The Windows 10 news and interests feature is found lurking in the taskbar. Introduced to the operating system in early 2021, news and interests brings a customizable pop-up box to your desktop, allowing you to check the news, weather, local traffic, stock prices, and more from a single location. While some of these options are available as Live Tiles for the Windows 10 Start menu, Microsoft will use news and interests to deliver an easier, more customizable daily information portal that you can take in at a glance. So, here's how to use and customize Windows 10 news and interests. How to Find Windows 10 News & Interests? Windows 10 touted news and interests as far back as Windows 10 version 1909. Still, Microsoft took some time to bring it to the front of the operating system experience with proper desktop integration. As of the Windows 10 April 2021 cumulative updates, the feature had rolled out to Windows 10 Insider Preview users (Windows early-access feature branch) but with no specific general rollout date. However, it's believed that news and interests will begin to hit general users outside the Insider Preview after the May 2021 Patch Tuesday security updates—which has been and gone. If you're still without news and features, you'll have to keep waiting a little longer. For those wondering where to look, you'll find news and features on your taskbar nestled up alongside the system tray. Windows 10 News & Interests Features As mentioned, news and interests have taken some inspiration from Live Tiles, allowing you to customize your feed with top news stories, local news stories and traffic reports, and more. You can add cards for your favorite sports teams, music, movies, books, careers, personal finance, parenting, and more, with more interest cards set to arrive in the future. As you can see in the previous section, my default card draws on a range of data (from my Microsoft Account) to show pertinent information. It shows a traffic update for the area of Cornwall I live in, as well as a card showing who my favorite football team is playing at the weekend. The top stories on show are general headlines taken from several different British news outlets (though yours will come from your national news outlets), but then it gets a bit off-brand for my interests. The offering for US users is currently more advanced than for other countries, with a far greater range of potential news sources. The US news and interests version includes a Tune your feed option, from which you can select various publications from a wide range of interests. Information Cards At the time of writing, there are only four different types of information cards available: Weather Finance Sports Traffic Expect more to appear in time. RELATED:The Top Unbiased News Sources Free From Censorship How to Customize Windows 10 News & Interests The good news is that you can customize news and interests to reflect the things you want to see. To customize your news and interests, open the panel and select Manage Interests. A new Microsoft Edge window will open on the My Feed page, from which you can begin adding specific interests. Head through the list and select the options you want. When you're done, head back to the news and interests panel and hit the Refresh button, found alongside the Manage Interests button. It might take a little while for all of your newly added interests to begin filtering through, but they will appear with time and as more news relating to the subject matter publishes. The My Interests page does have a search function, which is again geographical, as you might expect. Currently, it lacks in some areas as the service is still expanding, but you can use it to locate sports teams, specific points of interest, etc. Finally, you can scroll down the My Interests page to the Followed interests section, where you'll find a list of interests you've selected. See anything you've grown tired of? Uncheck any outdated interests and refresh to clear them from the news and interests panel. Customize from the News & Interests Panel You can also make some small adjustments from the news and interests panel itself. For example, the default stock tracking options are easy to switch out: Select the small menu icon, which is a grey circle with three dots. Select Add symbol. Type the stock ticker or name of the business you want to track, then press the Plus symbol to add to the card. How to Block a News Outlet from Your Feed Another way you can customize your news feed is to block specific publications from appearing. In the news and interests panel, find a news article from an outlet you don't want to appear. Select the small menu icon. Select Hide stories from… You'll then encounter another message, where you should again select Hide. You can use the same menu to give a thumbs up or down to specific news items, too, allowing you to streamline your news feed on a case-by-case basis for those times when you don't mind the publication but wish they'd stop showing you irrelevant news. If you decide you want to allow a publication to display news on your feed later, you must unhide them from the My Interests page. RELATED:The Best News Sites You Can Actually Trust How to Turn Windows 10 News & Interests Off? Of course, if this isn't your cup of tea in the slightest, you can switch the feature off entirely. Right-click news and interests on the taskbar. Head to News and interests. Select Turn off. From this menu, you can also choose to reduce the size of the news and interest logo on your taskbar, reduce its update frequency, and stop news and interests from appearing when you hover over the icon. Does News & Interests Bring Advertising to Windows 10 Desktop? Right now, no, news and interests doesn't bring any intrusive advertising to your desktop feed. However, if you click through to the My Feed option in your browser, you'll see some adverts relating to your interests and other available cookies. There is no indication that Microsoft plans to add advertising to the desktop news and interest feed as yet, but there is also nothing stopping them, either. Windows 10 News & Interests Is Coming to Your Desktop Soon! Microsoft is beginning the news and interests rollout, and it won't take long for the new Windows 10 feature to arrive on your desktop. Now you know how it works, you can customize your news feed and interests or switch it off entirely.

Linux commands are a great way of interacting with the system using the terminal. However, sometimes it can take a while to finish the task at hand. This forces users to wait for a considerable time or spawn a new shell altogether. Luckily, you can run Linux commands in the background by following some simple methods. The rest of this article illustrates some of these methods. 1. Add an Ampersand After Your Command The easiest way to run a Linux background command is to add an Ampersand (&) symbol after the command. For example, if you start the gedit text editor from your terminal, you can not use the shell until you close the editor. However, when you add an extra & to your command, you'll be able to use the shell immediately. gedit & 2. Use bg to Send Running Commands to the Background Sometimes you run a command only to find out it takes much longer to finish. You can easily send these commands to the background by hitting the Ctrl + Z keys and then using the bg command. Ctrl + Z stops the running process, and bg takes it to the background. You can view a list of all background tasks by typing jobs in the terminal. Use the fg command to get back to the running task. 3. Send Commands to the Background With nohup The nohup command in Linux allows admins to run terminal commands that are immune to HUP or Hang Up signals. You can run Linux commands in the background using nohup. The below example runs an Nmap port scan in the background. nohup sudo nmap -sS --top-ports=15 192.168.1.1/24 One key benefit of nohup is that your commands will run even if you exit the shell. Moreover, it generates log files of the execution. Look for nohup.out in the current directory or inside $HOME. 4. Run Background Commands Using System Redirects You can also run background commands in Linux using system redirects. For example, if you run the below ping command, your shell will run it in the background and immediately give the terminal prompt back. ping -c5 8.8.8.8 >output.log 2>&1 & Here the output of the ping command is redirected to the output.log file. You can replace it with /dev/null if you want to discard the result. The 2>&1 tells bash to redirect any errors to the same file. The final & signals bash to run this command in the background. 5. Set Linux Commands to the Background Using disown The disown command in Linux makes it easy to run commands in the background. First, you need to send the task in the background using the & operator. Then, type disown to detach it from your shell. gedit & disown One major advantage of disown is that, like nohup, the system won't kill your task when you close your shell or log out. 6. Run Linux Commands in the Background Using Tmux Tmux is a powerful multiplexer that allows us to run multiple terminal sessions within a single window. Learning tmux is an excellent choice for people who are unfamiliar with it. Tmux makes running background commands in Linux effortless. tmux new -d 'ping -c 10 8.8.8.8 > output.log' When you run the above tmux command, it will execute the ping command in a separate shell and keep it in the background. You can execute any Linux command in the background using this method. RELATED:How To Install And Configure Tmux For Linux Leave Your Linux Commands in the Background Having the ability to run commands in the background makes system management more productive for admins. You can background your tasks in several ways. Bash features like the & and Ctrl + Z are convenient, but the system will kill the background job when the shell closes. On the other hand, tools like nohup and disown keep your command running even when you log out or terminate the shell. If you leave your programs in the background for a long time, they may become zombie processes if they're not coded properly. These processes can slow down the system significantly. So, make sure to identify and kill zombie processes every once in a while.

The benefits of dark screens are easy to understand—less eyestrain, easier-to-read text, and well, they just look cool, don't they? After a couple of years of waiting, Windows 10 now offers a native dark theme mode. You'll also find plenty of third-party dark themes out there, more than enough to suit every taste and style. Here are some of the best Windows 10 dark themes you can get right now. How to Change the Windows 10 Theme Windows personalization options allow you to change the background, lock screen, color, sounds, and cursor's appearance. You can change it from the desktop or dig into the Windows 10 settings. First, either right-click on your desktop and select Personalize > Themes or head to Start > Settings > Personalization > Themes. You can choose from one of Windows' built-in themes or click on Get more themes in Microsoft Store to see more. 1. Windows 10 Dark Theme With the 2017 Anniversary Update, Microsoft introduced a system-wide Windows 10 dark theme, which previously was only available via a registry hack. If you're running the most recent version of Windows 10, head to Settings (Windows key + I) > Personalization > Colors, scroll down, and set the default app mode to Dark. The theme will change the Windows system apps and Microsoft's store apps. You will still need to change other third-party apps on a case-by-case basis. 2. GreyEve The GreyEve theme is available for download from DeviantArt. It is one of the best free Windows 10 themes worth trying. Unlike some of the other themes on this list, it can be installed without using any third-party tools or editing any system files—thus making it great for users who want a hassle-free option. The developer warns that he was forced to make it a high contrast theme due to Microsoft's limited dark theme options. You'll have to check whether or not it suits your needs. To start using it, download the file and place it in [USERNAME]AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes. 3. Penumbra 10 Before proceeding, be aware that this is a Windows 10-only theme. If you're reading this article trying to find dark themes for Windows 7 or 8, this won't work for you. It's been designed to use neutral dark colors, so there won't be any jarring contrasts or unpleasant colors anywhere on your screen. The installation process is more complicated than the previous options. Before installing anything, make sure you've downloaded these three essential tools: UltraUXThemePatcher OldNewExplorer to remove the window's ribbon. The theme itself To get the theme up and running, firstly install the Open Sans font (included in the theme download). Then install UXThemePatcher, and finally, OldNewExplorer. Next, move the contents of the theme's Visual Style folder to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. Now is a good time to reboot your computer. Lastly, select the theme in the Settings app as described earlier. You can further customize this theme by changing the Taskbar's color and opacity. The tool is available for download on the theme's DeviantArt page. 4. Nocturnal W10 Once again, this is a Windows 10-only theme. Despite sharing the same name as its Windows 8 counterpart, it will not work on older versions of the operating system. This is arguably the most complex to install. You will need three third-party apps before installing the main theme. They are: OldNewExplorer Classic Shell UXThemePatcher To use the dark theme, install Blank.TFF, then run Blank.REG. Next, copy the theme folder straight to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. When ready, patch your system using UXThemePatcher. Finally, navigate back to Settings > Personalization > Themes and choose the theme from the list. 5. Ades Theme Rather than going for total darkness, Ades Theme uses various tones of gray and introduces some color. While it still requires a third-party tool, it's easier than both Nocturnal and Penumbra to install. You need UXThemePatcher, but can otherwise download the file and put it straight into C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. 6. Hover Dark Aero Hover Dark Aero uses translucent blacks and grays to create a sleek and visually impressive user interface. If you want to recreate the look you see in the image above, you will also need to download the creator's associated theme pack. The icon pack is included in the theme's download files. There are six different versions of the theme to choose from—each has a slightly different feel. To make the theme work, you will need to make sure you have installed the aforementioned UXThemePatcher. 7. Nost Metro Nost Metro is another Windows 10 dark theme that we really like. The theme itself is two-in-one. There is both a dark theme and a Windows 10 light theme in the same download package, and you can choose which one you want to run on your system. You will also get a theme for Firefox (which helps add consistency across the apps you use) and two icon packs (one dark and one light). As with many other downloads on this list, you will need to run UXThemePatcher before the theme will work on Windows. 8. Hastpy The next Windows 10 visual style we're going to recommend is Hastpy. The developer behind the theme is Cleodesktop, the same person responsible for Hover Dark Aero, and the similarities are obvious; both use the same icon packs. Unlike Hover Dark Aero, Hastpy doesn't have a translucent ribbon. Instead, it deploys a contrasting light grey color. Once again, six different versions of the theme are available. To install Hastpy on your system, you need to be running UXThemePatcher. Move all the files in the theme download file %windir%/Resources/Themes folder to get up and running. 9. Ubuntu Dark Theme If you are a Linux user who wants to bring some Ubuntu flair to Windows, check out the Ubuntu Dark Theme option. It uses the popular Linux distro as its inspiration, with orangy hues and plenty of flat iconography. The theme is completely ad-free. The theme is entirely customizable, so you can tweak it to fit your needs. Just make sure you are running UxThemePatcher before you begin the installation process. 10. After Dark Cyan The final Windows dark theme we will recommend is After Dark Cyan. Unlike some of the other "dark" themes in our list, this one really is completely dark—there are no accent colors or shades of grey; the theme is as black as night. All parts of the Windows 10 system get the dark treatment, so you will not encounter any light screens that can sting your eyes unexpectedly.

Ransomware, outdated programs with unpatched security flaws, and your own negligence can make a Windows 10 PC vulnerable to potential security attacks. That said, Windows 10 is still the most secure version of the OS released by Microsoft to date. But, as they say, in cybersecurity, there is no such thing as too much security. So, here is a checklist of best practices to help you make your Windows 10 PC more secure and reduce the risk of potential attacks. 1. Uninstall Flash From Windows 10 Adobe Flash has reached its end of life and for good. Plagued with multiple security issues that required consistent patches to run, most modern browsers stopped supporting Flash content long ago. If you had Flash installed and haven’t removed it yet, it is time. Apart from freeing up some space on your computer, uninstalling it will help you prevent potential security threats to your PC due to new loopholes. Uninstall Flash with Windows Update (KB4577586) Windows Update KB4577586: This update removes Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer. Microsoft has released it as a cumulative Windows update. If you don’t have this patch installed yet, you can manually download it from the Windows Update Catalog. Run the update and follow on-screen instructions. Once installed, it will remove the Flash Player from your PC. Use the Flash Player Removal Tool Adobe provides an easy way to uninstall its Flash Player from Windows computers via a dedicated Flash removal tool. To use the tool, download it to your computer and save the installer. Before you run the installer, make sure to close all programs, including the browser that uses Flash. Next, run the installer and click Yes when prompted by UAC (User Account Control). Finally, click Uninstall and then Restart to remove the files. After the restart, Press the Windows key + E key to open File Explorer. In File Explorer, copy and paste the following path to navigate. C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash Delete all the files in this folder. Next, Repeat the steps by opening the following locations. C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash %appdata%\Adobe\Flash Player %appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player Now that you have got rid of Flash from your PC, let's remove it from your browser as well. Even though modern browsers do not support flash content, your browser may still have the Flash plugin enabled. Here's how to remove Flash from your browser. Disable Flash Plugin in Web Browser Google Chrome Open Chrome and click on the Menu. Then choose Settings from the options. Next, open the Privacy and Security tab from the left pane. Scroll down and click on Site Settings. Scroll down to the Content section, click on Flash and disable it. Mozilla Firefox Launch Firefox, enter About:addons in the address bar, and hit enter. Open the Plugins tab from the left pane and locate the Flash add-on. Then click the drop-down button and set it to Never Activate. You don't need to disable flash on your Chromium-based Edge browser as it comes disabled by default. The Flash option may not be available on the latest version of Chrome and Firefox. In that case, you don't have to disable it manually. 2. Create a Restore Point Think of Restore Points as a snapshot of your system that lets you revert Windows to its last working state by undoing system changes. While the feature is available on all versions of Windows, you need to enable it from System Properties to put it to work. Windows automatically creates a restore point when you install a new piece of software or Windows update. However, before making a major change to your systems, such as editing registry files or hardware changes, it is better to create a restore point manually. Enabling and creating restore points is easy. However, if you want to enable daily restore points in Windows 10, it is a little tricky. To achieve this, you need to tweak some Group Policy entries for Windows 10 Pro and registry entries for Windows 10 Home users. 3. Enable BitLocker Encryption Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise versions come with an inbuilt disk encryption tool called BitLocker. This data protection feature integrates with Windows and protects your data from theft or unauthorized access by encrypting the storage drive. BitLocker uses TPM (Trusted Platform Module) version 1.2 or later to help protect your data offering optimal security when the system is offline. On non-TPM systems, you must use a USB startup key or PIN to start the encrypted computer or resume hibernation. If you are on Windows 10 Home, there are some excellent alternatives to BitLocker to consider. Irrespective of the encryption tool you decide to use, full disk encryption is a must for end-point protection. 4. Install Apps From Known Sources Installing apps from third-party sources or outside the Microsoft Store can be risky for new users. To minimize the risk, you can configure Windows 10 to alert you when installing an app that’s not from the Microsoft Store. Here’s how to do it. Click on Start and choose Settings. Then, choose Apps from the Settings window. Click the drop-down menu under Choose where to get apps, and select Anywhere, but warn me before installing an app that’s not from Microsoft Store. 5. Avoid Pirated Content Pirated content such as movies and paid software are common sources of malware. When downloading any software, media contents, or documents, make sure to download from the trusted sources. Trusted sources include Microsoft Store and official software developer store and redistributors. 6. Keep Windows 10 and Other Apps Updated Microsoft has enabled automatic updates for Windows 10. Yet, due to the horror stories related to automatic updates, some users may choose to delay Windows updates. That said, it is critical to install security patches to protect your system from security threats. Even if you are running anti-malware software, new loopholes are discovered every day. Apart from Windows updates, ensure all apps installed on the PC are up to date. Legacy applications are more prone to cyber-attacks. Installing updates will ensure you have the latest security patches and also bring performance improvements. 7. Remove Unnecessary and Unused Apps It is common to have apps that you haven’t used in years. Apart from taking up precious storage space on your SSD, unused programs can be a security risk if a new chink is discovered. To uninstall unused apps in Windows 10, click on Start and type control in the search bar. Then, click on the Control Panel to open it. In the Control Panel, go to Programs and open Programs and Features. This will populate the screen with all the installed apps. Go through the list, select the app to remove, and click Uninstall. Repeat this with all the apps that you want to remove. 8. Enable the Control Access Folder Control Access Folder is part of Microsoft Defender Antivirus. This optional tool offers protection against ransomware attacks by preventing malicious software from encrypting your data and making unwanted changes. When enabled, it can monitor any apps trying to modify the files in the protected folder without authorization. It will block the attempt and alert you of suspicious activity. Here’s how to enable Control Access Folder in Windows 10. Click on Start and choose Settings. Open Updates & Security. Click on the Windows Security tab from the left pane. Click on Virus & threat protection under the Windows Security section. This will open the Windows Security window. Scroll down to Ransomware protection and click on the Manage ransomware protection link. Toggle the switch to enable Control Folder Access. Click Yes when prompted by Windows Security to confirm the action. To add folders, click the Protected Folders option. Click the Add a protected folder button, choose the folder and click Add folder. After you have added the folders, the anti-ransomware feature will monitor the new locations for suspicious activity. Click on the Block history link under the Controlled Folder Access section to view all the blocked actions. 9. Separate Personal and Work Computing A single device for personal and work use is easier. However, if you are using a laptop that your company controls with administrative access, privacy will always be a concern. Also, a compromised work computer could breach both your work and personal data (or vice versa). So, it is best to keep personal and professional data on separate devices. It's Always Good to Err on the Side of Caution! Keeping your computer secure doesn't have to be cumbersome. Fortunately, Windows 10 has plenty of optional security features that can help you avoid potential attempts to steal sensitive information. But that's not it! There are plenty of other ways to secure your computer as well. Enabling the firewall, installing third-party antivirus and security solutions, using VPN, and two-factor authentication can help you secure your Windows PC and give you peace of mind

Despite significant improvements over the last couple of years, Windows is still prone to throwing out the occasional error code. Today, it's time to investigate error code 0x800F081F. Keep reading to find out what causes it and how you can resolve the issue. What Causes Error Code 0x800F081F? Error code 0x800F081F is one of four possible error codes that all point to the same underlying issue. The other three are error code 0x800F0906, error code 0x800F0907, and error code 0x800F0922. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 incompatibilities cause each of these error codes. Typically, they will occur when you enable the .NET Framework using either the installation wizard, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool, or Windows PowerShell commands. You will only see the codes on Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server version 1709, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012. On those operating systems, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 is a "Feature on Demand" (i.e., it is not enabled by default). When you turn on the feature, Windows Update tries to grab .NET binaries along with other necessary files. If your computer is not correctly configured, you might see the codes. 0x800F081F: Windows could not find the .NET source files for the installation to proceed. 0x800F0906: Windows either could not download the .NET source files, could not connect to the internet, or could not install a role, role service, or feature. 0x800F0907: Either the DISM tool failed, or your network policy settings prevented Windows from connecting to the web. 0x800F0922: The processing of .NET advanced installers or generic commands failed. How to Fix Error Codes 0x800F081F, 0x800F0906, 0x800F0907, or 0x800F0922 on Windows 10 Thankfully, the methodology for fixing the first three error codes is the same. There are two approaches you can try. For error code 0x800F0922, you need to jump straight to method two. 1. Configure Your Group Policy Your group policy settings may be affecting Windows' ability to activate the installation. Note: Natively, the Group Policy Editor is only available in Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Thankfully, there's a workaround. You can follow our guide to accessing the Group Policy Editor on Windows 10 Home. To start, press Windows Key + R to bring up the Run dialogue. Next, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter. The command will open the Group Policy Editor window. Once the editor is on your screen, use the left-hand panel to navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System. Move your attention to the right-hand panel. Scroll down until you find the entry labeled Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair. You will find it underneath the folders you see at the top of the list. Double link on the entry to open the Settings window. Finally, in the top left-hand corner, mark the checkbox next to Enabled and click OK. If you'd like to learn more, check out our list of other interesting ways the Group Policy Editor can make your PC better. 2. Enable the .NET Framework Using a DISM Command Note: This is the only method that will fix error code 0x800F0922. The second approach requires you to use a DISM command to enable the .NET Framework. Don't worry; it's not as complicated as it sounds. Follow our guide, and you will be fine. Before starting on the main process, you will first need to make sure you have an ISO image of Windows 10 handy. The ISO version must exactly match your current operating system. You can create an ISO image using Microsoft's official Media Creation Tool, which you can download from Microsoft's website. Once the download has finished, run the tool and click on Create installation media for another PC. On the next screen, choose your language and system architecture, then select ISO file to begin the creation process. Burn the ISO file onto a DVD before continuing. Ready? Now we can begin to fix the error code. To start, you need to mount your freshly created ISO image. Open File Explorer and double-click on the file. It should mount automatically. Alternatively, you can right-click the file and select Mount from the context menu. If the process was successful, you will see the ISO in a virtual drive in the left-hand panel of the window. Make a note of the drive's letter. Note: To unmount the image, right-click on the virtual drive in This PC and choose Eject. Once the image is mounted, input cmd in the Start menu search bar. When you see the list of results, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. On the command line, type dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:[Drive]:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess. Replace [Drive] with the drive letter you made a note of previously, and make sure you leave spaces in the correct places. When you're ready, press Enter. 3. Try to Reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 After you've successfully navigated the instructions, it's time to install .NET Framework 3.5 and see if error code 0x800F081F (or one of its associated error codes) returns. Open the Settings app and go to Apps > Apps and Features. Scroll down to Related Settings and click on Programs and Features. Next, in the new window, click on Turn Windows features on or off in the upper left-hand corner. Finally, mark the checkbox next to .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) and click on OK. The installation process will take a few minutes to complete, depending on the speed of your connection. Did it work? Great, you've beaten error code 0x800F081F. How to Fix Error Code 0x800F081F: A Summary To fix error code 0x800F0922 on Windows 10: Open the Group Policy Editor. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System. Double-Click on Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair. Select Enable. If that doesn't work, follow these instructions instead. Create and mount a Windows 10 ISO image. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Type ism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:[Drive]:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess (replacing [Drive] with the appropriate letter). Press Enter Troubleshooting Windows Doesn't Have to Be Troublesome Look, we get it. There's a whole load of seemingly highly technical information in this post. But don't let that put you off. The steps are easy to follow and will almost always result in the problem going away. The same applies to many of the most common issues that you might encounter while using Windows. Remember, Windows has a built-in troubleshooter in the Settings app (go to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot to find it). The tool can fix most of the problems you will encounter will very little input from you.

Microsoft has only just declared that it's ending support for Internet Explorer 11 in 2022, but it seems it's already keen to ditch it and move on. The latest update to Windows 10 Insider builds comes without any Internet Explorer whatsoever, showing that Microsoft wants to make the jump to its Edge browser sooner rather than later. Microsoft's Early End for Internet Explorer Very recently, Microsoft finally made a move on its old browser and declared 2022 as the end of Internet Explorer's support. It was an understandable move, given how good the new Microsoft Edge is. However, despite the tech giant giving everyone a year to ween off Internet Explorer, it seems to be speeding things up by removing it from Windows in a new update. If you take a peek over on Windows Blogs, you can see Microsoft's reasoning for removing Internet Explorer from Preview Build 21387: The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application is now retired as of this Insider Preview build. Of course, this update isn't just about taking down Internet Explorer. It also squashed some nasty bugs, such as the process of changing your PIN sometimes failing, the explorer process crashing when you use touchpad gestures, and Times New Roman deciding to show up when it's not needed. A Hasty Exit for Internet Explorer While Internet Explorer 11 is scheduled to lose support in mid-2022, it seems Microsoft isn't keen on having it hang around any longer. The old browser has been torn out of the new Preview Build, and it's not long until it arrives on the main Windows 10 branch. As Microsoft sunsets Internet Explorer for good, it's also preparing to make Microsoft Edge a major competitor in the browser market. Recently, the Redmond tech company announced it is adding some handy security tools to the browser, such as HTTPS for all websites.

Windows 10 has multiple ways to check your computer’s specs, such as processor, motherboard, memory, graphics card, and many more. You can check the specs using command-line tools or desktop applications. Depending on the method you opt for, the available properties will slightly differ. 1. Use Settings This method will show you basic system specifications such as the Windows version, memory, or processor. Here is how you can do it: Click Start > Settings > System. Scroll down on the left-hand menu and select About. In the Device specification section, you will find details about the processor, RAM, system architecture, and pen and touch support. If you need details about the software, check Windows specification. You can use the Copy button placed under each section to save the details for future references or inventory. 2. Use System Information Using this method, you can get a detailed report of your device’s technical specifications. Here is how you can do it: In the Start menu search bar, search for msinfo32 and select the Best Match. Select System summary. This will display a list containing the system model, system memory capacity, processor brand and model, and other computer specs. Open the Components menu to get more details about the Multimedia, Networks, Ports, or Storage categories. Using System Information, you can create a report containing hardware and software tech specs. Here is how you can do it: Click File > Export. Select where the report should be saved and enter a descriptive name. Click the Save button. System Information allows you to search for specific details about a component using the search option placed at the bottom of the page. However, you need to enter exact text queries to get the wanted result. 3. Use DirectX Diagnostic Tool In Windows 10, DirectX Diagnostic Tool is usually used to troubleshoot certain system problems. However, you can use it to check tech specs about your device. Here is how you can do it: In the Start menu search bar, search for dxdiag and select the Best Match. Select the System tab. Below System Information, you can check the tech specs such as memory, BIOS or UEFI version, memory, system model, and more. You can access more tech specs through the Display, Render, Sound, and Input tabs. If you want to use DirectX Diagnostic Tool to export system information, follow these steps: Click the Save All Information button. Choose the folder destination and give the report a descriptive name. Click Save. 4. Use PowerShell Follow these steps to see your PC specs using PowerShell: In the Start menu search bar, search for powershell, then select Run as administrator. Write Get-ComputerInfo, then press Enter. 5. Use Command Prompt This is a Command Prompt command you must know as it's one of the fastest ways to check your computer's specs. Here is how you can do it: In the Start menu search bar, search for command prompt, then select Run as administrator. Type systeminfo and press Enter. Command Prompt will display information about your computer’s software and hardware such as Windows 10 and update info, RAM, network details, and more. 6. Use Control Panel While we usually use Control Panel to change system settings or check the installed apps, it can also be used to view your computer’s specs quickly. Here is how you can do it: In the start menu search bar, search for “control panel” and select the Best match. Click the View by menu and select Large icons or Small Icons. Click System. This will open a new window displaying info about your device and Windows 10 specifications. Plan Your Next Hardware Upgrade After checking your hardware specs, you can decide if your system is worth upgrading or not. Depending on your current components, you can upgrade certain components of your system. For example, if your motherboard is quite old, the latest processor might not be compatible with it. This is why sometimes it’s better to build a brand new system.

Have you ever had a problem with Windows? Ever become frustrated with Microsoft's "unique" approach to privacy? Ever wondered why Windows doesn't want to play nicely with your brand new peripheral? You need to use Linux instead. At least, that's what you might believe if you spend any time browsing online forums. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If you're thinking about making the switch to a Linux-based operating system, stop right now. Read this article, then tell me it's still a sensible decision. Here are 10 reasons why you're better off not using Linux. Long live Windows. 1. Lack of Software What do you look for in an operating system? For most people, the answer is probably ease-of-use and compatibility. We'll look at ease of use shortly. For now, let's focus on compatibility. Make a list of the programs you use every day. Done? Great. Now compare them to this list of software that's not natively available on Linux systems: Adobe Photoshop Microsoft Office Dreamweaver 7-Zip Final Cut Pro Outlook IrfanView We could go on, but we won't. We're sure you get the point. Linux users simply don't have access to some of the most widely-used apps on the planet. Yes, in certain instances, you'll be able to find workarounds or use software like Wine, but it's frequently buggy and unreliable. If someone tells you otherwise, they're lying. If you value the "everything works" side of Windows, don't switch. 2. Software Updates Even in cases where Linux software is available, it often lags behind its Windows counterpart. Why? Consider this: Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 combined account for around 77 percent of desktop computers in the world today. And Linux? A little under two percent. As such, companies primarily pour their resources into updating the Windows (and Mac) releases first and foremost. Sure, the very biggest companies can dedicate R&D money to Linux at a similar rate as Windows, but medium-size companies (or individual developers) simply cannot keep up. 3. Distributions If you're in the market for a new Windows machine, you have one choice: Windows 10. Sure, there are a couple of slight variations, such as Pro, S, and Enterprise, but they are all essentially the same product. But if you're a first-time user looking for a new Linux machine? It's time to go back to school. There are well over 600 different Linux distros you can choose from. You'll need to study a decent number of them before you can make an informed choice. To make matters harder, some of them are night and day in terms of features, user interface, and ease of use. We're not arguing against choice per se, but the bottom line is that Linux's fragmentation is highly confusing and thus inaccessible for a large majority of people. 4. Bugs Yes, we know, Windows is far from perfect. The operating system has bugs, and since Microsoft transformed Windows 10 into something resembling a perma-beta release, the issues are arguably worse than ever. But look at it this way: Windows 10 is now running on half a billion devices. The silent majority don't experience any problems. Why not? Because Microsoft has a phenomenal budget and employs hundreds of people whose only job is to test and refine the operating system. Linux doesn't. Even the most widely-used distros are operated by what is essentially a group of enthusiasts operating on a shoestring budget. For technically skilled people, the bugs might not be a problem; they have enough knowledge to self-diagnose and fix the problems themselves. For regular casual users, having to troubleshoot Linux would be a disaster. If you made 77 percent of the world start using a Linux-based desktop computer tomorrow, we guarantee you'd see infinitely more posts complaining about things not working than you do for Windows. 5. Support If something does go drastically wrong with your Windows machine, you have several avenues open to you. Microsoft itself offers live text chat and telephone support, while every PC repair shop technician in the country is familiar with the operating system and how it works. If you use Linux, you're limited to a few specialist companies and the dedicated online forums. And in case you're not aware, the forums are not easy places to get help if you're a "noob." 6. Drivers Windows typically gets new drivers first, closely followed by macOS. Linux-based systems are lucky if they receive any drivers. The upshot is the Linux community develops open-source drivers that ship with Linux distros. We're not knocking the people that work on such drivers; they're largely doing a great job. But the truth is they're often incomplete or lacking features. And because they don't have the parent company's official support, they won't receive any help if they can't make something work. Again, it's not a problem for Linux fanatics—it's all part of the fun. But for regular home users who just want a PC that works, it's an untenable situation. 7. Games This is probably the most oft-repeated anti-Linux argument, and with good reason. Many games never make it to Linux for the same reason a lot of software never crosses the divide: it's not worth the developers' time. The situation is getting better. Steam has been working hard to port games to Linux, but it's still a long way behind Windows. A hardcore gamer would find life on Linux insufferable. 8. Peripherals This is closely linked to the issues surrounding gaming. Even if you can get your favorite games up and running on Linux, there's a good chance you won't be able to control the on-screen action using your existing peripherals. In a best-case situation, a Linux developer will have reverse-engineered support for them. The peripherals problem also extends way beyond gaming. Even something as essential as your Wi-Fi card might give you problems when you first install a distro. Do you really want to spend hours fiddling with commands, repos, and sources, just to get online? Again, for most people, the answer is no. 9. Complicated Linux is complicated. Don't say it's not. It is! And we're not talking about the layout of the desktop or where to find various settings—a new user can get up to speed on that stuff in a few days. I'm talking about using the operating system day-to-day. If you've run Linux for 20 years, then sure, it seems simple. For someone coming from the plug-and-play world of Windows, even something as simple as installing a program requires research. It's not intuitive. A true Linux operating system is never finished. Things are always breaking and need fixing. Most ordinary users don't have the time or the inclination to fight a running battle with their computer. When a tech giant picks up Linux and runs with it—like Google and its Chrome OS—the results can be astounding. But the distros you're likely to install don't come close to that level of ease of use. 10. Installing Linux Is Hard Again, if you're reading this and shaking your head, you're in the minority. Don't think everyone is as technically gifted as you are. For many users, the idea of creating bootable USB drives or installation CDs is bewildering. Dual-booting (which, if a first-time Linux user only has one computer, is a sensible fail-safe) is even harder. Of course, Ubuntu is one of a new slew of distros available in the Windows Store, so that should help make Linux more accessible. But if you're not running Windows 10, or you want to run a non-Ubuntu distro, it's as hard as ever. Linux (Probably) Isn't for You Look, Linux isn't all bad. If you a tech-savvy person who loves to tinker, you'll probably have great fun using it. Also, Linux is considered to be more secure than Windows, and in many ways, it's more customizable. However, if you're the type of user who likes to press the power button and have everything just work smoothly and without hiccups, you should give it a wide berth. If you think Windows occasionally gives you a headache, you haven't seen anything yet

If your photos start to look a bit unusual or you can’t get your camera to work during Skype or Google Hangouts video calls, you need to take a look at its settings. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a few built-in tools that will help you fix the problems. 1. Quick Webcam Fixes If you are using a USB camera, check the port as the problems could be caused by a deficient connection. Try using a different port or connect the camera to another device to test it. The other option is to restart your computer. Restarting your machine often resolves basic issues, and is always worth a try before other fixes. 2. How to Change Photo and Video Quality in Windows 10 The camera app comes with a few options that allow you to change its default settings. In the Start menu search bar, search for camera and select the Best match. Click on the Settings icon placed in the top left corner of the app. Use the drop-down menus to change Photos and Videos settings according to your preferences. If you want to adjust the camera’s brightness setting, turn on Pro mode. To adjust the brightness, click the Brightness icon placed in the left part of the window and use the slider. 3. Use Windows 10 Camera Settings Your camera might’ve stopped working due to your Privacy settings. To enable access, you should configure which apps can access your camera. Right-click Start > Settings > Privacy Below App permissions, select Camera. Use the toggles to select which apps can access your camera. 4. Use the Device Manager to Check for Camera Driver Issues Windows 10 might have issues detecting your camera. To fix it, follow these steps: In the Start menu search bar, input device manager and select the Best match. Open the Imaging devices menu. Check if your camera shows up within the Imaging devices menu. If you can't find your camera, click Action > Scan for hardware changes. Once the scan is complete, go through the above steps again. In case your camera shows up in Device Manager and doesn't work, check and update your drivers. Get Your Windows 10 Camera Working Again Configuring your camera’s settings or fixing it might not interest you until it doesn’t work properly during an important video call. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, schedule a video call with a friend and if something doesn’t work properly, follow the solutions listed here to fix the issue.

The APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error is a BSOD error in Windows 10 that may prevent your computer from booting altogether. While the error isn't that common, you can fix it using some simple troubleshooting methods. 1. Check Your Computer's Drivers Most Windows 10 bluescreen errors, including the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error, are caused by malfunctioning or outdated drivers. To figure out the reason, look for a filename on the error screen and simply Google it to find the associated driver. For example, if the crash lists "RtlUpd64.exe" as the reason for the error, the Realtek HD Audio Driver is malfunctioning. In this case, you will need to either update or uninstall the driver and see if that fixes the error. How to Update a Driver Using Device Manager Press Windows Key + R to open the Run application. Type devmgmt.msc in the text box and press Enter to open the Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, scroll down and expand the Sound, video and game controllers section. Right-click on Realtek High Definition Audio(SST) and select Update driver. In the update prompt, click on Search automatically for drivers. Windows will automatically download the latest drivers and install them. RELATED:How To Find & Replace Outdated Windows Drivers How to Uninstall a Driver Press Windows Key + R to open the Run application. Type devmgmt.msc in the text box and press Enter to open the Device Manager. Now, scroll down and expand the section related to the driver you want to uninstall. Right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device. In the uninstallation prompt, be sure the check the Delete the driver software for this device option. Click on Uninstall and after the process is complete, reboot your computer. 2. Boot Your Computer Into Safe Mode Another major reason for the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error is that a third-party application may interfere with your computer's functioning. The best way to diagnose this issue is to check whether you still get the error after disabling third-party applications. This can be done by either clean booting your computer or booting it in safe mode. While clean boot isn't an official option in Windows, Safe Mode is, and it loads the bare minimum set of functions and programs. How to Boot in Safe Mode Click on the Start button and open Settings. On the Settings dashboard, click on Update & Security. On the navigation bar on the left, click on Recovery. Scroll down and under Advanced startup, click on Restart now. Your computer will boot into the Choose an option screen. Here, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings > Restart. Once your computer reboots, you will see a list of options. On this screen, press F4. Your computer will reboot into Safe Mode. Now, try using your computer as you normally would and see if the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error persists. If it doesn't, then it's likely that a third-party driver or software is causing the error. RELATED:What Is Safe Mode In Windows 10? Uninstall any recently installed applications or download a different version. 3. Update Windows to the Latest Version Microsoft regularly releases new updates for Windows, and these updates also come with bug fixes. That's why you must keep your PC updated to the latest version. The APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error may frequently occur if you're running an old version of Windows that has a lot of unresolved bugs. Fortunately, Windows automatically updates itself, but just to be sure, you can manually check for the latest updates. Alternatively, Windows Update is notorious for getting stuck. In this case, check out this guide on how to fix a stuck Windows Update Assistant and rescue your update. How to Check for Windows Updates Click on the Start button and click on Settings. In the Settings dashboard, click on Update & Security. On the navigation bar on the left, click Windows Update. Click on Check for updates. Windows will check the web for the latest updates. If there are any updates available, click on Download and install. Windows will automatically install the updates. On the flip side, newer updates could cause some unforeseen errors, such as the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error. Though it is rare, there have been some updates in the past that cause similar errors. The best way to determine this is to check whether the error appeared after updating your computer. If yes, then it's likely that the new update caused it. In this case, it's best to uninstall recent updates and wait for another stable one. How to Uninstall Recent Updates Click on Start and go to Settings. In the Settings menu, select Update & Security. Click on Windows Update on the navigation bar. Click on View update history, and in the next window, click Uninstall updates. Your PC will uninstall all recently installed Windows updates. 4. Reset Your Computer This method should be used as a last resort as it will remove all your personal settings, files, and app. If none of the methods mentioned above are working, the only solution is to reset your PC or use System Restore if you have created a restore point. How to Reset Your PC Click on the Start button and go to Settings. In the Settings dashboard, click on Update & Security. On the navigation bar, click Recovery. Under Reset this PC, click on Get Started. In the Reset wizard, you can choose to keep your files and apps. This option will just reinstall Windows but is less likely to work since it's probable that an app or some other file is causing the error in the first place. You can also choose to completely wipe your PC and reinstall Windows. RELATED:How To Fix The "There Was A Problem Resetting Your PC" Error In Windows 10 Instead of using Reset this PC, you can also opt to use Windows System Restore to restore your computer to an earlier state. But this will only work if you had enabled System Restore earlier and Windows has created a restore point. For a more detailed look at Windows Reset and System Restore, check out how to factory reset Windows or use System Restore. How to Restore Windows to an Earlier State In the Start menu search bar, type Recovery. From the search results, click on the Recovery Control Panel setting. In the next window, click on Open System Restore. You will need administrator privileges to do so. If you have created a System Restore point, the wizard will prompt you to choose the restore point. Click Finish. APC_INDEX_MISMATCH Crash Resolved Using the aforementioned steps, you can resolve the APC_INDEX_MISMATCH BSOD. Additionally, these steps can also be used to tackle other common blue screen errors since most of them are caused by similar issues.

Digital currency markets have slid in value over the last 12 hours as the entire crypto-economy has lost over 7% during the last 24 hours. Bitcoin attempted to cross the $40k handle but was stopped at $39,490. Since then, bitcoin has dipped 7.3% during the early morning (EST) trading sessions on Friday. Bitcoin $40K Attempt Stopped Short, Crypto Prices Remain Range-Bound Bitcoin (BTC) is down today after trying to surpass the psychological $40,000 region but was stopped short. BTC is down more than 7.3% today and is currently swapping for $35,890 per unit. The leading crypto asset BTC lost some steam after Elon Musk tweeted about the digital currency on Twitter by sharing some memes and a broken heart emoji. BTC/USD on Friday, June 4, 2021. 30 day stats show BTC is down 36% while three-month stats show bitcoin (BTC) has lost over 25%. The leading crypto asset’s all-time high above the $64k handle took place around two months ago. ETH/USD on Friday, June 4, 2021. The second-largest crypto asset in terms of market valuation is ethereum (ETH) which is swapping for $2,576 per unit at the time of publication. Down more than 8% on Friday and down 26% during the course of the last month. Global trade volume among all 9,000+ crypto-assets in existence has slipped 5% during the last 24 hours and there’s $76.21 billion in global trade volume. Friday’s biggest gainer is tokenomy (TEN) which is up 139% during Friday morning’s trading sessions and cube (AUTO) is today’s biggest loser with a loss of more than 60%. Data from Into the Block analytics shows that BTC prices are just above support. “The IOMAP reveals that 1 million addresses had previously bought approximately 570K Bitcoin at a price of around $35,600,” researchers from Into the Block note. “Due to the large buying activity around this area, there is expected to be strong support from new buyers and current holders. Were this level to fail, then a drop to $32,000 is likely,” the researchers added. The Into the Block team notes that BTC may stay consolidated for some time. “Due to the high concentration of volume currently near price, it is likely that price may continue range-bound, unless there is a major catalyst in either direction,” the researchers detail. “Finally, it is probable that a breakout in either direction for bitcoin will lead the rest of the crypto markets along.”

The governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has clarified the central bank’s position regarding cryptocurrency. His statements followed a notice published by the RBI telling banks that its crypto banking restriction is no longer valid and cannot be cited. RBI Still Has Major Concerns About Crypto RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das clarified the central bank’s position on cryptocurrency In a post monetary policy press meeting Friday. Emphasizing that “There is no change in RBI’s position” regarding cryptocurrencies, Das said: With regards to RBI’s position, we have major concerns about crypto currencies, which we have conveyed to the government. And, with regard to investors, it is for each investor to do his own due diligence and take a very careful and prudent call. This clarification followed a notice posted by the RBI telling banks that its April 2018 circular which banned banks from dealing with cryptocurrencies is no longer valid and cannot be cited or quoted. The circular was quashed by the Indian supreme court in March last year. However, several banks are reportedly still citing the circular as the reason to stop providing services to crypto businesses and traders. Governor Das continued: As you are aware, the supreme court set aside RBI’s circular issued in 2018 but it came as a surprise that some banks are referring to that circular in their correspondence with their customers. Therefore we had to set the record straight that the particular circular has been set aside so it is not at all correct to refer to that circular. HDFC Bank, a leading private bank in India with 5,608 branches and 16,087 ATMs, had been sending letters to its customers threatening to close their accounts due to crypto transactions. However, local media reported that the bank retracted its communication to customers after the RBI clarified its position. The bank also put out a report recently stating, “We think it is just a matter of time before Indian investors have legal access to crypto plays.” Meanwhile, the Indian government is still working on the country’s crypto bill. The existing bill, which was supposed to be introduced during the Budget session of parliament, proposes a ban on cryptocurrencies. However, the government is reportedly setting up an expert panel to re-evaluate the recommendations in the bill.

Cryptocurrency is a point of focus in President Joe Biden’s new directive aimed at combating corruption as a core national security interest of the U.S. An official of the Biden administration says that major parts of the directive will focus on cryptocurrency and cybercrime. Crypto a Focus in Biden’s New Directive for National Security President Joe Biden has issued a new directive to federal agencies to prioritize efforts to confront global anti-corruption. It was published in the “Memorandum on Establishing the Fight Against Corruption as a Core United States National Security Interest,” published by the White House on Thursday. An administration official explained that the memorandum is important because it publicly notifies federal agencies to “up their anti-corruption game,” CNBC reported Friday. Major parts of the directive will be focused on financial crimes, including steps to modernize existing anti-corruption laws to confront cryptocurrencies and cybercrime, the official detailed, adding: We are looking at crypto as a means of illicit finance but by no means are these new steps limited to new technologies like crypto. The Bank Secrecy Act may also be updated, the official added, reiterating, “We’ll be looking for ideas of how to modernize these systems to respond to new technologies.” The memorandum additionally directs government agencies to “develop a presidential strategy” to “combat all forms of illicit finance” in the U.S. and international financial systems. This includes “robustly” implementing federal law requiring U.S. companies “to report their beneficial owner or owners to the Department of the Treasury, reducing offshore financial secrecy, [and] improving information sharing.” “Executive departments and agencies shall be responsive to all requests from the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor for information, analysis, and assistance related to the interagency review,” the memo reads. “The interagency review shall be completed within 200 days of the date of this memorandum, and the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor shall submit a report and recommendations to the President for further direction and action.”

Kalashnikov Group, the Russian firearms manufacturer, is ready to transition to settlements in digital currency. The announcement came from the international economic forum in Saint Petersburg where the central bank of Russia reaffirmed its intention to replace “dirty” and “infectious” paper cash with the digital ruble that’s currently under development. Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern Looks Forward to Adopting the Digital Ruble The leading Russian gunmaker, Kalashnikov Group, would like to switch to digital currency settlements, owner Alan Lushnikov said during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The event held annually in Russia’s second-largest city gathers government officials and business leaders from well over 100 countries who discuss ways to overcome economic barriers between their nations and the Russian Federation. Quoted by TASS, Lushnikov stated: What we would expect the banking system to do is to switch to a non-banking system of settlements. Digital currencies are spoken about all the time. This is what we very much need. A digital currency system would not be linked to SWIFT, the international bank messaging network, and wouldn’t be controlled by bankers, emphasized Alan Lushnikov who has in the past served as deputy minister of transport. Russia, which is under Western sanctions over the annexation of Crimea and Moscow’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, has been threatened by the EU and the U.S. with disconnection from the interbank payment system. Dozens of central banks around the world are working on projects to issue national digital currencies, including those of China, the United States, and the Eurozone. Bank of Russia is preparing to unveil a prototype of the digital ruble towards the end of 2021. Commenting on the matter, its deputy governor Olga Skorobogatova said in December that the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) can render obsolete traditional banking systems such as SWIFT. Digital Currency to Replace ‘Dirty’ Paper Cash, Central Bank Official Says Cash, as we know it today, is a fading technology, according to Skorobogatova’s colleague, First Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, Sergei Shvetsov. Within a few decades, paper money will be considered marginal and will eventually be replaced by digital currencies, the high-ranking official said at the Saint Petersburg forum. He was quoted by TASS noting that cash is not just “dirty,” but can also spread infections, in the light of the ongoing Covid crisis: They say “dirty money,” but now it’s also infectious. Certainly, it’s just an obsolete technology. Shvetsov noted that the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to the abandonment of cash. In his opinion, even now paper banknotes are mostly used either to serve the “gray business,” or in the absence of alternatives allowing non-cash payments. “I think that someday, in 20 to 30 years, cash will be marginal. The digital ruble should replace it,” the deputy governor elaborated, stressing that the Bank of Russia is yet to take a final decision on the project’s future. And the speed of its development would depend on the “technological preparedness,” Shvetsov pointed out.

A popular mobile wallet in the Philippines, Gcash, is considering offering its users the ability to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies on its platform, which reportedly has 40 million users. The company’s CEO says 40% of Filipinos now have a Gcash account. Gcash Considers Offering Crypto Trading and Storage Services Philippine mobile wallet Gcash is exploring adding cryptocurrency to its portfolio of financial products and services, The Philippine Star reported this week, adding that the platform has over 40 million users as of the end of April. Through the Gcash app, users can shop, save, invest, and get insurance coverage, among others. Gcash is operated by Mynt, a fintech startup partnership between Globe Telecom, the Ayala Corporation, and Ant Financial. The company’s key services include payments, remittances, and loans. Mynt CEO Martha Sazon said that the Gcash platform has four million registered accounts in Gsave and 1.4 million registered accounts in Ginvest as of the end of April. The executive said the company is looking into offering the buying, selling, and storing of cryptocurrencies, elaborating: While we may be considered a disruptor now, it is important in this digital age that we should be mindful of all types of disruptions out there. It’s important to know what the trends are, whether locally and globally and crypto is part of that. Sazon noted, “Just like in any introductions, you need a platform, a working business model, [and] a partner,” adding that the service could launch “as soon as those are satisfied.” A number of payments giants, including Paypal and Square, have embraced cryptocurrencies and allowed their users to buy and sell them on their platforms. Sazon further said that 40% of Filipinos now have a Gcash account and active users use the app more than twice a day. The CEO additionally shared that a third of the app’s monthly active users subscribe to at least one of the company’s financial services or products through the platform, emphasizing:

Have you edited the metadata on a FLAC file on Windows 10 recently, only for the file to suddenly become unplayable? If you have, don't worry; not only has Microsoft fixed this nasty bug, but the Redmond company also provided a fix to get your lossless tunes back in working order. Microsoft's Fix for the Windows 10 FLAC Bug If you head over to the Microsoft Support website, you'll find details on what caused the bug and how to fix it. In short, when you edited a FLAC file's metadata, Windows 10 didn't take the file structure into account and saved it incorrectly. This rendered the file unplayable. RELATED: The Best Windows Music Players For Hi-Res Audio Microsoft says you should download the May 25, 2021, KB5003214 Preview build if you want to stop this problem from happening again. The update contains a fix for this issue, so you can get back to editing your FLAC file's metadata to your heart's content. If you've already corrupted a few of your FLAC files, Microsoft published a Powershell command that will fix them again. Head over to the Microsoft Support website and follow the instructions on there to fix them. Unfortunately, the fix will erase any edits you made to the metadata prior to the corruption. However, it should get the file back in working order again. Getting Back to the FLAC in Windows 10 A nasty Windows 10 metadata bug caused corruption in FLAC files, but all is not lost. Not only has Microsoft published a fix, but it also gave everyone a Powershell command to help restore people's music libraries to normal.

When the battery level is low, Windows 10 displays a warning message so you can save your work or plug in the charger. Usually, there is a warning when the battery level is low and a second warning when the battery level is critical. If you are not getting these notifications, you might need to check some Windows 10 settings. 1. Turn On Windows 10 Notifications If you turned off notifications so you can work without interruptions, this might also stop Windows 10 from displaying the low battery notification. To fix this, you have to change Windows 10 notification settings. Right-click Start > Settings> System > Notifications & actions. Turn on the toggle for Get notifications for apps and other senders. Scroll down to the Get notifications from these senders list. Turn on the toggle for Security and Maintenance. 2. Use Power Troubleshooter If you are experiencing problems with battery notifications, use the Windows 10 built-in troubleshooter to detect and solve the issues. Right-click Start > Settings > Update & Security. From the left-hand menu, select Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Below Find and fix other problems, select Power > Run the troubleshooter. Follow the on-screen instructions. 3. Use Default Power Settings Unintentionally, you might have changed power settings which now interfere with the low battery notification. However, there’s no need to worry since you can always restore default power settings. Here is how you can do it: In the Start menu search bar, search for “control panel" and select the Best Match. Click Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Change plan settings. Click Restore default settings for this plan > Yes. Note: If you are switching through multiple power plans, you need to reset the default settings for every one of them. 4. Check the Power Options Settings The Power Options settings are quite complex, so it's easy to lose track of them. Nonetheless, you can set them correctly by following our guide. Turn On Low Battery Notification The low battery notification is enabled by default, but there is a chance you might have changed it by mistake while modifying other Windows 10 settings. Or maybe a third-party app produced the change. No matter the cause, you can set the low battery notification following these steps: In the Start menu search bar, search for control panel and select the Best Match. Click the View by menu and select Small Icons or Large Icons. Click Power Options > Change plan settings. Click Change advanced power settings. This will open the Power Options menu. Expand the Battery menu. Expand the Low battery notification menu. To enable the low battery notification, set it to On for On battery and Plugged in. Click Apply > OK to save the changes. Check Low Battery Level Your device might shut down before showing the low battery notification if the Low Battery Level is set to a low level, especially if you are running programs using a lot of resources. Here is how you can fix it: Follow steps 1-5 from the previous section to open the Battery menu. Expand the Low battery level menu. Set the percent for On battery and Plugged in to at least 15-20%. Click Apply > OK. Check Low Battery Action To ensure your device isn’t shutting down, sleeping, or hibernating once your battery reaches the low threshold, you have to check the Low battery action settings. Open the Battery menu. Expand the Low battery action menu. Select Do nothing both for On battery and Plugged in. Click Apply > OK. Check Critical Battery Notification Open the Battery menu. Expand the Critical battery notification menu. Set it to On for On battery and Plugged in. Check Critical Battery Action Open the Battery menu. Expand the Critical battery action. Set it to Hibernate for On battery and Plugged in. Finally, expand the Reserve battery level menu and set it to a lower percentage than the Low battery level. Usually, the Reserve battery level value is between the Critical battery level value and the Low battery level value. Restart your device and check if Windows 10 shows a low battery notification. If you switch between multiple power plans, you have to go through the above steps for each of them. 5. Change Battery Saver Percent Windows 10’s battery saver mode might interfere with the low battery warning. Usually, Battery saver is set to turn on when the battery reaches the 20% level. If the Low battery notification is set to a lower level than 20%, you might not get the notification. This is because Windows 10 battery saver restricts certain notifications. You can change the Battery saver settings following these steps: Right-click Start > Settings > System. From the left-hand menu, select Battery. Change the value below Turn battery saver on automatically at. Now that you have fixed it, make sure you don't lose your work progress. If you have set up multiple displays or leave your desk often, it might help you personalize the low battery notification. Here is how you can do it: In the Start menu search bar, search for control panel and select the Best Match. Click Hardware and Sound> Change system sounds. From the Program Events menu, select Low Battery Alarm. Choose a new alarm from the sound menu and click Test to hear it. Once you have decided on a new sound for the low battery notification, click Apply > OK. The Problem Could Be the Battery If you have tried these solutions and your device still keeps shutting down before displaying the low battery notification, the problem could be caused by the battery itself. The battery’s temperature is too high. If ventilation isn’t good enough or the cooling system doesn’t work properly, the battery temperature will increase. This will make the battery discharge faster or even shut down your laptop to keep it from overheating. As a temporary fix, you can use a cooler. The battery has a lot of dead cells. It is not unusual that some cells are dead after a few years while others are still functioning. You might think you have a fully charged battery, but your laptop will shut down suddenly. In this case, the only solution is to replace the battery. Keep Your Work Safe You now know how to fix the low battery notification error in Windows 10, so you can keep working or playing without having to worry about your device suddenly shutting down. As discussed, the issue might be the battery, but before replacing it, try changing the settings as discussed throughout this article.

The Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Store) is Microsoft's official marketplace for downloading apps. Some Windows apps are only available exclusively on it. This makes it even more frustrating when Windows' official store stops working or does not open quickly. Is your Microsoft Store not working? If so, we've rounded up the steps that help fix the Microsoft Store. Whether it's running a troubleshooter to detect and repair issues or clearing the cache automatically, chances are that one of the helpful tips below will do the job. Read on for the ultimate Microsoft Store troubleshooting and repair guide. 1. Use the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter Microsoft has a troubleshooter that scans your system and detects any problems preventing Microsoft Store apps from working correctly. Then, if possible, it automatically fixes these without you doing a thing. To run the troubleshooter: Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Select Windows Store Apps from the list, then click Run the troubleshooter. A window will open and begin detecting problems. It shouldn't take any longer than a couple of minutes. If problems are detected, the troubleshooter will try to resolve these. Alternatively, it might give you steps on how to do it yourself. You may also be able to click Next to see multiple solutions. The troubleshooter may not be able to fix the problems, or it might not even find any issues in the first place, but it's worth trying anyway. 2. Check Your Computer's Time This might sound odd, but the Microsoft Store might not open if your computer's date and time are inaccurate. This is because the Store checks to see if the time it tracks is in sync with your computer's. To check your computer's time: Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Time & Language. Slide Set the time zone automatically to Off. Ensure your Time zone is correct and change it if not. Slide Set the time zone automatically back On. Beneath Synchronize your clock, click Sync now. 3. Reset the Microsoft Store You can reset Windows apps, which clears their stored data and sets them back to default. Though this will clear your settings, you won't lose any purchases or installed apps. To reset the Microsoft Store: Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Apps. Search the list for Microsoft Store and select it. Click Advanced options > Reset. You'll see a warning that the app's data will be deleted, so click Reset again. RELATED:Desktop Vs. Microsoft Store Apps: Which Should You Download? 4. Clear the Store Cache Clearing the cache of the Store can help resolve issues with installing or updating apps. In fact, clearing cache can resolve many Windows problems. It's incredibly simple to run and will only take a minute. Press Windows Key + R to open Run, then input wsreset.exe and click OK. A blank Command Prompt window will open, but rest assured that it's clearing the cache. After about thirty seconds, the window will close, and the Store will open automatically. 5. Reset Windows Update Components If you're having trouble updating the Store or the apps themselves, try resetting the Windows Update components. Handily, there's an automated repair tool for that called the Reset Windows Update Tool. Here's how to use it: Download the EXE file and run it to install the program. Once installed, right-click the Reset Windows Update Tool and click Run as administrator. Press Y, then Enter to confirm you want to continue. Press 2 to select Resets the Windows Update Components and then Enter to confirm. Wait for the process to complete. RELATED:How To Stop Windows Update In Windows 10 6. Edit the Registry for Connection Errors If you get a connection error when launching the store or downloading an app, or updating an app, it's time to head into the registry. Please ensure you follow these instructions closely because incorrect edits in the registry can cause further problems. First, press Windows key + R to open Run. Input regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor will open. If you don't see an address bar, go to View > Address bar to enable it. Then input the following folder path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles On the left pane, right-click on Profiles > Permissions > Advanced. Tick Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object. Click OK and restart your system. 7. Check Your Proxy Settings Using irregular network settings can cause problems with the Microsoft Store. First, disable any VPN you have installed—check the program's support documentation for guidance on how to do that. Alternatively, uninstall it entirely by pressing Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Apps, select the VPN from the list and click Uninstall. Next, check your proxy settings: Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Network & Internet > Proxy. Beneath Manual proxy setup, ensure that Use a proxy server is set to Off. 8. Re-register the Microsoft Store The Store app can't be uninstalled easily, so the closest we can get is to re-register it on your system. First, perform a system search for powershell, then right-click the result and select Run as administrator. PowerShell is a scripting environment that can be used to automate tasks. If you're using Windows 10, input the following and then press Enter: "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest} Get the Best Microsoft Store Apps for Windows It can be frustrating when something simple like the Microsoft Store doesn't work properly, so hopefully, the solutions above solve the issue. With the Microsoft Store back up and running, now's the time to kit your system out with the best apps.

Some of the icons in Windows 10 look very outdated, and for a good reason; they've been around since Windows 95. Microsoft is trying to change that with incremental updates, and the latest Preview build, 21390, brings a much-needed lick of paint to the Task Manager. What's Coming in Preview Build 21390? If you check out the announcement post on Windows Blogs, you can see all the new tweaks that come with preview build 21390. The update in general isn't anything to give a fanfare over, but there is this one interesting tidbit: As part of our ongoing iconography improvements, Task Manager and MSI installers now have new Fluent icons. This patch note references Microsoft's push to update Windows 10's aged icons. While every old icon in Windows 10 has a revamp in the works, Microsoft doesn't seem to want to publish them all at once. As such, we'll likely continue to see a small trickle of updates until every old icon has a brand new look. Giving Window's Icons a Long Overdue Redo As Microsoft gives Windows 10 a modern-day makeover, the ancient icons are a clear candidate for a redo. Now, Insiders can see the new Fluent icons for the Task Manager and MSI installers. Microsoft recently made some adjustments to the File Explorer icons on the preview build in case you missed it. This includes new modernized images for the Recycle Bin and hard drive icons.

Starting with Windows Vista, the built-in Windows Administrator account is disabled by default. This account is separate from administrator-level user accounts, although both have the same privileges. Since that's the case, is it best to ignore the Windows Administrator account? Well, yes and no. Windows operates fine without it and most people will never really need to use that account. However, it does offer a bit more power and flexibility than a regular user account---at the risk of reduced security. Let's take a look at the Windows Administrator account so you can fully understand what it's for. What Is the Windows Administrator Account? In Windows XP and prior versions, every installation of Windows had a special account called Administrator enabled by default. This account has the highest permissions of any profile on the computer, and thus can do anything with elevated administrator privileges without requiring confirmation. It's akin to the "root" or "superuser" accounts in other operating systems. The Administrator account posed a security problem in past Windows versions. By default, the password for it was blank. This meant that unless you set a password for the account, anyone with a bit of know-how could log into the Administrator account and gain full access to the system. And since the Administrator account has no protections, using it daily is dangerous. If you mistakenly installed malware, there would be nothing to stop it from infecting everything on your computer. This, combined with introducing more flexible account security options, is why Microsoft disabled the Administrator account by default starting in Windows Vista. The Windows Administrator Account and UAC In Windows Vista and beyond, every normal user account has to deal with User Account Control (UAC). UAC shows a window with a security prompt whenever you want to perform an action that requires elevated privileges. Such actions include installing a program for all users, editing the Registry, opening a Command Prompt as an admin, and similar. When prompted by UAC, standard user accounts must enter the credentials for an admin account (username and password) to proceed. On the other hand, administrator-level user accounts only have to click a confirmation button to continue. Even as an administrator, this can become an annoyance, especially if you have to confirm dozens of UAC prompts every day. The Windows Administrator account bypasses all UAC protections, because it has no limitations or boundaries. There are other ways to bypass UAC prompts in Windows without resorting to the built-in Administrator account, but they aren't particularly convenient (since the feature is built to keep your PC safe). Should You Use the Windows Administrator Account? As mentioned, Windows 10 and other modern versions keep the Administrator account disabled by default. However, it's still there; you must manually enable it before you can start using Administrator in modern versions of Windows. We don't recommend this in most circumstances, however. Using the Administrator account can open up several security risks on your system. Not only will malware have free reign if you run it under this account, but you also won't have a layer of protection from making mistakes. For example, say you mistype something in the Command Prompt and mistakenly enter a command that would end up deleting a lot of files. You won't get a warning under the Administrator account—the command will run as entered. Thus, you should only enable the Administrator account if you know what you're doing and can accept any potential consequences. It might be necessary for troubleshooting deep system-level issues in some cases, but if you do enable the account, it's smart to disable the Administrator account again as soon as you're done with it. How to Enable or Disable the Windows Administrator Account Across Windows 10, 8.1, and 7, there are up to three ways to enable (and disable) the Windows Administrator account. They're all equally effective, but the Command Prompt method is the only one that works in Windows Home versions. It's also quick, so give that one a try unless you really prefer another. Once the account is enabled through any method, you can sign into the Windows Administrator account just like you would any other account. Pick it from the account selection screen when you boot into Windows, or click it from the list that appears when you click on your profile picture on the Start menu. Method 1: Command Prompt First, you'll need to open the Command Prompt (CMD) interface. A normal CMD window does not have administrator privileges, which is required for this task. Thus, you'll need to run the Command Prompt as an administrator. This kind of terminal window is called elevated. See our intro to the Command Prompt for more basics. Elevating the Command Prompt is easy. Open the Start Menu and type cmd into the search bar. When the results show up, right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. If a UAC prompt shows up, click Yes. Now that the prompt is open, type or copy/paste the following command and press Enter: net user administrator /active:yes To disable the Administrator account later, simply swap the yes part for no: net user administrator /active:no Method 2: Local Users and Groups If you don't like the Command Prompt, you can enable or disable the Administrator account with a graphical method: the Local Users and Groups window. This is handy for system admins in a business setting, but you've probably never dealt with it as a home user. Don't worry, though—it's not difficult to understand. Keep in mind that this only works in Professional (and above) versions of Windows. If you have Windows 10 Home or another Home version, you can't open this panel. Use the Command Prompt method above instead. READ MORE:Windows 10 Home Vs. Pro: Do You Need To Upgrade? To start, open the Run window by pressing Win + R. In the box that appears, type lusrmgr.msc into the field and click OK or hit Enter. This opens Local Users and Groups. Inside that window, click Users in the left pane, then right-click on Administrator and select Properties. Under the General tab, you should see a box labeled Account is disabled. Deselect this option, click OK, then close the window. Now the Administrator account is ready to use. To disable it later, repeat these steps and check the Account is disabled box again. Method 3: Local Security Policy Another approach to enable the Administrator account, if you don't like the first two for whatever reason, is to use the Local Security Policy editor. It's the most complicated option of the three, but it's still straightforward enough. Like the option mentioned above, this only works in at least Windows Pro. If you have Windows Home, you can't access this menu. Start by opening the Run prompt again, using Win + R. Type secpol.msc into the dialog that shows up, which will open the Local Security Policy interface. Here, expand Local Policies in the left pane, then select Security Options in the hierarchy under it. In the right pane, find Accounts: Administrator account status and double-click it. This will show a new window. On the Local Security Setting tab, switch to Enabled, then click OK. Now the Administrator account is ready to use. To turn it off in the future, just repeat this and choose Disabled instead. Add a Password to the Windows Administrator Account Once you've enabled the Administrator account, it's a smart idea to add a password to it. By default, the admin account doesn't have a password, so anyone with access to your PC could use it to get full control. With the Admin account open, open the Settings app with Win + I and head to Accounts > Sign-in options. Select Password > Change to add a proper password to the account. For more convenience, you might wish to change the account's password using the Command Prompt instead. Once you change it, don't lose the password. If you ever need the Administrator account in the future, you'll run into problems if you don't have the password. Renaming the Windows Administrator Account Now that the Administrator account is enabled and secured with a password, there's one more point to consider. Hackers and malware distributors are always finding new ways to gain access to the Administrator account, since it's so powerful. With it enabled, you'll be at greater risk. To reduce your vulnerable surface, we recommend disabling the Administrator account as soon as you're done using it. If you feel the need to keep it enabled for long periods of time, though, you can change the account's name to something that doesn't stick out as much. This won't provide any real protection from attacks designed to exploit the Administrator account. But in case an attack only checks for an account called "Administrator," or you're worried about someone with local access noticing it, this can help. You may want to change it just for fun, as well. To rename the Administrator account, launch an elevated Command Prompt again as above. Then type or copy/paste the following, replacing NewUserName with the name you want to use: wmic useraccount where name='Administrator' rename 'NewUserName' The Administrator account will be renamed to whatever you inputted. This method should work on Windows 10, 8.1, and 7. And in case you don't want to use the Command Prompt, there are graphical renaming methods to use instead. If you're on a Professional or above version of Windows, follow the steps in #2 above to open the Local Users and Groups panel. There, right-click on the Administrator entry and choose Rename, which will allow you to type a new name for the account. On Windows Home, you can rename the Administrator account with another graphical method, as long as you've already enabled the account. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and enter netplwiz. In the list of accounts, double-click on Administrator and you can change the User name there (as well as the Full name if you like). Master the Windows Admin Account Now you know everything there is to understand about the default Administrator account in Windows. And though we've said it several times, it's important to emphasize: unless you absolutely need the Windows Administrator account for a very specific purpose, do not use it. There's a reason why Microsoft implemented UAC in every modern version of Windows. It's more secure, while still offering convenience for most admin tasks. And if you ever forget your admin password in Windows, it's thankfully possible to recover it.

It is quite common to see driver updates messing things up in Windows 10. From a few minor bugs to system-breaking glitches, drivers can cause trouble for people who don’t know how to roll back an update. So, if you don’t know how to roll back a driver in Windows 10, follow along as we try to reverse the clock to save our PC. How to Roll Back a Driver Using Windows 10 Device Manager First up, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Once the menu is opened, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter. This will open the Device Manager. After opening the Device Manager, navigate to the device you want to roll back the driver update for. Let’s say you want to reverse the changes a driver update made to your graphics card. In this case, click on Display Adapter to see the graphic card you are running. Then double-click on the graphics card to open the Properties panel. Once the Properties panel is open, click on the Driver tab to see options for updating and deleting drivers. Now, if you want to roll back the driver, click on Roll Back Driver and proceed with the process. You can also update the driver from here. If rolling back the driver doesn’t fix your problem, you can uninstall and re-install the device. Uninstalling drivers for the device gives you a clean slate to work on. After uninstalling, Windows 10 will revert to the most basic driver that was installed during OS installation. This will allow you to update the driver with the version you see fit. Alternatively, the next time you boot Windows 10 and connect the device, the latest driver available will download and install automatically. RELATED:How To Use The Device Manager To Troubleshoot Windows 10 What to Do if the Driver Roll Back Option is Not Available? Sometimes the Roll Back Driver option will be greyed out, indicating that you can’t roll back to a previous version of the driver. This usually happens when the OS does not have previous driver files available. Fortunately, this is quite easy to fix. Head on over to the device manufacturer’s website and grab the driver version you need. After this, install the drivers, and you’ll be good to go. Learn How to Manage Your Driver Updates in Windows 10 Install driver updates regularly to make sure your PC is in an optimal state. If something goes wrong during the update, just roll back to a previous version, and you’ll be all set.

After installing the latest KB5003214 update, many Windows 10 users are experiencing issues with the taskbar. For some users, the taskbar shows no icons, while for others, the icons are overlapping with each other. Luckily, there are temporary workarounds to fix this issue. Windows 10's KB5003214 Update Brings Taskbar Issues According to Windows Latest, the latest KB5003214 update is causing several taskbar issues on Windows 10 PCs. If you've installed this update, you might experience your taskbar icons suddenly disappearing, or the icons hanging on each other. Several users have reported this taskbar issue on the above site, and there isn't any official fix available yet. How to Fix the Taskbar Issues Caused by the KB5003214 Windows 10 Update Since there's no official fix available yet, you're going to have to rely on people's suggestions on how to fix the issue. A few users have been able to sort this issue out by applying some manual methods. It's worth trying these fixes on your PC if you're experiencing any taskbar problems. Toggle the Taskbar Icon Option One way to deal with this issue is to force the taskbar to redraw on your screen. To do this, simply enable an option and then turn the option back off. Right-click your taskbar and select Taskbar settings. On the following screen, enable the Use small taskbar buttons option. Wait for about ten seconds, and then turn that option off. Turn Off the News and Interests Feature A few users think that the News and Interests feature is causing the taskbar to behave improperly. In this case, it's worth turning off this feature to see if your issue is resolved. RELATED: How To Access And Customize The Windows 10 News And Interests Feed Right-click the weather icon and select Disable. Then, see if your issue is fixed. Uninstall the KB5003214 Update Lastly, if nothing else works, remove the newly installed update and this should definitely fix your taskbar problems. Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a program. On the left, click View installed updates. Select the KB5003214 update in the list, and then click Uninstall at the top. Later, when Microsoft pushes out a fix for this, you can update your Windows 10 PC and get the official patch applied to the taskbar issue. Resolve Taskbar Issues Caused by the KB5003214 Windows 10 Update If you've recently updated your PC, and your taskbar is behaving weirdly, it isn't your fault. A Windows 10 update is to be blamed for this issue. Meanwhile, use the methods outlined above to fix the issue on your PC.

If you want to save massive amounts of cash on Windows, this article is for you. In it, we’re going over some often overlooked methods you can use to avoid paying the full retail price for Microsoft Windows 10. You Can Buy Windows 10 Without Paying Microsoft Prices? Yes, you can. Some people don’t know it, but you don’t have to buy Windows operating system directly from Microsoft. Let’s face it, Microsoft retail prices are expensive, and the past year has been pretty rough on everyone's wallets. RELATED:How To Buy Microsoft Office With A Huge Discount Whether you need Windows 10 operating system for work or you’re setting up your perfect custom PC, not many people have extra cash lying around that they can just throw away. So, we've designed this list of alternative ways to get a Microsoft Windows 10 license for cheap or even free. We'll also show you how to get a great deal on Windows 10 from our favorite software reseller---Mr. Key Shop. Method 1. If You're a Student, Windows 10 May Be Discounted or Free Through Your School The Education Edition of Microsoft Windows is not much different than the Enterprise Editions of the Windows operating system as far as we can tell. Many colleges and universities offer the Education Edition as part of tuition. The best part is that these licenses don’t expire when students graduate. They will continue to work for as long as you own them. Some schools will offer Microsoft Office licenses for students at no cost as well. So if you’re enrolled in a university program and need Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Word, you should check with your school to see if this method is an option. The only downside here is that you have to be a current student for this way to work. If you’re not in college anymore, then, unfortunately, you’ll have to choose another method for your Windows 10 discounts. But don’t be discouraged. We still have a few more tricks up our sleeve. Method 2. Keep Using an Inactivated Version of Windows 10 This tip may sound silly, but you can always continue to use the inactivated version of Windows 10 if you don’t want to pay for a license key. Unfortunately, there are problems with this practice. First, you won’t have access to the latest updates or support. This limitation means that your machine could be vulnerable to outside attacks and other security issues. Second, you'll get regular notifications that you need to activate or buy the Windows 10 operating system. Not activating also means you won’t be able to customize your Windows version, and you’ll always have the “Activate Windows” watermark superimposed on the lower right corner of your screen. If you can live with all of these limitations, then not activating might be a viable option for you. But, this practice may also trigger an ethical dilemma. In other words, just because the Windows 10 operating system is expensive doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Method 3. Use the Windows 10 License on Your Old Computer If you’ve just replaced an old computer with a new one, there is always the option of using your old license key on your new machine. While this means you’ll have to deactivate your previous copy of Windows if you’re using a new computer, if you've upgraded, then it shouldn't matter. However, because your license key has been used on another machine, you might have to contact Microsoft via its automated telephone registration system to register your new product. The process isn’t difficult to do, but it does take a little time to accomplish. And, you'll want to make sure you have your license information available before you pick up the phone. Keep in mind, this method won't always work for older versions of the Windows operating system. In other words, a Windows 7 license won't activate Windows 10 and vice versa. Method 4. Get the Best Price for Your Windows 10 License From a Software Reseller Not many people know this, but sometimes software wholesalers have copies of software they don’t need. A software reseller buys the licenses for this software in bulk and then resells them to individuals looking to save money. If you’ve ever shopped at places like Amazon, TJ Maxx (TK Maxx for our UK folks), or Overstock.com, then you’ll be familiar with the resale process. Unfortunately, you may find slight imperfections when buying from a reseller with retail goods like a shirt or a sweater. But with software resellers, there isn’t that risk. Because software isn’t a physical product, the license for Windows 10 operating system you get from a reseller is the same as the one you buy from Microsoft. The only difference is that the resold copy is often much less expensive. There are issues with this method as well, though. The largest of which is making sure you’re purchasing software from a reputable reseller. Some shady resellers will try to pass off Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) licenses or non-genuine licenses for Windows as genuine. But Microsoft is famous for revoking these licenses, and when it does, you could lose your data. That’s why it’s essential to do your research whenever you encounter a software reseller that is offering a too-good-to-be-true price. Before you click “add to cart,” you’ll want to make sure you check the site’s ratings and read the reviews. It’s also best to read third-party reviews just so you’re sure the company isn’t only publishing its good ones. Protip: To make this process easier for you, we’ve researched several software resellers, and our pick for the best one is Mr. Key Shop. Mr. Key Shop is a London-based software reseller that has served over 300,000 customers over the last 16 years. The company also has a rating of “Excellent” on the third-party rating website, Trustpilot.com. Mr. Key Shop offers competitive pricing, instant delivery, and some of the best support in the software resale industry. Its “full satisfaction or money back” policy ensures that you’ll be buying software that won’t get flagged by Microsoft. Best of all, the company uses secure SSL payment methods from Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Stripe to ensure that your transaction information is safe. You might be thinking, "is reselling software like this legal?" While it's a common misconception that there are legal issues with software resellers, many courts in the US and the UK have ruled this practice perfectly legal. However, it's important that you buy from a reputable reseller. That's another reason we recommend Mr. Key Shop. With Mr. Key Shop, you pick the Windows 10 download and then install. It’s super simple and doesn’t require you to jump through a bunch of hoops. And, you can be sure that any software you buy from the company is 100% genuine so that Microsoft won’t block your license. If you need other products, Mr. Key Shop also offers deals on Microsoft Office Suite and antivirus software from companies like Kaspersky. If you need support, the Mr. Key Shop website has both online and email chat options. And, Mr. Key Shop is also eco-friendly. The company reduces any potential environmental impacts by providing instant downloads and no physical copies of the software. That’s why Mr. Key Shop is our pick for top software resellers when you’re looking for Windows 10 operating system at a massive discount. Finally, if you want to earn a little extra cash, Mr. Key Shop has an affiliate program available where partners can earn 5% of all incoming sales. The company also provides support and tools to monitor engagement, clicks, impressions, and total sales. If you’ve always wanted to be an affiliate marketer, then you can do that with Mr. Key Shop. So, if you've never checked out the Mr. Key Shop website, you should. And, as of right now, you can get a special Windows 10 operating system offer from the Mr. Key Shop site! Enjoy Saving Money on Your Windows 10 Operating System Download Now that you know the best ways to get Microsoft Windows 10 cheap, you can save yourself some money. Though one or two of these tricks might not work for everyone, we’re confident that you’ll be able to use at least one to your advantage.

Microsoft has leaked and hinted at a huge update coming to Windows 10, but we haven't heard anything concrete yet. Now, the Redmond tech giant has announced an event that will show us what's coming to Windows 10. Microsoft's Big Event for Windows 10 You can check out all the details on the Microsoft Windows website. We say "details," but unfortunately, there's not a great deal on the page right now. The webpage invites you to "join us to see what's next for Windows" and provides a time, date, and a reminder link for the event... and that's it. If you want to know more, you'll have to come back on June 24, 2021, at 11 am Eastern Time. As such, we don't know for sure what Microsoft will announce during the event. What we do know is that it won't be about Windows 10X, as the software giant recently pulled the plug on that project and began porting its features onto Windows 10. RELATED: Report: Microsoft Has Shelved Windows 10X, Possibly Forever It's highly likely that this presentation will be about Sun Valley. We've seen so many leaks, hints, and gradual updates related to Sun Valley in recent weeks, that it seems inevitable that Microsoft will properly announce it during this presentation. Of course, we may be totally wrong; we don't know everything Microsoft has up its sleeves. As such, the only way we'll know for sure is to tune in on the day. Something New for Windows 10 Microsoft has released an intriguing, if not sparse, event announcement that will show off the future of Windows 10. As such, we'll only know what it's about once it has started... but our money is on Sun Valley. If you have no idea what "Sun Valley" means, it's a planned UI upgrade for all of Windows 10. While Microsoft hasn't given us a firm release date for it, we've seen snippets and gradual releases over the past few months.

The Windows Key + X power menu is a quick way to navigate inside Windows 10. You can use this menu to open tools like Task Manager, Control Panel, and Settings, among many others. On the surface, the default Windows Key + X menu is an excellent hub for shortcuts. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll realize the menu’s inflexibility, as you can’t customize it easily. This is where Win+X Menu Editor comes in. Let’s see how you can use Win+X Menu Editor to customize the Windows Key + X power menu. What Is Win+X Menu Editor and How to Download it? Win+X Menu Editor, as the name suggests, is a tool that allows you to edit the Windows Key + X power user menu through an easy-to-use graphical interface. Now, you might ask, why can’t we edit this menu without using a third-party tool? You can certainly edit the menu without using a tool, but it requires tweaking system files and registry items. And tweaking critical system files and registry items can produce fatal OS-crashing errors. So, it is best to use a tool that lets you customize the Win+X menu without the risks. To download the Menu Editor, head over to Winaero, scroll down, and select Click here to download the file. After downloading the tool, extract it using WinRAR or any other extraction program to a directory of your choosing. Now you are all set to tweak the Windows Key + X power user menu using Win+X Menu Editor. Customizing the Windows Key + X Power Menu Before we customize the Windows 10 power menu, we need to understand how the menu is laid out. First up, open the menu by pressing Windows Key + X, and you’ll see that it is divided into three groups. The group at the top has items like Apps and Features, Mobility Center, and Power Options, among many others. Similarly, two more groups have their respective items. So, there are two ways that we can customize the power menu: either add or delete tools to the existing groups or create a new group from scratch. RELATED:Repair Your Broken Windows 10 Shortcuts With These Free Tools Customizing Existing Power Menu Groups Open the Win+X Menu Editor to see the list of all the apps and tools currently listed in the Power Menu. To add something to the existing groups, click on a group that you want to customize and press Add a program, in the top toolbar. Next, click on Add a program, select Add a Control Panel item, or choose Add an Administrative Tools item depending upon the type of tool you want to add to the group. You can also choose from a list of preselected items by clicking on Add a preset and choosing from the list. Let’s say you can’t live without Paint, and you want to add it to Power Menu. To do this, click on Add a preset and select Paint from the list. Paint will now be present under the group you selected. On the other hand, if you want an item that is not present in the preset, select either Add a Control Panel item, Add an Administrative Tools item, or Add a program, depending upon the type of program you want to use. For instance, let’s say you want to add Discord to the list of apps, click Add a Program and then select Add a Program once again. Afterward, navigate to the program that you want, select it, and click on Open. Discord will now be present in the Power Menu. A thing to remember here, no matter how many apps and tools you add to the Windows 10 power menu inside Win+X Menu Editor, the actual menu will not reflect these changes until you restart the Explorer. So, after customizing the menu, make sure to hit Restart Explorer in the bottom right corner. So, play around with these options and try different combinations of apps to customize the power menu according to your needs. RELATED:Best Tools To Tweak And Customize Windows 10 Creating a New Power Menu Group To add a new group to Power Menu, select Create a group from the top toolbar. This will create a new group at the very top of the list. Now, all you need to do is add apps and tools to populate the group. Let’s populate the group by adding a slew of shutdown options like shut down, restart, and log off. To do this, select Add a program, and hover over Add a preset. From the preset list, choose Shutdown options, and the new group will start displaying shutdown options. Finally, to see the changes reflected in the Windows Key + X power menu, hit Restart Explorer in the bottom right corner. Removing Items from the Windows 10 Power Menu To remove any item from the power menu, select the item you want to remove and hit Remove in the top toolbar. This will remove any item that you selected. You can also remove entire groups using the same process. Just select the group and click on Remove. Finally, if you want to undo all the changes you’ve made to the Windows Key + X power menu, click on Restore Defaults in the top right corner of the screen. Also, don’t forget to Restart Explorer. The Windows 10 Power Menu is an Excellent Hub for Shortcuts Few shortcut utilities are as useful as the Windows Key + X power menu. You can add all sorts of shortcuts to it using Win+X Power Menu Editor, making it a versatile tool for when you want to do things quickly. And finally, the best thing about the Win+X Menu Editor is the ease of use. You can add and remove items and create new groups without touching any protected system files or registry items. In short, you can use the Win+X Menu Editor regardless of your technical proficiency. It is a tool for everyone.