Results for Computer Recovery

How To Avoid And Fix Memory Leaks In Windows 10

July 08, 2019
You might have encountered issues with computer performance, potentially causing memory leaks. Various software can slow down your computer if it leaks memory (when a program fails to 'release' memory it has used). By default, a closed program should allow other software then to use that same area of memory. If, however, the program is still using the memory having been closed, that is where memory leak problems begin.
A memory leak is a Random Access Memory (RAM) loss caused by one or more programs. Therefore, a specific program is using more memory than it should, or it is not releasing it when the program closed, and continues to use the memory. A certain amount of RAM is required for a process to run, and this is perfectly normal, unless the system starts to behave abnormally. Memory leaks are usually only temporary, since restarting the computer empties RAM memory. If, however, the computer remains switched on with various processes running in the background, some processes might cause memory leaks.

Edit Registry

Windows Registry, usually referred to as just 'the registry', is a collection of databases of configuration settings in Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is used to store much of the information and settings for software programs, hardware devices, user preferences, operating system configurations, and much more. Many of the options exposed in the registry are not accessible elsewhere in Windows. To open Registry Editor, you will first need to open Run dialog box. Press Windows Windows key + R or right-click Start and select "Run" and type "regedit". Press Enter or click "OK".
NOTE: Create a restore point before you make any changes in Windows Registry (editing the Registry incorrectly can lead to more serious problems).
Follow this path by expanding every entry until you find the "Ndu" key: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services". Find "Ndu" key under Services and select it. Now you should see the "Start" REG_DWORD on the right pane. Double-click it and assign the value data to 4. Click "OK" to save the changes.
Now find the "Null" key under the same Services key and double-click "Start" REG_DWORD. Also set its value to 4 . Click "OK" to save the changes.
Now follow this path: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager" and select the "Memory Management" key. Double-click the "NonPagedPoolSize" REG_DWORD on the right pane. Change Base to "Decimal" and set value data to 192. Click "OK" to save the changes, exit Registry and see if memory leak problem is now solved. If not, try to restart your computer after editing the Registry.

Disable Superfetch

Superfetch is a Windows service that is intended to speed up application launching and improve system responsiveness. It caches data so that it can be immediately available to your application. Superfetch achieves this by preloading frequently-used programs into RAM so that they are not required to be called from the hard drive. This can sometimes affect performance and slow down the system, or cause memory leaks. To disable Superfetch, open the Run dialog box and type "services.msc". Press Enter on the keyboard or click "OK".
Now set the "Startup type" to "Disabled" and stop the service by pressing the "Stop" button. Click "Apply" to save the changes, restart your computer, and check if this solves the memory leak problem.

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Run the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. Windows Memory Diagnostic is a memory test tool, which is comprehensive and easy to use. To launch it, type "windows memory diagnostic" or "mdsched" in Search and click the "Windows Memory Diagnostic" result.
To run diagnostics, restart the computer. You will be asked if you want to restart now or to run it the next time you start your computer. When you restart the computer, Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool will start automatically. You will be able to see the test process and results on the screen.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

A built-in Windows feature called "Defragment and Optimize Drives" optimizes drives to help the system run more efficiently (or analyzes them to determine if they require optimization). To launch the defragmentation tool, type "defragment" in Search and click the "Defragment and Optimize Drives" result.
You will see a list of drives connected to the computer. Select the hard drive you want to defragment and click "Optimize". The optimization process should take a while. Wait for it to finish.
NOTE: We do not recommend that you defrag your drive if it is a Solid State Drive (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

How To Avoid And Fix Memory Leaks In Windows 10 How To Avoid And Fix Memory Leaks In Windows 10 Reviewed by Wanem Club on July 08, 2019 Rating: 5

Deleted Mac system files, how to fix?

July 08, 2019

Accidentally deleted files and folders from Mac system, how to restore?

Most regular users appreciate that system files and folders are important and should not be accessed or modified. Despite this, various searches on the internet lead to websites suggesting that they must replace or remove data within these folders when experiencing certain problems. Therefore, occasionally, system files or folders are deleted accidentally, thus causing basic features to malfunction or stop. This situation might seem irrecoverable, however, modern Macs include a hidden recovery partition, which is usually created automatically when installing the operating system and stores system installation files. The hidden partition is effectively equivalent to a Mac OS X installation CD/DVD.
A big advantage of using this method is that it will not impact on your private data. When reinstalling the operating system from the recovery partition, the hard disk is not erased and the user's home folder will remain untouched. Although, the hidden partition is not corrupted (as might be the case with other system files), there can sometimes be issues relating to the recovery partition. Therefore, a feature called 'internet recovery partition' is also available. This is an alternative way to restore system files using a recovery partition stored on Apple servers. In this article, we describe the above methods plus a number of other options to restore deleted/corrupted system files and folders.

Restore deleted system files and folders via Recovery Partition

The most efficient way to restore deleted files is using the Recovery Partition. This method replaces missing system files and leaves your personal data untouched. First, completely shut down the Mac (no lights are displayed and you cannot hear fans spinning). Turn on the Mac and hold down the Command and R keys at the same time. Keep holding the combination until the macOS Utilities window appears.
From the menu, select the Reinstall macOS option. Do not worry about your personal files - this method will not erase your hard drive.
You will be prompted to confirm your actions. Click Continue. You will need to agree to Apple's terms and conditions.
The next window will ask you to select the storage location. Choose the internal hard drive and click Install. This process may take some time, depending on the internal hard drive speed.
If you are unable to use the recovery partition, another option is Internet Recovery.

Alternative methods to restore deleted system files

If you are unable to reinstall the entire operating system (or do not wish to), there are a number of alternative methods. In some rare cases, these might fail, however, you will not lose any data, do not be concerned.
  • To restore missing or corrupted files using Time Machine backup
  • Copy missing or corrupted files from another trusted device. Note, however, that you must be sure that the operating system versions of both systems match, otherwise this method might cause additional issues.
    • Manually copy files from the recovery partition using Terminal: Shut down the computer, and then boot it to recovery mode in a similar way (by holding down Command and R while launching the Mac).
    • When the macOS Utilities window appears, click on Utilities in the menu bar at top of the screen and then select Terminal.
    • When the Terminal app launches, determine the actual volume name by typing df and pressing Return to execute.
    • Make a copy of the /bin folder associated with the hard disk by executing the following command: cp -a /bin /Volumes/disk name (replace 'disk name' with the name of the Mac disk).
    • When Terminal has finished the task, close it and restart the Mac by clicking the Apple logo in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Note that after performing this method, you must update your system again.
Deleted Mac system files, how to fix? Deleted Mac system files, how to fix? Reviewed by Wanem Club on July 08, 2019 Rating: 5

The Best Ways to Edit the Windows Context Menu

February 25, 2019
Also referred to as Right Click Menu, the Context Menu is a pop-up menu that appears when you right click your desktop or an icon on your screen. Its purpose is to provide the user with a quick way to perform various actions such as copying or deleting files, deciding which program to use for opening a certain document, etc.

Why would you need to change the context menu? Either to extend its functionality or to get rid of some unused buttons. While the first is obvious, the second may need a bit of explanation: many computer programs will offer the "shell integration" feature (they will place one or more buttons in the context menu), but "forget" to remove it when you uninstall them. Depending on your tolerance level, there might come a time when your right-click menu will contain so many entries that it will slow you down instead of helping you get something done quicker, so removing some of them will be crucial.
There are two ways to modify the contents of your context menu: manually, by changing some entries in the registry editor, or by using specialized software to help you out. No mater which method you choose, if you are new to this kind of things, it's probably best to create a system backup before actually committing to any changes.
For the manual solution, you will need to open the registry editor by clicking on Start --> Run (or pressing the Windows key + R), and then typing regedit and pressing Enter. A new window will open and you'll have to navigate it the following way: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT --> * --> shellex --> ContextMenuHandlers. There you will find the entries from your context menu, and you can remove or edit whichever you want. The tricky part is that they might not have the exact same name as the text on the button, so finding the right entry might be a little difficult.
If you (understandably) consider that editing your registries is too complicated, and you would rather use a tool to help you out, here are a few applications that will make this assignment much easier:
  • ShellExView - a simple tool that will allow you to view and disable any item from your right click menu. This program is portable so you can easily copy it to an external storage device and use it on any computer you want.
  • Right Click Extender - as you've probably guessed from its name, this application is designed to help you add buttons to your context menu in order to enhance its functionality. The downside is that, as far I know, this program doesn't allow you to remove any context menu buttons except for the ones added by itself. The biggest advantage in using this tool is the fact that it helps you create system backup points directly from its interface, keeping you safe from unwanted changes.
  • FileMenu Tools - is a program that is easy to use, yet a bit more comprehensive than the ones previously mentioned. This application will allow you to remove as well as add functions to your right-click menu, configure the order in which they appear, create sub-menus and a lot more. Since it gives its users complete control and yet manages to be very intuitive, this application is the one I generally use for my context menu editing needs.
  • Ultimate Windows Customizer - I wasn't sure if I should include this application because it breaks the pattern of the other ones, but I decided to give you as many options as possible. What's different about this program is that it offers a lot more than just context menu editor. It also give you the possibility to tweak a wide variety of aspects regarding the Windows UI like the Start Button, Log-on Screen, Taskbar, etc. So, if you want to play around and do more than just modify the buttons in the context menu, you will probably find this tool appealing. However, if all you need is to edit the context menu, then you should choose one of the previous tools and keep things as simple as possible.
The Best Ways to Edit the Windows Context Menu The Best Ways to Edit the Windows Context Menu Reviewed by Wanem Club on February 25, 2019 Rating: 5

How to prevent Windows from installing unwanted programs?

February 25, 2019
Do you find annoying the fact that your PC can install some programs that you haven't even downloaded? Unfortunately, nowadays this is a frequent situation. The installer of the program you need may contain the software which sneaks into your PC without a permission. This type of programs is called Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). PUPs are not viruses but they usually cause much inconvenience to all Windows OS users. In this article, I'd like to present a few universal ways to prevent potential problems.

Keep PUPs out of your computer 

Unchecky is a great straightforward program that is designed to uncheck unnoticeable checkboxes that propose installing third-party software during the main program installation. Unchecky can also find additional hidden programs in an already-running file and notify a user of unwanted programs. Importantly, this useful and free program by Reason Company Software Inc. doesn't require any specific skills for using it and customizing its options. Almost perfect, it is also being updated automatically. To read more information about the Unchecky tool, proceed to the article by Tom Cooper and forget about annoying bundleware, once and for all. 
If you don't want to install a standalone program for performing the task, you can handle it via Windows tools. Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 10 have the AppLocker utility which is located in Group Policy Object Editor. It allows you to create a list of applications that are banned and can't be installed uncontrollably. You can compile your own list or import a standard .xml Locker file. To find the file, run Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) as an administrator, go to Security Settings → Application Control Policies → AppLocker.  

Create a non-administrator account

There is a much easier way to stop your PC from installing unwanted programs. You can create a new Windows user account which has non-admin access to Windows functions by default. This way, you use the new account in the same confident manner as before: none PUP will be installed because your computer will request each program installation now. The slight disadvantage of this method is that you need to adjust your account from scratch and spend time regulating the programs installation by yourself.


Use sandbox security software

A sandbox is a separate mechanism for running programs, the lightweight variant of a virtual machine. The processes that you begin in the sandbox can only affect its own environment but not the host system. Thereby, you can work here with any file and if you find an unverified program safe, you can install it on your underlying operating system. If not, just perform the rollback in the sandbox.
The easiest way to create the sandbox system on your PC is Sandboxie. This is the program that lets you launch browsers, email clients, different software applications in the isolated space on your hard disk. Even if some PUPs are somehow installed, you just easily clear the sandbox and continue using your PC. Sandboxie offers multilingual support (25 languages available) for its users and protects computers from Internet-spread viruses. I should also mention that some antivirus programs have the sandbox feature too, for example avast! Internet Security or Kaspersky Internet Security. 
How to prevent Windows from installing unwanted programs? How to prevent Windows from installing unwanted programs? Reviewed by Wanem Club on February 25, 2019 Rating: 5

Control automatic updates in Windows 10

January 24, 2019
You've surely often heard that keeping your operating system up-to-date is good for your security and it's actually true. However, there are people who could have valid reasons for wanting to hold off on an update. Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to prevent all Windows 10 users from disabling the automatic updates. Since I hate it when people restrict my freedoms, here's how you can work around this restriction and control the automatic updates in Windows 10.

Disabling Windows 10 updates

Even though Microsoft has made it harder to this, there are still a couple of tricks that you can use to prevent your operating system from updating:
Windows 10 Home users can lie to their operating system, telling it that they're on a metered network. Since Microsoft doesn't want its users to have issues with their data caps, this will prevent the automatic download of updates. To do this, go to Start --> Settings --> Network & Internet --> Change connection properties and move the slider for the Metered connection to the On position. Now, click on the Set a data limit to help control data usage on this network button that's right under the slider and make sure the Background Data category has the Never box checked. Repeat the process for all the networks that you use (both WiFi and Ethernet) and you should be good to go. 
Windows 10 Professional, Enterprise or Education users have an even more elegant way to stop the automatic updates. Open the Run box by pressing Win+R on your keyboard, then type gpedit.msc and hit Enter. This will open the group policy window and, from there, go to Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows components --> Windows update --> Defer updates. Click on the Select when Feature Updates are received option, choose Enabled in the respective dialog box, then select for how many days you would like to delay the update and click Apply. Now, do the same for the Select when Quality Updates are received option and you're done. Unfortunately, this solution will only allow you to stop updates for a maximum of approximately 35 days (depending on the update).  

Controlling Windows 10 Updates

To gain full control over the automatic updates without actually disabling them, you're going to need to play around with the System Registry Editor. Even though if you follow my instructions to the letter, you should be fine, I still recommend creating a backup point for your operating system just to be on the safe side. 

 Now, press Win+R, type regedit in the Run box and hit Enter. Go to Computer --> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE --> SOFTWARE --> Policies --> Microsoft --> Windows. Right-click the Windows entry, then hover the New option and click on Key. Type WindowsUpdate as the name of the newly created key, press Enter, then right-click it and create another new key within it named AU. Now, select the AU key, right-click it, go to New, but this time select DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this one AuOptions, press Enter and double-click it. Finally, replace the value data with the digit that corresponds to your choice:
  • 2 - Notify before downloading and auto-installing the update;
  • 3 - Download automatically, then notify for installation;
  • 4 - Download automatically and schedule the installtion;
  • 5 - Allow local admin to decide.
After you've entered the digit that corresponds the option you want to use, press OK and you're done.

Control automatic updates in Windows 10 Control automatic updates in Windows 10 Reviewed by Wanem Club on January 24, 2019 Rating: 5

Best tweaks and tricks to improve Windows 10 performance

October 12, 2017

Windows 10 has just been officially released, but some of us have had it for a while, and there already are some very handy tricks and tweaks to make things run even smoother. Here you will find a list with best tweaks I know that will increase your operating system's performance and privacy. The one thing you should be warned about is that some of these tweaks involve changes in your registry files, so if you make a mistake, you may compromise your entire Windows. This small guide is for advanced user or people who are ready to reinstall their OS in case something goes wrong.

Delete previous Windows installation files


SInce most people install Windows 10 as an upgrade to their current operating systems, generally, there are left-over files containing some of your previous settings and preferences. These not only occupy unnecessary space on your hard disk, but may also be unnecessary. Unfortunately, getting rid of them isn't as easy as you would imagine. In order to delete previous installation files you will need to use Windows's Search function and use the query “Free up disk space” (without the quotes). Click on the shortcut that will be displayed, then choose your primary drive (Usually C: if you have multiple installed), and a new window will appear. Now select the Cleanup system files option, check the box marked Previous Windows installations, then press OK button and confirm you want to delete the files.

Enable new features in the Command Prompt window


Windows has always had a handy console called Command Prompt where you could use various advanced functions, but it was never very user-friendly. In Windows 10 however, you have access to a bunch of new features, such as the ability to paste text, copy the commands you enter and even copy the text that appears inside the console, but you need to enable them first. To do so, open the Command Prompt window (press the Win and R keys), type cmd and press Enter. In the window that opens right-click the icon (on the name bar in top-left corner of the window) and click on Properties. Once the new menu pops up, simply remove the check-mark from the box named Use legacy console, and once you restart the Command Prompt you will have access to all the new features.

Enable System Restore in Windows 10


System Restore is one of the most important functions, as (if you have the necessary storage space) it will enable you to quickly revert your operating system to a previous state in case something goes wrong. In order to enable this feature in Windows 10 you need to right-click the Start button the choose System from the list. In the new window click on System Protection(requires administrator privileges), then select your primary drive (usually C:) and click the Configure button. Now simply check the box marked Turn on System Protection and move the slider from the Disk Space Usage system to something above 0 (preferably, at least 15%). Click OK and you're done.

GodMode


Like the previous versions of the operating system, Windows 10 also has a built-in GodMode designed specifically for power users. Once enabled, this option will give you access to a wide range of customization settings and features that will otherwise be unavailable (in order to stop novice users from accidentally messing up some vital settings). The good news is that turning this mode on is very easy. All you have to do is create a new folder on your desktop (right-click on your desktop, go to New and choose Folder) and copy-paste GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} as its name. The folder will now change into an icon, and you can access all the GodMode settings from there.

Remove the Windows menus display delay


y default, Windows 10 has a small delay before displaying your menus. While not that noticeable, this could still make power users waste some time, so you may need to get rid of it. All you have to do is open your Registry Editor (press the Winand R buttons on your keyboard, then type regedit and press Enter) and find the entry named HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Now right-click on MenuShowDelay (it's in the right-side section), choose Modify and in the Edit String box change the 400 value to something lower (about 100should work just fine). After you press the OK button, the menus will have a much smaller delay which should practically be impossible to notice with the naked eye.

Turn off Wi-Fi Sense


Although a nice idea in theory, Wi-Fi Sense is a huge security and privacy concern for most users, as it automatically shares your Wi-Fi password with your contacts from Facebook, Skype or Outlook, connects to available networks and sends hotspot details about your PC. In other words, in most cases you will be much better off disabling this feature, but, unfortunately, a lot of people aren't aware that Wi-Fi Sense even exists, and even some of those who are don't know how to disable it. To turn off Wi-Fi Sense go to your Windows Settings, click on Network & Internet, then select Wi-Fi and press the Manage Wi-Fi Settings button. Now a new window should appear, where you can move the sliders to disable the Connect to suggested open hotspots and Connect to networks shared by my contacts options. Furthermore, you can choose which of your friends get the details about your network by checking or unchecking the respective boxes.

Enable hidden Dark Theme


If you're tired of the regular Windows 10 theme, you should know that Microsoft has also embedded another one (which is darker), but it's hidden from regular users. In order to use it, you will once again need to open the Registry Editor and find the entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize. Now, go to the right-side pane and create a new DWORD (right-click and choose New then DWORD), name it AppsUseLightTheme and set the value to 0 (it should be 0 by default, so you can just leave it like that). In case if you no longer want the dark UI for your modern apps, simply go back to the registry editor and delete the DWORD that you created. (Additionally, if you are somehow still using an older Windows 10 build, the DWORD should be SystemUsesLightTheme.)

Completely disable the Notification Center in Windows 10

Windows 10's Notification Center is pretty cool, but it can be annoying at times, especially to those who aren't used to it. If you don't like and you would like to turn it off, it's not very hard to do: open the Registry Editor and navigate your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer. Now create new DWORD named DisableNotificationCenter (check the previous tweak if you don't know how) and set the value to 1. Once that's done, restart your computer (log-out or just restart the Explorer), and the notification system should be gone (it disappears from the Windows Tray as well). In case you want it back, just delete the DWORD that you created.
Best tweaks and tricks to improve Windows 10 performance Best tweaks and tricks to improve Windows 10 performance Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 12, 2017 Rating: 5

What is Trinity Rescue Kit | CPR for your computer

October 12, 2017

Trinity Rescue Kit or TRK is a free live Linux distribution that aims specifically at recovery and repair operations on Windows machines, but is equally usable for Linux recovery issues. Since version 3.4 it has an easy to use scrollable text menu that allows anyone who masters a keyboard and some English to perform maintenance and repair on a computer, ranging from password resetting over disk cleanup to virus scanning.

 It is possible to boot TRK in three different ways: 
-as a bootable CD which you can burn yourself from a downloadable isofile or a self burning Windows executable
-from a USB stick/disk (optionally also a fixed disk), installable from Windows or from the bootable TRK cd (which is easier and safer)
-from network over PXE: you start 1 TRK from CD or USB and you run all other computers from that one over the network without modifying anything to you local network.
Ever since version 3.4, TRK has received an easy to use textmenu but has equally kept the commandline.

Here 's a sumup of some of the most important features, new and old:

-easily reset windows passwords with the improved winpass tool
-simple and easy menu interface
-5 different virusscan products integrated in a single uniform commandline with online update capability
-full ntfs write support thanks to ntfs-3g
-winclean, a utility that cleans up all sorts of unnecessary temporary files on your computer.
-clone computers over the network via multicast.
-wide range of hardware support (kernel 2.6.35 )
-contributed backup utility called "pi", to automate local machine backups
-easy script to find and mount all local filesystems
-self update capability to include and update all virusscanners + local changes you made to TRK.
-full proxyserver support.
-run a samba fileserver (windows like filesharing)
-run a ssh server
-recovery and undeletion of files with utilities and procedures
-recovery of lost partitions
-evacuation of dying disks
-full read/write and rpm support
-UTF-8 international character support (select keyboard language from the scrollable textmenu at startup)
-2 rootkit detection uitilities
-most software updated to recent versions
-literally thousands of changes and bugfixes since version 3.3
-elaborated documentation, including manpages for all commands (also TRK 's own)
What is Trinity Rescue Kit | CPR for your computer What is Trinity Rescue Kit | CPR for your computer Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 12, 2017 Rating: 5

How to fix Homegroup-related issues on Windows 10

October 11, 2017

 Setting up a network of Windows 10 computers may not always be as easy as you would hope, especially due to a common error which states that "Homegroup cannot be set up on this computer". In case you're one of the people confronted with this problem, here you will find several solutions that will help solve it. Before we begin, you should know that in order for them to work, you may need to apply these fixes to all the computers in your network.

Enabling the peer network grouping services

The most common cause for the HomeGroup error is a user who has unintentionally and / or unknowingly disabled the Windows 10 services that Homegroup requires. Since this happens fairly often and is the easiest one to fix, I recommended trying this solution first. Here's what you need to do:
  • Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Start button or by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
  • Start typing "services.msc" (without quotes) until you see a button named "Services Desktop App" appear in the "Best Match" category. When you see it, click on it.
  • In the new window, look for the following entries: HomeGroup Listener, HomeGroup Provider, Peer Networking Grouping and Peer Networking Identity Manager. Once you find them, check in the column named "Startup Type" and make sure that they're all set to Auto.
  • If one or more of them are set on Manual or Disabled, right-click on their name and choose Properties, then select the Auto option in"Startup Type".
  • Now, leave your current Homegroup, create a new one and check if the problem has been fixed.

The PeerNetworking folder

Sometimes weird bugs happen, and the easiest thing to do is to let Windows 10 deal with it. However, if you want your operating system to take action, you will need to force it into doing so by deleting files from the PeerNetworking folder:
  • Make sure that you have Administrator privileges, then launch a File Explorer window and make the hidden files visible (the view options).
  • Navigate your way to the PeerNetworking folder: C:\windows\serviceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\PeerNetworking (in case your Windows is installed on a different drive, replace C:\ with the appropriate letter).
  • Delete all the files inside the PeerNetworking folder. (There should be several files named "iddstore" with various extensions.)
  • Open the Start Menu and start typing "Ethernet" (without quotes) until a button named "Change Ethernet Settings" appears, then click on it.
  • Leave the Homegroup that you're currently in.
  • Do this for all the PCs in the network.
  • Turn off all the computers.
  • Power just one computer and create a new Homegroup.
  • Turn on all the other PCs and see if they recognize the new Homegroup.

Modifying the control levels

As a last ditch effort, you can try to allow full control to both PeerNetworking folder and Machine Keys. Here's how to do this:
  • Once again, make sure that you have Administrator rights and that you can see hidden or system files, then run a File Explore window.
  • Navigate to the PeerNetworking, but this time, instead of opening the folder, right-click on it and select properties. Go to Security tab and make sure that all the groups are set to Full Control. If they are not, click on the Edit button and check the corresponding box.
  • Once you're done, navigate to C:\:\Program Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys and repeat the process.
  • Check to see if your HomeGroup is finally working.
How to fix Homegroup-related issues on Windows 10 How to fix Homegroup-related issues on Windows 10 Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 11, 2017 Rating: 5

Troubleshooting your laptop keyboard

October 11, 2017

One of the things I mostly dislike about laptops is that they're very hard to fix. With a desktop, everything that gets broken can be easily replaced, while the same is not true on a laptop. Taking apart and then putting the laptop back together is actually quite complicated and even something as simple as a faulty keyboard can be a big problem. This is why, I've decided to write this short guide and give you a few tips on troubleshooting your laptop's keyboard.

Keyboard completely non-functional

So, if your keyboard has completely stopped working out of the blue and you have no idea what went wrong, the first thing that you need to find out is if it's a hardware or a software problem. To diagnose the issue, the simplest thing that you can do is to boot from a live Linux device (USB Stick, DVD, etc.) and see if the keyboard works in that operating system. If it does, then you're in luck and your problems are caused by a weird driver issue. Open the Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound, then look for a small button named Device Manager and click on it. In the right-side panel look for the Keyboard category, double click your internal keyboard, then in the new window that opens up, go to Driver tab and click on the Uninstall button. Once the process is complete, reboot your Windows and the operating system will automatically reinstall the keyboard driver, so it should now be functional.
In case your keyboard doesn't work on Linux either, then you have a hardware problem. Unfortunately, if the entire keyboard stops functioning from a physical problem, you're probably going to need some professional assistance as you'll need to take your laptop apart. Your problems can vary from something as a power cable being out to something much more complicated, which may require you to change the keyboard completely.

Certain keys no longer working

If there are just some keys that no longer work, and you're sure that you haven't spilled anything on your laptop, then, probably, the problem is dust and other residues stuck under the keys. The easiest way to fix this is to buy an air can (they're not that expensive) and use the straw to angle the air flow under the keys that aren't working. That should push out the dirt from underneath, allowing the key to function properly again.
In case one of your keys got out of its socket and it doesn't look like it's broken, you can put it back by yourself. When my cat decided that my laptop had too many keys, I had to look up a tutorial on YouTube on how to put key back on laptops from my specific brand, so if you can't figure things out on your own, I suggest you do the same.
Troubleshooting your laptop keyboard Troubleshooting your laptop keyboard Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 11, 2017 Rating: 5

7 solutions to speed up Windows 10

October 11, 2017
                                                     7 solutions to speed up Windows 10

 While Windows 10 is one of the best optimized versions of Microsoft's operating system, it still runs pretty slow on some computers. Since a lot of people use it on medium to low-end computers, it's natural for the operating system to run a bit sluggish, but that doesn't mean that it's any less frustrating. In case you're using Windows 10 and are experiencing performance issues, here are seven simple yet effective solutions that will make things better.

Select the High Performance power plan


The simplest solutions in the book is to change your power plan to the High Performance one. What many people may not know is that, by default, Windows 10 is set to use the Balanced power plan and it does so even on desktop PCs (which is a bit weird). So, the first thing that you should do to enhance your system's overall performance is change this setting; you won't see any drastic results, but it will still be an improvement. To change your power plan, open the Control Panel by right-clicking the Start button and choosing the corresponding option. Now, click on the Hardware and Sound option, go to the Power Options section and check the box marked High Performance.

Turn off animations and translucent effects


Animations and transparency may look cool, but take a big toll on the system resources used by the operating system. As a result, if you have a slow PC, you should turn them off. To disable animations you need to open the Run menu (press the Win + R keys), type sysdm.cpl and press Enter. In the window that pops up, go to the Advanced tab and click on the Settings button from the Performance section. Now you will see a list with animations and effects that your Windows uses, and you can simply uncheck those you no longer want. (Unchecking the first three items is a must.)  To disable the transparency, or translucent effect as it's known in Windows 10, click on the Settings button from the Start Menu, then choose Personalisation and click on the Colors section. Once there, scroll down to the bottom of the page and place the slider marked Make Start, taskbar and action center transparent in the Off position.

Disable as many third-party services as possible


Third-party services running in the background can be useful in many situations, but there are also numerous times when you don't actually need them. To see what services are currently running on your system, press the Win + R key combination, type msconfig and hit Enter. In the System Customization window that pops up on your screen, select the Services tab, and you will see a comprehensive list with all the services running.  You can check the box marked Hide all Microsoft services (it's in the bottom-left corner of the window) to filer just the third-party ones. If the list contains any items that you don't need, just uncheck them.

Trim down the start-up list


Some of the previous Windows versions made it a bit difficult for novice users to modify the list of applications that automatically start along with the operating system, but in Windows 10 that is not the case. Since these start-up apps can increase the average booting time and have a negative impact on your PC's overall performance, disabling those you don't need is advisable. To do this, simply press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination, which will open the Task Managerwindow. Now, click on the Start-up tab, then  disable the applications that automatically start-up and that you don't use frequently.

Stop the Windows search indexing


Windows 10 automatically indexes all the files on your PC in order to give quick and precise answers to your search queries. As good as it may sound, the indexing itself requires a lot of your resources, slowing down your system, so I recommend disabling this option. To do this, press Win + R, type services.msc and hit the Enter key. In the window that appears, scroll down the list until you find an item named Windows Search, then right-click on it and press the Propertiesbutton. Now, change the Startup type section from the default setting Automatic (Delayed Start) to Disabled.

Perform periodic maintenance activities


Periodic maintenance tasks are also a great way of increasing your system's overall performance (or keeping it from decreasing). As far as Windows 10 is concerned, there are two important things you need to do at regular intervals:
  • Check for updates - Windows 10 is still a work in progress, so Microsoft will most likely launch numerous resource-optimization updates which will help your PC run smoother. Making sure that your operating system benefits from the most recent updates can be highly beneficial.
  • Hard-disk defragmentation - After a while, the applications that you run and all your other PC activities will take their toll on your hard disk (especially on the drive where you installed the operating system) so performing regular drive defrags will make things better. Simply click on the start menu, then start typing "defragment" (without quotes), and the Windows 10 tool for defragmenting should pop-up. Click on it, then press the Optimize option, and it will automatically take care of the rest.

Try to reduce the number of RAM-consuming apps


Windows applications keep getting more and more evolved, but this means that they also require more of your system's resource. If you have a low-end computer, try to stay clear of the software which requires a lot of RAM, as it may bog down your PC to an eventual standstill. To see which of your currently running applications are taking up the most RAM, open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and click on the header of the Memory column. (You can click directly on the percentage number.) Additionally, if you're on your personal PC, try not to use any sophisticated anti-virus software, since the one embedded in Windows 10 does the job pretty well and doesn't put too much stress on your hardware.
7 solutions to speed up Windows 10 7 solutions to speed up Windows 10 Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 11, 2017 Rating: 5
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )
Powered by Blogger.