order for them to operate properly. Perhaps, investing in a USB cable extender will make your connection more stable.

Conclusion

So if your Xbox One wireless controller not working on Windows 10, then you will want to first see if you took the correct steps to connect your controller to your PC. Afterward, if the problem still persists, then you will want to try the troubleshoots mentioned in this article. If you are still unable to connect, then you may need to replace your devices.

Related articles:

Posted in Fix

Fix Temporary Files not Deleting [Automatically, Disk Cleanup]

Temporary files are generated when users create a new file, and their role is to temporarily retain the information until the file users are working on is saved.

Why are temporary files taking up space? Temporary files should be deleted from time to time. Otherwise, they unnecessarily load your computer’s drive, reducing your system’s overall performance.

However, there are situations when users cannot delete temporary files.

This is quite a complicated situation because temporary files can sometimes use hundreds of gigabytes of your computer’s memory.

Here’s how users describe this issue:

here you can see in this snapshot that there is 5.49GB temporary files. but I’m unable to delete them I had tried this serval times but its not performing any deletion operation. it shows that we are cleaning up your temporary files come back in a bit to check out result. but no result I got.

kindly help me to solve this issue. my c driver is getting full day by day.

Users tried various methods to clean temporary files: ranging from running the Disk CleanupWizard to performing clean boots and drive error searches, but nothing worked.

If you’re having trouble deleting temporary files on your Windows 10 computer, follow the below steps to solve this problem.

Why some temp files cannot be deleted?

There are multiple reasons why the TMP files or the temporary files don’t get deleted automatically. Here are some of the common causes:

  • Your PC did not shut down properly.
  • Some programs use files stored in the Temp folder, not allowing deletion of all files.
  • The account you are logged in with does not have the necessary permissions to clear the temporary folder.

You can try turning on the option under the Storage Sense settings that says Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files option.

Temporary files can take a lot of space on your PC, and according to users, sometimes you might have issues removing these files. Speaking of issues, these are some problems that users reported:

  • Can’t delete temporary Internet files Windows 10 – If you’re unable to delete temporary Internet files, you might be able to do that using the DiskCleanup tool.
  • Disk Cleanup won’t delete/not deleting temporary Internet files – If Disk Cleanup is not deleting files, you might be able to fix the problem by using a third-party application.
  • Unable to delete temporary files Windows 10, 7, 11 – Temporary files not deleting – Issues while removing temporary files can appear, but if you encounter any issues, you might be able to solve the problem by using one of our solutions.
  • Word temporary files not deleting – You can opt to use a third-party software solution that we have listed below, in order to end this issue as quickly as possible.
  • Temp files not deleting automatically – You can use Command Prompt to delete the files manually in case they won’t delete automatically.

What happens if you delete temporary files?

Deleting temporary files is a fantastic method to reclaim storage space, but it’s also likely that doing so can assist boost the performance of your computer if it’s operating a little bit slower.

If achieving that is your objective and removing the temporary files didn’t help, you should try clearing the cache on your computer.

Without further ado, let’s just jump right in!

How do I force delete temporary files?

1. Delete the files manually

  1. Press Windows + R.
  2. Type %temp% and click OK.
    Unable to delete temporary files Windows 10
  3. Press Ctrl + A to select all files. 
  4. Click Delete.
  5. Press Windows + R.
  6. Type prefetch and click OK.
    Can't delete temporary Internet files Windows 10
  7. Select all and click Delete.

When using the delete option, you can also press Shift+Del, instead of a regular delete, to permanently delete files and not just send them to the recycle bin.

This issue related to temporary files has been plaguing users for more than a year, yet Microsoft hasn’t rolled out any official fixes to solve this problem, as users will remark:

This forum is a year old now with many followers all with the same problem and no one from Microsoft has stepped forward with a solution that actually works.  So I do not believe you when you say “We will be glad to assist you.”

If I am wrong and Microsoft is working on solving this problem, then enlighten me regarding what is being done and I will gladly stand cotterted.

2. Use a third-party software

According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files on Windows 10/11, you might want to try using specialized repair software.

If you are unfamiliar, these tools can help you scan your PC and remove unnecessary files that take up space for no reason. Thanks to this kind of software you can quickly free up space and remove temporary files.

3. Use Command Prompt

According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files, you might be able to do so by using Command Prompt. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Press Win + X to open the Windows menu.
  2. Now choose Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) from the list.
  3. When Command Prompt opens, enter del /q/f/s %TEMP%* and press Enter to run this command.
    Delete temporary files Windows 10 manually

Once the command is executed, all your temporary files should be deleted, and the problem will be resolved.

This is a quick and relatively simple solution, and if you don’t want to delete your temporary files manually, be sure to try this solution.

4. Install the latest updates

According to users, sometimes, the inability to remove temporary files is caused by a bug in your system.

Bugs can interfere with your system and prevent you from performing certain operations. Therefore you must keep your system up to date.

By default, Windows 10 automatically installs the missing updates, but sometimes you might miss an update or two. However, you can always check for updates manually by doing the following:

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows + I.
  2. When the Settings app opens, go to the Update & Security section.
    Delete temporary files Windows 10 manually
  3. Now click the Check for updates button.
    Disk Cleanup won't delete temporary Internet files

Windows 10 will check for available updates. Updates will be downloaded automatically in the background if any updates are available. As for the updates, they will be installed as soon as you restart your PC.

Once your PC is up to date, the problem should be resolved, and you’ll be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

5. Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution directory

Several users reported that they could not delete temporary files due to the SoftwareDistribution directory. This folder holds Windows Update files, which can sometimes prevent you from deleting specific files.

However, you can quickly solve this issue by deleting the contents of this directory. To do that, just follow these steps:

  1. Make sure that Windows Update isn’t downloading any updates. To do that, check for available updates. If no updates are available, you can proceed to the next step.
  2. Press Windows + R and enter %WINDIR%SoftwareDistributionDownload.
  3. Press Enter or click OK
    Disk Cleanup won't delete temporary Internet files
  4. Select all files inside the Download directory and delete them.

After doing that, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

6. Uninstall Skype and Spotify

According to users, sometimes third-party applications such as Skype and Spotify can interfere with your system and cause problems with temporary files.

According to users, the issue started appearing after the update when these two applications were installed automatically.

However, you can fix the problem simply by removing these apps. To do that, just follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Go to the Apps section.
    Unable to delete temporary files Windows 10
  3. A list of installed applications will appear.
  4. Select Skype on the list and click Uninstall.
    Temporary files not deleting

Now follow the instructions on the screen to remove the application. Next, repeat the same steps for the Spotify app. This is a strange problem, but several users solved it by removing these two apps, so feel free to try it out.

7. Remove the temporary files from Safe Mode

If you’re having problems with temporary files, you might want to try removing them from Safe Mode. To access Safe Mode, do the following:

  1. Open the Start Menu.
  2. Click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart from the menu.
    Delete temporary files Windows 10 manually
  3. Choose Troubleshoot.
  4. Select Advanced options.
  5. Click on Startup Settings.
  6. Press the Restart button.
  7. Once your PC restarts, you’ll be presented with options. Select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the corresponding key.

Once you enter Safe Mode, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

Why does my computer keep making temporary files?

The computer makes temporary files to load all your settings for your PC or a program faster. Temporary files are a program’s settings files that remember your selection for a specific program.

So, using these files, your PC can load programs and other system tasks much more efficiently and faster.

Let us say an editing tool when you use any program; then your PC will store a temporary file for your created work. Temporary files are created as a part of the internal process of the program or in situations when the program cannot allocate enough memory for the tasks.

Why can’t I delete temp files on Windows 11?

If you want to delete temporary files in Windows 11, you need to use the built-in tools, or if you’re an experienced user, you can do that manually.

If a file is open in another program, that might prevent you from deleting it, so you need to find the application using it and turn it off.

If you need administrator permission to delete folder message, it means you don’t have the necessary privileges, so try switching to administrative account and try again. And if you keep getting the temp folder access is denied, see how to bypass this restriction.

Most of the temporary files are deleted automatically once the task is complete. However, there are temporary files that continue to stay on your PC for future use. It is safe to delete temporary files, though.

Not being able to remove temporary files can be a big problem sometimes, but you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.

How to fix lost signal on TV or connection on Xbox Series X|S

The two next-gen Microsoft game consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have been long-awaited. Now that they are fresh from the box, they come buggy, mostly showing n signal when laughing games.

Microsoft has warned since a few days ago about issues that might spoil the gaming experience for several users. Luckily, they also offer reliable fixes.

If you’re connecting the console to a 4K/120hz smart TV, using the EA Play/BBC iPlayer app, or trying a DVD/Blu-ray into the console, you might encounter on Xbox Series X|S no signal on TV, see this troubleshooting advice first.

How do I fix Xbox console common issues?

fix Xbox Series X bugs

1. Lost signal to TV HDMI error with 4K 120Hz + VRR 

According to Microsoft, on 4K 120Hz TVs that also support VRR, one might encounter signal failures or corrupted images when the Xbox is configured for 4K120+VRR. The issue occurs with LG, Samsung, or Vizio TVs, but not exclusively.

Solution:

  1. Make sure your TV has the latest firmware installed. Also, check that your TV is connected to the Internet and that Automatic Updates are enabled.
  2. Try resolution variations with/without VRR:
    • Go to Setting > General > TV & display options> Video Modes and check/uncheck the box for Allow variable refresh rate.
    • Modify the resolution and refresh rate from TV & Display options > Display section.
    • Try 1080p/120hz + VRR or 1440p/120hz + VRR.
  3. Disable VRR on the TV altogether if the corrupted image persists.
  4. Additionally, you can perform a video mode reset and reset your resolution as shown in this troubleshooting article.

2. EA Play or BBC iPlayer app won’t launch/install

In case the EA Play or BBC iPlayer app won’t launch or install on your new console, there is no fix, unfortunately. It seems that this is a matter of compatibility.

However, Microsoft is working with its app partners for a quick solution.

Want to play full games included with your EA Play subscription? No problem; access them in My Games & Apps > Full Library > EA Play.

3. Dark HDR captures

Another known issue is that HDR captures might appear too dark on the two consoles.

Once again, there is no workaround suggested yet, only a promise for a future fix.

4. Black screen when inserting DVD/ Blue-ray

This is actually a recurring issue with Xbox consoles: the screen turns black after inserting a DVD or Blu-ray disc.

Solution:

Just remove the disc from the console, restart your Xbox Series X|S, and then re-insert the disc. The issue should be fixed.

5. Pixelated frames on the PeacockTV app

Last but not least, users might see occasional pixelated frames when using the PeacockTV app on their console.

This is yet another unsolved issue, that Microsoft experts are still trying to fix in a future update.

As seen, some of the problems are acknowledged by Microsoft, yet with no workaround. This can only mean that manufacturer will release patches pretty soon, with one of the updates to come.

Until then, we hope that your gaming experience won’t suffer much. If you do manage to bypass any of these issues, tell us how you did it in the comments.

[wl_navigator]

Touchpad not Showing in Device Manager: Steps to Add It Back

The Touchpad not showing in Device Manager can be a big problem. Without it, you can’t manage, update, remove, or reinstall these drivers.

If you’re dealing with this problem, follow the quick steps below to fix it.

What do I do if the touchpad is not showing in Device Manager?

Note icon NOTE
If your touchpad is disabled, try pressing Fn+ F9 to enable it.

1. Enable touchpad in BIOS

  1. Shut down your PC.
  2. Next, you need to boot into BIOS. To do this, press the Power button to restart and F2 as soon as your laptop manufacturer logo appears.
    Touchpad driver missing in Device Manager
  3. Once in the BIOS menu, open the Main tab.
  4. Locate the Touchpad and set it to Advanced from Basic.
  5. Save the changes and exit BIOS.
  6. Restart your PC and check if the Touchpad not showing up in the Device Manager on Dell issue is resolved. 

2. Check hidden devices

  1. Press Win + X on your keyboard and select Device Manager from the list.
  2. In Device Manager, click on the View menu at the top.
  3. Select Show hidden devices. show hidden devices device manager
  4. Look under Mice and other pointing devices to see if the touchpad appears as a hidden device. It may be listed as a HID-compliant touchpad, PS/2 Compatible Mouse, or a device with “touchpad” in its name.mice and other devices
  5. If you find it, right-click the touchpad entry and select Enable device if it’s disabled.
  6. If it’s already enabled but still not working, try Update driver or Uninstall device and restart your computer.update uninstall hid compliant

3. Scan for hardware changes

  1. While still in Device Manager, right-click on Mice and other pointing devices.
  2. Select Scan for hardware changes. scan for hardware changes
  3. Windows will search for any new hardware, which might help it detect the touchpad if it wasn’t recognized before.
  4. If the touchpad appears after this scan, you may need to update its driver by right-clicking on it and selecting Update driver.

4. Use the Windows generic device driver 

  1. Press the Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and click OK.
    devmgmt
  2. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices option.
    mice and other touchpad not showing in device manager
  3. Right-click on your touchpad driver and choose Update driver.
    update driver
  4. Next, choose Browser my computer for drivers.
    browse my touchpad not showing in device manager
  5. Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
    let me pick
  6. Choose the PS/2 Compatible mouse and click Next. Windows will install the generic driver.
    next

5. Install driver from the manufacturer’s website

  1. Identify your laptop model from a label or in Settings > System > About under Device specifications.device type settings
  2. Go to the manufacturer’s support page:
  3. Search for your model number and go to the Drivers & Downloads section or something of the sort.
  4. Find the touchpad driver labeled as Touchpad, Synaptics, ELAN, or similar.
  5. Download the latest driver, open the file, and follow the installation instructions. Restart your laptop to apply the changes.

If you’re using a Lenovo device, we have a dedicated guide on how to download the touchpad driver for Lenovo laptops on Windows 11, so don’t miss it.

You can also check dedicated brand troubleshooting such as the Dell laptop touchpad not working guide which explains additional driver fixes and detection issues that may help when the touchpad does not appear in Device Manager.

Note that it’s essential to back up your drivers constantly. So do not hesitate to use only the best driver backup software for Windows 10 to make that happen.

You can also disable Palmcheck if it is a nuisance by turning off or adjusting the Touchpad sensitivity settings.

So, these are some of the confirmed solutions for touchpad driver missing issues. Tell us more in the comments below if you know any other tips.

How to enable and install hidden education themes on Windows 11 to brighten your desktop background

Microsoft includes some hidden education themes on Windows 11 2022. The themes were originally designed for students to use on Windows 11 SE, but using a simple registry trick, you can decorate your desktop with some truly out-of-this-world and abstract images and designs. This registry trick to enable education themes on Windows 11 comes from @PhantomOcean3.

If you are looking to spruce up your desktop, it’s easy to enable and install these themes on any Windows 11 version. Here’s what you need to do.

Enable hidden Windows 11 education themes

Microsoft didn’t make it easy for people who use Windows 11 to enable or install these themes. Here’s the registry edit you need to enable them.

  1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open Run.
  2. Type (or copy and paste) regedit and click Yes at the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
  3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device.
  4. Right-click the device folder and select New > Key.
  5. Rename the new key to “Education.”
  6. Inside the newly created Education key, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  7. Rename the new DWORD to “EnableEduThemes.” Double-click the DWORD and set its value to 1. education themes on windows 11
  8. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Install Windows 11 education themes

Once your Windows 11 system reboots, you might not see the education theme background images right away. But you may need to wait an extended time to start using them on your PC. Take a look at the background images for the education themes on Windows 11 in the gallery below.

If you just want the background images, head on over to the background images link.

What do you use as a background or theme on Windows 11? Let us know in the comments!

Fix: PowerPoint Is Not Opening in Windows 11

Is Microsoft PowerPoint not opening on Windows 11? This problem is happening with many users. PowerPoint is an excellent presentation program being widely used for business, academic and other sectors.

But it can be frustrating if it doesn’t run at a crucial moment. You may have tried other Office alternatives. But MS PowerPoint is exceptional as no better options are there. If you are interested, learn how to solve PowerPoint file is corrupted.

Why is PowerPoint not opening in Windows 11?

When this app doesn’t open on the latest Windows, it can be due to the following reasons:

  • Problematic PowerPoint app: If you are not using the official version of the app or your MS Office application has some problems, it may crash when you try to launch it on Windows 11.
  • Existing background process: Some background processes may also cause PowerPoint not opening problems.
  • PowerPoint app: If you are using a very old version of PowerPoint, it won’t work on the latest Windows builds.
  • An internal problem: Sometimes, internal problems with your OS can trigger this type of problem.
  • Misconfiguration in PowerPoint: If there is something wrong with the settings on your PowerPoint app, you will face the problem.
  • Add-ins: Third-party add-ins are helpful. But, sometimes, these can be problematic too.

What can I do if Microsoft PowerPoint is not opening in Windows 11?

Before taking the key steps to solve the problem, we suggest you check out the following suggestions to avoid confusion:

  • Make sure Windows is up to date.
  • Ensure both Microsoft Office and Windows are genuine and properly activated.
  • Disable the antivirus and see what happens.

After doing the above things, if you still experience Microsoft PowerPoint launching problems, go through these methods.

1. End background process

  1. Right-click on the Taskbar and click on Task Manager.
  2. Find the ClickToRunSvc process, select it and click on End Task.ending click to run process task manager windows
  3. Dp the same for any other Microsoft PowerPoint and office-related processes.
  4. Try to relaunch PowerPoint.

2. Run in Safe Mode

  1. Press Win + R on the keyboard to open Run.
  2. Type the following command and click on OK: powerpnt /saferunning powerpoint safe mode run command

If there is something wrong with the configuration, Safe Mode will surely help.

3. Disable add-ins

  1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint and go to Options.going powerpoint options
  2. Go to the Add-ins tab, as shown in the screenshot.
  3. Choose COM Add-ins on the Manage and click on Go.going com add-ins powerpoint
  4. Uncheck the add-ins you want to disable and click on OK.disabling excel add-ins and clicking ok

4. Update PowerPoint

  1. Open PowerPoint.
  2. Go to Account.going account powerpoint
  3. Click on Update options and then on Update now.updating microsoft powerpoint

As the outdated version of the Office app may not work on the latest Windows 11, we suggest you follow the above steps to update it to fix PowerPoint not opening problems.

5. Repair PowerPoint

  1. Go to Windows 11 Settings.
  2. Navigate to Apps and click on Installed apps.going installed apps windows 11 settings
  3. Click on the three horizontal dots next to Microsoft Office and choose Modify.clicking modify windows 11 settings microsoft office
  4. Select your preferred option and click on Repair.repairing Microsoft Office quick repair

Repairing PowerPoint as well as Office on Windows 11 will fix any misconfigurations and internal issues with this business solution. This is an excellent way to get rid of PowerPoint launching issues.

6. Changing the default printer

  1. Press Win + I to open Windows 11 Settings.
  2. Go to Bluetooth & devices and click on Printers & scanners.going printers and scanners windows 11 settings
  3. Toggle the switch off next to the Let Windows manage my default printer.disabling let windows manage my default printer
  4. Go Microsoft Print to PDF or OneNote printer.
  5. Click on Set as default.setting default printer windows
  6. Restart your PC.

7. Re-install PowerPoint

7.1 Uninstall Microsoft Office

  1. Go to Installed apps on the Settings like the previous method.
  2. Choose Uninstall for Microsoft Office by clicking on the three horizontal dots.uninstalling microsoft office 365 windows 11
  3. Finish the uninstallation process.
  4. After that, restart your PC.

To uninstall any application entirely and in a better way, you can use Revo or IObit Uninstaller. Windows uninstaller always leaves some registry entries and files on your PC that may create future problems.

But, these tools delete everything related to the uninstalled app, which saves you time, speeds up the computer, and solves many unwanted issues.

7.2 Install again

  1. Go to the Microsoft website and sign in.
  2. Go to View all subscriptions.
  3. Click on Manage next to the Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 subscription.
  4. Click on Install Office.clicking install office Microsoft website
  5. Then, click on Download when this option appears.
  6. After downloading, install it on your PC.

8. Use PowerPoint online

  1. Go to PowerPoint online website.
  2. Sign in if necessary.
  3. Start using the online version.powerpoint online

Alternatively, you can try any other PowerPoint alternatives.

If the problem still persists, we suggest you take steps to repair some corrupted system files on Windows 11. Then, see if it helps.

This article has shown how you can get rid of PowerPoint not opening on Windows 11. If you have any suggestions or opinions, write in the comment box.

Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer Not Working [Fix]

Dependency installers help install software requirements and scripts on the host to run the software properly. However, users complain about Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer not working, causing errors when launching apps.

Moreso, you can encounter dependency installer issues like Failed to install dependency error on Kodi and other apps.

Why is Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer preventing games from launching?

Many users ask what Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer is and why it prompts errors when they want to launch games.

As said earlier, it simply contains scripts needed to help games and apps run smoothly on the host. Unfortunately, it can run into some errors and prevent your games from launching.

However, many factors can cause the Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer error to appear when playing games. A common one is related to issues with Microsoft store client updates. The error is liable to pop up after installing an update for an app in the store.

Other factors that may cause the Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer to prevent games from launching are:

  • Permission issues – Some users may run into the error because of not having enough permissions for the Microsoft store to access the game. Also, the Dependency Installer may need to be allowed before accessing the game.
  • Game registration issues – The Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer error may occur when launching a game if it can’t access the game’s registration. It doesn’t happen often, but it can be an issue.

There are no definite causes for Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer blocking games from launching. That is, the cause may vary in different PCs.

What can I do if Microsoft Store Package Dependency Installer is not working?

Apply the following preliminary checks:

If the error persists, proceed with the solutions below.

1. Sign out and sign in to Microsoft Store

  1. Left-click the Start button, type Microsoft Store, then press Enter to open it.
  2. Click on the user icon in the top-right corner of the screen, select your username, and click on the Sign out button.
  3. Restart the Microsoft Store app and check if it’s logged out.
  4. Click on the user icon in the top-right corner of the screen, click on Sign in, enter the credentials for the logging service, then tap on Next.
  5. Type your password, select the Keep me signed in option, and then click on Sign in.
  6. Close Microsoft Store and restart your computer.

Re-signing into Microsoft Store can help fix account issues that may cause the issue.

2. Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

  1. Press Windows + I key to open the Settings app.
  2. Click on System and select Troubleshoot.
  3. Choose Other troubleshooters.
  4. Then on the Run button beside the Windows Store Apps.

Running the Troubleshooter will fix issues with Microsoft Store apps that may interfere when launching the game.

3. Re-register all Store apps

  1. Left-click the Start button, type PowerShell, and click Run as administrator.
  2. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
  3. Copy and paste the following lines and press Enter: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

After running the command line, exit the PowerShell window, then restart your PC to check if the error appears when you launch your games.

Read our guide on what to do if Windows PowerShell stops working when executing the steps above.

4. Uninstall & reinstall Store via PowerShell

  1. Left-click the Start button, type PowerShell, and select Run as administrator.
  2. Tap Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
  3. Copy and paste the following lines and press Enter: Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsStore* | Remove-AppxPackage
  4. Copy and paste the following lines and press Enter: Get-AppxPackage -allusers *WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
  5. Restart your PC and check if the error persists.

Reinstalling the Windows Store via PowerShell will check its root installation file and install it afresh.

Alternatively, our readers can check our article on stuck Microsoft Store app download and some fixes for it. Likewise, you can read our guide about fixing Microsoft Store if you can’t install the app from it on your PC.

Do not hesitate to comment if you have any suggestions or questions concerning this guide.

Windows 11 Remote Desktop Not Working: 6 Ways to Fix It

Having trouble with Remote Desktop not working on Windows 11? We’ll show you how to deal with it. Problems usually stem from permissions, firewalls, and sometimes faulty updates.

Below, we’ll walk you through all possible fixes no matter the underlying issue. Just follow the step-by-step instructions.

How to fix Remote Desktop not working in Windows 11?

1. Edit your registry

  1. Press the Windows key + R, type regedit, and click OK.
    regedit windows 11 remote desktop not working
  2. Follow the path below in the left pane: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client
  3. Now, right-click the Client folder and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
    new dword
  4. Type fClientDisableUDP as the name of the new item.
    fclient
  5. Finally, double-click it, set its Value data to 1 and click the OK button.
    value data

If you noticed that the Windows 11 Remote Desktop is not working after installing the 22H2 update, it is because the feature is trying to connect with UDP.

The solution here is to disable UDP by creating a new registry value.

2. Turn off UDP in Group Policy

  1. Press the Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and click OK.
    gpedit windows 11 remote desktop not working
  2. Navigate to the path below in the left pane: Computer Configuration > Administration Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection Client
  3. Now, double-click Turn Off UDP On Client in the right pane.
    turn off
  4. Finally, tick the Enabled radio button and click OK.
    enabled

This is another excellent solution if the Windows 11 Remote Desktop feature stops working after the 2022 update. With the above steps, the UDP client should be completely disabled and allow your PC to connect.

3. Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled

3.1. Enable Remote Desktop in Settings

  1. First, click Start on the Taskbar and select the Settings option.
  2. Click Remote Desktop on the System tab.
    option windows 11 remote desktop not working
  3. Then, toggle the switch for Remote Desktop forward to enable it.
    toggle
  4. Select the Confirm option on the dialog box that opens.
    confirm

After enabling this, you will be able to use the Remote Desktop feature, and other PCs will also be able to access your PC remotely.

3.2. Check Remote Assistance is enabled in System Properties

Note icon NOTE
Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled on both the remote PC you’re trying to connect to and on the client. Note that you can’t enable that feature via Settings in Windows 11 Home. The remote host PC you’re trying to connect with must have Windows 11 Pro.
  1. Open the search utility by clicking the magnifying glass button on Windows 11’s taskbar.
    The Search button windows 11 remote desktop not working
  2. Type Control Panel within the search tool’s box.
  3. Next, click the View drop-down menu’ and select the Category option.
  4. Select System and Security in the Control Panel.
  5. Then click Allow remote access.
    Allow remote access option windows 11 remote desktop not working
  6. Select the Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer checkbox if it’s unchecked.
    The Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer option windows 11 remote desktop not working
  7. Also, click the Allow remote connections to this computer setting radio button to select it.
  8. Click Apply to save the new settings.
  9. Then press the OK button to exit System Properties.

If the Windows 11 Remote Desktop is still not working after the first two solutions, you need to check if the feature is enabled. You might have mistakenly disabled it in the process of troubleshooting.

4. Check that Remote Desktop Services is enabled and running

  1. Right-click the Start menu’s taskbar button and select Run to launch that accessory.
    Run shortcut windows 11 remote desktop not working
  2. Type this Run command within the Open text box: services.msc
  3. Select the OK option.
  4. Then double-click Remote Desktop Services to bring up its properties window.
    Remote Desktop Services windows 11 remote desktop not working
  5. Select the Automatic option on the Startup type drop-down menu if the service is disabled.
    The Automatic option windows 11 remote desktop not working
  6. Press the Apply button.
  7. Now, click the Start button and select OK to exit the window.
  8. Repeat steps five to seven for the Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector service afterward.

Another factor that can stop the Windows 11 Remote Desktop from working is if it is disabled in Services. You need the service to run and startup automatically to enjoy a smooth connection.

5. Allow Remote Desktop through Windows Defender Firewall

  1. Press the Windows key + S, type firewall, and select Windows Defender Firewall.
  2. Then click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall on the left side of the Control Panel.
    The Allow app or feature through option windows 11 remote desktop not working
  3. Press the Change settings button.
    The Change settings button windows 11 remote desktop not working
  4. Select the Private checkbox for Remote Desktop if it’s unchecked.
  5. Thereafter, click OK to exit.

6. Turn on network discovery

  1. Type Control Panel in the taskbar and open it.open control panel
  2. Select Network and Internet.network and internet settings
  3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.network and sharing center
  4. Select Change Advanced sharing settings.change advanced sharing settings
  5. Pick toggle on the button next to Network Discovery.enable network discovery

For the RDP feature to work, you must let it pass through your Firewall. Hence, if the Windows 11 Remote Desktop is working or responding on your PC, check if your Windows Defender Firewall is not blocking it.

We have come to the end of this detailed guide. We believe you now have everything to connect to your computer remotely from your comfort zone.

Similarly, check our excellent guide to get it working quickly if the Remote Desktop is greyed out on Windows 11.

Feel free to share the solution that helped you fix this issue in the comments below.

0x8024a205: What is it & How to Fix it

Windows is prone to errors. The frequency of encountering these may have reduced, but some still exist. In the following guide, we will take up the Windows update error – 0x8024a205.

This is generally encountered when you try to update or upgrade Windows, though it’s generally the former. The full error message reads: We couldn’t install this update, but you can try again (0x8024a205). So, let’s find out how you can fix 0x8024a205 in Windows 11.

What causes 0x8024a205 error?

Here are a few reasons you might be getting the install error 0x8024a205:

  • Device not compatible – Many users reported 0x8024a205 on Surface laptops, particularly because the SSD was not compatible.
  • Not enough space – Updates require certain free storage to download, so you may need to check that and free up disk space on the computer.
  • Issues with Windows – If the Windows Update Components or the system files are corrupt, you might come across update errors from time to time.

How can I fix 0x8024a205 error?

Before we head to the slightly intricate solutions, here are a few quick ones you can try:

  • Restart the computer and check whether you still receive the 0x8024a205 error in Windows.
  • Make sure your computer has enough free space, especially the C: drive where the Windows Updates are downloaded. You can use Disk Cleanup to clear storage space.
  • Check if your device is compatible with the update. A quick way to do that is to search the web. In case the device is not compatible, others using it, too, would be getting the same error. To confirm the same, you can also contact Microsoft Support.

If none of the work, head to the solutions listed next.

1. Pause and unpause Windows update

  1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Windows Update from the tabs listed in the navigation pane on the left.Windows Update to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  2. Next, click on the Pause for 1 week button.Pause for 1 week
  3. Once done, restart the computer for the changes to come into effect.
  4. Now, again navigate to the Windows Update tab, and click on the Resume updates button.Resume update to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  5. Finally, check for updates and try installing it again.

Oftentimes, it’s a minor bug that’s causing the Windows 11 update error code 0x8024a205, and simply pausing and unpausing it should fix the problem.

2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

  1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and click on Troubleshoot on the right in the System tab.Troubleshoot to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  2. Click on Other troubleshooters from the options listed here.Other troubleshooters to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  3. Next, locate the Windows Update troubleshooter, and click on the Run button next to it.Windows Update to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  4. Now, follow the on-screen instructions and choose the necessary response when prompted to complete the troubleshooting process.

The built-in troubleshooters are one of the quickest ways to eliminate a plethora of issues. So it’s recommended that you always run the relevant troubleshooter to automatically identify and fix problems, including the Windows 11 update error 0x8024a205.

3. Manually install the update

  1. Note down the KB (Knowledge Base) number for the update you are having trouble downloading.
  2. Go to the Microsoft Update Catalog, enter the KB number in the search box, and either click on Search or hit Enter.Search for update
  3. Click on the Download button next to the relevant update.Download to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  4. Now, right-click on the link, and select Save link as from the context menu.Save link as
  5. Choose the desired location for the update, and click on Save.Choose location to fix windows 11 update error 0x8024a205
  6. If required, approve the download.
  7. Once the update is downloaded, double-click on it to launch the installer, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If you can’t get the update to install automatically, manually download it from Microsoft Update Catalog and then install it on the system. But sometimes, this, too, can throw errors, and that’s when an in-place upgrade comes to the rescue.

4. Perform an in-place upgrade

  1. Go to Microsoft’s official website, and download the ISO file for Windows 11. You may have to choose a few options before securing the download link. In the case of Windows 10, you can also get the tool from the official download page.windows 11 iso
  2. Now, launch the ISO file, and click on Open in the prompt.open
  3. Once you have the Windows files open, run setup.exe.setup.exe to fix 0x8024a205
  4. Click on Next to proceed.next
  5. Now, click Accept to agree to the license terms.accept
  6. Finally, verify whether the setup lists Keep personal files are apps, and click on Install to continue.install to fix 0x8024a205

When nothing works, an in-place upgrade usually does the trick and fixes the Windows update error 0x8024a205, irrespective of whether it’s encountered while updating or upgrading the OS.

In case you frequently face issues while updating Windows, use a reliable update repair tool and get rid of these errors for good.

Tell us which fix worked and the update for which you encountered the 0x8024a205 error code, in the comments section below.

OneNote for Windows 11: How to Download, Install & Use it

With Windows 11’s official launch, most users had some important questions. What are the newest features and what will happen to the old apps that everybody used on a day-to-day basis were some of the most important?

That’s also the case with OneNote and we are here to answer those questions.

Some of the new features for Windows 11 include a complete user interface redesign with a focus on improved user experience, a centered Start menu, and better virtual desktop support.

And because Microsoft is aiming to also improve the overall gaming experience on the new OS, you’ll now find integrated Android apps in the App Store, and Xbox tech for better gaming.

If you want to check them all out, know that Microsoft has released a new OS build and we covered it all.

Now, on the opposite pole, Microsoft also shared details on features that will be removed, and OneNote for Windows 10 is one of them.

Why has Microsoft removed OneNote from Windows 11?

While there is no clear answer to this question, according to Microsoft, there will be many feature deprecations and removals when making the jump to Windows 11. 

Feature deprecation and removal
Features deprecated or removed in Windows 11, as officially revealed (Microsoft)

OneNote is just one of them alongside 3D Viewer, Paint 3D, Cortana, Internet Explorer, and Math Input Panel.

Fortunately, there are ways to enable OneNote in Windows 11 after the upgrade, you just need to follow our quick guide right here.

How can I enable OneNote in Windows 11?

1. Install it from Microsoft Store

  1. Click on the Microsoft Store icon from the taskbar to launch the app.Microsoft Store Icon
  2. Now go to the search tab, type OneNote and hit Enter.
  3. Select OneNote from the list of results.OneNote - app store
  4. Click on the Free button to start the download.click on Free
  5. Use your Microsoft account to log in and start using the app.

2. Download and install OneNote from the official website

  1. Download OneNote from the official page.Download OneNote from website
  2. Click on Open file to begin the setup.Click on Open File
  3. Allow Microsoft to make changes to your device by selecting Yes on the pop-up.select yes to make changes
  4. The setup will automatically detect what version of Microsoft 365 you’re running on and match your OneNote installation to the correct version.
  5. Wait until the installation is complete as it might take a while.wait until the download is complete
  6. After the setup is complete, you can log in with your Microsoft account and start using OneNote.sign in with microsoft account

There you have it, two simple ways to install OneNote on your device even after the upgrade to Windows 11.

What are some of OneNote’s best features?

While you can think of OneNote like a normal digital notebook, it can surprise you as it has way more options than you can imagine.

The app doesn’t expire, so you can use OneNote for as long as you like on any device as long as you have a Microsoft account.

This app is ideal for keeping all of your notes, research, plans, and information regarding your life at home, your life at work, or at school in one place.

Want to keep up with your renovations and share your ideas? Add images, comments, drawings, then easily share them and you can all view and contribute at the same time.

OneNote - preview

Another one of its best features is its ability to back up all your notes in the cloud, even if your device is not connected to the Internet.

You’ll just need to sync your notebook with OneDrive before going offline. Also, if at any time you lose your Wi-Fi connection, know that any pending changes will sync as soon as you’re back online.

OneNote also lets you create notes using just your voice. Take advantage of Dictation while signed in to your Microsoft account on a mic-enabled device and create drafts, notes, or comments.

Even though you’ll have to enable OneNote on your device once you make the switch to the new Windows 11, it is definitely worth it as this app will make your everyday life much easier.

That’s the case with many of Windows 10’s apps, but Microsoft’s newest OS brings a lot of other interesting features that aim to improve your productivity.

If you want to learn more about the differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11, check out our detailed comparison and decide for yourself if it’s worth the upgrade or not.

Feel free to use the comments section below if you have any further questions regarding OneNote or other apps you don’t know how to enable on the new OS.

How to Change Screen Brightness In Windows 11 (Step-by-Step)

Changing screen brightness on Windows 11 is one of the most common adjustments users make when trying to reduce eye strain, save battery, or enhance display visibility. No matter if you’re using a slider, shortcut, or the settings menu, this guide walks you through every method to adjust brightness effectively on your laptop screen or external monitor.

All Methods to Adjust Screen Brightness in Windows 11

1. Quick Settings Brightness Slider

  • Press Windows + A to open the Quick Settings panel
  • Move the brightness slider left or right to adjust the level
  • Only works on internal displays like laptops or tablets
  • If the slider is not available, it could be a driver issue similar to what affected screen brightness controls in Windows 7

2. Settings Menu Brightness Control

3. Enable Auto-Brightness (If Available)

  • Go to Settings > System > Display > Brightness
  • Check “Change brightness automatically when lighting changes”
  • Auto-adjust issues can also be caused by system bugs; see how to fix Windows 11 screen dimming problems

4. Manual Brightness via Monitor Buttons

  • Use physical buttons on the side or bottom of your monitor
  • Navigate to the on-screen display (OSD) menu
  • Adjust the Brightness or Contrast settings manually

5. Adjust Brightness via GPU Control Panel

  • NVIDIA: Right-click desktop > NVIDIA Control Panel > Display > Adjust desktop color settings
  • Intel: Open Intel Graphics Command Center > Display > Brightness
  • AMD: Use AMD Radeon Software > Display tab to control brightness

6. Use Monitor Manufacturer Software

  • Install software from your monitor brand:
    • Dell Display Manager
    • HP Display Center
    • LG OnScreen Control
    • Lenovo Vantage
  • These apps allow on-screen brightness adjustments directly in Windows

7. Use Keyboard Brightness Keys

8. Adjust Brightness in Windows Mobility Center

  • Right-click the Start button
  • Select Mobility Center
  • Use the Display brightness slider for manual control

9. Set Brightness by Power Plan

  • Open Control Panel > Power Options
  • Click Change plan settings for your current power plan
  • Set different brightness levels for On battery and Plugged in

10. Adjust Brightness via Command Line

Command Prompt:

powershell (Get-WmiObject -Namespace root/WMI -Class WmiMonitorBrightnessMethods).WmiSetBrightness(1, 50)

PowerShell:

(Get-CimInstance -Namespace root/wmi -ClassName WmiMonitorBrightnessMethods).WmiSetBrightness(1, 70)
  • Replace the number with the desired brightness level
  • These commands only work for internal laptop displays

FAQs

How do I reduce brightness using keyboard in Windows 11?

Press Fn + Brightness keys (usually F1–F12 with sun icons). On some laptops, it might be Fn + F2 or Fn + F3.

Why is the brightness slider missing in Windows?

It usually happens when display drivers are outdated or missing. Try updating your display adapter through Device Manager. Check out this more in-depth guide for step-by-step instructions if your brightness option is missing in Windows.

Can I adjust brightness on an external monitor?

Yes, but not through Windows settings. Use physical buttons, GPU control panels, or manufacturer software like Dell Display Manager.

Is there a brightness shortcut in Windows 11?

Yes. Press Windows + A to open Quick Settings, then move the brightness slider.

How to automatically adjust brightness based on light?

Go to Settings > System > Display > Brightness, then enable Change brightness automatically when lighting changes. This requires a light sensor.

Wrapping up

Adjusting screen brightness in Windows 11 is key to making your display easier on the eyes and saving battery life. You can change brightness using the settings menu, quick brightness slider, keyboard keys, or monitor buttons.

If the slider is missing or doesn’t work, updating display drivers or using your GPU’s control panel can fix the problem. Auto brightness settings can also be turned on or off depending on your needs. With these screen brightness control methods, you can easily find what works best for you.

Event ID 41: What is it?

Event ID 41 is a PC error reported on all recent iterations of the OS. That issue is also known as the Kernel-Power 41 error. When that error occurs, Windows randomly restarts without properly shutting down first.

Event Viewer logs the error as critical, and the description reads, The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. Some users have also reported it as a Blue Screen error. So, let’s find out how you can fix Event ID 41 BugcheckCode 0 in Windows.

What is Event ID 41 Task Category 63?

The Event ID 41 Category 63 usually has to do with the power supply or a malfunctioning component and causes the screen to go either wholly black or white. For most users, this happens when running resource-intensive tasks or gaming.

Here are a few reasons you might be getting the error:

  • Faulty power supply – In most cases, it was the faulty power supply that triggered the error. So, you will have to check for that.
  • Overclocking – When the PC is overclocked, you might encounter issues, including BSOD errors and Event ID 41.
  • Corrupt or outdated drivers – Corrupt, incompatible, or outdated drivers are just as likely to cause the error, as reported by several users.
  • Issues with the RAM – Another reason you may get the error is a faulty RAM module or when it’s not connected properly.

How can I fix Event ID 41?

Before we head to the slightly complex solutions, here are a few quick ones that did the trick for some users:

  • Make sure you are running the latest version of Windows. Oftentimes, the error is caused by a bug, and a patch is later released for it, so it’s important that you update the OS.
  • Plug the computer directly into a power socket instead of a surge protector or a hub of some kind.
  • Although strange, users reported that the error didn’t appear when they first plugged in the cable and then turned on the laptop. Remember, this is a workaround and won’t really eliminate the underlying cause.
  • In case you have overclocked the PC, remove all such settings right away and uninstall the app used for overclocking, if any.
  • Check the temperature and if it’s high, take measures to reduce overheating. An effective way to do it would be to manually control the CPU fan speed.

If none of the solutions work, the ones listed next should.

1. Disable Fast Startup

  1. Press Windows + S to open Search, type Control Panel in the text field, and click on the relevant search result.control panel
  2. Click on System and Security.system and security
  3. Click on Change what the power buttons do under Power Options.change what the power buttons do
  4. Next, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.change settings that are currently unavailable to fix event id 41
  5. Untick the checkbox for Turn on fast startup (recommended) and click on Save changes.disable to fix event id 41
  6. Also, if there’s an option for Fast Startup or Fast Boot in the BIOS, make sure to disable it as well.

Many users managed to eliminate Event ID 41 by simply disabling Fast Startup, a feature meant to quickly load the OS when the computer is turned on. So try it, and if things don’t work out, head to the next solution.

2. Update the drivers

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type devmgmt.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.device manager
  2. Expand Display adapters, right-click on the video card, and choose Update driver.update driver to fix event id 41
  3. Now, select Search automatically for drivers and wait for Windows to update it.search automatically for drivers

The video card was the underlying cause, as reported by many, and updating the graphics driver did the trick. Also, if Windows is unable to find a newer version, you can always manually update the driver in no time.

If you want a quicker solution for updating your drivers, you can try a specialized tool that can do this automatically by scanning your PC for outdated drivers and finding the latest updates from its vault.

⇒ Get Outbyte Driver Updater

3. Switch to the High Performance power plan

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type control panel, and then click OK.control panel
  2. Click on System and Security.system and security
  3. Now, click on Power Options.power options to fix event id 41
  4. Select the High Performance power plan here, and restart the computer.

Switching to a performance-oriented power plan fixed Event ID 41 for many. Also, instead of High Performance, you could also enable the Ultimate Performance power plan for even better results.

4. Run tests on RAM

If the solutions listed previously didn’t work, it’s likely hardware at fault, and we start with the RAM. First, make sure all the RAM modules are properly seated. Also, you can run the PC using one module at a time to identify the faulty one.

Besides, run the Windows Memory Diagnostic, a built-in tool that scans the RAM for issues and fixes most of these. Though, you can’t rely solely on it to get things up and running.

That’s why we recommend users go with MemTest86+, an open-source tool that runs a wide range of tests on the memory, identifies the issue, and eliminates it. If the tool comes up with a clean report, you can be certain the RAM is not triggering Event ID 41.

5. Get the hardware checked

The last option is to get the hardware checked by a professional, including the CPU, motherboard, and PSU. These three were usually found to be malfunctioning and led to Event ID 41. Do not forget to get connections and capacitors inspected as well.

If any of the items turn out to be faulty, first replace them with a spare product, and only if it works out, buy a new one.

With the Event ID 41 fixed by now, your computer won’t crash anymore or hang with a black screen in Windows for extended periods.

In case you got the error while playing games, check the best settings to optimize Windows for gaming.

You can discuss the Event ID 41 error in the comments section below, and share any other solutions or post queries.

Top Best Antivirus For Windows 10 In 2026: No 1 Is A Must

In this guide, let us explore the best antivirus for Windows 10.

The digital world is becoming increasingly part of our lives, but that also means that cyber threats are just as abundant.

Malware is evolving increasingly, and antivirus tools are keeping up, constantly updating their libraries to recognize as many new threats as possible.

If your computer, phone, or tablet has an operating system update that you haven’t yet installed, don’t put it off. Additionally, you should maintain any antivirus software up to date.

That being said, let us now explore some fundamental benefits.

Does Windows 10 2022 need antivirus?

Using a computer without an antivirus is not recommended because while you may get by, there is a higher probability that your computer will be compromised in no time. The dangers associated with such a compromise can not be overstated.

Here are some reasons why you must use an antivirus:

  • Virus protection and transmission – A significant role of antivirus software is prevention. When a virus is detected, it immediately begins working.
  • Prevention from data thieves and hackers – Malware and virus programs are often used by hackers to get access to their victim’s computers. Without the user’s awareness, they implant malicious software onto the compromised machine.
  • Prevents spam and ads – Most infections exploit pop-up advertising as well as malicious websites to infiltrate their victims’ systems. However, an antivirus will guard against this.
  • Protection from removable devices – Also, if you use USB drives or external storage devices, an antivirus can scan them and ensure they are free from viruses.
  • Firewall protection from phishing attacks and spyware – Generally speaking, a firewall keeps tabs on every data that enters and leaves your network. When used with antivirus software, firewalls perform a secondary check on any data or files you transmit over the internet.

Now let us explore the best antivirus options you should try.

Antivirus?Key features?Security enhancements
ESET Internet SecurityMinimal power usage
Lightweight antivirus
Gamer Mode
Active web-browsing protection
Online banking & payment protection
Total AV Boost up the PC performance
Compatibility with Mac, Android, and iOS
Data breach monitoring
WebShield for browser protection
Guard.io Lightweight Chrome extension
Install with just a click right into the browser
Real-time protection against any threats
Links, emails, and web pages verification before you open them
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Cutting-edge lightweight technology Protection against unauthorized use of your microphone and webcam
Anti-theft features for your devices’ protection
Premium-class VPN (limited)
Norton Antivirus Plus Low system impact
Frequently updated
Built-in password manager
Comes with a built-in VPN
Vipre Low impact Home and Business subscription plan Remote employees protection
Real-time protection using threat intelligence
Data loss prevention
Kaspersky Light resource usage
Works for PC, Mac, and mobile devices
Built-in password manager
Transaction protection
Avast Free Antivirus Limited resource footprint
Frequently updated
Best antivirus for Windows 10 with a free download
Works silently during gaming and movie-watching sessions
Monitors the behavior of individual apps
Avira Antivirus Premium Uses low resources
Tune-up tools
Advanced web & ransomware protection
Software and driver patching Built-in VPN

Which antivirus is best for Windows 10 not slowing down?

Total AV – Great for browsing security

best antivirus for windows 10

Firstly, Total AV is an award-winning antivirus and security software that protects every aspect of your PC. It offers virus protection, safe web surfing, block tracking cookies, as well as verification for breach attempts. Thus we ranked it as one of the best antivirus for a Windows 10 Home user.

Additionally, you get real-time protection from threats by checking all downloads, installs, and executables for any scripts or viruses.

Furthermore, its bright protection system keeps you safe from ransomware and phishing software that wants to lay hands on your data.

Total AV also provides WebShield in your browser to browse the web safely and securely. Hence, it is a defense against fake, scam, or phishing websites that exploit unknowing users. Also, this means that Total AV lets you take control of the browsing experience for browsers.

Lastly, with a built-in ad blocker for websites and videos, you will never see those annoying ads again.

Here are the perks of using Total AV:

  • Great real-time protection
  • WebShield for browser protection
  • Data breach monitoring
  • Compatibility with Mac, Android, and iOS
  • Blocking of tracking cookies

Total AV

A simple solution for a complete package of protection.
Check Price Visit Website

ESET Internet Security – Best overall

best antivirus for windows 10

ESET is ranked as one of the best antivirus for Windows 10 in 2022. Their antivirus solutions protect against malware, including viruses, ransomware, worms, as well as spyware.

So, the most modern assaults and harmful activity on your PC are no match for LiveGuard from ESET Internet Security, which integrates well in 2022.

Additionally, ESET offers military-grade encryption for all your passcodes when your device is lost or destroyed, so nothing leaks or gets stolen.

It is critical to prevent unauthorized access and exploitation of your data and camera, as well as to secure online payments and safeguard your online experience. This is where ESET shines; therefore, your virtual identity is always shielded.

Here are the perks of using Internet Security:

  • Install & forget the antivirus model
  • Active web-browsing protection
  • Minimal power usage
  • Ransomware and spyware shield
  • Gamer Mode
  • Online banking & payment protection
  • Suitable for Windows, macOS, and Linux

ESET Internet Security

A lightweight antivirus that offers just the protection all your devices need against the latest malware.
Check price Visit Website

Guard.io – Best for internet browsing

best antivirus for windows 10

Firstly, Guard.io is a lightweight chrome extension that is one of the best antivirus for Windows 10. It’s built to create the safest way of browsing the internet.

Additionally, since it takes seconds to add to your browser, it provides immediate online security. Your browsing experience will be smoother with no annoying pop-ups and scam notifications.

Also, harmful sites will be blocked immediately, while advanced anti-phishing protection will prevent all attempts to steal your data.

Furthermore, Guardio acts as your online bodyguard. Hence, its machine learning integrations, cloud infrastructure, and security research bring state-of-the-art web browsing protection.

Lastly, you can keep your whole organization safe by having unlimited licenses within one subscription plan.

Here are the perks of using Guard.io:

  • Install with just a click right into the browser
  • Real-time protection against any threats
  • Malicious site blocking
  • Links, emails, and web pages verification before you open them
  • Personal data security and breaches notifications
  • Malicious Extension Removal

Guard.io

Your browsing bodyguard for any online threats.
Free Trial Visit Website

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus – Most security features

best antivirus for windows 10

Bitdefender has an excellent antivirus technology approach proven to be a cutting-edge solution on Windows, even in 2022. You will soon see why we ranked it as the best antivirus for Windows 10 that doesn’t slow down your computer.

It’s an award-winning antivirus developer that has garnered wide appraisal over the years. This is thanks to its efficiency in fighting off malware balanced with a low system impact.

Also, Bitdefender antivirus products are an entire security suite filled with tools that make using your PC a worry-free experience.

Furthermore, the Bitdefender family comprises five products. These are Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Bitdefender Internet Security, Bitdefender Total Security, Bitdefender Family Pack, and Bitdefender Premium Security.

These five entries share one common goal: they hold your PC’s security as their top priority.

Finally, those interested in Mobile security should also know that Bitdefender hasn’t forgotten about them, providing them with Bitdefender Mobile Security (Available for Android and iOS), a product just for them.

Here are the perks of using Bitdefender Antivirus Plus:

  • Protection against unauthorized use of your microphone and webcam
  • A single subscription gives you protection for multiple devices
  • You gain real-time protection against cyber-threats
  • Anti-theft features for your devices’ protection
  • You are provided with a premium-class VPN (limited)
  • Gives you anonymity on public Wi-Fi
  • Built-in browser protection
  • Built-in password manager

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Get the best antivirus tool of the year 2022, now available at a discount for a limited time!
Check price Visit Website

Norton Antivirus Plus – Best for home PC

best antivirus for windows 10

Norton does a fantastic job updating its virus databases and is one of the best antivirus apps for Windows 10.

Also, it works silently in the background, having minimum impact on your system’s resources.

What distinguishes Norton is the multi-layered approach to protecting your device from assaults by identifying hazardous files, preventing the download, and removing viruses or malware such as worms and trojan viruses.

Email scanning is essential for protecting against malicious emails. So, Norton Antivirus checks outgoing and incoming emails to guarantee that no potentially harmful emails are sent or downloaded.

Additionally, you receive up to 2GB of cloud backup space to save and defend essential files and documents from hard disk failure and hardware theft.

The drawback of Norton is that it is pricey per device. However, it also provides excellent performance when gaming in silent mode.

Here are the perks of using Norton antivirus products:

  • Efficient real-time protection
  • Built-in password manager
  • Comes with a built-in VPN
  • Frequently updated
  • Low system impact

Norton AntiVirus Plus

Multi-layered, smart encryption helps safeguard your devices from arising from various malware threats.
Check price Visit Website

Vipre – Best email security

best antivirus for windows 10

Vipre is among the best antivirus apps for Windows 10 for every aspect of your PC and online surfing. It is excellent for both home and business use.

Also, with award-winning endpoint protection, email security, and data loss prevention, Vipre is one of the industry leaders. It creates security layers from every possible angle to ensure your data is safe.

Additionally, the anti-malware, anti-phishing, and smart email verification protect all online activities from threats.

Furthermore, you will experience web browsing without ads, unnecessary notifications, and spam pop-ups for the time being. Vipre works to create the best user experience.

Also, Vipre has unparalleled engine systems for the business side that give you complete insights into your security strengths and weaknesses and deliver ways to improve them.

No matter how big your organization is, data security is critical. So, avoid data breaches with Vipre’s patch management, ransomware protection, and endpoint malware protection.

Since your employees receive hundreds of emails daily, a layer of security is essential. Hence, VIPRE Email Security solutions ensure that all inbound messages are scanned for suspicious content.

Here are the perks of using Vipre:

  • Data loss prevention
  • Email verification before opening
  • Prevention of sending emails to the wrong person
  • Malware, ransomware, phishing protection
  • Home and business subscription plan
  • Real-time protection using threat intelligence
  • Remote employees protection

Vipre

Keep your business protected and your email secured.
Free Trial Visit Website

Kaspersky – Best malware protection

best antivirus for windows 10

Kaspersky Antivirus is one of the best antivirus apps for Windows 10. It is an anti-malware tool with a long history in the industry.

This software tool has evolved for some time now, providing anti-malware solutions for home and much larger business environments, each tool being adapted specifically for its job.

Kaspersky’s antivirus disinfection feature may be disappointing. When a file becomes infected with a virus, most antivirus programs delete the entire file; however, Kaspersky does not.

This may be troublesome in the future because of the clutter on your PC if the corrupted file is not completely removed.

However, on the bright side, Kaspersky was once used to uncover a kind of malware called MiniDuke.

According to a Kaspersky specialist in spy gear examination, MiniDuke hails from a school of modern espionage software created for snooping.

So, it is useful if you work remotely and suspect someone is spying on you and intends to steal your work.

Get a year-long license, and you never have to worry about malware regarding your home and business.

Lastly, among all its strengths and weaknesses, Kasperky prides itself on its products’ transparency and efficiency.

Here are the perks of using Kaspersky:

  • Easy-to-use
  • Light resource usage
  • Transaction protection
  • Built-in password manager
  • Works for PC, Mac, and mobile devices

Kaspersky

Kaspersky uses advanced monitoring systems to detect both known and unknown harmful spyware.
Free trial Visit website

Avast Free Antivirus – Best free antivirus option

best antivirus for windows 10

Firstly, This antivirus tool is one of the best for Windows 10.

First, we love the Behavior Shield. With this function, Avast monitors the behavior of individual apps on a computer to counter anything suspicious.

Also, Avast Omni, Premium Security, and Free Antivirus have CyberCapture, which automatically detects questionable files and sends them to the cloud for review.

Additionally, the free version may assist with password management, browser cleansing, and network security. It also has a Do Not Disturb mode, preventing popups when viewing movies or playing games.

However, the downside is that it has a lousy track record for detecting and eradicating malware, spyware, and trojans.

Despite its excellent antivirus protection, we would not rely on Avast free antivirus since we require continuous protection against additional dangers.

Finally, you get what you pay for, and upgrading to the premium version will unlock this tool’s full potential.

Here are the perks of using Avast Free Antivirus:

  • Frequently updated
  • Limited resource footprint
  • Efficient virus removal
  • Works silently during gaming and movie-watching sessions

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast scores first in malware blocking and anti-phishing testing and scanning the network.
Free Download Visit Website

Avira Antivirus – Great free protection

best antivirus for windows 10

Avira is one of the best antivirus apps for Windows 10. The developer has improved the software significantly over the past year to be competitive enough.

As such, the Avira security suite now includes several products, among which three stand out.

Avira provides a free solution with the basics, a traditional antivirus, and a premium product: Free Security, Internet Security, and Prime.

Additionally, Avira Free Security can detect and prevent emerging threats and zero-day exploits.

Also, you receive several privacy and performance utilities, including a VPN and password manager, driver updates, and memory optimization.

Lastly, Avira’s disadvantage is that it consumes more resources than its competitors. As a result, this may not be ideal for you if you have a PC that quickly drains its battery.

Here are the perks of using Avira:

  • Advanced web & ransomware protection
  • Premium tune-up tools
  • Built-in VPN
  • Software and driver patching
  • VIP customer support

Avira Antivirus

Best free antivirus software with enticing upgrade options if you want better protection.
Free download Visit Website

That concludes our list of the best antivirus tools for Windows 10. We will update the list once more information is uncovered to provide you with the most updated and relevant information.

Did you download the best antivirus for Windows 10? Let us know by leaving your feedback in the comments below.

Fix: Firefox keeps asking for password no matter what I do

Firefox is a popular browser for the Windows platform. If you’re using it to access your IAS (Microsft Security and Acceleration Server) or Intranet web or Sharepoint site, the browser will use the saved credentials to log the users.

However, some reported that the Firefox browser keeps asking for the password despite having the login credentials saved. This is a known behavior and can occur due to many reasons.

Here are a couple of troubleshooting tips to fix this error in Firefox.

Why does Firefox keep asking for password?

1. Try a different browser

The most straightforward solution is usually the best one: maybe the problem is in Firefox itself and an alternative browser would never run into a similar issue.

Let us introduce you to fresh blood. With an abundance of privacy and security tools, Chromium-based Opera One is definitely something you shouldn’t sleep on.

Just make sure to enable the privacy level that suits you the best, and stay anonymous online. Activate the built-in VPN to hide your IP and avoid geo-restrictions or dirty ISP’s bandwidth throttling.

To further protect your online identity and data, Opera One also delivers an integrated adblocker to keep invisible trackers at bay and prevent you from being targeted by tedious advertisers.

Needless to say that this browser is as powerful as it is versatile, offering countless customization options in terms of functions, plugin and apps integrations, and design.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

  • It also comes with support for VR Players, standard security protocols
  • Instant search and integrated ad-blocker
  • New readers, battery saver mode, currency unit, and time zone converters, etc.
  • Built-in AI and modular AI-ready design
  • Speed tab to further accelerate your workflows and more

Opera One

Avoid encountering the inline PDF error in the long run by using this capable and fast browser.
Free Download Visit website

2. Disable Network Negotiate Auth Allow Proxies

  1. Launch Firefox if not already running.
  2. In the address bar type the following and hit enter: about:config
  3. Click on I accept the risk! button to proceed.
  4. In the search bar, type network.negotiate.
  5. Under Preference Name, network.negotiate-auth.allow-proxies is set to True.
  6. To fix the error, you need to set it to false.
  7. Double-click on network.negotiate-auth.allow-proxies to change the value to False.
    etwork.negotiate-auth.allow-proxies False Firefox keeps asking for password
  8. Quit and relaunch Firefox.
  9. Try to connect to the ISA server and check if it still asking for the password.

Setting network.negotiate-auth.allow-proxies from true to false may seem counterintuitive but to make it work with ISA proxy, you need to set it to False.

3. Enable AutoLogin

  1. Launch Firefox.
  2. In the address bar type the following and hit enter: About:config
  3. Search for Signon.autologin.proxy.
  4. Signon.autologin.proxy is by default set to False.
  5. Double-click on Signon.autologin.proxy and the value will change to True.
    Signon.autologin.proxy Firefox keeps asking for password
  6. Quit and relaunch Firefox. Try to open the website again and enter the login credentials. Once saved, Firefox should stop asking for the login details again.

4. Try Safe Mode  / Reset Firefox

  1. Launch Firefox. Save and close all the open tabs.
  2. Click on the Menu.
  3. Select Help and click on Troubleshooting Information.
  4. Click on Restart with Add-ons Disabled.
    Firefox Safe Mode Restart with Add ons disabled Firefox keeps asking for password
  5. Click on Restart to confirm the action.
  6. After the restart check if Firefox still asks for the password repeatedly.

Reset Firefox

  1. In Firefox, click on Menu and select Help.
  2. Click on Troubleshooting Information.
  3. Click on the Refresh button.
  4. Read the warning message and click on Refresh Firefox.
  5. Wait for the Firefox to restart.
    Firefox Reset - Refresh Firefox keeps asking for password
  6. Now try to access the website that was asking for the password and check for any improvements.

Note: Refresh Firefox option will remove your add-ons and customization as well as restore your browser settings to default.

Firefox keeps asking for a password is a common issue and most of the time can be resolved by making small tweaks to the configuration and settings.

However, if the issue persists, contacting your administrator can help you resolve this issue faster.

Did any of these solutions work for you? Let us know in the comments.

Chrome Opening a New Window Every With Every Click? Here’s the Fix!

Many readers reported that Chrome keeps opening new windows instead of tabs every time they click. There are multiple reasons for this: interfering extensions, hardware problems, or even malware.

Let’s take a look at what you have to do to fix this issue:

How do I stop Chrome from opening new tabs?

1. Adjust your Search settings

  1. Type any website in the address bar and press enter. Chrome will open a list of search results.
    chrome search results
  2. On top of the search results, click on the Settings bar. A drop-down menu will open with a list of menu options.
    Google Chrome search settings
  3. Click Search settings. You will be directed to a page with search filters.
  4. Scroll down to the setting that says Where results open, Open each selected result in a new browser window.
    Google Chrome search history
  5. Uncheck the box and click Save. Chrome will now open each result in the same tab unless specified otherwise.Chrome open each selected result in a new browser window

2. Clear cookies and cache

  1. Click on the three dots and select Settings.chrome settings
  2. Navigate to Privacy and security and click on Clear browsing data.
  3. Choose a time range (e.g., All time) and check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Cookies and other site data, and Cache images and files, then click Clear data.

3. Reinstall Chrome

  1. Press Windows key + X and choose Apps and features.
    apps and features
  2. Select Chrome on the list.
  3. Now click Uninstall.
    uninstall chrome
  4. Wait for the process to finish and then install Chrome again.

4. Remove PUP, malware, pop-ups, and ads from Chrome

  1. Press Windows key + R and enter appwiz.cpl.
     appwiz.cpl
  2. Locate any suspicious applications that you don’t remember installing.
  3. Double-click them to remove them.
    remove installed software
  4. Check if the problem is still there.

Also, it’s advised to remove all the unknown extensions in Chrome by doing the following:

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Enter the following in the address bar: chrome://extensions/
    chrome extensions
  3. Now remove or disable any extensions that you don’t recognize.
    remove or disable extensions

It seems like VPN extensions are the main culprit when this happens, but another extension could cause it too.

If you want to keep using a VPN, try switching to another option or install a VPN app on your device instead of a browser add-on.

5. Disable background apps

  1. In Chrome, click the Menu icon in the top right corner and open the Settings.
    disable background apps
  2. Now scroll down to the System section and disable Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed option.
    continue running background apps chrome
  3. Restart your browser.

6. Cleanup Chrome malware

  1. In Chrome, navigate to the Settings tab.
  2. Go down to the Reset and clean up section.
  3. Click on the Clean up computer option.
    Google Chrome clean up computer
  4. Wait for the process to finish and follow the instructions on the screen.

If new tabs keep opening in Chrome, it might be due to Chrome-specific malware. Use Chrome’s built-in Cleanup tool to to fix the issue.

7. Scan your PC for malware

  1. Press Windows key + S and enter defender. Select Windows Security.
  2. Go to Virus and threat protection. Next select Scan options.
  3. Select the type of scan and click on Scan.

We recommend you look into the best antivirus software options and pick one that fits your system resources and your budget. You can find plenty of budget-friendly or even free well-performing antivirus software.

8. Create a new Chrome profile

  1. Open Chrome Settings.google chrome settings menu
  2. Select You and Google.
  3. Click on Customize Profiles.
  4. Create a new profile and see if the issue persists.

9. Reset Chrome to default

  1. Open the Settings.
  2. Go to Reset and clean up.
  3. Now click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
  4. Confirm that you want to reset them.

By doing so, you’ll remove all extensions, cache, and history. Of course, if you’re signed in to Chrome with your Google account, you can easily restore your files and continue where you left off.

Want to learn more about Chrome tabs? Check our guide on how to fix it when it won’t load tabs in the background.

There you go, this should do it. If Chrome keeps opening new tabs by itself, make sure you don’t skip any advice from this guide.

Other users have different issues, and some have reported that tabs won’t open in Chrome. However, we covered that issue in a separate guide.

Do let us know which method worked for you by reaching for the comments section below.

TPM Device not Detected: 3 Simple Methods to Activate it

Windows 11 has been announced, and among the Windows 11 requirements, there is also a requirement for TPM. However, many users reported that the TPM device is not detected on their PC, and they won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to this issue.

Speaking of TPM, many users reported TMP 2.0 errors while trying to install Windows 11, so it’s safe to say that this is a widespread issue at the moment.

However, there’s a way to fix this problem, and in this guide, we will show you what you can do if the TPM device is not detected on your PC.

Why is my TPM not detected?

There are several reasons why your TPM (Trusted Platform Module) might not be detected. Here are some possible explanations:

  • Disabled TPM – The TPM may have been disabled in the BIOS settings. 
  • Outdated BIOS – An outdated BIOS can sometimes cause issues with TPM detection. 
  • TPM firmware issues – If the TPM firmware is corrupted or outdated, it can cause detection issues. 
  • Hardware issues – A faulty or damaged TPM module can cause detection issues. If you suspect this is the case, contact your device manufacturer or a qualified technician for assistance.
  • Security software – Some security software can interfere with TPM detection. 
  • Motherboard issues – In some cases, there may be issues with the motherboard that prevent the TPM from being detected. This can be difficult to diagnose and may require professional assistance.

Depending on the cause of the problem, you may try any of the solutions we recommend below.

What can I do if the TPM device is not detected?

Before going into any solutions, you should check if you have a TPM device. This way, you know whether to proceed with the solutions from the start. To find out, do the following:

  1. Press Windows Key + R shortcut and enter tpm.msc. Press Enter.
  2. A new window will appear, and you’ll see the status of your TPM device.
  3. If you get a message saying that TPM cannot be found, you may not have a TPM chip, or the TPM might not be enabled.

Also, it would be best if you disconnect your PC from the power outlet. This is a pretty simple workaround. Leave the PC disconnected for a minute or two and then connect it to the power outlet and start it again.

Several users reported that this solution helped them fix the problems with TPM, so you might want to try that.

1. Enable TPM in BIOS

  1. Press Windows + I, and select Security & Update.
    tpm device not detected
  2. Click the Recovery option on the left pane, then under Advanced options, select Restart now.
    tpm device not detected
  3. Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options.
    tpm device not detected
  4. Pick the UEFI Firmware Settings option and click the Restart button.
  5. Go to the Advanced or Security section, look for the TPM feature, and enable it.

Remember that each version of BIOS is different, and there’s no single and universal way to enable TPM. For detailed instructions, we advise you to check your motherboard manual.

Moreover, do not hesitate to take a closer look at this guide on how to access BIOS on a Windows PC. The procedure is quite simple, even for newbies.

2. Update TPM firmware and BIOS

  1. Press Windows + I, and select Security & Update.tpm device not detected
  2. Click the Recovery option on the left pane, then under Advanced options, select Restart now. tpm device not detected
  3. Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options. tpm device not detected
  4. Pick the UEFI Firmware Settings option and click the Restart button.
  5. Check if you have a BIOS update option and use it. If not, we wrote a general guide on how to update your BIOS, so be sure to check it out for some basic guidelines.

If TPM is not detected on your PC, it might be due to outdated TPM and BIOS firmware; the only way to fix this problem is to update your firmware.

For detailed instructions, we highly recommend checking your motherboard manual and seeing how to upgrade TPM and BIOS firmware properly.

3. Reset your BIOS/remove the battery

  1. Turn off your PC and unplug it from the power outlet. If you’re using a laptop, remove its battery.
  2. Open your computer case.
  3. Locate the computer battery on the motherboard.
  4. Carefully remove the battery.
  5. Leave the PC without the battery for a couple of minutes.
  6. Optional: You can press the power button several times to drain the static electricity faster.
  7. Put the battery back in and start the PC again.

After doing that, the problem with TPM should be gone.

If the TPM device is not detected, you won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11; therefore, you must fix it.

If you don’t have the TPM chip, you won’t be able to fix this problem, and your only option is to buy a TMP 2.0 chip. Let us know your choice in the comments area below.

How to Fix Windows Screen Shifted to the Right: 9 Ways to Fix

If your screen shifted to the right on Windows 10, apply the solutions below to center it back. This issue can be caused by driver problems, incorrect graphics card settings, monitor settings, or the refresh rate.

Following the steps on how to move windows from offscreen on Windows 10.

How to fix Windows 10 screen shifting to the right

1. Use the Arrow keys

  1. Go to your Taskbar, press Shift, and right-click on any icon that is out of view.
  2. Now use your Arrow keys to move it to the center.
  3. Finally, click on the mouse to release control from the Arrow keys.
  4. Alternatively, press the hotkeys Ctrl + Alt and hold the appropriate Arrow key to reposition the screen.

2. Change your resolution

  1. If you wonder How do I move my screen back to center?, right-click your desktop and choose Display Settings.
    Computer screen shifted to the right
  2. In the Settings app, set the Resolution to the Recommended value.
  3. If the problem is resolved, click the Keep changes button; if not, click Revert.

3. Update your drivers

  1. Right-click on the Start menu and click Device Manager.
    screen shifted to the right
  2. Expand your Display adapters menu.
    screen shifted to the right
  3. Right-click on your display adapter and select Update driver.
  4. Finally, select Search automatically for drivers.
    screen shifted to the right

Downloading drivers manually can sometimes be a tedious task, especially if you don’t know the model of your graphics card and how to download the driver.

However, you can always use third-party software such as Fortect Driver Updater to update your drivers automatically with just a few clicks.

It will not only scan and show you which driver is outdated, but it will also find the correct driver version or install the missing graphic driver.

Fortect Driver Updater

Update & maintain drivers hitch-free with this professional software!
Check price Visit website

4. Check your graphics card software

  1. Open your graphics card software. That’s usually Nvidia Control Panel or Catalyst Control Panel.
  2. Go to the Display section and select Adjust desktop size and position.
    Laptop screen shifted left
  3. Now go to the Position tab, and click the left arrow until your display is centered correctly. Now click Apply to save changes.
    Windows 10 screen off center

If have AMD graphics, do the following:

  1. Open the AMD software.
  2. Navigate to Gaming and then go to Display.
     
  3. Enable GPU scaling and configure it until your screen is centered.

5. Use the Center image option

  1. Right-click your desktop.
  2. Choose Graphics options, select Panel fit, and then go to Center Image.
  3. After that, your image will readjust, and the problem will be resolved.

6. Change your refresh rate

  1. Right-click on the Desktop and select Display settings.
  2. Scroll down and click Advanced display settings.
    Computer screen shifted to the right
  3. Now click Display adapter properties for Display 1.
    Computer screen shifted sideways
  4. Go to the Monitor tab and set the Screen refresh rate to the desired value. You may have to experiment. Many report fixing the issue bt changing to 59 Hz.
  5. After doing that, click Apply and OK to save changes.
    Laptop screen shifted left

7. Reinstall your graphics card driver

  1. Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager from the list.
    Windows 10 screen off center
  2. Locate your graphics card driver, right-click it and choose Uninstall device from the menu.
    Windows 10 screen off center
  3. When the confirmation dialog appears, check Remove driver software for this device, and click Uninstall.
    desktop screen shifted to the right
  4. After uninstalling the driver, click Scan for hardware changes button.
    Computer screen shifted sideways

Finally, check if your screen is still shifted to the right or left.

8. Check your monitor configuration

  1. Press the Configuration button on your monitor.
  2. Use the monitor keys to open display settings.
  3. Adjust the screen shift or reset settings to the default.

9. Start your PC in Safe Mode

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I shortcut.
  2. Head over to the Update & Security section.
    Laptop screen shifted left
  3. Select Recovery from the menu on the left, then in the right pane, click the Restart now button.
    Laptop screen shifted left
  4. Now select Troubleshoot and select Advanced options.
  5. Next, go to the Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
  6. Once your PC restarts, a list of options will appear.
  7. Select the desired version of Safe Mode by pressing the corresponding keyboard key.

Once you enter Safe Mode, check if the problem is still there. If the issue doesn’t appear, it means that the issue is probably related to your settings.

We hope these steps helped you fix a screen that has shifted to the right on a Windows 10 laptop. As you can see, in most cases, this is just a driver or a settings issue, and it can be easily fixed.

This is one of many screen issues that you can encounter, and users reported that their computer screen is upside down, or that computer screen turned sideways.

Luckily, these issues can be fixed by following the instructions from our guide on how to rotate the screen on Windows 10.

If your screen keeps dimming, flickering, or briefly going black, check out our fixes for the computer screen dimming issue, Windows 11 screen dimming, screen going black for a second, and laptop screen flickering.

Lastly, in the comments section below, please let us know if you have additional suggestions or recommendations.

Downgrade Windows 11 to 10 New Laptop: 3 Easy Ways

Microsoft released Windows 11 officially for all users. Computer and laptop manufacturers have now started pre-installing their devices with the new Operating System.

Unfortunately, even though the new version comes with improvements and new features, some people do not like it.

If you have bought a new laptop with Windows 11 and are not ready to use it, you can downgrade it to the previous versions of the Windows OS. In this guide, we will discuss how to downgrade to Windows 10.

Some users ask themselves My laptop came with Windows 11, can I downgrade to windows 10?

Downgrading from Windows 11 is made easy by the fact that it is based on Windows 10. This means that you can use the same product key to activate either version of the Operating System.

Can a new Windows 11 laptop be downgraded to Windows 10?

Yes, it is definitely possible to downgrade to Windows 10 on a new Windows 11 PC. Regardless, you should make sure that you confirm with the vendor regarding your Windows licensing information.

In case you need technical support on how to perform the Windows 10 installation, the following steps will surely help you accomplish it.

How to Downgrade to Windows 10 on a New Computer?

1. Run a Windows 10 installation file

    If you require to install Windows 10 on your new Windows 11 laptop, the safest method is by using the Windows 10 installation media file. The steps below shows you the whole process.

  1. 1. Visit the Microsoft Support website and download the Windows 10 installation media section to save it.

    Windows 10 installation media download
  2. 2. Navigate to your downloads folder and run the MediaCreationToolXXXX.exe file.

  3. 3. Confirm this action by selecting the Accept button to continue.

  4. 4. Choose the Upgrade this PC now option and then the Next button.

    downgrade-windows-11-to-10-new-laptop
  5. 5. Select Change what to keep and choose between Personal files and apps, Personal files only, and Nothing.

    downgrade-windows-11-to-10-new-laptop/
  6. 6. Choose the Nothing option and click Next.

    downgrade-windows-11-to-10-new-laptop
  7. 7. Click the Install button to begin the downgrade process.

  8. 8. After installation completes, set up Windows 10 and customize your laptop to meet your requirements.

2. Create an installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)

  1. Download and run the Windows 10 media creation tool.
  2. Select Create an installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) and click the Next button.Create installation media
  3. Choose your preferences – language, architecture, and the Windows 10 edition. Check the Use the recommended options for this PC box to use the preferences you have in Windows 11.Setting preferences
  4. Select the media to use. You can create a bootable USB flash drive or create an ISO file. Select the USB flash drive for this process.Using USB Flash Drive
  5. Click Next to start downloading Windows 10 installation file into the drive.
  6. Reboot and install Windows 10 depending on the requirements of your firmware.  

Why would you want to downgrade to Windows 10?

Windows 11 is a new Operating System. Just like any other software, using a new version of Windows is going to frustrate some users. Windows 10 was buggy in 2015 after its release. Even though it was fixed over time, initial users were regarded as beta testers.

Windows 11’s taskbar needs a lot of improvement to get to where Windows 10’s is. The latter’s taskbar comes with a lot of features and can be customized to meet different user requirements.

For example, the new taskbar cannot be moved from its central position not unless you use a third-party application. You cannot even make it taller to fit different screen sizes. 

Other users have purchased new laptops to use Android applications on Windows 11, as Microsoft had promised. Unfortunately, this is only possible when using Android emulators for Windows 11. There are many reasons for downgrading, but these are just some of them.

Downgrading from a pre-installed Windows 11 to Windows 10 is pretty simple. It all depends on the method you would like to follow. Before doing a downgrade, make sure that you have a backup in case something goes wrong.

If you had upgraded your old computer to Windows 11, you can also roll back from Windows 11 to 10. However, the process used here depends on the time that has passed since upgrading to Windows 11.

Fix TeamViewer “commercial use detected” with 4 Easy Methods

TeamViewer is a popular remote desktop software for Windows and other platforms. It is available for free for personal use and pro plans for commercial use.

However, more often than not, even personal users will get the TeamViewer commercial use detected error in Windows 10.

According to TeamViewer, personal use is when helping family and friends without receiving any compensation. If you use the tool for business or profession, it is considered a commercial use.

In case of commercial use has been falsely detected on your TeamViewer, this article will help you solve the problem quickly.

We have listed a few troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the TeamViewer commercial use detected error.

How to fix the Teamviewer commercial use detected error?

1. Clean and reinstall TeamViewer

1.1 Uninstall TeamViewer

  1. Click on the Start button and select the Settings app.
  2. Click on the Apps option.
  3. Locate and select TeamViewer from the list of installed apps.
  4. Select the app and click on the Uninstall button.
  5. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
    Teamviewer commercial use detected
  6. Type %appdata% and click OK. Locate and delete the TeamViewer folder.
  7. Press Windows key + R and type %temp% and click OK. Find and delete the TeamViewer folder here as well.

Once you have deleted the folder, open the Registry Editor and remove the key associated with TeamViewer. Here’s how to do it.

1.2 Remove the TeamViewer registry key

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
  2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
    Teamviewer commercial use detected
  3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TeamViewer & HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TeamViewer
  4. Right-click on the TeamViewer folder and choose Delete. If the TeamViewer folder does not exist, skip these steps.

TeamViewer uses a MAC address to identify systems that may have had installed TeamViewer and are suspected of commercial use.

To be able to reinstall TeamViewer the Mac addresses on Windows computers can be changed manually or through using the TMAC tool. We have listed both methods above.

It’s also a good idea to clean your registry once in a while. You can use this excellent guide to clean the Windows 10 Registry.

    2. Change the MAC address

    2.1 Change the MAC address manually

  1. 1. Open File Explorer.

  2. 2. Right-click on This PC and select Manage.

  3. 3. Open the Device Manager tab from the left pane.

  4. 4. Expand the Network Adapters section.

    Teamviewer commercial use detected
  5. 5. Select and double-click on your adapter for which you want to change MAC address. This will open the Properties windows.

  6. 6. Open the Advanced tab.

  7. 7. Select Network Address under Property.

  8. 8. Select the Value and put your 12 digital hexadecimal MAC address.

  9. 9. Click OK to save the changes.

You can use the Technitium MAC Address Changer Tool to generate new MAC addresses for your network. Here’s how to use the tool.

2.2 Change MAC address with Technitium MAC Address Changer

  1. Download and install the Technitium MAC Address Changer tool.
  2. Launch the app.
  3. Click on the Random MAC Address button.
  4. Make sure the Automatically restart network connection to apply changes and Make new MAC address persistent option is checked.
  5. Click the Change Now button.

Once done, reboot the computer and reinstall TeamViewer and check if the TeamViewer commercial use detected error is resolved. If the error persists, reach out to TeamViewer.

We also have a great list of the best tools to change your MC address so you can choose the one that fits better for your needs.

3. Use an alternate remote desktop software

While TeamViewer is an excellent remote desktop software, the consistent false detection of commercial use can be annoying for many.

There are other companies that offer similar or better alternatives to TeamViewer, such as the ones suggested below.

You can find many remote control tools that will surely offer great functionalities of accessing certain files or sharing data with colleagues who need your support.

Hence, you can replace TeamViewer with the same or better services provided by the best remote control software.

4. Contact TeamViewer 

TeamViewer on its official page acknowledges the issues or users getting the commercial use suspected or commercial use detected error.

If you think the commercial usage has been falsely detected on your TeamViewer ID, reach out to developers as they can help you get back your ID.

The Teamviewer commercial use detected error message usually occurs if the software detects commercial use. For false detection, TeamViewer can help you restore your ID.

If not, follow the steps in the article to remove and reinstall TeamViewer with a new MAC address.

If you have other issues with your TeamViewer client, check out this detailed guide on how to fix TeamViewer issues on Windows 10.

If you have any other suggestions or solutions that we can use to fix this problem, leave them in the dedicated comments section below.

Media Creation Tool: Access is Denied When Moving ISO to USB

Users have reported an error with Media Creation Tool while moving Windows 10 ISO to USB flash drive, and today we’ll try to fix this error.

Using the Media Creation Tool is a straightforward way to create installation media for Windows 10. However, users may encounter issues, including:

  • Windows Installation Media Creation Tool access denied: This can often be resolved by running the tool as an administrator.
  • Windows Media Creation Tool USB access denied: Commonly solved by checking or disabling your antivirus.
  • Media Creation Tool not working, won’t run: Various solutions may fix this issue.
  • Media Creation Tool error USB: Check if your USB drive is in read-only mode if you encounter this error.
  • Media Creation Tool does not recognize USB: Formatting the USB drive might fix this problem.

The Media Creation Tool enables you to download and transfer the Windows 10 ISO file to a USB flash drive or DVD for easy installation. An “Access denied” error may occur when moving the ISO file to a USB drive, but this foolproof guide can help you solve the Media Creation Tool access denied error.

How can I fix the Media Creation Tool Access Denied error when moving Windows 10 ISO to USB?

1. Try disabling all other applications that you don’t use

    Users report that Access denied is sometimes caused by other applications that are installed on your PC. A reliable way to fix this problem is to perform a Clean boot and disable all startup applications and services.

    1. Press Windows Key + R and enter msconfig. Press Enter or click OK.
    Media Creation Tool does not recognize USB
  1. 2. System Configuration window will now appear. Go to the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services. Now click the Disable all button.

    Windows installation Media Creation Tool access denied
  2. 3. Now go to Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.

    Windows Media Creation Tool USB access denied
  3. 4. A list of startup applications will now appear. Right-click the first item on the list and choose Disable from the menu. Now repeat this step for all startup applications.

    Media Creation Tool won't run
  4. 5. After you disable all startup applications, close Task Manager, and go back to System Configuration window. Click on Apply and OK to save changes.

    Media Creation Tool error USB
  5. 6. Now restart your PC.

This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:

When your PC restarts, try to create bootable media once again. If the problem doesn’t appear, it means that one of your startup applications was interfering with the Media Creation Tool.

If you want to know how to add or remove startup apps on Windows 10, check out this simple guide.

2. Try a different USB flash drive

If you’re getting an Access denied error while moving your Windows 10 ISO file to a USB flash drive you might consider trying a different flash drive to see if it works because your flash drive might not be configured properly.

If another flash drive is giving you trouble you might want to consider burning the ISO file to a DVD and installing Windows 10 from a DVD.

Several users reported that in order to use a flash drive as bootable media, the flash drive has to be exactly 8GB in size and formatted as an NTFS drive. If your flash drive isn’t formatted as NTFS, you can format it by doing the following:

  1. Open This PC and locate your USB flash drive. Right-click it and choose Properties from the menu.
    Media Creation Tool not working
  2. Select NTFS as the File system and click on Start.
    Media Creation Tool error USB
  3. The format process will now start.

Once your drive is formatted as NTFS, try to use Media Creation Tool to create a bootable drive. If you need to format your flash drive, you can also use third-party tools such as Mini Tool Partition Wizard or Paragon Partition Manager.

Both of these tools allow you to format your USB flash drive, but they also offer other advanced features that you might need.

3. Use RUFUS instead of Media Creation Tool

➡️ To do this, you will first have to download RUFUS, as well as official Windows 10 ISO.

  1. Run RUFUS.
  2. Set Partition scheme to the GPT partition scheme for UEFI.Windows installation Media Creation Tool access denied
  3. Set the File system to FAT32.
  4. Select your device from the Device menu on the top.
  5. Make sure that Create a bootable disk using is checked and that the ISO image is selected.
  6. Click on the little DVD icon next to it and find your Windows 10 ISO.
  7. After that just click Start and wait until RUFUS creates a bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive.

Be aware of the RUFUS access to the device is denied error scenario that can appear because of the Microsoft Defender antivirus.

If you encounter the Windows needs a GPT partition error, solve it with the help of this useful guide.

4. Check if your drive is set to read-only mode

Certain drives might be ready-only and that can be a big problem if you’re trying to create a Windows 10 installation media. If your drive works in read-only mode, you’ll encounter an Access Denied message when using Media Creation Tool.

To fix this problem, you need to ensure that your drive isn’t working in read-only mode.

The first thing that you should do is check for the Lock switch. Some flash drives have a lock switch that will activate the read-only mode and prevent you from writing files to your flash drive.

If you have this switch, be sure that your drive is unlocked. If your drive doesn’t have any physical lock switches, you can check if your drive is set to work in read-only mode by doing the following:

  1. Connect your flash drive to the PC.
  2. Open Command Prompt as administrator. To do that quickly, simply press Windows Key + X and choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu. If Command Prompt isn’t available, use PowerShell (Admin) instead.
    Media Creation Tool does not recognize USB
  3. When Command Prompt opens, enter diskpart and press Enter.
    Windows installation Media Creation Tool access denied
  4. Now enter list disk command to see all available drives on your PC.
    Windows Media Creation Tool USB access denied
  5. Now you should see all available drives on your PC. It’s crucial that you select the correct drive. You can easily recognize your drive by its size. To select the drive, you need to use select disk X command. Be sure to replace X with the number that represents your flash drive. In our case, that would be Disk 1, so our command will look like this: select disk 1. Keep in mind that the number on your PC will be different depending on the number of drives that you have on your computer.
    Windows installation Media Creation Tool access denied
  6. Now enter attributes disk command. You’ll see a list of attributes for your drive. Check if read-only features are enabled.
    Windows Media Creation Tool USB access denied
  7. To disable read-only features, just run attributes disk clear readonly command.
    Media Creation Tool not working

After doing that, your USB flash drive won’t be in read-only mode and you should be able to create bootable media without any problems.

Most users don’t know what to do when the Windows key stops working. Check out this guide and be a step ahead.

5. Check your antivirus software

If you’re getting Access Denied error message while using Media Creation Tool, it might be because your antivirus is blocking access to your USB flash drive.

Many antivirus tools will prevent you from accessing your flash drive in order to minimize the chance of malware infection.

To fix this problem, it’s advised to check your antivirus settings and disable all policies related to removable storage. If that doesn’t help, you might want to try disabling or even uninstalling your antivirus.

Many users reported issues with Avira Antivirus and Media Creation Tool, and if you’re using Avira, be sure to uninstall it from your PC.

For Norton users, we’ve got a dedicated guide on how to completely remove it from your PC. There’s a similar guide on how to uninstall McAfee as well.

If you’re using any antivirus solution and you want to completely remove it from your PC, you can approach the best uninstaller software you can use right now.

If you’re having problems with your antivirus and Media Creation Tool, you might want to consider switching to a different antivirus and therefore you would need qualitative antivirus software for Windows 10 PC.

6. Check your ISO file for corruption

Sometimes you might get an Access Denied error message while using the Media Creation tool if your ISO file is corrupted. Your ISO file can become corrupted during the download especially if you have any problems with your Internet connection, antivirus, or firewall.

To check if your ISO file is working properly, users are recommended to open it with the 7Zip application and try to extract the contents of the file to their hard drive.

If you don’t encounter any problems during file extraction, it means that your ISO isn’t corrupted.

Several users also reported that they fixed the problem by using 7Zip to move the contents of the ISO file directly to the USB flash drive. It’s not confirmed that this method works, but you can try it out if you want.

On the other hand, if your ISO file is damaged, you’ll have to download it again from Microsoft’s website.

7. Use Diskpart to format your drive

According to users, you can fix the Access Denied error message with Media Creation Tool simply by formatting your flash drive with diskpart.

Diskpart is a powerful tool, and you need to be extra cautious while formatting your flash drive. To format your drive, do the following:

  1. Connect your flash drive to the PC.
  2. Start Command Prompt as administrator.
  3. When Command Prompt starts, enter the following commands:
    • diskpart
    • list disk
  4. Now you’ll see a list of all hard drives. It’s crucial that you select the correct drive or else you might accidentally format your entire hard drive. Be extra cautious with this step, and double-check to be sure that you selected the correct drive. Now enter select disk X. Replace X with the number of the drive that represents your flash drive. If you select the wrong drive, you’ll format your hard drive and lose all your files, so be extra cautious.
  5. Now run the following commands:
    • clean
    • create partition primary
    • select partition 1
    • active
    • format quick fs=fat32
    • assign

After doing that, your drive should be formatted and ready to use, so try to create bootable media again.

That’s about it, we hope this article helped you to deal with Media Creation Tool in Windows 10. If you have any suggestions or questions, just leave them in the comments section below.

New Media Creation Tool error annoying Windows users

A new error that has been reported by our readers is Error code 0x80072f8f – 0x20000, which is affecting both Windows 7 and Windows 10 users. This error is related to the TLS 1.2 security protocol that we have explained in detail. Make sure to read our guide and solve it fast.

What is Jitter on Speed Test & How To Reduce It

Nowadays, it often happens that connections are subject to various annoying events. For instance, high ping values, packet loss, and jitters are some of these phenomena that might affect the wellbeing of your connection.

If you are getting jitter on the speed test out of the blue, it’s very likely that at some point it will solve by itself. However, sometimes the cause of such events can be on your end, which means it’s in your power to solve the issues.

Let’s find out what Jitter is and how to reduce Jitter together, as well as how to perform a speed test, if needed.

What is jitter?

Jitter (network jitter) is when the delay time (ms) of data packet transmissions starts varying. It is not the same thing as latency (delay), which is the time it takes for packets to go from one point to another.

For instance, let’s say that one packet’s latency is around 2 ms. Jittering is when multiple packets have wildly different latency values. This phenomenon is unwanted in networking and telecommunications because it can disrupt the connection’s well-functioning or even cause packet loss.

What causes jitter?

Understanding the causes of these unwanted deviations can help you avoid or minimize them more effectively. So what exactly causes network jittering? The main cause of this phenomenon seems to be bad routing.

If routing varies greatly within the same network, forwarded packets are forced to change route multiple times during their transmission period, which can increase/decrease latency. This variation in latency is in fact, jittering.

Another widely accepted cause is network congestion. It goes without saying that putting a great load on a network will lead to frequent route changes, which subsequently lead to latency variations.

Let’s put it in a simpler fashion. If there are multiple routes between your network devices, packets won’t take the fastest one all of the time. Instead, they will be randomly distributed on all the routes at the same time, in an attempt to minimize transmission time.

What will happen is that the packets with the shortest route (least number of hops) will most certainly be delivered before the packets that took the longer routes (with more hops).

Thus, each packet will take a different amount of time to be delivered (e.g. one packet gets sent in 10 ms, another takes 40 ms to reach its destination). This variation in latency is jitter, and that’s how it usually appears on your network.

How can I reduce jitter?

  • Upgrade your Ethernet cable to fix Ethernet problems (Cat 6 is currently your best choice)
  • Choose wired connections over Wi-Fi always, if possible
  • Use a powerful router that can handle the full bandwidth of your Internet connection
  • Opt for high-speed Internet connections such as fiber optics
  • Change your ISP if your connection is unstable and latency values vary greatly
  • If you use Wi-Fi, make sure you spread your devices on different channels as much as possible
  • While using VoIP, avoid transmitting large chunks of data (e.g. torrenting, streaming)
  • Configure your router to use a low buffer size
  • Try to avoid bufferbloat (when your router builds an excessive queue instead of dropping unsent packets)

How can I test jitter?

1. Use Speedtest by Ookla’s desktop app

  1. Download and install Speedtest by Ookla on your PCWindows 10 Store app Speedtest by Ookla
  2. Launch it and grant it permission to use your location
  3. Hit the GO button and wait for the speed test to endSpeedtest by Ookla interface
  4. Click the More button in the upper-right corner of the screenMore button Speedtest by Ookla
  5. Select your test from the Result History sectionResult history Speedtest by Ookla
  6. Check the value in the Jitter sectionSpeedtest by Ookla jitter test

You can also perform jitter tests with other specialized software solutions, such as PRTG Network Monitor. Although this tool might give you more insight into your network, it will be way more difficult to use than Speedtest by Ookla.

2. Use Windows’ built-in tools

  1. Hit the Win key on your keyboard
  2. Type CMD
  3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administratorAdmin CMD launch
  4. Type ping 192.168.0.1 -n 30 in the CMD window
  5. Wait for the ping test to complete
  6. Observe the time value for each pingJitter test in CMD
  7. Calculate the average latency by adding all ping values and dividing them by their amount (30 in our case)
  8. Determine the differences between samples, if there are any, and set them aside
  9. Add them all up, and divide them by the number of samples minus 1

Example: if you have 10 different values, you calculate the difference between each distinct result (e.g. 25ms to 48ms has a difference of 23, 48ms to 57 has a difference of 9, and so on).

You add up the different values that you got earlier and divide them by the number of differences you found, or the number of different values minus one. If you compare the average latency to the jitter, the latter should never exceed 15% of the former.

Jitter is not desired but it can be avoided

All things considered, jitter is not something you’d want in your connection. However, you can take some easy measures to eliminate or keep it at a minimum, such as changing your Ethernet cable or using wired connections over Wi-Fi.

If you suspect you’re experiencing jitter, you can run a few tests to see if you’re right about it. If you do detect jitter and see no improvement after trying to fix it on your side, it might be your ISP’s fault. In this case, you might want to contact them.

We hope you managed to find out everything you wanted to know about this topic and succeeded to reduce jitter on your device. Write down in the comments section below how your experience was.

Unidentified Network on Windows (No Internet Access): SOLVED

We use the Internet on daily basis, and it’s a major problem for many users if they can’t access it. Many of our readers reported Unidentified network or Unidentified network no Internet messages on their PCs, and today we’re going to show you how to fix that problem.

Whether it’s happening on your Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, our solutions will cover all the possible issues that cause these errors on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

But first, let’s go through some preliminary methods of troubleshooting some of the main disruptions that may occur.

What causes the Unidentified Network issue?

Before getting to any solutions listed below, let’s verify some of the most common problems that may cause Internet connection errors:

➡ Check all local networking components

Several users reported that this issue occurs due to the Ethernet cable. One workaround that might help is to unplug and reconnect your Ethernet cable from your PC and router or modem.

Repeat the process several times and check if that solves the problem. In addition, be sure to check your Ethernet cable. If your Ethernet cable is damaged, you might encounter this message.

To fix the problem, you should try replacing your cable. We have a list including the best Cat6 and Cat5E cables that you can choose from.

Restarting and resetting your router and/or modem can also fix this problem quickly and you will see how you can do that in one of our solutions below.

➡ Make sure you are close to your Wi-Fi hotspot

If these errors occur while your device is connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, make sure that you have enough signal strength.

Move your device closer to the router and eliminate all possible obstacles between the two devices.

That being said, you can start troubleshooting the problems, step by step, as shown below. It’s important to follow the exact procedures in order to fix the errors.

How do I fix the Unidentified network error in Windows 10?

1. Turn off Airplane mode

  1. Press Windows key + A to open Action Center, then click the Airplane mode icon to disable the feature.
  2. If this option isn’t available, press the Windows key and select Settings.
  3. Go to Network & Internet section.
  4. Navigate to Airplane mode tab, locate the Airplane mode option and turn it off.

Windows 10 supports Airplane mode, but if you turn on this feature, it will block your Internet connection.

You can also use a hardware switch on your device to turn off Airplane mode. Many devices have this button available, so be sure to look for it on your device.

If you encounter other problems, check our guide on how to fix Airplane mode errors and get more information.

After disabling Airplane mode using the aforementioned methods, Unidentified network message should hopefully disappear.

2. Remove your antivirus software

  1. Open the Settings app by clicking on the Start icon and selecting it from the list.
  2. Click on Apps from the Home menu in Settings.
  3. The list of installed applications will appear on the right pane. Select the antivirus program from the list and click on the Uninstall button.
  4. After the antivirus is removed, restart your PC and see if the problem has been solved.

Antivirus software is one of the most important tools that you can have on your PC and it’s paramount for system protection.

However, some antiviruses can sometimes interfere with your network connection and cause Unidentified network message to appear.

Users reported that the cause for this problem was Avast, and in order to fix the issue you need to remove it completely.

Should you have another antivirus installed, you can start by disabling first and check if the Internet connection is fixed.

If uninstalling your antivirus software fixes the problem, you need to update your antivirus software to the latest version. Alternatively, you can switch to a better antivirus tool.

3. Update network card drivers

  1. Press the Start icon, type device manager and select the app from the results.
  2. Locate the Network adapters section, click on it to expand, then right click on your network adapter and choose Update driver from the menu.
  3. Click on Search automatically for updated driver software option and wait while Windows 10 downloads the suitable driver for your network adapter.

If you’re getting Unidentified network message, you might have to update your network drivers to fix this issue.

Although Device Manager allows you to update your drivers easily, sometimes it’s better to download the necessary drivers from your network adapter manufacturer.

For that, visit your network adapter manufacturer’s website or the device manufacturer website and locate the drivers section.

Select your network adapter from the list, download the suitable driver and install it. If you don’t have Internet access at all, you’ll need to use a working computer or any other device to download the drivers.

In order to prevent PC damage by installing the wrong driver versions, we suggest doing it automatically by using a specialized tool like Outbyte Driver Updater.

The software below will do all the job on your behalf by updating the correct version of drivers for your device.

4. Turn off Fast Startup

  1. Click the Start button, type power and sleep, and select Power & sleep settings from the results.
  2. When Power Options window opens, click on Choose what the power buttons do.
  3. Now click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup, then click on Save changes.
  5. After doing that, shut down your PC. Wait for 30 seconds and turn it back on again.

Windows 10 uses the Fast Startup feature by default that allows you to boot Windows 10 faster. It’s very useful, but it doesn’t completely shut down your PC, which can lead to certain issues.

To fix the ethernet unidentified network issue on your PC, many users are recommending to temporarily disable this feature.

Users reported that disabling Fast Startup fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try that. In fact, if this solution worked, you could enable it again and check if the issue reappears.

5. Change your DNS servers

  1. Press Windows key + X and choose Network Connections from the menu.
  2. Locate your network connection, right click it and choose Properties from the menu.
  3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
  4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses option. Enter 8.8.8.8 as Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 as Alternate DNS server. Click OK to save the changes.

Sometimes Unidentified network error can appear due to problems with your DNS. However, you can easily change your DNS and fix this issue.

Also, check the settings from your ISP and verify it they correspond with the ones from your IPv4 properties.

If this solution doesn’t work, we have a guide on what to do if the DNS server is not responding on Windows 10/11 because it may help you.

6. Install a reliable VPN

Installing a VPN software will help with any errors related to network connections and restrictions most of the time, including the Ethernet unidentified network.

A VPN will redirect the user’s data to another network which will make tracking his real location and other sensitive information impossible. This is a safety measure that can also be used to bypass annoying regional restrictions.

We suggest using a VPN that has lots of servers around the world, thus providing high internet speeds and lots of bandwidth. Access your content things from anywhere in the world, secured and bug-free.

The best VPNs for Windows 10 come with advanced features such as split tunneling, killswitch in case the connection is lost, add blocking, and anti-malware security.

7. Restart your PC

  1. Press the Start icon, click on the Power button, then select Restart from the menu.

According to users, sometimes you can fix this problem simply by restarting your PC.

It seems that Windows 10 can sometimes hold your personal files, and that can cause Unidentified network message to appear.

8. Reset the Internet settings using Command Prompt

8.1 Use the ipconfig commands

  1. Press the Start button, type cmd, and select Run as administrator from the results.
  2. Type or paste the following commands and press Enter to run them:
    • ipconfig /release
      ipconfig /renew
  3. After the commands are executed, close Command Prompt and check if the issue is resolved.

8.2 Reset winsock

Several readers reported that they fixed the issue using different set of commands. Instead of commands that we used in Step 2, use the following commands:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /flushdns

8.2 Use the netsh commands

There’s also another set of commands that might fix the issue. According to our readers, you can fix Unidentified network message simply by running these commands in Command Prompt:

netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled
netsh int tcp show global

After the commands are executed, restart your PC and check if the issue is resolved.

9. Make sure that DHCP is enabled

  1. Right-click the Start icon and select Network Connections.
  2. Choose Ethernet from the left, then click on Change adapter options from the right.
  3. Locate your network connection, right click it and choose Diagnose from the menu.

A few of our readers reported that you can fix this problem by diagnosing your network. This is rather simple, and you can do it right from Network Connections window.

However, the Unidentified network message might appear if you don’t have DHCP enabled on your router. To fix the problem you need to open your router settings and enable DHCP again.

If you don’t know how to do that, be sure to check your router’s instruction manual.

10. Disable and enable your network connection

  1. Right-click the Start icon and select Network Connections.
  2. Select the Ethernet option from the left pane, then click on Change adapter options from the right.
  3. Locate your current connection, right click it and choose Disable from the menu.
  4. After disabling the connection, wait for few seconds. Right click your connection and choose Enable from the menu.

Sometimes you can fix Unidentified error message simply by disabling and reenabling your network connection.

If that doesn’t work, you might want to try disabling and enabling your network adapter. We explained briefly how to do that in Solution 13, so be sure to check it out.

11. Set a static IP address

  1. Right-click the Start icon and select Network Connections.
  2. Select Ethernet from the left pane andclick on Change adapter options from the right pane menu.
  3. Locate your network connection, right click it and choose Properties.
  4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties button.
  5. Now select the Use the following IP address option and enter the desired IP address as well as additional information. If you’re not sure about other values such as Subnet mask, Default gateway and Preferred DNS server, you can find them with a simple trick. Simply check the properties of the network connection on any device that is connected to your network and copy the necessary values.
  6. After you’re done, click OK to save the changes.

According to users, this issue can occur if your IP address isn’t set to static. To fix the problem you need to change your network connection settings and enter the desired IP address manually.

There are several cases in which users fixed the problem simply by using Obtain an IP address automatically option. If you’re using a static IP address, be sure to try this option instead.

12. Use an external adapter

  1. Press the Start icon, type device manager and select the app from the results.
  2. Go to the Network adapters section and locate your adapter.
  3. Right click the adapter and choose Disable device from the menu.
  4. Restart your PC and the system will detect the correct driver. If this doesn’t work, repeat the process to reenable the device.

If you have problems with your network adapter, you might be able to fix them simply by replacing the adapter.

Several users reported that the issue was caused by an internal adapter that isn’t fully compatible with the router.

If you have the same problem, you might want to get a USB network adapter and try using it instead.

Before you can use an external adapter, we strongly suggest that you disable your internal network adapter by following the steps above.

13. Change your adapter’s duplex

  1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Network Connections.
  2. Select Ethernet from the left pane and click on Change adapter options from the right pane menu.
  3. Right click on your network connection and click on Properties.
  4. When Properties window opens, click on Configure.
  5. Go to the Advanced tab. From the Property list select Speed / duplex settings. Now change the Value to Auto Negotiation.
  6. After you’re done, click OK to save the changes. Depending on your network adapter and router, you might have to use different values sometimes in order to fix the problem.

Sometimes Unidentified network message can appear if your duplex isn’t properly configured. After changing the duplex speed, be sure to check if the problem is resolved.

14. Disable McAfee Network Agent

  1. Press Windows key + R, type msconfig and press Enter or click OK.
  2. Go to Services tab, check the box for Hide all Microsoft services. Locate McAfee Network Agent on the list and disable it.
  3. Now click Apply and OK to save the changes. In addition to McAfee Network Agent, users are also suggesting disabling McAfee Firewall Core.

As we previously mentioned, third-party applications can sometimes interfere with your network connection and cause Unidentified network message to appear.

Several users reported that McAfee Network Agent caused this issue on their PC. In order to fix the problem, you need to disable this service.

After disabling the problematic services, the issue should be resolved completely.

15. Restart your modem and router

The Unidentified network message can prevent you from accessing the Internet, but you can fix it easily by restarting your router and modem.

You should find the Reset button in the back of your router

Sometimes your network configuration might not be correct, and a quick restart can usually solve that. To restart your modem / router, simply press its reset button and wait for 30 seconds.

After that, turn the device back on again and wait until it starts. If you have both modem and router, be sure to restart both devices.

Sometimes this error appears due to your router’s configuration. A few users reported that they successfully fixed the issue simply by resetting their router.

To do that, find and press the reset button on your router. Alternatively, you can open the router’s configuration page and reset it from there.

Keep in mind that resetting the router will revert all your settings to default, so you’ll have to set up a wireless connection and configure all your settings again.

16. Upgrade router firmware

  1. Make sure that the router and PC are connected.
  2. Open a browser window and enter the address of your router. The one in our screenshot is only an example. You will find that on your router manual or on the device itself.
  3. Log into the app with the username and password provided.
  4. Locate the firmware update option and check for updates.

If you’re getting the Unidentified network no internet access Windows 10 or Windows 11 message, you might be able to fix it by upgrading your router firmware. By updating router firmware you can fix many compatibility and security issues with your router.

We have to mention that the firmware upgrade process comes with certain risks, so if you’re not careful you can cause permanent damage to your router.

To avoid any problems be sure to check your instruction manual thoroughly before performing the upgrade.

If you need more information about firmware upgrade, be sure to check our guide on how to upgrade your router firmware for some tips.

17. Use only one network connection

  1. Right-click the Windows Start icon and select Network Connections from the list.
  2. Select Ethernet from the left pane and click on Change adapter options from the right pane.
  3. Now select your wireless and Ethernet connection. Right click them and choose Bridge Connections from the menu.

The Unidentified network message can appear if you’re using both Ethernet and wireless connections at the same time. If that’s the case, you’ll need to disable one connection and restart your PC.

For detailed instructions on how to disable your network connection be sure to check Solution 10. After disabling Ethernet or wireless connection, restart your PC and check if that solves the issue.

If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to bridge your connections just as it’s shown in our solution above. After bridging the connections, check if the problem is resolved.

18. Check your network connection properties

  1. Once again, right-click the Start button and select Network Connections from the list.
  2. Select Ethernet from the left pane and choose Change adapter options from the right.
  3. Now select your connection, right-click it and choose Properties from the menu.
  4. Now, uninstall any options that are related to third-party applications. After you’re done, click OK to save changes.
  5. Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

Third-party applications can sometimes cause problems with your network connection.

some of our readers reported issues with the Shrewsoft applications, so if you see any Shrewsoft entries on the list, be sure to uninstall them.

It’s worth mentioning that other third-party applications can cause this problem, so you might have to remove them as well.

19. Disable virtual network adapters

  1. Press the Start button and type device manager, then click on the app from the results.
  2. Go to View menu and check Show hidden devices.
  3. Now expand the Network adapters section and locate any virtual adapters associated with third-party applications. Disable those adapters and check if that solves the issue.

If you’re using any virtualization software, such as VMWare or VirtualBox, you can sometimes cause issues with your network connection.

Users reported that virtual machine software can cause the Unidentified network message by creating virtual network adapters.

To fix the problem, you need to disable virtual adapters from Device Manager. Disabling third-party virtual adapters can affect the Internet connectivity in those apps, so keep that in mind.

20. Change startup type for Bonjour service

  1. Press Windows key + R and type services.msc, then press Enter or click OK.
  2. When the Services window opens, locate the Bonjour service on the list and double click it.
  3. Change the Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) and click Apply and OK to save the changes.

According to users, the Bonjour service can cause internet issues and the Unidentified network message to appear.

To fix this problem, you just need to change the startup type of the Bonjour service as shown above.

Several users reported that Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B87 9762 service can also cause this problem.

To fix the problem, simply locate the service, double-click it, and set its Startup Type to Disabled. After doing that, be sure to check if the issue is resolved.

21. Delete the 0.0.0.0 gateway

  1. Click the Windows Start button, type cmd and select Run as administrator from the results to start Command Prompt with full privileges.
  2. Now, type or paste the following command and press Enter to run it: route delete 0.0.0.0
  3. After the command is executed, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

Several users reported that the issue is caused by the 0.0.0.0 gateway courtesy of Adobe CS3 Bonjour, but you can fix the issue simply by removing the gateway.

22. Change the Power Management settings for your adapter

  1. Open the Network Connections window by right-clicking the Start icon and selecting the option from the menu.
  2. Click on Wi-Fi from the left, then scroll down on the right and select Change adapter options.
  3. Locate your wireless connection, right-click it and choose Properties from the menu.
  4. Click on the Configure button.
  5. Now navigate to the Power Management tab and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Click OK to save changes.
  6. Right click the wireless adapter again and choose Properties.
  7. Go to the Sharing tab and uncheck Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection option. Click OK to save changes.

If you’re getting the Unidentified network message while using a Wi-Fi network, you might be able to solve it by using this method.

According to users, you can fix this problem with ease simply by changing Power Management settings of your adapter.

After making the aforementioned changes, the problem should be completely resolved.

23. Change your Roaming Sensitivity

  1. Right-click the Windows Start button and choose Network Connections from the menu.
  2. Click on Wi-Fi from the left pane, then scroll down on the right and select Change adapter options from Related settings.
  3. Find your wireless connection, right-click it and select Properties.
  4. Hit the Configure button.
  5. Navigate to the Advanced tab, locate Roaming Sensitivity or Roaming Aggressiveness (depending on your system) on the list and select it, then adjust values until the problem is resolved.

A few users reported that you can fix the problem simply by disabling Roaming Sensitivity, so be sure to try that as well.

24. Change your router’s encryption

Wi-Fi networks usually use encryption in order to prevent unauthorized access. Some of our readers reported that they fixed the problem simply by changing the network encryption on their router.

Users reported issues while using WPA2 encryption, but after changing it to WPA, the issue was resolved. To see how to change the encryption type on your router, we advise you to check its instruction manual.

Usually, you will find the option in the Wi-Fi settings section under the Security section but that depends on your router brand, model, and software.

We also have a Wi-Fi and connectivity issues guide for Windows 10/11 that will further help you fix all kinds of connection problems so make sure to check it out.

25. Enter your MAC address manually

  1. Click the Start button, type cmd and choose Run as administrator from the results to start Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
  2. Type or paste the following command and press the Enter key to run it: ipconfig /all
  3. Locate Physical Address of your adapter and write it down. The address will consist of six pairs of characters separated by dashes.
  4. Now go to Network Connections window, right click your connection and choose Properties, then click the Configure button as shown in the previous solutions.
  5. Go to the Advanced tab and select Network Address option from the list. Enter your MAC address in the Value field without any dashes. After you’re done, click OK button to save the changes.

If you’re getting the Unidentified network no Internet message, you might be able to fix it simply by entering your MAC address manually.

How do I fix Ethernet unidentified network in Windows 11?

Although it has some new features and design, Windows 11 is not all that different from Windows 10 and our readers have encountered all sorts of Internet connection problems in the new OS.

The Ethernet unidentified network and Unidentified network no Internet errors in Windows 11 are just as common because they are caused by the same problems.

Luckily, the similarities between the two systems will help you solve these problems by applying all the solutions we presented for Windows 10 above on the new OS.

In Windows 11, you can access the Advanced network settings easier

There are, of course, a few differences. For instance, in Windows 11 is a lot easier to access the Advanced network settings from the Network & internet section in Settings.

However, should you require further information, check our guide on what you can do if you can’t connect to the network in Windows 11. It will help with Internet connectivity problems.

The Unidentified network message can prevent you from accessing the Internet, but you should be able to easily fix the problem by using some of our solutions listed above. We hope they helped!

If you switched to the new OS, we can also help you with a fix if the Windows 11 Ethernet is not working that will provide a lot more information.

Should you have more questions or suggestions for additional solutions, don’t hesitate to write us in the comments section below.

Solved: Outlook Won’t Open on Windows 10

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most used email clients on the Windows 10 platform, with millions of users worldwide.

Unfortunately, many users reported that they can’t open Outlook on Mac or their Windows 10 PC. Sadly, this isn’t the only problem, users also said Outlook is running slow on Windows. In some cases, even notifications stop appearing (which can be resolved by following this complete guide on Outlook notifications not working).

If Outlook is not opening, is mainly because you use the software frequently, so let’s see how to fix it using our complete guide below.

Why is my Outlook not working on Windows 10?

Multiple factors will stop your Outlook from working on Windows 10. A few of the top reasons include:

  • System add-ins – They are the most likely cause, so you might have to disable them to fix the problem.
  • Corrupt files – File corruption can affect your profile and Outlook data files, so recreating them might be necessary.
  • Compatibility issues – In this case, you should ensure this application is run in compatibility mode.
  • Issues with the settings – The main focus should be the DPI settings. Adjust this and verify if the problem is fixed.

This guide will go through all possible solutions to this problem, so keep on reading.

How do I fix Microsoft Outlook if it won’t open?

1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode and disable add-ins

1.1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode

  1. Press Windows key + R, enter Outlook /safe, and press Enter or click OK.
    outlook-will-not-open-run-safe-1
  2. When Choose Profile window opens, click OK.
  3. If you’re asked to enter a password, be sure to enter it and click Accept.

1.2. Disable add-ins

  1. In Outlook, choose File and select Options. Now go to Manage Add-ins.
  2. In View and manage Office Add-ins, make sure that the Manage box shows COM Add-ins and choose Go.
  3. Remember the list of all enabled add-ins in the Available Add-ins section and disable all the selected add-ins by clearing the checkboxes. Click OK.
  4. Now close Outlook.

1.3 Start Outlook and enable the add-ins

  1. Press the Windows key + R and enter Outlook. Press Enter.
  2. Choose File and go to Options. Now pick Manage Add-ins and enable one or more add-ins on the list.
  3. Close Outlook and restart it.
  4. Enable another add-in and repeat the Outlook restart cycle. Perform this step until you find the problematic add-in and keep it disabled.

Many users love using add-ins to enhance Outlook functionality, but sometimes add-ins can create specific problems and prevent Outlook from starting.

Since you cannot start Outlook normally, your only solution is to start it in Safe Mode and disable the add-ins as instructed above.

According to some users, the problem was Microsoft CRM Add-in, and the issue was resolved after disabling it.

Outlook won’t open in safe mode? A few users reported that they could not do so when using the Outlook /safe command.

If you have the same problem, enter the full path to the outlook.exe file in the Run dialog.

Instead of Outlook /safe, you should use the following command: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Officeroot\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE /safe

Keep in mind that the path to outlook.exe might be different on your PC, so double-check before you use this command.

2. Create a new profile

  1. Start the Outlook app from Windows 10.
  2. Click the Show Profiles button and choose Add.
  3. Enter the name of the new profile.
  4. Enter your name, email address, and password, and click the Next button. This method will set up all the necessary email settings manually. If you want, you can also choose the option to set up your Outlook profile manually.
  5. Click Finish, and the new profile should be added to the General tab in the Mail dialog. Next, select the Prompt for a profile to be used option and choose OK.

Your Outlook profile keeps all your settings, but if for some reason your profile gets corrupted, Outlook won’t open when loading your profile, so you’ll have to recreate it.

If everything works without any problems with your new Outlook profile, you can now switch back to the original Outlook profile and check if the problem is completely fixed.

In case you want to know about Outlook keyboard shortcuts to increase productivity, read this guide.

3. Repair your Outlook data file

3.1. Scan your Outlook data file

  1. Go to your Office installation folder and run scanpst.exe.
  2. Click the Browse button and select your Outlook data file.
  3. Click the Repair button to scan your data file.
  4. If any errors are found, click the Repair button to repair them.

3.2. Delete the files from Microsoft Exchange

  1. Go to Control Panel and select Mail.
  2. When the Mail window opens, select Email Accounts.
  3. Go to the Data Files tab, and select the Exchange account.
  4. Now choose Open File Location.
  5. A new Explorer window will open. Close the Mail window and switch back to the Explorer window. Then, locate the data file and delete it.

If you use Microsoft Exchange, you can delete your data file, which will be recreated again.

After deleting the file, it will be created again with Microsoft Exchange once you start Outlook.

All your Outlook email messages, contacts, tasks, and events are stored in your data file. Unfortunately, sometimes the data file can get corrupted, preventing Outlook from opening.

Speaking of the Outlook data file, there are many reasons it can’t be accessed. We have a great guide on what to do if the Outlook data file cannot be accessed.

To fix the problem quickly, you need to repair your data file by following the steps above.

4. Use the /resetnavpane command if Outlook 2010 won’t open

  1. Make sure that Outlook is completely closed.
  2. Press Windows key + R, enter outlook.exe /resetnavpane and press Enter to run it.
  3. Outlook should now open.

If Outlook won’t open on your Windows 10 PC, you might be able to fix it by running /resetnavpane command.

By running this command you’ll remove all customization related to the navigation pane, and sometimes that can fix this problem with Outlook.

5. Try an alternative email client

If your Outlook won’t open emails, perhaps it’s time you changed the email client altogether since many great alternatives can replace it.

These tools are convenient because they can sync all your emails and contacts from multiple accounts in one unified Inbox.

Plus, it brings a lot of easy-to-set customizable features and options to serve the mentioned purpose.

6. Make sure that Outlook isn’t running in Compatibility mode

  1. To do that, right-click the Outlook shortcut and choose Properties from the menu.
  2. Go to the Compatibility tab and make sure that Run this program in compatibility mode option isn’t turned on.
  3. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

Compatibility mode is designed to run older software on Windows 10 that usually wouldn’t run natively. Outlook is fully optimized for Windows 10. Therefore there’s no need to use Compatibility mode.

If you have Compatibility Mode turned on for Outlook, you can sometimes cause this issue to appear. Therefore it’s advised to turn Compatibility mode off for Outlook.

7. Use Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

Sometimes you can fix Outlook errors simply by running the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool.

This tool is designed to fix common problems with Office tools, and to fix those problems; you need to download it, run it and let it fix the problem for you.

8. Change the DPI settings

  1. Right-click your desktop and choose Display Settings.
    outlook-will-not-open-display-1
  2. When the Display Settings window opens, move the slider to the left until it says 100%.
    outlook-will-not-open-display-2
  3. After that, log out of Windows 10 and log back in. Then, try to start Outlook and check if the problem is resolved.

A few users reported that you could fix the problem with Outlook simply by changing the DPI scaling to 100%.

A few users reported that they solved this problem simply by lowering the display scaling to 200 DPI from 250 DPI, so you might want to try that as well.

9. Log out of iCloud

iCloud is a popular cloud storage service created by Apple, but unfortunately, this cloud service can cause some issues with Outlook.

If Outlook 2010 won’t open, you need to log out of iCloud and log back in, and you should be able to start Outlook without any problems.

10. Use the New Email Message option

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start Task Manager.
  2. When Task Manager starts, in the Process tab, locate the Outlook process and click the End Task button.
    end task outlook
  3. Close Task Manager.
  4. Locate Outlook in Start Menu and click the right arrow next to it to open its Jump List.
  5. You can also right-click Outlook on your Taskbar to reveal its Jump List. Select New Email Message or New Meeting or any other option. A new window will now open.
  6. After that, right-click Outlook and choose the Run as administrator option. Outlook should now start without any problems.

Some users also suggest changing the File open on start option while using this method.

  1. Select the New Email message from the Jump List.
  2. When Outlook opens, go to Settings, select Advanced and change File open on start to Outbox.
  3. Restart Outlook and change File open on start to Inbox.
  4. Save changes, and the problem should be resolved.

If Outlook won’t open from Taskbar, this method might be helpful as a workaround, so there’s no reason not to try it.

11. Use a separate password for Outlook

Users reported that you need a separate password for your Outlook account if you use 2-step verification with your Gmail account.

To fix this problem, generate a 16-digit App password that you will use with Outlook. After using the new password with Outlook, the issue should be resolved.

Some users suggest removing your Gmail account from Outlook as a potential workaround, so you might want to try that.

12. Try using an older version of Outlook

Users reported that Outlook 2010 wouldn’t open on their PC, but one suggested workaround is using an older Outlook version with your PST file.

If you have an older version of Outlook available, you can use your PST file without problems.

All your emails will be imported, and you can continue where you left off. Of course, this isn’t a permanent solution, but it’s a helpful workaround.

If that doesn’t work, you can try using a different email client, as mentioned in the first solution. Many free alternative mail clients will do perfectly as an Outlook replacement.

13. Change the way you close Outlook

This is another workaround, but users reported that it works for them. You can stop this error simply by choosing the File and then selecting the Exit option to close Outlook.

According to users, this error appears if you use the X button to close Outlook; therefore, try closing it with a different method instead of closing Outlook with the X button.

Users reported that this workaround works for them, so you might want to try it.

14. Try to send any file with Outlook

Users reported getting stuck on a Processing screen while trying to start Outlook. One suggested workaround that might work for you is to try sending any file using Outlook.

To do that, start Outlook, and you should get stuck on the Processing screen.

After that, open File Explorer, right-click on any file, and choose Send To – Mail Recipient. After doing that, a new email window will open along with Outlook.

15. Delete the Outlook App Data folder

15.1. Delete the Outlook folder

  1. Make sure that Outlook is completely closed.
  2. Press Windows key + R and enter %localappdata%.
    outlook-will-not-open-local-appdata-1
  3. Navigate to the Microsoft folder.
  4. Locate the Outlook folder and delete it.
  5. Try to start Outlook again.

According to users, you can fix the problem with Outlook simply by deleting the Outlook AppData folder.

If Outlook manages to start, all the deleted files will be recreated, and the problem should be resolved entirely.

This method can help if Outlook won’t open attachments, so we encourage you to try it.

15.2 Delete the outlook.xml file

  1. Press Windows key + R and enter %appdata%. Press Enter.
    Opening App Data folder using Run

  2. Go to the Microsoft Outlook folder, locate the outlook.xml file and delete it.
  3. Start Outlook again.

16. Check if you have permission to access your PST file

  1. Locate your PST file, right-click it and choose Properties from the menu.
  2. Go to the Security tab and check if your username is available in the Group or user names section. If it’s not, click the Edit button.
    outlook-will-not-open-permissions-1
  3. Now click the Add button to add a new user.
    outlook-will-not-open-permissions-2
  4. Enter the object names to select the field, enter your user name, and click Check Names.
  5. If your user name is valid, click OK to add it.
    outlook-will-not-open-permissions-3
  6. Select your user name from the Group or user names section and click on Full Control in the Allow column.
    outlook-will-not-open-permissions-4
  7. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Outlook holds all your information in a PST file, but you might encounter specific errors if you don’t have the necessary permissions to access this file.

In the worst-case scenario, Outlook won’t be able to open on your PC.

Fortunately, you can fix this problem simply by changing your security permissions. This is a simple procedure; you can do it by following the steps above.

After gaining complete control over your PST file, you should be able to start Outlook without any problems.

17. Run the sfc /scannow command

  1. Type cmd in Windows search and click on Run as administrator.
  2. When Command Prompt opens, enter the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow
  3. After the scan is completed, check if the problem with Outlook is resolved.

If your files are corrupted, you might not be able to start Outlook at all, but fortunately, you fix this problem by performing an SFC scan.

This simple command will scan and repair your system, and you can perform it by following the steps above.

18. Delete the registry key

  1. Press Windows key + R and enter regedit.
  2. In the left pane, navigate to the following path and expand it: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem
  3. Select the Profiles key, right-click it, and choose Delete.
  4. After that, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

You can sometimes fix the problem with Outlook simply by deleting a specific key from your registry.

Before making any changes to the registry, we strongly advise you to back up your registry in case anything goes wrong.

19. Remove the VPN software

VPN tools are helpful if you want to protect your privacy while surfing the Internet, but VPN tools can interfere with Outlook and cause many other problems.

Users suggest disabling or removing your VPN software and checking if that fixes the problem.

Another suggestion from our readers is to end the Outlook process from the Background processes section in Task Manager. It won’t hurt to try that out to fix this issue.

20. Reinstall Outlook

  1. Press Windows key + X and select Apps and Features.
  2. Select Microsoft Office or Outlook and click on Modify.
  3. Now choose the Repair option.

Alternatively, you can reinstall the software and check if that solves the problem. If Outlook doesn’t open in Safe Mode, your installation may be damaged, so try this solution.

Why won’t my Outlook open on my laptop?

The first thing to look at if the Outlook app won’t open on your laptop is to check for corrupt files. Also, it might be down to your VPN software. So make sure to disable it temporarily to see if the problem persists.

Lastly, the problem can be because of your DPI settings. Whatever the cause, you should be able to fix it with our solutions.

How do I fix Outlook if it won’t open on Windows 11?

  1. Press the Windows key + S and type windows terminal.
  2. Right-click the Windows Terminal option and select Run as administrator.
    windows terminal outlook wont open
  3. Now, click the arrow at the top and select Command Prompt.
    command prompt outlook wont open
  4. Type the command below and hit Enter: sfc/scannow
    sfc scan outlook wont open
  5. Wait for the scan to complete and restart your PC.

The SFC scan should detect broken or corrupt files causing this issue. Also, you should know that all solutions from this guide can be applied to the latest version of Windows.

Since the two versions of Windows are pretty similar in terms of functionality, most of our solutions will work on both.

Remember that some solutions might have to be slightly altered due to interface changes on the latest version.

Not being able to start Outlook can be a big problem, mainly if you use Outlook as your default email client, but you can quickly fix this problem by using one of our solutions.

If the problem is still there, visit our Something went wrong in Outlook guide for more solutions.

What solution did you use to fix this problem? Let us know in the comments section below.

Fix: The Message Cannot Be Sent Right Now in Outlook

One of the most common issues in Microsoft’s Outlook service is the problem with sending emails.

So in this article, we’re going to show you what to do if  The message cannot be sent right now error message pops out when you try to send an email with Outlook.

Many users reported The message cannot be sent right now error in Outlook, but this isn’t the only problem that they encountered. As for Outlook issues, here are some similar problems reported by the users:

  • Your message will be sent, but we’re not quite ready in Outlook – This issue can occur due to your antivirus. To fix it, disable certain antivirus features and check if that helps.
  • The message cannot be sent right now (Office 365) – If this problem happens with Office 365, be sure to reinstall it or switch to a different email client.
  • Message cannot be sent because it has unresolved recipients – This problem can occur if you have an incorrect email address in your recipient’s field. To fix that, be sure to check your recipient’s list and edit it if needed.
  • Couldn’t send the following message (Outlook) – This happens due to the message sending limits of your email account.
  • This message can’t be sent because it no longer exists – This error might appear because of your actual browser choice. You can try another browser option and see if it still occurs.
  • The original message can’t be shown right now. It will be included when this message is sent – This issue can appear if you’re using the Outlook Web version or an outdated Outlook app.

What can I do if Outlook is not sending my emails?

1.  Clear browsing data

  1. Click the Menu icon in the top-right corner and select Settings from the menu.
    The message cannot be sent right now Office 365
  2. The Settings tab should now open. Scroll down and when you reach the bottom of the page click Advanced.
    Message cannot be sent because it has unresolved recipients
  3. Select Clear browsing data.
    Outlook your message will be sent but we re not quite ready
  4. Set Time range to All time. Now click the Clear data button.
    The message cannot be sent right now Office 365

According to users, if you’re getting The message cannot be sent right now in Outlook, the problem can be your browser cache.

Your browser stores all sorts of temporary data on your PC, and sometimes this data can become corrupted and cause this error to occur.

However, you can fix the issue simply by clearing your cache. This is quite simple to do, and you can do it by following the above steps.

After doing that, restart your browser and check if the problem with Outlook is still there. We showed you how to clear the cache in Google Chrome, but the process is more or less the same for other browsers.

This tool not only will help you clean the cache but also the registry log and the history and cookies, thus growing your PC speed.

Sometimes you might get The message cannot be sent right now error in Outlook due to your browser.

There might be a bug in your browser that prevents it from working correctly, and the best way to see if that’s the problem is to switch to a different browser.

Windows 10 comes with Microsoft Edge, so if your browser of choice is giving you this problem, you can always try Edge. On the other hand, other browsers such as Firefox can be a good alternative amongst the most popular browsers out there.

2. Check your antivirus

If you’re getting The message cannot be sent right now in Outlook, the problem might be your antivirus.

Having a good antivirus is important if you want to protect your PC from online threats, but sometimes your antivirus can interfere with certain services and cause this problem to appear.

To fix the issue, we advise you to temporarily disable certain antivirus features and check if that solves the problem. If not, your next step would be to completely disable or remove your antivirus.

If removing the antivirus solves your problem, perhaps this is a good time to consider switching to a different antivirus solution that won’t interfere with your system.

3. Consider using another email client

If you’re getting The message cannot be sent right now in Outlook, perhaps you might want to try using an email client as a temporary workaround or even for good.

Email clients are great since they allow you to access your mailbox right from the desktop. The most famous email client is Outlook.

Therefore, if you have Microsoft Office installed, you most likely have Outlook on your PC as well.

Of course, you’re not limited just to Outlook, and you can use the Mail app that comes built-in to Windows 10. Some users find it too simplistic, so if you want a proper email client, try Mailbird.

This app has many great features and can centralize all your email accounts. We strongly recommend it, as it is safer and more versatile for average PC users.

In addition, you will surely find other productive email clients to help you communicate efficiently with your colleagues, without getting lost in your inbox every single morning.

Mailbird

Manage your emails better and synchronize multiple accounts in one inbox with Mailbird.
Free Trial Visit Website

4. Make sure you haven’t reached the daily limit

Microsoft has various limitations on the number of emails sent daily through Outlook. Make sure you didn’t send too many emails in 24 hours.

Check out this quick guide to see how to increase the limit, and take a look at other possible limitations that could prevent you from sending an email.

5. Make sure your contacts have an email address

If you’re sending an email to a group of people, you need to make sure each contact has email addresses connected to their name.

We know this sounds obvious, but Windows 10’s People app will also store contacts from your phone book, so you can easily end up sending an email to someone whose email you don’t have.

Once you make sure all contacts are eligible, try to send an email once again.

You may also follow the highlighted guide to block the no sender emails in Outlook and stay safe.

6. Make sure that your browser is up to date

  1. Click the Menu icon in the top-right corner and choose Help > About Google Chrome.
    The message cannot be sent right now Office 365
  2. A new tab will now appear and check for available updates.
    Message cannot be sent because it has unresolved recipients

If you’re getting The message cannot be sent right now in Outlook, it’s possible that the issue is caused by your web browser.

Sometimes your browser might suffer from certain bugs, and these bugs can interfere with various services. The best way to keep your browser bug-free is to keep it updated at all times.

Your browser usually automatically updates itself, but you can always check for updates by doing the following:

If any updates are available, they will be automatically downloaded and installed. Once the updates are installed, restart your browser and check if the problem is still there.

This method works for Chrome, but updating any other third-party browser is just as easy.

If you’re using Edge as your browser of choice, then be sure to download the latest Windows updates in order to update it.

7. Make sure you’re not using an email alias

According to users, this issue can occur if you have another account that you use as an alias. This alias account can be a problem, and it can lead to The message cannot be sent right now and other errors.

To fix this problem, open your Outlook settings and look for Send email as. Once you locate it, set this value to your main account and your problem should be completely resolved.

8. Make sure that your Microsoft account is verified

If you keep getting The message cannot be sent right now in Outlook, the problem might be your account.

Your account might not be verified, and that can cause this and many other problems with Outlook. To fix the issue, access Outlook in your browser and open the Settings page.

From there, you should find the option to verify your account. Once your account is verified, this error message should be entirely resolved, and you can send emails again.

9. Change the number of recipients

According to users, sometimes The message cannot be sent right now can appear due to the number of recipients.

This issue occurs when trying to send a group email, but the number of recipients is too big.

Before you send an email, press the + sign next to the BCC or CC field, and you should see all email addresses on the list.

If Outlook cannot show all recipients, you’ll need to remove some of them and check if that solves the problem.

Keep removing recipients until Outlook manages to show them all. Once you manage to see all recipients, you’ll be able to send your email without any issues.

A glitch in Outlook most likely causes this, but you can avoid this issue with this simple workaround.

Keep in mind that email clients might require a bit of configuration, but for the most part, this process is completely automatic so you won’t have any issues.

We know all these solutions are pretty basic, but that’s what worked for other people who encountered this issue.

Remember that you can also repair the app by using Repair Toolbox for Outlook. It’s an excellent tool that covers almost any problem with it.

If you have a solution we didn’t list in this article, please let us know in the comments, and we’ll update it.

We also have an article on how to mark all emails as read in Outlook for you to read.

Also, feel free to use them when encountering this error: Remote send job is in failed or quarantined state, sending email is temporarily unavailable for this acccount.

Finally, share with us if some of these workarounds were helpful to you.

Posted in Fix

How to Fix No Output Devices Found Windows 10 Sound Error

If you’re seeing the “No Audio Output Device Is Installed” error on Windows 10, it usually means your system can’t detect your sound hardware.

It’s often a driver issue—but could also be a disabled device, Windows update problem, or faulty hardware. Try the fixes below in order, starting with the fastest.

How do I fix the No audio output device found?

1. Reinstall the audio driver

  1. Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager from the list.
  2. Next, locate your audio driver. On our PC it was High Definition Audio Device. Right-click it and choose Uninstall device.
  3. If available, check Delete the driver software for this device. Next, click on Uninstall.
  4. Once the driver is removed, restart your PC.

A bad driver is a common cause of No sound devices found in Windows 10, so be sure to check your drivers.

2. Remove Avast Driver software

  1. Press the Windows key + X and choose Apps and Features.
  2. Select Avast Driver on the list and click on Uninstall.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen.

A few users reported that Avast Driver software caused No audio output device is installed in Windows 10, so remove it or disable it to fix the issue.

3. Modify your registry

Note icon NOTE
Modifying the registry comes with certain risks, so be sure to create a backup beforehand.
  1. Create a new Notepad document.
  2. Paste the following:

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations]"ConsoleSecurity"=hex:01,00,14,80,9c,00,00,00,a8,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,00,\  00,02,00,88,00,06,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,01,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,\  04,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,bf,03,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,00,\  00,14,00,89,00,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,13,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,81,00,\  00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,14,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,bf,03,0f,00,01,02,00,\  00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,00,00,18,00,21,01,00,00,01,02,00,00,\  00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,2b,02,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,\  01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

  3. Click on File and choose Save as.
  4. Set the Save as type to All files. Next, set the file name to audiofix.reg. Choose the save location and click Save.
  5. Locate the audiofix.reg file and double-click it. Once the confirmation dialog appears, click Yes.

4. Disable driver signature enforcement

  1. Open Start and click the Power button. After that, press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart.
  2. Next, select Troubleshoot from the list of options.
  3. Navigate to Advanced options.
  4. Select Startup Settings and then the Restart option.
     
  5. After your PC restart, press F7 to select Disable driver signature enforcement.

Once you do that, your PC should be able to install any driver without issues.

Why am I getting No output devices found on Windows 10?

There are several causes for this issue, and the most common are the following:

Fixing the No audio device installed error in Windows 10 is relatively simple, and we hope that you found this guide helpful.

This is a common error, and users reported No output devices found message on Windows 11 as well, but we covered that in a separate guide.

Did you find a different solution for this problem? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

This Tool Can’t Update Your PC: 6 Methods That can Fix This

While performing a PC upgrade, did you encounter the error this tool can’t update your PC? If you did, you should read on to see our best recommendation.

Upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7/8.1 is quite a simple task, thanks to a utility provided by Microsoft. With the Media Creation Tool, you can upgrade your system directly from the Windows UI or create a bootable installation media.

It usually works seamlessly, but there are some occasional hiccups along the way. For example, one common error breaks the upgrade process and informs affected users that This tool can’t update their PC.

This error can be displayed with this message We are not sure what happened but we are unable to run this tool on your PC. This error usually means that your tool doesn’t have permission to operate.

We dug deep and found a few possible solutions to your problem. Make sure to check them out and provide us with your feedback afterward.

Why am I getting This tool can’t update your PC message?

This is one message you hope to avoid, but sadly it often creeps up. From user interaction and experience, we learn that the following factors may trigger the error:

  • Internet connectivity issues – In many cases, you simply are not connected to the internet, or you have a faulty connection.
  • Malware – As you should know virus infections can ruin many processes, and may become an obstacle during an OS update or upgrade.
  • Antivirus software interference – If you use an antivirus that is not compatible with the OS, you may expect hitches such as this.
  • Insufficient disk space – For some users, this may be a factor since the update will often require free space to complete.
  • Corrupted system files – If system files essential to the update are bad, you may expect this error.

A few users may notice that other factors, such as unsupported system architecture, incompatible device drivers, and system hardware problems, may also trigger the problem. So, let us go straight to showing how you may resolve it.

How can I fix This tool can’t update your PC error?

Before jumping into the solutions, ensure that your device meets the minimum system requirements. These specs are not exactly demanding, just slightly above Windows 7 requirements.

Here are the Windows 10 requirements:

  • RAM: 1GB for 32-bit and 2GB for 64 bit
  • Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit and 20 GB for 64 bit
  • CPU: 1GHz or faster
  • Screen resolution: 800 x 600
  • Graphics: Microsoft DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
  • Internet access
  1. Run SFC and DISM
  2. Run the dskchk command
  3. Remove content from the Distribution folder
  4. Reset services
  5. Use the Update Assistant
  6. Create a bootable drive and update that way
  7. Perform a clean reinstall

1. Run SFC and DISM

  1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
  2. In the command line, type the script below and hit Enter.
    sfc/scannow
  3. Now, type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
    • DISM /online /Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  4. Restart your PC and rerun the Media Creation Tool when the procedure ends. 

All upgrade processes rely on the full integrity of the previous layer. Windows 7/Windows 8.1 must be perfect before the upgrade to Windows 10.

And if some essential system files are corrupted, all upgrade-related processes will fail.

We suggest using System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management tools to ensure there’s no system corruption.

Both utilities are built-in and run via the elevated Command Prompt. And both check for possible system corruption and fix them.

2. Run the chkdsk command

  1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
  2. In the command line, type the script below and hit Enter.
    chkdsk /f /r
    this tool can't update your pc
  3. Restart your PC when the tool scans and resolves possible HDD errors.

3. Remove content from the SoftwareDistribution folder

  1. Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E.
  2. Navigate to the system partition (usually C:) and then navigate to
    C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
  3. Delete everything from the Download folder.this tool can't update your pc
  4. Restart your PC and give the Media Creation Tool another go.

The installation of Windows 10 via the direct upgrade feature is similar to the structure of any win32 application. The installation files, or a setup, are downloaded and stored on the system partition.

After that, the setup starts, and it takes some time until everything is done. The place where Windows Update stores these files is the SoftwareDistribution folder. Sometimes, they get corrupted, which makes them unusable.

You’ll need to close everything and delete all content from the SoftwareDistribution folder. After that, you can start configuring Media Creation Tool again and start with the installation.

4. Reset services

  1. Visit the link to download the Reset script.
  2. Once the download is done, right-click on the zip file and select Extract All.
    this tool can't update your pc
  3. Open the file, right-click the WUReset file, and select Run as administrator.
    this tool can't update your pc
  4. Wait for the script to execute entirely.

The Windows Update services need to run for an update to be administered. And the main services and the associated ones tend to stop working, or they won’t start when called upon.

This can be a problem, especially if you’re upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The services we’re referring to are BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and Windows Update Services.

What you need to do is to stop all associated services and start them again. The best and fastest way is with the batch script, which runs everything for you.

5. Use the Update Assistant

  1. Download Update Assistant from the Microsoft website.
  2. Run the tool and wait until it prepares your PC for updating.
    update-assistant-w10 0x8024001e
  3. Back up your data from the system partition.
  4. Follow the instructions until the installation is completed.

If the Media Creation Tool doesn’t work, you can at least try using a similar tool with the same role.

The Windows Update Assistant allows you to upgrade your system to Windows 10 directly but lacks options to create an installation bootable drive.

Also, it checks your PC’s readiness and tells you if there’s something that fails to meet requirements.

6. Create a bootable drive and update that way

6.1 Create a bootable USB and update Windows 10

    If you can’t upgrade directly from the system, you can use a bootable drive to run the setup. Apply the steps below to create your bootable USB device.

  1. 1. Plug in the USB drive (6 GB or more) and restart the Media Creation Tool.

  2. 2. Click on the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC option.

    tool-cant-update-pc
  3. 3. Pick the preferred language, architecture, and edition and click Next.

    this tool can't update your pc
  4. 4. Choose USB flash drive and then click Next.

    tool-cant-update-pc
  5. 5. After the bootable drive is created, restart your PC.

6.2 Boot with the USB stick and upgrade to Windows 10

  1. Plug in the bootable media drive created with the Media Creation Tool and restart your PC.
  2. Press F12 (sometimes F11 or F9) just after the PC boots to open the Boot menu.
  3. Boot from the USB and choose your configuration.
  4. Click Upgrade this PC.

If you can’t upgrade directly from the system, you can use a bootable drive to run the setup. And there are two ways to do this.

The first is to run the Setup from the Windows interface, while the second requires booting with the installation drive and choosing to upgrade.

Both of those, of course, require the creation of a bootable drive.

You can also burn the ISO setup on the DVD, but we suggest going with the USB flash drive—the flash drive needs at least 6 GB of storage space.

Also, don’t forget to back up your data from the flash drive, as the creation procedure will ask you to wipe everything to add the setup.

Finally, if none of the previous steps fixed the This tool can’t update your PC Media Creation Tool error, the only remaining thing we can advise is a clean reinstallation.

Of course, it undermines the whole concept of an upgrade, as you’ll lose all your system partition data and configuration from the previous Windows iteration.

Nonetheless, this might be the only way to use Windows 10. If you’re unsure how to install Windows 10 from scratch, follow the instructions in this article.

With that said, we can wrap up this article. Please tell us in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, or remarks.

Posted in Fix

Ethernet Works But Not WiFi? How to Fix it [Solved]

If Ethernet works but not WiFi, you won’t be able to use a wireless connection, and you’ll be stuck in a single location.

This is a major problem for laptop users, so let’s see how we can fix this issue.

What can I do if Ethernet works but not WiFi?

Before we start, try using 2.4GHz frequency because it has a better range than 5GHz.

1. Check the router

  1. Restart your PC.
  2. Restart your router and modem. Power it off and wait for some time before you turn it on again.
  3. Check the physical Wi-Fi switch. Every router has a dedicated Wi-Fi switch, so make sure the Wi-Fi is enabled.
  4. Also, inspect your laptop for Wi-Fi switches. This also concerns FN button (Function button).
  5. Hard reset router and modem. You can do so with the small physical button positioned on the bottom or within the router settings.
  6. Update router firmware.

2. Use Windows Troubleshooter

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Open Update & Security.wifi wont work but ethernet does
  3. Select Troubleshoot from the left pane.
  4. Highlight the ”Internet connections” troubleshooter and Run the troubleshooter.wifi wont work but ethernet does
  5. Wait for the troubleshooter to finish and, hopefully, resolve the issue with the Wi-Fi connection.
  6. You can also run the ”Incoming connections” troubleshooter.
  7. Check whether the Ethernet works but no WiFi connection is available issue is gone from your Windows 10 device.wifi wont work but ethernet does

3. Reinstall drivers

  1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Network adapters.
  3. Right-click on Wireless Network Adapter and update it.
  4. Restart your PC.
  5. If that isn’t sufficient, right-click on Wireless Network Adapter again and open Properties.
  6. Open the Details tab.wifi wont work but ethernet does
  7. Select Hardware Ids from the drop-down menu.
  8. Copy the first line and paste it into your browser.
  9. Locate OEM’s official support site in the result and download the driver.
  10. Install the driver and reboot your PC.

3.1. Update drivers automatically

To speed up the operation, and ensure a proper version is updated, we suggest you do this automatically by using a dedicated driver updating software. Thus, you will prevent file loss and even permanent damage to your computer.

The solution below it’s quite easy to use and will repair and update all your drivers in a single run with only one click so make sure you try it out.

⇒ Get Outbyte Driver Updater

4. Flush DNS

  1. Press the Windows key + S to summon the Search bar.
  2. Type cmd, right-click Command prompt and run it as an administrator.wifi wont work but ethernet does
  3. In the command line, type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    •  ipconfig /release
    • ipconfig /renew
  4. After the process ends, type in this command and press Enter:
    • ipconfig /flushdnswifi wont work but ethernet does
  5. Close Command Prompt and try connecting to Wi-Fi again.

5. Reset Winshock and IP stacks

  1. Type cmd in the Windows Search bar, right-click Command Prompt and run it as admin.wifi wont work but ethernet does
  2. In the command line, enter the following command and press Enter:
    • netsh winsock reset catalogwifi wont work but ethernet does
  3. After that, insert these commands to reset IPv4 and IPv6 stacks and press Enter after each:
    • netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
    • netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
  4. Close the elevated command line and restart your PC.

If the issue is persistent, continue with the steps below.

6. Use a different channel

  1. In the Windows Search bar, type Control, and open Control Panel.
  2. Open Network and Internet.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  3. Select Network and Sharing Center.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  4. Click on ”Change adapter settings” on the left list.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  5. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and open Properties.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  6. Click on ”Configure”.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  7. Select the Advanced tab.
  8. In the scrollable list, scroll to WZC IBSS Number Channel.
  9. From the right drop-down menu, choose channels 1, 6, or 11 and confirm changes.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices

7. Use IPv4 or IPv6 solely

  1. Right-click on the Wireless icon in the taskbar’s notification area and Open Network & Internet settings.
  2. Click on Change adapter options.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  3. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and open Properties.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  4. Disable IPv6, confirm changes, and look for improvements.wifi not working on laptop but working on other devices
  5. If the problem persists, re-enable IPv6 and disable IPv4.

That’s it. If none of the aforementioned steps helped you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, we advise you to contact your ISP’s tech support. The router is probably faulty and you’ll need a replacement.

We hope that the issue of WiFi not working but Ethernet does is gone by now. There are similar issues you can experience, and we wrote about the Wi-Fi adapter not working in a separate guide.

Many also reported that the laptop cannot detect Wi-Fi and that no Wi-Fi networks were found, but we covered those topics in their own guides.

Also, don’t forget to share your questions or suggestions with us and other users in need. The comments section is just below and we’ll appreciate your opinion on the subject.

FIX: Outlook Integration Error With Skype

Microsoft integrated Skype, its voice and video calling service into its Outlook desktop email client, with the Skype 6.1 update for Windows.
This update included the ability to call any mobile or landline in Outlook, plus a built-in online status and contact information into Outlook contact cards.

However, some users have got Outlook integration error with Skype for Business, when trying to utilize it.

Additionally, the ability to trigger instant messages from Outlook was added, but, Skype’s interface was also updated to ensure the adding of contacts was made easier with the ability to find Skype users from the list of contacts.

This Outlook integration with Skype was promised also for its Outlook.com web email client by Microsoft to support video calling.

With all technologies, however, there are problems that may arise with integration such as the Outlook integration error with Skype and not being able to sync the Skype status with Outlook.

If you’re having problems using both applications in Windows, there are a few things you need to do to get better integration between Skype and Outlook including:

  • Configure your account on both desktop clients for Outlook and Skype
  • Ensure the account is set up via Exchange. To do this, go to Outlook>File>Info>drop down Account settings>click Account setting and check that the account type is Exchange
  • Install the latest update for Skype and Outlook. If there is a version mismatch, ensure re-installation is performed so they are both on the same version
  • Ensure the sip, SMTP and UPN are the same

Once you have all these checks set up, try the solutions below to fix the Outlook integration error with Skype.

How can I fix Outlook integration error in Skype?

1. Preliminary checks

If you’re getting Outlook integration error with Skype, check for the following before trying any troubleshooting solutions:

  • You’re using the most up-to-date client
  • Microsoft Outlook is running and configured to use the correct profile
  • That your system time is accurate. If the time on your computer differs from that of the server you’re trying to sign in to, sign in may fail. Set your computer’s time as close to the correct local time as possible.
  • Make sure your firewall does not block the IP or ports Exchange online service uses.

2. Quick Outlook/ Skype fixes

  • Migrate the user’s mailboxes to a higher Exchange Server version 2013/2016
  • Disable the creation of the Skype for Business Contacts folder
  • Wait around 5 minutes, sign out from the client and Outlook, and try again.
  • Try to use another computer test if there is the same issue, also you could try to test if any other users had the same issue
  • If the issue only appeared on the specific computer, perform a clean boot
  • If you can’t see conversation history successfully, press Ctrl and right-click Skype for Business icon in the taskbar. Open configuration information, then check if EWS status and MAPI status are okay
  • Reinstall Skype for Business client and Outlook client
  • Changing the personal information manager from Microsoft exchange or Microsoft outlook to None

3. Check if the auto-discover service works properly in Office

To do this:

  • Go to the Microsoft connectivity test site
  • Click Outlook Connectivityunder Microsoft Office Outlook Connectivity Tests from Office 365
  • After you get the results, click Expand Alland send the message to Microsoft support for further assistance

4. Clear Skype for Business cache

To do this:

  1. Right-click Start and select Run
  2. Type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Lync folder
  3. Delete sip profile folder
  4. Go to Tracing folder and delete all its files, but leave the folders intact

You may also be interested in the best Windows 10 Email Clients and Apps to Use

5. Remove corrupt Outlook registry key

Outlook integration error with Skype may occur if the Outlook registry key is corrupted.

Thus when other applications try to use the MAPI interface, they can’t retrieve the information required from the registry.

To resolve this, remove the corrupted Outlook registry key and perform Detect and repair operation.

Here’s how:

  1. Click Start, and click Run
  2. Type regedit, and then press enter
  3. In Registry Editor, locate the following subkey in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Clients\Mail\Microsoft Outlook
  4. Select the subkey, and press Delete
  5. Click Yes.
  6. Quit Registry Editor.
  7. Start Outlook.
  8. On the Help menu, click Office Diagnostics.
  9. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the repair.

Were you able to fix the Outlook integration error with Skype issue? Let us know in the comments section below.

How to Fix Action Needed, No Internet Windows 11 Error

The action needed no internet error is usually easy to get past by clicking the Connect button. Unfortunately, it’s not as smooth for all of us.

If you can’t get past it, you my have to tweak the Registry or power settings. Find below a few working methods that won’t disappoint.

How can I fix the action needed no internet issue?

To fix this, you need to disable the NCSI (Network Connectivity Status Indicator) passive or active probes that the NCSI component uses.

1. Disable the NCSI probe from Windows Registry

  1. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit.exe and press Enter.
  3. Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet
  4. On the right-hand side, right-click on EnableActiveProbing.
  5. Select Modify…
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-modify-registry-key
  6. Change the Value data from 1 to 0.
  7. Click on the OK button.
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-change-value-to-0
  8. Navigate to the following path in the Windows Registry:
    HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator
  9. Right-click on the empty space on the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  10. Name it NoActiveProbe.
  11. Right-click on the newly created NoActiveProble key and select Modify…
  12. Change the Value data from 0 to 1.
  13. Click on OK to save the changes.
  14. Navigate to the following path in the Registry:
    HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator
  15. Right-click on the white space on the right and go to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-new-dword-key
  16. Rename it to DisablePassivePolling.
  17. Right-click on this DisablePassivePolling key and hit Modify…
  18. Double-click on the key type and modify the value from 0 to 1 in the Edit String box.
  19. Hit the OK button to save your changes.
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-disable-passive-polling

NOTE: To navigate to the locations in the guide, simply copy the given path, paste it in the address bar, and hit ENTER.

2. Disable NCSI problem from Group Policy Objects

2.1 Turn off Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator active tests

  1. Press the Windows key and R combination to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Enter gpedit.msc in the Run dialog box and press Enter.
  3. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following path:
    Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System
  4. Click on the System folder to expand it.
  5. Select the Internet Communication Management subfolder.
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-internet-communication-management-folder
  1. Reveal the Internet Communication settings sub-folder by clicking on Internet Communication Management.
  2. Select the Internet Communication settings sub-folder.
  3. Hit Turn off Windows Network Connectivity Status Indicator active tests under the Settings window.
  4. Mark the Enabled option.

2.2 Disable NCSI probes

  1. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following location:
    Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network
  2. Reveal the Network Connectivity Status Indicator sub-folder by expanding the Network folder.
  3. Double-click on Network Connectivity Status Indicator.
    wifi-action-needed-windows-10-internet-connectivity-status-indicator
  4. Double-click on Specify passive polling status.
  5. Mark the Enabled option.
  6. Exit the Group Policy Editor.

3. Turn off Fast Startup

Another confirmed fix for this error is to disable the Fast Startup feature. We have dedicated guides on this that you can access right now:

4. Tweak the PC’s power settings

This is a solution that worked for users, as seen on forums:

  1. Open the Windows search box.
  2. Type device manager in it and click on the first result to open the app.
  3. Locate the Network Adapters section in the list.
  4. Right-click on your adapter and then select Properties.
  5. Go to the Power Management tab.
  6. Uncheck the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.disable auto turn off

5. Run the Network Connection troubleshooter

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to the System section and select Troubleshoot.troubleshoot settings section
  3. Select Other troubleshooters.other troubleshooters settings
  4. Locate and Run the Network and Internet troubleshooter.run network and internet troubleshooters
  5. Wait for the process to complete.

We hope that the steps and methods in this guide have solved the action needed no internet Ethernet or WiFi problem once and for all.

You may also encounter a no internet, secured error message which is just as easy to fix. For more tech info, check out our guide on how to use WiFi and Ethernet at the same time.

If your Wi-Fi suddenly disappeared on Windows 11, it’s often caused by driver issues or system glitches, and luckily, you can fix it by updating drivers or resetting network settings.

Similarly, if you’re facing no Wi-Fi networks found on Windows 10 or a Wi-Fi adapter not working, these guides offer clear, step-by-step solutions to troubleshoot and restore your connection quickly.

Feel free to share your experience with us using the comment section below.